Rick Young's 'Rick at the Races) Super DIRT Week, Part 2

www.rickattheraces.com

PIC 1  Gilles Godard (Center) and his crew

PIC 2   Miss Motorsports

PIC 3  Matt Billings SPORTSMAN # 74

PIC  4  A wreck in the SPORTSMAN race at Syracuse

PIC  5 Mike Perrotte # 35 in the small block race

PIC 6    358 action

PIC 7  Damaged Andy Bachetti 358 Mod

PIC  8 Billy Decker wins the 358 race at the Mike

PIC  9  Steve Kinser's Sprit at Rolling Wheels

PIC 10  Kinser and Lasoski at the Wheels

PIC  11  Chad Brachman wins the Mod race at the Wheels

PIC  12  Ryan Susice wins the Sportsman race at the Wheels

PIC  13  Donny Schatz at the Wheels

PIC  14  WoO winner at the Wheels Tim Shaffer

PIC  15  Gilles Godard winner of the first Pro Stock qualifier

PIC  16  Cory Wheeler wins the second Pro Stock qualifier

PIC 17  Don Carlson goes wide

PIC  18  Pete Stefanski wins the big race for Pro Stocks

PIC 19  Jimmy Horton in the Rite Aid 200

PIC  20 Matt Sheppard wins the Rite Aid 200, second Tim McCreadie (L) and third Tim Fuller (R)

- 10 Oct NYS Fairgrounds , Syracuse, NY

- 10 Oct Rolling Wheels Raceway Park, Elbridge, NY

- 11 Oct NYS Fairgrounds, Syracuse, NY

After Friday's (9 Oct) races were completely wiped out by wet weather I awoke Saturday morning with high hopes. The forecast was for a dry and sunny day. By mid morning, the previous nights rain had petered out and before noon the cars were out on the 'Moody Mile' at Syracuse. By 12-30 the sun was shining just in time for the AARN photo shoot of Miss Motorsports beside the # 66 Gerry Higbie car. As always there were plenty of male photographers swarming the area to take some snaps.

The big race of the day, the 'Salute to the Troops' 150 lap 358 SUPER DIRT Series race started slightly late due to the track preparation needed following the previous days rain. Billy Decker won this one after taking over the lead from Quebec's Martin Roy on lap 100. Brett Hearn came home second with Kenny Tremont third. By the time the checkers fell, time was marching on, and if I wanted to be at Rolling Wheels for the evening show, I had to be on my way. I decided to give the following 50 lap Sportsman race a miss and head for Elbridge. Unfortunately by doing so , I missed one of my local guys, Matt Billings of Brockville taking a surprise victory.

By the time I reached the 'Wheels' the place was already packed with fans and I found it difficult to park. The big attraction was the appearance of the World of Outlaw Sprint Cars. In all the years I've attended the "Wheels', this was the fullest I've seen it. Standing room only !

Joining the Sprint Cars were the Big Block Mods for their last chance 'win and you're in' qualifier for the Rite Aid 200 plus a Series race for Sportsman that had been rain delayed from two weeks previous. I'm not a big fan of Sprint Car racing, but I always enjoy watching the World of Outlaws in action , they are so quick ! It was good to see the likes of Donny Schatz, Steve Kinser, Danny Lasoski and Jac Haudenschild again. Winners that night were Tim Shaffer (WoO Sprint Cars) , Chad Brachman (Mods) and Ryan Susice (Sportsman). It was a great night of racing and past mid night by the time I got out of there.

Even though there was more partying done back at the Fairgrounds, I still managed to be up early on Sunday morning for a 9-00am Photographers meeting called by DIRTCAR. This was held mainly to give any new guys who were there for the first time, a guide to where it was safer to shoot from.

It was a nice dry day with no rain, but the temperature had dropped and I needed to wear my ice racing toque.

There was a lot of racing that had to be crammed into the program, including the Pro Stocks Qualifiers. These poor guys had still not put a wheel on the track. Fridays rain followed by the subsequent delay on Saturday kept them waiting in limbo to find out if they would get any track time. This never materialized so Sunday became their first appearance. I'm pleased to say that both Qualifiers were won by my local drivers. My buddy Gilles Godard took the first race and Cory Wheeler the second. The 30 Lap Feature was dominated from start to Finish by Pete Stefanski, with his main opposition, Joey Ladouceur succumbing to tire failure early in the race. The left rear let go on the first lap then the right rear a few laps later.

After the Pro Stocks main event it was time for the headlining 200 lap RITE AID 200. Dale Planck and Tim Fuller occuppied the front row as I took up my favorite shooting position on the fourth turn. Fuller took the early lead which was taken over by Gary Tomkins on lap 73. After a while I decided to move from turn four and take wander around. 200 laps on a mile circuit is a long race and I have to admit that events of this duration never maintain my full 100% attention. I visited the infield restaurant for a snack then watched the live televised showing of the race going out in the media center. It was warm and confortable in there, and I wasn't the only one with the same idea.

I watched as Jimmy Phelps took over the lead from Tomkins on lap 122 only to loose it to Matt Sheppard on lap 190. 'Super Matt' then went on to take the checkers in this years RITE AID 200.

After taking some Victory Lane photos, I was soon out of the gate and heading back up Interstate 81. and by 8-00pm I was pulling in to the Ponderosa Buffett in Watertown for a late supper. It seamed to be a popular choice, as it was full with other Canadian race fans who'd decided to finish their SUPER DIRT WEEK with a feast.

I avoided any possible delays at the 1000 Island border and drove to the Ogdensburg crossing. There was no line up and I went straight through with no hassle, getting home to Cornwall, Ontario at 10-40pm.

NASCAR: Kasey Kahne's new ride

Received a photo from Leslie Bates (Thanks!) of Kasey Kahne's new look
Budweiser Ford Fusion for next season. It was taken this afternoon in
the pits at Lowe's Motor Speedway (Charlotte). Certainly a different
scheme.

Reminder: Whitlock Motorsports inventory sale this weekend

NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson on pole at Charlotte... press conference transcript

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES: NASCAR BANKING 500
LOWE’S MOTOR SPEEDWAY: OCTOBER 15, 2009

Concord, NC - Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's Impala SS, claimed his third pole of the season taking the top starting spot for the NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway (LMS). It is the defending and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion's third pole at LMS.
 
Johnson heads in to the fifth race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series leading the standings at the track where he has five previous victories.
 
Mark Martin, No. 5 Pop Tarts/CARQUEST Impala SS - second in the Chase point standings, will start on the outside of the front row. It is Martin's 10th top-two qualifying effort of the 2009 season.
 
Tony Stewart, No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot - currently fourth in points, will start fifth in the 334-lap/501-mile race on Saturday night to give Team Chevy three of the top-five qualifiers.
 
Ryan Newman, No. 39 Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Impala SS - 10th in the point standings, will roll off sixth with Mike Bliss, No. 71 TaxSlayer.com Impala SS in the seventh starting position.
 
Brad Keselowski, No. 25 GoDaddy.com Impala SS and Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont/ Transformers 2 Revenge of the Fallen Impala SS - fifth in the Chase standings, will start eighth and ninth respectively giving Chevy Impala SS drivers seven of the top-10 starters.
 
Other Team Chevy Chase drivers qualified as follows: Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Lysol Impala SS - third in the standings - 18th.
 
The NASCAR Banking 500 is scheduled to take the green flag at 7:25 p.m. EDT with live coverage on ABC TV, PRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE'S IMPALA SS – POLE WINNER
ON THE LAP
"I don't think we changed anything in any of the runs we went out and ran during practice. It was just a great effort. I'm very proud of Chad (Knaus) and the guys to give me a car right off the truck like that and then happy to go out and back it up when it counted in qualifying. The lap was good. I think the track was a little slick compared to what we saw in practice. I think as the temperatures were dropping, the moisture was settling down on the race track. But we still ran a very similar lap to what we did in practice."

