For Nine Years, Rick Laubach Traveled from Pennsylvania to Florida, Hoping to Score a Victory His Whole Family Could Watch

BARBERVILLE, FLA – February 23, 2013 – When Rick Laubach pulled his Enders-powered No. 7 TEO chassis out of victory lane yesterday, a crowd of a couple dozen people followed him. His extended family gathered around his pit stall after the race to help him celebrate his first-ever win in the state.

“My family lives down in Fort Lauderdale,” said Lauter, of Quakertown, Penn. “When I come here it’s like a little bit of a reunion. I get to see my niece, my sister, and everybody. My parents come down and it’s fun.”

They were all there to watch him beat Big Block Modified legend Danny Johnson to the finish line Friday, Feb. 22, for the third of four Super DIRTcar Series feature events during UNOH DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment at Volusia Speedway Park.

“It really feels awesome. I knew we felt good tonight coming here and it couldn’t get any better,” said Laubach, who has competed in UNOH DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment for nine years. “It means a little more to us, I guess.”

Laubach’s success started early Friday, clocking the fastest lap in timed hot laps at 17.610 seconds. He won his heat and a lucky redraw let him pick the outside pole starting position. He took the lead at the green, and kept it through 30 laps and four cautions.

Although he never relinquished his top spot, the race was a nail-biter for Laubach. Danny Johnson, who started on the inside pole, kept his 27J bumper-to-bumper with Laubach through every turn, determined to pull off his second Volusia win of 2013. Unfortunately for “the Doctor,” Laubach was strong on restarts, taking the outside every time, and unflinching during green laps.

“He’s fast, and he’s already got a win as well, so he’s comfortable,” Laubach said of Johnson. “We’ve never won down here before – been close once – and I could feel him there.”

“I would move down a little on the starts to take away any kind of slide job from him, and then I would just get comfortable back on the outside and go,” Laubach said.

Finishing third Friday was Pete Britten, whose success at UNOH DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment, includes another third-place finish and a fourth. Britten drove from 13th on the starting grid to third at the checkered.

“It gives me confidence that I know the car is really fast in the feature. It’s also frustrating that I’m not time trialing as well as I normally do. Normally time trials are such a strong part of my race night. I’m always putting myself out front, but tonight, and the past couple of nights, I haven’t been doing as well,” Britten said. “I seem to be getting better and better in the feature races and worse and worse in time trials and heat races, but I guess it’s the feature race that counts.”

The Australian Modified star was a consistently strong qualifier last season in Super DIRTcar Series point events, almost always placing first or second in heat races. In feature races, he claimed one top-five finishe and five top-tens.

“Hopefully we’ll come down tomorrow night, do well in the time trial, start near the front of the field, and not make it so hard on ourselves,” Britten said of Saturday’s Super DIRTcar Series race that concludes UNOH DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment.

Last season, the Australian driver scored just one top-five finish among Super DIRTcar Series points races and five top-ten. However, he often fared well in qualifying rounds, almost always placing first or second in heat races.

Rounding out the top ten are H. J. Bunting III in fourth place, Stewart Friesen in fifth, Brett Hearn in sixth, Alan Johnson in seventh, Francois Bernier in eighth, Matt Sheppard in ninth, and Tim Fuller in tenth.

UNOH DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment concludes today, Saturday, February 23, at Volusia Speedway Park featuring the Super DIRTcar Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. Gates open at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m.

UNOH DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment

Volusia Speedway Park

February 22, 2013

Super DIRTcar Series – Statistical Report

A-Main (30 laps): 1. 7 Rich Laubach/Quakertown, Penn. ($2,000); 2. 27J Danny Johnson/Rochester, N.Y.; 3. 21a Pete Britten/Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; 4. 85J H.J. Bunting III/Milford, Del.; 5. 85f Stewart Friesen/Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario; 6. 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex, N.J.; 7. 10J Alan Johnson/Middlesex, N.Y.; 8. 49 Francois Bernier/St-Hyacinthe, Quebec; 9. 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo, N.Y.; 10. 74 Tim Fuller/Edwards, N.Y.; 11. 6 Mat Williamson/St. Catharines, Ontario; 12. 3 Justin Haers/Phelps, N.Y.; 13. 10 Billy VanInwegen/Sparrowbush, N.Y.; 14. 85 Dan Vauter/Clifford,Penn.; 15. 99 Bruno LaPage/Maplegrove, Quebec; 16. 22c Mario Clair/St-Edouard, Quebec; 17. 323 Neal Williams/Pittsgrove, N.J.; 18. T21 Roger Chrysler/Lewiston, N.Y.; 19. 21K Randy Chrysler/Lewiston, N.Y.; 20. 8r Rob Bellinger/Cicero, N.Y.; 21. 88 Dave Allen/Palmyra, N.Y.; 22. 42b Kevin Bates/Lake Ariel, N.Y.; 23. 30 Jamie Mills/Milford, Del.; 24. 518 Kyle Sheldon/Nassau, N.Y.; 25. 34B Andy Bachetti/Sheffield, Mass.; 26. 5 Jimmy Horton, Neshanic Station, N.J.;DNS: 8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook, N.J.; 901 Eric Kormann/Vineland, N.J.; 1 Darwin Greene/Susquehanna, Penn.; 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo, N.Y.; 14 C. G. Morey/Rutland, Vt.; 79 Jeremy Markle/Port Jarvis, N.Y.; 97 Michel Chicoine/Ste-Cecile-de-Milton, Quebec; 64 Daniel Nadeau/Montreal, Quebec; 29 Chris Ostrowsky/Conklin, N.Y.

