Hearn Jets To Season-Opening Victory In North-South Shootout
Sat - March 25, 2006 -- Hagerstown Speedway
Hagerstown, MD
Author: Tom Skibinski, DIRT NorthEast PR Director
Florida Winternationals champion Brett Hearn picked up right where he left off as he captured the ’North-South Shootout 100’ to open the 2006 Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series at Hagerstown Speedway on Saturday night. Coming off two straight feature wins to close out the Florida Tour in February, Hearn kicked off the Advance Auto Parts points trail with his first-ever DIRT-sanctioned victory at the Maryland oval.
"The traffic was pretty tough out there tonight, you just couldn’t make a mistake or it would be all over," said Hearn, 47, following his third straight victory at Hagerstown. Already in March he posted a pair of open-wheel feature wins and his recent 100-lap triumph was the 21st registered at promoter Frank Plessinger’s popular half-miler. “It’s been like direct deposit around here lately, hopefully we can keep it going back up north when the series continues."
Six qualifying heats and three consolation races reduced the stellar field of 54 big-block entries to 32 starters for the 50-mile finale. After winning his preliminary race and selecting the #1 pill in the customary pre-race draw, Hearn out-dragged front row partner Frank Cozze to take command early with veterans Kenny Tremont, reigning Mr. DIRT champ Tim Fuller and Jimmy Horton in tow after the initial five circuits.
The first of four caution periods arrived on lap six when Tom Sears, Jr ---steering the no. 6j JIR Motorsports team car of big-block rookie Joe Isabell after his own no. 8j mount failed to fire prior to the feature---slowed in the second turn. Action continued with Tremont and Cozze swapping spots while Fuller took over third 15 laps in. Yellow lights flashed for a second time as Jimmy Phelps fell off the pace and during this slowdown Tim McCreadie ducked pitside to change shocks on the no. 39 Sweeteners Plus/Bicknell ride.
Fuller moved in to shadow Hearn a quarter of the way through and the pair traded paint on more than one occasion as the track surface slickened. All the while 11th-place starter and Integra Shocks fast timer Billy Decker was on the move cracking the top-five with 27 laps scored. Just two circuits later the leaders suddenly skated to the top side with Fuller slamming the turn three wall and Hearn slowing just in time to save the Madsen Motorsports no. 20 Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-WLR Construction/TEO mount. Moments earlier Kevin Hirthler’s machine had dropped fluid between the turns leaving the pair helpless while third-place runner Tremont took immediate action to assume the point.
With cautions counting after lap 25, Tremont’s lead lasted only until the ensuing lap 34 restart when Hearn regained a lead he would ultimately hold on to until the end. The last chance for leaders to relax came between laps 39-42 when two-time Hagerstown tour winner Gary Tomkins suffered a shredded right rear tire after rallying from 25th to 14th in his no. 1 Honeoye Auto-Pillsbury machine. But with the last 58 laps run straight through under green, continuous encounters with traffic kept the finishing order in doubt until the checkered flag flew for the final time.
Halfway through the Modified main Hearn held the lead ahead of Decker, Tremont, Cozze, Alan Johnson and Horton. Johnson had won his qualifying heat and drew inside second row to start the century grind yet his choice of a Hoosier hard tire compound had dropped him as far back as eighth in the early stages.
In a gallant effort to defend his race title garnered last summer, Johnson slipped past Tremont for third on lap 61 and word spread fast that ‘A.J. Slideways’ was making his patented late-race charge towards the front. With 85 circuits complete 15 cars still remained on the lead lap yet it was only the top-three that seemed to matter as they waged a torrid battle weaving through traffic as the laps dwindled.