YOU RAN THE FASTEST LAP IN PRACTICE AND FASTEST IN QUALIFYING, DO YOU HOPE YOUR COMPETITORS ARE JUST SAYING HERE WE GO AGAIN?
"I hope so. But I don't expect them too off qualifying. It was a good lap, but it's just one. And we've got 500 miles to run. So I think if we can lead a lot of laps, win the race, and something along those lines will send a statement. But qualifying; I know if I was in this situation and Mark (Martin) won the pole, I'd tell myself oh that's just one lap (laughs). He's got to do it for 500 miles come Saturday night. So I don't think it's going to faze guys much. When I look at the performance that we've seen out of the No. 42 (Montoya), and No. 24 (Gordon), and the No. 5 (Martin) nobody's making mistakes. It doesn't seem like the pressure is really bothering anyone right now. So I don't expect tonight's pole run to do that."

AFTER THE PRACTICE LAP, YOU SEEMED PRETTY EXCITED. IS THAT BECAUSE YOU HEARD YOU RAN A 28.05 OR WAS THAT BECAUSE YOU COULD ACTUALLY FEEL THE SPEED YOU HAD IN THE CAR?
"That was all based on sensation. I can't remember, I could be wrong, but I don't think I've gone that fast before. The cool thing about the lap I ran in practice where I said the track had some more grip is I drove outside of my head and just did the stupidest things possible, I thought. And the car was still secure underneath me. I just couldn’t believe that I could drive it that hard and it didn't budge. It was unbelievable. To experience that was really, really cool. And then in qualifying I think the grip level changed and the car was sliding around a little bit more but I don't think I've been that fast before."

YOU'VE GONE FOUR YEARS WITHOUT WINNING AT THIS TRACK. HOW MUCH HAS THAT BOTHERED YOU AND DO YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO RECLAIM THAT LABEL OF "YOUR HOUSE"?
"I can't remember how the label came along; if I said it or it was place on me. If I did say it, that's a lesson learned for being cocky because we quit winning after that (laughs). So, I've been saying the old track really suited my style; the abrasive surface and the bumps and all that kind of thing worked well. And when tracks are repaved, it kind of brings the group together and it's a little more forgiving and your set-up doesn't have to be as close. Courage will get you a long way too because there is so much grip. So the last couple of years, we've been competitive but didn't have that advantage. I hope to get it back. It's not that I'm looking to reclaim a title, it's just that I want all the points we can get here. Also since I've won here a bunch, there are some other cool stats that I could hopefully someday surpass what other drivers have done here at this race track. The more I keep racing and win races and have cool things take place, I've become more interested in the sport and stuff like that. Hopefully we can do it."

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO HAVE MARK MARTIN AS A TEAMMATE AND A COMPETITOR?
"Man, there was one year when we were all in that group and we went to Homestead and had a chance for it (the title). I can remember racing with Mark, but this was my real first experience I think, heads-up, this year racing him. He's been in that No. 5 car and his confidence and his abilities have increased the confidence of that race team and you can just see a team that just is rock solid. They'll tell you they're making mistakes, but from my perspective and everyone's perspective, they're so consistent and doing so well that we'd say it's no mistakes. And that's the type of stuff you need to do to win championships. And they just seem rock solid. Mark is not going to make stupid mistakes and unneeded risks. He might not be the guy who is going to push the groove around on the race track or try to bust off the fastest lap right off the truck. But when he sees someone do it, he knows in his heart that he has the skills to do it and he'll go out and do it. It's almost like you don't want him following you in practice because you could show him a line and you might have him by a little bit on laptracker, and you show him how to do something a little different, and he's got it and he can do it. And you're like damn, I wish he wouldn't have followed me (laughs) because now he knows what we're doing. But the battles I've had in the championship from trying to chase Tony (Stewart) down and Kurt (Busch) down, those guys just one-upped us each time. Every time we thought we had them where we needed to, they'd just beat us by a little bit. So, I think that's what you have to do with it being as close as it is. Somebody's going to have to squeak by with a couple of more points here and there to get this championship won."

IN PRACTICE WHEN YOU HAD THAT FAST LAP, YOU COULD HEAR IT IN BOTH YOUR VOICE AND CHAD'S VOICE. ARE YOU GUYS HAVING MORE FUN THIS YEAR? HAS THERE BEEN A TIME WHEN IT WASN'T CLICKING?
"Today, from looking at the lap times and visually just looking at the car, I think Chad could just see the speed and knew that it was really fast. All of us shared in that excitement of what the car was capable of. Over the years there definitely have been ups and downs. In 2005 was the toughest period in time for us. Chasing Tony for the championship I came up short and was frustrated and we had a talk with Mr. Hendrick and went through some things. There are ups and downs and that's what I feel makes our relationship stronger. It's not always perfect and great. He speaks his mind and I speak mine. We fight and do all the things that go with it. But we don't cross certain lines and there is a great deal of respect that we have for one another And I know at the end of the day, he's doing everything he can and he knows I'm doing everything I can and some days you get beat. Some days you don't have it. We've worked through it enough over the years to have a good understanding of each other and have found a way to work together."

DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE THE NORMAL DROP-OFF IN THE SPEED FOR THE RACE OR IS IT GOING TO BE A REALLY FAST RACE AND ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THAT?  "I think it is going to be a faster race. Especially with the cooler conditions. We can run more tape on the nose, the engines are going to run better. Less fall-off on the tire. The track will stay with us longer and not be as slick. It has the potential to be a much faster pace than what we normally see. My only fear with that is that the faster we go, the narrower the racing line becomes. We could see more of a single groove race track. That is only downfall that I could see. It is tough to get a really good reading on things because I didn't run any race runs today and I am not sure how much this tire will fall off. It clearly has a ton of grip for one lap. I mean there is a ton of grip there. Hopefully it does have some fall off and we'll be moving around the race track trying to find other lines."
 
WITH YOUR PAST CHASE EXPERIENCE HOW MUCH HAVE YOU NOTICED GUYS TRYING TO FOLLOW YOU AND HOW MUCH HAVE YOU TRIED TO FOLLOW SOMEONE YOU MIGHT BE BEHIND TO SEE A LINE? "It has been helpful for me over the years to follow guys. I can say that it wasn't in the Chase but my first real experience, maybe not real experience, but the largest one in my mind, is following Tony Stewart my second race at Martinsville. First race, man I was terrible and then we broke. Second race he came to lap me early in the event and I followed him for 30 or 40 laps and just following him and figuring the rhythm out and the line and how to enter the corner, where to put the car, just something clicked. I recovered in that race and ran well and since then have been really really competitive there. That is probably the first example that comes to mind for me. Certain guys that have the open mind to explore and to look and follow, other guys are so consumed on the line they are running, they may not look around as much and try things. One guy that I see that is becoming very alert in the car and watching and learning is Juan (Pablo Montoya). I followed him, he was catching me at California last weekend, and I knew I just didn't want to show him what I was doing. I knew he was catching me, I knew he was faster, changed my lines up, he got by me and I could see him running a little different line from what I saw in the mirror. Once I had a big enough gap between where we were, he started running his line again and I got  a good look at it. I'm like "Okay, that works". So I can see guys, there are a few guys that are really smart with that. It impresses me with Juan because he doesn't have a dirt background. But I can say guys like Jeff (Gordon), Kahne, Stewart, Newman, guys that have been on the dirt where they are required to find different lines usually explore a lot more. So, it does impress me that Juan is noticing those things.
 
HAVE YOU SEEN MORE OR LESS MISTAKES FROM JUAN? "I can say that I have seen less because from my perspective in the car, when you see a mistake, then that is only thing we can tell without seeing the in-car (camera) and all that stuff. So, I've less mistakes, sliding around less and some cases driving away from me so I feel he is managing the car really well."
       
MARK MARTIN, POP TARTS / CARQUEST IMPALA SS – Qualified 2nd:
TALK ABOUT YOUR QUALIFYING EFFORT AND THE TRACK CONDITIONS: "The track was just absolutely incredible. I don't know how many laps Kasey (Kahne) made but I made four including qualifying. All four of my laps were spectacular. I am really excited about my race car. It drove so well in practice and that was obviously a really, really great lap. Great race car. It is this race team. It is Alan Gustafson continues to amaze me. The guy is incredible and we are just working really well together."
 
HOW MUCH OF A PLUS WAS IT TO GET PRACTICE AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL RUN THE RACE? "As far as I am concerned, that practice was just a complete wash because we were the first cars on the race track with no rubber. Then the Nationwide cars put some rubber. Most of us were in Q (qualifying) trim anyway.  I don't think you could have done real substantial race trim stuff with zero rubber on the race track. But we got qualifying in and that was good."
 
