Hill teams with Postorivo

The 2009 Bridgeport sportsman champion, Jesse Hill, will make the move up to big block modifieds in 2010. He'll drive for Gino Postorivo Racing in the team's #X big block modified weekly at Bridgeport Speedway. Postorivo fields multiple sportsman cars, and has fielded a big block modified for Jimmy Horton in the past. Hill ran a few modified races with his small block at the end of the year at tracks like Delaware International, Five Mile Point, and Hagerstown. Hill will still use the family owned #99H in a few special small block shows throughout the year.

Monday Morning Tidbits

South Jersey Dirt Racing is reporting that Vern McLaughlin will be moving up from the Outlaw Stocks division to the big block modified division. His website has been added to the links page.

Also, Shawn Donath will be driving for NY Tech Racing as a teammate to Tony Steiner, per Steiner's website. Donath will run the team's small block at 9 races throughout the season.

Also, look for Gary Tomkins to be back behind the wheel of the Chad Brachmann #3 big block modified at Fulton Speedway. But, nothing is official yet.

Sheppard, Hearn, and Rain Win Big

Well, it was another tough weekend, as rain started off the weekend claiming the Lernerville Speedway opener. On Saturday, Hagerstown Speedway got their first race of the season in, as the Super Dirt Series and 358 modifieds invaded the beautiful 1/2 mile. In the small blocks, Brett Hearn snuck around Matt Sheppard late in the race to pick up the feature win and the guarenteed starting spot for the 100 lap small block feature at Octoberfest. Sheppard held on for second, Pat Ward, Stewart Friesen, and Rick Laubach rounded out the top 5. In the big blocks, Billy Decker snuck by Matt Sheppard on a late race restart and picked up the $6,000 win. Sheppard finished second in the big blocks as well, Michael Storms had a great run for 3rd, and rounding out the top 5 was Danny Johnson, and a solid run for Billy Dunn.

On Sunday, Big Diamond had their big block $4,000 to win feature called after the rain swept in. All qualifying was completed, so the feature has been rescheduled for this Friday as they have their first points race of the season. Here's the line-up for the feature...

1st 20 Brett Hearn

2nd 1c Craig Von Dohren

3rd 357 Ryan Godown

4th 5 Rick Laubach

5th 3 Mike Nicholas

6th 14 Jimmy Horton

7th 99L Larry Wight

8th 37x Tommy Scheetz

9th 4 Duane Howard

10th 9s Matt Sheppard

11th 91 Billy Decker

12th 11 Billy Pauch Jr.

13th 00 Doug Manmiller

14th 66 Jerry Higbie

15th 1 Stewart Friesen

16th L85 Ted Lamb

17th 41 Jeff Strunk

18th 10 Bobby Varin

19th 7 Colt Harris

20th 314 Ricky Yetter

21st J3 Dale Hartz

22nd 19 Brent Boyer

23rd 44 Frank Cozze

24th 976 Don Norris

25th 1L Bill Lowden

26th 78 Neil Huber

27th 118 Sean Merkel

28th 42p Pat Ward

Pauch in Nero 49er for Hagerstown

The Super Dirt Series Twitter account has stated that Billy Pauch will drive the Nick Nero Motorsports #49er big block modified at tomorrow night's Super Dirt Series opener at Hagerstown Speedway. The car was driven by Chuck McKee part-time last year, and Danny Johnson drove the car at Volusia Speedway in February. The tweet also confirms that Jimmy Horton will be in attendance tomorrow night.

Gary Tomkins will also be in a different ride than usual tomorrow night, he'll be in the Chad Brachmann #3 big block modified. He's running the car tonight at Lernerville Speedway as well.

Redline NOT Re-opening, Racing this Weekend

Redline Raceway will not re-open for 2010. A press release was sent out from the track stating that unforeseen circumstances have prevented Vern Wasson and his partners from purchasing the facility. Brian Malcolm won the big block modified championship in a shortened season, as the track closed early in the summer. Hopefully something can be done to save the track in the future.

Racing resumes this weekend as Lernerville Speedway hosts their first race of the season, which will be the points opener. Big block modifieds will be on the card with their first weekly race of the season on Friday night. On Saturday, the Super Dirt Series has a 100 lap $6,000 to win series opener at Hagerstown Speedway. Small block modifieds will also have a complete show which will be highlighted by a 30 lap $2,000 to win feature and a guaranteed starting spot for the small block feature at Octoberfest. Wrapping up the weekend will be a big block modified, $4,000 to win race at Big Diamond Raceway on Sunday. The weather looks pretty good for the weekend, hope to see everyone at the races!