Johnson made his first bid for second on lap 92 with Decker riding him up to the wall as the duo rolled out of turn two. The next time around Decker managed to sneak a peak under Hearn coming into turn four although the ‘Jet’ never flinched as the leaders crossed the stripe in the same order. With one more lap down Johnson was able to keep his momentum exiting turn four to finally secure the runner-up position. But that was as far as the Jeff Rudalavage-owned speed wagon would carry him as he could only muster second-place on an unseasonably cold night south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
“I’m really happy the way we came back after a poor qualifying run to win our heat and get into the draw,” said Hearn, after registering his second straight Advance Auto Parts SDS opening ground victory and the seventh of his career. 1990 marked the only time he went on to capture the overall Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRT crown in the same season. His 317th DIRT big-block Modified win improved his all-time best total to 88 in AAP competition since first reaching victory lane in 1981. “Things were happening so fast at the end my crew was trying to give me signals but they kept spinning around as traffic constantly moved in and out. I just had to concentrate on doing what I had done the whole race and keep running clean.”
Johnson picked up first-place honors at Hagerstown last year when rain-delayed the lead-off event until June. While he drove the winning Sherlock Racing no. Ten Tri-State Roofing/TEO car much of the past summer, on this night he was back aboard the potent no. 14j NativePoker.com-WPC Associates/Bicknell entry that was initially secured last autumn.
“I had to wait for the (hard) tires to finally come in, but I think if we still had a few more laps to go Billy would’ve got us both by then,” said DIRT MotorSports NorthEast’s all-time big-block Modified feature winner with 329 career open-wheel triumphs since the organization started in 1976. “Still, looking at the quality of the cars out here tonight it’s DIRT’s best and second is really quite an accomplishment. We had such a terrible run February in Florida that we came back home and started from scratch. A few more changes and we should be a little better in time for the next race.”
At the wire it was Hearn nipping Johnson by a car-length while Decker, Tremont and Cozze settled into front-five positions. Steve Paine, race hard charger Pat Ward (started 28th), Matt Sheppard, Tim McCreadie and teammate Vic Coffey rounded out the top-10 while 14th-place finisher Justin Haers was the last driver to complete the entire 100-lap distance.
“This was a real challenge out there all night long as you had to slow down to go fast,” said Decker, who was fast all night, earning the inaugural Integra Shocks Fast Time Trial Award with a one-lap best of 19.391 sec. --- he set the current track standard of 19.016 sec. (94.657 mph) on June 23, 2005. The four-time Syracuse Eckerd 200 winner recorded season-opening series wins in back-to-back fashion in 1999-2000 while his last Mr. DIRT title was claimed in 1998. “Most of the time you could look good going into the turns but give it all back up coming out. I’m just glad we got the show in tonight with the way the weather’s been lately. And you have to give a lot of credit to the fans that came out, they keep us coming back as well.”
After a month off from tour competition, Hearn leads the ground-pounding Advance Auto Parts Modifieds back into action at Rolling Wheels Raceway on Sunday, May 7 for the 26th Annual DIRT Challenge Cup, a title event featuring a pair of $3,000-to-win 50-lap main events offering points towards the overall Hoosier-Sunoco Mr. DIRT Championship.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series Race #1 – Hagerstown Speedway, March 25, 2006 North-South Shootout Modified Event Summary
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER
1 1 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ ($6,000)
2 3 14j Alan Johnson/Phelps,NY
3 11 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
4 4 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY
5 2 44 Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA
6 13 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
7 28 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
8 6 44s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
9 9 39 Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY
10 21 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
11 7 42 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
12 8 10 Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT
13 18 16 A.J. Romano/Johnstown,NY
14 15 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
15 23 *8j Tom Sears,Jr./Clay,NY
16 25 1 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
17 19 Z Butch Tittle/Saylorsburg,PA
18 29 3b Chad Brachmann/Wheatfield,NY
19 31 33-1/3 Tommy Meier/Waldwick,NJ