DO YOU THINK THE SPEED THAT YOU HAVE FOUND IN THIS CAR WILL MAKE FOR A RACIER RACE ON SATURDAY NIGHT?  "You know, an enormous amount of that speed was track conditions. Surprisingly, it was really fast, grippy for no rubber. Sometimes this place needs rubber to get better. I think it is going to be great. It is always great racing here. Continues to get better. The teams continue to make the cars better. I think the no-testing thing has been awesome. I think we have had better racing this year and made plenty of progress with the race cars. I think it is great. Good car and a good program."
 
YOU HAVE SAID YOU WANTED TO DRIVE A FAST RACE CAR AND WIN RACES AND REFUSE TO TALK ABOUT POINTS AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT OTHERS SAY YOU ARE THE MOST ENERGIZED AND MOST LIKELY TO BEAT JIMMIE, WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON IT? "I know what you are saying and I understand your confusion. You also do know me and I feel less pressure and stress right now than I did the last two months before the Chase cutoff. I feel like...I'll see you after the race at Talladega and after the race at Talladega, we'll talk about our championship. I think everybody will know then who the real contenders are and a lot of things can change between now and then. If you'll look back, you will find that I led the points back in '90 from May, Phoenix was the next to the last race and then Atlanta was the last race, and I led the points from May until Phoenix. I really thought I was going to win. That ain't going to happen to me again. I am never going to think I'm going to win and it not happen. So, we'll race and we will let the racing decide the points tally. I'm not going to think about it and I don't have to. I won't change that points tally, so I refuse to look at it. I'm not going to look at it. I'm not going to be thinking about all that. I'm going to think about trying to win this race and then try to win Martinsville."
 
IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE YOU WERE HAVING ANY FUN RACING FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP IN '90 AND '97, IS THIS A WHOLE DIFFERENT DEAL? "It is a whole different deal because I really...it really shouldn't be for a number of reasons. One is I didn't think I ever would again and two, because I was convinced that it was too late for me."
 
ARE YOU GUYS COMFORTABLE WITH THE SPEED AS FAST AS THEY ARE? "As far as the racing goes, I think it will be good. Eventually the bottom groove will get rubbered up and Kasey and his buddies that like to run the high side, go up there and find grip. Hard-heads like me stay on the bottom. So you guys up top and got guys on the bottom. I think that will come. It may take a while. It will be tomorrow night's race before that starts to move up. Then when we go out there and do 500 miles, it will happen and I think it is going to be a great show."

From GM

Brockville Brings The Curtain Down On '09 Mr. DIRTcar 358 & Pro Stock Season!

Weedsport, NY – October 14, 2009 - By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director

One down three to go. When the inaugural DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals at Brockville Ontario Speedway, two more overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar champions will be recognized with just one more determined next weekend.

Big-Block specialist Brett Hearn sealed the deal Sunday in the Super DIRT Week showdown on the Syracuse Mile while season-long point chasers will drive away from Brockville this weekend clinging to a pair of coveted titles earned in the 358-Modified and Sportsman ranks. Black Rock Speedway in Dundee, N.Y. brings down the curtain on DIRTcar Racing Northeast’s 34th year of operation when a Sportsman champion is declared for the 20th straight season back in the states.

Right now, all eyes are focused on Brockville as preparations for the biggest weekend in 40 years of racing at Brockville come to a head on October 17-18 when the ‘Beast of the East’ unlocks its gates for the 2009 finale.

Crews have been busy coming up with plans, and repositioning barriers around on the Speedway grounds to handle race fans and teams as they come north of the border to close out the biggest season ever for owners Paul and Cheryl Kirkland. Also on the card is a special open 360 Sprint Car event plus a full-fender Street Stock invitational with qualifying heats beginning each day at 2 p.m.

While Hearn edged recent Rite Aid 200 Presented By Ferris & Snapper Mowers winner ‘Super Matt’ Sheppard by just four points in the final Mr. DIRTcar Big-Block points tally, the remaining three championship are going down to the wire with two to be decided this weekend.

In search of his first-ever title, American hopeful Dale Planck leads defending Mr. DIRTcar champ Pete Bicknell from St. Catharines, Ont. by 52 points as they head toward the City of the Thousand Islands. A finish of 16th or better guarantees Planck a seat at the head of the banquet table, although a victory for Bicknell accompanied by a 17th-place tally by ‘The Natural” will result in a tie atop the small-block standings.

The trip to Brockville for Pro Stockers will mark the first ever series stop for DIRTcar NE’s top full-fender touring division, and in another international confrontation it will be New Yorker Pete Stefanski contending for an unprecedented fourth consecutive overall title against second-generation standout Joey Ladouceur from nearby Alexandria, Ont. Just 37 points separate this dynamic duo that accounts for 24 victories in ’09, including seven of the eight tour wins recorded on both sides of the border. A finish of ninth or better will sew up the championship no matter where Ladouceur crosses the line.

Its Canada vs. United States still one more time as another margin of 37 points stands between reigning Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman points king Chris Raabe from Napanee, Ontario and rising star Ryan Susice from Ransomville, N.Y. The teenage titans will trade paint on Raabe’s (18 yrs) home soil before Susice (19 yrs.) travels closer to home for the Oct. 24 judgment day at Black Rock.

Leading the bullies of Brockville into battle over the weekend will be nine-time 358-Mod track champ Danny O’Brien from Kingston, Ont. and 16 year-old driving sensation Matt Billings, fresh off a command performance leading flag-to-flag last Saturday in the Super DIRT Week Sportsman Championship.

For more information, please contact the Brockville office (613/348-3998) or the DIRTcar NE office in Weedsport (315/834-6606) during normal business hours. In the meantime, log into the homepage at www.dirtcar.com  to find out more about the Mr. DIRTcar Series as well as the entire circuit.

Brockville Ontario Speedway www.brockvillespeedway.com is easily accessible from all directions: From Watertown N.Y. and south take 1-81 to Thousand Islands Bridge, exit onto Highway 401 East, follow Highway 401 East to Highway 29 at Brockville, then turn left at lights following exit follow Highway 29 to track on left; From Ottawa ON and north take Highway 417 to Highway 7, take Highway 7 west to Highway 15 at Carleton Place, follow Highway 15 South to Smith's Falls, pick up Highway 29 at light just after bridge in Smith's Falls, then follow (appox 30kms) to track on right hand side; From Kingston ON and west take Highway 401 East to Highway 29 exit at Brockville, turn left at lights, take Highway 29 13 kms North to find track on left; From Cornwall ON and east, take Highway 401 West to Highway 29 exit at Brockville, turn right at lights, take Highway 29 13 kms North and track is on the left.

Canadian ARCA driver Steve Arpin needs your vote!

Go to www.arcanation.com and click on Driver Poll at the top of the page and vote for Canadian Steve Aprin for Fan Favourite Driver of the Year. Voting ends tomorrow (Thursday, October 15th) at Midnight.

You can vote tonight and tomorrow, and if you login to arcanation, your vote will count twice.

From Trina Arpin

Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame class announced

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Oct. 14, 2009) – The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame today that includes: Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Junior Johnson and Richard Petty.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, consisting of members of the Nominating Committee along with 29 others representing NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, major race track ownership groups, retired drivers, owners and crew chiefs along with motorsports media representatives, met in a closed session in Charlotte, N.C. to vote on the induction class of 2010.

The class was determined by the 51 votes cast by the panel and the nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.COM. The accounting firm of Ernst & Young presided over the tabulation of the votes.

The Class of 2010 will be officially inducted in a ceremony on May 23, 2010 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.

The results of the voting for the final five chosen in this inaugural class proved competitive. Also receiving votes were David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison.

As part of the inclusive voting process, more than 670,000 NASCAR fans submitted votes online at NASCAR.COM as part of the fan voting process. This remarkable fan feedback once again demonstrates fans’ passion and knowledge of the sport and its heritage. The fans voted Petty, Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison as their top five.

