Rolling Wheels Raceway opens for the 2006 season today in customary fashion - hosting an Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series race for big-block DIRT Modifieds. The race marks the second stop along the Mr. DIRT Championship trail following Hagerstown Speedway's March event which was captured by Bret Hearn.

The Rolling Wheels race will stray from the normal 100-lap feature format and instead be contested as two separate 50-lap races with a $3,000 winner's share on the line in each race. The winner of the first 50-lapper will roll two jumbo-sized dice to determine the starting line-up inversion for the second feature. Points will be awarded according to DIRT MotorSports weekly point system, with 60 points going to each race winner, rather than using the championship point tally.

Time trials get underway at 1:30 p.m. with qualifying heats beginning at 2 p.m.

Twelve drivers are contracted to follow the entire 2006 Advance Auto Parts Mr. DIRT championship trail. In no particular order, here is a capsule look at each driver expected to vie for the coveted Mr. DIRT title.

Brett Hearn - Hearn is back with the Madsen racing team, a partnership that produced great results along the 358-modifed trail in years past. Hearn has enjoyed early season success with the Madsen's, winning the Hagerstown tour race and taking the initial points lead.

Billy Decker - Decker begins another campaign aboard the Gypsum Express No. 91, with mainstay crew chief Scott Jeffrey again turning the wrenches. Decker took home third place honors at Hagerstown and looks poised to contend for his second Mr. DIRT title.

Pat Ward - Ward again pairs up with Decker in the John and Laura Wight-owned Gypsum stable. Ward garnered an eighth at Hagerstown and looks to improve upon that mark as he embarks on his 30th year in open-wheel racing.

Stewart Friesen - Friesen parted ways with the Madsen team after his first year following the Advance tour, but has found a new home aboard the Quality Concrete ride. The first year on the tour is always an eye-opener, and Friesen will now be seeing most of the tracks for a second or third time.

Matt Sheppard - Sheppard is back with Randy Ross Motorsports, hoping to improve upon a fine fifth overall in the '05 Mr. DIRT standings. Sheppard won last year at the New Egypt (NJ) race and finished seventh at Hagerstown to kick off this season.

Jimmy Phelps - Phelps begins his first full-season piloting the H and H Motorsports team with the addition of team advisor Randy Kisacky. Kisacky guided the Beachy Motorsports team to three consecutive Mr. DIRT titles and will be a great asset to the Troyer Inc.-based team.

Alan Johnson - After Johnson's tour partnership with Randy Sherlock dissolved toward the end of last year, he finished the season with his 358-modified owner's (Jeff Rudalavage) big-block equipment. Rudalavage and Johnson have reunited for the 2006 season with Nativepoker.com as a primary sponsor. Johnson finished second behind Hearn at Hagerstown.

Tim Fuller - Defending Mr. DIRT, Fuller is fresh off his first central NY triumph of the young season, winning at Brewerton Speedway Friday. Fuller now pays all of the bills on the race team with the departure of former team-owner Bob Faust from the racing scene. Fuller's new primary sponsor is the same as Johnson's, Nativepoker.com

Gary Tomkins - Tomkins is back aboard the Beachy Motorsports ride for Advance races, but the planning and preparation have tasks have fallen to himself and Doug Duelin with the departure of Randy Kisacky. Tomkins picked up his first win of the season last Saturday at Canandaigua, utilizing his Series mount after his Saturday night car blew an engine.

Justin Haers - Haers is back for his second foray on the tour with his Phelps Cement Products team and has an early season win at CCFS to buoy his confidence. Haers will be racing for the first time in a week after serving a one-week suspension for a pit area altercation with fellow competitor Todd Burley.