Weedsport, NY — June 5, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director
The Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series for Northeastern Modified divisions are underway and so are the point chases for Pro Stock and Street Stock teams competing under the UMP umbrella for a second straight year.
A new era in area DIRTcar Racing began last season and with the strong affiliation continuing between DIRT’s sister sanctioning body in 2008, UMP will once again be providing an unprecedented pool of point fund money that will be paid out to national and state leaders in DIRTcar NorthEast’s premier full-fender divisions.
Headlining the New York/Canada UMP Sportsman (Pro Stock) Region standings are Canadian standout Stephane Lebrun, Mohawk int’l Raceway leader Denis Gauvreau, Genesee Speedway and Autodrome Edelweiss/Thunder Alley Speedpark high-point man Pete Stefanski, Cornwall Motor Speedway front-runner Joey Ladouceur, and Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock points leader Louie Jackson. Lebrun (25th), Gauvreau (28th) and Stefanski (34th) are also ranked highest on the national points chart.
Black Rock Speedway runner-up Chris Fisher has climbed highest on the New York State UMP Street Stock points ladder, followed in the front-five by Fulton Speedway leader Dave Mannise, Thunder Alley top runner Dave Pope, Can-Am Motorsports Park and Thunder Alley regular Kenny Hamm, and Canandaigua Speedway kingpin Mike Welch. Fisher (3rd) also ranks highest of 11 drivers listed on the national top-50 points charts with veteran Mannise (8th) leading all DIRTcar NE Street Stock winners with five trips to victory lane.
In each of the two stock divisions, points are awarded nationally for the best 20 finishes with the minimal number of placements on the state level also being set at 20 races. Points are awarded towards both national and state UMP/DIRTcar Championships, running weekly from March 30 to September 28 and only drivers holding a valid 2008 DIRTcar license are eligible to collect point fund money.
The 10 DIRTcar NE tracks hosting Pro Stock events in 2008 are Can-Am Motorsports Park (NY), Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway, Autodrome Drummond (Que.), Autodrome Edelweiss (Que.), Genesee Speedway (NY), Lebanon Valley Speedway (NY), Mohawk Int’l Raceway (NY), Orange County Fair (NY) Speedway, Rolling Wheels Raceway Park (NY) and Thunder Alley Speedpark (NY), while those eight facilities staging Street Stock point races are Black Rock Speedway (NY), Can-Am, Canandaigua (NY) Speedway, Cayuga County Fair (NY) Speedway, Fulton (NY) Speedway, Orange County, Rolling Wheels and Thunder Alley Speedpark.
Last season in New York State, Sportsman high point man and overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Champion Pete Stefanski also led the entire nation with 17 feature wins while Mike Welch, top points-getter in the Northeast Street Stock ranks, scored eight wins.
*2008 UMP POINT STANDINGS (thru June 1)*
SPORTSMAN (NE PRO STOCK) – NATIONAL
Rank Car# Driver Races Points
1. 11 CHRIS HILLMAN 15 966
2. 71 BRAD CUMMINGS 15 880
3. 13C TROY CLARK 16 880
4. 5H JEREMY HINES 14 814
5. 27 DERRICK HUFFORD 12 794
6. 23 JOEL FUNK 13 709
7. 11 JEFF HERZOG 13 692
8. 80 BRUCE WESTERMAN 11 680
9. 19 JIMMY CUMMINS 13 658
10. OO SHAWN DAUGHERTY 10 655
11. 12 TROY NAEGER 10 653
12. 44 DON NEWCOMB 10 645
13. 89K RICK HUFFORD 12 643
14. 20 CHAD WEINRICK 10 631
15. OO JARET LEUCK 10 624
16. 25 JASON UNZICKER 12 613
17. 99 MIKE HODGES 9 592
18. 29 NATHAN PATMAN 13 581
19. 62 TROY MEDLEY 9 580
20. 43C CLAYTON PERRY 11 574
21. 36 ANTHONY JACKSON 8 570
22. 1 TIM CLARK 8 567
23. 13 BOB BOYD 8 550
24. 22 TIMMY DICK 12 540
25. 6 STEPHANE LEBRUN 10 531
