BRETT HEARN WINS 39^TH SOUTHERN TIER 100..

HEARN REKINDLES THAT OLD FIVE MILE POINT MAGIC WITH SUNDAY NIGHT NATIONAL QUARTER MILE DIRT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY.

BY JR KENNERUP

Kirkwood, NY… Turning back the clock on Sunday evening at the Five Mile Point Speedway for the Race of Champions Dart Dirt Modified Tour National Quarter Mile Dirt Track Championship 100 was Sussex, NJ driver Brett Hearn. Hearn who practically owned any extra distance race held at the historic quarter mile oval in the late 1990’s got back to victory lane on this night.

Hearn who started tenth took the lead on lap 64 when leader Ray Bliss, Jr. jumped the turn four cushion. Brett wheeling the Vinnie Salerno owned Four Star Racing entry then held off several attempts by Billy Decker for the lead. In the later stages of the race Hearn had to conserve his tires and he did it just about perfect as he finished with a bald right rear tire.

Joey Grammes of Lehighton, Pa. who started 11^th conserved his tires just enough also to finish second and earn the Dart Machinery Small Block Bonus worth an additional $500. Defending and two time consecutive Race of Champions Dart Dirt Modified Tour champion Pat Ward of Genoa, NY who started 17^th was involved in a lap two turn four yellow. Pat restarted at the rear and came on late to end up third. Gary Tomkins of Clifton Springs, NY started 12^th, made two pit stops to come on strong at the end to finish fourth. Mike Colsten of Binghamton, NY had to rely on a RoC Provisional to gain entrance into the feature to start 26^th and finished fifth.

Billy Decker and Ray Bliss, Jr. brought the talented 26 car starting field to green. Bliss shocked everyone in attendance as he jumped out to the lead over Decker, Stewart Friesen, Jeff Strunk, and Alan Rudalavage.

The wide racing surface led to multiple three and four wide racing all the way through the field much to the paying customers delight. The wide surface played a huge role on lap four as Decker and Strunk got hooked together while battling for second and both cars got sideways in the middle of the back straight. The huge skirmish saw many cars involved but all cars pulled away without little if any damage.

On the restart Bliss once again jumped out to the lead over Friesen, Rudalavage, Brett Hearn, and Doug Manmiller. Joey Grammes moved into fifth on lap nine with Manmiller passing him back one lap later.

Grammes regrouped and mounted an impressive charge to the front as he took fifth on a lap 12 restart and following a lap 13 restart rocketed into third.

Hearn meanwhile started to show how strong his car was as he got to the cushion to re pass Grammes for third on lap 15. But Grammes would have nothing of that as he passed Hearn for third on lap 23. Hearn returned the favor to Grammes to reclaim third on a lap 24 restart.

Decker after restarting at the rear rocketed back through the field to move back into fifth on lap 25.

When the yellow lights appeared on lap 34 Friesen the defending race winner pitted for a new right rear tire. This moved Hearn into second, Decker into third, Brian Weaver who started 25^th was now fourth and Grammes was fifth.

When the race resumed Hearn started to heavily pressure Bliss for the lead while Grammes started to run back to the front as he passed Weaver for fourth on lap 38 and disposed of Decker for third on lap 48. Decker would take a few laps to get back by Grammes for third and he did that on lap 60. But Grammes battling like a true champion took third from Decker on lap 61 but Decker returned the favor to regain third on lap 63.

Up front tire wear was hampering the efforts of Bliss who started to go higher and higher in the turns. Exiting turn four while coming down to complete lap 64 Bliss jumped the cushion and that was the mistake that Hearn needed.

Hearn pounced on the mistake to take the lead and one lap later Bliss once again jumping the cushion saw him lose second to Decker. Grammes followed suit on lap 70 as the left rear tire of Bliss was starting to go flat. Jason Hamilton moved into fourth on lap 71 while Pat Ward moved into fifth following a lap 75 restart.

The final 25 laps were going to be interesting to see who had tires left and drivers who pitted for new tires to see if they had enough time to get to the front. The left rear tire on the Bliss machine finally gave up on lap 87 ending his strong run.

Decker tried to get under Hearn in turn one on the lap 88 restart and Hearn would have none of that as he turned up the wick to open up his largest lead of the evening. Meanwhile Mike Colsten who pitted for a tire on lap 44 moved into fifth.

Disaster struck Decker as his right rear tire blew on lap 98; he pitted under yellow and returned.

A green, white, checker finish was called for and many people were wondering who would be the next up front car to get a flat tire. Just as the field took the white flag the fourth place car of Hamilton saw his right rear go down.

Up front Hearn completed the final lap with a bald right rear to score the $5,000 win. Grammes was second with Ward in third and a wild scramble ensued with Tomkins coming from seventh to fourth in the final lap and Colsten settled for fifth.