Mark Smoke

The racing world lost 358 modified driver Mark Smoke late Saturday/early Sunday. He was involved in an automobile accident. Mark was a regular on the 358 Dirt Series for a few years, and was a regular at Mohawk International Raceway. We extend our thoughts and prayers to Mark's friends, family, and the #9 crew.

Sheppard and Ward Win RoC Opener at Selinsgrove

Pat Ward took the lead away from Ray Swinehart early in Friday's small block feature and held off a charge from Duane Howard to collect the $2,200 feature win at Selinsgrove Speedway. Howard cut a tire late, which allowed Doug Manmiller to finished 2nd, rounding out the top 5 were Ronnie Johnson, Danny Johnson, and Ryan Godown.

In Saturday's feature, Matt Sheppard and Ryan Godown swapped the lead multiple times until Godown had problems with the front end, ending his night. Duane Howard made a late run, but it was Sheppard who picked up the $4,000 RoC big block feature. Howard ended up second, Pat Ward, Brett Hearn, and Danny Johnson rounded out the top 5.

Ryan Godown is now officially in the Norm Hansell Motorsports 357, and will run the car weekly at Big Diamond and Grandview. He was in the car at Selinsgrove both nights.

Tom Hager will return to the seat of a big block modified in 2010 after losing his leg, below the knee, to diabetes. Hager will run weekly at New Egypt.

Link Added; More Guys Going to Selinsgrove

I added Troy Wink's new website to the link page. Troy Wink, Jason Rood, Wade Hendrickson and Ryan Godown are all planning on running this weekend as well.

Weather Looking Good

Weather looks good for this weekend, as the RoC Dirt Tour opens up their season at Selinsgrove Speedway on Friday (small blocks) and Saturday (big blocks).

While, I don't have a whole lot of information, guys that I know plan on running at least one of the two days include Billy Pauch, Duane Howard, Brett Hearn, Matt Sheppard, Larry Wight, Billy Decker, Pat Ward, Richie Pratt, David Van Horn, Craig Von Dohren, Jimmy Davis, Kirk Horton, Lance Willix, Paul Kinney, Stewart Friesen, Brian Weaver, Billy Van Pelt, Billy VanInwegen, Grant Hilfiger, Mike Gular, Sean Merkel, Ted Lamb, Doug Manmiller, Bobby Varin, Danny Johnson, Scott Flammer, Del Rougeux, Jimmy Horton, Rick Laubach, Mike Colsten, Joey Colsten, Mitch Gibbs, Billy Pauch Jr, Michael Storms, Colt Harris, Danny Creeden, and Jeremy Markle. Hope to see everyone there!

Syracuse Expo Show

There are lots of pictures up on Dougs Dirt Diary from the Motorsports Expo in Syracuse. Lots of pictures of modifieds, plus some other cars.

Also, on South Jersey Dirt Racing there are a ton of mall show pictures from Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Not much news, but Bridgeport sportsman driver Jarad Miller will be moving up to the small block modified division and will run weekly at Grandview Speedway with his number 917 modified.

Back Home Again; Here are some Tidbits

Welp, back home from California. It was a great trip, but I'm glad to be home. Hagerstown looks like it'll get cancelled, we'll have to see what happens though, weather doesn't look promising, but I got plenty of tidbits.

Moose Eisenhart has sold off all his small block equipment and has purchased big block equipment for 2010. He and driver Keith Hoffman will run weekly for big block points at a track to be names later, but if you look at Hoffman's past history, it shouldn't be hard to figure out where they'll more than likely be running.

Jeff Heotzler, who was talking about retirement or at least sitting out 2010, has landed a ride to team with Elmo Reckner Racing in the team's #17 for a part-time season. Heotzler will run the entire Thunder Series at Fonda and Utica Rome. He'll also run some other specials throughout the year. Reckner will continue to run weekly at Fonda in 2010.

Gary Tomkins has landed a ride for 2 shows in late March. Tomkins will run in Chad Brachmann's #3 big block modified in the Lernerville Speedway opener on March 26th, and the team will head down to Hagerstown Speedway on March 27th for the Super Dirt Series opener.

Hagerstown Cancelled

Guess I spoke to soon, Hagerstown has cancelled for this coming weekend.

Hagerstown, Race Pro Weekly, Spring Break

Once again, not much to report. Hagerstown Speedway's race for this weekend is still on as of now (Wednesday.) This week's edition of Race Pro Weekly is posted, a couple of small articles on there, nothing major. Also, with spring break fast approaching for us Kutztown University students, I'll be heading to California with my girlfriend, which means, I won't be able to update the blog. I'll be leaving Friday, and I won't have this thing updated until the following Friday. I hope everyone gets to see some racing at Hagerstown while I'm gone!