North Eastern Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Club - Press Release
Date: 5-25-2008

MIDDLETOWN, NY- The Highly anticipated 2008 vintage racing season for the Northeastern Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Club has gotten off to a "wet" start. Rainy weather has claimed the first two events of the busy 2008 schedule, which includes club events at Accord Speedway, Five-Mile Point Speedway, Fonda Speedway, Lebanon Valley Speedway and Orange County Fair Speedway.  

The club, which actually races restored and replica machines like those that were common at area speedways in the 1960's and 70's, plans to hold a makeup event at the Accord Speedway (www.accordspeedway.com) on Friday, May 30. There is also a regularly scheduled club event to be held on Friday, June 6 at Accord. The vintage cars always put on a great show at Accord and are a popular added attraction for fans, both young and old.  

On Saturday, July 5, the vintage racers will celebrate the Independence Day weekend by travelling to Montgomery County's Fonda Speedway (www.fondaspeedway.com) for a very popular event that often sees cars from several other similar clubs take part. Fonda is a track rich in motor sports history and it is very fitting to have vintage racing events there to honor that history.  

The month of July will be a busy one for club participants, as Saturday, July 12, will find the club racing at Orange County Fair Speedway (www.ocfsmotorsports.com) in Middletown. This event is in conjunction with the speedway's annual "Nostalgia Night" which has been wildly successful the past few years. Not only will fans be treated to an on-track vintage modified race, but also planned, are exhibitions by the Atlantic Coast Old Timers club, which primarily focuses on the open cockpit Midget and Sprint type vintage race cars of the 1930's through the 1960's. The speedway management team has also arranged to have dozens of former drivers on hand to sign autographs and relive some of their past racing experiences through discussion with the fans and the announcing staff. It is sure to be a great night for anyone who appreciates the history of auto racing…and of course there will be a full card of current-day racing as well.

Continuing the jam-packed July schedule, the club will return to Accord Speedway on Friday, July 18 for more action on the newly enlarged speedway. August 8 will be yet another chance for the vintage machines to master the "Ulster County Bullring", as Accord Speedway is known. Many of the club's members enjoy Accord's tight racing quarters as it offers plenty of opportunity to out-handle or out-maneuver the other drivers in competition.  

A week later, the club will see quite the opposite as they enter the lightning fast, Lebanon Valley Speedway (www.lebanonvalley.com) in Columbia County, on Saturday, August 16. Known for it's very long straightaways and very tight, highly banked turns, Lebanon Valley is one of the highest speed dirt tracks in the country. Surely, the vintage action at Lebanon Valley will be breathtaking.  

September will find the club back at Orange County Fair Speedway, another one of the nation's largest and fastest dirt tracks. The September 13 event headlines the United Racing Club Sprint Cars and the vintage modifieds will again take to the "hard clay" with an event sure to please both modified and sprint fans. The September Fall season will also feature Accord Speedway's "King of the Catskills" event on Saturday, September 27. The vintage modified club will be on hand to compete in the highly promoted event. Then, once more, on Saturday, October 11, the club will run one more race at Accord, in conjunction with their season closing event.  

There are several additional race dates for the club, that have not yet been finalized. Broome County's Five-Mile Point Speedway (www.fivemilepointspeedway.net) is planning on rescheduling a rained out event for the vintage racers. Orange County Fair Speedway is considering adding another vintage racing event, but the date has not yet been announced. Also, the Sullivan County paved oval, in White Lake/Kauneonga Lake is preparing to re-open this summer. The club has held several events on the pavement there in the past and there is certainly a possibility of some events being added to the schedule.  

At all events, the Northeastern Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Club (www.vintagedirtmodified.com) encourages anyone with an interest in the type of cars involved with the club, or with a general interest in auto racing's past, to come out to the track and check out the show. The Coupes, Coaches, Gremlins, Pintos, Vegas and other style vintage cars consistently put on an entertaining and competitive show with cars that are still quite economical. Rather than expending large amounts of money on their cars, many members instead use their resourcefulness to salvage older parts or make new ones the old fashioned way, by hand. It is always fascinating to inspect the cars up close because there is so much ingenuity and individualism in each one.  

Membership in the club is open to anyone, there is no need to own a car. The club is currently under the leadership of Ed Stevens (who also promotes the annual Middletown Motorsports Show), a former driver of modified stock cars since the 1950's. Mr. Stevens recently took over the club's coordination duties from Darlene Kerr, who guided the club's activities for several years. For further information about the club, or the cars and drivers of the club, contact Ed Stevens at (845) 386-3484 or write to NVDMRC, 1101, Route 211-W, Middletown, NY 10940.

