Hearn crowned Super DIRTcar Series champion after four wins and consistently strong season
CONCORD, N.C. – Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013 – Ontario’s Stewart Friesen, of Niagara-on-the-Lake, wrapped up his racing season in style, charging to victory in Saturday’s Super DIRTcar Series 40-lap feature at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
“It’s always good to go out with a bang,” said Friesen, who made a smooth late-race move in lap 37 to take the lead from series point leader Brett Hearn. “We passed the best in the business.”
Hearn, of Sussex, N.J., had already collected four Super DIRTcar Series wins and was aiming for number fiveSaturday, drawing the third starting position after winning Thursday’s heat race. Pole-sitter Ryan Godown had the initial lead, but Hearn charged ahead at the green flag and was a nose ahead of the No. 747 at the lap 1 start-finish line before the race’s first yellow flag waved.
Tim Currier, of Auburn, N.Y., collided with Billy Dunn, of Watertown, N.Y., to bring out that first caution. Dunn’s Number One Speed Shop No. 49 was towed off the track due to damage.
Restarting from the inside front row, Hearn powered ahead, and by lap 5 had established a significant lead over the rest of the field. Behind him, Friesen, who drew the second spot but fell behind, was making his way back to the front. He cruised to the inside lane beside Godown in third, and the two raced side-by-side until Friesen took an advantage in lap 8. Jimmy Phelps, of Baldwinsville, N.Y., also made his way past Godown and was working toward the leaders.
Within ten laps, Friesen’s tires had warmed up and he was second to Hearn. The leaders deftly maneuvered lapped cars on the high-banked 4/10-mile oval until Tim McCreadie, of Watertown, N.Y., slowed in lap 28 to bring the race’s second caution.
Friesen was strong off the next restart, charging forward on the high side of the track to keep up with Hearn, but he wasn’t able to make the pass. He dove to the bottom in lap 29 in another challenge for the lead, but it wasn’t until lap 37, after he had gained momentum over several green laps, that Friesen was able to overtake Hearn.
“We went with a little bit harder of a tire. We just hung on at the beginning and waited and waited, bided our time. During that one long run, we were able to get back to second and get through the lapped traffic,” said Friesen, who opened and closed his season with victory, also winning the June “Hall of Fame 60” at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park. “After that caution, we just tried to keep the heat in the tires and, when I went to work after that the car was awesome. It was definitely a 40-lap car, and that’s what they pay for – the end – so that’s where we need to be.”
After finishing second to Hearn Friday, Friesen’s crew learned some lessons about The Dirt Track at Charlotte, and Friesen said the changes they made helped make the difference Saturday.
“It was a good balance. We lost it a little early in the race last night, and made some notes on that so we’d be halfway decent at the beginning,” Friesen said. “We dropped back a little bit, but just held on and once we got some green flag runs and were able to swap lanes with Brett a little bit and get the momentum on him, it was a good race car.”
Hearn finished a close second to bring him his eighth career Super DIRTcar Series Championship title.
“It feels great to win the championship,” said Hearn, who claimed four victories and 12 total top fives, out of 16 starts. “It’s a really tough series, and we had a really good, consistent series this year. We had good speed, we qualified good, we had a lot of top-fives, and that’s what it takes to win a championship.
“To win the championship, and to come out of here with a first and a second, it makes for a great end of the year and a great weekend for us,” Hearn continued. “We’re just really happy to be part of the event, it’s really second-to-none.”
Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series
World of Outlaws World Finals – Qualifying
The Dirt Track at Charlotte
Thursday, November 7, 2013
A-Main:
1. 1F Stewart Friesen – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
2. 20 Brett Hearn – Sussex, N.J.
3. 98h Jimmy Phelps – Baldwinsville, N.Y.
4. 747 Ryan Godown – Ringoes, N.J.
5. 14s Duane Howard – Oley, Penn.
6. 84 Gary Tomkins – Clifton Springs, N.Y.
7. 7z Dale Planck – Cortland, N.Y.
8. 74M Matt Billings – Brockville, N.Y.
9. 91 Billy Decker – Unadilla, N.Y.
10. 9s Matt Sheppard – Waterloo, N.Y.
11. 21k Danny Johnson – Rochester, N.Y.
12. 6m Mat Williamson – St. Catharines, Ontario
13. 10v Billy VanInwegen – Sparrowbush, N.Y.
14. 3h Justin Haers – Phelps, N.Y.
15. 66x Carey Terrance – Hogansburg, N.Y.
16. 8R Rob Bellinger – Cicero, N.Y.
17. 42B Kevin Bates – Lake Ariel, Penn.
18. 19w Justin Wright – York, N.Y.
