DIRTcar Nationals Notebook
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DIRTcar Nationals Notebook
By Pete MacDonald
36 Big Block Modifieds competed over the course of the week’s events.
Matt Sheppard will win A LOT of races during the 2016 season, he had the most consistent car throughout the week. “Super Matt” would win in just his second start with his own team and go on to win the week long championship. Sheppard’s next race will be March 12th at Georgetown driving Norm Hansell’s No.357.
Billy Pauch did not lose a heat race all week, also Pauch ran the fastest lap over the course of the week in his Bicknell mount. One minor difference with Pauch’s car was he ran a coil over setup versus a traditional torsion bar on the right rear.
It didn’t take Stewart Friesen long to “gel” with the Halmar team. Friesen ran up front consistently all week and ended up second in the week long point standings.
It was nice to see Alan Johnson run up front again. AJ Slideways ran third on Friday behind Rick Laubach and his stepson Matt Sheppard.
Tyler Dippel was fined $500 and placed on probation for the remainder of the 2016 DIRTcar Season for getting out of his car after Larry Wight pulled an ill-fated slide job on Dippel, resulting in Dippel ending up in the second turn outside wall.
Look for Rick Laubach to have another stellar season in 2016. Laubach was fast each and every night over the course of the week. “The Quaker Shaker” would end the week third in overall points.
Drivers from six states and two Canadian provinces competed during the week, those being New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island, Vermont, Quebec and Ontario.
Larry Wight switched to a backup car for the last night simply because “the other one just wasn’t working”.
Ed Kitchell towed all the way down from Rhode Island with his letter X home built race car. Kitchell did not have the week he wanted failing to qualify each night.
Western Pennsylvania was represented well by Brian Swartzlander and Erik Martin. Swartzlander would have the more successful week with a highest finishing place of 16th.
Quebec’s Daniel Nadeau was the only car to get upside down during Big Block Modified action throughout the week. Nadeau took a pretty good tumble during his heat race on Saturday night.
Modified campaigner Brett Tonkin was in the Tim Fuller pit area during the week helping out.
Tim McCreadie may run some races in the Sweeteners Plus Modified that he had campaigned at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY a few times this season. McCreadie is entering his 13th consecutive season driving a Sweeteners Plus race car.
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