Hearn Dominates For Second Straight Volusia Triumph; Claims 6th Crown
Sat - February 18, 2006 -- Volusia Speedway Park
Barberville, FL
Author: Tom Skibinski, DIRT NorthEast PR Director
Race Weeks ’06 at Volusia Speedway Park for the Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series opened Wednesday with Brett Hearn pulling pitside with a cracked engine block in his no. 20 Wentworth Custom Homes-Madsen Motorsports/TEO entry. In the Florida Tour Championship finale on Saturday, when Hearn pulled into victory lane he could only crack a smile after the New Jersey veteran was crowned big-block champion of the Winternationals for a second straight year.
"This is probably the one title I least expected," said Hearn, after scoring his second straight Florida Tour triumph in the 50-lap DIRT Modified main that rewarded him with the $5,000 top prize. The Sussex, N.J. star continued his dominance at the popular Volusia half-miler by scoring his 14th career victory while clinching an unprecedented sixth points championship in the 35th Annual Winternationals. "When you drop out of the first in a four-race series, where you are in the points is the last thing on your mind. All that’s really at stake here is bragging rights but coming back the way we did is something our guys can talk about all the way home. We’ve got a great team in place."
With the coveted Florida Tour championship on the line coming into the Saturday showdown, the title seemed to rest in the hands of front row starters Jimmy Horton and Tim Fuller. The point leaders going into the finale had each scored a 30-lap feature win during the week and won their respective qualifying heats to rank as the early favorites. Horton (1999) and Fuller (2003) also own Winternational crowns while Pat Ward (2004) is the only other DIRT NE driver to loosen Hearn’s stronghold.
Even after Hearn overtook Horton for the top spot on lap 16, Horton remained the first choice to wear his third crown at Volusia. Yet that scenerio was quickly thrown out the window when Horton’s Millennium Car Wash-Grosso Trucking/Bicknell entry went up in smoke with a blown motor as soon as the caution lights flashed when Bobby Varin slowed between turns three & four. With 15 laps still to go Hearn led Dale Planck, title contender Fuller, 20th-place starter Jimmy Phelps and Ward.
Despite a rash of yellow flags over the final dozen circuits, the running order remained intact and Hearn coasted home for a commanding eight car-length victory at the stripe.
Sean Beardsley (lap 38) and Chris Whitehead (lap 47) suffered flat tires while Jerry Higbie came to stop in the Sherlock mount with just two laps to go. The brief slowdowns failed to ground the ’Jet’ as he flew to the top of the Winternationals standings overtaking Horton, Fuller and Alan Johnson to finish four points up on Fuller in the final countdown.
"You always want to win that 50-lapper, especially when its the last race before you have to go home," added Hearn, on the heels of his fourth 50-lap triumph in Florida. "Tonight we really had to work to get it on a track that was so difficult to pass on. The draw put us dead last in the heat and we got third and then came up from 10th in the feature to take first before even half the race was over. Knowing everybody was staying low, I just rolled around on the top early and was able to get to the front once the field spread out. Even with all the restarts near the end I had confidence in the car, the crew had us dialed in from day one."
With 14 of the 28 open-wheel starters completing the entire 50-lap distance, the top-10 positions were filled by former Syracuse Eckerd 200 champion Vic Coffey, ’05 DIRT Modified rookie of the year,Stewart Friesen, DIRT’s all-time big-block win leader Alan Johnson, first-year Florida Tour entry Wayne Jelley and Pennsylvanian Rick Laubach.
After climbing in the back-up blue no. 20 machine following opening night motor trouble, Hearn (192) stormed back to top the Winternationals points chart ahead of Fuller (188), 22ndplace race finisher Horton (183), three-time Race Weeks heat winner Dale Planck and two-time Florida Tour points king Alan Johnson.
With the 2006 Florida Tour safely in the recordbook, teams packed up and headed home to get ready for the start of DIRT MotorSports NorthEast’s 31st season at their hometrack. The first major event of the season is the Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series opener scheduled at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway on Saturday, March 25.
