For the First Time Ever, Promoter/Driver Hearn Wins His Own Race
MALTA, N. Y. – Wednesday, July 10, 2013 – Super DIRTcar Series driver and race promoter Brett Hearn has been known to bring crowds in packed grandstands to their feet, but this time he really outdid himself. After a three-wide pass for second, a thrilling battle with Gary Tomkins for the lead, and fending off late-race challenges from Billy Dunn, Hearn went for the win Tuesday, July 9, at Albany-Saratoga Speedway for the race he promotes, The Big Show 5 presented by Recovery Sports Grill Malta.
“I don’t think we could ask for a better race track, a better show,” said Hearn, celebrating his first-ever win at The Big Show. “There was some heavy-duty racing there.”
Hearn, of Sussex, N. J., started ninth in the field and cracked the top five after a lap-28 restart presented an opportunity to make a move. Gary Tomkins, Clifton Springs, N. Y., was in the lead after taking the top spot from Dale Planck, Cortland, N. Y., in lap 10.
Then in third, Hearn faced another yellow flag in lap 31 and a restart in lap 34. Planck found momentum off the restart and challenged Tomkins, racing side-by-side for almost two laps. Tomkins kept his advantage, but Hearn faltered when Billy Decker, of Sidney, N. Y., pulled up beside him on the inside in lap 38.
Hearn briefly fell behind to fourth, but Decker’s challenge was a wake-up call. in lap 39, he found speed on the outside, and passed Planck for the second spot.
“The Natural” Planck was driving the fast No. 7z, and wasn’t giving up without a fight. He took the second spot back in lap 41, only to lose it again to Hearn, who was finding speed on the outside, in lap 43. However, Hearn jumped up too high on the cushion in lap 44, allowing Planck to get by.
The leaders battled through lapped traffic soon after the halfway point, Tomkins, Planck and Hearn darting around cars while trying to keep their spots or challenge for a better one. Hearn lost his third place position to Decker in lap 58, and Tomkins almost lost the lead to Planck in lap 59 but fended off his challenges.
Decker’s ground gained was a wake-up call to Hearn, who, in lap 60, gained momentum off the topside and passed both Decker and Planck in one fell swoop to pit up the second spot.
With just Tomkins and 40 laps standing between himself and victory, Hearn charged forward on the inside to challenge for the lead. Tomkins had more speed on the straightaways and was able to stay ahead, so Hearn tried again on the outside and finally took over the race in lap 69.
However, with 30 laps to go, the race was far from over. After starting 14th, Billy Dunn was having an impressive run and was in third when Hearn took the lead. By lap 80, Dunn had claimed second after passing Tomkins and by lap 84, he gained enough momentum to challenge Hearn.
The yellow flag waved in lap 85, bringing the field back together after nearly 50 caution-free laps. On the restart, Hearn kept his lead, Dunn keeping up but unable to challenge again after losing momentum. Hearn took the win in the 100-lapper with Dunn in second.
“We were patient the first 15 or 20 laps, and then really found our groove in the next 40 or 50. We started working on the bottom and picking cars off in traffic,” said Dunn, of Watertown, N. Y. “I didn’t really need that last caution. I think he was coming to me a little bit in traffic.”
Dunn’s charge did not go unnoticed from the front, where Hearn quickly realized he may be in trouble when the Number One Speed Shop No. 49 started gaining on him.
“It threw a little scare into me. He beat through the pack, and he was now in second,” Hearn said. “I started to wonder if I had enough to hold him off because I knew he had started outside of the top 12.”
Hearn, steering his Madsen Overhead Doors No. 20 around the 4/10 mile oval at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, was able to hold of Dunn to win the $9,711 prize.
“It was a fantastic race,” Hearn said. “The track was wide and racey. You could go top to bottom the entire race.”
After leading early in the race, Tomkins finished third. Decker was fourth at the checkered and Planck fifth. Rounding out the top ten are Marc Johnson in sixth, defending event champion Bobby Varin in seventh, Justin Haers in eighth, three-time defending Super DIRTcar Series Champion Matt Sheppard in ninth, and Jimmy Phelps in tenth.
