HEARN NAMED EMPA NORTHEAST DRIVER OF THE YEAR
TREVOSE (PHILADELPHIA), PA
(January 26)……..BRETT HEARN, 49, of Sussex, New Jersey, has been
named Richie Evans Memorial Northeast Driver of the Year by the
Eastern Motorsports Press Association. The announcement and
presentation was made today at the media group’s annual
convention by EMPA president Ernie Saxton.
 The more than 200 members of the EMPA voted Hearn the award.
This was Hearn’s third Driver of the Year prize, the first
coming in 1986 and again in 2002. The award is named in honor of
the late Richie Evans, a multi-time NASCAR National Modified
division champion.
“It’s a real honor to be selected Driver of the Year by the EMPA
members. It’s even more special because the award is named in
memory of Richie Evans, who was one of the greatest short track
drivers of all time,” said Hearn. “We had a good solid year, and
I really appreciate the recognition. But it’s not just me;
credit my own B.H. Racing Enterprises, Inc. team, car owners Guy
and Patricia Madsen, Vinnie Salerno, Joe Knoth and Steve
Hastings for giving me outstanding race cars week in and week
out.”
Hearn posted an outstanding record during the just-concluded
2007 racing season. He won 29 feature races in 101 starts,
including 13 extra-distance championship events. He was the
DIRTcar Modified Eastern Regional Champion, and for the sixth
time won the coveted Hoosier Tire/Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRTcar
Modified title, one of American short track racing’s most
prestigious championships.
Hearn’s career record now stands at 734 feature race victories,
of which 299 have come in extra-distance races of 50 laps or
longer. This record places him among the sport’s all-time
winners in any racing division. He has won feature races at 47
different race tracks in ten states and two Canadian provinces.
The EMPA, founded in 1969, is one of the largest media
organizations in the nation. EMPA has the only working
convention for its members---this year, January 25-27---that
includes seminars, workshops, and press conferences in addition
to the annual Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet.
To arrange telephone interviews with Brett Hearn, media members
may call 973-702-0819 during regular business hours.
Hearn Headlines DIRTcar NE 'Night of Champions'
Posted Sunday, Nov 18, 2007
Syracuse, NY — November 17, 2007
– By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR
Director
The curtain came down on another record year and
it was a fitting conclusion as DIRTcar Racing
NorthEast’s winningest driver continued to set
the standard on the Big-Block circuit. For the
sixth time in his career Brett Hearn reached the
pinnacle of Modified racing as he was honored
Saturday night as DIRTcar’s overall Hoosier
Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Champion to
officially close out the 2007 race season.
"You hear a lot about teams buying
championships, this trophy represents something
money can’t buy,” said Hearn, 49, DIRT's
all-time Modified feature winner now with 508 (
339 Big-Block, 169 Small-Block), after matching
veteran Jack Johnson’s career feat of six Mr.
DIRTcar Big-Block titles. His first Mr. DIRTcar
Championship was won in 1990, followed up with
first-place trophies in 1993, 1996-97, and 2001.
“Ours is about a lot more than that. Its about
all the effort the guys put in, all the things
that are not paid for, day after day all season
long.”
On Saturday, November 17 over 450 drivers,
owners, crew members, officials, media members
and corporate VIPs filled the Oncenter Ballroom
in downtown Syracuse, N.Y. to celebrate during
the annual DIRTcar NorthEast “Night of
Champions” Awards Banquet. Customary inclusion
of the four Mr. DIRTcar winning cars ---parked
triumphantly on the perimeter of the spacious
dining room floor--- once again attracted the
most attention, offering many photo
opportunities throughout the festive evening.
Decked out in formal tuxedo attire was the voice
of the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series
Shane Andrews, who emceed the program that
included on stage speeches throughout the night
with every major award winner. World Racing
Group Chief Executive Officer Brian Carter and
WRG President and Chief Operating Officer Tom
Deery also shared center stage during the
festive evening alongside Cory Reed, Director
DIRTcar NE Competition & Track Sanctioning,
while acknowledgements went out to VP Public
Relations Chris Dolack, Director of Licensing &
Memberships Jennifer Newlin and Broadcast
Services Manager Brian Dunlap that were in
attendance from the World Racing Group on this
special occasion.
