Club Wago Crown Jewel Fantasy League Now Open!

The Club Wago Crown Jewel Fantasy League is officially taking entries. Five people have already signed up, and we hope to have more participants than the 33 people that signed up last year. The league is free to enter. We'll be giving away a 2010 Season Pass to the track of the winner's choice, a free 6-month Area Auto Racing News subscription to the highest finisher that isn't a subscriber (if the winner already gets AARN, it gets passed down to second place, and so on), along with merchandise donated to us by teams throughout the year.

Special thanks to Zach Aubertine Motorsports for the season pass donation, and to Jeff Withey and everyone at Area Auto Racing News for the free subscription.

Also, thanks to Brett Thayer from http://www.cowpattynation.blogspot.com/ for making that cool fantasy league logo!

Click here to read the rules and to sign up! http://jw4.proboards85.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=251&page=1

Troy Wink 2009 Paint Scheme

Well, Troy Wink won't be driving the #27 car that was posted on his website, or shown at the Atlantic City mall show early this year. Instead, he'll be driving a #44 which is a throwback to the early 90s. A picture of the car is available on his website here, http://www.winkmotorsports.com/team_44_results.htm#Team%2044%20Results

Big Diamond Added to Super Dirt Series Schedule

Big Diamond Raceway has announced that they will have their first Super Dirt Series race in a few years on April 26th. The race will be 75 laps and will pay $6,000 to win.

This now makes Big Diamond and Lernerville the only 2 tracks in Pennsylvania that are on the series schedule, there currently are no Dirt Series races scheduled in New Jersey or Delaware.

Matt Sheppard News...

Another paint scheme layout was found, this time a forum member of Dirt Track Digest pointed it out. Matt Sheppard's Tom Cullen owned #1x has the layout for it's 2009 scheme posted on Sheppard's website at http://www.matt-sheppard.com/news07.htm

That also answers some questions as to who would be behind the wheel of the Tom Cullen #1x in 2009. Willy Decker drove the car for most of the year last year, but the two sides parted ways late in 2008. Decker will run Utica Rome with his own #1x, no word on where Cullen will run with Sheppard.

Jimmy Horton in with Biever

Jimmy Horton will jump over to the Dick Biever Racing #14 big block modified for 2009, Chris Budihas confirmed on South Jersey Dirt Racing. No word on whether the team will run weekly, or just part-time. If the team will run weekly, that leaves another vacant ride with the Gino Postarivo #X big block modified.

Some stuff added...

Hey everyone, I added a bunch of driver links to the right side of this page. I tried to add every site that I could that's been updated at least since 2008, I know there are a few sites that aren't on the links page, like Ryan Phelps, Sam Martz, etc, but those guys hadn't updated their sites since 2007. If there are any I missed, shoot me an e-mail and let me know, Jman97531@aol.com

Also, a good friend of ours, Brett Thayer, started his own blog, you can view it at www.cowpattynation.blogspot.com he's got some neat stuff over there.

Below where the driver links page is added, and above where it lists the contributors to the site (it's just me and DiamondDog if you ever forget) I'll be adding media links as well.

Some More Paint Schemes...

Now that Volusia is over, we have a 2 week break until the modifieds return to the Hagerstown Speedway for the first time in 2009. So, to keep us busy, we've got some car shows going on throughout the northeast. Yesterday, Schaffer's Harley Davidson had a Race Day, which featured quite a few racecars, including the debuting of the 2009 paint schemes for modified drivers Shawn Fitzpatrick and Craig Whitmoyer. Billy Pauch Jr and Kyle Weiss also had their modifieds on display. Pictures of those cars are available on SouthJerseyDirtRacing.com.

Also, the S&N Racing Team, who will field a small block weekly for Jon Kellner at Grandview Speedway has a picture of their 2009 modified on their team website, which is available at http://www.sandnracing.com/

Tony Steiner, big block runner at Fulton and Brewerton Speedway, as well as select specials, has a preview of his 2009 ride on his website, which is available at http://www.tonysteiner.com/

Also, as reported on Dirt Track Digest, A.J. Romano and long-time car owner Bill Lake have parted ways. This has been confirmed on Romano's website. Romano will run part-time in 2009 instead of anywhere weekly in his own #16 big block modified.

Racing Family/Fraternity...INCREDIBLE!!!

Just sitting back this morning and reflecting on my Friday night out with my fiance and it got me thinking about the racing "family/fraternity" if you will.

After work Friday night, we decide to attend local racer Shawn Fitzpatrick's racing party he was having at a local establishment to kick off his 2009 racing season....We walk into the place, and man, IT'S PACKED, I mean this gig was really jumpin'....A good friend of mine I got to meet at BDR a few years back comes in a little bit later....A new friend I met over the internet is sitting there with his wife when we get there, he waves us over and finally I can put a face to the internet/message board name I've been seeing for years....There were a few of Shawn's on track competitiors there also this night, supporting another teams efforts....A noted angine builder and his wife were in attendance....Different folks who sponsor race cars were in the house for the party....Former racer turned car owner over the years is at the gathering supporting a fellow racer, whose own car won't be competting at the same track weekly this year....And last but not least, a seen MANY MANY DIEHARD RACING FANS coming out to support the local racer and his team....There just isn't any doubt that racing fans are some of the most supportive fans in any sport, honestly, THEY JUST ARE.

Just really got me thinking how the racing "family/fraternity" that so many of us are a part of, is just made up of INCREDIBLE, DEDICATED, CARING, and SUPER SUPPORTIVE people, it really is, and I'm so proud to be a part of it....I really have to thank my deceased aunt, she was the first one who took me to the race track when I was about 4 yrs old, after that first race I was HOOKED....It was just something inside of me that said, YEAH, THIS IS FOR ME, and it's been a part of my life ever since....And after Friday night and seeing all of the different people out supporting this get together, it really made me think how LUCKY I am and how a glad I am, that the local dirt track racing scene is a part of my life, and actually, how FORTUNATE I am to actually feel like your a part of something that makes me and so many othere feel like a big ole' family, because in many ways, if you think about, you really are, and I wouldn't change that feeling for the world.

Hearn Wins $5,000; Ward Takes Florida Title

Brett Hearn ended his Florida Speed Weeks with a $5,000 win in Saturday's big block finale. Hearn passed Andy Bachetti with less than 10 laps to go to pick up his first win of the year. Bachetti held on to finish second, Matt Sheppard, Billy Decker, and Pat Ward rounded out the top 5.

Pat Ward's fifth place finish was good enough to net him his second career Florida Dirt Tour title. The win gave him $1,000 of pocket money thanks to the Jeff Brownell race team.

Jamie Mills Wins Friday Night; Tidbits

Jamie Mills picked up his first win of the season as he won the 30 lap feature on Friday night. Pat Ward struggled, getting involved in two wrecks, causing him to lose his points lead to Dale Planck, who finished 3rd in the final results. Billy Decker started his first modified race of the year and finished second. The top 5 tonight was Jamie Mills, Billy Decker, Dale Planck, Matt Sheppard, and Andy Bachetti.

Colin Jackson scratched his #923 big block modified for the rest of the week. Alan Johnson barrell rolled the Scheider Brothers Racing #14J tonight, it doesn't look like they'll be able to repair the car for tomorrow.

Tomorrow night will be the Volusia finale, which will be a 50 lapper and will pay $5,000 to win.

Brian Weaver has finally found a ride in the Masagarus Racing #93. The team will run weekly at Utica Rome Speedway, and will also do some travelling on the RoC Dirt Tour and the NMX Series.