| Whale Watching: 50,000-Part Harmony - Truck Trend Magazine Online Posted: 11 Dec 2009 11:41 AM PST Standards can be wonderful things, and often accepted by new generations with no what-ifs. Imagine the state of business if the 10-key pad for telephones and calculators were changed. Or if a construction industry's standard were 2x4s that actually measured 2x4 inches. Or if green meant stop. Older generations who took typing classes and younger generations who type with opposable thumbs all know the QWERTY keyboard, so an alternative (does anyone remember Dvorak's?) has pitfalls. Alan Mulally's One Ford concept of standardization is already producing tangible benefits for Ford around the world. But standards become problematic when there is more than one. Beta or VHS, anyone? The Blu-ray war? A major carmaker designing a product for worldwide use will have to consider more than 50,000 different standards. It quickly gets costly and confusing. In the very expensive, quite neutral country of Switzerland, where auto manufacturers are few and far between and sell cars at low volumes, meetings are being held to establish an international standard for vehicle emissions output and the testing protocol for measuring it. It marks the first time most major players are on board (European Union, Japan, U.S.) and the U.S. didn't respond with an ultimatum like, "Sure, we'll join the coalition as soon as you adopt our standards." This so-called harmonization proposal is said to be complete for motorcycles and heavy-duty engines (which are tested/measured as standalone units, since installations and duty cycles vary greatly), and is aiming for the automobile component to be completed by 2014. My sources are skeptical that date will be met, and when and if the proposal ever comes to fruition, the quality of fuels used will have to be the same worldwide. I asked a handful of major automotive manufacturers and an alliance how much R&D money they might save on an annual basis if they had just one emissions standard and test for worldwide production, and, no surprise, none of them cared to say. A couple engineering managers didn't dispute it could be hundreds of millions of dollars. (Per company.) For an outfit building one million cars a year, that amounts to a savings of $200-$500 per unit. However, any international emissions standard is likely to be more severe than what's in place now. So if it's good for the environment and saves development money, why might it not happen by 2014? Apart from infrastructure hurdles and insufficient pressure, customers are loath to pay more for cars, even if it means lower costs in the long run. It takes five years to get an engine from napkin sketch to road certified. And then there are jobs and politics. The Environmental Protection Agency-hijacked as frequently by politics and K-Street lobbyists as it is by science-employs roughly 17,000 people in the U.S. California's EPA numbers are close to 4000, and the Air Quality Management District has about 840. The California Air Resources Board, which makes California the most expensive place in the world regarding auto emissions and was begun in 1967 to "attain and maintain healthy air quality" and "systematically attack the serious problems caused by motor vehicles," has roughly 1300 employees. CARB claims today's cars are 90 percent cleaner than those of 40 years ago, but it doesn't advertise similar improvements in any other category. With political will lacking as it is-note there's no national fuel tax-how many politicians will say we don't need that many EPA/CARB/AQMD staff anymore because we have a world standard? According to CARB, most vehicles on the road in 2050 will have to be electric or hydrogen-drive, and commercialization of those technologies must start next decade. It's also mandated top-volume auto sellers in the state must sell roughly 150,000 clean-running vehicles (by its definition) from 2012 to 2014, naming plug-in hybrids as one option. But CARB doesn't like plug-in hybrids because catalytic converters work well only when hot, which doesn't happen immediately in plug-ins. The other problem is with gasoline vapors: Most vapor canisters are designed to hold those vapors for just a few days. The RV industry helps prove the value of standardization, with axles, lights, and appliances that are frequently interchangeable. Recent European-market regulations, already harmonized for bits like exhaust and trailer connections, are being softened to allow wider sale of aftermarket parts. Smarter regulators are realizing accurate "fuel economy" measures must soon be done by cost/number of miles so electric and petro-powered vehicles get equal treatment. Where a gasoline car uses five gallons for 100 miles and the national average gasoline price is $4/gallon, it will show $20 per 100 miles, while the electric car might need $4 in kW-hours for the first 50 miles and a gallon of gasoline for the remainder for $8 per 100 miles. In the future, your plug-in hybrid vehicle could become a storage facility for power companies by accepting a charge at low-use hours and on the grid cutting the need for "peaker" power plants during the day. And plugged into the grid, you could signal it via your iPhone or BlackBerry that you want to warm the defroster ahead of time, and you won't have to wait in the snow. All we need is a standard for the communications between the personal device, the power companies, and the car manufacturers. Yes, that's a lot to ask. Wonder if the Volt will have remote start. fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Daily Courier » Features Sections - Daily Courier Posted: 11 Dec 2009 02:09 AM PST |