Top point-getters in the Advance Auto Parts
DIRTcar Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman, UMP
Pro Stock and UMP Street Stock classes were
recognized during this popular seasonal
celebration and in the end more than $412,000 in
cash and contingencies were handed out to well
over 200 drivers in DIRTcar NE's five major
touring divisions. Syracuse Store Manager Ed
Fauler presented awards from Advance Auto Parts,
Rob Ripka, Mike Alport and J.P. Gobeille
supplied Sunoco Race Fuels certificates, ‘Mr.
Small-Block’ himself Pete Bicknell rewarded
teams on behalf of Hoosier Racing Tire while
Steve Wright, Larry Bishop and John Roth were in
attendance from Dig Safely New York, a long
standing supporter of DIRTcar Racing and sponsor
of this year's Modified Non-Qualifiers race at
Super DIRT Week.
Along with the $60,000 Mr. DIRTcar jackpot
collected by Hearn, the Sussex, N.J. speedster
received an additional $1,000 "Gater Leads The
Way" prize package from Gater Racing Photo News’
Sue Patrick after the ‘Jet’ led the most laps
(630 laps in 11 main events) during the Advance
Auto Parts Series which included 32
extra-distance feature races held from March
through October.
“When you’re running 100 races you don’t have
time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished
during the season. Even when its over you only
get a few weeks before starting all over again.
When I won my first Super DIRT Series in ‘86
everything seemed a lot simpler then, just me
and a couple buddies in a pick-up truck with a
small trailer. 2007 was a lot more difficult.
And the only thing I can think of is the level
of competition. Going into Orange County so far
behind (Tim Fuller) I had already settled for
second, and still considered it a great year.
With a little luck we were able to come out on
top and that just makes the whole deal more
special for everybody that stuck behind us all
year.”
For the second time in his own career, Guy
Madsen joined Hearn in the spotlight, this time
to accept the coveted car owner's award just one
year after the Hearn claimed the overall Mr.
DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship. It was Guy’s
first-ever DIRTcar Big-Block Championship
although Madsen Motorsports topped the
358-Modified Super DIRT Series points chart with
Hearn behind the wheel in 1998.
“Four things go with our team this year and what
we did,” said Madsen from Spencertown, N.Y.,
while culminating the celebration with Hearn,
who steered the Madsen Motorsports no. 20
Wentworth Custom Homes-Kruger-WLR/TEO ride to a
tour-best seven Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar
Series victories. “We had good equipment, a good
driver, phenomenal crew and a little bit of
luck. Whatever the outcome, it’s the most
dedicated, organized and thorough group I’ve
ever been involved with around the race track.”
In addition to his many monetary accolades, the
World Racing Group provided a commemorative ring
for the newest Mr. DIRTcar Modified Champion.
Hearn also garnered a rare and unique 38-pound
hand-crafted “Tribute Trophy” that only World of
Outlaws champions Donny Schatz (Sprint), Tim
McCreadie (Late Model) and Steve Francis (LM)
have possession of today for their own
divisional championships.
“This trophy signifies what a champion really
is, the center of all we do,” said Tom Deery, as
he addressed the banquet gathering for a second
straight season in the Salt City. “Its an
original piece of artwork cast for only our
major series champions. And the ring really says
it all --- CHAMPION. Brett is already starting
on his second hand with a sixth championship and
we’re proud to recognize his extraordinary
success once again.”
“This is a great sport to be involved in because
it’s such a big family. And that’s what its all
about, helping each other and continuing a lot
of the things that make it so good. Its hard to
imagine 32 years ago that Glenn Donnelly and his
fellow operators sitting at that table assembled
and created the idea of DIRT Motorsports, with
common rules and a series. Its maybe more
difficult to imagine that those involved would
have any idea that all their hard work would end
up with an event like tonight. But everyone in
this room has had a hand in that history and
that development. More importantly, we’re all
carrying forward the tradition of the best dirt
racing in Canada and the United States. Without
a doubt, you have all made the founders very
proud and have carried the dream forward,” Deery
noted.
