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UMP DIRTcar Racing Weekly Update: Veteran Mike Hammerle Moves On Top Of Super Late Model National Points Race
EVANSVILLE, IN – May 8, 2008 –
TIME IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Veteran Mike Hammerle enters this weekend’s action leading the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national points standings, but he knows his run in the sun will probably be short-lived.
So the 60-year-old grandfather from St. Charles, Mo., is going to enjoy every minute of his stint in the catbird’s seat – just like he relishes every lap he turns on the racetrack.
A short-track racer for 35 years and counting, Hammerle is a classic low-buck driver who pours his heart and soul into the sport he loves.
“It’s fun to be on top of the points,” smiled the likeable Hammerle, who moved to the national points lead on the strength of his circuit-leading 14 starts through May 6 (the next-busiest driver has run 12 races). “Maybe I can stay there for a few weeks.”
Hammerle realizes he’s racing on borrowed time, of course. Even though he plans to enter more than 70 UMP DIRTcar events this season and the national title will be determined using a driver’s best 40 finishes, most of his racing will come in weekly shows at small ovals where he can be competitive with his bare-bones budget. He doesn’t have the finances to follow the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals, which provides its regulars a chance to pile up bonus points toward the national title thanks to the tour’s strong car counts.
“They’ll definitely catch me during the Summernationals,” Hammerle said of his current pursuers in the standings. “They’ll get those maximum bonus points for the car counts.”
But Hammerle is fine with his ultimate fate. He’s honored simply to spend some time in the spotlight as the points leader, however short his stay there might be.
“I thought I might get the points lead this week because I got three races in last weekend and a lot of guys had their races rained out,” remarked Hammerle, whose weekend was highlighted by a feature win on May 2 at Belle Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill. “Last year I got the points lead once too because I ran a lot of races early in the season, so I was hoping I’d get the lead again this year for a little while.”
It’s certainly a neat story to see the points paced by a hard-working journeyman like Hammerle, a home-based welder by trade who is the epitome of a UMP DIRTcar Weekend Warrior. There’s no frills about any part of his race team, from the ramp-truck he uses to haul his car to the aged, battle-scarred No. 16H machines he campaigns.
Hammerle has three cars in his arsenal, but the newest of the trio is five years old. His favorite mount is a homebuilt piece he constructed in 2000 (it’s the dirt Late Model he put in Victory Lane last Saturday at Belle Clair); he also has a 2000 GRT car and a 2003 Rayburn chassis – although “the chassis builders won’t claim them anymore because I’ve cut ‘em up and changed them all around,” quipped Hammerle, whose small group of sponsors is headed by his crewman Mike Hickman’s King Edward’s Fried Chicken stores. (“When we get to the track everybody always wants to know if we have chicken to feed them,” said Hammerle.)
The motors in Hammerle’s equipment are built to his limited budget by Rolla (Mo.) Competition Engines. He estimated that his powerplants produce “probably 100 horsepower less than the big guys” because he has to go for durability in order to race as often as he does – and the tight bullrings he frequents don’t require big power anyway.
Last year Hammerle focused his weekly efforts on the two smallest tracks under the UMP DIRTcar banner – Belle Clair Speedway and Macon (Ill.) Speedway, both one-fifth-mile ovals. He won the points championship at Macon and finished a close second at Belle Clair, helping him to a seventh-place finish in the 2007 UMP DIRTcar national points standings.
This season Hammerle plans to again run Belle Clair regularly on Friday nights – he already has a fourth-place finish to go along with his win there – but he’s not committed to a Saturday track. It’s a lengthy two-and-a-half-hour one-way haul to Macon from his home outside St. Louis, so with rising gas prices he’s backing off weekly trips there. The always penny-pinching driver said he can save $50 in gas by racing closer to home at I-57/I-64 Raceway in Mt. Vernon, Ill. (where he has a top finish of fifth in two starts this season), so he’ll likely split his Saturdays between Macon, Mt. Vernon and perhaps others tracks now-and-then.
Hammerle will always find somewhere to race. You can count on that.
“I’m 60, but you need to keep practicing,” he joked when asked why he’s still so active behind the wheel.
Hammerle launched his racing career 35 years ago, competing in the Sportsman division at tracks near his home. Three years later he began a decade-long stint in the dirt Late Model division, then he bounced between a center-steer Modified class very similar to the Northeast’s DIRTcar big-block Modifieds (he competed in DIRTcar big-block Modified events in Florida and Texas during the late ‘80s) and the emerging UMP DIRTcar Modified division before returning to dirt Late Models, which he’s run for the last decade.
According to Hammerle’s best recollections, he’s won over 300 features in various divisions and more than 20 points championships. He’s finished as high as second in the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national points standings and has three fifth-place finishes since 2000.
It’s been a long, fun ride for Hammerle, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down.
Hammerle has even outlasted his wife Linda, who rarely attends her husband’s races these days, preferring to spend more time with the couple’s grandchildren.
“I guess I burnt her out,” said a smiling Hammerle. “She went with me everywhere for 25 years, but she was always a nervous wreck when she watched me race and she finally decided she didn’t want to go anymore.”
It’s a pretty good bet that Hammerle will never leave the pit area behind. He even dreams of a way to stay in the game after he finally hangs up his helmet sometime well into his senior-citizen years.