The nominees included many of the sport’s legendary names:

Bobby Allison, Buck Baker, Red Byron, Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt, Richie Evans, Tim Flock, Bill France Jr., Bill France Sr., Rick Hendrick, Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, Raymond Parks, Benny Parsons, David Pearson, Lee Petty, Richard Petty, Fireball Roberts, Herb Thomas, Curtis Turner, Darrell Waltrip, Joe Weatherly, Glen Wood and Cale Yarborough.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame broke ground in Charlotte on Jan. 25, 2007 and will open May 11, 2010. The facility honors the history and heritage of NASCAR and the many who have contributed to the success of NASCAR.

Highlighting the Class of 2010:

Dale Earnhardt

Earnhardt co-holds the record for most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships (seven) with Richard Petty. In only his second full season, 1980, Earnhardt nabbed his first championship. He won consecutive titles on three separate occasions (1986-87, ’90-91 and ’93-94). Earnhardt’s 76 victories rank seventh all-time.

He is the all-time leader in race victories at Daytona International Speedway with 34, though the most prominent of them was a while in the making.

In 1998, Earnhardt won his most coveted race – the Daytona 500. The scene was a memorable one, forever etched in the minds of race fans. As Earnhardt’s black No. 3 rolled down pit road, a Daytona 500 winner at last, every crew member from every team lined up to congratulate one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history.

Bill France Sr.

Called “Big Bill,” only partly because of his 6-foot-5 stature, France spearheaded NASCAR from its beginning and directed it to its present status as the world’s largest stock-car racing organization. In 1936, he helped lay out the first beach/road course in Daytona Beach; in the first race on the course he finished fifth. Starting in 1938, he helped promote races on the sands of Daytona Beach. In 1947, France became the driving force behind the establishment of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. NASCAR, it was called, resulting from a famous meeting at the Streamline Hotel on State Road A1A in Daytona Beach – a structure that stands to this day, as a racing landmark. “Big Bill” France passed away in June 1992. He left behind a lasting legacy.

Bill France Jr.

William Clifton France is remembered – and revered – as the man who followed his visionary father at NASCAR’s helm, in the process becoming a visionary himself, as he guided NASCAR to unprecedented levels of popularity.

France became NASCAR’s president in January 1972, replacing his father and becoming only the second president of the world’s largest auto racing sanctioning body. His emergence coincided with the sport’s emergence, and its eventual ascent to become America’s No. 1 form of motorsports and the nation’s second-most popular sport overall.

France, often referred to as “Bill Jr.,” remained president until November 2000. At that time, France announced the formation of a NASCAR Board of Directors on which he served as chairman and CEO until October 2003 when he was replaced by his son, Brian Z. France. After that, he continued to serve the sport for the remainder of his life as NASCAR Vice Chairman.

Junior Johnson

Robert Glenn “Junior” Johnson is unique in NASCAR history, with tremendous success both as a driver and a car owner.

Johnson won the second annual Daytona 500 in 1960 and in the process, became credited with the discovery of “drafting” on the massive superspeedways. He won 50 races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series then surprised many people by retiring from driving to become an owner. As an owner, Johnson never missed a beat; through the years, his drivers won 132 races. There also were six series championships produced with Cale Yarborough (1976-78) and Darrell Waltrip (1981-82, ’85).

Named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers” in 1998, Johnson resides in Wilkesboro, N.C., and remains one of the sport’s most enduring – and endearing – personalities, at the age of 78.

Richard Petty

Known as “the King”, Richard Petty’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series records are staggering: Most wins (200), most poles (123), tied for most championships (seven), most wins in a season (27), most Daytona 500 wins (seven), most consecutive wins (10) and most starts (1,185).

Petty’s success continued even after his retirement from driving in 1992. He would still hold the top spot in the family business – Petty Enterprises, and now, Richard Petty Motorsports. In all, Petty Enterprises totaled 268 victories before merging with Gillett Evernham Motorsports for the 2009 season to become Richard Petty Motorsports.

From Ramsey Poston, NASCAR Public Relations

White Flag Waives on Danny O'Brien's Mr DIRTcar Championship Chase

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications

He finished second to Mario Clair in 2007 and was runner-up again when Pete Bicknell claimed the Mr. DIRTcar championship in 2008.  After dominating Brockville Ontario Speedway’s recently concluded regular season with 8 wins and a 9th 358 modified track championship, Kingston’s Danny O’Brien had set his sights on a first ever Mr. DIRTcar title.

Heading into a scheduled stretch of 3 events in as many nights, the 41 year-old driver of the Global Warranty/1000 Islands RV Centre/Pat’s Radiator/Stover Bus Lines/103.7 BOB-FM/Jackson’s Landscaping & Property Maintenance/Murdock’s Cement Finishing/Kendrick Racing #7 Star Bicknell was sitting 3rd in the overall standings. 

When the first show – Wednesday, October 7th at Can Am Speedway – was rained-out for the second straight year, the team made plans for the next night at Brewerton International Speedway.  O’Brien qualified 7th fastest during the night’s time trial session, but needed to use his guaranteed starter provisional after finishing 5th in a heat race where only the top 4 advanced to the 100 lap main event.  He started 24th in the feature and finished 16th.  Worse still, Dale Planck and Pete Bicknell, his main championship rivals 12th and 5th respectively while another contender; Larry Lampman was 6th and moved into 3rd place in championship points.

“I’m beginning to think it isn’t meant to be,” said O’Brien with a smile. “We finished second 2 years in a row, but it doesn’t look like it’s in the cards for this year either.  Patty (older brother, Pat O’Brien) has 4 championship trophies at his house.  Maybe he’ll let me have one...although I’d definitely rather earn my own.”

Before Brewerton’s Thursday night show, O’Brien ‘pocketed’ his 100 show-up points by recording the 39th fastest time at 107.073 miles an hour on the mile oval at the New York State Fairgrounds.  He didn’t return to run the race, choosing instead to stay within his comfort zone at the satellite events.  With the 100 lapper at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park also washed out, O’Brien will now have to rely on his own good luck – and the competition’s bad luck – at his home turf of Brockville Ontario Speedway during the Northeast Fall Nationals, October 17th and 18th if he is to gain any ground.

“I don’t want anything bad to happen to Dale, Pete or Larry but I’d be okay if they decided to stay home,” chuckled O’Brien.  “This weekend will be the biggest event Brockville has ever hosted, so I’m sure there will be a big crowd on both sides of the fence.  The show will close-out the 40th anniversary season, so we’ll just have to show-up and hope for the best.”

Postscript:  With a pair of rainouts in his 3 race Super Dirt Week odyssey, O’Brien was looking for a racing fix.  He travelled to Rolling Wheels Raceway Saturday, October 10th and finished 9th in the annual ‘Win and You’re In’ 25 lap feature event.

Photo attachment:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications: A strong run at Brockville Speedway’s Northeast Fall Nationals could help Danny O’Brien gain some much needed ground in the Mr. DIRTcar 358 modified championship chase.

The NAPA Quick 32 Sportsman Series top five for 2009 - T.J. Schippling – fifth place

SHAKESPEARE, ONTARIO (October 13, 2009) – T.J. Schippling’s name will go down in the record books as the winner of the first Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts event, held at the Cayuga Dragway in May of 2009.

“The highlight of the season for sure was the Cayuga win,” said the driver of the Schippling Motorsports Undercover Dragster. “I really wanted a win in this series and to win the first was special.”

Schippling placed fifth in the new NAPA Auto Parts sponsored Quick 32 Sportsman Series Point Award Championship, which features Top Sportsman and Top Dragster race cars in a 16-car elimination field for each group. The winner of each group then goes on to an event final, with the winner of that race declared the event champion.

With a 565-cubic inch Steve Schmidt engine and Powerglide transmission, the Lucas Oil Dragster experienced some ignition problems after the Cayuga victory. The team, which includes crew chief Dan Morgan and team owner Thom Schippling, did qualify for all later races save one, as they struggled to get back into contention.

“We thrashed quite a bit,” Schippling explained over the ignition woes. “It ended up a little thing that was causing big problems but we finally got it fixed.”

“That problem definitely cost us a couple races," he added.

Schippling said he was pleased with the new series in general, and is looking forward to next season.

“We loved the series,” he said. “I think it exceeded everyone’s expectations. It was the right time for something like this.”

