Weedsport,NY — March 24, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director
Qualifying procedures for all Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series events will again include the traditional pre-race draw, although in 2008 the staging of time trials for qualifying is optional among individual host track promoters.
The season-ending events at Syracuse during Super DIRT Week and Eastern States Weekend at Orange County Fair Speedway are among the only 358-Modified Series stops still scheduled to run time trials with each fast timer awarded with the pole-position start. Beyond the front three rows, top heat race and consolation round finishers will fill those fields in the same order they crossed the line to help finalize both starting grids.
“I talked with many promoters over the winter and we’re continuing to grow stronger in the 358-Modified division,” said Gaston Salvas, 358-Modified Series Director. “We’re all on the same page with a solid set of rules in place and the tracks are looking forward to another competitive series. Opening up out west should generate more interest from the area regulars and encourage those teams to follow even more of the series if they can finish well right off the bat.”
In just one more month Merrittville Speedway returns to kick off the ’08 agenda with its earliest tour date ever as the Baron Roofing Spring Sizzler 100 takes the green flag on Saturday, April 26. Ransomville (August 1) and Canandaigua (Sept. 19) speedways are back on DIRTcar Racing NorthEast’s premier Small-Block tour after a one-year absence, with Ransomville’s 68-lap Alex Friesen Summer Nationals moving to Friday night and paying $6,800 to the winner.
Autodrome Drummond (September 13) moves one month later with its seventh 358-Modified tour event the biggest in track history as Small-Block stars on both sides of the border chase a $15,000 top-prize in 150-laps of open-wheel competition.
“We’ve got a great mix of dates making up one of our best Small-Block schedules ever,” said Cory Reed, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning. “A dozen different tracks are involved from around the entire circuit, enough to provide plenty of opportunities for our newest teams to be part of the traveling show this season.”
Four of the top-five point-getters from the final 2007 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified standings are already confirmed to make their tour debut at Merrittville, led by reigning overall Small-Block champion Mario Clair, runner-up Danny O’Brien, Carey Terrance (3rd) and Roy Tarbell (5th), while 4th-place finisher Mike Adderley has relocated to North Carolina. Already adding their names to the preliminary roster are Todd Burley, Chad Brachmann, Rick Richner, Kyle Jacobs, Lance Willix II and Drummond racing promoter Yan Bussiere.
For additional 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. In the meantime, log into the homepage at www.dirtcar.com to find out more about the entire circuit.
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 Hogansburg, 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.