“I’m just gonna do it as long as I can,” Hammerle said of his future plans. “I still enjoy it too much to stop.
“Maybe I’ll get one of my grandkids driving some day,” he added with a twinkle in his eyes. “I’ve got a grandson who’s three years old, so maybe I can hold out and keep racing until he’s ready to take over driving my car.”
NOTABLE UMP DIRTcar RACING THIS WEEKEND:
* The UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Sunoco American Late Model Series swings back into action on Friday night (May 9) at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio.
* The Northern Allstars Late Model Series – another UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned tour – has a Saturday-night (May 10) date at Highland (Ill.) Speedway.
* Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway will host a $700-to-win UMP DIRTcar Modified special on Friday night (May 9) as part of its USAC Sprint Car program.
UMP DIRTcar RACING INFO: Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.
ATTENTION: Any UMP DIRTcar track or race team with news that could be used in the ‘UMP DIRTcar Racing Weekly Update’ release can e-mail the info to Kevin Kovac at kkovac@dirtcar.com.
UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of May 6):
Super Late Models (driver/points/races):
1. Mike Hammerle 648 14
2. Jason McBride 557 11
3. Rusty Griffaw 544 10
4. Michael Kloos 534 12
5. Dennis Erb Jr. 521 7
6. Billy Moyer 506 6
7. Rusty Schlenk 499 9
8. Steve Francis 484 6
9. Ryan Unzicker 472 8
10. Chris Shelton 440 10
11. Brad Looney 428 7
12. Tony Albright 404 7
13. Wes Steidinger 395 6
14. Billy Faust 394 7
15. B. J. McCammon 375 7
16. Frankie Martin 369 7
17. Rick Eckert 368 5
18. Ed Dixon 364 8
19. Chub Frank 363 5
20. Chuck Proctor 360 6
Open-Wheel Modifieds (driver/points/races):
1. Kent Robinson 988 14
2. Randle Sweeney 964 13
3. Tim Hancock 914 14
4. Chad Evans 690 12
5. Gary Cook Jr. 687 10
6. Denny Schwartz 666 12
7. Jon Henry 614 12
8. Jeff Leka 592 9
9. Clayton Miller 584 10
10. Clint DeMoss 564 9
11. Mike Spatola 549 9
12. R.C. Whitwell 538 7
13. Rob Fuqua 525 9
14. Tommie Seets Jr. 511 8
15. Nick Allen 509 7
16. Matt Bex 494 8
17. Todd Miller 488 8
18. Johnny Scott 487 7
19. Bobby Bittle 480 8
20. Chad Osterhoff 480 7
Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):
1. Duane Hodges 511 8
2. Levi Ashby 487 10
3. Kevin Hardin 482 8
3. Jason Jones 482 10
5. Josh Harris 456 8
6. Caleb Ashby 430 8
7. Phil Gregory 424 8
8. Tait Davenport 371 5
9. Carnell Parker 365 5
10. Mike Watson 359 8
Sportsman (driver/points/races):
1. Troy Clark 474 9
2. Chris Hillman 466 8
3. Brad Cummings 448 8
4. Shawn Daugherty 445 7
5. Anthon Jackson 430 6
6. Bruce Westerman 420 7
7. Jeremy Hines 410 7
8. Patrick Vareika 391 7
9. Danny Vogel Jr. 380 6
Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):
1. Jonathan Clayton 400 6
2. John Paul Talkington 368 6
3. Brandon Buhler 350 5
4. Will Duncan 313 5
5. Bryan Barrett 302 6
6. Evan Delahoussaye 260 4
7. Matthew Holmes 255 4
8. Alex Ashley 231 4
9. Lee Fincher 212 4
10. Ray Allen Kulhanek 210 3
Street Stocks (driver/points/races):
1. Travis Myers 561 9
2. Aaron Penton 474 9
3. Jon Wix 444 7
4. Randy Arnold 442 9
5. Grady Christian 433 6
6. Brad Taylor 409 8
7. Tyler Blankenship 390 6
8. Jerrad Krick 380 5
9. David Cline 380 6
10. Josh Griffith 371 6
Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):
1. Cody Vanosdol 364 5
2. Mickey Hines 335 5
3. William Burton 296 5
4. Willie Sallee 286 5
5. Bodi Henry 269 4
6. Josh Phelps 260 5
7. Mark Bruce 251 5
8. Bill Moore 245 5
9. Seth Hull 231 4
10. Tim Roberts 220 4
4-Cylinders (driver/points/races):
1. Joe Reed 525 7
2. Jeff Rittenberry 495 7
3. Michael Rittenberry 452 8
4. Michael Perrigo 443 7
5. Jeffrey Bailey 433 7
6. Travis Staats 425 6
7. Daniel Stephens 425 7
8. Bob Zbinden 407 7
9. Keaton Downing 406 6
10. Charlie Staats 399 6
World of Outlaws Late Model Series News & Notes: Babb/Bowyer Pairing Picking Up Steam; Points Race Tightens
CONCORD, NC – May 7, 2008 –
COMING TOGETHER: If last Saturday night’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series event at Missouri’s Lebanon I-44 Speedway revealed anything, it’s this:
Here comes Shannon Babb.
With his first WoO LMS victory of the 2008 season, Babb served notice that his deal driving for NASCAR Sprint Cup star Clint Bowyer’s new dirt Late Model team is coming together very nicely.
