Hometown: Homer, N.Y.
Residence: Cortland, N.Y.
Born: July 16, 1970
Team: Rez X Racing
Entry: No. 77x Twin Leaf/Bicknell
Owner: Carey Terrance

2009 Season Review: After improving the past three years from his 11th-place tally in the overall 2006 Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Big-Block Championship standings, second-generation standout Dale Planck from Cortland, N.Y. was back to square one after returning to 11th in the ’09 edition. While adding three Super DIRTcar Series wins en route to third-place on the points chart the previous season, the ‘Natural’ could only muster three heat race wins this time around for owner Carey Terrance with a runner-up finish his best effort in a new RezX Racing no. 77X Grow It Hydroseeding-Action Race Parts/TEO car that was debuted at Can-Am Motorsports Park in August. Despite going winless for the first time in his career, the season ended on a positive note as Planck was officially crowned overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Champion in November.

2009 Super DIRTcar Series Stats
Points Diff Money Wins Top-5 Top-10 Starts
1,290 -754 $16,500 0 2 6 19

Series History: Planck finally solidified his tour status during the summer of ‘06, breaking out to score his first career Super DIRTcar Series victory at Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway and following up the next night by setting his initial Integra Shocks Fast Time at Autodrome Drummond (Que.). It was the second-generation driver’s first full season chasing Series points, eventually placing 11th in the overall Hoosier-VP Mr. DIRTcar Championship. He moved up to the sixth slot in 2007 after cruising home in a command performance at Brewerton Speedway for both his inaugural Super DIRTcar Series victory and Integra Shocks award on American soil. A new team came together in the beginning of ‘08 put him into a contending position every time out, opening the campaign down south with a Florida Tour triumph at Volusia Speedway Park. The Southern Tier chauffeur promptly followed up back north with two Big-Block wins at the opening four series stops and added one more, his first in the Canadian province of Quebec. 2008 marked his third straight year chasing tour points --- his best season ever with three wins and a trio of Integra Shocks Fast Time awards that resulted in a third-place showing in the final overall Mr. DIRTcar Modified Championship standings.

DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Diary 
            DIRTcar        Super DIRTcar         Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels
Year Circuit Wins     Series Wins                 Mr. DIRTcar Points
2009 --                                 --                                         11th
2008 7                                 3                                         3rd
2007 2                                 1                                         6th
2006 2                                 1                                         11th
2005 --                                 --                                         28th
2004 --                                 --                                           --
2003 --                                 --                                           --
2002 --                                 --                                           --
2001 --                                 --                                           --
2000 --                                 --                                           --
1999 1                                 --                                         42nd
Totals: 12                            5

DIRTcar Racing Record: For the past quarter-century Planck has been chasing checkered flags around Northeastern short tracks primarily in the small-block Modified division. While over 200 wins have been recorded during that time, none have been any bigger than his initial Super DIRTcar Series triumphs registered in Big-Block competition over the past four seasons. The 15th career DIRTcar Modified win at Cornwall in ’06 was his first-ever at the racy quarter-miler in the Big-Block ranks as the previous 14 were logged in small-block activity from 2004-05, the same years the Southern Tier standout captured Cornwall’s DIRTcar 358-Modified points title. Now owning an even dozen DIRTcar Big-Block victories, he also claimed the organization’s highest honor after garnering the Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship in 2009. Planck was recognized as small-block high-point man at Utica-Rome (NY) Speedway in both 1999 and 2003, helping to elevate his DIRTcar 358-Mod career win total to 49, including four in the Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series.

Fun Facts: Father Denny Planck stands second on the all-time 358-Modified win list (9) at Cayuga County Fair Speedway, securing the first-ever Small-Block points title at the home of DIRTcar Northeast when the sanctioning body was established in 1976. Today, Dale’s own teenage sons and third-generation drivers Steve and Brandon are entered in the DIRTcar Modified divisions.