Weedsport, NY — February 28, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director
For the second straight season, DIRTcar Racing joins together with its sister sanctioning body United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) to provide a lucrative pool of point fund money — a grand total that is unmatched anywhere in the country today and slated to be paid out to national and state leaders in the UMP/DIRTcar Pro Stock division.
An overall Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRTcar UMP Pro Stock Champion will be recognized for a 14th consecutive year while point titlists representing eight DIRTcar NorthEast member tracks will be crowned in DIRTcar’s 33rd successive season of operation. Only drivers holding a valid 2008 UMP DIRTcar license ($75) are eligible to collect point fund money.
“We’re getting back to where we need to be with eight tracks declaring Pro Stock champions and nearly every one signed up to host a Mr. DIRTcar Championship event this season,” said DIRTcar Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning Cory Reed. “There’s a lot of interest building and calls have been coming in from former drivers looking to join back up and new ones hoping to be a part.”
“Drummond and Thunder Alley will be declaring point champions for the first time ever and Lebanon Valley returns to the DIRT-fold after a couple years away. With a dozen different tracks set to host tour events, we’re looking at some of the most competitive fields as the Mr. DIRTcar title remains the highest honor in our top full-fender division.”
Each Pro Stock track champion will be awarded $1,000 in 2008 with Thunder Alley Speedpark and Autodrome Edelweiss combining for a unique new program that recognizes the high point-getter between these two Friday tracks in a series of special events. In addition, all track champions are guaranteed starters in the BNC Motorsports Pro Stock Championship held during Super DIRT Week, Oct. 7-12, at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.
When it comes to declaring the overall Mr. DIRTcar UMP Pro Stock Champion, drivers can add the best five (5) finishes from a designated hometrack to collect bonus points which will then be added to Series points to determine the 2008 titlist. Using the standard DIRTcar NE weekly points format, a driver winning five features could carry up to 300 extra points (60 per win) into the Mr. DIRTcar Championship when track points are officially tallied after Labor Day. Every Series race offers 100 points to win, 40 to start and 10 for each non-qualifier.
Not only will success be measured on local and regional scales, Pro Stock teams will be ranked on a national level with additional monetary rewards available due to DIRTcar’s year-long connection with UMP across the country.
UMP currently encompasses both Pro Stock and Street Stock divisions, putting each in line with DIRT track affiliates throughout the United States. In 2008, a portion of the national DIRTcar point fund will allocate more than $9,000 to the top-20 UMP/DIRTcar Pro Stock-Sportsman and UMP/DIRTcar Street Stock-Pure Stock runners with each champion collecting a $3,000 top prize. The UMP/DIRTcar New York State point fund boasts $600 to the champion and pays down through the top-10 positions.
In each of the two full-fender divisions, points will be awarded nationally for the best 25 finishes while the minimal number of placements on the state level will be 15 races. Points will be figured towards both national and state UMP/DIRTcar Championships and run from March 30 to September 30, 2008.
For additional information, please contact Pro Stock Series Director Brian Mulligan (613/938-6751) or Cory Reed, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning, at the Weedsport office (315/834-6606) during normal business hours. For the most updated news, rules, points structure, payoffs and member benefits as well as race results and point standings, log into the homepage at www.dirtcar.com, where you can find out more about the entire circuit.
UMP/DIRTcar NorthEast Pro Stock Tracks (8)
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 Speedway (NY), Thunder Alley Speedpark (NY).
2008 Mr. DIRTcar UMP Pro Stock Championship Series Schedule
*All events subject to change.
DAY-DATE LAPS TRACK LOCATION
Sat-Apr 19 25 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville,NY
Thr-Jul 3 25 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Sat-Aug 2 30 Genesee Speedway Batavia,NY
Fri-Aug 22 30 Thunder Alley Speedpark Evans Mills,NY
Sat-Aug 23 30 Autodrome Drummond Drummondville,QUE
Sun-Aug 31 50 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall,ONT
Fri-Sep 5 100 Autodrome Edelweiss Hull,QUE
Sat-Sep 6 30 Mohawk Int’l Raceway Hogansburg,NY
Sat-Sep 20 30 Canandaigua Speedway Canandaigua,NY
Sat-Sep 27 30 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY
Fri-Oct 3 30 Fulton Speedway Fulton,NY
Sun-Oct 12 25 New York State Fairgrnds Syracuse,NY
Sun-Oct 19 25 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown,NY
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.
