By yohnson 
VERNON, NY – After three years of being a NASCAR HomeTrack, the Utica-Rome Speedway is undergoing a transformation for the approaching season. The proprietors of the establishment, Bill and Kim Shea, have decided to venture into the realm of DIRTcar Racing. This marks the first time in over a decade that the facility will display the DIRTcar banner.
“We had an outstanding run with NASCAR, but after carefully considering our options for the future, Kim and I believe it’s the opportune moment to embark on something novel,” stated speedway owner Bill Shea. “Last season, we organized a Super DIRTcar Series event and received an exceptional response from both the fans and the drivers. We aim to build on this success this year. We are eager to enhance our relationship with DIRTcar as we strive to further develop the Utica-Rome Speedway.”
The officials of the speedway and DIRTcar have been diligently working behind the scenes over the past several months to finalize the particulars of the agreement. Mike Perrotte, the Director of Series and Sanctioning for DIRTcar Northeast, was ecstatic about ultimately incorporating Utica-Rome Speedway into the fold.
“I am extremely delighted that Utica-Rome Speedway will be sanctioned by DIRTcar in 2017,” declared Mike Perrotte. “DIRTcar has a proven track record of successful Sunday night sanctioned tracks. Offering this option for big-blocks benefits everyone in Central New York. I anticipate collaborating with Bill and Kim Shea throughout the upcoming year.”
Utica-Rome has been sanctioned by DIRTcar at various intervals throughout its 56-year history. It initially came under the sanctioned banner in 1981 and 1982. The speedway was sanctioned again from 1985 to 1987 and then had one final stint as a weekly 358-Modified track from 1999 to 2004. Jack Johnson holds the record for the most wins in DIRTcar sanctioned events at the facility, with 18 career victories, while Stewart Friesen was the last driver to claim a DIRTcar title at the track. 2016 Modified champion Matt Sheppard earned a DIRTcar championship of his own back in 2002. Sheppard also triumphed in the 2016’s Super DIRTcar Series event.
“I’ve received feedback from numerous drivers who desired us to join DIRTcar so they could accumulate home track points,” commented Shea. “We are confident that this decision will boost our car count in the Modifieds. We already have a high-quality field of drivers competing weekly, and this move is expected to attract additional drivers to Utica-Rome as well.”
In addition to the Big-Block Modifieds, the 602 Sportsman will also come under the DIRTcar umbrella. Discussions are ongoing regarding the sanctioning of the Pro Stock division, but no definitive decision has been reached as of yet. Jessica Zemken was the last DIRTcar Sportsman champion, while Jamie Christian leads all drivers with 23 career wins under the DIRTcar banner in this division. In DIRTcar Pro Stock events, Jerry Holmes leads all drivers with 24 career wins under the sanctioning body.
The speedway intends to uphold the tradition of hosting the Super DIRTcar Series on Sunday, July 2nd during the Fourth of July weekend, along with the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints. In addition to the Super DIRTcar Series, both sides are endeavoring to potentially bring the DIRTcar 358-Modified series to the Utica-Rome Speedway, as well as the DIRTcar Sportsman and Pro Stock tours. They will continue their efforts in the coming weeks to determine if an agreement can be reached.
Utica-Rome Speedway historian Doug Zupan also contributed to this story.