Bob Armbruster Photo
Middletown, NY — October 17, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director
Jerry Higbie followed up his season championship points performance on Friday afternoon, besting a quality field of 67 drivers to earn pole-position for the 100-lap 358-Modified Championship scheduled for Saturday of Eastern States Weekend at the Orange County Fair Speedway. Higbie set fast time in WLR Construction Small-Block qualifying by touring the 5/8-mile ‘Hard Clay’ in a time of 21.264 sec. for a one lap average speed of 105.813 mph.
“We came here and after only about three hot laps I said ‘boy, this thing is awful good,’” remarked Higbie, after establishing a new track record for the 358-Modified division, breaking the mark of 21.777 seconds set just last year by upstate New York veteran Pat Ward. “We’re pretty happy, it’s the same car we ran all year and its just awesome.”
“I had an easy job today, my guys go to work and they just don’t stop. The track is beautiful and its gonna be a great weekend for racing. This is becoming a game of inches, I’m excited to be a part of it,” added the hometown favorite from nearby Slate Hill, New York, a past winner of the ESW 358-Modified Championship in 2005 when the distance was 150 laps.
Higbie was the 54th car to round the historic fairgrounds facility among the 64 cars eventually running under the clocks, with the Affordable Transmissions no. 17 Murray’s Auto Body/Bicknell carrying the two-time Orange County DIRTcar track champion to his second pole. He copped his first start on the point in 2002 en route to a seventh-place finish in the annual season-finale in Middletown.
Young Johnny Guarino and 10-time Eastern States 358-Modified winner Brett Hearn tied for the second-best time (21.361 sec.), with Guarino awarded the outside front row starting spot as his second lap was quicker than Hearn’s initial effort. Second-generation standout Ronnie Johnson (21.411) was forth fastest followed by Western New York traveler Gary Tomkins (21.525) and Billy Decker (21.526), who recently clinched the overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar Modified Championship for the second time in the Advance Auto Parts Big-Block ranks.
Friday time trials locked in the first three rows for Saturday’s 100-lap main. The fastest drivers qualified from six heat races added 24 more to the starting grid while the final 10 openings will be filled Saturday by last chance consolation round qualifiers prior to the 32nd running of Saturday’s headline Eastern States 358-Modified Championship tomorrow afternoon.
EASTERN STATES WLR CONSTRUCTION 358-MODIFIED TIME TRIALS
Orange County Fair Speedway – Middletown, N.Y., October 17, 2008
FAST AVE
TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER
1 21.264 105.813 17 Jerry Higbie/Slate Hill,NY
*$250 – WLR Construction Pole Award
2 21.361 105.332 9g Johnny Guarino/Nanuet,NY
3 21.361 105.332 4* Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ
4 21.411 105.086 2 Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY
5 21.525 104.530 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY
6 21.526 104.525 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
7 21.544 104.437 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY
8 21.554 104.389 74 Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY
9 21.586 104.234 4b Andy Bachetti/Great Barrington,MA
10 21.685 103.758 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY
11 21.758 103.410 7k Kirk Horton/Eldred,NY
12 21.809 103.168 33x Craig Mitchell/Wappingers Falls,NY
13 21.812 103.154 71 David VanHorn/Phillipsburg,NJ
14 21.815 103.140 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY
15 21.823 103.102 22c Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE
16 21.827 103.083 4 Mike Storms/Wantage,NJ
17 21.843 103.008 33-1/3 Tommy Meier/Waldwick,NJ
18 21.848 102.984 97 Michel Chicoine/Ste-Cecile de Milton,QUE
19 21.889 102.791 17d Danny O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