With several successful years under his belt, and now even a win at his own race, Hearn is looking forward to continuing to promote The Big Show.
“We’re trying to build an event here that people start talking about in January and mark it on their calendars,” said Hearn, noting the event’s growth, including a 20-percent increase in car count this year. “Everybody has a good time, and it’s a great place to have an event like this, and there are a lot of sponsors in this area that want to be part of this.”
Sponsor participation from Recovery Sports Grill Malta, Sowle’s Trailer Repairs, Ferris Commergial Mowers, VP Racing Fuels, PRO FABrication, Dover Brake, and Morris Ford made it possible for Brett Hearn’s The Big Show 5 to offer a Super DIRTcar Series winner’s share of $9,711 as well as additional prize money for heat winners and the Dash for Cash winner.
The Morris Ford Dash for Cash went to Sheppard. Matt DeLorenzo drew the pole and took the lead at the green flag, and from the first lap Stewart Friesen challenged him from the outside. However, Stewart started to slow a couple laps later, and Sheppard snuck between the No. 1wgc and the No. 115 of Kenny Tremont to take second in lap 4. Sheppard found the outside groove and chased down DeLorenzo, going wide on turn 4 of lap 6 to take him and claim the lead by lap 7.
The Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series continues later this month with back-to-back races in Quebec, Canada. The premier Big-Block Modified tour invades Autodrome Drummond Monday, July 22, then travels to Autodrome Granby Tuesday, July 23.
For more information about the Super DIRTcar Series, visit a href=”http://www.superdirtcarseries.com”>www.superdirtcarseries.com. Follow@SuperDIRTcar on Twitter and “like” the “DIRTcar Racing” Facebook page for the latest news and updates about the series.
| Brett Hearn’s The Big Show 5 presented by Recovery Sports Grill
Albany-Saratoga Speedway Tuesday, July 9, 2013 Statistical Report
A-Main:
2. 49 Billy Dunn – Watertown, N. Y. 3. 673 Gary Tomkins – Clifton Springs, N. Y. 4. 91 Billy Decker – Sidney, N. Y. 5. 7z Dale Planck – Cortland, N. Y. 6. 3J Marc Johnson – Guilderland, N. Y. 7. 66 Bobby Varin – Johnstown, N. Y. 8. 3H Justin Haers – Phelps, N. Y. 9. 9s Matt Sheppard – Waterloo, N. Y. 10. 98h Jimmy Phelps – Baldwinsville, N. Y. 11. 3d Matt DeLorenzo – Cropseyville, N. Y. 12. 99L Larry Wight – Phoenix, N. Y. 13. 8x Rich Scagliotta – Hillsborough, N. J. 14. 41 Jim Davis – Ballston Spa, N. Y. 15. 115 Kenny Tremont, Jr. – West Sand Lake, N. Y. 16. 33 Mike Mahaney – King Ferry, N. Y. 17. 1wgc Stewart Friesen – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario 18. 816 Elmo Reckner – Ballston Lake, N. Y. 19. 10c Tim Currier – Auburn, N. Y. 20. 21a Pete Britten – Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 21. 77J Keith Flach – Ravena, N. Y. 22. 48too Dave Rauscher – Waterloo, N. Y. 23. 5 Bob Savoie – Broadalbin, N. Y. 24. 8c Jimmy Cottrell II – Rock City Falls, N. Y. 25. 10v Billy VanInwegen – Sparrowbush, N. Y. 26. 34 Andy Bachetti – Great Barrington, Mass. 27. 5* Danny Johnson – Rochester, N. Y. 28. 3 Mark Kislowski – Ballston Lake, N. Y. 29. 35 Mike Perrotte – Plattsburgh, N. Y. 30. 6h Josh Hohenforst – Gloversville, N. Y. 31. 85 Dan Vauter – Clifford, Penn.