20 27 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
21 26 00 Doug Manmiller/Wyomissing,PA
22 24 71 David VanHorn,Jr./Phillipsburg,NJ
23 10 99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY
24 17 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
25 12 30 Jamie Mills/Milford,DE
26 5 19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY
27 14 2 Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
28 32 14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
29 22 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
30 20 22g Mitch Gibbs/North Norwich,NY
31 30 91d Kevin Hirthler/Perkiomenville,PA
32 16 26 Ryan Godown/Ringoes,NJ
DID NOT QUALIFY (22)
6j-Joe Isabell/Pennellville,NY
7j-Jeff Isabell/Pennellville,NY
8-Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ
8j-Dean Pearson/Harrisville,PA
9-Bob McCreadie/Watertown,NY
12j-Dan Williams/Pennellville,NY
18-Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY
19b-Kenny Brightbill/Sinking Spring,PA
20d-Del Rougeux,Jr./Frenchville,PA
21-Gary Edwards,Jr./Bloomingburg,NY
37-Kyle Jacobs/Hogansburg,NY
39w-Chuck Tucker/Georgetown,DE
42b-Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA
60-Kenny Stafford/Homer,NY
62-Todd Burley/Spencerport,NY
72-Jeff Ebersole/Palmyra,PA
73-Ryan Jacobs/Hogansburg,NY
73h-J.R. Heffner/Stephentown,NY
77-Doug Hoffman/Allentown,PA
77x-Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
734-Jim Secor,Jr./East Fishkill,NY
777-Kevin Bolland/New Brighton,PA
QUALIFYING
FAST AVE
TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER
1 19.391 92.827 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
*$100 Integra Shocks Fast Qualifier Award
2 19.528 92.175 42 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
3 19.643 91.636 91d Kevin Hirthler/Perkiomenville,PA
4 19.676 91.482 14j Alan Johnson/Phelps,NY
5 19.720 91.278 10 Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT
6 19.722 91.269 44s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
7 19.776 91.019 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
8 19.918 90.371 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
9 19.957 90.194 44 Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA
10 20.012 89.946 39 Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY
11 20.018 89.919 99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY
12 20.031 89.861 72 Jeff Ebersole/Palmyra,PA
13 20.040 89.820 Z Butch Tittle/Saylorsburg,PA
14 20.043 89.807 33-1/3 Tommy Meier/Waldwick,NJ
15 20.061 89.726 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY
16 20.102 89.543 26 Ryan Godown/Ringoes,NJ
17 20.122 89.454 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
18 20.138 89.383 71 David VanHorn,Jr./Phillipsburg,NJ
19 20.139 89.379 30 Jamie Mills/Milford,DE
20 20.144 89.357 2 Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
21 20.146 89.348 00 Doug Manmiller/Wyomissing,PA
22 20.165 89.264 22g Mitch Gibbs/North Norwich,NY
23 20.214 89.047 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
24 20.258 88.854 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY
25 20.293 88.701 8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ
26 20.301 88.666 19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY
27 20.353 88.439 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
28 20.356 88.426 8j Tom Sears,Jr./Clay,NY
29 20.375 88.344 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY
30 20.395 88.257 16 A.J. Romano/Johnstown,NY
31 20.402 88.227 20d Del Rougeux,Jr./Frenchville,PA
32 20.413 88.179 3b Chad Brachmann/Wheatfield,NY
33 20.429 88.110 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
34 20.464 87.959 77 Doug Hoffman/Allentown,PA
35 20.513 87.749 19b Kenny Brightbill/Sinking Spring,PA
36 20.520 87.719 37 Kyle Jacobs/Hogansburg,NY
37 20.538 87.642 42b Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel,PA
38 20.544 87.617 9 Bob McCreadie/Watertown,NY
39 20.570 87.506 73h J.R. Heffner/Stephentown,NY
40 20.623 87.281 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
41 20.684 87.024 14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
42 20.701 86.952 60 Kenny Stafford/Homer,NY
43 20.796 86.555 1 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
44 20.869 86.252 777 Kevin Bolland/New Brighton,PA
45 20.974 85.821 12j Dan Williams/Pennellville,NY
46 21.088 85.357 18 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY
47 21.143 85.135 7j Jeff Isabell/Pennellville,NY
48 21.568 83.457 21 Gary Edwards,Jr./Bloomingburg,NY
49 21.709 82.915 8j Dean Pearson/Harrisville,PA
50 21.855 82.361 73 Ryan Jacobs/Hogansburg,NY
51 22.226 80.986 6j Joe Isabell/Pennellville,NY
52 22.388 80.400 39w Chuck Tucker/Georgetown,DE
53 -NT- ----- 62 Todd Burley/Spencerport,NY
54 -NT- ----- 734 Jim Secor,Jr./East Fishkill,NY
Heat Races (8 laps, top 3 finishers transferred to feature, top 2 went to re-draw)
#1: Decker, Mills, Paine, Tittle, Bates, Tomkins, Scagliotta, Rougeux, Pearson.