“It is especially good for a team like ours and all the companies we represent,” he continued. “And I am proud that we made it into the top five.”

The Schippling Motorsports team is sponsored by Lucas Oil Products Canada, Dixie Chopper, K&N Engineering, Mechanix Wear, Piloti, Auto Meter, Bella Water Express, Fastpixs, Vonblood, NGK Spark Plugs, Mickey Thompson Tires, Millroad Manufacturing and JEGS.

The PMRA and Quick 32 Sportsman Series Championship Point Award Series winners will be honored at the Champions Banquet on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at The Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel in the Oak Room in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher Bruce@Quick32.ca

About the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts:
The Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts, www.Quick32.ca, of drag racing was started early in 2009 as an alternative for high-horsepower Sportsman-class teams to compete on a regular basis.

For 2009, dates included Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario, starting with the season opener on May 16 and 17 and the season-closer “Double Header” on September 19 and 20, and the South-western Ontario track of the Grand Bend Motorplex on June 27 and 28, the Stratford Spectacular Hot August Nationals presented by Ideal Supply & NAPA Auto Parts August 15 and 16 and the Thunder by the Beach Weekend September 5 and 6.

With 32-car qualified fields comprised of the 16 quickest open wheeled cars (Top Dragster) and the 16 quickest door cars (Top Sportsman), the Quick 32 Sportsman Series featured the best in ET-style, dial-in drag racing, competing on a Sportsman ladder and pit door-slammers against dragsters in every race day final.

Competitors in this Ontario-based series must comply with the IHRA Top Dragster and Top Sportsman Safety rules and regulations, and the maximum dial-in will be 7.95 seconds for the quarter-mile.

This new venture provided $3000 to win for each event and $5000 for the annual Championship Point Award Series champion, payouts very popular with competitors and will provide large fields of race cars.

The Quick 32 Sportsman Series is committed in providing a professional atmosphere for its teams. It will also provide solid media and logistic support to ensure it becomes one of the most popular drag race series running Top Sportsman and Top Dragster race cars.

The Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts competed several times with the Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA), www.PMRA.ca, as well as selected special events, offering fans a great show of drag racing.

Photo Credit: Bill Mehlenbacher Photography - www.nxphoto.com and Mike Goodwin - www.mgdigital.ca

Michigan Int'l Speedway: Steel construction underway for MIS infield project

BROOKLYN, MI. (October 13, 2009) - Construction crews have begun erecting steel at the site of Michigan International Speedway’s $17 million suite and media center building project.

“First steel is always an important landmark in a project like this because everyone gets a better sense of the size and scope of what is being constructed,” said Allen Blower, Project Director for Clark Construction which is serving as General Contractor for MIS. “We are very pleased with the progress that has been made to date which has served to keep us on schedule for completion in time for the 2010 season at the track.”

The two-story project design calls for 30 corporate suites that span the second floor of the structure. The suites will sit atop a state-of-the-art media, technology and meeting center.  Print, radio and TV journalists will have ample space to work and cover MIS’ popular events.  Separate rooms for large press conferences and competitor meetings will also be housed on the first floor, near a new kitchen and press dining area.

Demolition of the old suite/media center building occurred the day after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series CARFAX 400 race last August.

The scope of Phase One of the project also includes modifying pit road and the current fire lane. The speedway’s fueling station in the garage will also be moved. The project is the largest at MIS since the construction of the suite tower in 2005. In that venture, the speedway’s motorsports fan display area was also expanded and paved.

Phase One of the master plan redesign of the infield is just one piece of an ongoing transformation at MIS. In all, MIS will have spent more than $55 million since 2005 on various capital improvement projects from enhanced seating to a new scoreboard and public address system, to better campsites and directional signage — all with the fan in mind.

Future hopes for the speedway include an eventual Phase Two of an infield renovation to create a fan walk-style entertainment area with fan-accessible garages.

CONTACT: Sammie Lukaskiewicz, MIS Director of Communications (517) 592-1208 or slukaskiewicz@mispeedway.com // Dennis Worden, MIS Manager of Public Relations (517) 592-1204 or dworden@mispeedway.com

VP RACING FUELS LAUNCHES NEW REDESIGNED WEBSITE

SAN ANTONIO, TX (October 12, 2009) Customers of VP Racing Fuels will enjoy a whole new user experience when they visit its newly redesigned website at vpracingfuels.com, according to Steve Scheidker, VP’s Executive Director-Marketing & Communications. “In addition to fuels that make more horsepower and torque with reliable consistency, VP has a true competitive advantage with a product portfolio of nearly 70 fuel blends and our ability to custom formulate fuels for virtually any niche racing application,” said Scheidker. “But many customers have told us it can be confusing to determine their best fuel option with so many available. In response to this concern, we reconfigured our website to make it easy for customers to zero in on the most appropriate VP fuel to meet their needs."

"Because the new site is segmented by racing application—circle track, drag racing, motocross or karting, for example—a visitor need only click on his/her application to find a list of fuels relevant to them," Scheidker continued. "No longer will a motocross rider have to search through drag racing fuels to find what they're looking for, or vice versa. The relevant documentation frequently required by racers and engine builders such as fuel specs, MSDS forms, Tech Bulletins, etc. will be easy to find as well."

The new website also makes it easy for customers to tap into the expertise available on VP's Tech Support staff. By filling out and submitting a Tech Question Form online, a customer can typically expect a response via email the same day or at least within 24 hours. There is also a "Frequently Asked Questions" section where answers to many standard questions can be conveniently reviewed. And as always, VP's regional distribution centers and technical staff are available to personally consult with customers by phone. A map on the new site directs visitors to the most appropriate VP regional distribution center based on the visitor's location.

As always, VP's nonfuel products will be available online as well, including its performance chemicals, specialty lubricants and fuel handling accessories. "Customers also will be able to place online orders for our popular 5-gallon Motorsport Containers or cool VP apparel, like our 'Mad Scientist' T-shirts or VP hats, as well as VP banners, pennants, decals and much more," Scheidker said.

"As in the past, we'll post breaking news on the site regarding new products, race results and industry news," Scheidker added. "Over time we anticipate adding application- or fuel-specific Tech Tips, Test Results, Testimonials, etc. with printed reports, photos and/or videos to clearly illustrate the performance of VP's fuels relative to different applications or to our competitors. Customers also will find a list of race series in which VP is involved as a sponsor or posts contingency awards."

"We encourage our customers to visit our new site, check out the new features and let us know what they think," concluded Scheidker. "The new design is a quantum leap forward, but we'll always be open to improvements."

VP has manufactured the best fuels in motorsports since 1975 and currently fuels not only many series in North America, but racers throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Australia and South America. VP is the Official Racing Fuel of National Hot Road Association (NHRA) Championship Drag Racing, American Drag Racing League (ADRL), American LeMans, Atlantic Championship, Formula BMW, International Hot Road Association (IHRA), Star Mazda, Super DIRTcar Series, TRAXXAS TORC, UMP DIRTcar, World of Outlaws Dirt Late Models and World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, among many others.

Whitlock Motorsports Inventory Liquidation Sale: Oct. 17 & 18

Dave Whitlock is selling the inventory of his top-running NASCAR Canadian Tire Series team this coming weekend. The sale takes place in Wyoming, Ontario, which is near Sarnia.

ADAM CHRISTODOULOU WINS STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON FINALE AND SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP AT MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA

Mazda Raceway / Sept. 10 – English racer Adam Christodoulou, starting from the outside of the front row in the #11 JDC Motorsports / Molecule / Miller Milling Company / Alpinestars Mazda, won the season finale, the Rookie of the Year award -- and the overall 2009 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear – today at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It was Christodoulou's third victory of the season and earned him a fully-sponsored ride in the 2010 Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda courtesy of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder. He will also collect a check for $100,000 at tonight's Series award ceremonies.

"It's been an up and down year for me and luckily it ended on an awesome high note," said Christodoulou, the 2008 U.K. Formula Renault champion. "It's just unbelievable; you couldn't have written a TV script about what happened this year. My team, JDC Motorsports and my engineer Rick Cameron have done an awesome job helping me learn all the tracks during my first year racing in America. I definitely felt like I had a boulder to roll up the mountain coming into this race; I'd only secured second in the championship, so I knew that I could take a few risks throughout the race and just push as hard as I could. We did some testing here at this track earlier in the week, and we seemed to struggle at the start of the weekend, but it all seemed to pay off in the race. Thanks so much to all the people and sponsors who've helped me, my Engineer Rick Cameron, who has engineered four of the last six Star Mazda champions, and to my teammate Chris Miller and his father; this is actually their car I've been racing this season, they only lent it to me, but it all seems to have worked out as well as possible."

