HEARN WINS DIRT CHALLENGE CUP FOR FOURTH TIME

ELBRIDGE, NY...Brett Hearn, from Sussex, NJ, took home his

fourth DIRT Challenge Cup last Sunday under threatening skies and

high winds. The win was somewhat bittersweet as during post race

inspection the car failed weight, but fell within DIRT

Motorsports's 3 percent rule. This infraction cost Hearn half his

winning and half of the points he would have earned for the

victory.

"We calculated this out based on our weight following the

heat race," stated Hearn. "We were sure we put enough weight in

the car, including the amount to cover consumed fuel."

In Sportsman action Russ Hefti took the 20-lap win, his

second at the speedway. Dave Mannise won the special 12-lap

Street Stock Feature.

Gary Gallerie Jr.and Steve Paine brought the field of 32

starters to the green flag to start the DIRT Challenge Cup-

Advance Auto Parts 100. Paine quickly took the lead as Gallerie

Jr. fell back to fifth on the first lap. Brett Hearn made a

daring pass on Doug Hoffman on lap six to take over the runner up

position on the track.

On lap eight the yellow flew when Jerry Higbie drifted high

over the third turn banking. He quickly returned the rear of the

field. Restarts were challenging on the dry track. High winds out

of, first the south and later the north, made seeing through the

dusty conditions difficult at best. Once the field stretched out

the vision issues were less difficult.

The second yellow of the race flew on lap 18, when pole

sitter Gallerie Jr. came to a stop in the fourth turn. Up front

Paine was leading Hearn, Vic Coffey, Hoffman, Alan Johnson and

Jeff Isabell.

Another yellow came on lap 22 when Ted lamb Jr. spun in the

third turn. On each restart Hearn was able to challenge Paine.

Alan Johnson passed Coffey for third on this restart, looking

very stout in his new Troyer machine.

The temperatures were dropping quickly around the track as

storm clouds were gathering. It was estimated that the

temperature fell some 10 degrees in a matter of just five laps

and the high winds started to shift out of the north.

On lap 42 Danny Johnson, running in seventh sailed off the

first turn banking and returned off turn two losing just three

positions on the track.

Paine led the halfway lap with Hearn now tight on his rear

bumper as they sailed through lapped cars. Hearn then tried a

high outside move through the fourth turn to avoid being blocked

down low by a lapped car, and was able to pass Paine for the lead

on lap 55. Hearn then began to stretch out his lead.

Fast timer of the day, Justin Haers, brought out the next

yellow on lap 58 when he slowed down the backstretch with a flat

tire. He lost three laps in the process before he could return to

the race.

The final yellow of the race came on lap 76, when haers

sailed off the first turn banking and ending his race for the

day.

The restart saw Hearn maintain his lead on Paine, with

Fuller trying to pass Paine for second. Fuller ducked low and

drag raced Paine around the track, finally taking second on lap

83. Fuller then also began to pull away and start to chase down

Hearn, who held a 1.75 second lead by now.

The running order was now Hearn, Fuller, Paine, Alan

Johnson, Billy Decker and Vic Coffey. All eyes focused on the

lead pair as Fuller tried to catch Hearn in lapped traffic. First

Fuller cut the 1.75 second lead down to .1 second with three laps

remaining. With just two laps remaining Fuller ducked low in the

third turn bur failed to complete his pass. Without noticing,

Alan Johnson suddenly dropped from the race with two laps

remaining while running a close fourth.

With just one lap remaining Fuller tried to pin Hearn behind

Dale Planck's car, but Planck pulled high and allowed the leader

to race around to the checkers were it was Hearn followed Fuller,

Paine, Decker and Coffey.

As the victory lane broke free the rains started to fall

forcing officials to call off the second part of the special

double header between Rolling Wheels and Cayuga County Fair

speedways.

The 20-lap Sportsman feature saw pole sitter Bill Shantel

Jr. lead the first 12 laps. with Russ Hefti in second. Hefti made

an inside move through the second turn on lap 12 to take over the

lead on "lucky" 13.

The yellow flew just once in this 20-lapper. On lap 14

Donnie Wetmore Jr's car slowed on the backstretch and came to a

stop. Hefti used the restart to pull nearly a full straight away

ahead of Shantel Jr. over the next six laps. Hefti took the win

followed by Shantel Jr., Greg Doust, Kevin Bates and David Towns

rounding out the top five.

The 12-lap Street Stock feature went green-to-checkers as

track officials tried to chase down the dust on the track. The

Street Stock main started on a damp track and dust was held at a

minimum. Dave Mannise led all 12 laps to claim the win.

SDS INFO: Billy Decker, who is one of the best time trialers

on the DIRT Circuit, attempted twice to take time but his

transponder was not working either time. This force him to start

at the rear of one of the heat races...Todd Milton ran his

modified number 96 in practice, but the packed up and went home

before the first heat race...Tim McCreadie arrived late at the

track coming from his World of Outlaws Late Model race. His plane

landed in Rochester and he made it to the track in time for the

last consolation race. He had to be added to the back of the

feature line up, via his guaranteed starting status. He drove an

outstanding race to finish in sixth.