26. 3 KEN HALL SR. 9 526
27. 81 WINSTON HOWE 11 525
28. 72 DENIS GAUVREAU 10 520
29. Z84 PATRICK VAREIKA 9 516
30. 23 KEVIN CLARK 9 516
31. 55K JASON KELLER 10 505
32. 28 TOMMY SMALLWOOD 9 502
33. 82 SHERMAN BARNETT 8 494
34. 2 PETE STEFANSKI 7 486
35. 10 ROGER OWENS 8 469
36. 40 STEVE BRANTON 10 467
37. 66B JIM BAILEY 10 466
38. D3 PAIGE DOYLE 10 464
39. 38 TOBY PERRY 10 463
40. 41 SCOTT LANDERS 8 463
41. 356 ROBERT RINGO 7 459
42. 21 CHRIS DEWEESE 11 457
43. 71 JEFF GRAHAM 8 451
44. 42M TIM MILLER 10 445
45. 75 NICK KERR 10 441
46. 19V CURT VINCENT 10 437
47. 81 JIMMIE DAVENPORT 7 428
48. O3 KEN HALL JR. 9 427
49. 46 SCOTT BUCHANAN 8 425
50. 96 DAVE RUDISILL 7 423
SPORTSMAN (NE PRO STOCK) – NEW YORK STATE/CANADA
Rank Car# Driver Races Points
1. 6 STEPHANE LEBRUN 10 529
2. 72 DENIS GAUVREAU 10 520
3. 2 PETE STEFANSKI 7 484
4. 92.1 JOEY LADOUCEUR 6 384
5. 18 LOUIS JACKSON 6 370
6. 442 SCOTT KEHR 5 291
7. 4 ROCH AUBIN 5 288
8. 48 DION OAKES 7 287
9. O9 ROB ROWE 5 284
10. 73 P.J. PETERS 5 283
11. 29 MIKE DUTKA 5 279
12. 33 BRUNO CYR 5 279
13. 6 BUTCH ZIMMERMAN 5 270
14. 88 ALLEN PETERS 6 267
15. 18W BOB WATERS JR. 5 266
16. 3 BILL PASCAUL 5 260
17. 76 KEVIN ARNOLD 4 255
18. 78 PAUL LAROCHELLE 4 251
19. 91 BOBBY SCHADE 5 250
20. 99 MIKE MARTIN 5 249
STREET STOCK – NATIONAL
Rank Car# Driver Races Points
1. 52M TRAVIS MYERS 14 896
2. 99K JERRED KRICK 12 877
3. 37 CHRIS FISHER 12 726
4. 78 JON WIX 12 710
5. 97G JOSH GRIFFITH 12 708
6. 2T RANDY ARNOLD 14 708
7. 95 STEVE EWING 13 701
8. 8 DAVE MANNISE 11 689
9. 24 LEE HALL 12 687
10. Z JESSE SIMMONS 12 686
11. 8 DAVID HURST 10 665
12. 6 JOSH TAYLOR 10 638
13. 3B TYLER BLANKENSHIP 11 634
14. 11 BRAD TAYLOR 12 632
15. R3 RONNIE FAYE 10 617
16. 4 DAVID CLINE 10 598
17. 7P AARON PENTON 12 595
18. 2 CHRIS PELTIER 11 591
19. 36 GRADY CHRISTIAN 8 586
20. 21 TROY DODSON 12 564
21. 77J CHARLES BAILEY 11 551
22. 27 DAVID POPE 9 540
23. 85 NATHAN ALEXANDER 9 537
24. X7 LARRY RUSSELL 10 525
25. 9 TERRY MILLER 9 497
26. T11 TIM HENSON 7 479
27. 13 KENNY HAMM 9 476
28. 26 RANDY SMYSER 7 469
29. 15 ALAN PEACOCK 7 454
30. OO TRAVIS PHIPPS 7 451
31. 33E PONCHO ELDER 7 448
32. OO MIKE WELCH 7 428
33. K67 IAN KELLER 8 428
34. 41 STEVE MAISEL 7 417
35. 66 JOE KELLY 6 417
36. SOS DOUG NASTASI 8 414
37. 22 JOSH VERNE 7 412
38. 115 NICK RIZZO 8 412
39. 14H RON HAWKER 6 412
40. 32 TIM FELDHAKE 6 412
41. 82 JIM QUINN 7 411
42. 5 RICH SHARPSTEEN 6 410
43. 76 STEVE KING 6 408
44. WS7 STEVE WOODWORTH 7 403
45. 50 NICOLE BARZEE 8 403
46. 11 TERRY REED 8 399
47. J19 JASON FOSNAUGHT 6 396
48. O4 CHARLES CHRISTIAN 8 395
49. O8 BRIAN DASENBROCK 9 394
50. I69 STEPHEN CHAPMAN 6 394
STREET STOCK – NEW YORK STATE
Rank Car# Driver Races Points
1. 37 CHRIS FISHER 12 726
2. 8 DAVE MANNISE 11 689
3. 27 DAVID POPE 9 540
4. 13 KENNY HAMM 9 476
5. OO MIKE WELCH 7 428
6. 22 JOSH VERNE 7 412
7. 115 NICK RIZZO 8 412
8. 14 RON HAWKER 6 412
9. 5 RICH SHARPSTEEN 6 410
10. WS7 STEVE WOODWORTH 7 403
11. 50 NICOLE BARZEE 8 403
12. 16 MIKE SCHULTZ 8 381
13. 99 ADAM DEPUY 6 375
14. 33 NELSON BICE II 8 366
15. 71 DAN HOFMANN SR. 8 353
16. 93 JARED HILL 6 347
17. 55 TAYLOR CAPRARA 9 345
18. 10 TODD RAABE 6 335
19. 33 ANDY FISK 5 320
20. 690 SID HARMER SR. 5 311
For additional material, competitors are encouraged to visit www.dirtcar.com for the most updated UMP news and information regarding rules, points structure, payoffs and member benefits as well as race results and point standings.
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 and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., Rite Aid Corporation and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Crane Cams, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks and Wrisco Industries.
