Weedsport, NY — November 19, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director
The 33rd season for DIRTcar Racing Northeast competitors came to a close with 279 drivers scoring feature wins in Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman Modified, Pro Stock and Street Stock divisions at 34 different tracks, bringing the total open-wheel/full-fender count to 705 in 2008.
Eleven drivers took checkered flags in both Big-Block and Small-Block Modified main events, with Larry Wight also copping a Sportsman victory and Kenny Tremont and Martin Roy winning on both dirt and asphalt.
Southern Tier standout Billy Decker led all DIRTcar NE winners in the headline Big-Block Modified division, posting 22 feature wins at seven tracks around the Northeast. A tour record-tying 10 came in Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series competition en route to hid second overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar Modified Championship. The ‘Franklin Flyer’ last topped the BB win chart in 1998, the same year as his initial Mr. DIRTcar crown, and his current count stands at 172 with another dozen victories registered in 358-Modified racing.
In 2008 local star H.J. Bunting III claimed the inaugural Advance Series event staged at Georgetown Speedway while eventual Mr. DIRTcar Sportstman champ Chris Raabe won the first race run at Brighton (Ont.) Speedway Park to bring the number of tracks to 79 hosting DIRTcar-sanctioned events since 1976.
Until last year only one other season ended with three drivers tied atop the final DIRTcar 358-Modified feature win chart. In 2008, ‘Mr. Small-Block’ Pete Bicknell was back and this time joined by fellow Canadians Danny O’Brien and Frenchman Kayle Robidoux with each reaching victory lane on seven occasions. Bicknell remains DIRTcar Northeast’s all-time 358-Modified win leader with 197 now in the recordbook, 19 of which have come following the Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship trail.
The ‘Teenage Tornado’ Raabe blew away his competition as he topped the DIRTcar Sportsman ranks with 19 sanctioned wins. With crate motors becoming more abundant in the Sportsman division circuit-wide, in 191 main events held at 18 tracks a whopping total of 84 drivers shared the spotlight including James Michael Friesen, who scored his first career feature win in May and ended the season standing second with 11. Raabe scored his first tour triumph on home soil at Brockville Ontario Speedway in his march to the coveted Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Series points crown at the age of 17.
For the fourth straight season Western New York Pro Stock pilot Pete Stefanski paced the full-fender field and was also successful in his overall Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock title defense for a second consecutive year. Not only did two-time Genesee Speedway champion Stefanski once again lead the DIRTcar Northeast circuit (12 wins), the Wheatfield, New York chauffeur emerged as the winningest driver in Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Series history now with 20 first-place trophies.
