Pat O'Brien
Brockville, ONT — October 17, 2009 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director
Multi-time track champion Pat O’Brien topped a solid field of 43 racers to advance to the pre-race re-draw for Sunday’s inaugural DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals 100 at Brockville Ontario Speedway.
The four-time overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified champion from Kingston, Ontario with three DIRTcar point titles at the BOS toured the moist 3/8-miler in a time of 14.290 sec. (94.472 mph) before returning trackside to claim the fourth and final qualifying heat on Saturday afternoon.
“It’s always nice to do well anytime on this circuit,” remarked O’Brien, 44, after posting his second fast time on the 2009 Mr. DIRTcar 358 champ trail. “Coming out quick makes you pretty happy and then getting a heat win gives you a good feeling for tomorrow.”
“If the track stays like it is today we’ll have some good racing, and you can get away with starting a little further back. Things can be a lot different if it rubbers up, and where you start becomes much more important. We’re pretty comfortable here at Brockville, hopefully we can give it a solid run and put on a good show,” added O’Brien, who has competed at BOS a half-dozen times this season with a Small-Block Series win scored on Sept. 12 ahead of Big-Block star Billy Decker and younger brother Danny O’Brien.
Following O’Brien in his red Gypsum Logistics no. 6 Milestone Concrete-730 Truck Stop/Bicknell on the lap chart were Frenchmen Yan Bussiere (14.312 sec.) and Pierre Dagenais (14.323), youngest brother Tim O’Brien (14.344), defending Mr. DIRTcar Champion Pete Bicknell (14.345) and Brian McDonald (14.365), while current Mr. DIRTcar points leader Dale Planck (14.427) was the sixth fasted and the only American clocked among the top-10.
Joining the elder O’Brien with heat wins were Planck, Tim O’Brien and Dagenais, with the top-12 finishers participating in the customary pre-race draw tomorrow prior to the start of the ’09 Hoosier-VP Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series finale.
A special dash completed the first day of qualifying for the 358-Modifieds with recently crowned Brockville points champion Danny O’Brien capturing the 15-lap victory that locked him into the 21st starting position in Sunday’s 100-lap main event. The Small-Block dash field was comprised of the 6th and 7th-place finishers in each of the four qualifying heats.
The remainder of the inaugural DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals starting line-up will come from 358-Modified consolation rounds on Sunday with the 100-lap Small-Block Championship set to roll off the line at 5pm.
In search of his first-ever title, Planck leads defending three-time Mr. DIRTcar titlist Bicknell from St. Catharines, Ont. by 52 points as they return to the City of the Thousand Islands. A finish of 16th or better locks up the coveted championship for Planck, although a victory for Bicknell accompanied by a 17th-place tally by ‘The Natural” will result in a tie atop the Small-Block standings.
DIRTcar NE Fall Nationals 358-Modified Time Trials, Brockville, Oct. 17
QUALIFYING
FAST AVE
TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER
1 14.290 94.472 6 Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
$100 Integra Shocks Fast Qualifier Award
2 14.312 94.326 21 Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE
3 14.323 94.254 124 Pierre Dagenais/Gatineau,QUE
4 14.344 94.116 88 Tim O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
5 14.345 94.109 42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
6 14.365 93.978 m96 Brian McDonald/Cornwall,ONT
7 14.427 93.575 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
8 14.467 93.316 72x Denis Gauvreau/Alymer,QUE
9 14.485 93.200 25 Bobby Herrington/Elginburg,ONT
10 14.542 92.835 6* Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT
11 14.562 92.707 96 Kyle Dingwall/Brockville,ONT
12 14.575 92.624 76 Ryan Poole/Charleston Lake,ONT
13 14.581 92.586 55 Perry Francis/Akwesasne,NY
14.581 92.586 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
15 14.588 92.542 88L Eric Lefebvre/St-Cyrille,QUE
16 14.609 92.409 6m Mat Williamson/St.Catharines,ONT
