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.

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