Did Not Qualify: 816 Jeff Rockefeller – Scotia, N. Y. 711 JaMike Sowle 79 Rocky Warner 25 Mike Kolka – Circleville, N. Y. 14cg C. G. Morey – Rutland, Vt. 22J Jeremy Wilder – Fort Plain, N. Y. 87 Neil Stratton – North Bennington, Vt. 87h Hector Stratton – North Bennington, Vt. 17 Rob Pitcher 14 Brian Gleason 518 Kyle Sheldon 2J Ronnie Johnson – Duanesburg, N. Y.
Morris Ford Dash for Cash: Sheppard, Tremont, DeLorenzo, Hearn, Friesen, M. Johnson, Varin, Britten, Phelps. DNS: D. Johnson, Wilder.
B-Main 1: Davis, Reckner, Bachetti, Savoie, Rockefeller, Sowle, Rauscher, Warner, Kolka, Morey, Wilder, N. Stratton B-Main 2: Phelps, Tremont, Kislowski, Perrotte, Pitcher, Gleason, Sheldon, Britten, H. Stratton. DNS: R. Johnson, D. Johnson
Qualifying Heats (8 laps, top 5 transfer, top 3 redraw) Heat 1: Decker, Planck, Flach, Vauter, M. Johnson, Reckner, Davis, Savoie, Warner, N. Stratton, Morey Heat 2: Friesen, VanInwegen, Tomkins, Dunn, Cottrell, Wilder, Bachetti, Kolka, Sowle, Rockefeller, Rauscher Heat 3: Haers, DeLorenzo, Sheppard, Currier, Hohenforst, Kislowski, Tremont, Pitcher, Gleason. DNS: D. Johnson, R. Johnson Heat 4: Wight, Hearn, Varin, Scagliotta, Mahaney, Phelps, Britten, Sheldon, H. Stratton, Perrotte Time Trials: 1. 91 Billy Decker, 15.725; 2. 3H Justin Haers, 15.819; 3. 3d Matt DeLorenzo, 15.854; 4. 99L Larry Wight, 15.958; 5. 85 Dan Vauter, 15.961; 6. 2J Ronnie Johnson , 15.993; 7. 7z Dale Planck, 16.020; 8. 77J Keith Flach, 16.041; 9. 9s Matt Sheppard, 16.043; 10. 66 Bobby Varin, 16.092; 11. 8x Rich Scagliotta, 16.103; 12. 1 Stewart Friesen, 16.137; 13. 20 Brett Hearn, 16.172; 14. 10v Billy VanInwegen, 16.194; 15. 48too Dave Rauscher, 16.223; 16. 98H Jimmy Phelps, 16.235; 17. 3J Marc Johnson, 16.244; 18. 49 Billy Dunn, 16.263; 19. 22J Jeremy Wilder, 16.288; 20. 41 Jim Davis, 16.297; 21. 6h Josh Hoshenforest, 16.341; 22. 33 Mike Mahaney, 16.343; 23. 17E Elmo Reckner, 16.386; 24. 21a Pete Britten, 16.434; 25. 10c Tim Currier, 16.472; 26. 816 Jeff Rockefeller, 16.493; 27. 8c Jimmy Cottrell, 16.510; 28. 34 Andy Bachetti, 16.567; 29. 87h Hector Stratton, 16.571; 30. 115 Kenny Tremont, Jr., 16.574; 31. 5 Bob Savoie, 16.578; 32. 25 Mike Kolka, 16.585; 33. 673 Gary Tompkins, 16.590; 34. 3 Mark Kislowski, 16.593; 35. 14 Brian Gleason, 16.594; 36. 711 JaMike Sowle, 16.659; 37. 87 Neil Stratton, 16.713; 38. 518 Kyle Sheldon, 16.761; 39. 79 Rocky Warner, 16.842; 40. 17 Rob Pitcher, 16.864; 41. 5* Danny Johnson, 17.025; 42. 35 Mike Perrotte, 17.027, 43. 14cg C. G. Morey, 17.134 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. |
