Dunn, Phelps, Higbie, Bachetti, and McCreadie round out first three rows for Sunday’s lineup

MIDDLETOWN, N. Y. – Oct. 20, 2012 – The 51st Annual Eastern States Weekend got off to a wet start, with rain pushing Friday’s scheduled Super DIRTcar Series qualifying events to today, but the delay did not hamper eight-time Eastern States 200 champion Brett Hearn’s qualifying efforts.

Hearn, just coming off a successful week in Syracuse finding victory in the VP Small Engine Fuels 200, won the pole starting position for the Sunday’s Eastern States 200 with the fast time, a 21.260-second lap in time trials.

“It’s exactly what we wanted to do today because it makes tomorrow a whole lot easier,” Hearn said. “Now we can dictate the pace and hopefully get in the pits and get a nice clean stop, but anything can happen.”

The fastest six cars in time trials earn starting positions in the front three rows for Sunday’s race. For Saturday’s time trials at the Orange County Fair Speedway, drivers could enter more than one car in time trials, and both Hearn’s entries scored in the top six. His backup car registered a 22.019-second lap, placing fifth overall.

“Track position is very important here, so that puts a lot of emphasis on how you qualify. You don’t want to be trying to dig from the back of the pack if you don’t have to.”

However, anything can happen in 200 laps on Orange County’s “Hard Clay.”

“We’re just trying to make sure we have a car that stays and handles for the entire distance, not just the beginning of this race,” said Hearn, whose team is especially concerned about tire wear.

Series point runner-up Jimmy Phelps, Orange County Fair Speedway track champion Jerry Higbie, series fifth in points Billy Dunn, Andy Bachetti, and Tim McCreadie also qualified strongly for Sunday’s Eastern States 200 by topping time trials.

The remaining starting positions are determined by qualifying races, which ran today, and non-qualifiers races, which are scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 21, at 12:30 p.m. following street stock heats.

The Eastern States 200 for the Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21.

Eastern States 200, Qualifying Events

Heat 1 Finish: 1. 27J Danny Johnson; 2. 1 Stewart Friesen; 3. 5 Jimmy Horton; 4. 57 Donnie Corellis; 5. 8R Rob Bellinger; 6. 48T Dave Rauscher; 7. 2b Dominick Buffalino; 8. 21m Bob McGannon; 9. 21p Pepi Carradi; 10. 4sL Bobby Hentschel

Heat 2 Finish: 1. 3 Justin Haers; 2. 10V Billy Van Inwegen; 3. 21k Randy Chrysler; 4. 42P Pat Ward; 5. 3h Jeff Heotzler; 6. 3K Mark Kislowsky; 7. 10h Matt Hitchcock; 8. 24s Chris Shultz; 9. 27 David Hunt; 10. 21L Jeff Hulseapple

Heat 3 Finish: 1. 91 Billy Decker; 2. 66 Bobby Varin; 3. 1H Tim Hindley; 4. 88 Steve Dodd; 5. 21 Clinton Mills; 6. dc1 Danny Creeden; 7. 8 Rich Scagliotta; 8. 93x Craig Mitchell; 9. 71d Frank Doty

Heat 4 Finish: 1. 115 Kenny Tremont, Jr.; 2. 84T Gary Tomkins; 3. 33.3 Tommy Meier; 4. 10s Randy Sherlock; 5. 2R Ronnie Johnson; 6. 21a Pete Britten; 7. 5* Tyler Siri; 8. 20C Craig Hanson; 9. 15 Adam Pierson

Heat 5 Finish: 1. 74 Tim Fuller; 2. 6X Jackie Brown; 3. 99L Larry Wight; 4. 77J Keith Flach; 5. 10c Tim Currier; 6. 25K Mike Kolka; 7. 6N Kevin Bates; 8. 84 Melvin Schrufer; 9. J17 Jeff Heotzler

Heat 6 Finish: 1. 9s Matt Sheppard, 2. 14e Richie Eurich; 3. 79 Jeremy Markle; 4. 53 Ric Hill; 5. 56 Vince Vitale; 6. 4R Mike Ruggiero; 7. 347 Steve Nowakowski; 8. 7s Michael Sabia; 9. 19 Chuck McKee

