Short Track Super Series Makes Debut Sunday at OCFS; Hard Clay Open Preview

Sail panels with mix and match tires, what's not to like?


The debut of the much anticipated Short Track Super Series takes place this Sunday at Orange County Fairgrounds Speedway in Middletown, NY. The Inaugural Hard Clay Open will grace the clay at Orange County, the legendary home of the Eastern States 200, and all modified eyes will be watching.   Watching to see who turns out, what tire combinations are run, and who does better with sail panels?

The event kicks off a modest 6 date race tour which also includes stops at Penn-Can, I-88, Thunder Mountain, and Accord speedways. But sometimes less is more..

The series is assisted by the relatively new super late model sanctioning body- the NDRL, who have been of a similar mindset. Less is more, more chances for greater driver turnout, and higher purses. Indeed, there is great value at setting a premium on events, this inaugural "mystery tour" has the potential to strike a loud resonance with drivers and fans alike.

"The ‘Hard Clay Open’ is historic for many reasons: it marks the first race at Orange County contested with high sail panels (rather than traditional windows) on Modifieds; it is the debut for Midwestern/Sprint Car-style ‘passing points’ qualifying in dirt Modified racing; it marks the first foray by the National Dirt Racing League (NDRL), a sanctioning group of high-paying Super Late Model racing, into the Northeastern Modified market; it is the first NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP event; and it is the first BD Motorsports Media LLC promotion at Orange County."

- from Brett Deyo Motorsports/Short Track Super Series website

Ah, and those tires! This series will offer an open tire rule where competitors can elect American Racers or Hoosiers or even a mix and match set which will add a layer of intrigue into the mix for these six events. 

So history will be made Sunday afternoon, and the weather already looks as if it's going to cooperate for once, and a new series will take hold in the southern tier. The bulk of the northeastern modified fan's eyes are on this event and first year for the Short Track Super Series, and it's a good bet they'll be impressed by what they see.

What: The Inaugural "Hard Clay Open", the kickoff of the 1st year Short Track Super Series


Where: Orange County Fairground Speedway.  Tickets are $20 adult, $18 for seniors, children under 12- $2.


When: Sunday April 6th. Hot laps at 1 pm, Racing starts at 2pm.


At Stake: a total purse of $30,000 with $5,000 going to the winner.

For More Information: Brett Deyo Motorsports/Short Track Super Series page- Short Track Super Series Homepage


Follow Along: Live Updates will be available on twitter via Dirt Track Digest's very own Mike Mallet @DTDMike Mike does a great job with live updates throughout the tri state area!

Expected Drivers:

Peter Britten
Brett Hearn
Danny Johnson
Stewart Friesen
Matt Jester
Ryan Watt
Mike Mahaney
Andy Bachetti
JR Heffner
Jimmy Davis
Elmo Reckner
Tim Hindley
Danny Creeden
Duane Howard
Gary Tomkins
Matt Billings
Jimmy Horton
Anthony Perrego
Billy Vaninwegen
Clinton Mills
Jeff Heotzler
Craig Mitchell
Jerry Higbie
Chris Schultz
Rich Eurich
Jeremy Markle
Willy Auchmoody
Jackie Brown Jr.
Tim Currier
Donnie Elliott
Darrell  Ford
Justin Gozzi
Justin Holland
Ray Jashembowski
John Lieto
Bob McGannon
Tommy  Meier
C.G. Morey
Bill Pascual
Rich  Ricci Jr.
Rob Rowe
Brett Tonkin
Danny Tyler
David Van Horn Jr.
Chris Whitehead    

Bold Predictions:

This one's hard to figure out. The NE Modifieds haven't really had many chances to shakedown everything, and it's anybody's guess as to who may join the expected entries, or how many of them will be just out for a test before the hometracks open up. It wouldn't surprise us if a southern tier veteran who doesn't frequent the other areas in modified land takes home the cash but, we'll stick with somebody that knows the place fairly well.

Winner: Brett Hearn
Darkhorse: Jerry Higbie
Woudn't completely surprise us: Jimmy Horton