July 6, 2007

FINK CAPTURES '07 MR. DIRTCAR SPORTSMAN SERIES OPENER AT BREWERTON SPEEDWAY

Brewerton, NY – July 6, 2007 – By Dave Medler, DIRTcar NorthEast Reporter

Alan Fink took advantage of a late race restart tangle between leaders Mark D’Ilario and Jeremy Pitcher to pick up the 30-lap Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series victory on Friday at Brewerton Speedway. Forty-two cars signed into the pits at the ‘D-Shaped DIRT Demon’ and it took five heats and two consis to set the starting field.

"Never having won a race before I didn’t expect my first win to be a series race," said an excited Fink in victory lane. After the contact between the two leaders handed the lead over to Fink he related what was going through his mind over the final laps. "It was my race to win or lose. With a clear track ahead of me I just had to keep hitting my marks and not make a mistake." Fink couldn’t thank car owner Jeff Isabell and the whole JIR Motorsports team for the car they put under him for his memorable win.

Pitcher and D’Ilario took off from their front row starting spots and set the early pace of the race. Canadian D’Ilario was able to maintain the lead despite yellow flag fever that dictated the first half of the main event. On every restart D’Ilario was able to open an 8-10 car length lead over the rest of the field. As the race hit the midway point with D’Ilario leading, Pitcher, Chris Raabe, Chris Hile , Joe Williams and Fink raced for the top spots, changing positions on every lap.

With seven laps to go a yellow flag changed the whole complexion of the race. On the restart leader D’Ilario seemed to slip up the track in turns three and four allowing Pitcher to dive underneath trying to grab the lead away. When it appeared that Pitcher was going to lead, contact was made sending the top two sideways to bring out the yellow.

Track officials made the call to send Pitcher to the rear of the field for rough driving. Fink, who had methodically worked his way to the front, found himself the new leader in the JIR Motorsports no.6j. Running the bottom of the speedway, Fink was able to hold off everyone else to grab his first ever Series win. Chris Hile, Joe Williams, Shawn Donath and Chris Raabe completed the front-five while John Pietrowicz, Loren Lincoln, Tyler McPherson, Matt Hulsizer and Greg Carner rounded out the final top-ten.

Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series Race #1 – Brewerton Speedway, July 6, 2007 Event Summary

FEATURE (30-laps): ALAN FINK, Chris Hile, Joe Williams, Shawn Donath, Chris Raabe, John Pietrowicz, Loren Lincoln, Tyler McPherson, Matt Hulszier, Greg Carner, Rob Pratt, Jipp Ortiz, Dan Weisner, John Juhl, Eric VanSkiver, Rob Hile, Dan Sellen, Jack Meeks, Daryl Hilkert, Mark D’Ilario, Tony Stiener, Tim Currier, John Behron, Larry Wight, Dave Yehl, Jeremy Pitcher, Chris Higgins, Rob Knapp, Jimmy Johnstone, Sammy Reakes IV, Brandon Sweet.

DID NOT QUALIFY(11)

1j-Jim Spano/Auburn,NY
7jr.-Jeff Isabell Jr./Pennellville, NY
11Q-Jesse Pontello/St. Catharines, ON
14a-Brad Townsend/Baldwinsville, NY
15--Roger West Sr./Constantia, NY
19j-John Juhl II/Auburn, NY
21-Amanda Whitney/Fabius, NY
59-Tyler Rand/Picton, ON
71-Mike Bowman/St. Catharines, ON
111-Curt Prevo/Clay, NY
88-Beth Schnieder/Bridgeport, NY

UPCOMING EVENT

The 18^th Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Series takes a two month break before resuming action over the Labor Day holiday with a 30-lap finale at Rolling Wheels Raceway on Monday, Sept. 3. The extra-distance affair offers valuable points towards the overall Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship as well as guaranteed starter status for the Super DIRT Week main event in October.

2007 Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series Schedule

DAY-DATE    LAPS  TRACK                                  LOCATION/WINNER

Fri-Jul 6           30      Brewerton Speedway          Alan Fink

Mon-Sep 3      30      Rolling Wheels Raceway   Elbridge, NY

Fri-Sep 7          50      Ransomville Speedway     Ransomville, NY

Sat-Sep 8        50      Merrittville Speedway          Thorold, ONT

Sun-Sep 9       50      Humberstone Speedway   Pt.Colborne, ONT

Fri-Sep 14       30      Can-Am Motorsports Park  LaFargeville, NY

Sat-Sep 15      44      Canandaigua Speedway   Canandaigua, NY

Sat-Sep 22      30      Rolling Wheels Raceway   Elbridge,NY

Fri-Sep 28       30      Fulton Speedway                Fulton, NY

Wed-Oct 3       30      Can-Am Motorsports Park  LaFargeville, NY

Fri-Oct 5           30      Rolling Wheels Raceway   Elbridge,NY

Sat-Oct 6          30      New York State Fairgrnds  Syracuse,NY

Sat-Oct 13       55      Black Rock Speedway        Dundee, NY

Sat-Oct 20       50      Orange Co Fair Speedway            Middletown,NY

*All events subject to change.

The DIRTcar Advance Auto Parts Modified Series is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., F.X. Caprara Car Companies and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company and Wrisco Industries.