Qualifying Heats (8 laps, top 2 to redraw, top 5 qualify)

Heat 1: 1. 10J Alan Johnson; 2. 49 Francois Bernier; 3. 34B Andy Bachetti; 4. 21a Pete Britten; 5. 74 Tim Fuller; 6. T21 Roger Chrysler; 7. 8 Rich Scagliotta; 8. 8r Rob Bellinger; 9. 901 Eric Kormann; 10. 14 C. G. Morey

Heat 2: 1. 7 Rich Laubach; 2. 85J H. J. Bunting III; 3. 5 Jimmy Horton; 4. 323 Neal Williams; 5. 22c Mario Clair; 6. 6 Mat Williamson; 7. 1 Darwin Greene; 8. 48too Dave Rauscher; 9. 34 Steve Hough; 10. 29 Chris Ostrowsky

Heat 3: 1. 10 Billy VanInwegen; 2. 20 Brett Hearn; 3. 30 Jamie Mills; 4. 21K Randy Chrysler; 5. 99 Bruno LaPage; 6. 88 David Allen; 7. 518 Kyle Sheldon; 8. 64 Daniel Sheldon

Heat 4: 1. 27J Danny Johnson; 2. 9s Matt Sheppard; 3. 3 Justin Haers; 4. 85f Stewart Friesen; 5. 42b Kevin Bates; 6. 79 Jeremy Markle; 7. 85 Dan Vauter; 8. 97 Michel Chicoine; 9. 5* Tyler Siri

Last Chance Showdown 1: 1. 6 Mat Williamson; 2. T21 Roger Chrysler; 3. 8 Rich Scagliotta; 4. 901 Eric Kormann; 5. 1 Darwin Greene; 6. 48too Dave Rauscher; 7. 8r Rob Bellinger; 8. 14 C. G. Morey

Last Chance Showdown 2: 1. 518 Kyle Sheldon; 2. 88 Dave Allen; 3. 85 Dan Vauter; 4. 79 Jeremy Markle; 5. 97 Michel Chicoine; 6. 64 Daniel Nadeau; 7. 29 Chris Ostrowsky

Timed Hot Laps: 1. 7 Rich Laubach, 17.610; 2. 27J Danny Johnson, 17.820; 3. 9s Matt Sheppard, 17.873; 4. 85J H. J. Bunting III, 17.958; 5. 85f Stewart Friesen, 17.969; 6. 323 Neal Williams, 18.100; 7. 3 Justin Haers, 18.111; 8. 10J Alan Johnson, 18.153; 9. 5 Jimmy Horton, 18.179; 10. 79 Jeremy Markle, 18.188; 11. 22c Mario Clair, 18.284; 12. 10 Billy VanInwegen, 18.445; 13. 21K Randy Chrysler, 18.487; 14. 49 Francois Bernier, 18.543; 15. 1 Darwin Greene, 18.567; 16. 42b Kevin Bates, 18.612; 17. 34B Andy Bachetti, 18.670; 18. 8 Rich Scagliotta, 18.675; 19. 85 Dan Vauter, 18.684; 20. 8r Rob Bellinger, 18.697; 21. 20 Brett Hearn, 18.718; 22. 30 Jamie Mills, 18.721; 23. 97 Michel Chicoine, 18.799; 24. 21a Pete Britten, 18.820; 25. 34 Steve Hough, 18.834; 26. 6 Mat Williamson, 18.949; 27. 518 Kyle Sheldon, 19.054; 28. 74 Tim Fuller, 19.075; 29. T21 Roger Chrysler, 19.141; 30. 29 Chris Ostrowsky, 19.164; 31. 88 Dave Allen, 19.243; 32. 14 C. G. Morey, 19.324; 33. 5* Tyler Siri, 19.456; 34. 901 Eric Kormann, 19.546; 35. 64 Daniel Nadeau, 19.651