The next event at Rolling Wheels comes on Sunday, May 16,

when it will be Spring Fling '04. The DIRT Modifieds will take on

a 50-lap finale that day. Also on track will be the DIRT

Sportsman in a 20-lap feature. The DIRT Pro-Stocks will make

their appearance in a "Combined" Empire Sports Network SDS. Race

time will be at 2 p.m.. Once done at Rolling Wheels the race

teams move to nearby Cayuga County for an evening race starting

at 7 p.m.. Due to all of the rain these past three Sunday's it

will be the season opener for the flagship track of the DIRT

Circuit.

BEACHY TORO presents the DIRT CHALLENGE CUP 2004 RACE SUMMARY

STREET STOCKS

HEAT: D. Mannise, D. Marcuccilli, D. Pope, M. Minutolo.

FEATURE (12-laps): DAVE MANNISE, Mike Minutolo, Dave Marcuccilli,

David Pope, Nat Peckham, Kyle LaVare, Mike Welch,Jamie Eldridge.

SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1: J. LaRock, G. Doust, J. Miller, B. Henry Jr., E. Payne

Jr., T. Alton.

HEAT 2: B. Shantel Jr., R. Hefti, C. Phelps, K. Bates, J.

Yannone, D. Weisner.

FEATURE (20-laps): RUSS HEFTI, Bill Shantel Jr., Greg Doust,

Kevin Bates, David Towns, Eldon Payne Jr., Bob Henry Jr., Dan

Weisner, Jamie Yannone, Kyle Inman, Dan Creeden, Jon Miller, Boyd

MacTavish, Tom Paige, Mike Conrow, Jim LaRock, Donnie Wetmore

Jr., Shawn Donath, Chad Phelps, Tim Alton, Phil LaVare.

MODIFIED

TIME TRIALS: Justin Haers 20.864 (107.841 mph), Bob McCreadie

21.058, Doug Hoffman 21.142, Alan Johnson 21.154, Brett Hearn

21.196, Vic Coffey 21.209, Ryan Phelps 21.219, Steve Paine

21.279, Dale Planck 21.339, Jeff Isabell 21.369, Gary Tomkins

21.453, Danny Johnson 21.531, Bobby Varin 21.539, Pat Ward

21.545, Jerry Higbie 21.547, Chad Brachmann 21.578, Jimmy Phelps

21.617, Gary Gallerie Jr. 21.668, Chuck Bower 21.670, Tim Fuller

21.677, Ted Lamb Jr. 21.730, Vince Vitale 21.746, Kenny Tremont

Jr. 21.765, Dave Axton 21.790, Darryl Ruggles 21.832, Jack

Johnson 21.856, Matt Sheppard 21.898, Jeff Brownell Jr. 21.899,

Karl Comfort 21.945, Steve Poirier 21.957, John Pfeffer 21.958,

Derrick Podsiadlo 21.984, Shawn Beardsley 22.021, Chris Shultz

22.126, Ray Bliss 22.135, Butch Tittle 22.193, Jim Burke 22.521,

Ryan Bartlett 22.556, Craig Terrell 22.560, Jeremy Corcoran

22.565, Brian Murphy 22.733, Dave Rausher 22.915, Dave Reilly

22.970, Ricky Breed 23.217, Billy Decker NT, Todd Milton NT, Tim

McCreadie NT.

HEAT 1: D. Hoffman, R. Phelps, G. Tomkins, J. Higbie, C. Bower.

HEAT 2: A. Johnson, S. Paine, D. Johnson, C. Brachmann, T.

Fuller.

HEAT 3: B. Hearn, D. Planck, J. Phelps, B. Varin, T. Lamb Jr.

HEAT 4: V. Coffey, J. Isabell, G. Gallerie Jr., V. Vitale, J.

Johnson.

CONSI 1: J. Corcoran, K. Tremont Jr., M. Sheppard, B. Tittle.

CONSI 2: B. Decker, P. Ward, K. Comfort, R. Bartlett.

ADDED: S. Poirier, T. McCreadie.

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SDS FEATURE (100-laps): BRETT HEARN, Tim

Fuller, Steve Paine, Billy Decker, Vic Coffey, Tim McCreadie,

Gary Tomkins, Chad Brachmann, Danny Johnson, Pat Ward, Matt

Sheppard, Dale Planck, Vince Vitale, Steve Poirier, Bobby Varin,

Jerry Higbie, Kenny Tremont Jr., Chuck Bower, Karl Comfort, Alan

Johnson, Butch Tittle, Gary Gallerie Jr., Justin Haers, Bob

McCreadie, Jimmy Phelps, Jeff Isabell, Ryan Bartlett, Doug

Hoffman, Ryan Phelps, Ted Lamb Jr., Jeremie Corcoran, Jack

Johnson.