Off-season Recap

Ah, it's good to be back. Let's do some catching up on what we've missed over the off-season so far;

Nelson Motorsports named Demetrios Drellos the new driver of the #85 big-block. The Nelson team will compete weekly at Fonda Speedway with Drellos behind the wheel. The Drellos family 111 will be used in weekly action at Albany-Saratoga Speedway and will travel to about half of the Super DIRTcar Series races. The family's small block will be used for select races specials in the area.

Dom Buffalino parted ways with the Michael Bros. Racing team and joined Pakenham Motorsports. Buffalino will run weekly at New Egypt with the team and do some limited traveling. Rich Rutski will return to the Pakenham team as well, running as a teammate to Buffalino on Saturday nights at New Egypt.

Wade Hendrickson, who parted ways early in the off-season with the Craig Pondish team, will return to the seat of the Michaels Bros. 51m. Hendrickson, who ran for the team in the past, will start the year off running at both New Egypt and Bridgeport Speedway before ultimately deciding on a home track. Hendrickson also plans on doing select Short Track Super Series events with the team.

Danny Bouc will replace Hendrickson aboard the Craig Pondish #6, focusing their efforts on the Short Track Super Series South Region. Bouc will continue to run the family owned #32 in weekly action at New Egypt Speedway and may make a few appearances with the Mike Bent 88.

The Harry Behrent race team announced that they were expanding to 2-cars this season on the Short Track Super Series North Region tour, naming Mat Williamson the new driver of the team. Tommy Meier also returns to the Behrent team. Williamson will run his self-owned #6 weekly at Freedom Motorsports Park on Fridays at Merrittville Speedway on Saturdays while also running select Super DIRTcar Series and 358 DIRTcar Series events. Meier will run his own #33 1/3 in big and small block action at Orange County Fair Speedway weekly.

Davey Sammons will join the weekly modified ranks after running sprint cars full-time in recent years. Sammons will run weekly at New Egypt Speedway while making the occasional sprint car start.

DB Motorsports parted ways with driver Mike Laise and hired sportsman standout Ryan Lillick to take the seat of the #49 358-modified. Lillick and the team will run weekly at Grandview Speedway.

With the announcement that Can Am Motorsports Park would move to weekly action on Friday nights, Billy Dunn was forced to make a decision to leave the Ladouceur Racing #23 that he's driven to multiple championships on Friday nights at Mohawk International Raceway. Dunn will focus his efforts on the RLM Motorsports #9 in weekly action at Can Am, while piloting the Slack Racing big and small block in select DIRTcar Series events.

Sportsman star Brian Papiez will take over driving duties of the Hewlett Racing #901 in weekly action at New Egypt. The ride was vacated by Ryan Godown as he already has rides lined up with Steve Searock, Dieter Schmidt, and Mike Petruska in 2018.

Mike Stine will return to the seat of a modified in 2018 after sitting out a few seasons. The former Mercer Raceway Park regular will focus his big-block efforts on weekly action at Lernerville Speedway.

Grandview Speedway late model front runner Ron Kline has announced he will go late model racing in 2018 weekly at Grandview Speedway.

Asphalt modified champion Kris Graver will go dirt modified racing this season in weekly action at Big Diamond Speedway. Graver's cousin, Kevin Graver, will also field a car for rising star Briggs Danner at Big Diamond this year.

After capturing his first career victory in 2017, Bob Vedder has announced his retirement from the sport.

Tyler Trump (Can Am, Fulton, Utica Rome), Rocky Warner (Fonda, Utica Rome), Todd Root (Fulton), Ronnie Davis (Fulton), Jordan Justice (Delaware), Scott Hitchens (Delaware), T.J. Lilly (New Egypt), J.R. Fulper (New Egypt), Jordan Henn (Grandview), Glenn Forward (Fulton), Greg Martin (Ransomville), Roger Manning (Brigeport), Mike Williams (Ransomville), Matt Farham (Ransomville), Tom Neale (Merrittville), and Tom Richau (Ransomville) are moving up to the modified division in 2018.

Whitteker and Humes out with injury

The defending Brockville Ontario Speedway champion, Luke Whitteker, and big block veteran Dan Humes will both miss at least part of the 2018 season with back injuries. Whitteker was involved in a skiing accident over the off-season and could potentially miss the entire 2018 season, while Humes recently underwent back surgery and will be out of action for at least a few months.