Dave Mannise continued his stronghold for a third successive season in Street Stock action, scoring a division-high 15 feature wins to remain DIRTcar’s all-time division leader. He nearly doubled the total of his nearest competition as Canandaigua Speedway high-point man Mike Welch stood second-best with eight. Second-ever Mr. DIRTcar Street Stock Series champion Nathan Peckham collected three checkered flags, although none were registered in the five extra-distance trail events.
2008 DIRTcar RACING NORTHEAST FEATURE WINNERS
| BIG-BLOCK MODIFIED(63) | 358-MODIFIED(67) | SPORTSMAN MOD(84) | UMP PRO STOCK(37) | UMP STREET STOCK(40) | |||||
| 22 | Billy Decker | 7 | Pete Bicknell | 19 | Chris Raabe | 12 | Pete Stefanski | 15 | Dave Mannise |
| 8 | Brian Swartzlander | 7 | Kayle Robidoux | 11 | James Friesen | 10 | Denis Gauvreau | 8 | Mike Welch |
| 8 | Alan Johnson | 7 | Danny O’Brien | 9 | Todd Henderson | 7 | Joey Ladouceur | 7 | Phillip Walker |
| 7 | Kevin Bolland | 5 | Laurent Ladouceur | 6 | Steve Gray | 6 | Louie Jackson | 7 | Ron Wadforth |
| 7 | Jerem. Shingledecker | 5 | David Hebert | 6 | Mike Ruggiero | 5 | Scott Kehr | 6 | Rich Sharpsteen Sr. |
| 7 | Dale Planck | 5 | Todd Burley | 5 | Brad Rouse | 4 | Jocelyn Roy | 6 | Chris Fisher |
| 6 | Brett Hearn | 4 | Larry Wight | 4 | Sammy Reakes IV | 4 | Gilles Godard | 5 | John Aumick |
| 6 | Matt Sheppard | 4 | Jessica Zemken | 4 | Rob Pratt | 4 | Mike Martin | 5 | Emerson Cargain Sr. |
| 6 | Gary Tomkins | 4 | Carey Terrance | 4 | Brandon Sweet | 4 | Robbie Speed | 4 | Josh Verne |
| 4 | Jimmy Phelps | 4 | Mike Bruno | 4 | Brady Fultz | 3 | Don Barnes | 4 | Adam DePuy |
| 3 | Frankie Caprara | 4 | Jeff Marshall | 4 | Greg Panunte | 3 | Stephane Lebrun | 4 | Frank Burnell Jr. |
| 3 | Steve Paine | 4 | Mario Clair | 3 | Brian Sage | 2 | Bill Pascual | 4 | Andy Fisk |
| 3 | Andy Bachetti | 4 | Brett Hearn | 3 | Justin Sharp | 2 | Jay Corbin | 4 | Jay Pepin |
| 2 | Steve Hulsizer | 3 | Chad Brachmann | 3 | Don Spatorico | 2 | Jody Swamp | 4 | Rich Talada |
| 2 | Ryan Larkin | 3 | Scott Wood | 3 | Brandon Easey | 2 | Jim Langenback | 4 | Bob Egley |
| 2 | Kenny Tremont | 3 | Eric Gauvreau | 3 | John Pietrowicz | 2 | Mike Dutka | 3 | Ron Hawker |
| 2 | Jeff Heotzler | 3 | John Lazore | 3 | Eric Giguere | 2 | Allen Peters | 3 | Nate Peckham |
| 2 | Del Rougeux Jr. | 2 | Pierre Dagenais | 3 | Chris Hile | 2 | Bobby Waters Jr. | 3 | Tim McCarthy |
| 2 | Chris Shultz | 2 | Mark Hitchcock | 3 | Kevin Ridley | 2 | Paul LaRochelle | 3 | Nick Rizzo |
| 2 | Pat O’Brien | 2 | Rick Richner | 3 | Erik Holmgren | 2 | Rob Rowe | 3 | Joe Kelley |
| 2 | Willy Decker | 2 | Martin Roy | 2 | Mike Bowman | 2 | Jacques Robert | 3 | Bob Lipinski |
| 1 | Billy Pauch | 2 | Dale Planck | 2 | Shane Pecore | 2 | Don Carlson | 2 | Dave Bruno |
| 1 | Jimmy Horton | 2 | Joel Doiron | 2 | Shane Jablonka | 2 | Kevin Arnold | 2 | Dave Pope |
| 1 | Paul Gilardi | 2 | Jerry Higbie | 2 | Jipp Ortiz | 2 | Sean Corr | 2 | Jason Fosnaught |
| 1 | Justin Haers | 2 | George Foley | 2 | Dan Wiesner | 1 | Jay Casey | 1 | Steve Woodworth |
| 1 | Chuck McKee | 2 | Brian Stevens | 2 | Todd Town | 1 | Jason Casey | 1 | Al D’Antonio |
| 1 | Bruce Kline | 2 | Patrick Dupree | 2 | Darren Peters | 1 | Steven Shortway | 1 | Wayne Ellison |
| 1 | Gary Smoker | 2 | Larry Lampman Jr. | 2 | Tim Currier | 1 | Ricky Thompson | 1 | Jared Hill |
| 1 | Scott Webb | 2 | Clement Therrien | 2 | Cole Dingwall | 1 | Roland Hebert | 1 | Frank Guererri Jr. |
| 1 | Lorne Browe | 1 | Kyle Jacobs | 2 | Tom Juhl | 1 | Pete VanNoordt | 1 | Kenny Hamm Jr. |
