Weedsport, NY — February 5, 2009 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director
An ambitious schedule has been released for the 2009 edition of the Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series, with a myriad of high-paying extra-distance main events on tap for traveling teams planning to contend for bragging rights in DIRTcar Racing Northeast’s top entry-level open-wheel division.
Currently highlighted by nearly 20 tour stops at 13 tracks situated throughout Canada and the U.S., the chase for the coveted Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman title begins in April and ends in October on the way to crowning an overall champion for the 20th consecutive year. In 2009, drivers will be allowed to drop their two worst series race finishes tallied through the end of September (all October events count), and a driver must make six DIRTcar weekly event starts at a single track to earn the maximum of 360 home track bonus points that go towards the Mr. DIRTcar Championship.
“We have a couple dates pending and still had to turn away some tracks to keep it manageable for our teams,” remarked Michael Sanchelli, as he prepared for his second full season serving as Director of Competition for the DIRTcar NE Sportsman Series. “This is certainly one of DIRTcar’s healthiest classes, and our success the past few seasons is undoubtedly a primary reason for the great demand by promoters to host.”
“We’ve stayed on course with the crate engine program and last year made it the only option for Sportsman. Our car counts were up to an average of 48 every race and there were only two repeat winners while 10 drivers made their first-ever trips to victory lane in the series. We’re looking to match that level of competition this year with another great schedule that will be big on both sides of the border,” Sanchelli added.
History is already in the making July 2-5 as the first-ever four-race swing will feature Sportsman on consecutive nights at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park and Brewerton Speedway in the states, followed north of the border by successive shows at Brockville Ontario Speedway and Cornwall Motor Speedway to wrap up the ‘Fourth of July’ holiday weekend. Rolling Wheels is signed up to host four tour specials this season while Cornwall staged its only other Sportsman Series show in 1996.
Black Rock Speedway (April 4) kicks off the Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman trail for the third straight year and for the first time the season-finale will also be held at the Dundee, New York oval on October 24. A brand new event at Can-Am Motorsports Park will be unveiled April 17 before teams get two months to prepare for Independence Day.
Canandaigua Speedway hosts the first of its two events on July 21 before the bulk of the schedule picks up on Labor Day in another racing reunion saved for Rolling Wheels on September 7. The Niagara Frontier is the setting for the tour’s more traditional tripleheader that features consecutive 50-lappers at Ransomville, Merrittville and Humberstone speedways the second weekend in September.
Canandaigua gets back on track September 18, this time paired with Genesee Speedway (Sept. 19) to create a unique doubleheader in Western New York. Rolling Wheels (Sept. 26) closes out the month before Fulton Speedway (Oct. 2) hosts its customary title race as teams make their way down the series homestretch. Super DIRT Week, Oct. 7-12, showcases Sportsman at Can-Am, Rolling Wheels and the New York State Fairgrounds’ Moody Mile in Syracuse before Black Rock takes center stage for the big season-finale in wine country on October 24.
For additional information, please contact Sportsman Series Competition Director Michael Sanchelli (cell 862/432-3597; e-mail suitcase@optonline.net) or DIRTcar Racing Northeast Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning Cory Reed at the Weedsport office (315/834-6606) during normal business hours. In the meantime, log into the homepage at www.dirtcar.com to find out more about the entire circuit.
2009 Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series Schedule
*All events subject to change.
DAY-DATE TRACK LOCATION
Sat-Apr 4 Black Rock Speedway Dundee,NY
Fri-Apr 17 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville,NY
Thr-Jul 2 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park Elbridge,NY
Fri-Jul 3 Brewerton Speedway Brewerton,NY
Sat-Jul 4 Brockville Ontario Speedway Brockville,ONT
Sun-Jul 5 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall,ONT
Tue-Jul 21 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY
Mon-Sep 7 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park Elbridge,NY
Fri-Sep 11 Ransomville Speedway Ransomville,NY
Sat-Sep 12 Merrittville Speedway Thorold,ONT
Sun-Sep 13 Humberstone Speedway Pt.Colborne,ONT
Fri-Sep 18 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY
Sat-Sep 19 Genesee Speedway Batavia,NY
Sat-Sep 26 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park Elbridge,NY
Fri-Oct 2 Fulton Speedway Fulton,NY
Wed-Oct 7 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville,NY
Fri-Oct 9 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park Elbridge,NY
Sat-Oct 10 New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse,NY
Sat-Oct 17 -TBA-
Sat-Oct 24 Black Rock Speedway Dundee,NY
Sun-TBA Cayuga County Fair Speedway Weedsport,NY
NOTE:
-Two worst finishes through the end of September will be dropped by each driver; all October events count.
-A driver must make six DIRTcar weekly event starts at a single track to earn maximum home track bonus points of 360.
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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 VP Racing Fuels. Promotional partners include Rite Aid Corporation, Dig Safely New York and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bars Leaks, Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Crane Cams, Ferris Industries, Holley HP Carburetors, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, KSE Racing Products, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks, Racing Electronics, Rislone Oil Stabilizer and Wrisco Industries.
