Super Dirt Series

Negativity seems to be the way of the world these days. Local news bludgeons us with screaming exposition of the worst the mankind has to offer. Print media headlines are no better. Talk Radio drones on for hours with a seemingly endless stream of name calling and whining. In the arena of sports talk radio no athlete or team ever achieves anything. Somebody won because the other guy or team screwed up.

What does this have to do with the Advanced Auto Parts Super Dirt Series (SSD) event at New Egypt Speedway on Jun. 22? Everything.

Local short-track racing is not immune to negativity. In fact it’s a breeding ground for it. Fans, journalists, "internet experts", and even competitors have a deep reservoir of opinions on, "what’s wrong with short track racing?"

While I’m not going to sit here and draw you a Walt Disney-like picture of how great everything is in short track racing, there is much going on that still point to signs of life in the sport.
In my view the SSD event at New Egypt Wednesday night had all the elements of a good entertainment experience. The event was billed as the "Garden State Gunfight," pitting NES’ "Fast Five" vs. the Super Dirt Series "Elite Eleven."

New Egypt has one of the strongest fields of Big-Block Modified stars in weekly northeast racing including: Billy Pauch, Frank Cozze, Keith Hoffman, Ryan Godown and Jimmy Horton. However truth be told, the NES stars have mostly fallen flat when the DIRT traveling pros have come to town. These guys have succeeded at numerous tracks all over the northeast. The fact that they’ve been spanked repeatedly on their home turf can not sit well with them. This added a great story line to the "’Gunfight." Were these proud local hot-shoes going to fall again, or would they defend the home turf?

The car count for the show was not overwhelming, 36 modifieds. The nabobs of negativity would spring to life, "Only 36 cars for a Super Dirt Series race!" they would shout. We’re not going down that road.

36 cars for a big mid-week show is not an impressive turnout, no question. However with DIRT’s "Elite Eleven,"-- Brett Hearn, Billy Decker, Tim Fuller, Steve Paine, Gary Tomkins, Pat Ward, Vic Coffey, Matt Sheppard, Stewart Friesen, Chad Brachmann and Justin Haers on hand, along with traveling pros Jeff Strunk, Doug Hoffman, Rick Laubach, Craig VonDohren, Kyle Strickler -- the quality of the field cannot be questioned.

Time trials were inconclusive. Three of NES' "Fast Five" timed in the top ten with Frank Cozze the fastest garnering fourth spot.The heat races gave a hint of things to come with Pauch, Cozze and Godown all taking wins.

The third heat had a moment that typifies what local dirt racing is all about. Northeast legend Kenny Brightbill had a race long battle for the last qualifying spot. He made a couple of unsucessful bold charges that cost him momentum, and it looked like he was on his way to the last chance race . On the last two corners of the last lap he defied physics, made up a seemingly impossible gap and grabbed the spot. Brightbill is without a doubt one of the most popular racers in the northeast. Here he was grabbing the last qualifying spot in a heat race and the whole grandstand came to it's feet, fists pumping. You would have thought he just won the biggest race of the year from the crowd reaction. That is what short track racing is all about.

The 100 lap feature had more of the same in store. The top 3 finishers in each heat race got to draw for the top 12 starting positions. Sixty-plus year old Jack Johnson, another icon in dirt modified circles drew the pole, local kingpin Billy Pauch drew fourth and the chase was on...

Johnson ran strong in the early laps, showing that age has not diminished his ability. Billy Pauch knows the NewEgypt bullring better than anyone, and he showed it by blasting out from the start with a sense of urgency-- knowing it's important to get to the front early, before the traffic of lapped cars complicates the issue.

Pauch took the lead from Johnson, but 100 laps at NES with 30 cars on the track means you have to fight every inch of the way. Eventually the NES top guns all found there way to the front with Pauch, Godown and Cozze running 1,2,3. Where were the touring DIRT pros?

The hometrack regulars made it their own private fight, with lapped traffic turning the D-shaped oval into an obstacle course. Pauch was the first victim, ironically tangling with Godown's brother Brian, while Ryan took the lead and Pauch dropped to third.

Lapped traffic would be Ryan Godown's undoing as well, while he was tangling with a lapper, Frank Cozze bolted for the lead, only to jump the cushion, putting Billy Pauch back on top. While this clash of the titans was going on the grandstand was roaring louder than the racing engines. It's times like these that I wish all the whiners who never have a good thing to say about racing would just shut up and get caught up in the moment like me and a couple thousand of my best friends did that night.

The NES regulars carried the torch well sweeping the top three positions. That rarely happens to the touring DIRT drivers these days and the local fans were justifiably proud.

The pride wasn't limited to just the grandstand as Ryan Godown said in victory lane, "I don't even care that I didn't win, it's three New Egypt guys up front!" I wouldn't have believed him if he wasn't grinning from ear to ear.

Then for many, it was off for a stroll through the pits. The sleek mud-streaked modifieds sat cooling in the humid night air, the tension of a battle well fought slowly winding down. Grinning fans reran the race, talking and laughing. It was a good night at the local track, and for a little while all was right with the world.