SKIDMARKS
The 2006 haul to the Sunshine State for Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series teams marked the ninth straight performance by DIRT NorthEast’s premier big-block racers. Open-wheel veteran J.R. Crouse not only missed the previous eight Winternationals at Volusia, the last time he competed on Florida soil was in 1989. "The track has a lot more banking now which makes it faster but the biggest difference is all the cars down here," said Crouse, now 46, who finished 17th in the ’89 point standings after running all five events and posting one top-10 finish aboard the no. 8jr. Shammy Shine Special. This time around, the Nazareth, Pa. resident only reached the starting grid in the opener where he placed 22nd steering the no. 4be Terry’s Auto & Towing-The Lake Store/Tauschmann entry. "Its much more competitive but still a lot of fun. You can only get better racing against the best and Volusia definitely had them this year." While Crouse’s last race in Florida came in 1989, he came down in December of ’04 and worked six weeks as a lineman repairing power lines ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.
Crouse scored his lone DIRT Modified victory at Five Mile Point (NY) Speedway, where he finished second to Brian Weaver in last year’s point standings. After joining up with Team Tauschmann last September for 10 races, his 2006 plans on the DIRT circuit include the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series events at Orange County Fair (NY) Speedway, some Sunday stops at Cayuga County Fair (NY) Speedway as well as specials at Rolling Wheels (NY) Raceway.
Florida Tour ’06 was not only the first venture down south for Sean Merkel, his February debut at Volusia was highlighted by the first experience behind the wheel of a big-block powered DIRT Modified. "You have to have a lot of respect for the regular DIRT drivers, they’ve put so much time in and you can see it the way they come out here and race night after night," said Merkel, 19, from Gilbertsville, Pa, who has been a small-block regular closer to home at both Grandview Speedway and Big Diamond Raceway for the past two seasons. He followed the Slingshot tour in New York and Pennsylvania from 2001-02 before declaring 2003 his rookie year in the open-wheel class. Merkel hopes to get his big-block program on track in time to make some of the Advance Auto Parts Modified shows scheduled this season in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. "Just getting comfortable and making a lot of laps is our biggest goal. Getting track conditions under control at Volusia has been pretty tough as there’s been something different to face every night. You just never know what’s going to happen but that’s a big part of the learning curve out here," added Merkel, whose grandfather raced in the 1970s and his today his brothers compete in quarter-midgets. Sean currently drives of the no. 118 Merkel Rebar/TEO sporting Lombardo power.
Long-time car owner Jake Marine signed up the services of second-generation standout Beau Wilkins for the 2006 Florida Tour. Wilkins qualified for three races in Marine’s potent no. 85 J&M Roofers and Builders-Art Collins Trucking/Dirt Wheels ride, posting a 10th-place best in round two on Thursday. The motors of choice lately for Marine have been built by Doug Holmes from Finger Lakes Auto Machine, Inc. in Auburn, N.Y. Marine has put together a deal to supply Central New York standout Steve Paine with at least 10 Finger Lakes engines for his own ’06 oval track campaign. 2000 Mr. DIRT Modified champion Paine was in attendance Friday at Volusia although Disney World was the ultimate destination with his family close by. While racing regularly around Delaware and making special visits up the coast, Marine has joined up with five other businessmen and is slated to open Georgetown (Del.) Speedway on March 31 of this year. Current plans are to run big-block Modifieds every other week while alternating between various other divisions open-wheel and full-fender divisions to keep the crowds coming back. A builder by trade, when addressing the rumor that nearby Delaware Int’l Speedway has been sold and this is the final year of operation for Charlie Cathell’s ultra-success motorsports complex, Marine hinted that the transaction requires too many permits for any deal to go through at this time.