17 14.616 92.365 22 Eric Gauvreau/Chelsea,QUE
18 14.639 92.219 22L Larry Lampman,Jr./Port Colborne,ONT
19 14.640 92.213 72 Todd Stewart/Bath,ONT
20 14.647 92.169 22c Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE
21 14.656 92.112 22h David Hebert/St. Damase,QUE
22 14.674 91.999 22j Jeremy Wilder/Fort Plain,NY
23 14.692 91.887 14 Mitchell Jock/Akwesasne,NY
24 14.706 91.799 7* Danny O’Brien/Kingston,ONT
25 14.719 91.718 9r Jason Riddell/Cardinal,ONT
26 14.720 91.712 39 Clement Therrien/Victoriaville,QUE
27 14.743 91.569 3b Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY
28 14.773 91.383 16w Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY
29 14.827 91.050 23b Dany Bilodeau/Victoriaville,QUE
30 14.911 90.537 63 Adam Roberts/Watertown,NY
31 14.913 90.525 8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ
32 14.922 90.470 17c Pete Cosco/St.Catharines,ONT
33 14.930 90.422 0 Bill Gill/Plessis,NY
14.930 90.422 87 Martin Gagne/Granby,QUE
35 14.952 90.289 9 Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY
36 15.004 89.976 35 Adam Moore/Elgin,ONT
37 15.105 89.374 7x Todd Kendrick/London,ONT
38 15.113 89.327 48 Tim Kerr/Picton,ONT
39 15.299 88.241 m70 Billy Cook/Hogansburg,NY
40 15.348 87.959 73 Dave Austin/Perth Road Village,ONT
41 15.944 84.671 12k Kyle Wilson/Joyceville,ONT
42 16.523 81.704 75j Pernie Banks/Portland,ONT
43 -NT- —– 12 Skip MacKenzie/Ottawa,ONT
Heat Races (10 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to feature, top 3 to re-drew)
#1: Planck, McDonald, Lampman, Herrington, Francis, Poole, Gagne, Williamson, E.Gauvreau, Willix, Scagliotta.
#2: T.O’Brien, D.Gauvreau, Bussiere, Wilder, Riddell, Lefebvre, D.O’Brien, Austin, Kendrick, Wilson, Jock.
#3: Dagenais, Friesen, Bicknell, Hebert, Brachmann, Bilodeau, Moore, Cosco, Roberts, Banks.
#4: P.O’Brien, Wight, Clair, Dingwall, Gill, Smoke, Cook, Kerr, MacKenzie, Therrien, Stewart.
Dash (15 laps, winner starts 21st in Sunday feature)
D.O’Brien, Gagne, Poole, Bilodeau, Lefebvre, Cook, Moore, Smoke.
DIRTcar 358-Modified Entries – October 17 (43)
CAR# DRIVER / HOMETOWN TEAM (Sponsor / Chassis / Engine)
0 Bill Gill/Plessis,NY Gill Racing/TEO/Morrison
3b Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY Mighty Taco/Bicknell/Honest Abe’s
6 Pat O’Brien/Kingston,ONT 730 Truck Stop-Gypsum Logistics-Milestone Concrete/Bicknell/Enders
6m Mat Williamson/St.Catharines,ONT Optional Hose & Hydraulics-Jasen Enterprises/Bicknell/ERD
6* Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT Global Warranty-Kendrick racing/Bicknell/Jeff Nichols
7* Danny O’Brien/Kingston,ONT Global Warranty-1000 Islands RV-Stover Bus Lines/Bicknell/Morrison
7x Todd Kendrick/London,ONT Global Warranty-1000 Islands RV-Stover Bus Lines/Bicknell/Morrison
8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ Central Jersey Trailer & Hitch Depot-Adamsville Maintenance/Troyer/Enders
9 Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY Smoke’s Construction-Action Race Parts/Bicknell/West Carleton Automotive
9r Jason Riddell/Cardinal,ONT JR Trucking-Ironhorse Transportation/Bicknell/Jim’s Performance
12 Skip MacKenzie/Ottawa,ONT Freedom Harley-Davidson-SMI Innovations/Bicknell/Morrison
12k Kyle Wilson/Joyceville,ONT Freedom Harley-Davidson-SMI Innovations/Bicknell/Morrison
14 Mitchell Jock/Akwesasne,NY Sweet Dreams-Warrior Racing/Bicknell/Dyke Engineering
16w Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY Nor-Shir Construction-TRC-SUNY Canton/Bicknell/Morrison
17c Pete Cosco/St.Catharines,ONT Cosco Haulage-Brian’s Tire-Humberstone Speedway/Bicknell/Fioravanti
21 Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE Bud Lime/TEO/RL Racing Engines
22 Eric Gauvreau/Chelsea,QUE Micheline Richard Home Sales-Gauvreau Top Soil/Troyer/Ovide Doiron
22c Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE Resist O-Batiments JDL-Motel Drummond/Bicknell/Morrison
22h David Hebert/St. Damase,QUE Bully’s Truck Stop-Batiments JDL-Motel Drummond/Bicknell/Morrison
22j Jeremy Wilder/Fort Plain,NY James Edgar Co.-Roosevelts/Bicknell/Boyd
22L Larry Lampman,Jr./Port Colborne,ONT CMH Leasing-Turn 4 Collsn-Garden City Auto/Bicknell/CC Performance
23b Dany Bilodeau/Victoriaville,QUE Entrepot Victo-Garage Bilodeau/Troyer/RL Racing Engines
