Weedsport, NY — August 12, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director
Amidst a two-month layoff from tour activity, Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Series race chasers will get another chance to earn valuable points as Thunder Mountain Speedway has signed up to host a championship event on Friday, October 17.
The addition of Thunder Mountain, which enjoyed associate status with the organization in 1999, brings the total to 35 tracks staging DIRTcar Racing NorthEast events in 2008.
“Thunder Mountain is a perfect fit with the race coming the day before Sportsman run at Orange County during Eastern States Weekend,” said Cory Reed, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning. “It gives the teams a second payday and helps to further expand our market reach for this growing Sportsman class.”
“Dick (Stark, Thunder Mountain promoter) recognizes our goals in the crate engine program and we’re delighted that he envisions his track being a part in the future. He wants to help grow the division and sees all the positives that these more affordable engines have to offer. Finding common ground is a win-win situation for everyone involved,” Reed remarked.
The Eastern States finale at Orange County Fair Speedway will culminate with the crowning of an overall Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman champion for the 19th consecutive year. The addition of Thunder Mountain makes the Sportsman Series schedule 19 races strong with Rolling Wheels Raceway Park hosting round seven on September 1.
“Right now we’re entertaining the thought of using crate engines next season,” noted Stark, 48, now enjoying his first season as sole owner of Thunder Mountain Speedway with his wife Shelly after first becoming a partner in July of 2006. “We’ve got about 15 good cars running here every week and we’d like to get back up to a full field.”
“I was excited after talking with Cory about the possibility of having a series event come to our track. It will certainly bring some added notoriety to the facility and attract some new racers and fans to the area. I’m already looking forward to the show, it will be a great way to close out the first full season for us,” said Stark, after recently confirming the 40-lap $1,000-to-win Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Series event as part of Thunder Alley’s ‘Fall Ball’ agenda in autumn. “
Featuring UMP-type Modified, Sportsman Modified, Hurricane Street Stock Road Warrior/Road Bandit racing on its regularly Friday night card throughout the season, Thunder Mountain is a wide and fast 3/8-mile clay oval boasting stadium-style concrete columns that stretch from turn 4 to turn 1 with seating capacity of 4,000; allowing ample space for personal lawn chairs and blankets.
For additional information, please contact Sportsman Series Competition Director Michael Sanchelli (cell 862/432-3597; e-mail suitcase@optonline.net) or DIRTcar NE Competition Director Cory Reed at the Weedsport office (315/834-6606).
Be sure to log into the homepage at www.dirtcar.com to find out more about the entire circuit. For specific track information please contact Thunder Mountain Speedway, located just off of Rt. 79 on Hunts Corners Rd. in Center Lisle, New York, at (607)849-7889 or visit www.thunderracetrack.com.
2008 Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series Schedule
*All events subject to change.
DAY-DATE TRACK WINNER/LOCATION
Sat-Apr 5 50 Black Rock Speedway Larry Wight
Mon-May 26 30 Rolling Wheels Raceway Dan Wiesner
Thr-Jul 3 20 Rolling Wheels Raceway Mark D’Ilario
Thr-Jul 3 20 Rolling Wheels Raceway Todd Town
Fri-Jul 4 30 Brewerton Speedway Chris Hile
Thr-Jul 10 30 Brockville Ont. Speedway Chris Raabe
Mon-Sep 1 30 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Fri-Sep 5 50 Ransomville Speedway Ransomville,NY
Sat-Sep 6 50 Merrittville Speedway Thorold,ONT
Sun-Sep 7 50 Humberstone Speedway Pt.Colborne,ONT
Sat-Sep 13 30 Genesee Speedway Batavia,NY
Sat-Sep 20 45 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY
Sat-Sep 27 30 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Fri-Oct 3 30 Fulton Speedway Fulton,NY
Wed-Oct 8 30 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville,NY
Fri-Oct 10 30 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sat-Oct 11 30 New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse,NY
Fri-Oct 17 40 Thunder Mountain Speedway Center Lisle,NY
Sat-Oct 18 50 Orange Co. Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
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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 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.
