Joey Ladouceur Reflects Back on Spectacular Rookie Season in DIRTcar Sportsman Division; Looking Forward to More Success in 2014

The 2013 may have been Joey Ladouceur’s rookie season in the DIRTcar Sportsman division, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at the standings. Ladouceur remained in contention all year long for the coveted Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman title, and finished second. He won the Cornwall Motor Speedway Sportsman championship, and captured a pair of feature wins, including a Mr. DIRTcar Series victory at Ransomville Speedway on July 3rd.

In addition to his two victories, Ladouceur also posted 13 top five finishes and 23 top ten results along the way. His outstanding first year in the Sportsman division also earned him the status of DIRTcar Sportsman Rookie of the Year, as no other rookie on the DIRTcar tour came close to matching Joey’s impressive first year.

“We are very happy with our rookie season in Sportsman”, says Ladouceur. “Going into this season, we didn’t really know what to expect, we figured we would be more competitive during the second half of the season once we get things figured out, but transitioned a little quicker than we expected”.

The team is currently rebuilding for the 2014 season, and Ladouceur expects to have a much different schedule than what he had this season. He will race weekly at Cornwall Speedway, participate at Super Dirt Week in Syracuse NY in October, and at select events at other tracks in his #92 Dirtcar Sportsman. Plans are also in place to compete on asphalt in the Mario Morrissette owned #92 Procam Series Truck.

“Our goals for next year are to defend our title at Cornwall Speedway, and try to get the rookie of the year title in the Quebec based Procam Truck Series”, adds Ladouceur. “Hopefully we can win a few more races as well”.

Joey Ladouceur would like to thank all of the sponsors that helped support the team during the 2013 racing season. Coffrage 20-20/Pompage 20-20, Fence Depot, Minimax Express, Glengarry Truck Centre, Gauvreau Terre de Surface, Mr. Radiator, Lakeside Landscaping, Au Vieux Duluth, Number One Speed Shock Service, Boucherie du Village and Finish Line Web Design are all an integral part of the Ladouceur team and they look forward to sharing their success with all of you in the future.

“None of our success on the track would be possible without our great sponsors and a very supportive family”, adds Ladouceur. “My wife Josée has been by my side every step of the way, along with my son Tristan”.

A third generation of racing in the Ladouceur family has already started, as Tristan Ladouceur competed on the Kart track at Cornwall Speedway this season and won his first feature event at the age of six.

For more information on Joey Ladouceur, please check out our website, www.joey92.com. You will find up to date news and results, and information on Joey and the race team, including sponsor info, and links to our sponsor’s websites. You can also follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyLadouceur.

With the racing season now long over, the only thing remaining on the Arbuthnot Racing team’s schedule was the annual DIRTcar Awards banquet that took place at the Holiday Inn Express in Liverpool, New York. Ryan was on hand to accept his award for his sixth place overall finish in the DIRTcar 358 Modified point standings, and also received the DIRT car Rookie of the Year award for his outstanding rookie season.

Going into a brand new division always has some anxiety to go with it at the beginning of the season. The Arbuthnot Racing team didn’t know what to expect as they entered into their first season of DIRTcar 358 Modified racing after spending the better part of two seasons in the Sportsman division. The team called Brockville Ontario Speedway their home track, and also raced at Mohawk International Raceway and Cornwall Speedway on various weekends throughout the season, as well as following the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series.

Like many first year drivers in a new division, there were plenty of highs and lows throughout the course of the season. The highlight of the year came on Saturday, August 24th, as they picked up their first career DIRTcar 358 Modified feature win.

“It was a good year for us. We really learned a lot”, says Arbuthnot. “We really enjoyed following the DIRTcar Series, and can’t wait to get started again in 2014. I really have to thank everyone that helped us out this year from the crewmembers, to sponsors, my family and all the race fans. We wish you all a happy holiday season and we look forward to seeing what 2014 brings”.

Arbuthnot plans to race weekly at Mohawk International Raceway on Friday nights in 2014 in addition to Brockville Speedway on Saturday nights. The team will also continue to follow the Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified series.