A handful of Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series drivers joined more than a half-dozen World of Outlaws Late Model Series entries and a few DIRT MotorSports officials for Kart Clash II on Saturday afternoon at Volusia’s adjacent 1/5-mile go-kart track. Former World of Outlaws LM rookie of the year and big-block Modified graduate Tim McCreadie edged Rick Eckert in the 10-lap A-Main, with young WoO LM points chaser Josh Richards and reigning overall Hoosier-Sunoco Mr. DIRT Modified points king Tim Fuller crossing the line next during the 35th Annual Winternationals special contest. The Modified ranks were also represented by Danny Johnson, Brett Hearn, Jimmy Phelps, Andy Bachetti and Vic Coffey while Steve Francis, Chub Frank, Shane Clanton, Clint Smith and Erick Jacobson filled out the full-fender LM team. DIRT MotorSports Vice-President Brian Carter and DIRT NorthEast VP/General Manager Tonya Moschell anchored the host sanctioning body. Francis and Eckert copped heat race qualifiers and late arriving McCreadie claimed the B-Main.
DIRT MotorSports continued it’s successful steak of racing down south with the 2006 Florida Tour marking the ninth consecutive trip to the ’Sunshine State’ for many of the top Advance Auto Parts SDS big-block teams. The 35th Annual Winternationals commemorated the 22nd visit to Gator country since former Volusia Speedway Park promoter Benny Corbin ---still playing a key role in track maintenance today--- first enticed the northern Modifieds to visit the popular half-mile clay oval in 1978. Including this past week, all but four of those years’ events have been sanctioned by DIRT MotorSports with the latest four-race mini-series attracting an all-time record count of 57 drivers, representing eight states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
Since hosting that inaugural event in ’78, the storied Barberville speedplant has now staged 80 of the 97 Modified feature events run in February. Brett Hearn, who has claimed four Florida Tour openers, was also the last driver to double up, actually winning three mains in 2000. The Garden State chauffeur tops the overall win list with all but three of his 17 triumphs registered at Volusia. And since reviving the trip south in 1998, Hearn is the lone driver to qualify for all 37 main events and placed among the front-five an impressive total of 31 times.
Big-block teams will now focus on the upcoming season and the 2006 Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series opener that lies ahead. The lucrative Series kicks off at Hagerstown in March and continues through October with Orange County Fair (NJ) Speedway hosting the 45th Eastern States 200-lap season-finale on October 23.
POTHOLES
If baseball star Reggie Jackson can be designated as ’Mr. October’ for his World Series exploits, Brett Hearn should certainly hold the distinction of ’Mr. February" when it comes to his unparalleled success chronicled during the Florida Winternationals. Since DIRT MotorSports returned to Volusia to sanctioned the Modified tour in 1998, Hearn has racked up 13 feature wins and 28 top-5 finishes in 34 main events; three more wins down south at East Bay Raceway and Putnam County Speedway plus first-place in a special invitational staged at VSP in 1993 bring his career total to 17, nearly double that of runner-ups Kenny Brightbill (9) and Danny Johnson (9). Six Florida Tour point titles during those same nine visits to gator country put a final exclamation point on the overall stat package....
The 2006 Florida Tour was just one lap away from recognizing co-champions for a second consecutive year. By the time runner-up Dale Planck crossed over the scales to begin the customary post-race inspection, his bald right-rear tire had gone flat. Had this happened on the track and Tim Fuller passed by, the four-point difference would have been exactly enough to bring Fuller back to the podium where he stood after his Thursday night victory.....
DIRT big-blocker Steve Hulsizer qualified for the first two 30-lap features then took Friday off to go fishing. Hulsizer and Bob Schneider, owner of his no. 88 Thompson Road Tavern-Chicken Shack/Troyer entry, chartered a boat and sailed 20 miles off shore and found success catching more than a dozen fish on the day.....
Chic Chandler (broken timing chain), Scott Kurtzner (ignition) and Ray Swinehart had an early departure following round three of the tour on Friday. Open-wheel veteran Deron Rust jumped behind the wheel of Glenn Richards’ no. 98 Dirt Wheels machine on Saturday to log his first laps of the season.....
