South Plattsburgh, NY – Airborne Speedway Mini-Modified champion Bill Thwaites of Clintonville and Renegade runner-up Nick Heywood of Plattsburgh have begun preparing J&S Steel Sportsman cars for the 2010 season.

“I had the chance to drive Bucko’s Sportsman a couple times last year,” Heywood said. “It was more physically demanding than my Renegade car. You sit a lot lower in a Sportsman too, which takes some getting used to.”

Thwaites sold his Mini-Modified to Curtis Seymour and purchased a car from Sportsman driver Ben Hough. “It’s a car that Ben only raced a few times,” Thwaites said. “I’ll run the GM 602 crate motor. It’s going to be quite a change. I’m going from four cylinders to eight and from front wheel drive to rear wheel drive.”

Thwaites is also getting help from Bucko Branham. His crew includes his father Bill Sr., Billy Joyal and Shawn LaFountain. Big Joe’s Tax Service of Lyon Mountain and Perkins Trucking of Clintonville are sponsoring the new entry.

Two Canadian DIRTcar Modified veterans, Richard Tisseur and Patrice McGrail have begun to prepare for the 2010 Airborne Speedway season in an attempt to deny countryman Martin Roy's bid for a second straight Ernie's Tools Modified championship.

Tisseur, 52, from Chateauguay, Quebec, will be entering his third full season on the Plattsburgh, NY progressively banked asphalt half-mile oval. His friend Patrice McGrail, 48, of Candiac, Quebec, is returning to a full-time open-wheel 358 Modified schedule after racing selected dirt track events at Cornwall and Autodrome Granby in 2009.

Tisseur had five top-5 finishes in 2009, including a second-place effort on Aird Dorrance Night when he trailed only Ernie's Tools Modified champion Martin Roy of Napierville, Quebec. That night NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader was a part of the 26-car field. "This is the first time we have been able to go fast since I wrecked the car two weeks ago," Tisseur said afterwards.

"We had a very good season last year," Tisseur said. "It was the first year in the PMC chassis car that my crew chief Jacques Longtin helped me prepare for Airborne. Everyone had to work hard and change a lot of things to get their cars to go fast on the new pavement. Airborne is a very fine place to race. Mike (Perrotte) has done a very good job. There is a family atmosphere at the track. I race there for fun. If we win, that's very good. If we finish 10th or 15th, that's good too. I raced at Albany-Saratoga on the pavement last fall. The track is short, but very fast. I plan to race there for a few races this season in my Troyer back-up car."

Tisseur is sponsored by Attaches Chateauguay, a trailer fabricator and manufacturer located in Ste-Catherine, Quebec and Robert Thibert Inc of Chateauguay. He began racing over 20 years ago at dirt tracks like Granby, Brockville and Cornwall. "I'm 52 years old," Tisseur noted. "It's too hard on me and on the car to race on dirt anymore. I'm happy to race at a track as good as Airborne."

McGrail has purchased a new TEO chassis car and is awaiting delivery of an Enders engine for his 2010 Airborne entry, which will be sponsored by his Brossard, Quebec Mazda dealership and Fastenal. "I am negotiating with another sponsor and I hope to make an announcement about that before the season starts," McGrail said. "I am looking forward to racing at Airborne. I test-drove Richard's car there and I went to see two races. I recently bought some land in the Plattsburgh area too."

McGrail started racing motocross as a teenager. He traveled worldwide on the Grand National Sports Truck Series in the eighties with the likes of Robby Gordon and Ivan "Ironman" Stewart and has raced Big-Block and 358 Modifieds at Autodrome Granby and Autodrome St-Eustache.

Former Alain Boisvert crew chiefs Yvon Perron and Leandre Laroche will be a part of McGrail's team at Airborne.

Airborne's 58th season opener is Saturday, May 1st.

South Plattsburgh, NY – Airborne Speedway promoter Mike Perrotte has announced that while the 2010 schedule is still a work-in-progress, some major events have confirmed dates, including the 57th season opener Saturday, May 1.
          “We have added two prominent open-wheel Modified touring series, which will be a treat for our fans and will bring a following of their own to Plattsburgh,” Perrotte said. “We’re becoming a destination point for race fans throughout the Northeast. We have also confirmed two dates with the American Canadian Tour.”
          The Modified Racing Series (MRS) will appear at Airborne Saturday, May 29. The Series has grown significantly since its inception six years ago. In 2009, 73 teams competed in at least one MRS event. In 15 races, 12 different drivers, including series champion Jon McKennedy of Chelmsford, MA, were victorious. The MRS has been a staple at Monadnock Speedway, Thunder Road, Lee USA, Thompson Speedway and other New England tracks
          The International SuperModified Association (ISMA) supermodifieds will debut at Airborne Saturday, July 17. ISMA supermodifieds are winged, fuel-injected big-blocks that produce 800 HP and will turn the fastest lap times ever at Airborne.
         The American Canadian Tour Late Models will be compete in the 35th Spring Green 100 Saturday, May 8 and return for the Fall Foliage 300 Sunday, September 12.

South Plattsburgh, NY – 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.

"The first event of the Series will be at Albany-Saratoga on Sunday, April 25 as a part of a card that will include an American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model event," CVRA promoter Bruce Richards said.

The conversion of the CVRA tracks from dirt to asphalt in 2010 has sparked interest
throughout the northeast. "This is a validation of the efforts we've made at Airborne to turn it into a successful family entertainment facility," Airborne promoter Mike Perrotte said. "To have two quality race tracks in our region make the effort to promote asphalt racing with DIRT-style Modifieds as their headline division should be a plus for everybody. We are working on finalizing our 2010 schedule and selecting dates for the two series races."

Airborne and Albany-Saratoga have both scheduled 2010 special events for two well-established open-wheel asphalt tours, the International SuperModified Association (ISMA)and the Modified Racing Series.Airborne hosts the ISMA Supers Saturday, July 17. The Modified Racing Series, formerly known as the True Value Modified Racing Series, will appear at Airborne Saturday, May 29.

"We've widened the backstretch at Albany-Saratoga by 10 feet and we're going to use the best pavement money can buy," Richards said. "We're entering a new decade and a new era. We will be offering fans in the Capital District more choices than before. We owe a special thanks to Mike Perrotte for his co-operation, interest and effort."
Airborne's 57th season opener is set for Saturday, May 1. Martin Roy of Napierville, QC, will begin defense of his 2009 Ernie's Tools Modified championship.