| Spartan Chassis to debut new class of platforms - Lansing State Journal Posted: 04 Dec 2009 01:16 PM PST LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A new class of RV - a specialty chassis integrated with a custom cap or cockpit - debuted recently at the 47th Annual National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky. Spartan Chassis, Inc., a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR) , is set to debut the company's latest innovation, the Next Generation Platform (NGP), a new class in RV platforms (Booth # 2024 - East Hall). Spartan has filed a patent for the first-of-its-kind highline RV cap and chassis design which provides the quality and performance of a premium automotive platform with increased flexibility for fully customizable interiors and exteriors. Spartan said optional Coach-Ready Platforms are also available featuring a variety of OEM options for chassis integration. The development of the NGP was based on research conducted by Spartan which provided insights into the RV buying process. The research confirmed that the exterior of a vehicle excites the potential buyer and draws them inside the unit, but it is the features of the interior floor plan that typically closes the sale. In addition, the primary decision maker for the purchase is the female - like with many premium consumer products - and, not surprisingly, her main focus is on interior styling and features. The NGP integrates more components into the chassis configuration with an emphasis on functions that are critical to operating the vehicle but that are unimportant to the buyer. This reduces chassis-prep and engineering for RV OEMs and allows them to concentrate on customer-facing priorities such as the exterior design and interior floor plan. By offering OEMs the ability to choose from an extensive menu of available options for the front, middle and rear sections, motorhome makers have the freedom to design a vehicle to their exact specifications, yet still achieve faster model changeovers and increased speed to market for new designs and product features. "Like every other consumer category, the RV marketplace is constantly evolving as customers look for the latest body styles and new approaches to interior layouts, making it more important than ever to adapt quickly as styles, trends and desires change," said Tom Gorman, Chief Operating Officer of Spartan Motors. fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 2009 Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series Point Profiles - Who Won Posted: 05 Dec 2009 09:47 AM PST Saturday, December 5, 20092009 Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series Point Profiles
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by Tom Skibinski
WEEDSPORT, N.Y. -- The stars aligned once more for open-wheel standout Chris Raabe as the talented 18 year-old from Napanee, Ontario successfully defended his overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship, becoming just the second driver to accomplish the feat in 20 seasons. By October, DIRTcar Northeast's youngest champion in 34 years had set fast time in Xtreme Lubricants qualifying on two occasions and registered a tour-best 10 top-5 finishes to capture the coveted crown for owner Garry McColman in his no. 01 Scott Industrial Services-Kingston RV Centre-TyRoute Communication/TEO entry. The 'Teenage Tornado' ended 2009 atop the win chart for a second straight year with 19 victories accounted for at six different tracks to increase his DIRTcar career count to an even 50, also netting a pair of individual track titles at Can-Am and Thunder Alley.
First-year series follower Ryan Susice copped his inaugural series win in September at Canandaigua Speedway then returned to victory lane in October at Fulton Speedway and Rolling Wheels Raceway during Super DIRT Week, yet the 19 year-old from Ransomville, N.Y. was still forced to settle for runner-up honors in his career year traveling the DIRTcar Northeast circuit. Recording 14 Top-10 finishes in 16 series shows after falling short qualifying for the Black Rock Speedway opener, Susice rallied to finish 45 points back in the final Mr. DIRTcar standings collecting a pair of Xtreme Lubricants Fast Time awards. Racking up a dozen feature wins in '09 aboard the potent Investor's Service Company no. K38 Phipac Packaging/Bicknell machine, the second-generation pilot garnered track titles at both Canandaigua and Ransomville speedways.
