Weedsport, NY — March 14, 2009 ¬— By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director
Summer has a destination. For the first time in history, the DIRTcar All-Star Weekend takes over Cayuga County Fair Speedway July 17-19 in Weedsport, N.Y., for a three-day racing party.
A $20,000-to-win Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series 100-lap special caps three days of racing, concerts, fireworks, camping, infield parking and the best food in Central New York. Big-Block Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds, Street Stocks and Pro Late Models all will take center stage during the monster mid-summer event.
“Super DIRT Week remains the greatest autumn attraction and All-Star Weekend is on the brink of becoming the biggest spectacle of the entire summer to showcase short track stars in our region,” said Cayuga County Fair Speedway General Manager Jack Deery. “With a posted purse in the neighborhood of $100,000, this is certainly a destination event like no other for fans and racers to mark on their calendars.”
The DIRTcar All-Star Weekend launches Friday, July 17, with Big-Block Modified practice and title events for DIRTcar Street Stocks and CRSA (Capital Region Sprint Agency) 305 Sprints. The Saturday program is highlighted by a $3,000-to-win, 50-lap Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series preliminary event, with 2008 track and series champion Big-Block drivers also contending in a unique ‘Challenge of Champions’ dash. The event culminates Sunday with the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series ‘DIRTcar All-Star 100’ boasting a whopping $20,000 on top and $1,000 to take the green.
“It’s hard to be any more excited about an event of this magnitude, especially with back-to-back Advance Series races headlining the card,” said Cory Reed, DIRTcar Racing Northeast Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning. “What’s even more special is the best in the business coming to contend at Cayuga County, the same place that DIRTcar began. It’s a legendary track that is also a great equalizer, where the ‘little guy’ always has a legitimate to chance to pull off a win no matter what the distance.”
To capture an inaugural event of this magnitude would rank high on any driver’s career accomplishments.
“I’m certainly glad to see DIRTcar’s flagship track taking such a bold step like this in support of Big-Block racing,” stated defending overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Champion Billy Decker, himself a four-time Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series winner in Weedsport. “I’m hoping it’s a successful endeavor and will set the groundwork for more events like this in the coming years.”
Added all-time Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series winner Brett Hearn, who scored his landmark 100th tour triumph last season, “This is definitely a big target for all of us now and will play a pivotal part in our own summer plans. It’s great to see DIRTcar moving ahead like this and I hope this event is well attended. I’m already planning to attend a couple Sunday races earlier at Cayuga County just to help prepare for this one.”
Making the event more spectacular for fans is a huge Saturday show, with a full program for Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman point chasers and a main event for the DIRTcar Pro Late Model division.
“We’ve only been to Weedsport a couple times for weekly shows, so I’m looking forward to going back in a few months,” said teenage sensation Chris Raabe, the reigning overall Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman points king from Napanee, Ontario. “I just remember it being a little narrow. With a lot more money and prestige on the line this time, we’ll just have to make it a little wider when we return.”
Reserved seats and reserved camping for the inaugural DIRTcar All-Star Weekend go on sale Wednesday, April 1, at Cayuga County Fair Speedway (315/834-6606). A two-day reserved ticket purchased in advance is a steal at only $49, and includes a Saturday pit pass. Camping permits are $50 for reserved spots and $30 for general camping. Infield parking and access to the infield stage also will be available.
For additional information, contact Cayuga County GM Jack Deery (315/834-6606) in the DIRTcar Racing Northeast Office or Series Director Cory Reed (315/224-9009) during normal business hours. Surf the Web at www.cayugacountyfairspeedway.com and www.superdirtcarseries.com anytime to find out more about the ’09 race season.
Headquartered in Roanoke, Va., Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items in the United States, serves both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets As of April 19, 2008, the Company operated 3,291 stores in 40 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Additional information about the Company, employment opportunities, customer services, and on-line shopping for parts and accessories can be found on the Company’s web site at www.advanceautoparts.com.
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 www.hoosiertire.com and VP Racing Fuels www.vpracingfuels.com. Promotional partners include Rite Aid Corporation www.riteaid.com, Dig Safely New York www.digsafelynewyork.com and the University of Northwestern Ohio www.unoh.com and the contingency sponsors are Bars Leaks www.barsproducts.com, Bert Transmission www.berttransmission.com, Bicknell Racing Products www.bicknellracingproducts.com, Bilstein Shocks www.bilstein.com, Brodix Cylinder Heads www.brodix.com, Ferris Industries www.ferrisindustries.com Holley HP Carburetors www.Holley.com, Integra Shocks www.integrashocksandsprings.com, Intercomp www.intercomp-racing.com, KSE Racing Products www.kse-racing.com, Motorsports Safety Systems www.motorsportssafetysystems.com, Penske Shocks, www.penskeshocks.com, Racing Electronics www.racingelectronics.com, Rislone Oil Stabilizer www.barsproducts.com and Wrisco Industries www.wrisco.com.