Arbuthnot Racing would like to thank Bob East (Crew Chief), Tyler Lambert, Krystyn, Dad (Steve), Susie and Grandfather (Ron) for all their hard work and support as well as sponsors Valley Sales and Equipment, Pirie Insulation, 1000 Islands RV, Welch LLP, Finnigan’s Road House, Engine Research, Axcel Sports, Valken Racing, Finish Line Web Design, Number One Speed Shock Service and Bicknell Racing Products. The team would also like to welcome Tony Corcoran Speed and Performance as a sponsor for the 2014 season.

For more information on Ryan Arbuthnot and Arbuthnot Racing, please visit us online at arbuthnotracing.com. You will find the latest team news, race results, schedule, photos and direct links to our sponsor’s websites, giving fans easy access to support the companies that support our team.

Billy Dunn Reflects on Successful 2013 Campaign; Syracuse 200 Win Tops the List of Accomplishments From the Past Season

Over the past few seasons, Billy Dunn had established himself as a rising star in the DIRTcar Big Block division. In 2013, Dunn took that to a whole new level, winning several races, and contended for championships along the way. On Friday nights, Dunn raced a 358 Modified a Mohawk International Raceway driving for Laurent Ladouceur, while Saturday nights were spent at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. Dunn also followed the Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series in 2013, posting some fantastic results along the way.

With 11 feature wins in 49 starts this season, Dunn had the best year of his career so far. One of those wins just happened to be the Syracuse 200 at Super DIRT Week, the biggest win of his career by far. Dunn won the Mohawk International Raceway track title and the Frenchie’s “Chevy Runs Deep” 358 Modified Series championship. Three of Billy’s wins came at Canandaigua Motorsports Park where the championship battle came right down to the final few laps of the race. Dunn finished second overall at Canandaigua in the championship battle.

Dunn also had some great success travelling to different track in the Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series. He finished the season a career best third overall in the standings with the help of back to back second place finishes at Albany-Saratoga Speedway and Autodrome Drummond in July, and a solid third place result at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan in August. The biggest moment of the season however was Sunday, October 9th at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse as Dunn fulfilled a lifelong dream by winning the 42nd annual Super DIRT Week main event.

“We have a lot to be thankful for this year”, says Dunn. “Thanksgiving holiday is upon us, and we certainly are thankful to all the people that have helped us out this year including our sponsors, crewmembers, family, friends and fans”.

Billy Dunn would like to thank Number One Speed, FastLube of Watertown, Finger Lakes Auto Machine, Glen A. Gould Estate Construction, Frosty’s Ice Cream, and Bicknell Racing Products for their continued support for the 2013 racing season. He would also like to thank Laurent Ladouceur and the Mr. Radiator Race team for the opportunity to race their 358 Modified at Mohawk Raceway on Friday nights.

For more information on Billy Dunn and the Number One Speed race team, please check out our website, www.billydunn49.com.

Billy Dunn’s Syracuse Dream Comes True With Super DIRT Week Victory on Sunday at the New York State Fairgrounds

A lifelong dream was accomplished this weekend for Billy Dunn, as the 29 year old was the first to cross the finish line on Sunday to conclude the 42nd annual Super DIRT Week in the Napa 200. The win was by far the biggest of his young career in Big Block Modified Racing. Dunn has had his best year to date, and the $50000 victory on Sunday was his first career Super DIRTcar Series win.

The entire weekend was a roller coaster ride for Dunn and his Number One Speed race team. They had been searching for consistent speed all weekend in the Big Block car, while the Small Block ride was fast all weekend long.

After rolling through tech inspection with both cars on Tuesday, Dunn was ready for Super DIRT Week XLII. They were hoping to hit the track Wednesday for practice, but that was cancelled while track workers continued to prepare the racing surface. The first on track session came on Thursday for both the Big Block Modified and the 358 Modified, leading up to time trials later that day. Dunn posted the 25th fastest speed in time trials for the Napa 200, leaving the team searching for more speed over the next couple days. In the 358 Modified, Dunn was 10th fastest overall in the time trial session, and was looking to tweak the car in practice for Friday night’s qualifying heat races.