#2: Horton, Fuller, R.Johnson, J.Phelps, Meier, Bolland, Brachmann, R.Jacobs, B.McCreadie.
#3: Hearn, Cozze, Haers, Hirthler, Manmiller, Ward, Heffner, Williams, Jo.Isabell.
#4: A.Johnson, T.McCreadie, Godown, Gibbs, Sears, Hoffman, Planck, Beardsley, Tucker.
#5: Friesen, Bower, D.Johnson, Coffey, R.Phelps, Laubach, Brightbill, Je.Isabell, Burley(DNS).
#6: Sheppard, Tremont, Romano, VanHorn, K.Jacobs, Edwards, Ebersole, Stafford, Secor.
Consolation Round (8 laps, top 2 finishers transferred to feature)
#1: Tittle, J.Phelps, Tomkins, Meier, Brachmann, Rougeux, Bolland, Bates, Scagliotta, R.Jacobs, Pearson(DNS), B.McCreadie(DNS).
#2: Gibbs, Sears, Manmiller, Ward, Planck, Beardsley, Hirthler, Heffner, Jo.Isabell, Williams, Tucker, Hoffman(DNS).
#3: Coffey, VanHorn, R.Phelps, Laubach, Edwards, Brightbill, Stafford, Je.Isabell, Ebersole, Secor, K.Jacobs, Burley(DNS).
Added
Tomkins, Manmiller, R.Phelps, Ward, Brachmann, Hirthler, Meier, Laubach.
Advance Auto Parts Series Point Standings (Top-10 through March 25, 2006)
Rank No. Driver Points Diff Money Wins Top 5 Top10 Starts
1 20 Brett Hearn 105 0 $6,000 1 1 1 1
2 14J Alan Johnson 100 (5) $4,000 0 1 1 1
3 91 Billy Decker 95 (10) $2,500 0 1 1 1
4 115 Kenny Tremont Jr. 88 (17) $2,000 0 1 1 1
5 44c Frank Cozze 83 (22) $1,700 0 1 1 1
6 7x Steve Paine 77 (28) $1,400 0 0 1 1
7 44s Matt Sheppard 73 (32) $1,200 0 0 1 1
8 42p Pat Ward 72 (33) $1,000 0 0 1 1
9 39 Tim McCreadie 68 (37) $800 0 0 1 1
10 42 Jimmy Horton 65 (40) $600 0 0 0 1
11 10 Stewart Friesen 63 (42) $500 0 0 0 1
12 32c Vic Coffey 62 (43) $400 0 0 1 1
13 16 A.J. Romano 57 (48) $350 0 0 0 1
14 3H Justin Haers 55 (50) $325 0 0 0 1
15 6J Tom Sears Jr. 52 (53) $300 0 0 0 1
16 1 Gary Tomkins 50 (55) $300 0 0 0 1
17 Z Butch Tittle 48 (57) $300 0 0 0 1
18 3b Chad Brachmann 46 (59) $300 0 0 0 1
19 33.3 Tommy Meier 45 (60) $0 0 0 0 1
20 99 Ryan Phelps 44 (61) $300 0 0 0 1
21 99b Chuck Bower 44 (61) $300 0 0 0 1
22 00 Doug Manmiller 43 (62) $300 0 0 0 1
23 30 Jamie Mills 43 (62) $300 0 0 0 1
24 19 Tim Fuller 43 (62) $300 0 0 0 1
25 71 David VanHorn Jr. 42 (63) $300 0 0 0 1
26 27J Danny Johnson 41 (64) $300 0 0 0 1
27 2 Ronnie Johnson 41 (64) $300 0 0 0 1
28 26 Ryan Godown 41 (64) $300 0 0 0 1
29 14 Rick Laubach 40 (65) $0 0 0 0 1
30 98h Jimmy Phelps 40 (65) $300 0 0 0 1
31 22g Mitch Gibbs 40 (65) $300 0 0 0 1
32 91d Kevin Hirthler 40 (65) $300 0 0 0 1
33 72 Jeff Ebersole 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
34 8 Rich Scagliotta 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
35 20D Del Rougeux Jr. 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
36 77 Doug Hoffman 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
37 77 Doug Hoffman 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
38 19B Kenny Brightbill 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
39 37 Kyle Jacobs 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
40 42B Kevin Bates 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
41 9 Bob McCreadie 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
42 73h J.R. Heffner 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
