Team Headed South to Compete Against All Stars
Lance Dewease, All Star Circuit of Champions- Eastern Champion and Williams Grove Speedway Champion for 2011, has been named lead driver of Heffner Racing Enterprise’s Lelands.com-sponsored #27 car for the upcoming season.
The three-time National Open winner’s first race for the team will be the All Star Circuit of Champion Third Annual Winter Freeze on Thursday, Feb. 7, at Screven Motor Speedway in Screven, Georgia. The team will continue on to Florida to compete with the All Stars at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8 and 9, and Volusia Speedway Park near Barberville on Feb. 9. The team will remain in Barberville to compete agianst the World of Outlaws Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 15-17 for the UNOH Dirtcar Nationals. Dewease and crew will then return north for the start of the Central Pennsylvania racing season, following a schedule similar to last year, running local events, the All Stars Eastern Series, select World of Outlaw shows and several shows in the Midwest including the Knoxville Nationals and Knoxville 360 Nationals. Other special 360 events will be on the schedule also.
“Mike Heffner [team owner] has done some wonderful things for our sport and Heffner Racing is a top notch team that’s been real competitive. I am excited about joining the team and look forward to continuing their winning ways right out of the box,” said Dewease.
Dewease, who suffered a broken spine from a crash late in the 2011 season, replaces driver Daryn Pittman, 2012 All Star Circuit of Champions- Eastern Champion. Pittman piloted the #27 for three seasons before returning to the World of Outlaw circuit as a member of Kasey Kahne Racing.
Team owner Mike Heffner took his time choosing Pittman’s replacement. The relatively young team is fortunate to have worked with some of sprint car racing’s best and most respected drivers.
“Lance is a natural fit for our team. He knows the car, knows the engine builder and will be bringing his mechanic along, so there won’t be any big changes or too many different things to adapt to. Plus, Lance is a fan favorite and well respected in the sport, which is very important to me,” said Heffner, himself considered “one of the nicest owners” in sprint car racing.
Though he has won nearly 300 races in his career, Dewease admits that the past year was “off” for him.
“It took time to get back to race mode after my injury; the year started a little slowly. But we got our speed back at the end of the year, ran well at Knoxville and now my goal is simply to be very competitive and win as much as we can,” concludes Dewease.
The team will be utilizing Rider Racing Engines and Maxim Chassis. Supporting us will be: Lelands.com, Conduit Connections, Pasquirellos Auto Shop, Penske Racing Shocks, Wings Unlimited, Brown and Miller Racings Solutions, Keizer Wheels, DMI Racing Components, Schoenfeld Headers, Hanks Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Viper Venom fuels, ATL Fuel Cells, Schaeffer Racing Oils, Astro Titanium, Tom Shockey Collision, Kirkey Racing Seats, Michael Graphics, Valley Forge Inc, WRT web design and WRT Speedwerx photos.