No formal recognition was given to the race hard charger in the DIRT Modified mains yet if there was, Wade Hendrickson (Finish=10/Start=22, Feb. 15), Andy Bachetti (F=7/S=23, Feb. 16), Randy Chrysler (F=14/S=25, Feb. 17) and Stewart Friesen (F=7/S=24, Feb. 18) would have collected the phantom hardware for their perseverance throughout the week.....
An all-time record total of 57 drivers registered for the 35th Winternationals at Volusia. Fourteen qualified for all four main events, 18 failed to make the starting grid while just two did not score any points: John Dixon slammed the turn three wall in practice on Tuesday to send him packing while Steve Hough worked all week setting up the primary team car for Andy Bachetti and never unloaded his own red no. 34 machine.....
Driver draws were held all four nights and the heat race finishes determined the feature line-ups using the traditional heads-up format. With 60 pills filling the basket nightly, big-block stars Tim Fuller (11.5) and Danny Johnson (13.5) had the best average draw for the four events while veteran Pat Ward (48.5) and upstart David VanHorn (44.0) had the worst.....
The team of DIRT MotorSports NorthEast officials that directed the 2006 Florida Tour included VP/GM Tonya Moschell, Race Director Chip Burdick, Marketing Director Cory Reed, Head Scorer Gary Spaid, Chief Technical Inspector Bob Dini and corner flagman John Schrader. Also based in the Weedsport, N.Y. office, Matt Thomas headed the Dirtvision.com staff that covered the short-track action at Volusia throughout the week.
FLORIDA WINTER TOUR MODIFIED POINT CHAMPIONS: 1978-2006
*DIRT-sanctioned events.
YEAR CHAMPION (wins) TRACK(S)
*2006 Brett Hearn(2) Volusia Speedway Park
*2005 Brett Hearn(1)/Andy Bachetti(1) Volusia Speedway Park
*2004 Pat Ward Volusia Speedway Park
*2003 Tim Fuller(1) Volusia Speedway Park
*2002 Brett Hearn(2) Putnam County, Volusia Park
*2001 Brett Hearn(3) East Bay, Volusia Park
*2000 Brett Hearn(3) Volusia Speedway Park
*1999 Jimmy Horton(1) Volusia Speedway Park
*1998 Brett Hearn(2) Volusia Speedway Park
1997 -no races-
1996 -no races-
*1995 Doug Hoffman(1) St. Augustine
1994 -no races-
*1993 -Invitational- Volusia County
1992 -no races-
1991 -no races-
1990 -no races-
*1989 Alan Johnson Volusia County
1988 Danny Johnson(1) Volusia County
*1987 Danny Johnson(3) Volusia County
*1986 Jimmy Horton(2) Volusia County
1985 Billy Pauch(3) Volusia County
1984 Kenny Brightbill(2)/Jack Johnson Volusia County
*1983 Alan Johnson East Bay, Volusia County
*1982 Jeff Kappesser(2)/Billy Pauch East Bay, Volusia County
*1981 Jack Johnson(1) Florida State Fairgrounds
*1980 Kenny Brightbill(3) Florida State Fairgrounds
1979 -no races-
1978 Walt Breeding(1) Volusia County
FLORIDA WINTER TOUR MODIFIED RACE WINNERS: 1978-2006
WINS DRIVER FIRST WIN LAST WIN
17 Brett Hearn Volusia County, 2/11/93 Volusia Park, 2/18/06
9 Kenny Brightbill Volusia County, 1978 Volusia County, 2/13/87
9 Danny Johnson Volusia County, 2/9/87 Volusia Park, 2/13/03
8 Doug Hoffman Volusia County, 2/18/84 Volusia Park, 2/14/98
6 Jack Johnson Tampa Fairgrounds, 2/14/81 Volusia County, 2/14/89
5 Jimmy Horton Volusia County, 2/12/86 Volusia Park, 2/15/06
4 Billy Pauch Volusia County, 2/11/85 Volusia County, 2/8/88
4 Tim Fuller Volusia Park, 2/15/01 Volusia Park, 2/16/06
3 Merv Treichler Volusia County, 2/13/82 Volusia County, 2/17/83