25 Bobby Herrington/Elginburg,ONT Stover Bus Lines-Osprey Stables-Kingston Paint/Bicknell/Enders
35 Adam Moore/Elgin,ONT R.R. Equipment-Four-O-One Electric-E&A Welding/Bicknell/Engines Extra
39 Clement Therrien/Victoriaville,QUE JT Terrassement-Therrien Racing/Bicknell/B.H.P.
42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT Lucas Oil Products-Merrittville Speedway/Bicknell/ERD
48 Tim Kerr/Picton,ONT Calgey Racing-Hubert Kerr Construction-Northwood 2 Constr./Bicknell/Enders
55 Perry Francis/Akwesasne,NY C&B Enterprise-Action Race Parts-Flint Communications Group/TEO/Morrison
63 Adam Roberts/Watertown,NY Roberts Automotive & Sales-SUNY Canton Racing/Bicknell/Steve Roberts
m70 Billy Cook/Hogansburg,NY White’s Construction-MA’s Excavation/Bicknell/Morrison
72 Todd Stewart/Bath,ONT ReMax Realty-Red Line Oil-RWR Electric/TEO/DSE1
72x Denis Gauvreau/Alymer,QUE Micheline Richard Home Sales-Gauvreau Top Soil/Troyer/Ovide Doiron
73 Dave Austin/Perth Road Village,ONT Austin Racing/Bicknell/Engine Extra
75j Pernie Banks/Portland,ONT Willows Agriservices-Dockside Restaurant/Bicknell/CHE(Mopar)
76 Ryan Poole/Charleston Lake,ONT M.A.D.D.-Brockville Motor Sales/Bicknell/Morrison
77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY RezX Racing-Grow It Hydroseeding/TEO/Kevlar
87 Martin Gagne/Granby,QUE Demers Transport-Dooly’s/Troyer/RL Performance
88 Tim O’Brien/Kingston,ONT Jim’s Performance Plus-SG Wells Ford/TEO/Jim’s Performance Ford
88L Eric Lefebvre/St-Cyrille,QUE Hooters-Les Fondations Herve Carpenter/Bicknell/Boomer
96 Kyle Dingwall/Brockville,ONT Eastern Ontario Millwrighting-Harlenvino Transport./Bicknell/Mike Blok(Eng.Res.)
m96 Brian McDonald/Cornwall,ONT Northwood 2 Construction-Kriska Transport/Bicknell/Enders
99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY Gypsum Express Ltd-Gypsum Wholesalers-Tracey Road Equip./Bicknell/Kevlar
124 Pierre Dagenais/Gatineau,QUE Carriere Sabliere Dagenais/Bicknell/Ovide Doiron
DIRTcar NORTHEAST FALL NATIONALS EVENTS SCHEDULE: Oct. 18, 2009
*All times and events subject to change.
DAY-DATE TIME EVENT
Sun-10/18
10am Pit Gates & Grandstands Open
1pm Driver’s Meeting
1:20pm Track Open for Practice: Pro Stock, 358-Modified, Street Stock
1:40pm Street Stock Qualifying
1:55pm Anthems
2pm Heat Qualifying: Street Stock, Pro Stock
Consolation Rounds: 358-Modified, Street Stock, Pro Stock
358-Modified and Pro Stock Final Practice
Intermission/Redraws
DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals Championships:
358-Modified (100 laps)
Pro Stock (50 laps)
Street Stock (40 laps)
DIRTcar Racing Northeast main office is located in Weedsport, New York on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds, home of DIRTcar All-Star Weekend in July. DIRTcar Northeast’s crown jewel event —Super DIRT Week at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse runs annually in October featuring Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series events for Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions. Ticket and schedule information is available by contacting the Weedsport office (315/834-6606) during the day or logging into www.superdirtweekonline.com anytime.
The Big-Block Super DIRTcar Series is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors 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, 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.