| 1 | Jerry Higbie | 1 | Perry Francis | 2 | Luke Carleton | 1 | Rick Dempsey | 1 | Rusty Marsden |
| 1 | Rex King | 1 | Steve Poirier | 2 | Jeremy Pitcher | 1 | Chris Crews | 1 | Tiger Chapman |
| 1 | Vic Coffey | 1 | Tim Fuller | 2 | Brandon Hagan | 1 | Roch Aubin | 1 | Shawn Frost |
| 1 | Jeff Trombley | 1 | Tim Hindley | 2 | Jason Parkhurst | 1 | Matt Shadic | 1 | Paul Schreckengost |
| 1 | Wayne Jelley | 1 | Kyle Dingwall | 2 | Justin Wright | 1 | Steve Hankle | 1 | Greg Beach |
| 1 | Michael Storms | 1 | Jason Durgan | 2 | Nick Guererri | 1 | Eric Greenlief | 1 | Mike Pegher Jr. |
| 1 | Rick Mill | 1 | Brian McDonald | 2 | Mike Mandigo | 1 | Richard Bertrand | 1 | Pat Hanley |
| 1 | Todd Burley | 1 | Tim Jones | 2 | Bob Richmond Jr. | 101 | Events / 13 Tracks | 1 | Wayne Carbo |
| 1 | Jim Witko Jr. | 1 | Matt Woodruff | 2 | Mark Webb | 1 | Chris Schneider | ||
| 1 | Eddie Marshall | 1 | Dany Bilodeau | 2 | Jake Schlagel | 1 | Rusty Martz | ||
| 1 | Jim Weller | 1 | Yan Bussiere | 2 | Matt Hitchcock | 127 | Events / 9 Tracks | ||
| 1 | Rich Eurich | 1 | Mark Smoke | 2 | Ryan Susice | ||||
| 1 | H.J. Bunting III | 1 | Chris Steele | 2 | Josh VanBrocklin | ||||
| 1 | Bob Henry Jr. | 1 | Gage Morin | 2 | Sam Reakes III | ||||
| 1 | Rob Bellinger | 1 | Tommy Flannigan | 1 | Tyler McPherson | ||||
| 1 | Don Ackner | 1 | Tom Dakake | 1 | Larry Wight | ||||
| 1 | Martin Roy | 1 | Todd Stewart | 1 | Dave Marcuccilli | ||||
| 1 | Scott Parliament | 1 | Steve Bernard | 1 | Jeff Stevenson | ||||
| 1 | Steve Hough | 1 | Mitchell Jock | 1 | Craig Gardner | ||||
| 1 | Mike DePalma | 1 | Chris Shultz | 1 | Stubby Pangrazio | ||||
| 1 | Mike Bowman | 1 | Mark Lamberton | 1 | Daryl Hilkert | ||||
| 1 | Mike Kolka | 1 | Robbie Krull | 1 | Chad Chevalier | ||||
| 1 | Joe Crawford | 1 | Craig Mitchell | 1 | Billy Clark Jr. | ||||
| 1 | Russell King | 1 | Alex Fortier | 1 | Rob Knapp | ||||
| 1 | Larry Wight | 1 | Alain Boisvert | 1 | John Ferrier | ||||
| 1 | Rich Salisbury | 1 | Richard Tisseur | 1 | James Henry | ||||
| 1 | Clinton Mills | 1 | Stephane LaFrance | 1 | Randy Gaudet | ||||
| 1 | Keith Flach | 1 | Jeremy Markle | 1 | Jordan Bennett | ||||
| 1 | Lonny Riggs | 1 | Leon Gonyo | 1 | Rich Coons | ||||
| 1 | Chuck Bower | 1 | Sebastien Gougeon | 1 | Derek Smith | ||||
| 1 | Chad Phelps | 1 | Jon Miller | 1 | Jesse Cotriss | ||||
| 1 | Frank Cozze | 1 | Bill Gill | 1 | Mark Davison | ||||
| 1 | Danny Johnson | 1 | Tommy Meier | 1 | B.J. Willard | ||||
| 148 | Events / 26 Tracks | 1 | Jimmy Phelps | 1 | Joe Conklin | ||||
| 1 | Kenny Tremont | 1 | Mark D’Ilario | ||||||
| 1 | Gary Tomkins | 1 | Dan Sellen | ||||||
| 1 | Billy Decker | 1 | Gregg Carner | ||||||
| 138 | Events / 17 Tracks | 1 | Sandy Pembleton | ||||||
| 1 | Steve Schumacher | ||||||||
| 1 | Kevin Ward | ||||||||
| 1 | Greg Mrzywka | ||||||||
| 1 | Matt Billings | ||||||||
| 1 | Earl Rudy | ||||||||
| 1 | Ben Wheeler | ||||||||
| 1 | John Venuto | ||||||||
| 1 | Robbie Rounce | ||||||||
| 1 | Anthony Rizzardo | ||||||||
| 1 | A.J. Kingsley | ||||||||
| 1 | Frank Venezia | ||||||||
| 1 | Steve Miller | ||||||||
| 1 | Jeremy Wilder | ||||||||
| 1 | Erick Rudolph | ||||||||
| 1 | Peter Stapper | ||||||||
| 1 | Loren Lincoln | ||||||||
| 191 | Events / 18 Tracks | ||||||||
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 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.
