Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH: Tuesday Night Notebook

*Bob Armbruster Jr. Photo Attachment: Xtreme Teammates Jeff Brownell Jr. (29) & Matt Sheppard (9s) Hot Lap At Volusia

FLORIDA TOUR 2009 PIT NOTES
Tuesday - February 10
*Quarter-Century Kick-Off…The 25th year of racing in Florida for Northeastern Modifieds officially kicked off at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville with a strong turnout of DIRTcar Big-Block teams assembled for the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH. Of the nearly 30 cars participating in Tuesday night practice sessions, three-quarters of the field were Winter Nationals veterans. Four past tour point champions and seven drivers owning feature race victories in gator country were registered, with four stars among those same groups having Syracuse Rite Aid 200 triumphs highlighting their personal list of career open-wheel accomplishments.

*Double Decker…Reigning overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar Champion Billy Decker got an early jump on his closest DIRTcar rivals, logging track time at VSP on Monday and again Tuesday in a UMP Late Model. Decker finished 19th in the 30-lap full-fender feature on Monday won by Darren Miller yet fell short of cracking the all-star starting grid on Tuesday. He failed to report trackside for Big-Block practice although he plans to perform double-duty the rest of the week steering the LJL Racing no. 91 Gypsum Express in both Modified and LM action.

*French Connection…Making the haul all the way down to Florida from the Canadian province of Quebec are open-wheel veteran Mario Clair and second-year DIRTcar 358-Modified chauffeur Michel Chicoine. 2007 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Mod champ Clair, recently supplied an engine from past Florida Tour participant Wallace Stacey, is making his fifth Alltel DIRTcar Nationals appearance since 2003 while Chicoine’s initial trip to the Sunshine State marks his career debut piloting a Big-Block powered Modified. “When you race with the best drivers, you become better,” figured Chicoine, 47, who raced motorcycles on both dirt and ice in the 1900s before entering the DIRTcar Sportsman ranks where he competed at autodromes Granby and Drummond in 2005.

*Hall of Fame Hook-Up…With his primary Big-Block driver Jimmy Phelps remaining home in Central New York, Northeast Modified Hall of Fame ‘Mechanic’ award winner Randy Kisacky took a tip from Modified/Late Model runner Ricky Elliott and the result was a temporary position as crew chief for upstart Brad Trice from Parsonsburg, Maryland. The brother in-law of Jeff Brown, both visited Volusia for the first time two years earlier and are still looking to qualify for their first main event. Phelps recently competed in Australia for Team Troyer affiliate Simon Jupe and the ‘B’Ville Blizzard’ joins his wife Shannon as they are expecting their third daughter in the coming week.

*Daytona After Dark…Billed as the place where Daytona races at night, Volusia Speedway Park always lures Cup drivers annually for the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH. Already sighted during the 2009 edition have been Jeff Burton, Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart along with Kenny Schrader, Kenny Wallace and Clint Bowyer, with the latter trio also competing in UMP action. Making his way up to the podium with grandson and UMP Modified winner Austin Dillon was legendary car owner Richard Childress.

*Camara Bridges Generation…The last time Dave Camara ran a DIRTcar-sanctioned event his daughter was 2 years old. Its 2009 and the Vermont invader has since added two boys and a second daughter and is making his first-ever trackside appearance at VSP. “I’ve been to Volusia once before a few years back but that was just to watch,” recalled Camara, whose daughter Rachel is now 12 years old and he actually owns one feature win in Florida, that scored in 1991 when Pennsylvania promoter Bob Miller staged a four-race mini-series for Small-Blocks at JAX Raceway in Jacksonville and Putnam County Speedway in Satsuma. Camara recorded his last DIRTcar Big-Block feature win at Autodrome Granby in 1999 en route to his second straight track title at the Quebecois oval. “We built a car with a little something different so we’re just here to try it out, see how things work and have some fun.”

*Rain, Rain Went Away…For the first time since 2006, practice day went on as scheduled for the Big-Block Modifieds as clear skies prevailed over the Volusia County oval. On this occasion, teams were stationed outside the turn four go-cart track although they are expected to relocate Wednesday to a spot adjacent to the notorious gator pond that looms prominently below the backstretch pit area.

*Look Who’s Behind The Wheel Now…Despite what the pre-race roster led onlookers to believe, the faces of those drivers buckled into some of the Big-Block mounts did not match the names. But with helmets hiding the truth no one could prove any difference. Owner Alex Thompson gave fellow Lebanon Valley (NY) Speedway car owner Steve Hough, who fields a Florida ride for Andy Bachetti, a chance to hot lap his no. 42 PMC mount as regular driver Guy Sheldon was making his way around the area links. Meanwhile in the late session, Kevin Bates reportedly hopped behind the wheel of the LJL Racing no. 99L traditionally driven by ’08 Rookie of the Year Larry Wight, who was back home in New York taking care of classroom assignments in high school with intentions of flying to Florida on Wednesday. Bates serves as Wight’s crew chief this year. Then there was Lernerville (Pa.) Speedway GM Gary Risch Jr. behind the wheel of his own no. 3G Teo Pro Car housing a experimental General Motors powerplant, but that only came after Orange County Fair (NY) Speedway mainstay Jimmy Johnson broke in the car during the first three practice segments.

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The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and VP Racing Fuels. Promotional partners include Rite Aid Corporation, Dig Safely New York and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bars Leaks, Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Crane Cams, Ferris Industries, Holley HP Carburetors, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, KSE Racing Products, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks, Racing Electronics, Rislone Oil Stabilizer and Wrisco Industries.