Among the most highly touted full-fender drivers to make a successful transition into the open-wheel ranks, Jipp Ortiz is another second-generation star from Ransomville able to grab some spotlight after a solid 3rd-place showing in the overall Hoosier-VP Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship. Entering the season with all seven weekend victories registered at Ransomville Speedway, Jipper piled up a handful of front-five finishes and four more in the Top-10 while adding an Xtreme Lubricants Fast Time at Rolling Wheels on the Labor day. A three-time Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock titlist during the new millennium, Ortiz has quickly become just as adept steering his familiar blue Pizza Logs No. 0 Bicknell mount around the Northeast Sportsman circuit, adding a pair of victories on tour for the first time at Canandaigua and Rolling Wheels to complement two more regular season checkered flags in '09 at Can-Am Motorsports Park and RWR.
A solid slate of series shows and weekend stops at Cayuga County Fair and Ransomville speedways provided plenty of experience for Piffard, N.Y. pilot Justin Wright as he moved up five spots to reach 4th-place in the year-end Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman rankings. Among his total of 11 Top-10 tour tallies in 17 outings, Wright made his first cmap trail victory a memorable one as it came during the inaugural DIRTcar All-Star Weekend Championship in July at Cayuga County, eventually ending the 2009 campaign third in track points at both Cayuga Co. (3 wins) and Ransomville (2 wins) wheeling the Mercer Milling Company no. 19W Yager Bros. Trucking/Bicknell ride into the winner's circle at both sites.
Central New York chauffeur Dan Wiesner was another big mover in the points chase, rounding out the final Top-5 aboard his Monroe Wheelchair Racing no. 66 Safety Awareness Solutions/Troyer car after filing in 12th just one year ago. The Canandaigua Speedway mainstay carved out fifth-place finishes in four tour events at Canandaigua, Black Rock and Rolling Wheels, with the Geneva, N.Y. racer taking two checkered flags at the Ontario County Fairgrounds' 'Land of Legends' oval during the summer.
The second of five first-time winners on tour this season, B.J. Willard emerged as a double threat in 2009 as the third-generation driver from St. Catharines, Ont. ranked sixth on the Mr. DIRTcar chart and contended weekly at Humberstone Speedway where he finished 3rd in points with two feature wins. Adding four Top-10 tour finishes in his 16 events strapped into the CAA Niagara Battery Assist no. 77jr. Speck Trucking/Bicknell mount, Willard continued a family tradition with his inaugural series victory taken at Merrittville Speedway --- where his father Bill Sr. was a top runner as was his aunt Tammy, the only female to win a Modified main at the Thorold, Ont. oval; grandfather Alan was also a top- flight racer in the track's early days.
Kicking off the '09 Sportsman Series with a fine 4th-place finish at Black Rock Speedway in New York's Southern Tier, Adam Turner stuck around long enough to make the starting grid in all 17 shows that culminated on his home soil at Brockville Ontario Speedway where he figured fifth in the track standings. The personable Picton, Ont. pilot added two more Top-10 feature finishes north of the border at Cornwall Motor Speedway and Humberstone Speedway, helping carry the Paul Turner Auto Repair no. 92 Bicknell Team driver to seventh on the final points chart.
Following a near career-ending accident in the September series showdown at Canandaigua Speedway, Canadian chauffeur Greg Panunte missed a handful of late-season events yet still finished eighth in his bid for the elusive Mr. DIRTcar points crown. Runner-up last season steering the Gaston's Auto Sales no. 99P Montgomery Gas, Heating & Cooling-Brian's Tire Repair/Bicknell machine, the Port Colborne, Ont. veteran netted two Xtreme Lubricants Fast Time awards and posted four Top-5 feature finishes while winning eight weekly shows at Humberstone (5) and Merrittville (3) ---finishing 2nd in points at both--- to improve his DIRTcar NE count to 41 since 1995.
First-year tour traveler Mark Chiddy followed in the tire tracks of fellow Western New York drivers and ended his maiden voyage 9th in the overall Hoosier-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship, qualifying for 16 extra-distance events along the way. An 8th-place best series showing was logged at Cayuga County during the inaugural All-Star Weekend while the Boston, N.Y. racer chased points throughout the summer at both Canandaigua (14th) and Ransomville (17th) speedways.