20 21.902 102.730 12 Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
21 21.905 102.716 66x Carey Terrance/Akwesasne,NY
22 21.912 102.683 124 Pierre DagenaisGatineau,QUE
23 21.950 102.506 55 Mitch Gibbs/North Norwich,NY
24 21.975 102.389 9 Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY
25 21.982 102.356 33 John Lieto/Mt.Kisco,NY
26 21.999 102.277 1x Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY
27 22.012 102.217 14L Rick Laubach/Hellertown,PA
28 22.020 102.180 16x Danny Creeden/Middletown,NY
29 22.037 102.101 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
30 22.045 102.064 14s Randy Sherlock/Milford,PA
31 22.055 102.018 77 Jimmy Johnson/Bloomingburg,NY
32 22.071 101.944 94 Tim Hindley/Monticello,NY
33 22.081 101.898 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY
34 22.092 101.847 42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
35 22.120 101.718 21j Jamie Yannone/Newburgh,NY
36 22.144 101.608 88k Randy Chrysler/Tuscarora,NY
37 22.228 101.224 157 Billy Eggers Jr./Woodcliff Lake,NJ
38 22.261 101.074 220 John Ferrier/Middletown,NY
39 22.278 100.996 22 Rich Coons/Montgomery,NY
40 22.290 100.942 211 Chuck McKee/Middletown,NY
41 22.446 100.241 6g Martin Gagne/Granby,QUE
42 22.450 100.223 73 Rick Mill/New Windsor,NY
43 22.463 100.165 16w Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY
44 22.466 100.151 72 Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT®
45 22.472 100.125 16 A.J. Romano/Johnstown,NY
46 22.513 99.942 23k Chris Kervatt/Wantage,NJ
47 22.516 99.929 4r Mike Ruggiero/Walden,NY
48 22.543 99.809 12t Tim Bayles/Wantage,NJ
49 22.587 99.615 3b Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY
50 22.594 99.584 81h Jim House/Middletown,NY
51 22.679 99.211 12c Bobby Hayes Jr./Nanuet,NY
52 22.725 99.010 53 Joey Barbagallo Jr./Branchville,NJ
53 22.761 98.853 3 Erik Holmgren/Middletown,NY
54 22.847 98.481 k22 Kenny Moulton Jr./Rock Hill,NY
55 22.875 98.361 7-17 Everett Haubrich/Lafayette,NJ
56 22.957 98.009 18 Anthony Perrego/Montgomery,NY
57 22.958 98.005 1 Jimmy Spellmon/Butler,NJ
58 23.053 97.601 t21 Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY
59 23.202 96.974 33h Matt Hitchcock/Stony Point,NY
60 23.286 96.625 4SL Bob Hentschel/Pine Bush,NY
61 23.442 95.982 27 Jerry Wildrick/Sussex,NJ
62 23.667 95.069 6 C.V. Elms/North Haverhill,NH
63 23.693 94.965 111 Art Liedl/Flemington,NJ
64 26.360 85.357 X Ben Rizzo/Middletown,NY
65 -NT- —– 14b Dan Barnes/Honesdale,PA
66 -NT- —– 21 Greg Morgan/Lake Ariel,PA
67 -NT- —– 124j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY
*Top-6 locked into front three rows; 67 Entries.
2008 EASTERN STATES WEEKEND EVENTS SCHEDULE
*All times/events subject to change.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18
Pit Gates & Grandstand Gates open, 8:00 am;
Big-Block Modified & 358-Modified Hot Laps, 9:00 am;
Big-Block Modified heat races, 10:00 am;
358-Modified Consolation Races;
Eastern States 100, Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series event, 1:00 pm;
Pit Gates open for Sportsman Modifieds & Pure Stocks, 4:00 pm;
Sportsman Hot Laps;
Pure Stock Hot Laps;
Middletown Motorsports presents the Sportsman Time Trials (top 6 qualify);
Sportsman heat races;
Eastern States Pure Stock Challenge Championship;
Sportsman consolation races;
Eastern States 50, Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series event.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19
Pit Gates & Grandstand Gates open, 8:00 am;
Race Against Drugs Eastern States Pit Party, 9:30-10:30 am;
Pro Stock Hot Laps, 11:00 am;
Big-Block Modified Hot Laps;
Pro Stock heat races, 12noon;
Big-Block Modified consolation races-2 (8 more qualify), 12:30 pm;
Pro Stock consolation race, 12:50 pm
Big-Block Modified consolation races-2 (8 more qualify), 1:00 pm;
Eastern States 25, Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Championship Series event, 1:30 pm;
47th Eastern States 200, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series event (44 cars to start), 2:30 pm.
Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series:
2008 Eastern States 358-Modified Roster
CAR# DRIVER / HOMETOWN TEAM (Sponsor / Chassis / Engine)
X Ben Rizzo/Middletown,NY Turner Trucks-Maddy’s Diner/TEO/Precision
X Ben Rizzo/Middletown,NY Turner Trucks/TEO/Precision
1 Jimmy Spellmon/Butler,NJ Mike Sparta Trucking/TEO/GM Crate
1x Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY Westmoreland Golf Club/Bicknell/Enders
2 Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY Wm.Larned-Palmer’s Service-Morris Auto Group/TEO/JPM
3 Erik Holmgren/Middletown,NY BVI, Inc.-Viking Land Clearing/TEO/GM Crate
3b Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY Original Pizza Logs/Bicknell/Honest Abe’s
4 Mike Storms/Wantage,NJ Four Star Motorsports-Mike Sparta Trucking/TEO/Morrison
4* Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ Four Star Transmissions-Kruger-Kosakowski Plumbing & Heating/TEO/Morrison
4b Andy Bachetti/Great Barrington,MA Wentworth Custom Homes-Steve Hough Motors/PMC/Morrison
4r Mike Ruggiero/Walden,NY Galati Home Improvements-D’Antonio Masonry/TEO/Precision
4SL Bob Hentschel/Pine Bush,NY Advance Concrete-ABS/TEO/GM Crate
6 C.V. Elms/North Haverhill,NH Bear Ridge Speedway-CV Elms Livestock/Kneisel/GM Crate
6g Martin Gagne/Granby,QUE Charland Chevrolet Cadillac-Transport Demers-P&G/Bicknell/Boomer’s Racing
7k Kirk Horton/Eldred,NY Olori High Reach-Shadow Shocks/PMC/Horton
9 Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY Thompson Motorsports-Smoke Construction/Bicknell/West Carleton Automotive
9g Johnny Guarino/Nanuet,NY Ultimate Wings-Hudson Valley Heating & AC/TEO/Morrison
12 Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY Splitrock Enterprises-Quickway Glass/TEO/Precision
12c Bobby Hayes Jr./Nanuet,NY Harley Contsruction-Paul Bitts Co./TEO/Precision
12t Tim Bayles/Wantage,NJ Winters Auto Parts-Kel-Mar Construction/TEO/JPM
14b Dan Barnes/Honesdale,PA Noah Thomas Builders-Horton RacingTEO/Precision
14L Rick Laubach/Hellertown,PA Alpha Mills Corporation-SmartAndSexy.com/TEO/Enders
14s Randy Sherlock/Milford,PA Tri-State Roofing-Dirt Works-Escape RV/TEO/Precision
16 A.J. Romano/Johnstown,NY Bill Lake Modular Homes-North Norwich Motors/Bicknell/Grant
16w Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY Nor-Shir Construction-TRC-SUNY Canton/Bicknell/Morrison
16x Danny Creeden/Middletown,NY Fairweather Fishing Supplies-R.G.H. Contsruction/TEO/Precision
17 Jerry Higbie/Slate Hill,NY Affordable Transmissions-Murray’s Auto Body/Bicknell/Precision
17d Danny O’Brien/Kingston,ONT 1000 Islands RV Centres-Stover Bus Lines-Pat’s Radiator/Bicknell/Morrison
18 Anthony Perrego/Montgomery,NY Tycor Trenchless Technologies-Alex’s Marine Plus/Bicknell/GM Crate
21 Greg Morgan/Lake Ariel,PA Fabrications by Tauschman-Teplitz Material Processing/Tauschman/Morgan
21j Jamie Yannone/Newburgh,NY X-Treme Powder Coating-Alex’s Marine Plus-Yannone Enterprises/PMC/Moshier
t21 Roger Chrysler/Lewiston,NY Iroquois Water-Randy’s Smoke Shop-Joey’s Sneaks/Bicknell/JanCen
22 Rich Coons/Montgomery,NY Sunset Embroidery-Hansen Custom Homes-Young Racing/Bicknell/The Engine Shop
22c Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE Batiments JDL-Motel Drummond-Freightliner Drummond/Bicknell/Morrison
k22 Kenny Moulton Jr./Rock Hill,NY RK Customs-Gervic Paints-Ken Labagh Truck/TEO/Precision
23k Chris Kervatt/Wantage,NJ Pike Ridge Homes/TEO/Wally Fiehl
24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY Liberty Rock Crushing-Bob’s Garage/TEO/JPM
