“The Natural” claims first series win with Mike Payne Racing
“The Natural” Dale Planck, of Cortland, N. Y., wrestled the lead from Billy Dunn, of Watertown, N. Y., with 15 laps to go in Monday’s Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series feature, taking the win in a six-leader, 100-lap race.
“The car wasn’t quite what I wanted it to be early in the race,” said Planck, who, after drawing the 12th spot, had his work cut out for him just breaking the top five. “I was just hoping that later in the race it would come around, and, sure enough, at about lap 60 or 70, it just started rolling around the middle good.”
In the Mike Payne owned 7z, Planck charged forward late in the race, claiming second after a lap-79 caution took leader Haers to the pits. Haers’s was the fourth car of the race, after Steve Bernard’s, Matt Sheppard’s and Danny Johnson’s, to break while in the lead.
With Haers out of the race, Dunn inherited the lead and held on to it on the restart. Planck challenged for the lead in lap 82, and nearly claimed it, but another yellow in lap 82 slowed his momentum and brought the field back together.
Ever persistent, Planck charged forward on the restart, breaking through Dunn’s defense in lap 84 to claim the lead.
“I felt like I was a little better than Billy Dunn there, but that one restart went back a lap, so it was back to second,” Planck said of the lap 82 restart. “He was pretty much in block mode at that point, so I had to try to find a different way around him.”
Planck outlasted the remaining caution-free 15 laps to claim his first Super DIRTcar Series win of the season, and his first series win with his new team, Mike Payne Racing.
“It feels awesome, definitely. First series win of the year, first series win with Mike Payne and the new team, and it feels great,” said Planck, also a small block Modified star, claiming last year`s DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Championship. “It`s been a couple years since I`ve raced a Big Block full-time, so it`s nice to get back in the swing of things with the Big Block. We just worked so hard – Mike and the team worked so hard – to try to get to this point in the race, and here we are. I`m very happy.”
For the second Super DIRTcar Series feature race in a row, Dunn claimed second place.
“We thought we had something for him, but Dale just got really good at the end,” Dunn said. “We had a second place car, and we came home in one piece – a lot of guys didn`t tonight – so we`ll get it ready for tomorrow.”
Early race leader Bernard usurped the top spot from polesitter Carey Terrance before the completion of the first lap, almost immediately putting significant distance between himself and the runner-up. He reached lapped traffic in lap 8, with Terrance, Johnson, Decker, and David Hebert battling it out behind him. Matt Sheppard joined the battle in lap 10, and took the second spot in lap 12.
Sheppard chipped away at the distance between the 9s and leader Bernard’s 54, gradually closing the gap until the 54 broke in lap 40 to clinch the lead for Sheppard.
The three-time defending Super DIRTcar Series Champion Sheppard, of Waterloo, N. Y., outlasted a caution in lap 54, but fell to mechanical issues to leave Johnson with the lead. Sheppard finished 25th:
Haers, of Phelps, N. Y., followed close in second, charging to the lead on the inside groove in turn 4, lap 71. A lap 74 caution brought the field closer to Haers, but he stayed ahead on the restart until mechanical issues took him out of the race in lap 79 and put him in 24th.
Hebert started sixth and stayed in or near the top-five for the duration of the 100-lap race, claiming third at the checkered. Alan Therrien finished fourth after starting 25th and charging into the top-five off the lap-79 restart. NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week VP Small Engine Fuels 200 Champion Brett Hearn stayed strong, drawing the tenth starting position and making his way up to fifth at the finish line. Polesitter Terrance finished sixth.
Rounding out the top ten are Gary Tomkins in seventh, Mario Clair in eighth, Pete Britten in ninth, and Yan Bussiere in tenth.
The Super DIRTcar Series continues Tuesday, July 23, at Autodrome Granby in Granby, Quebec.
Super DIRTcar Series – Statistical Report
Autodrome Drummond – Monday, July 23, 2013
A-Main
1. 7z Dale Planck – Cortland, N. Y.
2. 49d Billy Dunn – Watertown, N. Y.
3. 1H David Hebert – St-Damase, Quebec
4. 39a Alan Therrien – Victoriaville, Quebec
5. 20 Brett Hearn – Sussex, N. J.
6. 66x Carey Terrance – Hogansburg, N. Y.
7. 84 Gary Tomkins – Clifton Sprints, N. Y.
8. 22c Mario Clair – Drummondville, Quebec
9. 21a Pete Britten – Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
10. 21 Yan Bussiere – Drummondville, Quebec
11. 64 Daniel Nadeau
12. 74 Matt Billings – Brockville, Ontario
13. 99p Steve Paine – Waterloo, N. Y.
14. 98h Jimmy Phelps – Baldwinsville, N. Y.
15. 124 Pierre Dagenais
16. 91 Billy Decker – Sidney, N. Y.
17. 10v Billy VanIngewen – Sparrowbush, N. Y.
18. 37 Paul St-Sauveur – La Presentation, Quebec
19. 10c Tim Currier – Auburn, N. Y.
20. 48Too Dave Rauscher – Waterloo, N. Y.
21. 8 Rich Scagliotta – Hillsborough, N. J.
22. 5* Danny Johnson – Rochester, N. Y.
23. 44 Sebastien Gougeon – Drummondville, Quebec
24. 3 Justin Haers – Phelps, N. Y.