Beginning the year with high hopes accompanied by an opening round victory in the 'Rock Launcher 75' at Black Rock Speedway, Sammy Reakes IV faded just as quickly with just one more Top-5 finish registered in the 10 events the Palermo, N.Y. pilot was able to qualify for during the remainder of the season. Closing out the Top-10 in overall Mr. DIRTcar points, Reakes earned an Xtreme Lubricants Fast Time award at Cornwall behind the wheel of his no. 17K Whittaker's Trophy Auto Sales/Bicknell ride, crossing the line fourth in the 'Fourth of July' special held at Brewerton Speedway just two days prior his departure for Canada.
Mirroring his 11th-place finish from last year in the overall points hunt, Eric Giguere notched his only front-five at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park (3rd) on Labor Day wheeling the Safety Awareness Solutions no. 67G WB Automotive/TEO mount for a second straight year around the DIRTcar NE circuit. The Canandaigua Speedway regular from Waterloo, N.Y. added two more Top-10 tour tallies at Brewerton (7th) and Ransomville (7th) over the summer, making the starting field in 11 of the 17 events that offered champ trail points in 2009.
Recognized behind the wheel of the Clarence Henry Coach no. 24 Powis Excavating Bicknell car, Brandon Sweet also qualified for 11 Series shows with three Top-10 finishes to help the Watertown, N.Y. driver salvage the final point fund payoff spot of 12th in the '09 Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman standings. A solid front-runner at Can-Am (3 wins, 4th pts.) and Thunder Alley (2 wins, 2nd pts.) throughout the season, Sweet posted a tour best finish in the runner-up slot at Cornwall in July, sandwiched between a 9th-place at Can-Am in April and 6th at Rolling Wheels in September.
Black Rock Speedway leads off the 2010 Mr. DIRTcar Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Championship with the first round of the 21st Annual Sportsman Series slated for Saturday, April 10.
2009 Overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series Point Standings (FINAL)
Rank No. Driver Total Series Bonus Diff Wins Top-5 Top-10 Starts
1 01 Chris Raabe 1651 1291 360 0 5 10 12 17
2 38k Ryan Susice 1606 1246 360 -45 3 9 14 16
3 0 Jipp Ortiz 1494 1134 360 -157 2 5 9 17
4 11Jr Justin Wright 1434 1074 360 -217 1 5 11 17
5 66 Dan Wiesner 1316 956 360 -335 0 4 7 17
6 77Jr B.J. Willard 1282 922 360 -369 1 1 4 16
7 92 Adam Turner 1249 889 360 -402 0 1 3 17
8 99p Greg Panunte 1243 883 360 -408 0 4 7 12
9 54 Mark Chiddy 1156 796 360 -495 0 0 1 16
10 17K Sammy Reakes IV 1096 736 360 -555 1 2 5 11
11 67G Eric Giguere 1042 682 360 -609 0 1 3 11
12 24x Brandon Sweet 1040 680 360 -611 0 1 3 11
13 M1 Dave Marcuccilli 994 634 360 -657 0 3 3 10
14 74 Matt Billings 993 633 360 -658 1 3 4 10
15 29g Steve Gray 903 543 360 -748 0 3 4 7
16 83x Tim Sears Jr 810 450 360 -841 1 2 2 7
17 5 Don Spatorico 807 447 360 -844 1 3 4 6
18 28 Alan Fink 794 434 360 -857 0 0 4 7
19 38s Luke Whitteker 792 432 360 -859 0 0 2 8
20 55 Matt Hulsizer 752 392 360 -899 0 2 3 5
21 26h Luke Carleton 731 431 300 -920 0 0 3 7
22 777 Tyler McPherson 726 366 360 -925 0 3 4 5
23 17D Tom Juhl Jr. 714 354 360 -937 0 2 4 5
24 20x Kevin Ridley 700 340 360 -951 0 0 0 5
25 62 Rick Bellante 699 339 360 -952 0 0 0 5
DIRTcar Racing Northeast main office is located in Weedsport, New York on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds, home of DIRTcar All-Star Weekend in July. DIRTcar Northeast's crown jewel event ---Super DIRT Week at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse runs annually in October featuring Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series events for Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions. Ticket and schedule information is available by contacting the Weedsport office (315/834-6606) during the day or logging into www.superdirtweekonline.com anytime.
