Weedsport, NY — July 24, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director
For the second straight year area stock car drivers chasing the coveted overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar Championship are also engaged in season-long UMP point battles further showcasing the Pro Stock and Street Stock divisions.
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.
Maintaining their stronghold in the New York/Canada UMP Sportsman (Pro Stock) Region standings through July 20 are Canadian star Stephane Lebrun, Autodrome Edelweiss/Thunder Alley Speedpark leader Denis Gauvreau, Genesee Speedway and current Mr. DIRTcar Series high-point man Pete Stefanski, Cornwall Motor Speedway runner-up Joey Ladouceur, and fourth-place track point earners Allen Peters (Mohawk Int’l Raceway) and Louie Jackson (Cornwall).
Those same six chauffeurs occupy prominent places on the national UMP points chart with Lebrun (1 win) standing ninth followed by Gauvreau (15th/7 wins), two-time defending Mr. DIRTcar titlist Stefanski (22nd/6), Ladouceur (36th/4), Peters (39th/1) and past Syracuse Super DIRT Week champion Jackson (48th/3).
DIRTcar NorthEast’s leading UMP Street Stock feature winner and front-runner on the New York State circuit Dave Mannise heads the list of 13 drivers holding positions among the Top-50 in the national standings. Fulton Speedway and Thunder Alley leader Mannise (12 wins) is ranked fourth nationally with Black Rock Speedway runner-up Chris Fisher (6th/3), Canandaigua Speedway favorite Mike Welch (12th/5) and Thunder Alley regulars Josh Verne (17th/4) and Dave Pope (18th) among the area’s best.
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-September 28, and only drivers holding a valid 2008 DIRTcar license are eligible to collect point fund money.
The 10 DIRTcar NE tracks that have staged 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.
*2008 UMP POINT STANDINGS (thru July 20)*
SPORTSMAN (NE PRO STOCK) – NATIONAL
Rank Car# Driver Races Points
1. 23JR JOEL FUNK 25 1748
2. 5H JEREMY HINES 25 1648
3. 13C TROY CLARK 25 1486
4. 71 BRAD CUMMINGS 24 1410
5. 19 JIMMY CUMMINS 25 1390
6. 25 JASON UNZICKER 25 1379
7. 11 CHRIS HILLMAN 23 1367
8. 11 JEFF HERZOG 23 1355
9. 6 STEPHANE LEBRUN 24 1311
10. 20 CHAD WEINRICK 22 1291
11. 27 RICK HUFFORD 23 1280
12. 62 TROY MEDLEY 19 1190
13. 27H DERRICK HUFFORD 19 1181
14. OO JARET LEUCK 18 1158
15. 72 DENIS GAUVREAU 19 1091
71 JEFF GRAHAM 19 1091
17. 44 DON NEWCOMB 19 1053
18. 80 BRUCE WESTERMAN 16 1010
19. 16 CODY WEISNER 18 1009
20. 23 KEVIN CLARK 16 979
21. 28 TOMMY SMALLWOOD 18 977
22. 2 PETE STEFANSKI 14 972
23. 356 ROBERT RINGO 14 954
24. 75 GARY TURPIN 18 947
25. 55 JASON KELLER 19 945
26. 99 MIKE HODGES 14 942
27. 1 TIM CLARK 13 920
28. 36 ANTHONY JACKSON 13 910
29. 12 TROY NAEGER 14 905
30. 13 BOB BOYD 13 890
31. 19V CURT VINCENT 20 889
32. 28 JUSTIN DURBIN 16 885
33. OO SHAWN DAUGHTERY 14 878
34. 23SS ANDREW FUNK 19 866
35. 23T RICK THOMAS 17 860
36. 92.1 JOEY LADOUCEUR 15 836
37. 41 SCOTT LANDERS 14 820