3 Doug Ingalls East Bay, 2/15/83 Volusia County, 2/16/84
2 Gary Iulg Volusia County, 2/12/78 East Bay, 2/8/82
2 Tommy Hager Volusia County, 1978 Tampa Fairgrounds, 2/8/80
2 Will Cagle Volusia County, 1978 Volusia County, 1978
2 Jeff Kappesser East Bay, 2/7/82 Volusia County, 2/10/82
2 Kenny Tremont Volusia County, 2/13/93 Volusia Park, 2/12/99
2 Bob McCreadie Volusia Park, 2/10/99 Volusia Park, 2/16/01
2 Billy Decker Volusia Park, 2/12/04 Volusia Park, 2/16/05
2 Jamie Mills Volusia Park, 2/15/00 Volusia Park, 2/18/05
1 Lou Lazzaro Volusia County, 2/10/78
1 Walt Breeding Volusia County, 2/11/78
1 Kevin Collins Tampa Fairgrounds, 2/13/81
1 Ray Dalmata Volusia County, 2/15/84
1 C.D. Coville Volusia County, 2/16/85
1 Alan Johnson Volusia County, 2/11/86
1 Richie Tobias,Jr. Volusia County, 2/13/89
1 Jeff Heotzler St. Augustine, 2/14/95
1 Steve Paine St. Augustine, 2/16/95
1 Tim McCreadie Volusia Park, 2/16/02
1 Craig VonDohren Volusia Park, 2/11/03
1 J.R. Heffner Volusia Park, 2/13/04
1 Andy Bachetti Volusia Park, 2/15/05
97 evts / 5 tracks / 31 drivers Volusia County, 2/10/78 Volusia Park, 2/18/06
Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series – Volusia Speedway Park, February 18, 2006 Florida Winternationals Event #4
FEATURE
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER/HOMETOWN
1 10 20h Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ ($5,000)
2 3 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
3 2 19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY
4 20 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
5 15 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
6 22 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
7 24 10 Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT
8 13 14j Alan Johnson/Phelps,NY
9 18 45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA
10 7 5 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
11 11 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
12 16 85 Beau Wilkins/Milford,DE
13 27 71 David VanHorn/Phillipsburg,NJ
14 14 t21 Randy Chrysler/Lewiston,NY
15 21 7j Jeff Isabell/Pennellville,NY
16 23 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
17 26 TENh Jerry Higbie/Slate Hill,NY
18 25 TEN Randy Sherlock/Milford,PA
19 5 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
20 28 244 Chris Whitehead/Sussex,NJ
21 8 18 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY
22 1 42 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
23 4 24v Bobby Varin/Sharon Springs,NY
24 9 88 Steve Hulsizer/Bridgeport,NY
25 12 79 Jeremy Markle/Port Jervis,NY
26 6 30 Jamie Mills/Milford,DE
27 19 8j Tom Sears,Jr./Clay,NY
28 17 0 Wade Hendrickson/Lawrenceville,NJ
DID NOT QUALIFY(16)
4be J.R. Crouse/Nazareth,PA
8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ
8t Ted DeGroat/Dingman’s Ferry,PA
20 Pierre Berthiaume/Joliette,QUE
21k Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY
r24 Rick Grosso,Jr./Belle Mead,NJ
32 Jim Rasey/Southington,OH
34 Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA
39w Chuck Tucker/Georgetown,DE
57 Brian McDonald/Cornwall,ONT
74 J.R. Heffner/Stephentown,NY
83 Tim Sears/Central Square,NY
85v Dan Vauter/Forest City,PA
98 Deron Rust/Georgetown,DE
118 Sean Merkel/Gilbertsville,PA
923 Colin Jackson/Peckville,PA
Lap Leaders: Horton (1-15), Hearn (16-50).
Cautions: 10 (lap 1, lap 5, lap 5, lap 13, lap 14, lap 15, lap 34, lap 38, lap 47, lap 49).