The Big-Block Super DIRTcar Series is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Hoosier Racing Tire www.hoosiertire.com and VP Racing Fuels www.vpracingfuels.com. Promotional partners include Rite Aid Corporation www.riteaid.com, Dig Safely New York www.digsafelynewyork.com and the University of Northwestern Ohio www.unoh.com and the contingency sponsors are Bars Leaks www.barsproducts.com, Bert Transmission www.berttransmission.com, Bicknell Racing Products www.bicknellracingproducts.com, Bilstein Shocks www.bilstein.com, Brodix Cylinder Heads www.brodix.com, Ferris Industries www.ferrisindustries.com, Integra Shocks www.integrashocksandsprings.com, Intercomp www.intercomp-racing.com, KSE Racing Products www.kse-racing.com, Motorsports Safety Systems www.motorsportssafetysystems.com, Penske Shocks, www.penskeshocks.com, Racing Electronics www.racingelectronics.com, Rislone Oil Stabilizer www.barsproducts.com and Wrisco Industries www.wrisco.com.
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| 2009 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Point Profiles - Who Won Posted: 04 Dec 2009 09:27 AM PST Friday, December 4, 20092009 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Point Profiles
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by Tom Skibinski
WEEDSPORT, N.Y. -- The concept that consistency wins championships was reinforced once more by 2009 overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Champion Dale Planck as he surfaced as the fourth straight driver to finish up without a tour win. Placing 14th last year on the 358-Mod champ trail, Planck's previous best finishes were 3rd in 2005 & 4th in '03, the same year he scored two series wins. In his 10 tour starts this year, the 'Natural' registered eight top-10 feature finishes, also posting a series-high half-dozen front-5s behind the wheel of owner Carey Terrance's RezX Racing no. 77x Grow It Hydroseeding/TEO entry. And despite going winless in '09, the second-generation standout from Cortland, N.Y. remains listed among DIRTcar Northeast's all-time Top-20 358-Modified feature winners with 49 checkered flags ---including 4 in the Mr. DIRTcar Small-Block series--- with 4 track point titles earned over the past 10 years.
Reigning Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Champion Pete Bicknell never began his title defense until rain washed out the April opener at Can-Am Motorsports, yet once back-to-back Top-5s were scored on home soil in the Niagara Frontier the St. Catharines, Ont. veteran rekindled his travel plans. Merritville (Ont.) Speedway owner and the track's winningest driver produced two Integra Shocks Fast Times and eight Top-10 feature finishes in the 11-race series, posting four front-5s behind the wheel of his self-designed Bicknell Racing Products no. 42 Lucas Oil Products entry. En route to runner-up in the overall points chase 'Mr. Small-Block' became the first driver in DIRTcar 358-Modified history to crack the 200-win barrier as he increased his all-time high count to 203 victories while adding a fifth Modified track title at Humberstone (Ont.) Speedway.
A recognized protégé of Mr. Small-Block himself, Larry Lampman Jr. embarked on his first all-out assault on the Hoosier-VP Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified champ trail and not only matched Bicknell's track record of 4 Top-5s and 8 Top-10s, went 1-up with the opening round victory at Merrittville --- site of 4 wins and his third track title of the new millennium. The personable Port Colborne, Ontario pilot landed 5th-place finishes in his maiden voyages to Mohawk Int'l Raceway and Autodrome Drummond, also parking owner Dan Miller's no. 22 CMH Leasing-Turn 4 Collision-Garden City Auto Complex/Bicknell mount in the fifth slot at Syracuse to close out Super DIRT Week and climb to 3rd-place in the final overall standings.
A stalwart in the Mr. DIRTcar Small-Block championship series, 2nd-generation chauffeur Danny O'Brien settled for fourth on the points chart steering the Global Warranty no. 7-Star 1000 Islands RV-Stover Bus Lines/Bicknell machine. Still in search of that elusive high points crown on tour, the Kingston, Ontario driver netted a half-dozen Top-10 feature finishes, two among the front-five at Canadian favorites Brockville Ontario Speedway (3rd) and Cornwall Motor Speedway (4th). Despite missing one of the 11 point races, the 'Pocket Rocket' remained a solid contender throughout the season, ending the 2009 campaign with a division-high 9 victories in the weekend wars and his 4th straight 358-Modified title at Brockville.