“ It took me a couple of trips to figure the place back out “ said the smiling winner. “ Actually the two times we ran here earlier this year we used some experimental stuff in the setup for the rear end. We figured since we’re not running for points it was a good time to test some ideas we wanted to try. Today we came back here with a car that we knew that it could get the job done. “

“ We kind of meandered up through the field at the start and after getting into second we fought, fought, and fought for the lead. Then when I saw Decker under me that one time I said it’s time to get going. But I really needed to get to the front early to keep the car straight so I could save the right rear tire. “

After getting into second on lap 34 Hearn and Ray Bliss, Jr. waged a stirring battle for the lead with Bliss riding the cushion and Hearn in the center of the track. Brett was asked about running in the hard, middle groove of the track for that many laps. “ I was definitely running the right rear harder than I wanted to “ answered Hearn. “ Once I got there I could see that he was getting really loose and I knew sooner or later I was going to be able to get him. I knew sooner the better as I wanted to get the lead and keep the car as straight as I could in the corners. “

“ I never saw Billy under me on that restart ( lap 88 ) “ said Brett. “ But the way I was entering turn one it did give the potential of someone sticking their nose in there. But the way I came down across the track, I knew I had the momentum that no one was going to pull me coming out of turn two. The car was exceptionally good in one and two. “

“ We’ve taken our hits lately like last week at Orange County “ said Brett. “ Anytime at the end of the year you don’t want to go off on a bad note. So it was good to get a big win here today and we have two more races coming up at Hagerstown in two weeks and hopefully we can get two more wins there to end the season on a strong note. “

With the win Hearn also received four free passes to the 2009 Race of Champions Dart Dirt Tour opener at the Selinsgrove Speedway on March 20^th and 21^st.

“ Drawing 11^th to start I really didn’t know what to expect “ said second place finisher Joey Grammes. “ Those guys are so good saving their tires, the only way a guy like me can win the race is by starting up front, control the race, and save your tires. When I had to race that hard from the get go I never thought that the tires would last 100 laps. “

Ward who already clinched the championship before the day began had this to say about his third place finish. “ I was pretty much hoping for a top five if I didn’t bend anything in that first lap incident “ said Pat. “ The car felt pretty good after the restart and we tried to save as much tire as we could until the end of the race. “

Qualifying for the 52 car field saw heat wins go to Grammes, Jamie Yannone, Manmiller, Bliss, Strunk, and Tomkins. B Main victories went to Bob Hamm, Jr., Jerry Higbie, Jr., and Bobby Trapper. Glenn Knapp, one of the FMP All-Time Greatest 50 drivers slammed the backstretch wall late in the race after jumping a tire. Knapp was checked out by the speedway ambulance and later went to an area hospital. He sustained a broken sternum and cracked rib in the crash and was back at home on Monday.

The companion 25 lap IMCA Modified feature was all Dale Caswell. Caswell took the lead on lap five after starting seventh and never looked back. J. J. Courcy was second with Lyle Smith in third, Jeremy Shaw in fourth and Chris Fleming in fifth.

Qualifying for the 21 car field saw heat wins go to Caswell, Courcy, and Fleming.

This was the final show of the 2008 racing season at the Five Mile Point Speedway and for the Race of Champions Dart Dirt Tour. The 2008 Banquet will be Saturday January 3^rd at the Binghamton Regency.

The Race of Champions Dart Dirt Modified Tour is sponsored by; Dart Machinery, American Racer Tires, Sunoco Race Fuels, PBM Performance Products, Total Seal Piston Rings, Dura – Bond, Competition Engineering By Moroso, Dynatech, Xceldyne, Afco, CV Products, LA Sleeve.

RACE OF CHAMPIONSD DART DIRT MODIFIED TOUR GARY’S U – PULL – IT / BOLAND’S EXCAVATING FINISH; Brett Hearn, Joey Grammes, Pat Ward, Gary Tomkins, Mike Colsten, Stewart Friesen, Jerry Higbie, Jr., Jeff Rudalavage, Brian Weaver, Brent Wilcox, Eric Palmer, Alan Rudalavage, Billy Decker, Jason Hamilton, Jeff Strunk, Bob Hamm, Jr., Brian Malcolm, Billy Van Pelt, Ray Bliss, Jr., Jackie Brown, Jr., Scott Ferrier, Bobby Trapper, Doug Manmiller, Glenn Knapp, Jamie Yannone, Carl Nagel.

DNQ’S; Darwin R. Greene, Nick Rochinski, Roy Shields, Wade Decker, Randy Brokaw, Terry Knoblock, James Cornell, Frank Yankowski, Eric Kocher, Brent Boyer, Michael Schane, Russ Zimmerman, Joey Colsten, Kevin Bates, Danny Creeden, Ken Titus, Tony Kawalchuk, Dan Morden, Jerry Tonti, Bob Lineman, Jr., Greg Tatich, Mark Forte, Ryan Forte, Dave Calaman, Chris Ostrowsky, Chris Wood.

UNOFFICIAL TOP 12 IN POINTS; 1. Ward 624, 2. Friesen 480, 3. J. Rudalavage 447, 4. Hearn 395, 4. Colsten 395, 6. Grammes 381, 7. Weaver 378, 8. Van Pelt 345, 9. Decker 241, 10. Laubach 240, 11. A. Rudalavage 221, 12. Strunk 219.

GARY’S U – PULL – IT / BOLAND’S EXCAVATING IMCA MODIFIED FINISH; Dale Caswell, J. J. Courcy, Lyle Smith, Jeremy Shaw, Chris Fleming, Joe Cole, Gary Dence, Jon Rohaceavich, Gary Roberts, Jo Jo Donato, Dennis Vroman, Bob Banks, Jr., Tony Finch, Scott Bennett, Steve Simpson, Brian Evenden, Patti Simpson, Kevan Cook, Mike Wilmot, George Valenti, Rich McNeal.