38. 11 RICK ROEDELL 15 801
39. 88 ALLEN PETERS 15 789
9 MIKE PICKERING 14 789
41. 96 DAVE RUDISILL 14 780
42. 4 SCOTT HUFFORD 16 778
43. 71 LARRY PASSENIER 17 772
44. 84 TIM TUTTLE 15 769
45. 42 BRIAN WILLIAMS 14 768
46. 19S NATHAN SCHMITT 14 762
47. 12 TROY OVERSTREET 14 758
48. 18 LOUIS JACKSON 14 756
49. 10 ROGER OWENS 13 754
50. 29 NATHAN PATMAN 17 750
SPORTSMAN (NE PRO STOCK) – NEW YORK STATE/CANADA
Rank Car# Driver Races Points
1. 6 STEPHANE LEBRUN 24 1304
2. 72 DENIS GAUVREAU 19 1091
3. 2 PETE STEFANSKI 14 970
4. 92.1 JOEY LADOUCEUR 15 836
5. 88 ALLEN PETERS 15 789
6. 18 LOUIS JACKSON 14 754
7. 48 DION OAKES 16 739
8. 73 P.J. PETERS 13 732
9. 188X DAVID PAPINEAU 15 710
10. 49 BILLY WOODWARD JR. 15 694
4 ROCH AUBIN 13 694
12. 28 DON BARNES 11 675
13. 33 BRUNO CYR 13 664
14. 3 BILL PASCUAL 12 659
29 MIKE DUTKA 11 659
16. 99 MIKE MARTIN 11 654
17. O5 JOCELYN ROY 10 623
18. 6 BUTCH ZIMMERMAN 11 616
19. 78 PAUL LAROCHELLE 10 603
20. O9 ROB ROWE 11 601
STREET STOCK – NATIONAL
Rank Car# Driver Races Points
1. 99K JERRED KRICK 25 1774
2. 52M TRAVIS MYERS 24 1626
3. 8 DAVID HURST 23 1562
4. 8 DAVE MANNISE 23 1525
5. 24 LEE HALL 25 1511
6. 37 CHRIS FISHER 25 1498
7. Z JESSE SIMMONS 25 1332
8. 95 STEVE EWING 24 1329
9. M41 STEVE MAISEL 20 1322
10. 97G JOSH GRIFFITH 23 1319
11. 9 TERRY MILLER 22 1261
12. OO MIKE WELCH 17 1081
13. 85 NATHAN ALEXANDER 18 1075
14. 2T RANDY ARNOLD 20 1027
15. 21 TROY DODSON 22 1016
16. 78 JON WIX 17 1015
17. 22 JOSH VERNE 17 997
18. 27 DAVID POPE 17 976
19. 82 JIM QUINN 15 974
20. 11 BRAD TAYLOR 18 963
21. X7 LARRY RUSSELL 17 949
22. 33 ANDY FISK 15 929
23. 6 JOSH TAYLOR 14 923
24. 99 ADAM DEPUY 15 909
25. 0 CHRIS TACKETT 16 906
26. 13 KENNY HAMM 17 886
27. 33 NELSON BICE II 19 881
28. 96 JASON BAHRS 13 856
29. 198 COLLIN HODGES 13 849
30. 33E PONCHO ELDER 13 846
31. 14 RON HAWKER 13 843
32. 2 CHRIS PELTIER 16 839
33. 55 TAYLOR CAPRARA 20 838
34. 11 TERRY REED 15 820
35. 26 RANDY SMYSER 13 815
36. 32 TIM FELDHAKE 13 811
37. OO TRAVIS PHIPPS 12 809
38. T11 TIM HENSON 12 803
39. 34 JUSTIN RUTLEDGE 15 802
40. 4 DAVID CLINE 14 801
41. 14NY PHILLIP WALKER 13 799
42. 66 JOE KELLY 12 794
43. 36 GRADY CHRISTIAN 11 792
44. 3B TYLER BLANKENSHIP 15 783
45. 99 MIKE PICKERING 14 779
46. 94 JOSH COLLIS 13 779
47. 115 NICK RIZZO 15 772
48. 201 DEWEY MILLER SR. 13 772
49. 15 ALAN PEACOCK 12 771
50. 77J CHARLES BAILEY 16 764
STREET STOCK – NEW YORK STATE
Rank Car# Driver Races Points
1. 8 DAVE MANNISE 23 1525
2. 37 CHRIS FISHER 25 1499
3. OO MIKE WELCH 17 1081
4. 22 JOSH VERNE 17 997
5. 27 DAVID POPE 17 976
6. 33 ANDY FISK 15 929
7. 99 ADAM DEPUY 15 909
8. 13 KENNY HAMM 17 886
9. 33 NELSON BICE II 19 881
10. 14 RON HAWKER 13 843
11. 55 TAYLOR CAPRARA 20 838
12. 14NY PHILLIP WALKER 13 799
13. 115 NICK RIZZO 15 772
14. 71 DAN HOFFMAN SR. 16 762
15. 10 TODD RAABE 13 758
16. 2 STEVE WOODWORTH 14 740
17. 40K RON WADFORTH 12 712
18. 57 FRANK BURNELL JR. 12 696
19. 5 RICH SHARPSTEEN 10 662
20. 7 TIM MCCARTHY 10 660
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.