Rounding out the Top-5 in 2009 Mr. DIRTcar points was Mario Clair, who scored the biggest win of his career as he closed out the inaugural DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals at Brockville in fitting fashion with his first tour victory on Canadian soil. The popular Frenchman from St-Edmond, Que. added two more front-five finishes in the Resist O no. 22 Batiments JDL-Motel Drummond/Bicknell mount at Autodrome Granby and Mohawk Int'l in September. A weekly runner during the summer at Granby and Autodrome Drummond ---where he netted a 2nd track title over the past three years--- Clair scored his first series win in '08 at Mohawk after clinching the overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358 Championship the previous year.
Car owner/driver Carey Terrance made his fifth straight year following DIRTcar Racing Northeast's premier Small-Block Modified Series the most rewarding as he scored his first career tour victory wheeling his potent RezX Racing no. 66X Tomohawk Tobacco-Brass Horse Grill/TEO ride. The memorable triumph at Cornwall Motor Speedway was earned by .002-second over teammate Dale Planck, who had rallied from a last-place start, providing a double payoff for the winner hailing from Akwesasne, N.Y. Placing fifth a year ago in the overall points hunt, Terrance finished 6th in the '09 edition with four Top-10s, adding five feature wins during the regular season at Cornwall and Mohawk.
A past Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman titlist (2001), open-wheel traveler Chad Brachmann from Sanborn, N.Y. remained a steady series contender finishing 7th overall aboard his no. 3 Mighty Taco/Bicknell entry. He logged his two tour Top-5s on home soil at Ransomville Speedway in July and Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in September, ultimately using Merrittville as his home track for bonus points after winding up third in the weekly standings.
Among a handful of prominent first-year pilots in the DIRTcar Small-Block ranks, 2009 Motorsports Safety Systems Rookie of the Year Jeremy Wilder checked into 8th-place on the final Hoosier-VP Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship points chart. The talented 19 year-old from Fort Plain, N.Y. was recognized buckled into the James Edgar Company no. 22J Roosevelts/Bicknell entry, registering three Top-10 tour finishes in 10 events while running weekly against the Big-Blocks at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park where he netted a pair of front-five feature finishes.
Locked into a season-long points battle for top rookie honors, successful Sportsman graduate Mat Williamson from St. Catharines, Ont. was edged out by just 45 markers in the final rundown yet still figured into 9th-place in the overall Mr. DIRTcar standings. Qualifying for all 11 tour shows, the driver of the Optional Hose & Hydraulics no. 6 Jasen Enterprises/Bicknell mount recorded his lone Top-10 at the Syracuse Mile during Super DIRT Week, missing out on race rookie by just one position. Son of Bicknell Racing Products VP and Merrittville Speedway co-owner Randy Williamson, 19 year-old Mat finished 8th in points at Humberstone and tied for 10th at Merrittville where he grabbed his first checkered flag.
North country mainstay Lance Willix II from Theresa, N.Y. reached 10th-place in the final 2009 Mr. DIRTcar point standings, for the 4th straight season finishing among the Top-10. Entering the Nor-Shir Construction no. 16 TRC-SUNY Canton/Bicknell ride in all 11 extra-distance events, he scored a 10th-place best at Autodrome Drummond. The 2006 DIRTcar 358-Modified rookie of the year competed regularly at Can-Am Motorsports Park with his lone DIRTcar 358-Modified feature win logged in '07 at Cornwall Motor Speedway.
A four-time Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified champion, Canadian veteran Pat O'Brien spent the '09 season on both Big-Block and Small-Block tours, hitting 11th on the overall 358 points chart by October's end. While making seven of the 11 Small-Block Series shows, the Kingston, Ont. kingpin earned a pair of Integra Shocks Fast Time awards and netted back-to-back wins at Mohawk and Brockville, crossing the line 4th in the first-ever Fall Nationals at the BOS in October steering the 730 Truck Stop no. 6 Gypsum Logistics-Milestone Concrete/Bicknell car.