QUALIFYING
Heat Races (8 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to feature)
#1: Horton, Decker, Hulsizer, A.Johnson, Hendrickson, Shultz, Grosso, Jackson, Ti.Sears, Berthiaume, Ro.Chrysler.
#2: Fuller, Mills, Hearn, Ra.Chrysler, Jelley, Rust, Sherlock, Isabell, Crouse, VanHorn, McDonald.
#3: Planck, Laubach, D.Johnson, Ward, To.Sears, Friesen, Whitehead, Higbie, Rasey, Vauter, Tucker.
#4: Varin, Beardsley, Markle, Wilkins, Phelps, Coffey, Bachetti, Heffner, Scagliotta, Merkel, DeGroat (DNS).
Consolation Round (10 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to feature)
#1: Isabell, Shultz, Sherlock, VanHorn, Rust, Grosso, Crouse, McDonald, Berthiaume, Ro.Chrysler, Ti.Sears, Jackson.
#2: Coffey, Friesen, Higbie, Whitehead, Heffner, Vauter, Bachetti, Tucker, Rasey, Scagliotta, Merkel, DeGroat.
Florida Tour Point Standings (FINAL)
POINTS CAR# DRIVER / HOMETOWN
192 20h Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
188 19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY
183 42 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ
182 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
174 14j Alan Johnson/Phelps,NY
170 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY
150 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
139 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
138 34 Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA
138 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
132 8j Tom Sears,Jr./Clay,NY
132 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
124 5 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA
120 0 Wade Hendrickson/Lawrenceville,NJ
118 30 Jamie Mills/Milford,DE
112 21k/t21 Randy Chrysler/Lewiston,NY
110 45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA
108 85 Beau Wilkins/Milford,DE
102 TENh Jerry Higbie/Slate Hill,NY
102 10 Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT
100 24v Bobby Varin/Sharon Springs,NY
99 7j Jeff Isabell/Pennellville,NY
90 74 J.R. Heffner/Stephentown,NY
87 71 David VanHorn/Phillipsburg,NJ
77 244 Chris Whitehead/Sussex,NJ
67 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
66 TEN Randy Sherlock/Milford,PA
64 88 Steve Hulsizer/Bridgeport,NY
63 85v Dan Vauter/Forest City,PA
62 33 Ray Swinehart/Bechtelsville,PA
59 18 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY
57 39w Chuck Tucker/Georgetown,DE
56 t21/21k Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY
51 4be J.R. Crouse/Nazareth,PA
51 32 Jim Rasey/Southington,OH
50 79 Jeremy Markle/Port Jervis,NY
43 73x/57 Brian McDonald/Cornwall,ONT
40 8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ
40 20 Pierre Berthiaume/Joliette,QUE
40 83 Tim Sears/Central Square,NY
40 118 Sean Merkel/Gilbertsville,PA
40 923 Colin Jackson/Peckville,PA
30 07 Tim Kerr/Picton,ONT
30 9 Jeff Brown/Parsonsburg,MD
30 27m Thomas ’Chic’ Chandler/Charlton,MA
30 98 Glenn Richards/Wyoming,DE
30 r24 Rick Grosso,Jr./Belle Mead,NJ
20 OB’s Donnie Elliott/Middletown,NY
20 4 Jim Passino/Groveland,FL
20 57 Martin Roy,Jr./Victoriaville,QUE
20 1k Scott Kurtzner/Brandon,FL
20 8t Ted DeGroat/Dingman’s Ferry,PA
10 6j Joe Isabell/Pennellville,NY
10 73 Ryan Jacobs/Hogansburg,NY
10 98 Deron Rust/Georgetown,DE
0 47 John Dixon/Marlboro,NJ
0 34h Steve Hough/East Greenbush,NY
- 20 points to start, 10 points attempting to qualify.
