DIRTcar officials today announced a major expansion of the organization’s weekly racing series designed to bolster dirt racing in the Northeast for DIRTcar competitors and sanctioned facilities.
The title ‘Mr. DIRTcar’ will be bestowed on four racers at the conclusion of the 2011 season in recognition of Championships earned during weekly racing competition in each of the Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman Modified and Pro Stock divisions.
Safety-Kleen, the world leader in environmental services, parts washers, waste oil recycling and industrial cleaning products, will become Title Sponsor of the Safety-Kleen Mr. DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Championship as well as becoming the Official Environmental Services Provider of the Super DIRTcar Series. Safety-Kleen will be rolling out a variety of trackside service programs, benefits and awards to DIRTcar member tracks and competitors in an effort to build environmental awareness amongst the dirt racing community.
“Safety-Kleen is pleased be associated with the latest chapter in the storied history of one of the greatest divisions in all motorsports,” said Drew Patey, Director of Motorsports for Safety-Kleen. “We look forward to engaging our dealers and customers at Big-Block Modified events and adding DIRTcar to our motorsports program.”
The Mr. DIRTcar Championship standings will be determined using drivers’ best 16 finishes in weekly DIRTcar-sanctioned events with car counts factored into the weekly computation. Each weekly Big-Block Modified track will also be host of a Safety-Kleen Mr. DIRTcar Big-Block Bonus Night. Adding to the drama is the fact that racers will no longer be separated by region, instead battling head-to-head against all DIRTcar Northeast competitors in their respective divisions to earn their share of the new point funds. Finishes from series and tour events will not be included in the Mr. DIRTcar Championship.
The weekly series — which begins with the spring opening of weekly tracks for all divisions — will end following the traditional Labor Day Championship finales at sanctioned speedways across the circuit.
Geared for the weekly Friday-, Saturday- and Sunday-night racer, while still open to the touring pros, the Mr. DIRTcar titles are independent of the Super DIRTcar Series and other DIRTcar tours. The Champion portions of the Mr. DIRTcar point funds will be:
• Big-Block Modified – $20,000 in posted awards
• 358-Modified – $3,000 in posted awards
• Sportsman Modified – $1,000 in posted awards
• Pro Stock – $1,000 in posted awards
In 2011, the weekly Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock champion will also receive a new GM Performance 602 crate engine. The bonus award will then rotate to the Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Modified champion in 2012.
The new weekly Mr. DIRTcar program also includes two special invitational events for DIRTcar Big-Block Modified competitors:
• A 25-lap showdown paying a minimum of $2,500 to win for the current Big-Block Modified point leaders from each DIRTcar-sanctioned track and the Super DIRTcar Series that will be run as part of the DIRTcar All-Star 100 Weekend on Sunday, May 29, at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in Elbridge, N.Y.
• A 25-mile sprint paying a minimum of $5,000 to win for the 2011 Big-Block Modified point champions from each DIRTcar-sanctioned track that will be an added attraction during October’s Super DIRT Week activities at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.
Among the additional benefits for DIRTcar-sanctioned tracks are direct and cooperative sponsorship opportunities that have been made available through DIRTcar to aid in their facility improvements, increased promotion and year-end awards for the upcoming season compliments of DIRTcar Official partners Safety-Kleen, GM Performance Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and VP Racing Fuel.
Additional awards from program partners, including Bilstein Shocks, Penske Shocks and KSE Power Steering will be part of the Mr. DIRTcar championship.
DIRTcar Northeast’s marquee touring series — the Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds as well as the touring series for 358-Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds and Pro Stocks — will continue in 2011 with Champions crowned for each.
The announcement was made during the Motorsports 2011 Race Car & Trade Show sponsored by SEF held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa.
For more information on DIRTcar Racing, visit www.DIRTcar.com.