Lebanon Valley Speedway standout Andy Bachetti
was the recipient of a special Super DIRT Week
award of $5,000 supplied by Aramark Uniform
Services for leading lap 100 of the Advance Auto
Parts Modified Series Rite Aid 200 aboard owner
Steve Hough’s no. 34 Hough Motors/PMC entry. A
specially-prepared video and center stage
interview highlighted the presentation.
For the first time in history, DIRTcar Racing
honored a French-speaking driver on the podium
as Mario Clair, 35, captured the Hoosier
Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified
Championship worth $12,000. Offering a unique
delivery, Canadian Public Relations specialist
Brian Mulligan provided proper translation with
Clair extending his sincere appreciation to the
predominantly English-speaking audience that
came to realize the impact of this landmark
occasion.
Clair did not reach victory lane in the Series
although the Popular pilot from St-Edmond,
Quebec scored five Small-Block feature wins
during the regular season. He posted four top-5
finishes in the Series steering his no. 22
Batiments JDL-Motel
Drummond-Freightliner/Bicknell entry powered by
a Morrison motor. In 2007, Clair increased his
career DIRTcar count to eight 358-Modified
feature wins to go along with his DIRTcar
Big-Block total of 6 all recorded from 2001-02
at Autodrome Drummond, where he claimed the ’07
358-Modified points championship.
Eastern New York standout Joe Williams earned
$5,000 for his own record-setting performance in
the Hoosier Tire Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRTcar
Sportsman points chase after establishing a new
tour standard of seven series victories,
including a record-tying four straight. The 23
year-old open-wheel pilot from Scotia, N.Y.
ended the season ranked fifth on the DIRTcar NE
circuit with nine victories at seven different
tracks in the family-owned Groski powered no. 19
Williams Auto Parts/Bicknell entry.
Western New York UMP Pro Stock standout Pete
Stefanski took home $2,000 after collecting his
second straight full-fender title, winning 11
features to secure his first track points crown
at Genesee Speedway. He also became a familiar
site away from home in the winner’s circle
alongside the number 2 Sunrise Racing-San Ter
Sewing-Mar Jon School of Beauty Culture
Chevrolet Monte Carlo entry, ending the
successful campaign with a division-high 17
victories at 4 tracks to make him DIRTcar Racing
NorthEast’s all-time Pro Stock career win leader
with 66.
2007 marked the crowning of the first-ever Mr.
DIRTcar Street Stock Champion with Scott Smith
claiming the inaugural Caprara Bros. Outdoor Toy
Store Mr. DIRTcar Street Stock high-point
honors. Consistency was the name of the game for
Smith as he racked up 8 top-5 feature finishes
in 12 races held at 8 different New York State
tracks, including two tour triumphs at DIRTcar
charter members Rolling Wheels Raceway Park and
Cayuga County Fair Speedway. At 42 years old,
this full-fender standout from Rushville, N.Y.
was a weekend warrior at Canandaigua Speedway
where he finished 4th in points with 1 win
during the season steering his #75 Conkin &
Calabrese-Proctor Roofing-Smith Drywall
Chevrolet Monte Carlo entry.
Four rookie drivers were honored at the banquet
and presented special achievement awards for
their first-year success. An additional $9,300
in cash and prizes, including Extreme Mufflers
and a ButlerBuilt Seat, were shared by 2007
Motorsports Safety Systems/G-FORCE Racing Gear
DIRTcar NorthEast Rookies of the Year award
winners Mike Bowman (Mod), Eric Landry (358),
Larry Wight (Spt) and Jocelyn Roy (Pro).
The Regional Racing Series continued in ‘07 with
DIRTcar NorthEast sanctioned tracks divided into
regions for Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified and
Sportsman classes allowing drivers to compete on
a localized level. The Regional Racing Series
points fund rewarded the top-15 drivers in each
class, with total payouts equaling $45,150 for
all nine open-wheel divisions. Recently crowned
Regional champions earning $1,800 in the
Big-Blocks were Jimmy Phelps (central), Brett
Hearn (east) and Brian Swartzlander (west),
Regional 358-Modified point winners collecting
$1,000 were Yan Bussiere (north), David VanHorn
(east) and Pete Bicknell (west), while top
point-getters in the Sportsman Regions receiving
$800 were Chris Higgins (north), Shawn Donath
(central) and Don Spatorico (west).