19. 21a Pete Britten – Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
20. 7x Rick Laubach – Quakertown, Penn.
21. 10c Tim Currier – Auburn, N.Y.
22. 43 Keith Flach – Ravena, N.Y.
23. 48too Dave Rauscher – Waterloo, N.Y.
24. 115 Kenny Tremont, Jr. – West Sandlake, N.Y.
25. 83 Brian Swartzlander – Leechburg, Penn.
26. 4* Tim McCreadie – Watertown, N.Y.
27. 8 Rich Scagliotta – Hillsborough, N.J.
28. 49 Billy Dunn – Watertown, N.Y.
Did Not Qualify:
3D Matt DeLorenzo – Cropsyville, N.Y.
4J Stephane Lafrance – St. Albert, Ontario
5H Chris Hile – Syracuse, N.Y.
7 Mike Maresca – Potsdam, N.Y.
14G Brian Gleason – Hyde Park, N.Y.
14M C.G. Morey – Danby, Vt.
21K Randy Chrysler – Lewiston, N.Y.
21m Bob McGannon – Garnerville, N.Y.
T21 Roger Chrysler – Tuscarora Nation, N.Y.
26 Ricky Richter – Niagara Falls, N.Y.
27T Travis Stacey – Kanawage, Quebec
29E Erik Martin – Evans City, Penn.
37MD Jeremiah Shingledecker – Polk, Penn.
M40 Mark Forte – Blue Anchor, N.J.
R40 Ryan Forte – Blue Anchor, N.J.
47 Bob Sarkisian – Woolwich, N.J.
74 Tim Fuller – Edwards, N.Y.
63 Adam Roberts – Watertown, N.Y.
323 Neal Williams – Pittsgrove, N.J.
711 JaMike Sowle – Fultonville, N.Y
B-Main 1 (Top 2 transfer): Terrance, Bates, Tremont, DeLorenzo, R. Forte, Roberts, Sowle, Hile, Rauscher, Maresca, LaFrance, Currier. DNS: Martin, Wiliams
B-Main 2 (top 2 transfer): Britten, Decker, Dunn, Fuller, McGannon, Morey, M. Forte, Gleason, Roger Chrysler, Shingledecker, Sarkisian. DNS: Stacey, Richner, Randy Chrysler
Qualifying Heats (8 laps, top 4 transfer, winner redraws)
Heat 1: Godown, Phelps, Scagliotta, Flach, Bates, Dunn, R. Forte, Shingledecker, Roberts, Roger Chrysler
Heat 2: Planck, Johnson, Haers, Williamson, Britten, Tremont, Fuller, Hile, Randy Chrysler, LaFrance
Heat 3: Hearn, Howard, VanInwegen, Bellinger, Williams, Stacey, Richner, Morey. DNS: Martin
Heat 4: Friesen, Sheppard, Billings, Laubach, Decker, Currier, Rauscher, Maresca, McGannon. DNS: Sarkisian
Heat 5: McCreadie, Tomkins, Wright, Swartzlander, Terrance, M. Forte, DeLorenzo, Sarkisian, Sowle, Gleason
Saturday Timed Hot Laps: 1. Godown 15.644, 2. Planck 15.752, 3. Friesen 15.937, 4. Phelps 15.982, 5. Hearn 15.986, 6. Sheppard 16.055, 7. Johnson 16.084, 8. Billings 16.130, 9. Howard 16.194, 10. Williams 16.239, 11. Britten 16.281, 12. Tomkins 16.285, 13. Tremont 16.304, 14. Fuller 16.349, 15. Laubach 16.370, 16. Decker 16.393, 17. Currier 16.397, 18. Scagliotta 16.413, 19. Wright 16.413, 20. Haers 16.426, 21. M. Forte 16.474, 22. Bates 16.478, 23. Piazza 16.478, 24. McCreadie 16.480, 25. Gleason 16.502, 26. Williamson 16.521, 27. Dunn 16.604, 28. Erik Martin 16.637, 29. McGannon 16.649, 30. Bellinger 16.732, 31. Flach 16.757, 32. Swartzlander 16.834, 33. Randy Chrysler 16.859, 34. Hile 16.870, 35. VanInwegen 16.882, 36. DeLorenzo 16.907, 37. R. Forte 16.932, 38. Rauscher 17.033, 39. Terrance 17.093, 40. LaFrance 17.104, 41. Maresca 17.108, 42. Richner 17.165, 43. Morey 17.174, 44. Roberts 17.250, 45. Shingledecker 17.278, 46. Sowle 17.328, 47. Stacey 17.553, 48. Roger Chrysler 17.656, 49. Sarkisian 17.675