“I think we’re finally getting all our ducks in a row,” said Babb, who accepted Bowyer’s ride offer in late December and has been working alongside crewmen Tommy Grecco and Jay Hunt to essentially build a big-time dirt Late Model operation from scratch. “It’s been a lot of hard work in a short amount of time, but we’re getting everything close, real close, to being in line. That’s what makes a real successful team.”
Babb, 34, of Moweaqua, Ill., and his mechanics pulled through the Lebanon I-44 pit gate riding in Bowyer’s brand-spanking-new hauler and trailer for the first time – they had been using a rig borrowed from J&J Steel’s Johnny Johnson while Bowyer’s was being built – and unloaded a new Traiger Grills Rocket car that had literally been finished the previous night.
Making just his fourth career start behind the wheel of a Rocket Chassis machine, Babb authored a flawless performance to reach Victory Lane.
“We had a whole new piece that I had a lot of confidence in,” said Babb. “I can’t tell (Rocket’s Mark and Josh Richards) thanks enough for all their help tonight. They’re trying to help me get running better, and they gave us all their setups and everything else you can imagine. We listened to them and the car just drove like a dream.”
After adding a seventh-place finish on Sunday night at Monett (Mo.) Speedway – he closed strong by picking up four spots over the final 13 circuits of the 40-lap A-Main – Babb ended the doubleheader tied for sixth in the points standings with Josh Richards.
UNDER A BLANKET: Thanks to the flat tire that forced WoO LMS points leader Billy Moyer to the pit area late in Sunday night’s A-Main at Monett, the tour’s points standings tightened considerably.
Through nine events on a 2008 schedule that currently boasts 47 dates, seven drivers are separated by a mere 38 points. Moyer leads the standings by 10 points over defending champion Steve Francis and Rick Eckert, followed by Darrell Lanigan (-24), Chub Frank (-34) and the deadlocked Babb and Richards (-38).
TOUGH WEEKEND: The 20-year-old Richards tumbled from second to a tie for sixth in the points standings after two frustrating evenings in the Show-Me State.
Saturday night at Lebanon I-44 was especially rough for Richards. He slapped the homestretch wall hard early in his heat race, forcing him to limp into the pit area with a heavily damaged car that his crew worked to repair right until the start of the A-Main’s pace laps.
Richards’s appearance on the starting grid was delayed because his team discovered a problem with the car’s driveshaft as they were finishing repair work, prompting the hasty installation of a new one. He managed to salvage a 13th-place finish in the 40-lap A-Main despite racing with his car’s tow-in bent about four inches.
‘Kid Rocket’ appeared primed to get back on track at Monett after setting fast time and winning a heat, but he fell to fifth early in the event with a setup that was slightly off and later suffered a flat right-rear tire with just five laps remaining. He finished a dismal 20th.
Notably, Richards’s use of a provisional at Lebanon I-44 marked the first time he had failed to qualify for a WoO LMS event through a heat or B-Main since April 16, 2006, at Virginia Motor Speedway.
NO-NAME CAR: Brian Birkhofer’s flag-to-flag win at Monett brought him a double-dose of satisfaction.
For starters, Birky got himself back in Victory Lane on the WoO LMS after a year’s absence. He was one of seven drivers who won at least one WoO LMS A-Main in each of the tour’s first three ‘modern-era’ seasons (2004-2006), but he failed to hit paydirt in 17 feature starts in 2007.
The Muscatine, Iowa, star also felt the personal accomplishment of winning for the first time with a car that he designed with fellow racer Jimmy Mars and Mars’s brother Chris.
“Jimmy and I have been talking the last few years that we wanted to build cars,” said Birkhofer. “At the end of last year Chris said, ‘You go half with me and Jimmy on the tubing bender and we’ll do it.’ I had a pretty decent year money-wise, so I invested with them guys and Bailey Industrial helped us out on the equipment.
“We’ve been working our tail off on it. Chris, Jimmy, myself – we put a lot of hours in over the winter to build these cars.
“I kinda want to concentrate on this (racing) a few more years,” added Birkhofer, 36. “But I don’t really want to travel up-and-down the road anymore when I’m 45, so I’d like to maybe get my kid behind the wheel and build race cars.
“We don’t want to be a big player in the chassis business. We just want to have something that we’re proud of and we can sell.”
Eventually, the Birkhofer/Mars machines will even have an official name.
“Right now we call it the ‘Three Fs’ – but I can’t tell you what that means,” quipped Birkhofer. “We haven’t figured out a name yet. We just want to work on ‘em and get ‘em better.
“We’ll be sitting around b.s.’ing one night and it’ll come to us, but right now it’s just another race car.
DISAPPOINTING OUTINGS: Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., entered the weekend hoping to make WoO LMS history.
With a victory at one of the tracks in his backyard, he would have joined his legendary late father Larry Phillips to become the first father-and-son tandem to win WoO LMS events in the six-plus seasons (1988-89, 2004-present) of the tour’s existence. Larry won the first-ever WoO LMS event of the tour’s first incarnation, on April 22, 1988, at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa.
But the 41-year-old Phillips struggled in both events. He finished 19th at Lebanon I-44 after retiring early because he car wasn’t handling well on a track surface that kept more bite in it than he had anticipated, and he placed 21st after another early drop-out at Monett.