In a pair of special presentations made near the
end of the night, Division Manager Northeast &
Senior Vice-President of Rite Aid Corporation
Tim Burger and veteran car owner Randy Ross were
recognized with career achievement awards.
Burger received only the second-ever Glenn
Donnelly Award of Excellence which was created
last year to honor individuals, teams,
associates, sponsors and others within the
DIRTcar Racing Northeast community who exemplify
characteristics that Glenn himself displayed.
Pride, professionalism, dedication, loyalty and
a genuine desire to excel are some of the
attributes that qualified this year’s recipient
for the award.
“This is a pretty big honor for me here
tonight,” said Burger, who not only continues to
enhance the status of the nationally recognized
Rite Aid 200 Super DIRT Week event, he has been
the bridge that has carried vital sponsorship
through a number of corporate transitions during
the past decade. His bond between DIRTcar Racing
and the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series
has grown tighter ever since.
“To receive this recognition and award at an
event like tonight where all the people that are
important to the racing industry and DIRT
Motorsports programs is truly an honor for me.
Sometimes the most important thing is bringing
people to the races, let them see them
first-hand, even get a little dirt in their
hair. For sometime now the DIRT program has been
one of my favorites and I’m happy because its
all been worth it.”
A custom trophy was given to Burger and his name
will also be inscribed next to 2006 award
winners John Holland and Al Heinke from H&H
Motorsports on a special plaque that will be put
on display in the DIRT MotorSports NorthEast
Hall of Fame & Classic Car Museum located on the
Cayuga County Fairgrounds in Weedsport, N.Y.
With the changing landscape of short-track
racing during the past two decades, Ross has
remained a solid fixture continuing to field a
first-rate DIRTcar Modified team despite
suffering from Anklylosing Spondilytis
---degenerative form of arthritis--- since age
19. 2007 marked the 20th Anniversary Season for
the Albany, N.Y.-based Ross Motorsports
operation with his driver Matt Sheppard helping
to celebrate the year with eight feature wins
and the coveted points championship at New Egypt
(NJ) Speedway.
“Randy has poured his heart and soul ---and
wallet--- into this sport and he is certainly
deserving of an award like this,” said Ross
Motorsports crew member Randy Schneible, who
along with Sheppard accepted on behalf of Ross,
who remained home due to on-going health issues.
Despite early success partnered with 1988 Rite
Aid 200 Rookie of the Race Bryan Goewey and
later Matt Quinn, Bobby Wilkins and Kenny
Brightbill in the no. 44 Adam Ross Cut Stone
car, Billy Decker’s 9-year association with
Randy that began in 1995
put Ross Motorsports on the map outside of New
York’s Capital District. Scoring over 70 feature
wins and garnering 7 DIRTcar Big-Block Modified
track titles at Brewerton, Canandaigua and
Lebanon Valley speedways, the Decker/Ross
combination also clicked to capture the 1998
overall Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr.
DIRTcar Modified Championship, win the three
Rite Aid 200 titles and the ‘98 Eastern States
200 at Orange County Fair Speedway.
At 25 years of age, young Sheppard continues the
winning tradition for Ross Motorsports, scoring
27 DIRTcar Big-Block Modified feature wins with
4 registered in the highly competitive Advance
Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series. ‘Super Matt’
has placed among the top-10 in overall Mr.
DIRTcar Modified standings each of the past 4
years with Ross Motorsports making its debut at
Volusia Speedway Park last February as Sheppard
ended up 7th on the final Florida DIRTcar
Nationals points chart.
Race teams, sponsors, track operators and guests
were all invited back to the Renaissance Hotel
for an after hours party held at ‘Horizons’ on
the 20th-floor with musical entertainment
provided by a DJ to close out the gala evening
and officially draw the curtain on DIRTcar
NorthEast’s 32nd successive year of auto racing
promotion. The start of the 2008 race season is
now only 88 days away as Volusia Speedway Park
leads off down south with the Florida DIRTcar
Winternationals opening for Big-Block Modifieds
on February 13. Check out
www.superdirtcarseries.com often as information
for Volusia's 37th Winter tour will be released
right up to race time.