NVDMRC Holds Successful Season Ending Dinner
By: Brett Deyo

GOSHEN, NY- Coming off a successful racing season, the Northeast Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Club held its annual dinner and rules meeting last Saturday afternoon. A large crowd gathered at the Goshen Firehouse for the event, which recognized those who supported the organization this past season and established the framework for the 2002 schedule.

A group that actually races restored Modifieds from the 1950's through the 1970's, the NVDMRC had a busy 2001 campaign, sanctioning races at Accord (NY) Speedway, Lake Moc A Tek (Pa) Speedway, Orange County Fair (NY) Speedway and Kauneonga (NY) Speedway. Car counts were up at all events, reinforcing the notion that the NVDMRC will be around for a long time, providing fans with a glimpse into auto racing's past.

Club director Art Parker conducted the event, as competitors were given
the opportunity to provide their input into the rules for next season. A
few changes were made in the 2002 regulations, including the elimination of Bert type transmissions and strict enforcement of the weight rules, which differ from car to car depending on engine size. 


Because of the strict sound enforcement by the surrounding community, it is required that all cars that race at Accord Speedway turn the exhaust down to help soften the noise output. Turbo Mufflers or the DIRT Motorsports mandated mufflers are strongly encouraged, as they both have been tested under the decibel level required by the town.

A technical committee has been elected for next season to keep the club's cars in check. Those voted onto this three person panel were Edgar Hedges, Mike Cole and Tim Toombs. Jeff Richardson has been appointed to the position of technical advisor.

Club treasurer and secretary Darlene Kerr has been busy putting together a stellar 2002 schedule, and several new races are tentatively on the agenda. Using Accord Speedway as the club's home base, the NVDMRC will also have events at Orange County Fair Speedway, Lake Moc A Tek Speedway and Kauneonga Speedway. Some other races are currently in the works and the full schedule will be announced during the winter months.

There was some discussion at the meeting of presenting two trophies after each event, one for the Modified winner and one for the Sportsman winner. Specific rules for each of the two sub-divisions are available from the NVDMRC.

Following the rules meeting, a delicious buffet dinner was served to all in attendance, providing club members and supporters with a chance to relax and socialize after a busy 2001 racing season. Considering the large turn out for the meeting it looks like the 2002 season will be a successful one for the NVDMRC. It will indeed be "racing like it used to be."

To find out more information about the NVDMRC, feel free to contact Darlene Kerr at (845) 294-7138. New members are welcomed and encouraged all the time.
 

Racing Like It Used To Be
By: Brett Deyo

Seeing the cars of the Northeastern Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Club is a flashback to what racing was some twenty five to thirty years ago. And, according to the members of this new, but growing, racing organization, they are returning to the days when racing was fun. 

"Racecars today are just too expensive," says Dick Schoonmaker, founder of the vintage racing club. "It has gotten to the point where it is so expensive to race, car counts are dropping off at a lot of tracks." Despite the soaring costs of fielding a car, Schoonmaker and some of his friends still had the desire to race. That is when the idea of the club came up. "I said to myself, 'why not go back to the way it used to be' and that is what we are trying to do with this club. I was really kicking the idea around from about 1997, and we did a few exhibitions, but it was a couple of years before we really got everything together" 

On November 7, 1999, in Schoonmaker's Campbell Hall, NY garage, a group of fourteen owners of vintage modifieds met, hoping to establish guidelines for the club. And, only a month or two later, they had some rules and regulations in place, the first of which was quite simple. "We actually race," commented Art Parker, who campaigns a yellow Sedan himself on a weekly basis. "Make no mistake about it, we come together each week for a race, as any other class would. We probably go at it just as hard as any group in racing today. And, in fact, I think it surprised some people because we race the hell out of these things" 

The actual list of rules for the club is short and somewhat vague, but it isn't a mistake. To ensure car counts for a division of this type, the rules can't be too strict, and so far, the club has prospered with several different winners in spite of the lack of enforcement. Most of the rules in place are for driver safety, such as the "no beer kegs" clause...unlike years past, a fuel cell is mandatory with the NVDMRC. " 

We are trying to maintain the integrity of true vintage modifieds," continued Parker. "If you are looking for loopholes or are spending large amounts of money to gain an advantage, rethink what we are about and move on to another class." NVDMRC made its true debut one year ago at Accord Speedway, with about six cars in attendance. Though the car counts got off to a slow start, the racing was excellent, and the fans enjoyed seeing the Coupes and Sedans slide around the 1/4 mile at speeds
pretty close to those that the DIRT Sportsmans were putting up. 