MAGIC BUMP: Can contact from another car make a driver’s machine suddenly go faster?
It did in the case of Chub Frank, who credited his late-race surge at Monett to a hit he absorbed in his Rocket car’s left-rear corner from Vic Coffey. After surviving the contact that left Coffey spun out in turn one on lap 27, Frank burst forward from the 13th spot to finish fifth.
“I actually don’t know what happened,” said Frank. “I was just wallowing around out there, and then Vic Coffey got into my left-rear and something happened.
“I guess the hit bent something and freed the car. We gotta look at it and see what it was, but I know that the car really felt good at the end of the race.”
STILL STRUGGLING: WoO LMS regular Brian Shirley’s miserable early-season luck continued at Lebanon I-44.
Holding high hopes for the Saturday event after finishing second in last year’s WoO LMS show there, the Chatham, Ill., was running fifth on lap 12 of the A-Main when he slowed with a flat right-rear tire. It was the fourth flat tire of the night for the snakebit Shirley, who also returned to the pits with deflating shoes after hot laps, time trials and his heat race.
Shirley was even more frustrated with his performance on Sunday at Monett. He was second-fastest in time trials and started third in the A-Main, but he fell backward when the initial green flag flew and managed just a 15th-place finish in his Petroff Towing mount.
ETCETERA…
* Clint Smith wasn’t happy about finishing fifth at Lebanon I-44 after leaving his car “too loose” for the A-Main, but he took some solace in his sterling qualifying effort earlier in the night.
“I’m pretty proud about setting a new track record,” said Smith. “I’m not known for my qualifying, so I only have a few of them.”
* Last year Darrell Lanigan scored his first top-five finish in the 18th WoO LMS A-Main of the season.
The Union, Ky., driver won’t have to wait that long again in ’08 after breaking into the top five for the first time on Sunday at Monett, finishing a solid fourth in the season’s ninth event. He already has seven top-10 finishes this year – tied with Steve Francis and Rick Eckert for the tour lead in that category.
* Francis wasn’t happy with his performance in the weekend events, which included a quiet sixth-place finish at Lebanon I-44 and an 11th at Monett (after he slid off the track during his heat and used a provisional to start the A-Main).
So what did Francis do after Monett’s checkered flag? When he noticed that Darren Miller had gotten permission from promoter Randy Mooneyham to do some post-race testing, Francis kept his driver’s suit on and joined Miller on the track to try some things out.
* Tim Fuller hopes his third-place run at Monett – his first top-five of the season and only his second top-10 – gets him headed in the right direction.
The 2007 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year entered both races in his backup car after blowing the motor in his primary machine in a Thursday-night show at Virginia Motor Speedway.
* Both Vic Coffey and John Blankenship sported new bodies and graphics on their cars for the weekend events.
Coffey appeared headed to a top-10 finish at Lebanon I-44 until a broken left-front control arm forced the Rookie of the Year contender out of action while running seventh on 26.
* Coffey, Eckert and Shane Clanton enjoyed some straight-line competition on Friday night, stopping at Gateway International Raceway outside St. Louis to watch qualifying for the weekend’s NHRA national event.
NEXT UP: The WoO LMS returns to action with a three-race swing through the Midwest that stops at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park on May 16; Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway on May 17; and Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway on May 18.
INFO: For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Birkhofer Rolls To Flag-To-Flag Victory In First-Ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series Event At Monett Speedway
MONETT, MO – May 4, 2008 – Brian Birkhofer still doesn’t have an official name for the new car he built with Jimmy and Chris Mars.
But the Muscatine, Iowa, standout can certainly call the machine a winner after rolling to a flag-to-flag victory in Sunday night’s 40-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main at Monett Speedway.
Birkhofer, 36, started from the pole position and was never seriously challenged en route to the $7,100 win, which came in the first-ever WoO LMS event at Randy Mooneyham’s three-eighths-mile oval. It was his fifth career triumph on the tour but first since July 25, 2006, at Lebanon I-44 Speedway, where he finished 18th in the previous night’s WoO LMS show after blowing a tire while running fifth.
“I’m pretty pumped about this car now,” said Birkhofer, who won in his fifth start of 2008 behind the wheel of the Daufeldt Construction/J&J Steel No. 15b that he designed with the Mars brothers. “We started on the pole so it’s not like we drove through the field, but a win’s a win – and against these guys, nothing comes easy.”
Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., raced closest to Birkhofer, running in second place from lap eight to the finish. But the GRT house car driver, who started fourth, was unable to threaten Birkhofer on several restarts and crossed the finish line about two seconds behind the winner.
Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., finished third in the Gypsum Express Rocket, followed by Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., in the gottarace.com Rocket and 16th-starter Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., in the Lester Buildings Rocket.
Birkhofer actually didn’t realize that he was able to build a comfortable edge on Wallace after each of the race’s restarts.
“I figured Wendell was close,” said Birkhofer. “I really thought he was on my back bumper pushing me around there, so I just tried not to make any mistakes and stay on the bottom.
“After the first restart my tires felt like I didn’t cut (groove) ‘em up enough, so I was really nervous. I was just trying to drive straight and hit the traction off the corners so when I got the car turned it didn’t bind up.”