Time trials: 1. 20H Brett Hearn, 21.620; 2. 49 Billy Dunn, 21.648; 3. 97 Jerry Higbie, 21.965; 4. 34b Andy Bachetti, 22.001; 5. 20HH Brett Hearn, 22.019; 6. 4* Tim McCreadie, 22.045; 7. 98b Jimmy Phelps, 22.076; 8. 27J Danny Johnson, 22.120; 9. 3 Justin Haers, 22.133; 10. 98H Jimmy Phelps, 22.174; 11. 91 Billy Decker, 22.192; 12. 115 Kenny Tremont, Jr., 22.211; 13. 6X Jackie Brown, 22.278; 14. 9s Matt Sheppard, 22.295; 15. 1 Stewart Friesen, 22.303; 16. 10V Billy Van Inwegen, 22.317; 17. 66 Bobby Varin, 22.324; 18. 84T Gary Tomkins, 22.338; 19. 74 Tim Fuller, 22.463; 20. 53 Ric Hill, 22.471; 21. 5 Jimmy Horton, 22.499; 22. 42P Pat Ward, 22.515; 23. 88 Steve Dodd, 22.533; 24. 33.3 Tommy Meier, 22.556; 25. 77J Keith Flach, 22.562; 26. 14e Richie Eurich, 22.565; 27. 57 Donnie Corellis, 22.577; 28. 21k Randy Chrysler, 22.580; 29. 1H Tim Hindley, 22.635; 30. 10s Randy Sherlock, 22.580; 31. 33.3 Tommy Meier, 22.674; 32. 10VV Billy Van Inwegen; 33. 10c Tim Currier, 22.696; 34. 79 Jeremy Markle, 22.704; 35. 48T Dave Rauscher, 22.710; 36. 3h Jeff Heotsler, 22.747; 37. dc1 Danny Creeden, 22.750; 38. 21a Pete Britten, 22.771; 39. 99L Larry Wight, 22.803; 40. 19 Chuck McKee, 22.815; 41. 8R Rob Bellinger, 22.836; 42. 10h Matt Hitchcock, 22.849; 43. 21 Clinton Mills, 22.850; 44. 2R Ronnie Johnson, 22.859; 45. 25KK Mike Kolka, 22.887; 46. 56 Vince Vitale, 22.936; 47. 2b Dominick Buffalino, 22.988; 48. 3K Mark Kislowsky, 23.001; 49. 25K Mike Kolka, 23.003; 50. 8 Rich Scagliotta, 23.004; 51. 5* Tyler Siri, 23.040; 52. 6N Kevin Bates, 23.049; 53. 7s Michael Sabia, 23.068; 54. 21MM Bob McGannon, 23.106; 55. 33R Chuck McKee, 23.145; 56. 24s Chris Schultz, 23. 156; 57. 21m Bob McGannon, 23.228; 58. 93x Craig Mitchell, 23.235; 59. 20C Craig Hanson, 23.246; 60. 10SS Randy Sherlock, 23.259; 61. 84 Melvin Schrufer, 23.272; 62. 4RR Mike Ruggiero, 23.392; 63. 21p Pepi Corradi, 23.397; 64. 27 David Hunt, 23.434; 65. 71d Frank Doty, 23.435; 66. 15 Adam Pierson, 23.452; 67. J17 Jeff Heotsler, Jr., 23.563; 68. 347 Steve Nowakowski, 23.609; 69. 4R Mike Ruggiero, 23.630; 70. 4sl Bobby Hentschel, 23.811; 71. 21L Jeff Hulseapple, 24.172

The Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast Region is brought to fans by several sponsors and partners including Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, Chevy Performance Parts, Gander Mountain, NAPA Auto Parts, Nationwide Insurance, and Safety-Kleen. Promotional partners include the University of Northwestern Ohio. Contingency sponsors are ASI, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix, ButlerBuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Intercomp, JE Pistons, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, KSE Racing Products, Motorsports Safety Systems, MSD Ignition, Penske Shocks, Racing Electronics, Superflow, Vicci Racing Apparel, WIX Filters, Wrisco Industries, and Xtreme Lubricants.