World of Outlaws World Finals Win Widens Point Gap Between Leader Hearn and Runner-up Sheppard

CONCORD, N.C. – Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013 – Brett Hearn is rounding out another strong Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series season with unparalleled success at the World of Outlaws World Finals. After winning two heat races Thursday, Hearn made the redraw for Friday’s feature, drew the pole, and led the 40-lap race flag to flag.

“I knew we had a good car yesterday in qualifying,” Hearn reflected after Friday’s victory, which didn’t come easy with Matt Sheppard and Stewart Friesen challenging Hearn’s supremacy.

Three-time defending Super DIRTcar Series Champion Matt Sheppard was just over 100 points shy of the tour leader, Hearn, before Friday’s race, and went into the feature hoping to pick up his first Charlotte win and shake up the point standings. Sheppard started the race in seventh, but by the second lap was challenging Ryan Godown for third thanks to a strong restart. (more…)

Defending series champion battles track champion Billy Dunn to the finish

Photo Courtesy: Rick Young

AKWESASNE, N. Y. – Saturday, September 15, 2013 – After a thrilling 100 laps, Matt Sheppard, of Waterloo, N. Y., claimed victory in the Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series feature at Mohawk International Raceway.

Sheppard charged forward from his 11th starting position to crack the top-five by lapp 25. Soon enough, Sheppard was in second and challenging then-leader Billy Dunn for the top spot. Sheppard took the lead in lap 56, and the two swapped positions several times in an exciting battle to the finish.

“Me and Billy went at it for…I don’t know how many laps, but it seemed like a lot,” said Sheppard, the three-time defending Super DIRTcar Series Champion. “It was a lot of fun. All I know is we had a good car, we got up front.” (more…)

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 7) – Dylan Smith heads the list of first-time champions crowned Saturday night at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.

Smith led the last 10 circuits in winning the Modified main event at Boone Speedway. Restarts erased each of Chris Mills’ big leads and helped open the door for Smith, who then had to hold off Jon Snyder following a late restart.

“I knew if we could stay in the top four we’d have a shot at it in the end,” said Smith, who earned $5,800 for his efforts, including a $3,800 Speedway Motors Weekly Racing bonus. “I really didn’t want to see that yellow come with two laps to go but it all worked out.”

Keith White and Shawn Kilgore completed the top four. Kilgore had started 15^th. (more…)

Matt Sheppard and Danny Johnson Charge Ahead in Lapped Traffic to Podium Finishes

THOROLD, ONTARIO – Monday, August 5, 2013 – After battling through lapped traffic for the lead over St. Catharines racer Mike Bowman, three-time Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series Champion Matt Sheppard took his second series win of the season at Merrittville Speedway Monday, Aug. 5.

“We’ve had a lot of great race cars at Merrittville over the years, and I think this is probably the best one we’ve ever had,” said Sheppard, of Waterloo, N. Y. Before Bowman’s win in 2012, Sheppard claimed three consecutive Super DIRTcar Series races at Merrittville Speedway. “I love this place, I have a lot of success here.”

Bowman sought to repeat his success in last year’s Bob St. Amand Sr. Memorial Super DIRTcar Series feature, in which he led all 100 laps to claim his first-ever series win. At the green flag in Monday’s race, he charged ahead of pole-sitter Gary Tomkins claiming first before the completion of lap 1. The local star stayed ahead of the pack in the No. 71, leaving Chris Steele and Gary Tomkins behind him in a fight for second. (more…)

Inaugural Sportsman Modified Series visit to Quebec spells victory for Bernier

Drummondville, Quebec – Monday, July 22, 2013 – Martin Bélanger, DIRTcar Correspondent – A perfect night for racing greeted the fans and competitors for round number four of the DIRTcar Sportsman Series at Autodrome Drummond for a first Quebec swing in ”la belle province.”

Adam Hilton and Guy Ouellette shared the top row for the 50-lap Sportsman event, Ouellette had a great jump and got the initial lead over Yves Leveillee and Steve Bernier as Hilton faded to sixth. The first caution came on lap 4 as Jenna David and Boyd McTavish had issues.

On the following green, Steve Bernier was the new leader using the top side as Ouellette was second and Mathieu Desjardins in third.

Bernier was pulling away from the field as Desjardins got by Ouellette for second with a dozen laps in the books.

Desjardins closed in with the leader and took the lead on lap 17 just as Samuel Lajoie slowed the field down.

When the green lights came back out, Bernier to the lead with Desjardins by his side as top 5 runner, Dany Gagné stopped in turn 2 and the race was slowed again.

Bernier maintained the lead as Desjardins went a little high, momentarily losing second, but was back in full force with Ladouceur still racing with him as the race closed in to halfway. (more…)

“The Natural” claims first series win with Mike Payne Racing

“The Natural” Dale Planck, of Cortland, N. Y., wrestled the lead from Billy Dunn, of Watertown, N. Y., with 15 laps to go in Monday’s Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series feature, taking the win in a six-leader, 100-lap race.

“The car wasn’t quite what I wanted it to be early in the race,” said Planck, who, after drawing the 12th spot, had his work cut out for him just breaking the top five. “I was just hoping that later in the race it would come around, and, sure enough, at about lap 60 or 70, it just started rolling around the middle good.”

In the Mike Payne owned 7z, Planck charged forward late in the race, claiming second after a lap-79 caution took leader Haers to the pits. Haers’s was the fourth car of the race, after Steve Bernard’s, Matt Sheppard’s and Danny Johnson’s, to break while in the lead.

With Haers out of the race, Dunn inherited the lead and held on to it on the restart. Planck challenged for the lead in lap 82, and nearly claimed it, but another yellow in lap 82 slowed his momentum and brought the field back together.

Ever persistent, Planck charged forward on the restart, breaking through Dunn’s defense in lap 84 to claim the lead. (more…)

PEEBLES, Ohio — July 17, 2013 — Pole-sitter Doug Adkins stormed out to an early lead and never looked back as he led flag-to-flag to claim his first win on the 2013 DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals tour at Brushcreek Motorsports Park.

Although it was a non-points race, a full field of modifieds roared into the 3/8-mile oval. Adkins, of West Portsmouth, Ohio, started from the inside of row one and never relinquished the lead over the 20-lap A-Main.

Adkins was challenged though, as Jess Hartman charged from fourth to second. Adkins moved from the bottom to the middle to try and hold off Hartman, who was glued to the top of the racetrack. Hartman would take several shots to the inside of Adkins, but Adkins would carry the momentum off of the high side of the track and beat Hartman out of the corner. (more…)

PEEBLES, Ohio — July 17, 2013 — Pole-sitter R.J. Conley claimed his first career DIRTcar Summer Nationals “Hell Tour” victory Wednesday night at Brushcreek Motorspoirts Park.

Conley, of Wheelersburg, Ohio, started on the inside of row one with Dustin Griffin on the outside. Conley pulled out to an early lead but relinquished it on a lap-17 restart to Jason Jameson, who had maneuvered his way to the front after starting in fifth. Jameson, who utilized the top groove to make his way to the front, stretched his lead over the rest of the field.

Jameson, of Lawrenceburg, Ind., dominated the next five laps and looked to be the car to beat, until his machine slowed on lap 23, letting Conley slip back in front. Conley then moved up the track and held off a late-race charge from Greg Johnson, who kept his car glued to the bottom and had a fender under Conley a few times but could never gather enough momentum to make a pass for the lead, letting Conley capture the $5,000 checkered flag. (more…)