Birkhofer ended up victorious in his first career visit to Monett, a venerable 38-year-old track known as the ‘Grand Old Lady.’ He felt right at home as soon as he eyeballed the facility.
“It’s got some long straightaways and tight corners – kinda like I grew up (racing) on, only a little shorter than I like,” said Birkhofer, a product of the long, fast half-miles near his home in the Hawkeye State.
“(Scott) Bloomquist (the 2004 WoO LMS champion) always told me he had such a good record (of winning) the first time he rolled into a track,” added the driver known as ‘Birky.’ “I don’t have a record like his, but I am proud of what I have accomplished.”
Wallace’s runner-up finish bettered his fourth-place run the previous night at Lebanon I-44. It was worth a cool $4,100, including the $500 WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ cash for being the highest-finishing driver who’s never won a tour A-Main and isn’t ranked among the top-12 in the current points standings.
Fuller, meanwhile, scored a season’s-best finish after starting sixth. The 2007 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year was in dire need of a strong run to staunch his early-season struggles and he got it.
“I never would’ve thought a third would make me feel so good,” said a relieved Fuller, who slid inside Lanigan for third on a lap-35 restart and challenged Wallace in the closing circuits. “I thought we were good enough to get second.”
Lanigan also registered his top finish of the season after starting fifth. He had rung up six top-10 finishes in the first eight events of 2008 but couldn’t break into the top five until visiting Monett.
“We needed a good run like this,” said Lanigan, who made a bid to pass Wallace early before fading slightly.
The 46-year-old Frank turned in the most stirring drive of the night, charging from outside the top 10 to fifth over the final 13 laps. He said his car seemed to come on after he absorbed a hit in the left-rear corner from Vic Coffey of Leicester, N.Y., who spun in turn one after the contact on lap 27.
Five caution flags slowed the A-Main.
WoO LMS points leader Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., failed to finish after cutting a right-rear tire while running fourth on lap 27, and defending WoO LMS champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., managed only an 11th-place finish after a slip over the turn-four berm during his heat forced him to use a provisional starting spot.
Finishing in positions 6-10 was Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., who lost fifth to Frank on the final lap; Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., who made a late charge; Darren Miller of Chadwick, Ill.; Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis.; and Rick Eckert of York, Pa.
Forty cars were signed in for the event.
Richards recorded his first fast time of the 2008 WoO LMS season, turning a new-track-record lap of 15.711 seconds during time trials.
Heat winners were Richards, Moyer, Birkhofer and Brady Smith. The B-Mains were captured by Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., and MARS regular Will Vaught of Crane, Mo.
The WoO LMS will be idle this weekend and then return to action with a three-race swing through the Midwest, visiting Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park on May 16; Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway on May 17; and Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway on May 18.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series at Monett Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (1) Brian Birkhofer/40 $7,150
2. (4) Wendell Wallace/40 $4,100
3. (6) Tim Fuller/40 $2,000
4. (5) Darrell Lanigan/40 $1,700
5. (16) Chub Frank/40 $1,500
6. (9) Jimmy Owens/40 $1,300
7. (14) Shannon Babb/40 $1,200
8. (11) Darren Miller/40 $1,100
9. (8) Brady Smith/40 $1,000
10. (12) Rick Eckert/40 $900
11. (23) Steve Francis/40 $850
12. (18) Will Vaught/40 $800
13. (17) Clint Smith/40 $750
14. (25) Al Purkey/40 $740
15. (3) Brian Shirley/40 $710
16. (10) Shane Clanton/40 $680
17. (26) Jeremy Payne/40 $650
18. (20) Vic Coffey/40 $880
19. (21) Jimmy Mars/40 $620
20. (2) Josh Richards/40 $610
21. (19) Terry Phillips/35 $600
22. (15) John Blankenship/34 $600
23. (22) Jesse Stovall/34 $600
24. (7) Billy Moyer/30 $600
25. (24) Bill Frye/22 $600
26. (13) Terry Casey/18 $600
Yellow Flags: 5 (Laps 8, 10, 27, 27, 35)
Lap Leaders: Birkhofer (1-40)
Provisional Starters: Francis, Purkey (WoO); Frye, Payne (MARS)
Rookie of the Race: Vic Coffey ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Wendell Wallace ($500)
Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race ($50): Jeff Roby (Birkhofer)
Chick Hawk Racing Hot Lap Award (half-off tire warmers): Birkhofer
Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 15.711
2. 3s-Brian Shirley/Chatham, IL 15.742
3. 15b-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA 15.750
4. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 15.765
5. 42-Terry Casey/New London, WI 15.885
6. 21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 15.961
7. 19T-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 16.095
8. 2s-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 16.102
9. 20-Jimmy Owens/Newport, TN 16.227
10. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 16.243
11. 2A-John Anderson/Omaha, NE 16.247
12. 32c-Vic Coffey/Leicester, NY 16.250
13. 28M-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI 16.279
14. 19-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 16.294
