For more info, please visit DIRT .
Weedsport, NY – September 1, 2005 – By Chris Marquart, DIRT 358-Modified Series
Reporter
WHAT
The DIRT MotorSports 358-Modified Super DIRT Series races into Cornwall (Ont.) Motor
Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 4 for the annual Jiffy Auto Service 100; posting a
lucrative $25,000 purse. The event will be the first 100-lap main of the season and
will be accented by local action that includes full-fender Pro Stock, Semi Pro and
Rookie Stock divisions.
WHEN
358-Modified time trials at Cornwall Motor Speedway are planned to start at 6 pm;
pit gates will unlock at 4 pm for haulers and their drivers only and 4:30 pm for
racers while the main grandstands will open at 5 o'clock.
WHERE
The Speedway itself is located in Cornwall, Ontario Canada. Fans and racers headed
east should use Highway 401 Eastbound and junction off exit 786 to Power Dam Drive.
From the west, again use Highway 401(but Westbound) and junction off exit 789 to
Brookdale Avenue, following the signs to the speedway.
TICKETS
Adult General Admission will be $20, seniors (65+) and students (13-17 yrs with ID)
are $13 and children 12 and under accompanied by an adult are free. Pit admission
will be $30 for everyone with a 15% discount offered on U.S. currency.
WEB SITES
DIRT MotorSports™ is at http://www.dirtmotorsports.com.
Cornwall is available online at http://www.cornwallspeedway.com.
Both remain accessible 24-hours daily.
The track can be contacted via e-mail at cspeed@primus.ca. Cornwall Motor Speedway
is promoted by Ron Morin while PR Director Brian Mulligan handles all press release
information. The track can be reached at 613/938-3945. All credential requests must
be faxed to 613/938-2004
ABOUT THE TRACK
Cornwall Motor Speedway has hosted racing action since the early 1970s. Dominated by
some of the top 358-Mod talent in the Northeast, Cornwall has been home to such
drivers as Dave Heaslip, Ovide Doiron, Marcel LaFrance, Doug Carlyle, Danny and Pat
O’Brien and more present day upstarts Dale Planck and Joel Doiron.
The tight confines of the 1/3-mile oval are overshadowed by the 15-degrees of
banking that envelop the tracks 43-ft wide turns. Planck solved the layout for the
2004 track championship while Laurent Ladouceur stole the honors in 2003. Joel
Doiron rang up the 2002 crown. Bill Mullin won in 2001. Danny O’Brien won three
straight track titles from 1998 to 2000; his first came in 1993. Pat O’Brien won in
1997 and 1994; his first came in 1988. Dave Heaslip (95, 84, 83), and Doug Carlyle
(78, 85-87) also garnered multiple titles.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
There have been 17 different winners in 23 Super DIRT Series events. The speedway
has held 23 touring shows yet has run 26 358-Modified DIRT-sanctioned events since
the division was established in 1983. The track staged three special-event shows for
the small block mods in the early 1980s; wins went to Marcel LaFrance (1983) and
Dave Heaslip (1984, 1985).
Pat O’Brien has three SDS wins and is the only driver to win in consecutive years
(Summer 1993, 1994, Fall 2000). 1993 marked the first of four years when the tour
was visited twice. From 1998 to 2000, the series was at the track twice in the same
season.
Steve Paine has three wins as well, winning every other year (1995, 97, Fall 99)
with Tim McCreadie taking victories in 1996 and the Summer of 98. Pete Bicknell
(Summer 98, 96) also has a pair of wins.
CORNWALL: YOU’VE GOT A 50/50 SHOT
The track has seen 23 events since 1986. In 12 of those races, the driver who went
on to become the overall Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRT champion was not
counted among the top-five finishers. In the other 11, the driver who won Cornwall
and would later claim the Mr. DIRT 358-Modified crown finished in the top-five; and
four times won both the race and the overall crown (Bicknell-91, Fuller-93,
Paine-99, Johnson-00).