2006 ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MODIFIED SUPER DIRT SERIES
35th FLORIDA WINTERNATIONALS ROSTER (thru Feb. 18)
@ Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville
CAR# DRIVER / HOMETOWN TEAM (Sponsor / Chassis / Engine)
OB’s Donnie Elliott/Middletown,NY Boria High-Tech Auto/TEO/Precision
0 Wade Hendrickson/Lawrenceville,NJ South Jersey Overhead Door/TEO/D.D.E.
07 Tim Kerr/Picton,ONT Hubert Kerr Construction/Bicknell/Competition Speed
1k Scott Kurtzner/Brandon,FL Interstate Batteries-Greenleaf Recycling-1-888-U-Store-It/Tobias/Markert
4 Jim Passino/Groveland,FL Passino Excavating-Bachetti Motorsports/TEO/JMP
4be J.R. Crouse/Nazareth,PA Terry’s Auto & Towing-The Lake Store/Tauschman/Wally Fiehl
5 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA Lincoln Auto Body-Supreme Heating & Cooling/TEO/Tischler
6j Joe Isabell/Pennellville,NY JIR Motorsports-A&D Structures/Bicknell/Morrison
7j Jeff Isabell/Pennellville,NY JIR Motorsports/Bicknell/Morrison
8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ Central Jersey Trailer & Hitch Depot-Adamsville Maintenance/Bicknell/Enders
8j Tom Sears,Jr./Clay,NY JIR Motorsports-Commercial Roofing & Sheet Metal,Inc./Bicknell/Morrison
8t Ted DeGroat/Dingman’s Ferry,PA DeGroat Excavating & Landscaping/Troyer/Wally Fiehl
9 Jeff Brown/Parsonsburg,MD Chesapeake Paving/TEO/Finger Lakes
10 Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT Quality Concrete-King Enterprises-Chiefs Tobacco & Gas/Troyer/Enders
TEN Randy Sherlock/Milford,PA Cottage Auto Parts-Tri-State Roofing-Cedar Ridge RV/TEO/Morrison
TENh Jerry Higbie/Slate Hill,NY Cottage Auto Parts-Tri-State Roofing-Cedar Ridge RV/TEO/Morrison
14j Alan Johnson/Phelps,NY(2) NativePoker.Com-WPC Associates,Inc.-Pine Line Auto Sales/Bicknell/Morrison
18 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY Town Mechanical,Inc-American Aluminum(Fla)-JIR Motorsports/Troyer/Moshier
19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY Native Poker-Chiefs Tobacco & Gas-G&R Auto Parts/TEO/Enders
20 Pierre Berthiaume/Joliette,QUE B&G Performance-JM Racing-SD Performance/Bicknell/B&G
20h Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ Wentworth Custom Homes-Madsen Motorsports-Kruger-WLR/TEO/Enders
21k Randy Chrysler/Lewiston,NY Randy’s Smoke Shop-Arrow’s Express-Seneca Brand/Bicknell/Enders
t21 Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY Iroquois Water-Randy’s Smoke Shop-Joey’s Sneaks/Bicknell/Pogo
24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY Liberty Rock Crushing-TEO Fabrication/TEO/JPM
r24 Rick Grosso,Jr./Belle Mead,NJ Grosso Trucking-Millennium Car Wash-Metal Fab Race Pro Shop/Bicknell/Feil
24v Bobby Varin/Sharon Springs,NY Liberty Rock Crushing-TEO Fabrication/TEO/JPM
27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY JIR Motorsports-Oneidaview Pile Driving/Bicknell/Morrison
27m Thomas ’Chic’ Chandler/Charlton,MA New England Disposal Technologies-Atlantic Coast Trailer/Bicknell/Mastin
30 Jamie Mills/Milford,DE M&E BBQ-Mills Bros. Market-ReMax Twin Counties/Bicknell/Feil
32 Jim Rasey/Southington,OH(2) Twin Oaks Services South-AKJ Industries-Alcon/Troyer-Dirt Wheels/Rasey
32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY Sweeteners Plus-CME,Inc./Bicknell/C.C. Performance
33 Ray Swinehart/Bechtelsville,PA J & L Speed Supplies-PK Moyer & Sons/Bicknell/R&R Machine
34 Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA Steve Hough Motors/PMC/JPM
34h Steve Hough/East Greenbush,NY Steve Hough Motors/TEO/JPM
39w Chuck Tucker/Georgetown,DE Wood’s General Contracting-Bella Capri Restaurant/PDS/Precision
42 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ Millennium Car Wash-Grosso Trucking-Metal Fab Race Pro Shop/Bicknell/Feil
42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY Gypsum Express,Ltd.-Stadium International/Bicknell/Enders
45 Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA(2) K&F Modular Homes-Freedom Plains-TLC Contracting/PMC/Dan Bedell
