Middletown, NY - October 20, 2007 - By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director
About the only things that have changed in the winner's circle at Orange County Fair Speedway for Brett Hearn over the past 30 years are the number and color of the cars that have taken him there. For the 10th time in his career, including the inaugural trip to victory lane in 1977, Hearn captured the headline Hauser Bros. Mechanical Contractors 358-Modified Championship to kick off the 46th Eastern States Weekend at the historic Middletown, N.Y. oval.
"I can't thank everybody enough, from the guys on the team to all my sponsors, this car was about as good as it gets out here," beamed Hearn, following his track-high fourth DIRTcar 358-Modified feature win of the year at Orange County, easily the most lucrative as he took home $7,500 for the 50-minute jaunt on the 'Hard Clay.'
"When its sunny during the daytime the track always gets abrasive so you do what you can to save tires. It was nice out there today with an outside groove in turns three and four when I need to go there. Early on I just sized up Pat (Ward) and when the time came I made the move that turned out to be all we needed," said Hearn, who has won the Eastern States Small-Block title event when it began as 50-lapper in '77, was lengthened to 100 laps before capping off at 150 laps the past dozen years. A late race caution extended Saturday's scheduled century grind to 104 laps which mattered little to Hearn, who held on for his third Mr. DIRTcar Series win of the season.
Stewart Friesen salvaged second-place after runner-up Danny Johnson dropped from sight on the final restart, with fast time trailer Pat Ward, VRP Shocks Rookie of the Race Michael Storms and Orange County favorite Tim Hindley filling out the final front-five. Frenchman Mario Clair finished 32nd with 64 laps complete which was still good enough to clinch the overall Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship.
For the second straight year, rain on Friday forced track officials to postpone the 358-Modified qualifying races until Saturday. This time around opening round Time Trials were also washed out, leaving one day to run off the entire event that attracted 81 entries.
Pat Ward from Genoa, N.Y. stopped the clocks at 21.777 sec. (103.320 mph) to collect the $250 WLR Construction Pole Award, with Friesen, Gary Edwards Jr., Hearn, Danny Johnson and Hindley also locking in top row starting positions. The 41-car starting grid was then set after six heats and three consolation round events were staged, with Rick Laubach, Tim Fuller, Tommy Meier, David VanHorn, Chris Shultz and Billy Decker scoring heat wins while young teenager Larry Wight, Andy Bachetti and Clair claimed the consis.
The initial green flag waved to begin the feature and Ward opened up an early lead while Hearn quickly took over the runner-up slot ahead of third-generation Canadian standout Friesen. Non-stop action around the fast 5/8-miler allowed Hearn to creep closer to Ward until the Sussex, N.J. superstar put Vinny Salerno's Four Star Special underneath for good as the lead duo exit turn three on lap nine.
Once out front, Hearn was untouchable as he opened up comfortable advantages despite seven yellow flags ---mostly for flat tires--- giving his closest challengers a glimpse of the winning machine. Danny Johnson moved into second a third of the way through and had a runner-up finished sewed up until misfortune struck on the final lap 103 restart. Just as the field took the green, the #7J JIR Motorsports/Troyer mount suffered a broken drive-line entering turn one and when the checkered flag flew he was a distant 17th at the line.
Following Clair (2,123) in the final Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Championship point standings are Danny O'Brien (2,070), Carey Terrance (2,046), Mike Adderley (2,033), Roy Tarbell (1,970), Lance Willix (1,943), Pete Bicknell (1,850), Mark Smoke (1,842), Robbie Grant (1,792) and Pierre Dagenais (1,733).
Eastern States Weekend activity continues on Sunday with a full program of DIRTcar Pro Stock action, DIRTcar Big-Block Modified consolation round qualifiers and the 46th running of the Eastern States 200 Modified Championship finale. Pit gates are slated to open at 8 am and grandstands at 9 o'clock followed by the popular Race Against Drugs Pit Party, 9:30-10:30 am.
Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Race #13 – Orange County Fair Speedway, Oct. 20, 2007 Eastern States Hauser Brothers Mechanical Contractors 100 Championship Event Summary
FEATURE:
FIN STR CAR# DRIVER LAPS
1 4 4* Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ 104
2 2 ofp1 Stewart Friesen/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT 104
3 1 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY 104
4 13 4s Mike Storms/Wantage,NJ 104
5 6 94 Tim Hindley/Monticello,NY 104
6 8 19 Tim Fuller/Edwards,NY 104
7 9 33-1/3 Tommy Meier/Waldwick,NJ 104
8 28 17 Jerry Higbie/Slate Hill,NY 104
9 20 84 Gary Tomkins/Clifton Springs,NY 104
10 32 4 Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA 104
11 7 14 Rick Laubach/Quakertown,PA 104
12 24 33 Craig Mitchell/Wappingers Falls,NY 104
13 3 55 Gary Edwards Jr./Bloomingburg,NY 104
14 18 17d Danny O'Brien/Kingston,ONT 104
15 16 124 Pierre DagenaisGatineau,QUE 104
16 17 16x Danny Creeden/Middletown,NY 104
17 5 7j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY 103
18 31 99w Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY 103
19 23 80 Dom Roselli/Middletown,NY 103
20 38 66x Carey Terrance/Hogansburg,NY 103
21 27 115 Kenny Tremont/West Sand Lake,NY 103
22 26 10 Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY 103
23 35 r2 Rusty Smith/Bethlehem,PA 101
24 25 1x Willy Decker/Vernon,NY 100
25 34 73 Rick Mill/New Windsor,NY 100
26 40 99 Mike Adderley/Watertown,NY 90
27 30 12e Eric Palmer/Cresco,PA 80
28 22 211 Chuck McKee/Middletown,NY 79
29 10 71 David VanHorn/Phillipsburg,NJ 74
30 12 91 Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY 69
31 15 87 Martin Gagne/Granby,QUE 65
32 33 22c Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE 64
33 41 77g Robbie Grant/Malone,NY 61
34 37 1 Roy Tarbell/Hogansburg,NY 55
35 11 24 Chris Shultz/Pawling,NY 53
36 21 21k Randy Chrysler/Lewiston,NY 49
37 29 16r A.J. Romano/Johnstown,NY 39
38 14 12a Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg,NY 24
39 39 9s Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY 21
40 19 16 Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY 12
41 36 4b Donnie Wilson/Ramsey,NJ 7
LAP LEADERS: Ward (1-8), Hearn (9-104).
TOTAL LAPS LED: 96-Hearn, 8-Ward.
CAUTIONS: 7 for 24 laps.
HIG FABRICATION HALFWAY BONUS: Brett Hearn.
VRP SHOCKS ROOKIE OF THE RACE: Mike Storms.
BILSTEIN SHOCKS HARD CHARGER: Andy Bachetti.
GATER RACING NEWS HARD LUCK: Danny Johnson.
HEAT WINNERS: Laubach, Fuller, Meier, VanHorn, Shultz, B.Decker.
CONSI WINNERS: Wight, Bachetti, Clair.
WLR CONSTRUCTION POLE WINNER: Pat Ward (21.777sec/103.320mph).