Another in the handful of fast first-year campaigners registered for competition on the DIRTcar Small-Block circuit, hard-charging Mark D'Ilario from Smithville, Ont. qualified for eight main events to reach 12th in the final overall Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship point standings. The Niagara Frontier favorite put his Pioneer Fuels no. 08 Turn 4 Collision-Chevron/Bicknell machine in the winner's circle at Merrittville for the first time in August, following up on a successful Sportsman career that included two feature wins on both sides of the border.
Filling in 13th in the season-long points chase, formidable Frenchman David Hebert joins weekly rival Mario Clair in the top echelon of Modified racers from Quebec, adding third-place bests in the province of Ontario at both Cornwall and Brockville. Matching Danny O'Brien's DIRTcar Northeast leading Small-Block win total of 9, the St. Damase, Que. standout was crowned the 358-Modified track champion at Granby for a second year behind the wheel of the familiar Mecanique Electrique CMPL no. 1 Coffrage Levesque/Bicknell ride.
Making the starting grid at five series stops, sophomore Small-Block pilot Tommy Flannigan ended up 14th in the overall Mr. DIRTcar 358 standings strapped in the Kane's Vending no. 72 CMH Leasing/Bicknell car. The St. Catharines, Ont. chauffeur competed weekly throughout the summer at Ransomville (10th pts.) and Merrittville (16th), then every other Sunday in specials at Humberstone Speedway (6th), adding a second career 358 victory at Humberstone in mid-season.
Taking on the tough 358-Modified tour for the first time this season, Elginburg, Ont. hotshoe Bobby Herrington climbed to 15th to round out the final 2009 point fund payout positions. Steering the Stover Bus Lines no. 25 Osprey Stables-Kingston Paint/Bicknell entry over the summer, the 3rd year DIRTcar 358-Modified racer earned his first career Small-Block win at Autodrome Edelweiss where he finishing fourth in the final 358-Mod points standings.
Annually attracting a number of Small-Block competitors from the Northeast, Volusia Speedway Park launches the 2010 season as the 39th Florida DIRTcar Nationals Presented by UNOH showcases the mighty DIRTcar Modifieds on February 10-13.
2009 Overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Point Standings (FINAL)
®-Rookie
Rank No. Driver Total Series Bonus Diff Wins Top-5 Top-10 Starts
1 77x Dale Planck 1262 902 360 0 0 6 8 10
2 42 Pete Bicknell 1180 820 360 -82 0 4 8 11
3 22 Larry Lampman Jr. 1143 783 360 -119 1 4 8 11
4 7* Danny O'Brien 1118 758 360 -144 0 2 6 10
5 22c Mario Clair 1042 682 360 -220 1 3 5 10
6 66x Carey Terrance 1028 668 360 -234 0 2 4 9
7 3b Chad Brachmann 1023 663 360 -239 0 2 5 10
8 22J Jeremy Wilder® 983 623 360 -279 0 0 3 10
9 6m Mat Williamson® 938 578 360 -324 0 0 1 11
10 16w Lance Willix II 930 570 360 -332 0 0 1 11
11 6 Pat O'Brien 895 535 360 -367 2 3 5 7
12 08 Mark D'Ilario® 791 431 360 -471 0 0 0 8
13 1 David Hebert 735 375 360 -527 0 3 4 5
14 72 Tommy Flannigan 703 343 360 -559 0 0 0 5
15 25 Bobby Herrington 650 290 360 -612 0 0 0 6
16 23 Laurent Ladouceur 649 289 360 -613 0 0 1 6
17 007 Roy Tarbell 630 270 360 -632 0 0 1 4
18 8 Rich Scagliotta® 601 361 240 -661 0 0 1 7
19 55 Stewart Friesen 598 238 360 -664 0 2 5 5
20 88 Tim O'Brien 592 232 360 -670 0 0 2 4
21 m96 Brian McDonald 592 232 360 -670 0 0 0 4
22 14 Mitchell Jock 590 230 360 -672 0 0 0 2
23 97 Michel Chicoine® 568 208 360 -694 0 0 0 3
24 124 Pierre Dagenais 564 204 360 -698 0 0 0 4
25 21 Yan Bussière 560 200 360 -702 0 1 1 4
fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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