Week by week, other drivers got their cars together, and by seasons end, the group had about a dozen weekly competitors with a few other off and on runners, like any division has. "We were happy with the way the season went," said Schoonmaker, a former Street Stock racer. "The car counts were picking up and we had a few guys travel long distances to race. I think we have a good thing going here." It was Schoonmaker's No. 252 Sedan, driven by 42-year old Tim Toombs that took the majority of the checkered flags in the inaugural season, five at Accord, and one at Moc A Tek Speedway, the other track where NVDMRC competed in 2000. 

"I'll tell you what," commented the personable Toombs, "when these cars work, they are a lot of fun to drive. They're pretty fast, I really have enjoyed running the car." The car that Toombs took to victory lane, though, was no high dollar piece of machinery. "We put the entire car together for about $2,000," said Schoonmaker." Picking up used parts from swap meets like Lebanon Valley, and inheriting tires from the DIRT Sportsman and 358 guys, we were able to keep the cost down. It would be hard to find any other division where a competitive car costs that little to build."


Make no mistake about it, Toombs had a lot of competition in 2000, both on a local level and from afar. Physical therapist Phil Clausin of Oak Brook, Illinois flew in on several occasions to race his black X coupe at Accord, and nearly won a few times, only to leave the season behind with a best finish of second. A unique individual, Clausin was left with no place to race his car back home in Illinois, and when he heard about the NVDMRC, he was quick to jump on the bandwagon. His take no prisoners driving style ruffled a few feathers, but he had a lot of fun with the club and expects to make the voyage in to race again this summer. 

Other weekly competitors that made it tough on Toombs included Ray Checke, Walt Dingman, Ray Cole, and Paul DeMott. Each and every one of those drivers had a shot at a victory during the course of the year, and it was DeMott who turned some heads late in the campaign. In only his second career race at Accord, DeMott put his No. F5 Coupe into the lead early in the race and held on until the two laps to go sign, when a bobble handed the lead to Toombs. However, the performance proved he will be loaded for bear this season. 

Several new drivers have already committed to racing the NVDMRC circuit this summer, leaving fans of the vintage club grinning from ear to ear. Veteran campaigner Jeff Richardson, who has 42 career victories under his belt driving various types of cars including Mini Sprint, IMCA Modified, DIRT Sportsman, and Street Stock, has put together an awe inspiring car. Comprised of a 1975 Tobias Chassis and a 1973 Pinto body, Richardson and his crew assembled an immaculate machine that will be sure to turn some heads and bring back memories of racing's glory days. Other newcomers include Street Stock racers John and Jeff Hager with a sharp looking coupe, and Edgar Hedges, another Street Stocker turned vintage enthusiast. Parker and Schoonmaker put forth a lot of time and effort over the winter in assembling a schedule for the club, and their efforts paid off immensely. 

The season will kick off on May 11th at Accord Speedway, the first of eleven shows there. They will make two stops at Moc A Tek, on July 3rd and September 3rd, one stop at the paved Kauneonga Speedway on June 16th, and one at Orange County Fair Speedway on August 11th. The races at Kauneonga and Orange County are new stops on the NVDMRC, and competitors seem excited about the change. "We're all looking forward to racing up at Kauneonga, it will be our first time on asphalt. I'm looking for it to be a competitive race...the track should suit us pretty well," predicted Parker. "And, Orange County has so much history (now entering its 52nd consecutive season) it is only appropriate that we would race there." 

The one major change in the rules over the winter was in the weight department. In order to keep the six cylinders (those who compete in the Mid State Vintage Club) competitive, there is a weight break of 200 pounds for those underpowered machines. Also, Big Block engines will be allowed this season, but they must add 200 extra pounds over small block V-8's to try and make it an even playing field. "We think this is the best way to keep the cars competitive," said Parker. "We didn't want to turn anybody away, either, so this should work." 

The NVDMRC plans to use the same format as last year; warm ups, an eight lap heat and a 15-lap feature. However, with the expected increase in car count, their will be a handicapping system in place for starting positions, as opposed to the random placement of one year ago, and also a point system and banquet are in the works, even more incentive to join the fledgling organization in 2001. 

With all the pieces in place, it looks as if it will be a breakout year for the Northeastern Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Club. A solid first season, combined with much time and effort spent over the winter organizing a strong schedule and some new members leaves fans of vintage race cars looking forward to the season with great anticipation. It should be exciting to watch "racing like it used to be." 

For more information on the NVDMRC, contact Dick Schoonmaker at (845) 496-6333. 

New members and participants are always encouraged. 

A schedule can be found at http://www.accordspeedway.com/