{"id":4364,"date":"2011-02-02T12:09:19","date_gmt":"2011-02-02T12:09:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/?p=4364"},"modified":"2011-02-02T12:13:14","modified_gmt":"2011-02-02T12:13:14","slug":"reigning-mr-dirtcar-modified-champ-matt-sheppard-leads-big-block-contingent-into-40th-dirtcar-nationals-by-unoh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/series\/reigning-mr-dirtcar-modified-champ-matt-sheppard-leads-big-block-contingent-into-40th-dirtcar-nationals-by-unoh\/","title":{"rendered":"Reigning Mr. DIRTcar Modified Champ Matt Sheppard Leads Big-Block Contingent Into 40th DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH"},"content":{"rendered":"

Contact: Kevin Kovac
\nDIRTcar Public Relations
\n704-254-7929 \/ kkovac@dirtcar.com<\/span><\/p>\n

Florida\u2019s Volusia Speedway Park Hosts Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified Action Feb. 16-19<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

BARBERVILLE, FL \u2013 Feb. 1, 2011 \u2013 Two feature wins during last year\u2019s DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH proved to be a harbinger of great things to come in 2010 for Matt Sheppard.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old DIRTcar Big-Block Modified sensation from Waterloo, N.Y., is hoping to follow the same template\"\"<\/a> in 2011 when he once again heads south to kick off his campaign with four consecutive nights of non-point Super DIRTcar Series action (Feb. 16-19) as part of the 40th<\/sup> annual mid-winter racing extravaganza at Volusia Speedway Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel great about how we started out last year at Volusia and then carried that momentum into the season back at home,\u201d said Sheppard, who posted a circuit-leading total of 19 DIRTcar-sanctioned feature wins in 2010 en route to capturing his first career overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Big-Block Modified championship. \u201cWe\u2019ll try to do the same thing this year. It\u2019s a new season and anything can happen, but we\u2019re just gonna keep doing what we\u2019ve been doing and see if we can keep it going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sheppard will have four chances to reach Victory Lane at the half-mile Volusia oval during the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. The DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds are scheduled to run 30-lap, $2,000-to-win features on Wed., Feb. 16, Thurs., Feb. 17, and Fri., Feb. 18, before closing the meet with a 50-lap finale paying $5,000 to win on Sat., Feb. 19.<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s Big-Block Modified competition at Volusia saw Sheppard win twice in three starts (one race was rained out), highlighted by his triumph in the extra-distance series closer. He finished sixth in the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH opener and then scored back-to-back triumphs, propelling him to the event points title for the first time.<\/p>\n

Sheppard registered his first-ever victories at Volusia last year, breaking through after coming close to a checkered flag several times in 2009. He set the stage for his \u201910 success the previous year with finishes of second, third and fourth as well as a heartbreaking near-win in the week\u2019s Big-Block opener.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were really good down there at Volusia (in 2009),\u201d said Sheppard, who has started 18 DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH features during his eight-year Big-Block Modified career. \u201cI think we were fast enough to win every night, but we drew a lot of bad starting positions and some stuff happened when we were actually in good position. I remember that first night I was trying to pass Pat Ward for the lead with a few laps to go, but we bumped together and I got a flat right-rear (relegating him to a 16th<\/sup>-place finish).<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year we went back with the exact same deal (as 2009) and things worked out a little bit better for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sheppard plans to battle in this year\u2019s DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH behind the wheel of the Jeff Brownell Sr.-owned Xtreme Lubricants Bicknell car\"\"<\/a> he debuted in last November\u2019s Lowes Food World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. It\u2019s virtually a twin to the machine he drove last year at Volusia, a sweeping, D-shaped track that he likens \u2013 in a manner of speaking \u2013 to his Sunday-night home, Cayuga County Raceway in Weedsport, N.Y.<\/p>\n