Pat Ward’s fifth-place showing was the first time a would-be champion placed in the
front-five since 2000. In 1998, Alan Johnson placed second and won the title,
setting off a string of four-straight events that found the champion among the
top-five. In 1999, Steve Paine placed second in the summer race and won the fall
race – he remains the only driver to win a championship and place in the top-five
both Cornwall dates. That comes with an asterisk as he and Danny Johnson shared the
overall Mr. DIRT title in 1999; Johnson turned around and won the title outright in
2000, with it came a summer victory at Cornwall.
It was in that same '00 race that Alan Johnson – the current points leader and
arguably the hottest small-block Modified driver on the circuit – placed his last
top-five. 'A.J. Slideways,' who has three wins, a second and a third in his last
five 358-Mod SDS starts, has not placed in the front-five at Cornwall since the
summer of 2000. More so, he has never won at the speedway in 358-Mod competition and
has only 3 top-fives to his credit.
Danny O’Brien has an unprecedented 13 top-five finishes since his fourth-place
effort in 1990; his brother Pat won the Mr. DIRT 358-Mod title that same year.
Danny's lone win came in the fall of 1998 and pairs with a remarkable six
second-place runs, three third-place showings, two fourths and a fifth. The younger
O’Brien had a string of four-straight top-three showings from 2000 to 2003 and also
went on a torrent of top-fives through the mid-1990’s, running up front eight times
in nine races between 1993 and 1999. Included in that was a stretch of three
consecutive second-place finishes in 1993-94.
Six of the first nine Mr. DIRT 358-Modified titlists were regulars at Cornwall Motor
Speedway.
Top Five Finishers
Rnk Driver 1 2 3 4 5 T
1D. O'Brien 1 6 3 2 1 13
2P. O'Brien 3 2 1 1 7
3Pete Bicknell 2 2 2 1 7
4Paine 3 2 1 6
5Ladoceur 1 3 1 5
6LaFrance 3 2 5
7Tim Fuller 1 1 1 1 4
8Doiron 1 2 1 4
9Heaslip 1 1 2 4
10Hitchcock 1 1 1 3
11Carlyle 1 1 1 3
12A. Johnson 1 1 1 3
13Dagenais 1 2 3
14T McCreadie 2 2
15Sheppard 1 1 2
16C. VanPelt 1 1 2
17Green 1 1 2
18Hearn 1 1 2
19D. Johnson 1 1 2
20Ritskes 1 1 2
21Planck 1 1 2
22Wilson 1 1 2
23Coffey 1 1 2
24Camara 1 1 2
25Clair 2 2
26Friesen 1 1
27Ricci 1 1
28Jacobs 1 1
29Burley 1 1
30Brachmann 1 1
31Poirier 1 1
32Dwyer 1 1
33Tremont 1 1
34B. McCreadie 1 1
35Heotzler 1 1
36Adderley 1 1
37Cozze 1 1
38Woodward 1 1
39MacIntosh 1 1
40Cook 1 1
41Ward 1 1
42Bachetti 1 1
43Plante 1 1
44Roberts 1 1
45Quenneville 1 1
46B. VanPelt 1 1
47Sawyer 1 1
48Davis 1 1
49Moravec 1 1
1 9/5/2004 Stew Friesen-Mark Hitchcock-Steve Poirier-Marcel LaFrance-Pat Ward
2 8/31/2003 Matt Sheppard - Danny O'Brien - Chad Brachmann - Stephane LaFrance -
Pete Bicknell
3 9/1/2002 Kyle Jacobs - Matt Sheppard - Danny O'Brien - Mike Adderley - Vic
Coffey
