Weedsport,NY — Officials at Mohawk International Raceway, formerly known as Frogtown Int’l Speedway, have released an action-packed 2008 schedule highlighted by the return of the Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series to the popular Akwesasne (Hogansburg), N.Y. layout.
The inaugural running of the “Akwesasne 100” slated for Thursday, August 21 marks the 20th DIRTcar Championship event at Mohawk Int’l for the 358-Modifieds and the first Small-Block tour race scheduled there since 2005.
“The track name change and bringing back a Modified championship event tie together well for ushering in a new era of racing here,” said pro stocker turned promoter Jody Swamp, 42, now helping guide MIR for a fourth straight season. “We’ve had the same track management for the past 20 years so we’re looking at 2008 as a turning point in the presentation of a brand new facility to the public.”
“An immediate goal is to change the entire structure of the place and put to bed that image of an old, worn out track. We’re still waiting for final tribal approval to offer more specifics about the pending projects in place, but there will be a lot of remodeling going on once we get the green light. Hopefully, if things work out we can even book another Series stop next season,” added Swamp, who expects an official announcement to come sometime in March.
Right now, though, fans and competitors can circle August 21 on their calendar for one of the biggest events of the season in northern New York State. Some of the most recognized names —including past race winners Brett Hearn, Alan and Danny Johnson, Steve Paine, Pat and Danny O’Brien, and Pete Bicknell— in DIRTcar racing have ventured to Mohawk Int’l since its Small-Block Series debut in 1988, and a whole new generation of Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified title contenders awaits the first chance to take the checkers come summertime.
“Having an important event like this at Mohawk Int’l is a big boost for the local racers,” said Cory Reed, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning. “Most of our track members have taken advantage of the opportunity available to host a Series show. All of our regions continue to be well represented in the 358-Modified division and the addition of MIR provides further strength to build on in the coming years.”
The 2008 season at MIR kicks off on Saturday, May 3 with the first running of the Mohawk 30 for DIRTcar 358-Modifieds, including 30 laps of heated feature race action boasting a cool $1500 to win. Racing will continue every Saturday night from May-September, with a number of special events sprinkled in along the way. Mohawk International Raceway www.mohawkintraceway.com is located just off Route 37 on Frogtown Road in Akwesasne, N.Y.
For additional tour information, please contact 358-Modified Series Director Gaston Salvas (450/655-5022 or 514/817-2270; e-mail gastonsalvas@hotmail.com) or DIRTcar NE Director Cory Reed at the Weedsport office (315/834-6606) during normal business hours. Log into the DIRTcar homepage at www.superdirtcarseries.com to find out more about the entire circuit as the 2008 season approaches.
2008 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Schedule
*All events subject to change.
DAY-DATE LAPS TRACK LOCATION
Sat-Apr 26 100 Merrittville Speedway Thorold, ONT
Fri-Aug 1 68 Ransomville Speedway Ransomville, NY ($6,800 to win)
Thr-Aug 21 100 Mohawk Int’l Raceway Akwesasne, NY
Sun-Aug 31 100 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall, ONT
Sat-Sep 6 75 Brockville Ont Speedway Brockville, ONT
Sat-Sep 13 150 Autodrome Drummond Drummondville, QUE ($15,000 to win)
Fri-Sep 19 75 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua, NY
Fri-Sep 26 75 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Wed-Oct 8 75 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville, NY
Thr-Oct 9 75 Brewerton Speedway Brewerton, NY
Fri-Oct 10 100 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge, NY
Sat-Oct 11 150 New York State Fairgrnds Syracuse,NY ($20,000 to win)
Sat-Oct 18 100 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown,NY ($7,500 to win)
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.