43 77x Dale Planck 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
44 60 Kenny Stafford 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
45 777 Kevin Bolland 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
46 12J Danny Williams 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
47 18 Sean Beardsley 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
48 7J Jeff Isabell 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
49 21 Gary Edwards Jr. 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
50 8J Dean Pearson 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
51 734 Jim Secor Jr. 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
52 6J Joe Isabell 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
53 39w Chuck Tucker 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
54 62 Todd Burley 10 (95) $0 0 0 0 0
SKIDMARKS
2006 Tour 12: For the second straight year DIRT MotorSports™ has signed up the best big-block Modified teams in the Northeast to compete in every Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series show. The list of a dozen contracted drivers in alphabetical order includes past Eckerd 200 champion Vic Coffey, four-time and defending Eckerd 200 titlist Billy Decker, third-generation big-block upstart Stewart Friesen, reigning overall Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRT champion Tim Fuller, ’04 Rookie of the Year Justin Hears, all-time Advance Auto Parts SDS race winner Brett Hearn, DIRT’s winningest big-block Modified driver Alan Johnson, Canandaigua (NY) Speedway record-setter Steve Paine, second-year tour mainstay Jimmy Phelps, rising star Matt Sheppard, former Mr. DIRT champion Gary TomkinsPat Ward. Each was contending for the first-place prize at Hagerstown with Hearn, Johnson and Decker grabbing the top three spots. Paine (6th), Ward (7th), Sheppard (8th), Coffey (10th), Friesen (12th), Haers (14th), Tomkins (16th), Fuller (26th) and Phelps (29th) came next. and 30-year open-wheel veteran
With the exception of Hearn (Orange County), those same 12 drivers will divide their Saturday night race schedule between Canandaigua and Fulton speedways during the upcoming race season. Fuller, Decker, Ward, Phelps, Friesen and Johnson are currently penciled in to run at Fulton, Tomkins, Paine, Hears and Coffey plan to compete at Canandaigua while Sheppard is 50/50 either way. The decision remains up to Randy Ross, owner of Sheppard’s no. 44s BKS/G-U Hardware-Currier Plastics ride. Sheppard likes Canandaigua ---scored his first-ever big-block win in 2003--- and has both the cars an motor program to be a successor to the ‘Land of Legends’ throne. Maybe more importantly, Matt’s father Stu Sheppard will be at the track every week serving as crew chief for the no. 10 DIRT Sportsman team and its driver Tim Currier, the 16 year-old son of John Currier, who provides associate sponsorship for Ross. In 2006, the Sheppard/Ross combination hopes to click with the addition of a brand new PMC chassis as the primary vehicle, saving the proven Bicknell car for tracks that may be favorable to its particular set-up.
