Newsmaker of the Week // Brett Hearn

When Brett Hearn strode into the Orange County Fairgrounds Arena Saturday night, he received a response from the crowd at the track’s pre-season Motorsports Car Show that rivaled what a rock star might expect.

Everyone, it seemed, wanted a piece of Brett. He signed autographs, shook hands, posed for pictures against the backdrop of his No. 20 Modified.

Brett’s back home again in Orange County, ready to build on a record of 305 wins and 23 track championships, huge numbers for a man who has spent the last dozen years racing on Saturdays at Lebanon Valley.

News is usually made by what drivers do on the track. A select few can make news before the season even starts. On this night in Middletown, New York, Brett Hearn was the star of the show, a Newsmaker before the first hot lap.