Delaware’s Matt Jester, Pennsylvania Star Duane Howard, New York Veteran Jeff Heotzler Latest To File Entries For April 6 ‘Hard Clay Open’ Presented By United Pump & Tank, East Coast Speed/ECS & West Point Golf; Track Preparation Has Begun For Blockbuster Event At Orange County Fair Speedway
MIDDLETOWN, NY – The field planning to take part in the inaugural ‘Hard Clay Open’ at Orange County Fair Speedway continues to expand.
A roster of drivers representing seven states and one Canadian province has already registered to tackle the legendary five-eighths-mile oval on Sunday, April 6 for the inaugural 50-lap National Dirt Racing League (NDRL) Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP big-block/small-block Modified event. The $30,000-plus spectacular is a first-time co-promotion involving Orange County operators Michael Gurda IV and Howard Commander in conjunction with special events promoter Brett Deyo. The event is sponsored by United Pump & Tank, East Coast Speed/ECS Auto and West Point Golf.
The ‘Hard Clay Open’ at Orange County kicks off the NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP, a six-race big-block/small-block Modified series offering a recently increased $6,000 to the champion from a point fund of $25,000. The series visits Orange County, Thunder Mountain (N.Y.), I-88 (N.Y.), Accord (N.Y.) and Penn Can (Pa.) speedways. A long list of contingency and special awards has been assembled for the first Short Track Super Series season.
Snow has melted and equipment has been on the track readying Orange County for the special event. Track preparation is underway as the long winter has subsided, in addition to facility work.
Among the recent entries are Delaware’s Matt Jester, Pennsylvania’s Duane Howard and New York State veteran Jeff Heotzler.
Jester, the defending Delaware International Speedway big-block Modified champion from Milford, Del., embarks on his first-ever visit the Orange County for the ‘Hard Clay Open’ special. The 29-year-old won six events en route to the Delaware International title a year ago, the second of his career at the half-mile oval. He recorded his first championship in 2011.
Jester plans to make the four-hour-plus tow from his First State shop aboard his Clearview Farms-backed No. 62 Bicknell. Now armed with big- and small-block engines, ‘the Joker’ hopes to participate in a number of NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP events in ’14.
“We’re looking to get out more and hit some of these higher-paying shows,” noted Jester. “We’re all looking forward to traveling some more this year. We’re waiting on a few things now to finish the car. I’m planning to get to Orange County the day before (April 5) to practice since I’ve never seen the place.”
A dominant force on the Pennsylvania 358-Modified circuit, Howard heads to the ‘Hard Clay Open’ with a proven team at the Middletown track. The 50-year-old Oley, Pa., resident will strap into the potent Mike Petruska-owned No. 66 for the 50-lap special. The Wayne, N.J.-based Atlas Paving team is a past, three-time, Eastern States 200 winner at Orange County (with three different drivers: Heotzler, Danny Johnson and Jerry Higbie Jr.) from ’07-’09. Last year, Stewart Friesen recovered from a mid-race spin to place second in the Petruska ride at Eastern States.
Howard, incidentally, spent a single full season at Orange County during the formative years of his career. He competed regularly there with the BRB Racing operation in the early 1990s. He seeks his first-ever Orange County checkered flag.
Heotzler is no stranger to success at Orange County. The Wallkill, N.Y., 56-year-old driver owns six total championships at the fairgrounds track: four in big-block and two in small-block competition. Heotzler won the aforementioned ’07 Eastern States 200 in a Petruska car.
For the ‘Hard Clay Open’ Heotzler plans to bring a pair of cars to the track and make a decision on which to use based on track conditions. He’ll have a No. 14H big-block owned by Delaware’s Ron Roberts and Mel Schrufer’s No. 84 small-block at his disposal.
The ‘Hard Clay Open’ is a lucrative Modified event paying $5,000 plus bonuses to the winner, $4,000 for second, $1,500 for fifth, $1,000 for 10th and $500 just to take the green flag. Lap money has been collected and will cycle through the top-seven running positions. The total has climbed to $2,439. A number of other cash awards and bonuses will add to the huge payday for competitors.
Joining the Modifieds are Crate 602 Sportsman in a 25-lap, $1,000-to-win event for the Dig Safely New York GRIT Series. Lap money and special awards are also adding up for ‘Hard Clay Open’ 602 Sportsman competitors.
