The Wallkill, New York veteran won the Big-Block Modified pole in convincing fashion, blistering the storied 5/8-miler in a record time of 20.839 seconds (107.971 mph), bettering the former standard of 21.345 sec. established by eight-time race winner Brett Hearn during ESW ’03.
“This really feels good, what a race car, no wonder Brett’s so fast” quipped Heotzler, referring to his newest ride that was driven by all-time Advance Series winner Hearn to three feature wins earlier in the season at Orange County. The ‘Jeffer’ rallied from 42nd starting spot last autumn aboard Mike Petruska’s JPM-powered no. 66 Atlas Paving-Behrent's Performance Warehouse/Bicknell entry to capture his first ‘200’ in 28 tries on the ‘Hard Clay.’ This time around he’ll start first steering the J&S Racing no. 74 Smith Bros. Concrete Foundations/TEO machine in search of a second straight $20,000 payday on Sunday. “It’s certainly better than starting last, I can tell you that.”
“We were a little tight, except I knew I had to keep it tight. I had to keep the tires under me and I just rode with it. Wherever it wanted to go I went with it and I was able to stay on the throttle and get a good lap,” summed up Heotzler, who earned his last start on the point in Orange County’s lucrative season-finale in 1996 --- posting a lap time under 100 mph (22.541 sec.).
On a sun-drenched afternoon downstate, opening round time trials locked in the top-six for Sunday’s 200-lap main with Heotzler sharing the front row with former overall Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar champion Tim Fuller (21.094 sec.), who is still in quest of the elusive Eastern States 200 title. Rising star Michael Storms (21.132), multi-time Eastern States titlist Danny Johnson (21.138), Orange County regular Chris Shultz (21.142), and past ESW winners Chuck McKee (21.158) and Rich Eurich (21.158) were next in line. McKee was awarded the outside row three starting spot on Sunday’s feature race grid as his second lap was quicker than Eurich’s initial effort.
By virtue of their finishes in the Advance Series ‘Grand Slam’ events already held, Tommy Meier (Lebanon Valley) and Ric Hill (Syracuse) are slated to start seventh and eighth on Sunday to help fill the 44-car starting line-up on Sunday.
Heotzler was the 56th driver scheduled among the 70 that eventually took time, leaping over Fuller, Johnson and Shultz, who rolled under the clocks in the top 22. A surprising Storms came out ninth from the end before vaulting past a number of veterans to lock himself into a top slot on Sunday’s star-studded line-up.
Eastern States action continues on Saturday with DIRTcar Big-Block Modified qualifiers joining the morning activities that are followed by 358-Modified consolation races. Both pit gates and grandstands are slated to open at 8 am followed by practice before the start of qualifying action for both Small-Block and Big-Block divisions. The final Big-block openings will be filled Sunday by last chance consolation round qualifiers prior to the 47th running of the Eastern States 200 Modified Championship finale.