Finishing second, in the #51 JDC Motorsports / Oral & Facial Surgery Center / Twister Trailer Mazda, was Christodoulou's teammate, Alex Ardoin, who won this at the end of his rookie Star Mazda Championship season in 2007. He also won Round 10 earlier this season on the street circuit at Trois Rivières. Finishing third, driving the #27 Mundill / Trallfa / Colosseum Mazda, was Scandinavian racer Anders Krohn, who won earlier this season on the Milwaukee Mile oval.
The other championship that was won in today's race was by Expert Series racer Chris Cumming.

Based in Vancouver, B.C., Cumming was the 2009 Expert Series champion and repeated today with a 2nd-in-class, 11th overall finish driving the #16 World Speed Motorsports Mazda. The Expert Series winner in the race was West Coast Star Mazda racer Patrick O'Neill, who finished first in class and 9th overall in his #64 O'Neill Racing/ O'Neill Construction Mazda.

The Master Series for drivers 45 and older was clinched in Round 10 at Trois-Rivieres by California racer Mike Guasch who scored six in-class wins driving the #91 JDC Motorsports / Molecule / MG4 Manufacturing Mazda. Winning the Master Series category in today's race was another California driver, Chuck Hulse, who finished 12th overall in the #12 DF Racing / Silicon Salvage Mazda.

In addition, JDC Motorsports, which fielded cars for the top-2 drivers in today's race, won the Team Championship with 366 points. Andersen Racing finished second, followed by Juncos Racing in third.

While these winners and champions celebrated their accomplishments, the heaviest price paid during the weekend was by Irish racer Peter Dempsey. Winner of 5 races during the season and the pole-sitter for today's race, Dempsey needed to finish only 7th or better to clinch the championship. However, he was outmaneuvered at the start by the JDC teammates of Christodoulou and Ardoin who slipped by into 1st and 2nd. Shuffled back to 3rd before turn two, Dempsey was then hit from behind by the #2 car of Joel Miller entering the Corkscrew, spinning him off-course and dropping him to last place.

Dempsey managed to get back on track and return to the battle, moving quickly up through the field despite aerodynamic and mechanical damage to the front of his #3 Juncos Racing / The Collection / Motorsport Ireland / Queyside.ie Mazda. He was back up to 11th by the mid-point of the race, setting the fastest race lap in the process. He then had multiple contacts with the #66 Mitchell Motorsports / Motorola Mazda of Rusty Mitchell; the resulting damage to his car put him out of the race and he was credited with a 23rd-place finish. Miller and Mitchell finished 17th and 18th, respectively.

In the points championship, Christodoulou finished 1st with 473 points; his season included three wins, two pole positions and six podium finishes. Dempsey was 2nd with 461 points, five wins (he also scored four wins last year) and five starts from the pole. Conor Daly, the 2008 Skip Barber Pro Series Champion who won his 2009 drive in the Star Mazda Championship courtesy of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder finished third, driving the #22 Andersen Racing / College Network / Indeck / Cytomax Mazda to a record of one win, one pole, four podiums and 416 points. Alex Ardoin finished 4th in the championship with 401 points, one win and four podium finishes; he also finished 4th in last year's championship. Joel Miller, who was the MAZDASPEED Ladder driver in 2008, finished 5th with 390 points, three podiums and five top-5 finishes.

Today's 3rd-place finisher, Anders Krohn, finished 6th in the championship with 380 points, one win, one podium, one top-5 and six top-10 finishes. Richard Kent, who won two races this season and won this race from the pole last year, finished 6th in the race and 7th in the championship with 377 points, four poles, and two podiums.

The schedule for the 2010 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, along with other exciting announcements about next season will be made in coming days.

Decker Seals Saturday Deal With 2nd Straight SDW Small-Block Championship!

Decker Romps To Score 2nd Straight ‘Salute To The Troops’ 358-Mod Win

*Alex Bruce Photo Attachment
Syracuse, NY – October 10, 2009 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director

Reigning Mr. DIRTcar Champion Billy Decker matched his Super DIRT Week success in a Big-Block on Saturday afternoon at the New York State Fairgrounds by scoring the fourth victory of his career in the headline 30th Annual ‘Salute To The Troops’ 150 Championship for 358-Modifieds.

Already a four-time titlist in the Rite Aid 200 for Big-Blocks, Decker inherited the lead when Frenchman Martin Roy made his pit stop with 99 laps posted on the scoreboard, then out-distanced another four-time winner Brett Hearn by 4.2-seconds to knock down his eighth Modified feature win on the historic Syracuse Mile.

“What a day … the Gypsum Wholesalers car was really good, I can’t thank my team enough as they got me in and out of the pits faster than anybody else today,” remarked Decker, 44, after registering his third victory of 2009 in DIRTcar Northeast’s sister Small-Block class, yet easily the biggest on the circuit this season as the Unadilla, New York veteran pocketed $20,000 for the LJL Racing no. 91 Gypsum Wholesalers/Bicknell Race Team. “That was the key to the race.”

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in my guys, and that baby (engine) was hitting on all eight (cylinders) today. Would’ve rather had to dice it out over speed at the end than lapped traffic but that’s just how things worked out for us today,” Decker said.

Finishing another three seconds behind Hearn under the checkered flag was open-wheel veteran Kenny Tremont, while teenager Larry Wight, Larry Lampman Jr., Roy, Patrick Dupree, Rich Scagliotta and Mid-State Golf Cars Rookie of the Race Marc Johnson were the last to complete the prescribed 150-lap distance.

“My wife Robin does the spotting and Scott (Jeffery, crew chief), they keep track of everybody out there. Scott still said ‘let him go, let him go, we’re just racing those guys behind us’ when (Roy) was pulling way ahead,” noted Decker, who won last year’s 150-lapper after scoring a 50-lap victory in 1992 and then hitting Salt City paydirt in the ’02 75-lapper.

Overnight rain and early morning mist put a serious soaking on the storied State Fairgrounds oval, ultimately pushing back the feature race starting time over two hours from its original 1:45 p.m. slot. Once under green it took Decker another two hours to fulfill his mission with victory number eight on the fabled Moody Mile registered in decisive fashion.

“Tomorrow’s still the big day and we’re looking forward to it even more right now,” added Decker, after joining Hearn (1989), Tremont (1996-97) and ‘Mr. Small-Block’ Pete Bicknell (1982-83, 1998-2000) as the only drivers to capture back-to-back SDW 358-Mod Championships in its 30-year history. On Sunday Decker will be looking to tie Hearn’s all-time mark of five Rite Aid 200 triumphs, with Hearn (1990) and Danny Johnson (2006) the only drivers ever to sweep Super DIRT Week Modified mains on the same weekend after Jeff Heotzler garnered the inaugural 15-lap BM&F Small-Block title in 1980.

“That’s what we came here for, the big one on Sunday, I’m sure gonna try my best. Today I just had to make sure we kept some lapped cars between us and the guys were racing. It was a really good day with a happy ending,” Decker said.

While Decker and Hearn finished 1-2, under sunny, blue skies they also began the 150-lap finale on the front row and it was pole-sitter Hearn jumping out to an early lead to pace the 39-car starting field. A handful of yellow flags flew due to flat tires and a lap three crash by J.C. Flach in turn kept the pack close during the initial stages, with the fourth caution period the most pivotal as it opened up the pit window on lap 30.

Chris Shultz shredded a right-rear tread on lap 28 and before the green lights reappeared all but 11 cars had ducked pit side either for new rubber or splash of fuel, with most prepared to go the remaining 120-mile distance. Those that didn’t were new leader Roy, the recently crowned Airborne Speedway points champion on DIRTcar NE’s only paved oval, Tremont, Quebecois Sebastien Gougeon in only his second trip to Syracuse, fellow Frenchman Mario Clair, Dave Rauscher, Dig Safely NY Last Chance Qualifier race winner Rich Scagliotta, Greg Atkins, Marc Johnson, Mark D’Ilario, Michel Chicoine and Bicknell.