47 John Dixon/Marlboro,NJ Premio Italian Sausage Co.-Total Long Distance/TEO/T&K Performance
57 Martin Roy,Jr./Victoriaville,QUE Production JR/Roy/Enders
71 David VanHorn/Phillipsburg,NJ Harmony Sand&Gravel-Diamond Hart Ent.-Art’s Radiator/TEO/D.VanHorn,Sr.
73 Ryan Jacobs/Hogansburg,NY East End Auto Parts & Construction-Jacob’s Excavation/Bicknell/Enders
73x Brian McDonald/Cornwall,ONT East End Auto Parts & Construction-Jacob’s Excavation/Bicknell/Enders
74 J.R. Heffner/Stephentown,NY A.Colarusso & Son-Turner Auto-Miller’s Automotive-J&D Waste/Bicknell/JPM
77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY Quality Concrete-King Enterprises-Chiefs Tobacco & Gas/Troyer/Enders
79 Jeremy Markle/Port Jervis,NY Len & Jo’s Restaurant-John Curtis Masonry/Bicknell/Precision
83 Tim Sears/Central Square,NY Total Site Development-G&I Homes-Commercial Roofing/Bicknell/Bleskoski
85 Beau Wilkins/Milford,DE J&M Roofers & Builders-Art Collins Trucking/Dirt Wheels/Finger Lakes
85v Dan Vauter/Forest City,PA Community Bank & Trust-Vauter Racing/Bicknell/Main
88 Steve Hulsizer/Bridgeport,NY Thompson Road Tavern-Chicken Shack/Troyer/Enders
91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int’l-Quality Hardwoods/Bicknell/Enders
98 Glenn Richards/Wyoming,DE(2) Hatteras Press-Alessi Construction-Coastal Marine/Dirt Wheels-TEO/Morrison
98 Deron Rust/Georgetown,DE Hatteras Press-Alessi Construction-Coastal Marine/Dirt Wheels-TEO/Morrison
98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY Mohawk Northeast-New England Race Fuels/Troyer/Bruneau-JanCen
118 Sean Merkel/Gilbertsville,PA Merkel Rebar/TEO/Lombardo
244 Chris Whitehead/Sussex,NJ Winters Auto-NAPA-Vernon Pool & Spa/Bicknell/Precision
923 Colin Jackson/Peckville,PA Jackson Excavating-DC Wash & Go/Bicknell/Precision
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.
2006 ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MODIFIED SUPER DIRT SERIES SCHEDULE
NP=Non-Point event.
DAY-DATE LAPS TRACK LOCATION/WINNER
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 Hagerstown,MD
Sun-May 7 100 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sun-May 28 100 Cayuga County 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 Ontario Speedway Brockville,ONT
Sun-Jul 9 100 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall,ONT
Mon-Jul 10 100 Autodrome Drummond Drummondville,QUE
Wed-Jul 19 100 Grandview Speedway Bechtelsville,PA
Thr-Jul 20 100 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
Sat-Aug 5 100 Eldora Speedway Rossburg,OH
Sun-Aug 6 -TBA-
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 County 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 Fairgrounds Syracuse,NY
Sun-Oct 15 100 Williams Grove Speedway Mechanicsburg,PA
Sun-Oct 22 200 Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MODIFIED SERIES SPONSORS
The DIRT MotorSports™ Advance Auto Parts Modified 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, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company and Wrisco Industries.