New Format Follow-Up: Gary Tomkins and Pat Ward were the first drivers committed to the Advance Auto Parts SDS that used provisional starting positions to make the feature race grid at Hagerstown. Chad Brachmann was added as he was the first non-contracted driver in points that did not qualify through heats and consis while Kevin Hirthler gained a starting berth being a non-qualified driver with the fastest clocking in time trials. Tommy Meier and Rick Laubach filled out the field as non-paid provisionals. For the first time in Advance Auto Parts Series competition, bonus points were handed out to top qualifiers in Integra Shocks Time Trials and heat races. Billy Decker locked up an extra five points for being the fastest time trailer and also won his heat to prevent another driver from gaining five markers (maximum of 5 points per event is allowed). Jimmy Horton, Brett Hearn, Alan Johnson, Stewart Friesen and Matt Sheppard also earned an additional five points for their heat wins; second-place finishers earned three points and third-place runners collected one.
Rookie Watch: Young New Yorker Kenny Stafford and Pennsylvania upstart Kevin Bates are the first drivers to declare themselves as DIRT NorthEast Modified Rookie of the Year candidates. Both drivers are graduates of the DIRT Sportsman division with Stafford earning first-year honors in 2004. The Homer, N.Y. hotshoe scored the biggest victory of his open-wheel career last October in the Super DIRT Week Sportsman Championship on the Syracuse Mile while promising Lake Ariel, Pa. Pilot Bates won 2005 season point titles in Central New York at both Cayuga County and Fulton.
Hall of Fame Heroes: With a number of young guns activated for the Hagerstown lid-lifter, many veteran open-wheel drivers were just as prominent in the pit area on Saturday. Among the most seasoned were Pennsylvania legend Kenny Brightbill and DIRT’s all-time Most Popular Driver Bob McCreadie, both of whom will be inducted into the DIRT MotorSports™ NorthEast Hall of Fame in Weedsport, N.Y. on Sunday, May 28 of Memorial Day Weekend. Remaining competitive today aboard his no. 19 big-block Modified machines, Sinking Spring, Pa. veteran Brightbill continues in his fifth decade of open-wheel racing. Forever recognized as the all-time feature winner (135) at the now defunct Reading (Pa.) Fairgrounds, the "Shillington Slingshot" has amassed over 400 career victories. Steering the famous no. 9 Kinney Drug Stores-Syracuse Frame Service mount, McCreadie became the DIRT organization’s first driver to reach the 300-win plateau and DIRT’s four-time ’Most Popular Driver’ from Watertown, N.Y. still holds the all-time single-season mark of 43 DIRT big-block wins set in 1994. Neither driver qualified on Saturday with McCreadie losing a front-end in a heat race jingle to end his chances while Brightbill finished sixth in the third and final consolation race.
Team Work: The Pennellville, New York-based JIR Motorsports team was arrived at Hagerstown in full force, boasting a handful of big-block cars in its attempt to qualify for the main event. Signed in were team owner Jeff Isabell (#7j), son Joe Isabell (#6j), Tom Sears, Jr. (#8j), Mod Lite graduate Dan Williams (#12j) and veteran Danny Johnson (#27j). Sears and Johnson were the lone qualifiers with Sears scored as the first driver one lap down while Johnson ran out of gas with just 75 laps complete to end up 24th. Carburetion problems were the obvious culprit in Johnson’s case with his Bicknell entry getting only three laps per gallon before coasting into the pits as he held a top-10 position at the time
Faulty Forecast: While Hagerstown boasted another full field of all-star racers the final weekend of March, track promoter Frank Plessinger would have enjoyed greater support on the other side of the fence. With clouds mixing with sun overhead throughout the day, many local and regional weather forecasts continued to carry predictions of snowfall and freezing rain in the immediate area; some reaching as high as 60% by Saturday afternoon. Track PR Director Stan Dillon noted that March of 2006 has been the driest month on record since 1911 and despite predictions of precipitation for the past three weeks, Hagerstown has stayed relatively dry. Although temperatures sunk well below the 40-degree mark after sundown, still one more day without any water from the sky kept the track maintenance team on top of their game throughout the night.
