Specials for This Week

Well, it's another big week in dirt modified racing. It all starts tomorrow night at Penn Can Speedway as the RoC Dirt Tour invades for a 75 lap $4,000 to win big block special. On Wednesday Five Mile Point Speedway will be running the completion of their show from last weekend which will include features for all divisions plus a modified consi. Then, on Thursday, the Super Dirt Series runs at Orange County Fair Speedway for 100 laps with $6,000 going to the winner. Also on Thursday, the Canadian Dirt Series will head to Mohawk International Raceway for a 100 lap $3,000 to win big block event. On Friday night the Canadian Dirt Series continues their busy weekend with a trip to Edelweiss Speedway for another $3,000 to win 100 lap big block special. Also on Friday, the 358 Super Dirt Series heads to Ransomville Speedway for the prestigious Alex Friesen Memorial which will pay $6,800 to the winner of the 68 lap event. On Saturday the Canadian Dirt Series heads to Brockville Ontairio Speedway for yet another 100 lap $3,000 to win show, at Lebanon Valley on Saturday will be race #3 of the 4 race mini-series which will eventually crown the King of the Valley, and also on Saturday the Forrest Rogers Memorial will be run for small block modifieds at Grandview Speedway which will pay $10,000 to the winner of the 50 lap feature. Finally, on Sunday, the Canadian Dirt Series will run it's finale at Cornwall Speedway with their final 100 lapper.

Danny Johnson Done at JIR

For the 2nd time in 3 years, Danny Johnson has quit the JIR Racing Team. Johnson, who currently sits in 9th in Super Dirt Series points with 3 top 5s and 4 top 10s, and picked up a win at Utica Rome's Victoria 200 that payed him $10,000 to win. He's also been making select Late Model starts with the team. Danny currently has no ride with the exception of the Mike Payne 358 modified, which he'll be running part-time, splitting his time this year in the car with Gary Tomkins. Joe Isabell, Jeff Isabell, Jeff Isabell Jr, Sean Beardsley, and Johnny Hill will continue to pilot JIR cars, at least on a part-time basis, for the rest of the year. Stayed tuned for Danny Johnson news.

Swartzlander Takes Tyler County, Sunday night Winners

I forgot to mention in the Saturday night winners that the only big block modified race in West Virgina was won by Brian Swartzlander who extended his points lead in the BRP Modified Tour. According to our own Josh Bayko on Dirt Track Digest, Swartzlander started 23rd and picked up the win.

Stewart Friesen won at Utica Rome and broke Pat Ward's hot streak, Robert King picked up a popular win at Devils Bowl, Alex Fortier picked up an exciting win at Cornwall, and I also forgot to mention that Brian Swartzlander also notched off the win at Lernerville on Friday night.

Friday/Saturday Modified Winners

Friday night saw; Jeff Strunk open up his points lead at Big Diamond with a win, Pete Bicknell adds another win to his list of accomplishments with another win at Ransomville, Joey Grammes picked up another win at Penn Can, defending champion Willy Decker picked up a big win at Brewerton, Mel Schruffer pulled off the upset win at Accord, Lee Ladouceur won at Edelweiss, and Matt DeLorenzo picked up his 2nd win of the year at Albany.

Saturday night saw a lot of rain, but of the tracks that did run, Jamie Mills ended H.J. Bunting's hot-streak with a win at Delaware, Jeff Heotzler won his 2nd race in a row at Orange County, Craig Von Dohren completed his big week with a win at Grandview, Donnie Ackner picked up the popular win in race #2 of the King of the Valley series at Lebanon Valley, Tad Cox, Tim Tanner, Rick Laubach, won the first 3 features at New Egypt, and Keith Hoffman won the final feature at New Egypt which netted him $5,000, and Jimmy Chester picked up his 1st win of the season with a win at Bridgeport. Stayed tuned for Sunday night's winners!