25. 49 Francois Bernier – Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
26. 9s Matt Sheppard – Waterloo, N. Y.
27. 22J Gino Clair – Drummondville, Quebec
28. 54 Steve Bernard – Granby, Quebec
29. 39 Clement Therrien – Victoriaville, Quebec
30. 13 Kevin Hamel
Did Not Qualify:
63 Dominic Dufault – St-Victoire-de-Sorel, Quebec
87 Alex Fortier – Princeville, Quebec
97 Michel Chicoine – St-Cecile-de-Milton, Quebec
61 Jean Boissonneault – Granby, Quebec
23 Dany Bilodeau – Victoriaville, Quebec
7 Patrice Demers – Drummondville, Quebec
10x Michael Maresca
5 David Cote
2P Patrick Beaumier
Lap leaders:
Bernard (1-40)
Sheppard (41-64)
Johnson (65-71)
Haers (72-79)
Dunn (80-84)
Planck (85-100)
B-Main 1: 1. 22J Gino Clair; 2. 64 Daniel Nadeau; 3. 39a Alan Therrien; 4. 124 Pierre Dagenais; 5. 87 Alex Fortier; 6. 23 Dany Bilodeau; 7. 97 Michel Chicoine; 8. 7 Patrice Demers; 9. 5 David Cote; 10. 22P Patrick Beaumier
B-Main 2: 1. 39 Clement Therrien; 2. 84 Gary Tomkins; 3. 21a Pete Britten; 4. 22c Mario Clair; 5. 74 Matt Billings; 6. 61 Jean Boissonneault; 7. 63 Dominic Dufault; 8. 10c Tim Currier; 9. 10x Michael Maresca
Qualifying Heats (top 5 transfer, top 3 redraw)
Heat 1: 1. 49d Billy Dunn; 2. 1H David Hebert; 3. 54 Steve Bernard; 4. 37 Paul St-Sauveur; 5. 8 Rich Scagliotta; 6. 22J Gino Clair; 7. 124 Pierre Dagenais; 8. 87 Alex Fortier; 9. 7 Patrice Demers; 10. 5 David Cote
Heat 2: 1. 91 Billy Decker; 2. 98h Jimmy Phelps; 3. 99p Steve Paine; 4. 21 Yan Bussiere; 5. 13 Kevin Hamel; 6. 64 Daniel Nadeau; 7. 39a Alan Therrien; 8. 97 Michel Chicoine; 9. 23 Dany Bilodeau; 10. 22P Patrick Beaumier
Heat 3: 1. 20 Brett Hearn; 2. 9s Matt Sheppard; 3. 7z Dale Planck; 4. 10v Billy VanInwegen; 5. 49 Francois Bernier; 6. 39 Clement Therrien; 7. 63 Dominic Dufault; 8. 61 Jean Boissonneault; 9. 74 Matt Billings
Heat 4: 1. 66x Carey Terrance; 2. 5* Danny Johnson; 3. 3 Justin Haers; 4. 44 Sebastien Gougeon; 5. 48Too Dave Rauscher; 6. 84 Gary Tomkins; 7. 22c Mario Clair; 8. 21a Pete Britten; 9. 10c Tim Currier; 10. 10z Micael Maresca
Time Trials: 1. 91 Billy Decker, 16.944; 2. 20 Brett Hearn, 17.049; 3. 10v Billy VanInwegen, 17.086; 4. 1H David Hebert, 17.126; 5. 8 Rich Scagliotta, 17.186; 6. 9s Matt Sheppard, 17.244; 7. 66x Carey Terrance, 17.249; 8. 98h Jimmy Phelps, 17.275; 9. 49d Billy Dunn, 17.288; 10. 37 Paul St-Sauveur, 17.296; 11. 3 Justin Haers, 17.380; 12. 7z Dale Planck, 17.390; 13. 5* Danny Johnson, 17.419; 14. 49 Francois Bernier, 17.449; 15. 48Too Dave Rauscher, 17.505; 16. 74 Matt Billings, 17.517; 17. 22c Mario Clair, 17.517; 18. 54 Steve Bernard, 17.603; 19. 64 Daniel Nadeau, 17.632; 20. 21a Pete Britten, 17.647; 21. 63 Dominic Dufault, 17.696; 22. 44 Sebastien Gougeon, 17.831; 23. 22J Gino Clair, 17.839; 24. 13 Kevin Hamel, 17.856; 25. 39 Clement Therrien, 17.859; 26. 99p Steve Paine, 17.860; 27. 87 Alex Fortier, 17.894; 28. Michel Chicoine, 17.902; 29. 39a Alan Therrien, 17.930; 30. 84 Gary Tomkins, 17.985; 31. 21 Yan Bussiere, 17.990; 32. 124 Pierre Dagenais, 18.070; 33. 61 Jean Boissonneault, 18.103; 34. 23 Dany Bilodeau, 18.106; 35. 7 Patrice Demers, 18.108; 36. 10c Tim Currier, 18.321; 37. 10x Michale Maresca, 18.324; 38. 5 David Cote, 18.403; 39. 22P Patrick Beaumier, 18.548
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, and Safety-Kleen. Contingency partners include the University of Northwestern Ohio, Contingency sponsors are ASI, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix, ButlerBuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, KSE Racing Products, Motorsports Safety Systems, MSD Performance, Penske Shocks, Racing Electronics, Superflow and Wrisco Industries.