4 9/2/2001 Pete Bicknell - Todd Burley - Danny O'Brien - Pierre Dagenais -
Mario Clair
5 9/3/2000 Pat O'Brien - Danny O'Brien - Joel Doiron - Dave Heaslip - Mario Clair
6 6/25/2000 Danny Johnson - Pete Bicknell - Vic Coffey - Frank Cozze - Alan Johnson
7 9/5/1999 Steve Paine - Dale Planck - Mark Hitchcock - Danny Johnson - Pierre
Dagenais
8 7/25/1999 Brett Hearn - Steve Paine - Alan Johnson - Pete Bicknell - Danny
O'Brien
9 9/6/1998 Danny O'Brien - Alan Johnson - Pat O'Brien - Dale Planck - Andy
Bachetti
10 7/26/1998 Tim McCreadie - Danny O'Brien - Brett Hearn - Tim Fuller - Luke Plante
11 8/31/1997 Steve Paine - Pete Bicknell - Danny O'Brien - Pat O'Brien - Steve
Roberts
12 9/1/1996 Tim McCreadie - Steve Paine - Ovide Doiron - Bill Woodward - Pierre
Dagenais
13 9/3/1995 Steve Paine - Pat O'Brien - Tim Dwyer - Danny O'Brien - Tim Fuller
14 9/4/1994 Pat O'Brien - Danny O'Brien - Dave Heaslip - Pete Bicknell - Marcel
LaFrance
15 9/5/1993 Tim Fuller - Danny O'Brien - Dave Camara - Marcel LaFrance - Doug
Carlyle
16 8/17/1993 Pat O'Brien - Danny O'Brien - Kenny Tremont - Dave Heaslip - Steve
Paine
17 9/6/1992 Rich Ricci,Jr. - Dave Heaslip - Tim Fuller - Laurent Ladouceur -
Marcel LaFrance
18 9/1/1991 Pete Bicknell - Pat O'Brien - Laurent Ladouceur - Rick Wilson -
Vince Quenneville
19 9/2/1990 Doug Carlyle - Ovide Doiron - Laurent Ladouceur - Danny O'Brien -
Dave Camara
20 8/6/1989 Mark Hitchcock - Rick Wilson - Laurent Ladouceur - Sandy MacIntosh -
Billy VanPelt
21 9/18/1988 Curt VanPelt - Laurent Ladouceur - Bob McCreadie - Billy Cook -
Bruce Sawyer
22 9/20/1987 Robbie Green - Curt VanPelt - Doug Carlyle - Randy Ritskes - Barry
Davis
23 9/14/1986 Randy Ritskes - Robbie Green - Jeff Heotzler - Ovide Doiron - John
Moravec
24 8/14/1985 Dave Heaslip - Doug Carlyle - Lin Hough - Jeff Heotzler - Ron House
25 8/2/1984 Dave Heaslip - John Dahm - Jeff Heotzler - Randy Ritskes - Donnie
Wetmore
26 9/4/1983 Marcel LaFrance - Lin Hough - Dave Heaslip - Roger Phelps - Charlie
Wilbur
358-MODIFIED SUPER DIRT SERIES POINT STANDINGS
(through Canandaigua – August 23, 2005)
No. Driver Points Diff Money Wins Top 5Top 10Starts
114J Alan Johnson 485 0 $12,500 3 5 5 5
2 4 Brett Hearn 410 (75) $7,900 1 4 4 5
3 42 Pete Bicknell 386 (99) $4,400 0 2 5 5
4 22 Stewart Friesen 374 (111) $6,920 1 3 3 5
528s Matt Sheppard 367 (118) $4,800 0 2 4 5
677x Dale Planck 304 (181) $2,550 0 1 3 5
710x Richie Pratt Jr. 282 (203) $1,720 0 0 2 5
8 6 Pat O'Brien 266 (219) $1,220 0 0 1 5
9 26 Rick Richner 256 (229) $1,320 0 0 1 5
10 55 Perry Francis 241 (244) $1,100 0 0 0 5
11 37 Kyle Jacobs 232 (253) $1,370 0 0 2 4
12 3 Donnie Wetmore Jr. 220 (265) $1,075 0 0 0 5
13 38 Scott Wood 195 (290) $1,075 0 0 2 3
14m70 Billy Cook 173 (312) $800 0 0 0 4
15 7z Danny Johnson 170 (315) $2,400 0 2 2 2
16 62 Todd Burley 169 (316) $1,220 0 0 1 3