King of the Valley news, David Hebert wins at Granby

Also worth noting that race #2 of the innagural King of the Valley mini series will be run Saturday night at Lebanon Valley. Kenny Tremont took race 1 of the 4 race series. A $4,000 bonus will go to the points leader of those 4 races, and they'll be crowned King of the Valley.

Congratulations to David Hebert for winning race #1 of the Canadian Dirt Series at Autodrome Granby. The 100 lap big block win put $3,000 in his pocket. The 5 other races will be run within the next week, all of which are 100 laps and $3,000 to win.

Another Driver Sidelined with Injury

Following the news a few days about that A.J. Romano will be out of action for most, if not all, of 2008 due to injury that needs surgery, another modified star will be out of action for most of the year. Steve Durand, former Orange County regular and current Bridgeport big block regular, will be out of action for most of the year from the Thorton Race #924 big block modified due to back surgery. Durand is a feature winner already this year at Bridgeport, and also picked up a win last year in his first season driving for the Thorton team. Get well soon Steve! Expect to see Durand back in the seat in the final weeks of the Bridgeport season.

Von Dohren takes Race for a Cure

Craig Von Dohren took the $4,000 win at Bridgeport Speedway Wednesday night in the MS Race for a Cure big block 40 lap feature. He also picked up $50 for every lap he led. John Stangle picked up the small block win worth $2,500 for 25 laps.

Rain Dates and Thunder Mountain News

After Utica Rome rained out for their RoC Dirt Tour Racing tonight (Wednesday, July 23rd) they've resceduled their race for August 13th. The problem with this for Thunder Mountain Speedway is that is the day their lone modified race of the year is scheduled, as the T3 All-Star Small Block Series was scheduled to come to town that day. Now, the date for that event has been pushed back one week to August 20th.

Bridgeport also cancelled the MS Race For a Cure event which was supposed to race tonight. It will now be run tomorrow, July 24th.

When Stewart Friesen returns to the Norm Hansell owned #357 for special events at both Grandview and Big Diamond, look for the team to enter two cars, and Rick Schaffer, who has been driving since Friesen's suspension, will be behind the wheel of the 2nd car.

Updated Chad Miller Memorial info

Folks, the list just keeps getting bigger and bigger as to what sponsors are coming on board for the Chad Miller Memorial Race at Big Diamond Raceway on August 8th....Kauffman's Chicken BBQ has come on board in a BIG WAY for this special event....Some notes to add about what will be happening on race night at the track....There will be a pre-race party on the granstands side, and BDR co-announcer Pete Knappenberger will be the DJ/host of the party, joining Pete will be the Racer's Rountable Girls also....Miss AARN Alyssa Sharman will be on hand for this special night....News comes out today that there will be an auction held on race night for the Chad Miller Memorial Race, a few items have already been donated....A piece of sheet metal off of the #126 car autographed by Jeff Strunk will be up for auction....Check this out, a 2008 BDR t-shirt autographed by all of the WoO Late Model drivers that raced at BDR in June will be up for bid....A Roush/Fenway t-shirt has been donated for the auction, and the shirt is autographed by Nascar drivers David Ragan ad Jamie McMurray.

There is still time for anyone who wants to come on board as a sponsor, BIG or SMALL, it doesn't matter....Lap sponsors for the race are going for $10 each, JUST TEN BUCKS and you too can help make the 2008 Chad Miller Memorial Race bigger and better than last years....Please contact Brad Reinhert @ (717) 278-1036 if you would like to be a part of this special event, HE'll HOOK YOU UP.

Troy Wink not done yet!

After announcing his retirement, Troy Wink has announced he will continue racing for the rest of the year and beyond after a slew of people begging him to keep racing. Troy is probably the most improved driver this year, moving up 15 spots in the points standings to just outside the top 10 at Big Diamond over the past few weeks. Special thanks to T.J. Wink, Troy's son, who also drives every once in a while in the team's #127 small block, for a nice letter on SJDR directed to his dad. I know he did more to get his dad back racing than anyone else.