Weedsport, NY — April 14, 2009 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director
2009 marks DIRTcar Racing’s 34th consecutive year of sanctioning motorsports events in the Northeast. Twenty-five tracks now carry full membership while more than a dozen ovals in the region maintain associate status as hosts for either Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series, Western Pa./Ohio-based BRP Modified Tour or specially approved events scheduled during the upcoming summer months.
Big-Block Modifieds already made their annual debut in February during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park. Lernerville (PA) Speedway and Black Rock (NY) Speedway recently resumed activity further north with Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway and Empire State ovals Brewerton Speedway, Can-Am Motorsports Park, Canandaigua Speedway, Cayuga County Fair Speedway, Glen Ridge Motorsports Park and Lebanon Valley Speedway all anxiously awaiting this weekend to unfurl their initial green flag.
2009 DIRTcar NORTHEAST FEATURE WINNERS
BIG-BLOCK MODIFIED(5) SPORTSMAN MOD UMP PRO STOCK UMP STREET STOCK
2-Pat Ward 1 -Sammy Reakes IV 1-Terry Young 1-Nathan Peckham
1-Brett Hearn
1-Jamie Mills
1-Brian Swartzlander
1-Rex King
The premier DIRTcar Big-Block Modified class was first established in 1976, current 358-Modified division was initiated in 1980 and Sportsman Modifieds gained notoriety in 1987 before the Northeastern Pro Stocks comprised the first full-fender class to be recognized in 1995. In competition at many tracks around the DIRTcar NE circuit today, entry level Street Stocks are officially enjoying the fifth year of sanctioning in 2009 while the Pro Late Models make their debut at Can-Am Motorsports Park and Pitt’s PA Motor Speedway in April.
Alan Johnson —the only driver to capture a Modified feature every year of DIRTcar’s existence— tops the Big-Block chart with 358 wins, Pete Bicknell owns 197 victories in 358-Modified competition, Steve Hall claimed 85 Sportsman Modified checkered flags, Pro Stock leader Pete Stefanski has cracked the winner’s circle 78 times and Dave Mannise made it to victory lane on 40 occasions in the Street Stock ranks. Since the nation’s Bicentennial, over 2,000 drivers have taken home a first-place trophy in more than 19,000 main events sanctioned by DIRTcar Racing Northeast at exactly 80 tracks.
To find links to every DIRTcar Racing track affiliate hosting events during the upcoming season, log into http://www.dirtcar.com and select ‘Tracks’ at the top and follow the instructions provided. Bookmark each track choice for quick review at a later time.
2009 DIRTcar NORTHEAST TRACK AFFILIATES
2009 Opener….Track/Location (Sanctioned Divisions)
Sat-May 2………Airborne Speedway/Plattsburgh, NY (358)
Sat-May 23..….Albany-Saratoga Speedway/Malta, NY (Spt)
Sun-Apr. 5.……Black Rock Speedway/Dundee, NY (Spt, Sts)
Fri-Apr. 17……..Brewerton Speedway/Brewerton, NY (Mod)
Sat-May 16.…..Brockville Ontario Speedway/Brockville, ONT (358, Spt)
Fri-Apr. 17……..Can-Am Motorsports Park,Ltd./LaFargeville, NY (Mod/358, Spt, Sts, Pro LM)
Sat-Apr. 18…….Canandaigua Speedway/Canandaigua, NY (Mod, Spt, Pro, Sts)
Sun-Apr. 19……Cayuga Co. Fair Speedway/Weedsport, NY (Mod, Spt, Sts)
Sun-May 17……Cornwall Motor Speedway/Cornwall, ONT (358, Pro)
Sat-May 16…….Autodrome Drummond/Drummondville, QUE (358, Pro)
Fri-May 15……..Autodrome Edelweiss/Hull, QUE (358, Pro)
Sat-May 16…….Fulton Speedway/Fulton, NY (Mod, Spt, Sts)
Sat-Apr. 25…….Genesee Speedway/Batavia, NY (Spt, Pro)
Fri-Apr. 17…….Glen Ridge Motorsports Park/Fultonville, NY (Mod, Spt)
Fri-May 15……..Autodrome Granby/Granby, QUE (358)
Sun-Apr. 26……Humberstone Speedway/Pt. Colborne, ONT (358, Spt)
Sat-Apr. 18…… Lebanon Valley Speedway/West Lebanon, NY (Mod, Pro)
Fri-Mar. 27…….Lernerville Speedway/Sarver, PA (Mod, Pro)
Sat-Apr. 25…….Merrittville Speedway/Thorold, ONT (358, Spt)
Fri-May 22……..Mohawk Int’l Raceway/Hogansburg, NY (358, Pro)
Oct. 6-11….……New York State Fairgrounds/Syracuse, NY (Mod, 358, Spt, Pro)
Sat-Apr. 18……Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway/Imperial, PA (Pro, Pro LM)
Fri-May 1……….Ransomville Speedway/Ransomville, NY (358, Spt)
Sun-May 3……..Rolling Wheels Raceway Park/Elbridge, NY (Mod, 358, Spt, Pro, Sts)
Sun-Apr. 26……Tri-City Speedway/Franklin, PA (Mod)
DIRTcar Racing Northeast main office is located in Weedsport, New York on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds www.cayugacountyfairspeedway.com, home of the 2009 DIRTcar All-Star Weekend, July 17-19, featuring Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series events for Sportsman and Big-Block Modifieds in the richest short-track show of its kind in the nation — the $20,000-to-win Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series “DIRTcar All-Star 100” on Sunday, July 19.
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 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.