Skidmarks: 2007 DIRTcar NorthEast touring
division track champions were honored at a
Saturday afternoon press luncheon held in the
McNeil & Company Art and Home Center’s Empire
Room on the New York State Fairgrounds. Once
again emceed by personable public address
announcer Andrews, a special presentation also
dotted the pre-banquet awards agenda that was
attended by 160 racers, sponsors, track
officials and media members.
Dale Planck, driver of the no. 77x East End Auto
Parts & Construction-Jacob's Excavation/Bicknell
entry in Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series
competition,
was recognized during the luncheon in receipt of
a special package valued in excess of $1,000.
For the second straight time both the Len
Sammons Motorsports Productions’ Atlantic City
Indoor Race and Motorsports 2008 events will be
run in conjunction with each other the weekend
of Jan. 18-20. At the afternoon press gathering,
assistant editor Brett Deyo from Area Auto
Racing News presented AARN ‘Hard Luck’ award
winner Planck two tickets to the shows,
including two nights (Fri.-Sat.) of luxury hotel
accommodations at the Atlantic City Sheraton,
plus $200 in spending money.
Brett says……..Even
though we’ve still got a little more than a
month of racing left, it’s time to take a look
at how we’ve done so far in 2007. Our win at
Fonda pushed our season total to 26 which is the
most of anyone in the Northeast. We won the
DIRTcar Northeast Regional Championship that was
based on best performances at Lebanon Valley,
Orange County, and New Egypt with Rolling Wheels
a “wild card.” And despite missing a couple
weeks due to Super DIRTcar Series races run on
Saturdays, we still finished second in Modified
points at Orange County, winning five times in
the No 74.
But our best
percentage was at Lebanon Valley. We raced
there three times and won all three times.
So far
we’re been in 57 Modified features, scoring 16
wins, 32 top-five finishes, and 44 top-tens.
We’ve won ten races in the Madsen Motorsports
No. 20 with six victories in the J&S Racing No.
74.
We’ve
also run 33 small-block features in the 4-Star
358 Modified. We’ve got ten victories, 20
top-fives, and 29 top-tens.
Even
though we’ve had some bad nights---like the
Orange County Saturday when nothing went
right---I have to say overall it’s been a pretty
solid year. Right now, we’ve got 14 races left
on the schedule. And they’re all big ones!
Four of
these are Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar
Modified Series races---the Rite Aid 200 at
Syracuse, Twin-50s at New Egypt, and Orange
County’s Eastern States 200. They remain our
number one priority. We’re second in points,
just 32 back of Tim Fuller, and 50 ahead of
third-place Billy Decker. Of course, winning
all four races is our ultimate goal, but to
overtake Fuller and win the Mr. DIRTcar Modified
championship we’ve got to turn in fast times,
win heat races, and score top-fives or better in
each one.
We’ve
also got the Victoria 200 at Fulton, a race I’ve
never won, so that’s another goal. And we wind
up the year at Hagerstown and the Octoberfest
100, an open competition race.
There
are eight 358 Modified races remaining on the
schedule, with four of them during Super DIRT
Week. We’re not in the DIRTcar small-block
point chase, so our goal here is simple: win!
It’s a pretty hectic schedule, and it’s a lot of
laps, but everyone is ready for the challenge.
And
that’s what’s been so good about this year. A
lot of people didn’t think our three-team
approach would work. But we’ve proven them
wrong. Whether it’s Steve and Joey’s No. 74,
Vinnie’s 4-Star, or the Madsen/BH Racing No. 20,
we all work together.
Finally, thanks to everyone who has supported
our efforts this year. We appreciate the fans
as well as those who come out and cheer for the
competition. We’ve got a busy month ahead and
we hope to see many of you at the tracks.
Brett’s Career Record (through September 23,
2007):
731 Wins---439 Modified, 290 Small-Block, 2
Sprint Car
296 Wins in races of 50 lap or longer
Wins at 47 tracks in ten states and two Canadian
provinces
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