15. 23-John Blankenship/Williamson, WV 16.314
16. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 16.342
17. 88-Wendell Wallace/Batesville, AR 16.346
18. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 16.362
19. 32d-Darren Miller/Chadwick, IL 16.375
20. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 16.394
21. 14L-Brad Looney/Republic, MO 16.401
22. 18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 16.509
23. 18s-Jack Sullivan/Greenbrier, AR 16.512
24. 74-Jeremy Payne/Springfield, MO 16.512
25. 75-Terry Phillips/Springfield, MO 16.676
26. 6-Alan Vaughn/Belton, MO 16.688
27. 1V-Will Vaught/Crane, MO 16.740
28. 00-Jesse Stovall/Galena, MO 16.807
29. 15T-David Turner/Adrian, MO 16.893
30. 66W-Justin Wells/Aurora, MO 16.923
31. 42M-Brandon McCormick/Lebanon, MO 17.064
32. 8K-Rusty Dukes/Fair Grove, MO 17.096
33. 14Jr.-Steve Rushin/Poplar Bluff, MO 17.150
34. 33-Al Purkey/Coffeyville, KS 17.151
35. 01-Chris Jones/Neelyville, MO 17.185
36. 16-Dusty Johnston/Flippan, AR 17.246
37. 66-Bill Frye/Greenbrier, AR 17.381
38. 99-Larry Jones/Eldorado Springs, MO 18.279
39. 3-Michael Collins/Carter Lake, IA N/T
40. 55-Ken Essary/Cape Fair, MO N/T
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Richards, Wallace, Owens, Casey, Mars, Phillips, Rushin, Turner, Looney, Frye
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Moyer, Shirley, Clanton, Babb, C. Smith, Wells, Francis, Vaughn, Purkey, L. Jones
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Birkhofer, Fuller, D. Miller, Blankenship, Vaught, Sullivan, Anderson, McCormick, C. Jones (DNS) Collins
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): B. Smith, Lanigan, Eckert, Frank, Coffey, Dukes, Stovall, Johnston, Payne (DNS) Essary)
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): C. Smith, Phillips, Mars, Francis, Turner, Purkey, Vaughn, L. Jones, Looney, Wells, Frye, Rushin
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Vaught, Coffey, Stovall, Anderson, Sullivan, Payne, McCormick, Dukes, C. Jones (DNS) Collins, Johnston
2008 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of May 4 - 9 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/wins/top-5s/top-10s/earnings/points/deficit to leader):
1. Billy Moyer 4-6-6-$70,420-1181 (-0)
2. (tie) Rick Eckert 0-3-7-$24,050-1171 (-10)
2. (tie) Steve Francis 1-5-7-$71,550-1171 (-10)
4. Darrell Lanigan 0-1-7-$16,950-1157 (-24)
5. Chub Frank 0-3-5-$19,180-1147 (-34)
6. (tie) Shannon Babb 1-4-6-$37,000-1143 (-38)
6. (tie) Josh Richards 1-4-6-$33,760-1143 (-38)
8. Clint Smith 0-3-3-$14,410-1107 (-74)
9. Shane Clanton 0-3-3-$16,430-1083 (-98)
10. Tim Fuller 0-1-2-$10,190-1053 (-128)
11. Brian Shirley 0-0-2-$9,080-1019 (-162)
12. John Blankenship 0-0-2-$12,160-1017 (-164)
13. Vic Coffey 0-0-1-$8,350-823 (-358)
14. (tie) Joe Isabell 0-0-0-$2,260-589 (-592)
14. (tie) Danny Johnson 0-0-0-$2,650-589 (-592)
LISTEN ONLINE: If fans can’t get to a track to see the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, they can experience the excitement of the nation’s premier tour live on DIRTvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network.
To listen to the free audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo.
Listeners will need Windows Media Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. For technical support or questions, e-mail customerservice@dirtvision.com.
Babb Makes Car Owner Clint Bowyer’s Saturday Night Even Better With First World of Outlaws Late Model Series Victory Of ’08 At Lebanon I-44 Speedway
LEBANON, MO – May 3, 2008 – Shannon Babb gave his boss even more reason to smile on Saturday night.
On the same night that his famous car owner Clint Bowyer was triumphant in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition at Richmond International Raceway, Babb authored a flawless drive to victory in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘All-State Insurance 40’ at Lebanon I-44 Speedway.
Babb, 34, of Moweaqua, Ill., advanced from the fourth starting spot to pass Rick Eckert of York, Pa., for the lead on lap 12 and then never looked back. Driving a new Traiger Grills/Chevrolet Rocket car that had never before seen action, Babb repelled a late-race challenge from Eckert and Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., to score his first WoO LMS win of the 2008 season.
Mere moments after hoisting an oversized novelty check commemorating his $10,000 victory in an event that was co-sanctioned by the O’Reilly MARS DIRTcar Series, Babb learned that his high-profile car owner had also scored a big Saturday-night short-track win.
“We got back here to the trailer just in time to watch Clint run the last lap and win at Richmond,” said Babb, who is in his first season as the hired-gun of Bowyer’s fledgling dirt Late Model team. “He’s gonna be tickled to death when he hears that we won him a Late Model race tonight too.”
Eckert, who started from the outside pole and led laps 1-11, settled for a $5,100 runner-up finish in Raye Vest’s GRT car, 1.423 seconds behind Babb.
Moyer finished third in his Victory Circle M1 chassis, followed by 11th-starter Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., in the GRT house car and Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., in the Cliburn Tank Lines GRT, who started eighth but had to gather himself after losing several spots in the race’s early laps.
With Babb’s Clements-powered car purring along to perfection once he gained command, the WoO LMS title contender correctly felt that the race was his to lose.