Get Out The Word First: RACEceiver is the Official Driver Communicator of DIRT MotorSports. A compact radio receiver that conveniently fits into a driver’s pocket, a RACEceiver allows each driver to hear directions from series officials, which greatly enhances the safety and timeliness of events. A similar version available to fans will allow RACEceiver users to hear what information series officials are relaying to the drivers. For more information about RACEceiver, visit www.raceceiver.com, call 866-301-7223, or look for their sales trailers at various events.
Tracks Know The Score: In DIRT MotorSports™ ongoing effort to assist every sanctioned track with presenting the best possible race programs, DMS has teamed with AMB i.t. which continues to be recognized as the Official Timing System of DIRT MotorSports. AMB i.t. is the world’s leader in automatic race timing and scoring systems and the DIRT organization is proud to retain the company as a valued partner in the timing and scoring of all DIRT MotorSports events.
Next Event: Following the scheduled tour opener at Hagerstown, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series action returns to the Empire State to open upth DIRT Challenge Cup at Rolling Wheels Raceway is the 66th series event staged at the popular Elbridge, N.Y. oval since 1980. This year’s format includes twin 50s for the big-blocks with $3,000 to win each. Brett Hearn captured last season’s lead-off 100-lapper. the month of May. The 26
2006 Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series Schedule
NP=Non-Point event.
DAY-DATE LAPS TRACK WINNER/LOCATION
Wed-Feb 15 30-NP Volusia Speedway Park JIMMY HORTON
Thr-Feb 16 30-NP Volusia Speedway Park TIM FULLER
Fri-Feb 17 30-NP Volusia Speedway Park BRETT HEARN
Sat-Feb 18 50-NP Volusia Speedway Park BRETT HEARN
Sat-Mar 25 100 Hagerstown Speedway BRETT HEARN
Sun-May 7 100 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sun-May 28 100 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway Weedsport,NY
Wed-Jun 14 100 Lernerville Speedway Sarver,PA
Thr-Jun 15 100 Susquehanna Speedway Newberrytown,PA
Wed-Jun 21 100 Ransomville Speedway Ransomville,NY
Wed-Jun 28 100 Fulton Speedway Fulton,NY
Mon-Jul 3 100 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Tue-Jul 4 100 Brockville Ont Speedway Brockville,ONT
Sun-Jul 9 100 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall,ONT
Mon-Jul 10 100 Autodrome Drummond Drummondville,QUE
Thr-Jul 13 100 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
Wed-Jul 19 100 Grandview Speedway Bechtelsville,PA
Sat-Aug 5 100 Eldora Speedway Rossburg,OH
Mon-Aug 7 100 Merrittville Speedway Thorold,ONT
Thr-Aug 10 100 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY
Wed-Aug 16 100 New Egypt Speedway New Egypt,NJ
Wed-Aug 30 100 Brewerton Speedway Brewerton,NY
Sun-Sep 3 100 Cayuga Co Fair Speedway Weedsport,NY
Mon-Sep 4 100 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sat-Sep 9 200 Lebanon Valley Speedway West Lebanon,NY
Fri-Sep 15 100 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY
Sat-Sep 23 200 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sat-Sep 30 200 Fulton Speedway Fulton,NY
Sun-Oct 8 200 New York State Fairgrnds Syracuse,NY
Sun-Oct 15 100 Williams Grove Speedway Mechanicsburg,PA
Sun-Oct 22 200 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
*All events subject to change.
The DIRT MotorSports™ Advance Auto Parts Series is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., F.X. Caprara Car Companies and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, DART Machinery, Holley HP Carburetors, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company and Wrisco Industries.