After more practice on Friday, Dunn hit the track under the lights on Friday night for 20 lap qualifying heats with both cars. Billy started 13th in his qualifier, and charged through the field to post a solid top five finish, and would earn the 16th place starting position for Sunday’s NAPA 200. In the 358 Modified qualifier, Dunn started from the fifth position and picked up one spot to finish 4th, and would start the Salute to the Troops 150 on Saturday from the 11th starting position.

The Number One Speed team was very confident going into Saturday’s 150 lap main event. They had a fast car, and a good strategy planned out for the race. By lap five of the event, Dunn had worked his way forward, and was inside the top five, and would soon find his way to second place as the first caution was displayed on lap 22, as Dunn and several others made their way to pit road to top off for fuel in hopes of making it the rest of the distance. Other teams had different pit strategies in place, with many cars waiting until much later in the race to hit pit road. Dunn was back inside the top ten by lap 35, and continued to move forward as the race progressed. As pit stops cycled through for most teams after a lap 42 caution, Dunn was up to fourth place, while the top two had yet to make a pit stop. By the halfway point at lap 75, all teams had been to pit road, and Dunn was in third place. The leader of the race had a mechanical failure at lap 100, moving Dunn to second place as he began to mount a challenge for the race lead with 50 laps remaining. For several laps, Dunn was trying every possible lane to take the lead, often getting alongside the leader but unable to complete the pass. At lap 118, Dunn finally grabbed the top spot and appeared to be well on his way to victory. As they took the white flag on lap 149, Dunn’s car sputtered going into turn one, and a shot at the win slipped away as the fuel cell ran dry.

“It was a heartbreaker,” said a disappointed Dunn after the race. “I think we had the best car here so we had to gamble to get out front in the clean air. I’d rather wreck on the first lap than run out of gas and leading on the last lap.”

Sunday was a new day for Dunn, looking to put Saturday’s disappointing finish behind them. They started the NAPA 200 from the 16th starting position and were hoping that a good pit stop and a solid strategy would get them a solid finish in the event. By lap 30, Dunn was holding steady in the 14th position, patiently waiting to make his move. With 60 laps into the event, Dunn had cracked the top 10 for the first time, and would soon be making a pit stop for fuel and a tire change. Strategy would be the key, with DIRTcar implementing a new rule that caution laps would not count over the final 25 laps, so teams would have to gamble and take that into consideration when making their pit stop. Almost the entire field, including Dunn came to pit road after a caution on lap 82. While most teams opted to go the distance from their, Dunn decided to come back to pit road once again at lap 167 for more fuel and a tire change to a softer compound for the final 33 laps of the race. This move proved to be pivotal in the outcome. When they went back to green on lap 167, Dunn restarted from the 18th position, but with many teams trying to conserve fuel to last to the finish of the race, Dunn made quick work of getting back up through the field. A total of three cautions and a red flag played right into Dunn’s favor The final caution came on lap 191, and Dunn was in the fifth position for the restart. When the race resumed, Dunn quickly moved to fourth, and watched the three cars ahead of him run out of fuel in the closing laps. By lap 197 Billy was well in command, and cruised to the biggest win of his career by more than 8 seconds over the second place car.

“Our strategy played out almost 100 percent – almost by the lap we wanted to pit both times,” said Dunn, who was just three months old when his parents brought him to NAPA Super DIRT Week for the first time in 1984. “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and dreaming of this, it is awesome. Every one of my heroes has won this race and now I’m on that list with them. It’s pretty special. This is definitely the greatest day in my racing career. I’ll never forget this. I really have to thank the entire Number One Speed team for all their help this weekend”.

There is still plenty of racing left this season for Dunn, beginning this weekend at Brockville Speedway for the 1000 Islands RV DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals this Sunday. The following weekend Dunn will be at Orange County Speedway in Middletown, New York for Eastern States Weekend, followed by the World Finals at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway on November 7-9th.

Billy Dunn would like to thank Number One Speed, FastLube of Watertown, Finger Lakes Auto Machine, Glen A. Gould Estate Construction, Frosty’s Ice Cream, and Bicknell Racing Products for their continued support for the 2013 racing season. He would also like to thank Laurent Ladouceur and the Mr. Radiator Race team for the opportunity to race their 358 Modified at Mohawk Raceway on Friday nights.

For more information on Billy Dunn and the Number One Speed race team, please check out our website, www.billydunn49.com.