“Not very often do you get a car that feels that good,” said Babb, who registered his seventh career WoO LMS A-Main win. “Tommy (Grecco) and Jay (Hunt) did a great job putting it together and I had 100 percent confidence in it.”
Babb’s only anxious moment came following a lap-26 restart, when Eckert and Moyer stayed close for several circuits. Eckert came within inches of leading lap 28 before Babb gradually opened up some breathing room.
“During that (lap-26) caution those guys probably caught their breath a little and got up on the wheel to try to go for it one last time,” said Babb. “So I had to get back going again hard too.”
After Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, slowed on lap 36 with a flat tire while running fifth to bring out the race’s fifth and final caution flag, Babb wasn’t threatened when the green flag returned.
“That last restart, I wasn’t gonna let nobody by me,” smiled Babb, who registered his first career win at Lebanon I-44 Speedway after running well but experiencing bad luck in several previous appearances. “I just put it on the floor.”
Eckert, 42, was close enough to taste his first WoO LMS victory in nearly two years, but he fell short.
“I left my car just a little bit too free,” said Eckert, whose last WoO LMS win came 65 races ago, on July 8, 2006, at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio. “I tightened up some for the feature, but I still left myself just a little bit too free on exit. If I got in the corner hard and got back in the gas, I got loose.
“After that long (lap-26) caution the racetrack came back, and I got four good laps and was even able to get door-to-door with (Babb) for two laps. But then his (harder) tire got going again and I was done.
“I tried everything I could try to win,” he added, “but I just couldn’t get ‘er done.”
The 50-year-old Moyer, meanwhile, remained atop the WoO LMS points standings with a steady, solid run to third place. He sniffed the lead in the battle after the lap-26 restart, but he wasn’t quite good enough to win for the fifth time in eight events this season.
“Shannon was commited to the top and Eckert to the bottom more or less,” said Moyer, who started seventh. “I could run through the center of one and two real quick, but Eckert was swinging way out wide there so I had to let him in a couple times or we would’ve crashed.
“If I could’ve just got a little bit farther up, I might have been able to get by him. But really, we were just a little bit off.”
The race’s five caution flags were all for minor problems, including a turn-two spin by Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., on lap seven; right-rear flat tires on the cars of Chatham, Ill.’s Brian Shirley (as he ran fifth on lap 12) and Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga. (lap 25); Rookie of the Year contender Vic Coffey of Leicester, N.Y. (left-front suspension woes on lap 26); and Birkhofer.
Finishing in positions 6-10 was defending WoO LMS champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who slipped backward after starting from the pole position; Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who recorded his sixth top-10 finish of the season; MARS standout Will Vaught of Crane, Mo.; Lebanon I-44 dominator Brad Looney of Republic, Mo.; and Payne, who recovered from his early spin.
Thirty-nine cars entered the event, which was run on a cool spring evening.
Clint Smith established a new track record during time trials, rounding the three-eighths-mile oval in 13.626 seconds for his first WoO LMS fast-time of the season.
Heat winners were Smith, Babb, Francis and Eckert. Five-time MARS champion Bill Frye of Greenbrier, Ark., and Clanton captured the B-Mains.
Clanton scrambled to get on the track for the A-Main, however, after his car’s engine developed a broken rocker arm on the final lap of the B-Main. His crew hastily pulled out the team’s backup car and got it fired up for competition as the feature field was taking its pace laps.
Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who entered the event ranked second in the WoO LMS points standings, had to use his first provisional since 2006 to start the A-Main after slapping the homestretch wall during the first heat. His crew worked up until the start of the A-Main pace laps to repair the car.
The WoO LMS weekend in Missouri continues on Sunday night (May 4) at Monett Speedway, which hosts the tour for the first time ever.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series ‘All-State Insurance 40’ (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (4) Shannon Babb/40 $10,150
2. (2) Rick Eckert/40 $5,100
3. (7) Billy Moyer/40 $3,000
4. (11) Wendell Wallace/40 $3,000
5. (8) Clint Smith/40 $2,000
6. (1) Steve Francis/40 $1,700
7. (10) Darrell Lanigan/40 $1,400
8. (16) Will Vaught/40 $1,300
9. (19) Brad Looney/40 $1,200
10. (13) Jeremy Payne/40 $1,100
11. (3) Chub Frank/40 $1,050
12. (18) Shane Clanton/40 $1,000
13. (23) Josh Richards/40 $950
14. (6) Brian Shirley/40 $900
15. (20) Tim Fuller/40 $850
16. (9) John Blankenship/40 $800
17. (14) Jack Sullivan/38 $770
18. (5) Brian Birkhofer/36 $750
19. (22) Terry Phillips/30 $730
20. (15) Vic Coffey/26 $950
21. (21) Denny Woodworth/25 $700
22. (24) Brandon McCormick/21 $700
23. (26) Steve Rushin/19 $700