17 19 John Lazore 166 (319) $1,420 0 1 1 3
1866x Carey Terrance 158 (327) $750 0 0 0 3
1948T Dave Rauscher 156 (329) $620 0 0 0 3
20rp23Larry Lampman Jr. 153 (332) $1,700 0 1 2 2
21 21 Yan Bussiere 127 (358) $750 0 0 2 2
22151kBrian McDonald 122 (363) $505 0 0 0 2
23 93 Richie Vinson 118 (367) $600 0 0 1 2
24 44 Brian Stevens 113 (372) $620 0 0 1 2
2537p Francisco Pereira 106 (379) $420 0 0 0 2
26 3 Chad Brachmann 102 (383) $550 0 0 1 2
27 46 Kayle Robidoux 100 (385) $450 0 0 0 2
28123 Robbie Krull 100 (385) $500 0 0 0 2
29 7x Steve Paine 95 (390) $2,000 0 1 1 1
30 7 Sam Crogan 94 (391) $430 0 0 0 2
31 4 Andy Bachetti 90 (395) $1,500 0 1 1 1
32 72 Mike Bliss 90 (395) $400 0 0 0 2
33 83 Danny O'Brien 85 (400) $1,200 0 1 1 1
3415J Tim Jones 81 (404) $400 0 0 0 2
35124 Pierre Dagenais 80 (405) $1,000 0 1 1 1
36 5 Don Spatorico 72 (413) $600 0 0 1 1
37 2b Ron Cartwright Jr. 68 (417) $500 0 0 1 1
38 41 Boyd MacTavish 68 (417) $500 0 0 1 1
3926g Scott George 60 (425) $220 0 0 0 1
40 84 Dave Heaslip 60 (425) $220 0 0 0 1
CORNWALL LOCAL POINT STANDINGS
Plc-Car-Driver(wins)-Pts-Pts Behind leader
Planck, McDonald, Jacobs, Terrance, Billy Cook, Perry Francis, Roy Tarbell and John
Lazore are all touring regulars who can be found at Cornwall on a given Sunday
night.
NEWS & NOTES
Mr. DIRT title at stake: Pat Ward collected the 358-Modified Super DIRT Series crown
by a scant two points over Alan Johnson in 2004. The duo went toe-to-toe all year
long, trading the lead back and forth until Super DIRT Week's Sunoco/Aplus 150,
which was won by Wayne Jelley. In the event, Ward took the points lead. Fonda's
358-event saw Johnson leave with a three point lead and carried that to Middletown,
NY's Orange County Fair Speedway. In the 150-lap 358-Mod season finale, Ward skirted
ahead, finishing one position better than Johnson. In doing so, he secured a five
points more than Johnson and held a two-point edge and won his first-career Series
crown.
In 2003, Tim Fuller went on a small block rampage, winning Fulton's 358-Modified
title while pairing that with the 358 Super DIRT Series honors. It was his second
career 358-Mod crown, winning his first back in 1993
Alan Johnson, who has over 100 career 358-Modified victories to his credit, opened
the year running Jeff Rudalavage's chip limited 358-Modified engine. He secured wins
at Brewerton, Fulton and Weedsport with the car. Johnson's no. 14J will roll out of
the Rudalavage trailer for the duration of the 358-Mod SDS season while he makes a
bid at his fourth-career 358-Mod touring crown. Johnson last won the series in 2001.
He remains the only driver to ever win the 358-Mod title in consecutive years (1997,
98). Danny Johnson doubled in 1999 and 2000, but in '99, he shared the title with
Steve Paine.
CAREER 358 STATS
1991 358-Mod Mr. DIRT Pete Bicknell has the most career wins in a 358-Modified.
