New Starter Series Events Kick Off 2015 DIRTcar 358-Modified Season Race to the Championship

By Jo Ann & Don Davies

WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – May 8, 2015 – New DIRTcar 358-Modified Starter Series events kick off the 2015 season for small block action on May 16 at Brockville (Ont.) Speedway before the championship stretch begins Sept. 6 with a 125-lap feature race on the highly competitive quarter-mile Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway.

Last year’s winner of at Cornwall, David Hebert, will be trying for another Series tour win and the overall 358-Modified Series title. In seven starts in 2014, Hebert had four Top 10, three Top 5 and three wins to finish sixth overall in the Series title battle.

Eight additional long-distance point races at Autodrome Drummond, Mohawk International Raceway, Autodrome Granby, Le RPM Speedway, Weedsport Speedway, Brewerton Speedway and Brockville Speedway, plus the non-point 150-lap event at the New York State Fairgrounds during NAPA Super DIRT Week, will comprise the season-ending fall series leading to the determination of the 2015 champion.

Erick Rudolph of Rochester, N.Y., the defending 358-Modified Series champion, has elected to concentrate his efforts this season running the DIRTcar Big-Block Modified program. Since Rudolph will be running only select 358-Modified shows it leaves the title spot open for grabs.

Carey Terrance, who finished second in last season’s point battle by four points, and third-place finisher Mario Clair, are sure to be two of the strongest competitors for the title. Only 10 points separated the top three contenders last year. Each ran all 13 fall series events in 2014.

Expected to also be strong contenders in 2015 would be Ryan Arbuthnot with two wins last season, David Hebert with three wins and young gun Mat Williamson of Merrittville who finished in ninth spot, running only six events. Williamson, the 2014 Merrittville 358 Champion, is planning to run the entire series in 2015.

The September and October long distance 358-Modified Series events are just one of three components of the points system that will crown a 2015 “358-Modified Series Champion”. For 2015 the “Series Champion” point total is a combination of home track bonus points (similar to 2014), plus “Starter Series” points (new for 2015), plus fall Series points.

The 2015 point system will require 358-Modified drivers have a DIRTcar “home track” and be a member in good standing to be eligible for the 358-Modified series title at season end.

Twenty-one race dates at eight DIRTcar tracks have been designated as “Starter Series” dates during May 16 through Sept. 4. Drivers can earn points towards the overall 358-Modified Series championship by competing at any “Starter Series” races during the regular season and earn a maximum of 180 points from any three races towards their final point total. This means the excitement leading to that final point title will begin on May 16 at Brockville Ontario Speedway.

With the flexibility to earn “Starter Series” points throughout the regular race season, more drivers than ever before will enter the fall swing capable of winning the 358 Modified Series title.

Also up for grabs is the 2015 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified points that will be computed by a driver’s best 16 finishes earned between January 1 and Labor Day, 2015.

The 358-Modified Series champion and the Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Champion will be honored at the annual DIRTcar banquet held annually in November.

2015 DIRTcar 358-MODIFIED SERIES SCHEDULE

*Starter Series event

The Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast Region is brought to fans by several sponsors and partners including Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, Chevy Performance Parts, NAPA Auto Parts, Pole Position Raceway and Dig Safely New York. Contingency sponsors are ASI, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix, ButlerBuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, Fox Shox, Impact Race Products, Intercomp, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, KSE Racing Products, Mobil 1, Motorsports Safety Systems, MSD Performance, Racing Electronics, Superflow, TNT Rescue and Wrisco Aluminum.