In Orange County’s long and storied history, there have been eight different race events completed on or before April 6: March 18, 1984 won by Larry Brolsma; March 25, 1984 won by Charlie Rudolph; April 2, 1983 won by C.D. Coville; April 2, 1983 won by Gary Iulg (heldover from March 27, 1983); April 3, 1966 won by Bill Wimble; April 4, 1959 won by Carl Van Horn; April 4, 1964 won by Bill Wimble and April 6, 1984 won by Bob McCreadie.
For the ‘Hard Clay Open’ pit gates will open at 8 a.m. Grandstand and drive-in section gates unlock at 10 a.m. A drivers’ meeting is set for 12:45 p.m., with hot laps at 1:05 p.m. and racing at 2 p.m.
Admission for the ‘Hard Clay Open’ is $20 for Adults, $18 for Seniors and $2 for Kids 12 and under. Pit admission is $35, with no license required.
An open practice is set for Saturday, April 5, 12-5 p.m., with grandstand admission free and $25 pit admission. Camping is permitted on the speedway grounds.
Big- and small-block combinations are legal for this unique event with staggered minimum weights. American Racer and Hoosier tires are both legal, as well. Accepted tire compounds have been outlined in the race rules/information.
For the first time ever at Orange County, sail panels are permitted for the ‘Hard Clay Open’ Modified event. Sail panels must be no taller than 65 inches when measured from the ground and must mirror each other in size and shape side-for-side. A four-inch roof spoiler is permitted, as well. All other Orange County/DIRTcar body rules will be in effect. Complete race rules, weights and tire compounds can be found online at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com or www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net.
For qualifying, drivers will draw for their starting positions upon entry to the speedway. Heat-race finishes utilizing staggered passing points will be calculated to set the redraw participants and qualified cars from 10-lap heat races. Consolations, 10 laps each, will set the remainder of the 28-car starting field via their order of finish. The heat-race finish/passing point combination will set the starting lineups for the consolations.
The passing points system, new to Modified racing but widely used in other forms of racing including Sprint Cars and the famed ‘Chili Bowl’ in Tulsa, Okla., aims to satisfy the desires of both racers and fans by easing the consequences of a poor draw for competitors and providing heat-race excitement for fans.
For further ‘Hard Clay Open’ information, contact Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports Media at Deyo99H@aol.com or by phone at 845.728.2781. BD Motorsports Media is on the web at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com. “Like” BD Motorsports Media on Facebook or “follow” @BrettDeyo on Twitter.
Located at 239 Wisner Avenue Middletown, NY 10940 on the Orange County Fairgrounds, Orange County Fair Speedway is the oldest continuously operating dirt track in the United States. The first auto race was held at the speedway in 1919. The five-eighths-mile oval offers fully-covered and half-covered grandstands in addition to open bleacher seating on the frontstretch and turn one areas, with drive-in viewing on the backstretch. To learn more, contact the Orange County Fair Speedway office at 845.342.2573 or visit www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net.
The ‘Hard Clay Open’ is presented by United Pump & Tank, East Coast Speed/ECS Auto, West Point Golf, Rock Fantasy Concert, Smoke Shop & Pinball Room, Simplicity Design, 673 Racing, Mike Sparta Trucking, Elmo’s Auto Body, Zubi’s Racing, McGannon Excavating, Teo-Pro Car, Rochinski Contracting Services, Bob Hilbert Sportswear & many other fine marketing and lap sponsors.
The National Dirt Racing League (NDRL) Short Track Super Series is presented by VP Racing Fuels, Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc., East Coast Speed/ECS Auto, Rochinski Contracting Services, Allstar Performance, American Racer/Lias Tire, Art’s Radiator, ATL Fuel Cells, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, BFP Specialty, Bicknell Racing Products, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, COMP Performance Group, Dirt Track Digest, DRACO Springs, Driven Racing Oil, ERK Steering, Finish Line Web Design, FOX Shox, H.B. Steele & Son, Henry’s Stainless Steel Exhaust, Hig Fab Chassis, Jack’s Used Race Car Parts, Kirkey Racing Products, PM3 Digital Imaging, Quarter Master, Race Pro Weekly, Schaeffer Racing Oil, Shiley Fabrication, Sleepy Hollow Golf, Teo-Pro Car, Troyer Race Cars & Vahlco Wheels.
Sources: BD Motorsports Media