Brett Hearn has 156 wins and leads the career 358-Mod Super DIRT Series list with 56
triumphs. Three-time 358-Mod Mr. DIRT Champion Danny Johnson is third with 139 wins;
Pat O'Brien (131) and Dave Heaslip (117) round out the top five. Alan Johnson went
over the century mark with a 358-Mod win this year; he has 101 checkers to his
credit. Dan O'Brien (96) and Steve Paine (96) are both approaching the 100-win mark.
HOOSIER TIRE / SUNOCO RACE FUELS
MR. DIRT 358-MODIFIED POINT CHAMPIONS: 1983-2004
YEAR CHAMPION (SDS wins) ROOKIE of the YEAR
2004 Pat Ward (2) John Lazore
2003 Tim Fuller (2) Randy Chrysler
2002 Steve Paine (4) Justin Haers
2001 Alan Johnson (7) Matt Sheppard
2000 Danny Johnson (15) Alex Hoag
1999 Steve Paine (3)/Danny Johnson Frankie Caprara
1998 Alan Johnson (6) Todd Stewart
1997 Alan Johnson (4) Joel Doiron
1996 Danny Johnson (8) Tim McCreadie
1995 Pat O'Brien Chris Jones
1994 Pete Bicknell (2) Lee Gill
1993 Tim Fuller (1) Billy King
1992 Pat O'Brien Nick Lapp
1991 Pete Bicknell (3) Mike Bruno
1990 Pat O'Brien (1) Tom Perrego
1989 Laurent Ladouceur Randy Conners
1988 Pat O'Brien (2) Ron Valade
1987 Curt VanPelt (2) Laurent Ladouceur
1986 Doug Carlyle (3) Roger Lalonde
1985 Lin Hough (3) Jim Chenette
1984 Jeff Heotzler (2) Randy Ritskes
1983 Tony Corcoran (1) -----
Get Out the Word First: RACEceiver is the Official Driver Communicator of DIRT
MotorSports. A compact radio receiver that conveniently fits into a driver’s pocket,
a RACEceiver allows each driver to hear directions from series officials, which
greatly enhances the safety and timeliness of events. A similar version available to
fans will allow RACEceiver users to hear what information series officials are
relaying to the drivers. For more information about RACEceiver, visit
www.raceceiver.com, call 866-301-7223, or look for their sales trailers at various
events.
Another perfect score: In DIRT MotorSports™ ongoing effort to assist every
sanctioned track with presenting the best possible race programs, DMS has teamed
with AMB i.t. which is now recognized as the Official Timing System of DIRT
MotorSports™ for the next five years. AMB i.t. is the world’s leader in automatic
race timing and scoring systems and the DIRT organization is proud to retain the
company as a valued partner in the timing and scoring of all DIRT MotorSports™
events.
Victoria 200 Going Back to It’s Open Roots: The Victoria 200 at Fulton Speedway will
be a DIRT Sanctioned event for both big block and small block Modifieds yet will not
offer Super DIRT Series points as it allows alcohol-burning engines.
THE BEST OF THE BEST
358-Modified Super DIRT Series Record Book (1983-2004)
Season: Most Feature Wins: 15 - Danny Johnson (2000).
Consecutive Wins: 8 - Danny Johnson (2000).
Most Top-5 Feature Finishes: 20 - Alan Johnson (2003).
Consecutive Top-5 Finishes: 9 - Danny Johnson (1996, 2000), 9 - Alan Johnson (2003).
Most Events Run: 27 (2001, 2003).
Most Tracks Hosting Events: 21 (2003).
Most Feature Winning Drivers: 14 (1994, 2001).
Most Top-5 Feature Finishers: 43 (2000, 2003).
Career wins: Most Feature Wins: 56 - Brett Hearn.
Different Track Wins: 17 - Danny Johnson, 17 - Brett Hearn.