When last year’s SDW Sportsman winner Erick Rudolph slid up against the turn one wall to incur a fifth slowdown on lap 65, the remaining drivers except for Roy and Rauscher idled down pit row. Roy was quickest on the clocks up to this point, with Decker second fasted and already charging into the runner-up position when the grid refired for the ensuing lap 72 restart.

The green flag dropped for just a moment as top-five runner Andy Bachetti went from high to low in a maneuver under the starter’s stand, yet there was not enough clearance as the popular Sheffield, Mass. pilot got turned around and the no. 4 Garrity Asphalt-Albraeda Waste-Steve Hough Motors/PMC ride rammed the end of the cement barrier at the end of pit lane to bring an abrupt halt to his day.

The day suddenly got even brighter for Decker when a flat right-rear tire for race rookie Doug Faulker required caution number eight on the 98th circuit. At the end of the next circuit, Roy became the final driver to stop pitside moving Decker to the point and his nearest chasers Matt Sheppard, Hearn Rick Laubach and Tim Fuller all up an additional spot in time for the extended lap 108 restart.

Only two more caution periods transpired over the next 40 laps yet the 11th and final slowdown on lap 146 for Decker’s teammate Pat Ward put the top three cars together for a final two-lap dash for the cash. While runner-up Sheppard was forced pitside with an empty gas tank on lap 144, new second-place runner Fuller suffered the same consequence as he a limped through turn two on the final lap.

The green lights stayed on as Decker cruised home for a 20 car-length victory over Hearn with 20 cars crossing under the final checkered flag and Decker’s other teammate Wight running out of gas just after ending his best run in fourth.

“We had a really good car today in open air in the beginning, then we struggled a little bit after getting through our pit stop,” noted Hearn, after nursing home an ailing machine the last 40 laps which was still good enough for a $10,000 paycheck. “We kind of rode around for a little while, knew what we had to do after that.”

“Once I was on the gas and got the back of the car to stand up a little bit, it got the fender off the tire which wasn’t all that bad. But if you ever want to be scared in a race car, that’s the race car you want to drive right there,” as he motioned toward the Madsen Motorsports no. 20 Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-Benjamin Moore Paints/TEO entry parked on the front chute.

“Looks like we spit out a roller, actually spit a torsion arm out of the roller and amazingly it hung on the bolt that locates the rear-end and stayed there … amazing … and the fender was just about through the tire also. The no. 91 guys had a great pit stop, they got in and out really fast and beat us out of the pits. I don’t know if that was the difference, I’m just happy to be here on the front straightaway now after all that,” added Hearn, who will start eighth on Sunday afternoon on the 38th Annual Rite Aid 200 Presented By Ferris & Snapper Mowers.

All-time Lebanon Valley Speedway Big-Block feature winner Tremont notched another top-five finish n Saturday’s premier Small-Block event, marking a rare appearance made this season by the 1999 Rite Aid 200 champion.

“Definitely didn’t have our fuel mileage down to a science, we just played it a little bit on the conservative side,” acknowledged Tremont, who won his last Syracuse 358 Championship in 199, and on Saturday was back aboard the familiar no. 115 S&S Asphalt-Rifenburg Construction/Bicknell ride. “We just really didn’t get a lot of practice time and weren’t sure of the exact mileage, so we were kinda playing a guessing game.”

“We just decided today we better go a little bit on the conservative side rather than run out of fuel. Just had limited time, not a lot of time given to adjust things on the car and make it any faster than what it was. So it was a good day. Everything went well but I’ve been on the other side of that too, like what happened to some of those guys today. Its unfortunate but it kinda worked in our favor at the end,” Tremont said.

With the Salute To The Troops 150 designated as show-up points race, current Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358 leader Dale Planck elected not to start as did his car owner Carey Terrance and runner-up the past two years Danny O’Brien fro m Kingston, Ontario.

Super DIRT Week XXXVIII concludes Sunday with the prized jewel of DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast --- Rite Aid 200 Presented By Ferris & Snapper Mowers --- for Big-Block Modifieds paying the winner a whopping $50,000. The 'Dig Safely New York Modified Last Chance Qualifier rewards the top-five finishers with starting positions 42-46 in the 200-mile main event with Rolling Wheels Raceway’s ‘Win And You’re In 25’ victor Chad Brachmann from Saturday night earning the 47th starting spot in the 200-lap fairgrounds finale.

Pro Stock Time Trials begin tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. with the 25-lap BNC Motorsports Pro Stock Championship the first feature race slated to go off at 1:00 p.m. A pair of Dig Safely NY last-chance qualifiers follow immediately after for Big-Block Modifieds and Pro Stocks which take the first green flag at 12noon. DIRTcar Modified and Pro Stock ‘Futures’ events kick off the first racing action at 11:00 a.m. while the curtain comes down with the 38th running of the Rite Aid 200 on Sunday afternoon at 2:45 p.m.

Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Race #10 – New York State Fairgrounds, Oct. 10, 2009 30th "Salute To The Troops" 150 Event Summary 

FIN  STR   CAR#      DRIVER                                            

1          2          91        Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY($20,000)

2          1          20        Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ

3          26        115     Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY

4          18        99L     Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY

5          17        22        Larry Lampman,Jr./Port Colborne,ONT

6          12        90        Martin Roy/Napierville,QUE

7          31        24x      Patrick Dupree/Saranac Lake,NY

8          38        8          Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ

9          40        3j         Marc Johnson/Guilderland,NY®

10        10        6          Mat Williamson/St.Catharines,ONT®

11        8          14        Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ

12        39        13        Tony Steiner/Jamesville,NY®

13        36        97        Michel Chicoine/Ste-Cecile,QUE®

14        23        1ny     Greg Atkins/Clintonville,NY

15        4          74        Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY

16        16        151kb Brian McDonald/Cornwall,ONT

17        42        14x      Brian Swarthout/Beaver Dams,NY®

18        9          22c      Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE

19        34        22j       Jeremy Wilder/Fort Plain,NY

20        41        007     Roy Tarbell/Akwesasne, NY

21        3          42p     Pat Ward/Genoa,NY

22        15        1w       Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY

23        25        08        Mark D'Ilario/Smithville,ONT®

24        30        77j       John Flach Jr./Ravena,NY®

25        24        35        Mike Perrotte/Elizabethtown,NY

26        5          542     Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA

27        13        76a     Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY

28        14        48too  Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY

29        37        95        Doug Faulkner/East Greenbush,NY®

30        21        4*        Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY

31        6          4          Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA

32        28        98h     Erick Rudolph/Ransomville,NY®

33        19        44        Sebastien Gougeon/Drummondville,QUE

34        22        45        Wayne Jelley/Pittsfield,MA

35        32        16w     Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY

36        7          42        Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT

37        11        24        Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY

38        29        83x      Tom Sears Jr./Clay,NY

39        20        3          Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY

DNS   27        77x      Dale Planck/Cortland,NY

DNS   33        66x      Carey Terrance/Akwesasne,NY

DNS   35        7*        Danny O'Brien/Kingston,ONT

EVENT SUMMARY:                                  

LAP LEADERS:   Hearn (1-30), Roy (31-99), Decker (100-150).                               

TOTAL LAPS LED:   69-Roy, 51-Decker, 30-Hearn.                             

LEAD CHANGES:  2 among 3 drivers.                           

CAUTIONS:   11 for 59 laps.                                 

ELAPSED TIME:   1 hr. 57 mins. 15 secs.                                  

AVERAGE SPEED:   76.754 mph.                                  

MARGIN OF VICTORY:   4.264 sec.                                

MID-STATE GOLF CARS ROOKIE OF THE RACE:   Marc Johnson.                      

A-1 RACE PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER:   Marc Johnson.                                    

SUNY CANTON HARD LUCK AWARD:   Tim Fuller.                                     

SHARON'S TOY HARD LUCK:   Jimmy Horton.                                  

DIG SAFELY NEW YORK HALFWAY LEADER AWARD:   Martin Roy.                 

GATER RACING NEWS BEST APPEARING CAR & CREW:   #22j - Jeremy Wilder.                              

