South Plattsburgh –Defending Ernie’s Discount Tools Modified champion Martin Roy and car owner Jean-Claude Fortin vow to make the best of their early season misstep and say they’re still focused on retaining the Airborne Speedway title.
          Roy, driving the Gamache Truck Center No. 90, was the apparent winner on opening day, but he was disqualified for a motor rule violation (illegal heads). The ruling resulted in a win for Roy’s top rival, Patrick Dupree of Saranac Lake.
          After spending most of the 2009 season within a few points of one another, the two drivers were quickly 60 points apart – Dupree (60), Roy (0).
          “We were very disappointed in our engine builder,” Fortin said. “We had a team meeting and everybody was depressed. We knew it made us look bad and that it will be hard to catch back up with Patrick."
          Fortin said that it had taken the No. 90 team a long time to figure out the right setup at Airborne. “The handling of the car is a bigger factor than the motor,” Fortin said. “Martin and Steve Morin the crew chief have worked very hard to get the car to handle right. The first year we raced at Airborne, we were wearing out the tires before the feature was over. Now we can go 150 laps on the same set.”
Fortin said the importance of handling was proven by how strong Roy was able to come back and win last week’s Modified feature with a legal engine. “We want to keep our fans right on the edge of their seats and prove that we are a team worthy of their support,” he pledged.
          Dupree finished fourth during Roy’s Econo Lodge Night victory last Saturday.
“We never got things quite right,” car owner and crew chief Wes Moody said. “We’ve been using a Silver Crown sprint car rear end setup. It’s good when its good, but its going take more trying and testing and we’ve decided we don’t want to experiment any more for now. We’re going back to the conventional TEO/Bicknell setup that most teams use.”
Moody feels the level of competition at Airborne doesn’t allow any margin for error. “Too many guys are getting too fast,” he said. “The 90 team is a handful. Drivers like Andy Heywood, Jason Durgan and Greg Atkins are much improved and when George Foley, who’s been struggling with motor problems, gets it going watch out!”
         The Ernies Discount Tools Modifieds return to action tonight on Marsha Homes Driver Autograph Night along with the J &S Steel Sportsmen, Versatile Trailer Sales Renegades, NAPA Mini-Modifieds and Monster Energy Bombers. Post time is 5 p.m.

South Plattsburgh – Airborne Speedway will celebrate Memorial Day weekend by hosting a Modified Racing Series event for the first time Saturday, May 29 and the tour’s top drivers are looking forward to racing their low-slung 600 HP machines on the progressively-banked half mile.
    “We’re hearing that there are three or more racing grooves to play around with,” defending Series champion Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, Mass. said. “That should be a lot of fun and it should make it a very interesting, competitive race.”
    Veteran Dwight Jarvis of Ascutney, Vt., winner of the 2010 Modified Racing Series opener at Monadnock Speedway, feels the same way. “We’re excited,” Jarvis said. “We’ve heard a lot of good things about Airborne.”
    The US Army, Greg Atkins Logging and Taylor Rental present the Modified Racing Series 100-lap event. All Airborne divisions will also compete. Post time is 5 p.m.
    “I think this race will be a treat for our fans and it bring in some race fans from outside the area,” Perrotte said.

    Martin Roy of Napierville, QC, the fifth different Airborne Speedway Modified champion in the last five seasons and the first Canadian to earn the title in 38 years, will attempt to make history in 2010 by becoming the first driver to repeat as track champion in the new Ernie’s Tools DIRTcar Modified era. Leon Gonyo, Mike Bruno, George Foley and Patrick Dupree preceded Roy as Airborne champions, but none managed to successfully defend their title, testimony to the level of competition within the Modified ranks.
   Roy bested Dupree by 16 points last year. In Dupree’s 2008 championship season, Roy finished third overall.
   “I’m thankful for the chance to race at such a great track,” Roy said. “We have tight, clean racing and the racers respect each other. Our goal is to try and get the track championship two years in a row and we are mentally set up to do that.”
   “Patrick (Dupree) made us suffer sometimes last year while we were trying to win our first championship, just like we did to him the year before,” Jean-Claude Fortin, owner of Roy’s Gamache Truck Center No. 90, said. “We will enjoy racing against him in 2010.”
   “We’re excited about the Modified Tri-Track Series at Airborne, Albany-Saratoga and Devil’s Bowl,” Fortin added. “It’s going to be a big year at Airborne. When the SuperModifieds come to race in July, we’re going to try and find Martin a ride.”
   Airborne begins its 58th season Saturday, May 1 at 5 p.m. The Econo Lodge 50 for DIRTcar Modifieds headlines a five-division card. One week later, Airborne hosts the Furniture World of VT Spring Green 100 for American Canadian Tour Late Models Saturday, May 8.