Single Track Wins: 11 - Brett Hearn @ Rolling Wheels, 11 - Brett Hearn @ Orange
County.
Most Seasons With At Least One Win: 17 - Brett Hearn.
Most Top-5 Finishes: 125 - Alan Johnson.
Different Track Top-5 Finishes: 23 - Danny Johnson, 23 - Brett Hearn.
Single Track Top-Five Finishes: 20 - Brett Hearn @ Orange County, 20 - Brett Hearn @
Rolling Wheels.
Most Seasons With At Least One Top-5: 19 - Pete Bicknell, 19 - Brett Hearn.
Most Mr. DIRT Titles: 4 - Pat O'Brien.
Consecutive Mr. DIRT Titles: 2 - Alan Johnson, 2 - Danny Johnson.
Total Events Run: 345.
Total Tracks Hosting Events: 28.
Total Feature Winning Drivers: 66.
Total Top-5 Feature Finishers: 213.
Total Mr. DIRT Titlists: 12.
Most Single Track Events: 36 - Rolling Wheels.
Most Single Track Winners: 18 - Cornwall.
Most Single Track Top-5 Finishers: 54 - Rolling Wheels, 54 - Cornwall.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The tour will make its first trip of the year to Lebanon Valley Speedway on
Saturday, Sept. 10 culminating with a 50-lap main event. The trip to the Valley
kicks off a two-day swing; the tour will turn north and head to LaFargeville, NY on
Sunday, Sept. 11 for another 50-lapper at Can-Am Motorsports Park. The following
week the tour hits Brockville Ontario Speedway on Friday, Sept. 16 for a 75-lap main
and returns to Rolling Wheels Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 17 for the second 100-lap
extra-distance event of the 2005 season.
2005 358-MODIFIED SUPER DIRT SERIES SCHEDULE
Day-Date Track (Laps)
Winner/Location
Mon-Aug 1 Merrittville Speedway (50L) ...........................ALAN JOHNSON
Tue-Aug 2 Ransomville Speedway (75L) ........................BRETT HEARN
Mon-Aug 8 Brockville Ontario Speedway (50L) ...............STEWART FRIESEN
Tue-Aug 9 Autodrome Edelweiss (75L) ......................... ALAN JOHNSON
Wed-Aug 10 Frogtown Int'l Speedway (75L) ......................Rain-Cancelled
Tue-Aug 23 Canandaigua Speedway (75L) ...................... ALAN JOHNSON
Sun-Sep 4 Cornwall Motor Speedway (100L) ................. Cornwall, ONT
Sat-Sep 10 Lebanon Valley Speedway (50L) .................. West Lebanon, NY
Sun-Sep 11 Can-Am Motorsports Park,Ltd. (50L) ............ LaFargeville, NY
Fri-Sep 16 Brockville Ontario Speedway (75L) ............... Brockville, ONT
Sat-Sep 17 Rolling Wheels Raceway (100L) ................... Elbridge, NY
Sat-Sep 24 Canandaigua Speedway (75L) ..................... Canandaigua, NY
Wed-Oct 5 Can-Am Motorsports Park,Ltd. (100L) .......... LaFargeville, NY
Thr-Oct 6 Brewerton Speedway (100L) ........................ Brewerton, NY
Fri-Oct 7 Rolling Wheels Raceway (100L) .................. Elbridge, NY
Sat-Oct 8 New York State Fairgrounds (150L) ............. Syracuse, NY
Sat-Oct 22 Bridgeport Speedway (100L) ........................ Bridgeport, NJ
DIRT MOTORSPORTS 358 SUPER DIRT SERIES SPONSORS
The DIRT MotorSports™ 358 Modified Series is brought to fans across the Northeast by
several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Stacker 2®, Advance Auto
Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels and DART Machinery. Promotional
Partners include AMB i.t., RACEceiver, Zippo Lighters and F.X. Caprara Car Companies
and the contingency sponsors are Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, MSD
Ignitions and Wrisco Industries.