NYSSCA 'TOP MEMBER' AWARD:   Brett Hearn.                               

NATIONAL PARTS PEDDLER POLE AWARD:   Brett Hearn (31.712 sec/113.522 mph).                                   

MID-STATE GOLF CARS OUTSIDE POLE AWARD:   Billy Decker (31.860 sec/112.994 mph).                                     

PULLEN'S TRUCK CENTER TWIN-20s RACE WINNERS:   -rain-                                      

DIG SAFELY NEW YORK SHOOTOUT RACE WINNER:   Rich Scagliotta.           

RACE ROOKIES®:   9.                              

ENTRIES:   58.

Brockville Ontario Speedway Champ wins at Syracuse

BROCKVILLE , ON - Brockville Ontario Speedway congratulates Broadway Matt Billings, the 2009 DIRT Sportsman Champion at the New York State Fairgrounds.  The popular 16 year old high school student from Brockville scored the biggest win of his young racing career on Saturday afternoon, October 10th winning the 30 lap Super DIRT Series event at the legendary Moody Mile.  A big birthday present a week later for father and crew chief Dean Billings.

Billings, the 2009 Brockville Sportsman champion began the day by setting fast time in qualifying clocking in at 34.003 seconds for an average speed of 105.873 mph.  That put the family owned and operated Billings Automotive Bicknell on the pole over a number of better funded and more experienced race teams.   Billings then led all 30 laps in a race that featured a couple of major incidents. However, on each restart the local hotshoe prevailed and pulled out major leads as he dominated the event from a first lap challenge until the checkered flag fell under the lights.  Father Dean was there to greet his son as the car came to a stop on the front straightaway at the mile.

Local fans can show their support for Broadway Matt in person, this coming Saturday afternoon as he competes in the first ever DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals at Brockville Ontario Speedway.  Billings will be back behind the wheel of his familiar yellow number 74 in the Super DIRT Series for Sportsman event part of a big double bill with 360 Sprint Cars along with qualifying for Sunday's finale of the 358 Modified Super DIRT Series.  Sunday features the Modifieds along with Pro Stocks and Street Stocks.  Race time is 2pm both days.

IndyCar: Franchitti wins at Homestead-Miami to clinch series title

HOMESTEAD, Fla., (Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009) - Dario Franchitti claimed his second IndyCar Series championship by winning the Firestone Indy 300 on Oct. 10 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Franchitti and Target Chip Ganassi Racing used fuel strategy to beat second place Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske to the finish by 4.788 seconds. Franchitti's teammate, Scott Dixon, finished third.

The top three finishers were the only drivers who entered the season-ending race with a chance to win the title on the 1.5-mile oval. Franchitti finished the season with 616 points, Dixon with 605 and Briscoe with 604.

It was the second consecutive title for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, as Dixon won in 2008. Franchitti won his first season championship in 2007 with Andretti Green Racing.

The three title contenders led 198 of the 200 laps.

Briscoe took the lead on Lap 151, with Dixon in close pursuit, when Franchitti entered the pits for the final time on Lap 150. Briscoe and Dixon had stopped on Lap 144.

Briscoe and Dixon then pulled away from Franchitti over the next 35 laps, as Briscoe led Dixon by .1850 of a second on Lap 187. Franchitti was the only other car on the lead lap, 23.8841 seconds behind Briscoe.

But Briscoe and Dixon were forced to pit for fuel in the last eight laps, Dixon on Lap 192 and Briscoe on Lap 194. Franchitti was able to stretch his fuel over the last 50 laps for his fifth victory of the season, a career best.

Franchitti's average speed was 201.420 mph, the second-fastest race in series history. It was the first caution-free race in series history.

RACE DAY NOTES:

In support of Sarah Fisher Racing and Dollar General's association with Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the fight against breast cancer, Indy Racing League personnel are wearing pink IZOD polo shirts today, Race Day for the Firestone Indy 300.

Indy Racing League officials and IndyCar Series drivers lined up to form a pink ribbon in Victory Lane for a photo shoot this morning.

FIRESTONE INDY 300 POST-RACE QUOTES:

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 Team Penske, second): "It's pretty frustrating. It was one of the best races I've ever run. I just hate that it came down to fuel strategy. It's a whole championship. Dario (Franchitti) has been great all year long, so congrats to him. It's hurts." (Did you think it was yours to win?): "I thought it was going to be between me and Scott, definitely. I guess the 10 car (Franchitti) had the advantage."

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing, third): "At the start of the race, I didn't think it would be wise to go out and burn a lot of fuel. It ended being the fact and coming true. You just have to take it on the chin and come back and try again next year. At the end of the year, you'd think the fastest car is going to win, but several times, it hasn't been. I think Briscoe and I had a pretty good race going on, but we got what we got."

TONY KANAAN (No. 11 Team 7-Eleven, fourth): "It was a long race. It looks like those three guys (Franchitti, Briscoe, Dixon) were in another league. I think it was an A-league and a B-league, but we tried. We did what we could. The car was OK. It was just not fast enough, so I guess we'll take the fourth place. After the season that we had, to finish up with a top four, it is what it is."

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Team Penske, fifth): "It was two races. There was those three guys (Franchitti, Briscoe and Dixon) and then the rest of the field. It's a shame. But first, I want to thank all the people here. They were awesome. I mean, I was thirsty; I can imagine you guys. Our Penske boys and Ryan did everything they could to bring this championship home. It's a shame. But fifth is definitely good for us. Fourth in the championship. And I have nothing complain about this year. It was a fantastic year. It was a bit difficult, but I have to thank the fans that supported me all the way through. Indy was great. So thank you, everybody. Next year, it's going to be different. Hopefully going to be different."

RAPHAEL MATOS (No. 2 US Air Force Luczo Dragon Racing, 14th, 2009 IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year): "I'm very happy. It couldn't be better. I think this title means a lot to me and a lot to the team. There's a lot of famous names in the Rookie of the Year gallery and I dreamed about (joining them). I think this shows that we are ready for bigger and better things in the series."

MARIO MORAES (No. 5 Azul Tequila/Votorantim/KVRT, seventh): "The KV Racing Technology team didn't qualify the way we wanted. Then we lost some more ground during the first stint of the race. But for the last two stints, the car was really good. And on the last stint I had one of the fastest cars on the track, so I was able to pick up some positions. Of course, I am a little disappointed, but finishing seventh wasn't too bad. This was a very tough season, for a lot of reasons. We had had a fast car all season, especially in qualifying. But there were a lot of things going on, and we had some bad luck. Then things changed and started going our way. We had some good races at the end of the season finishing in the top-five and getting our first podium, so overall, because of the way we ended the season, I am happy. I definitely learned a lot from last year to this year. Actually, I learned more this year than at any other time in my racing career. For that, I have to thank Kevin Kalkhoven, Jimmy Vasser, Mark Johnson, all the KVRT engineers and mechanics. Everyone worked hard all season and did a great job."

ALEX LLOYD (No. 40202 HER Energy/Newman/Haas/Lanigan, eighth): "All in all, it was a pretty good day for the HER Energy team. We lost a quite a few places on the start, and I think that was just me being overly cautious. I've never raced an Indy car on a 1.5-mile oval, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect in Turn 1. Everybody just nailed it, and I lifted too much and we got swarmed by people. In the second half of that stint, we had a good car and came through quite a few cars, so I thought, 'OK, this is looking quite good.' I felt like we could race with some of the quick guys. And then as the race went on, every stint we started to get more and more understeer that we couldn't get rid of, and that really cost us. We finished about where we were at the end of the day. All in all, it was a good day. There are a lot of things that I am learning as I go along, which is an extremely good thing. We had a good car all weekend. We certainly could have been a little bit better in the race, but I think we came away with some really good things, a lot of positives. There were a lot more positives than negatives, so I'm definitely happy, and I think everybody at HER Energy will be happy, too."

HIDEKI MUTOH (No. 27 Formula Dream, sixth): "Physically, it was a very tough race for me. I am still recovering a bit from my crash during qualifying at Motegi, but the car was fantastic overall and very good in traffic. I have to thank my guys. They did a great job all night, and we were able to gain some positions during pit stops. I had a great season with the team, and a sixth-place finish is a nice way to end the year."

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