27 Jerry Wildrick/Sussex,NJ FDI Injection Molding & Tool-Die Making/TEO/Morrison
33 John Lieto/Mt.Kisco,NY Hermance Motorsports/Bicknell/R.G.P.
33h Matt Hitchcock/Stony Point,NY Alex’s Marine Plus-Hitchcock Landscape/TEO/GM Crate
33x Craig Mitchell/Wappingers Falls,NY Hermance Motorsports/PMC/R.G.P.
33-1/3 Tommy Meier/Waldwick,NJ Barry’s Lawn Service-All-Do-It Handyman/Bicknell/Precision
42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT Lucas Oil Products-Merrittville Speedway-Bicknell Race Products/Bicknell/Morrison
42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY Gypsum Express Ltd. /Bicknell/Enders
53 Joey Barbagallo Jr./Branchville,NJ Escape RV-Precision Seamless Gutters/TEO/JPM
55 Mitch Gibbs/North Norwich,NY New York Truck Parts-Gibbs Speed & Auto/TEO/JPM
66x Carey Terrance/Akwesasne,NY Akwesasne Filter Manufacturing-RezX Racing/TEO/Kevlar
71 David VanHorn/Phillipsburg,NJ Harmony Sand&Gravel-Diamond Hart Ent.-Art’s Radiator/TEO/D.VanHorn,Sr.
72 Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT® Kane’s Vending-CMH Leasing/Bicknell/Enders
73 Rick Mill/New Windsor,NY Frank Stevens & Sons Roofing-Peak Racing Equipment/Bicknell/Simonek
74 Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY Smith Bros. Concrete Foundations/TEO/Precision
77 Jimmy Johnson/Bloomingburg,NY All Seasons Fuel-Total Sanitation/Bicknell/Precision
81h Jim House/Middletown,NY McMickle Agency/TEO/House
84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY Honeoye Auto Parts-Red Parker & Son Excavating/Bicknell/Mastin
88k Randy Chrysler/Tuscarora,NY Signal Cigarettes-Randy’s Smoke Shop/Bicknell/JanCen
91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY Gypsum Wholesalers-Stadium Int’l-Quality Hardwoods/Bicknell/Enders
94 Tim Hindley/Monticello,NY Sarvis Tree Service-Jakla Construction/TEO/JPM
97 Michel Chicoine/Ste-Cecile de Milton,QUE GMCI Express-E.Beaudry Enterprises/Bicknell/Enders
98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY Joe Gibbs Oil-Mohawk N.E.-New England Race Fuels/Troyer/Morrison
99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY Gypsum Express Ltd-Gypsum Wholesalers-Tracey Road Equip./Bicknell/Enders
111 Art Liedl/Flemington,NJ Energy Options-Down’s Ford/Olsen/Liedl
115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY S&S Asphalt Paving/Rifenburg Construction/Bicknell/Tremont
124 Pierre DagenaisGatineau,QUE Carriere Sabliere (Quarry Dagenais)/Bicknell/Ovide Doiron
124 Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY Carriere Sabliere (Quarry Dagenais)/Bicknell/Ovide Doiron
157 Billy Eggers Jr./Woodcliff Lake,NJ Eggers Racing/Bicknell/Precision
211 Chuck McKee/Middletown,NY Montgomery Car Wash-211 Auto Body/Troyer/JPM
220 John Ferrier/Middletown,NY Superior Building & Remodeling/Bicknell/Precision
7-17 Everett Haubrich/Lafayette,NJ Direct Flooring-E & E Carpets/Bicknell/Wally Fiehl
Headquartered in Roanoke, Va., Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items in the United States, serves both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets As of April 19, 2008, the Company operated 3,291 stores in 40 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Additional information about the Company, employment opportunities, customer services, and on-line shopping for parts and accessories can be found on the Company’s web site at www.advanceautoparts.com.
The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., Rite Aid Corporation and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Crane Cams, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks and Wrisco Industries.
