Hearn Wins Career First At Afton

Afton, New York...Brett Hearn over came a late race two spot penalty to

win the twin fifties Design Builders 100 lap event last Friday night at the

Afton Speedway in a program that was under the direction of Kerry Graham in

his first promotional venture.

Hearn who started the second fifty lapper in the twelfth spot after

winning the first fifty lap segment quickly moved toward the front and leader

Mike Ricci. Hearn and Ricci bumped wheels and nerf bars while Hearn was going

and the starter invoked a two spot penalty on Hearn on the next yellow flag,

which set the stage for the exciting finish.

In this uniquely formatted race last consi third and fourth place

finishers, Bob Savoie and Dave Rosa led the strong thirty-two car field down

to the flaggers' green as Savoie quickly got the jump into the top spot. The

first yellow of the race came when Jeff Rudalavage got loose in turn four and

a thirteen-car parking lot happened. There was no serious damage but four

cars were done for the evening.

When the race resumed, Savoie was once again in command but this time he

had lots of company as both Brett Hearn and Hector Stratton were now poised

on the back deck of Savoie. Those three went at it tooth and nail; soon to be

joined by Jeff Hoetzler in the Gano owned mount and Mike Ricci. Savoie lost

the top spot for an instant on lap eighteen as Stratton was in front by a

bumper at the starting line. Then Hearn took his turn leading on lap nineteen

before Savoie took it back just before a yellow on lap twenty.

When the race resumed, Hearn quickly made it known that he was the man to

beat as he bolted to a three car length lead as the green flag waved. Savoie

hung tight in second until lap twenty-eight when Mike Ricci got by and the

front running duo started to put distance between themselves and the rest of

the field. They stayed that way until the end of the first fifty lapper came

about with Hearn in the lead and winning a $500 bonus for being there,

followed by Mike Ricci, Eddie Haenelt, Keith Hoffman and Hoetzler in the top

five spots.

Twenty-five of the original thirty-two starters took the green for the

second fifty with first heat winner Mitch Gibbs on the point and Mike

Clapperton on the outside. Gibbs led the first two circuits in the Ed Wilson

owned, Ford powered mount before Mike Ricci asserted himself into the top

spot. The second fifty starting order was determined from the heat finishes

so the Ricci machine started third. Once in front, Ricci wasted no time

trying to open up a cushion for himself as Gibbs had his hands full trying to

hold off defending track champ Robbie Green for the runner-up spot as

Clapperton got himself into a fourth place groove.

Hearn, who had started the second fifty from the twelfth spot didn't get

to the front until lap sixteen when the alleged bumping incident took place.

The race's next yellow came just shy of the halfway point when Hearn was

placed back to third behind Ricci and Green, who had gotten by Gibbs for

third just prior to the halfway point. When the green came out, Ricci took

off and Hearn wasted little time getting by Green for second but Ricci was

another story altogether.

It took the Biroschi sponsored car of Hearn another sixteen laps to get

by a very smooth Ricci for the lead which he held until the end as he finally

did open up some distance on the pack. Ricci had a stellar performance in

coming home second followed Green in his 2000 Afton homecoming for third.

Fourth went to Clapperton followed by Gibbs in fifth. Sixth through tenth

went to Jim Crawn, in the first Sportsman machine which also earned him

another $500, Rick Mill was seventh followed by Hoffman in eighth (he was

later penalized because of work done on his car during the break between the

fifty lappers which couldn't be done). That put Hoetzler in eighth followed

by Stratton in ninth and Brian Weaver, with a borrowed motor, in the top ten.

AFTON NOTES: 73 358 Modifieds filled the pit area which was definitely a

record for the Afton Speedway. Cars came from several different areas and

sanctioning bodies on a clear, crisp, ideal night for racing. Mike

Clapperton, the fourth place finisher, won the lucky fan draw for a new

chassis. He took a Bicknell, which he'll use for the 2001-racing season. The

show started a little late due to the overwhelming amount of cars and the

lengthy drivers meeting in which ALL the rules and procedures were spelled

out in English. Track champ Tony Pepicelli was a no show and runner-up J. R.

Hurlburt ran strong in the first fifty before dropping out of the second one

early. The nine heat race winners were Gibbs, Clapperton, Mike Ricci, Green,

Weaver, Rich Ricci Jr., Crawn, Skip French and Hoffman. The four consis went

to Jeff Rudalavage, Haenelt, Hoetzler, and Ralph Mele. The five lap $200 to

win Dash for Cash among the first non-qualifiers went to Jim "Rocky" Rothwell

over Alan Rudalavage, Glenn Knapp and Mark Schoonover. Ten Sportsman cars

attempted to qualify with Crawn, Mele and Accord regular Jeff Hulsapple

making the show and Knapp running the Dash. Kirkwood's Jerry Whitmarsh won

the companion fifteen lap Enduro over Jim Palmer. Plans are already in the

works for next year's event, which promises to be bigger and better. Afton

has two more shows planned with the 50 laps Mr. DIRT Sportsman trail race

scheduled for Friday the 13th of October and the annual Spooktacular

scheduled for Halloween weekend.

DESIGN BUILDERS 100 FINISH: Brett Hearn, Mike Ricci, Robbie Green, Mike

Clapperton, Mitch Gibbs, Jim Crawn, Rick Mill, Jeff Hoetzler, Hector

Stratton, Brian Weaver, Paul Jensen, Skip French, Ralph Mele, Rich Ricci Jr.,

Stacy Jackson, Jeff Hulsapple, Frank Dunning, Ed Strada Jr., Jeff Rudalavage,

Don Goodrich, Todd Ryan, J. R. Hurlburt. Eddie Haenelt, Keith Hoffman, Bob

Savoie, Mike Gilette, Dom Roselli, Alan Shiffler, Dave Rosa, Donnie Elliott,

Jeremy Smith, Mark Terry.