\u201cShape-wise, Volusia\u2019s about the same as Weesdsport, but it\u2019s just like four times the size,\u201d quipped Sheppard, who won the 2010 points championship at Cayuga County. \u201cIt\u2019s like Weedsport, where you turn into one, you pick up the gas and then you\u2019re on it a long time down the backstretch all the way until you\u2019re down into turn three. The only thing is, at Volusia you\u2019re going a lot faster.<\/p>\n

\u201cVolusia is super-fast,\u201d continued the driver known as \u2018Super Matt,\u2019 who owns 73 career DIRTcar Big-Block feature wins, including 18 in Super DIRTcar Series events. \u201cIt\u2019s more high-speed than most of the tracks we run at up here (in the Northeast), so we have to run a different setup there because of it. It\u2019s a lot of fun to race there because it\u2019s a big, wide track and you can run all over it, but you still gotta have a good car, a good motor and a good setup.\u201d<\/p>\n

A fulltime professional DIRTcar Big-Block Modified driver since graduating in 2006 from New York\u2019s Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology, Sheppard relishes the opportunity to begin his season in the Sunshine State. The 2011 edition of the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH marks the 27th trip to Florida for Northeastern Modified teams since 1978 and it will be DIRTcar\u2019s 20th visit to Volusia since staging its inaugural event in 1982.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice to get away from New York in the winter,\u201d said Sheppard, whose hometown has received more than two feet of snow so far this winter. \u201cIt can get cold in Florida at night, but it\u2019s still not snowing like back home. We\u2019re able to go somewhere warmer, relax a little bit and get back on the racetrack to get the new year started.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adding more anticipation to his nearly 1,200-mile trek to Volusia, the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH will mark the first time Sheppard takes to the track wearing the coveted Mr. DIRTcar Big-Block Modified crown. It\u2019s an honor he doesn\u2019t take lightly.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Mr. DIRTcar) is really surreal,\u201d Sheppard said last November after accepting his $50,000 championship prize at the DIRTcar Northeast awards banquet. \u201cJust the history behind it. To be listed in the same category as guys like Alan (Johnson) and Danny (Johnson), Jack Johnson, Will Cagle, Brett Hearn and Billy Decker…there\u2019s no way to put that into words. Probably still hasn\u2019t sunk in, probably take a while before it will.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2011 DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH officially kicks off DIRTcar Northeast\u2019s 36th consecutive season of Big-Block Modified competition. It will be the 14th<\/sup> straight year that the Big-Block Modifieds will be in action at Volusia during the week leading up to the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, which sits less than a half-hour drive from the Volusia oval.<\/p>\n

A star-studded field of DIRTcar Big-Block Modified drivers will join Sheppard, including seven-time DCN by UNOH champion Brett Hearn of Sussex, N.J., who owns a record 19 career wins in Florida, and Stewart Friesen of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., the defending champion of the SEF Small Engine Fuels 200 at the Syracuse Mile and the winner of last year\u2019s opening-night event at Volusia.<\/p>\n

The tentative DIRTcar Big-Block Modified entry list boasts nearly 40 names, including former DCN by UNOH champions Danny Johnson of Phelps, N.Y., Alan Johnson of Middlesex, N.Y., Billy Pauch of Frenchtown, N.J., and Jimmy Horton of Neshanic Station, N.J. Other standouts on the preliminary roster include Bobby Varin of Sharon Springs, N.Y., Rick Laubach of Hellertown, Pa., Richie Pratt Jr. of Woodbury Heights, N.J., Matt DeLorenzo of Cropseyville, N.Y., Willy Decker of Vernon, N.Y., Rex King of Bristolville, Ohio, and H.J. Bunting of Milford, Del.<\/p>\n

The DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH is a 12-night DIRTcar Racing spectacular that also includes dates for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Feb. 11-13) and World of Outlaws Late Model Series (Feb. 17 and 19); the DIRTcar UMP Late Models (Feb. 14, 15, 16 and 18); UMP Modifieds (Feb. 8-15); and the O\u2019Reilly All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars (Feb. 9 and 10).<\/p>\n