    Airborne Speedway’s J&S Steel Sportsmen will compete in a unique 80-lap event comprised of four 20-lap segments, each paying $250 to win, on Saturday, August 14.
   “We’ll set the initial line-up by draw and invert the field for each segment,” promoter Mike Perrotte said. “The overall winner will be determined by adding up everyone’s finish in each segment. The driver with the lowest score earns an extra $250.”
   Plattsburgh Distributing, Buck Paper Supply and Agency Insurance present the Sportsman 4-20’s, which could be a pivotal race in the 2010 track championship battle. Bucko Branham of Plattsburgh is the defending Sportsman champion. He begins a three-peat bid at Airborne’s 58th season opener Saturday, May 1. Branham edged out his nephew, Robin Wood, by 11 points for his second straight title after posting three wins and 12 top-10 finishes.
   Wood, a seven-time winner in 2009 who has never claimed the track championship, vowed that winning races remains his top priority. “I’ve had fun and survived 19 years of racing without a championship so far, so I could manage to get by without one for another year if I have to,” he said. “Last year I got out ahead of Bucko in some races and when we raced together for positions I could hold my own. You just race to win and hope the points will add up at the end.”
   Ganienkeh Territorial Bingo, Rent-A-Wreck, Daniel’s Signs and Melissa’s Barber Shop of Plattsburgh sponsor Wood’s No. 61.
   “Everything’s new on my car except for the chassis,” Branham said. “We’ve purchased a new spec motor and have Bud Lite as our new sponsor.” Casey St. Clair and John LaFountain return as crewmembers.
   Airborne’s opening day headline event is the Econo Lodge 50 for the Ernie’s Discount Tools DIRTcar Modifieds. Saturday, May 8, Airborne hosts the 36th Spring Green for American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models sponsored by Furniture World of VT and Soleil Lumber.

    South Plattsburgh, NY – May is going to be an exciting month at Airborne Speedway. Airborne's 57th season is looking like its biggest and most unique. It opens Saturday, May 1. One week later, Saturday May 8, the American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models will be in town for the 35th annual Spring Green 100.
    The Modified Racing Series, one of two open-wheel asphalt modified tours scheduled to make its first-ever appearance at Airborne in 2010, will compete on Saturday, May 29. The Modified Racing Series has steadily grown in popularity with fans and race teams alike. The Series has a 19-race schedule in 2010, which takes it to all six New England states and New York. Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, Mass is the reigning champion.
    The International Super Modified Association (ISMA) series will make its first trip to Airborne Saturday, July 17.
    Scott Payea, the 2009 ACT runner-up won the 2009 Spring Green. Racers attempting to deny Payea a second-straight Spring Green victory include 2009 ACT champion Brian Hoar of Williston, VT, multi-time Airborne champion Brent Dragon of Milton, VT, Thunder Road Milk Bowl winner John Donahue of Graniteville, VT, Joey Polewarczyk of Hudson, NH and former Spring Green winner and NASCAR Busch North champion Brad Leighton of Center Harbor, NH. Canadian Junior Hanley and Plattsburgh's Robin Wood (Sportsman) are the only drivers to win back-to-back Spring Greens.
    The season opener May 1 kicks off 2009 Ernie's Tools Modified champion Martin Roy's title defense. The J&S Steel Sportsman, Versatile Trailer Sales Renegades, Keeseville NAPA Auto Parts Mini-Modifieds and Monster Energy Bombers will also be in action.The Champlain Valley Racing Association (CVRA), which owns and operates Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, NY and Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT, announced at its 2010 rules meeting that it will implement Airborne Speedway's Modified rules and participate in a six-race Modified series with two events at each track.