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| Danny Johnson Winner in Volusia Finale | The curtain came down Saturday on the 30th annual Winternationals at Volusia Speedway Park with Danny Johnson winning the 50-lap DIRT Modified feature event. Brett Hearn settled for second-place in the sixth and final leg of the 2001 Florida Tour to capture his second consecutive points title.
Johnson's seventh Tour victory was his first in the 'Sunshine State' since 1995 at St. Augustine Speedway while his last triumph at Volusia was registered in 1989. The Rochester, N.Y. pilot still fell 22 points shy of three-time winner Hearn in the final big-block standings.
"It's great to get back here in victory lane, especially in the biggest race of the week," said Johnson, 40, who pocketed $5,000 for his 262nd (3rd all-time) career big-block DIRT Modified feature win. "The car worked everywhere all night, we didn't even need to make any changes after the heat. I owe this one to the crew for quite an effort. We definitely had a little too much on our plate taking care of the late model this week."
The heads-up start put heat one winner Hearn on the pole and as expected his no. 3 Budweiser Racing/TEO machine easily paced the field when the initial green flag waved.
Johnson finished behind winner Tim Fuller in the second heat to fill in fifth on the 26-car grid yet needed just five laps to charge into second and set his sights on the Bud bumper. Hearn reached traffic on the 10th circuit and when he got trapped down low on the frontstretch behind Jerry Pennock,Jr., Johnson rolled past in the no. 27J Sweeteners Plus/Troyer entry just five laps later to take his first lead of the week.
At the midway mark, Johnson led Hearn, Tim McCreadie, Doug Hoffman and Jimmy Horton. That order remained intact for the duration despite a pair of cautions for a spinning Mike Perrotte (lap 29) and a slowing Brother Fowlkes (lap 47) that momentarily closed the gap between Johnson and his closest challengers.
"It's been a fantastic run, we finished one spot back tonight but we kicked butt all week long," said Hearn, 42, as he reluctantly shared the winner's circle celebration with his biggest rival after clinching a third Florida Tour title in the past four years. The Sussex, N.J. speedster won three races to open the 2001 Tour and became the winningest big-block driver in Winternationals history.
"It's great to start out the year so well. No matter where we began the races we still made it to the front. Hopefully, we can carry the momentum with us back up north," added Hearn, who placed among the top-four in all six main events and mixed in four qualifying heat race victories with a special dash win at East Bay and Volusia.
Top-ten finishers in the final point standings are Hearn (338), Johnson (316), Tim McCreadie (292), Hoffman (260), Horton (247), Pat Ward (240), J.R. Heffner (232), Bob McCreadie and Fuller (230 each) and Ray Swinehart (222). Johnson and Tim McCreadie were the only other drivers to place among the top-10 in each of the six events.
With Florida Tour 2001 in the recordbook, DIRT teams packed up and headed north to get ready for the start of the season at their favorite hometrack. Some will be participating in DIRT Motorsports first-ever visit to The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., on Monday. Two practice sessions sandwich a 3 p.m. press conference, with DIRT Modifieds scheduled to take their first laps at 2 p.m.
RESULTS
Results from Saturday night's DIRT Modified Florida Tour 50-lap feature race at Volusia Speedway Park, showing finishing position, car number, driver and hometown:
1. 27j Danny Johnson, Rochester, N.Y.
2. 3 Brett Hearn, Sussex, N.J.
3. 56 Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
4. 27 Doug Hoffman, Allentown, Pa.
5. 901 Jimmy Horton, Neshanic Station, N.J.
6. 33 Ray Swinehart, Bechtelsville, Pa.
7. 32c Vic Coffey, Leicester, N.Y.
8. 42p Pat Ward, Genoa, N.Y.
9. 93 Ryan Bartlett, Adams, N.Y.
10. Z Butch Tittle, Saylorsburg, Pa.
11. 74 J.R. Heffner, Averill Park, N.Y.
12. 32 Jim Rasey, Southington, Ohio
13. 8 Rich Scagliotta, Bound Brook, N.J.
14. 24 Chris Shultz, Holmes, N.Y.
15. 79 Jeremy Markle, Port Jervis, N.Y.
16. 396 Deron Rust, Georgetown, Del.
17. 44f Brother Fowlkes, Alexandria, La.
18. 35 Mike Perrotte, Elizabethtown, N.Y.
19. 18 Brian Cobb, Honesdale, Pa.
20. 44 Gary Hager, Stewartsville, N.J.
21. m1 Tim Fuller, Edwards, N.Y.
22. fx1 Frankie Caprara, Watertown, N.Y.
23. 11j Jerry Pennock Jr., Warrensburg, N.Y.
24. 7jr Jimmy Reppert, Hamburg, Pa.
25. 9 Bob McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
26. 30+ Mike Frost, Factoryville, Pa.
LAP LEADERS: Hearn 1-14, Johnson 15-50.
CAUTIONS: 4.
HEAT WINNERS: Hearn, Fuller, Swinehart.
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