Middletown, NY - October 21, 2007 - By Tom Skibinski, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series PR Director
Home track favorite Jeff Heotzler ended a story book season as he outlasted Billy Decker on Sunday to capture the 46th Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Eastern States 200 Big-Block Modified Championship at Orange County Fair Speedway. Heotzler earned the 2007 Orange County points title without a single win before closing out the season with the biggest victory of his career that awarded him the $20,000 first-place prize.
After starting 42nd in the 46-car field, Heotzler sped past Billy Decker when his full tank ran dry on lap 193 and held off three-time defending race winner Brett Hearn in a race that was slowed by 18 caution periods and a trio of red flags. Hearn's runner-up tally secured him the overall Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Modified Series Championship, with veteran Rich Eurich crossing the line third ahead of Pennsylvanian Rick Laubach and Captital District runner Kenny Tremont.
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Race #32 – Orange County Fair Speedway, Oct. 21, 2007 Eastern States 200 Championship Event Summary
FEATURE (200-laps):
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER LAPS
1 42 66 Jeff Heotzler/Wallkill,NY($20,000) 200
2 1 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ 200
3 25 10 Rich Eurich/Warwick,NY 200
4 29 14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA 200
5 35 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY 200
6 5 44s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY 200
7 19 98h Jimmy Phelps/Baldwinsville,NY 200
8 8 55 Mitch Gibbs/North Norwich,NY 200
9 20 3 Justin Haers/Phelps,NY 200
10 23 2 Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY 200
11 33 7x Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY 200
12 15 11 Danny Creeden/Middletown,NY 200
13 11 99 Ryan Phelps/Fulton,NY 199
14 30 Z Butch Tittle/Saylorsburg,PA 199
15 7 32c Vic Coffey/Leicester,NY 199
16 28 88 Steve Dodd/Middletown,NY 199
17 18 17 Donnie Elliott/Middletown,NY 198
18 4 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY 197
19 2 59 Bruce Kline/Bangor,PA 189
20 36 24x Greg Sleight/Hopewell Junction,NY 188
21 44 49 Billy Dunn/Watertown,NY 178
22 46 60 Kenny Stafford/Homer,NY 176
23 6 19 Tim Fuller/Edwards, NY 171
24 17 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY 157
25 21 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY 154
26 22 5 Chuck McKee/Middletown,NY 142
27 10 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY 129
28 40 21m Bob McGannon/Garnerville,NY 127
29 31 21k Randy Chrysler/Lewiston,NY 124
30 38 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY 111
31 13 12a Jack Johnson/Duanesburg,NY 102
32 34 25 Mike Kolka/Circleville,NY 83
33 27 20c Craig Hanson/Tribes Hill,NY 75
34 45 44 Frank Cozze/Wind Gap,PA 74
35 26 33-1/3 Tommy Meier/Waldwick,NJ 74
36 16 73 Rick Mill/New Windsor,NY 73
37 41 r2 Rusty Smith/Bethlehem,PA 72
38 39 99b Chuck Bower/Lansing,NY 67
39 12 47 Jerry Higbie/Slate Hill,NY 54
40 37 673 Joe Morel/Boonton,NJ 53
41 24 x2 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ 52
42 32 10s Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY 44
43 3 27j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY 35
44 14 71 David VanHorn/Phillipsburg,NJ 30
45 9 ofp1 Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT 18
46 43 22g Alan Barker/Norwich,NY 11
GATER NEWS LAP LEADERS: Hearn (1-50), Mill (51-53), Tremont (54-59), Tittle (60), Hearn (61-85), Decker (86-192), Heotzler (193-200).
TOTAL LAPS LED: 107-Decker, 75-Hearn, 8-Heotzler, 6-Tremont, 3-Mill, 1-Tittle.
CAUTIONS: 18 for 88 laps; 3 RED FLAGS (lap 12, lap 60, lap 76).
BUDWEISER/DANA DISTRIBUTORS HALFWAY (LAP 100) AWARD: Billy Decker.
VRP SHOCKS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Danny Creeden.
MAXWELL 31st LAP HARD CHARGER: Jeff Heotzler.
BERT HARD CHARGER: Jeff Heotzler.
AREA AUTO RACING NEWS HARD LUCK AWARD: Clinton Mills.
VRP SHOCKS 5TH-PLACE BONUS: Kenny Tremont.
HEAT WINNERS: Gibbs, Friesen, Tomkins, R.Phelps, Higbie, J.Johnson.
CONSI WINNERS: A.Johnson, Paine, Kolka.
WLR CONSTRUCTION POLE WINNER: Brett Hearn (21.785sec/103.282mph).
INTEGRA SHOCKS FAST TIMER: Brett Hearn (21.785sec/103.282mph).
CARS ENTERED: 81.
TOTAL PURSE: $62,200.
DID NOT QUALIFY(35)