A four-night Big-Block Modified ticket package is being offered to fans for $125, while single-day tickets are always available on race day. In addition, the event\u2019s unique \u2018Free Pit Pass With Every Ticket\u2019 offer allows all fans meeting the minimum age requirement to visit the pit area for an up-close perspective on the competition.<\/p>\n

For more information on the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, including special pricing on advance-sale tickets, visit www.DIRTcarNationals.com<\/a> or call 704-795-7223 or 386-985-4402.<\/p>\n

Additional info on the Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds is available by logging on to www.superdirtcarseries.com.<\/p>\n

DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH \u2018Tentative\u2019 Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified Entry List:<\/strong><\/p>\n

0-Richie Pratt Jr.\/Woodbury Heights, NJ<\/p>\n

01-Brett Ballard\/Pennsville, NJ<\/p>\n

1-Darwin Greene\/Susquehanna, PA<\/p>\n

1F-Stewart Friesen\/Niagara-on-the-Lake, ONT<\/p>\n

1P-Billy Pauch\/Frenchtown, NJ<\/p>\n

1x-Willy Decker\/Vernon, NY<\/p>\n

3d-Matt DeLorenzo\/Cropseyville, NY<\/p>\n

6-John Stangle\/Neshanic Station, NJ<\/p>\n

07-Tim Kerr\/Picton, ONT<\/p>\n

7-Rick Laubach\/Hellertown, PA<\/p>\n

8r-Rob Bellinger\/Dexter, NY<\/p>\n

9s-Matt Sheppard\/Waterloo, NY<\/p>\n

10-Tim Currier\/Auburn, NY<\/p>\n

10-Bobby Varin\/Sharon Springs, NY<\/p>\n

10v-Danny Varin\/Sharon Springs, NY<\/p>\n

11-Danny Hieber\/Pendel, PA<\/p>\n

14-Jimmy Horton\/Neshanic Station, NJ<\/p>\n

19-Chris Higgins\/Syracuse, NY<\/p>\n

20H-Brett Hearn\/Sussex, NJ<\/p>\n

21k-Randy Chrysler\/Lewiston, NY<\/p>\n

t21-Roger Chrysler\/Lewiston, NY<\/p>\n

22c-Mario Clair\/St-Edmond, QUE<\/p>\n

23-Billy VanInwegen\/Sparrowbush, NY<\/p>\n

27J-Danny Johnson\/Phelps, NY<\/p>\n

33-Ray Swinehart\/Bechtelsville, PA<\/p>\n

42-Kevin Bates\/Lake Ariel, PA<\/p>\n

48too-Dave Rauscher\/Waterloo, NY<\/p>\n

56-Vince Vitale\/Phoenix, NY<\/p>\n

65- Rex King\/Bristolville, OH<\/p>\n

66-Dexter Stacey\/Kahnawake, QUE<\/p>\n

66w-Alan Johnson\/Middlesex, NY<\/p>\n

66w-Wallace Stacey\/Kahnawake, QUE<\/p>\n

79-Jeremy Markle\/Port Jervis, NY<\/p>\n

85-Dan Vauter\/Forest City, PA<\/p>\n

85j-H.J. Bunting III\/Milford, DE<\/p>\n

97-Michel Chicoine\/Ste-Cecile de Milton, QUE<\/p>\n

165-Rex King Jr.\/Bristolville, OH<\/p>\n

711-Mike Iles\/Medford, NJ<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Contact: Kevin Kovac DIRTcar Public Relations 704-254-7929 \/ kkovac@dirtcar.com Florida\u2019s Volusia Speedway Park Hosts Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified Action Feb. 16-19 BARBERVILLE, FL \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"publish_to_discourse":"","publish_post_category":"","wpdc_auto_publish_overridden":"","wpdc_topic_tags":"","wpdc_pin_topic":"","wpdc_pin_until":"","discourse_post_id":"","discourse_permalink":"","wpdc_publishing_response":"","wpdc_publishing_error":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22,3,1,21,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured","category-front-page-news","category-series","category-upcoming-events","category-volusia-speedway-park"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4364"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4364\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4371,"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4364\/revisions\/4371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}