24. (17) Bill Frye/18 $700
25. (12) Al Purkey/12 $700
26. (25) Jimmy Mars/2 $700
Time of Race: 24 Mins., 17.456 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 1.423 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 5 (Laps 7, 12, 25, 26, 36)
Lap Leaders: Eckert (1-11); Babb (12-40)
Provisional Starters: Richards, Mars (WoO); McCormick, Rushin (MARS)
Rookie of the Race: Vic Coffey ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Wendell Wallace ($500)
Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race ($50): Jay Hunt (Shannon Babb)
Chick Hawk Racing Hot Lap Award: Eckert (half-off tire warmers)
Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 13.626 (NTR)
2. 15b-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA 13.686
3. 21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 13.692
4. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 13.769
5. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 13.812
6. 18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 13.832
7. 88-Wendell Wallace/Batesville, AR 13.907
8. 3s-Brian Shirley/Chatham, IL 13.967
9. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 14.007
10. 18s-Jack Sullivan/Greenbrier, AR 14.025
11. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 14.073
12. 1V-Will Vaught/Crane, MO 14.092
13. 23-John Blankenship/Williamson, WV 14.109
14. 2-John Anderson/Omaha, NE 14.112
15. 32c-Vic Coffey/Leicester, NY 14.136
16. 19T-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 14.147
17. 74-Jeremy Payne/Springfield, MO 14.175
18. 66F-Bill Frye/Greenbrier, AR 14.180
19. 19-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 14.234
20. 66W-Justin Wells/Aurora, MO 14.234
21. 42-Brandon McCormick/Lebanon, MO 14.241
22. 14L-Brad Looney/Republic, MO 14.246
23. 8k-Rusty Dukes/Fairgrove, MO 14.260
24. 33-Al Purkey/Coffeyville, KS 14.317
25. 01-Chris Jones/Neelyville, MO 14.318
26. 45DW-Denny Woodworth/Mendon, IL 14.350
27. 28-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI 14.368
28. 15T-David Turner/Adrian, MO 14.383
29. 00s-Chris Smyser/Lancaster, MO 14.394
30. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 14.396
31. 14M-Reid Millard/Jefferson City, MO 14.412
32. 75-Terry Phillips/Springfield, MO 14.426
33. 14Jr.-Steve Rushin/Poplar Bluff, MO 14.730
34. 21H-Brian Harris/Davenport, IA 14.745
35. 7W-Trace Westling/Fulton, MO 15.090
36. 56-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 15.123
37. 16-Dusty Johnston/Flippan, AR 15.592
38. 99-Larry Jones/Eldorado Springs, MO 15.729
39. 3c-Michael Collins/Carter Lake, IA 45.519
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): C. Smith, Frank, Blankenship, Payne, Smyser, McCormick, Rushin, C. Jones, Johnston, Richards
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Babb, Birkhofer, Lanigan, Sullivan, Frye, Anderson, Looney, Woodworth, Harris, L. Jones
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Francis, Moyer, Wallace, Coffey, Clanton, Dukes, Millard, Westling, Mars, Collins
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Eckert, Shirley, Purkey, Vaught, Fuller, Phillips, Turner, George, Wells
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Frye, Looney, Woodworth, Smyser, McCormick, Anderson, Johnston, L. Jones, C. Jones, Rushin (DNS) Harris, Richards
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Clanton, Fuller, Phillips, Turner, Collins, Millard, Wells, George, Westling, Dukes (DNS) Mars
2008 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of May 3 - 8 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/wins/top-5s/top-10s/earnings/points/deficit to leader):
1. Billy Moyer 4-6-6-$69,820-1079 (-0)
2. Steve Francis 1-5-7-$70,700-1043 (-36)
3. Rick Eckert 0-3-6-$23,150-1041 (-38)
4. Josh Richards 1-4-6 -$33,150-1033 (-46)
5. Darrell Lanigan 0-0-6-$15,250-1015 (-64)
6. (tie) Shannon Babb 1-4-5-$35,800-1007 (-72)
6. (tie) Chub Frank 0-2-4-$17,680-1007 (-72)
8. Clint Smith 0-3-3-$13,660-983 (-96)
9. Shane Clanton 0-3-3-$15,750-965 (-114)
10. John Blankenship 0-0-2-$11,560-911 (-168)
11. Tim Fuller 0-0-1-$8,190-909 (-170)
12. Brian Shirley 0-0-2-$8,370-899 (-180)
13. Vic Coffey 0-0-1-$7,470-709 (-370)
14. (tie) Joe Isabell 0-0-0-$2,260-589 (-490)
14. (tie) Danny Johnson 0-0-0-$2,650-589 (-490)
16. Jeep VanWormer 0-0-1-$6,270-479 (-600)
17. (tie) Eddie Carrier Jr. 0-0-3-$8,500-471 (-608)
17. (tie) Tim McCreadie 0-1-2-$11,550-471 (-608)
17. (tie) Billy Decker 0-0-0-$3,020-438 (-641)
20. Darren Miller 0-0-3-$5,700-404 (-675)
LISTEN ONLINE: If fans can’t get to a track to see the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, they can experience the excitement of the nation’s premier tour live on DIRTvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network.
To listen to the free audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo.
Listeners will need Windows Media Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. For technical support or questions, e-mail customerservice@dirtvision.com.
Chub Frank Visits Lester Buildings Plant In Illinois To Show Appreciation For Company’s Sponsorship Support
CHARLESTON, IL – May 3, 2008 – Chub Frank visited a Lester Buildings plant in Charleston, Ill., on Friday afternoon to show appreciation for the company’s support of his racing efforts.
The 46-year-old star from Bear Lake, Pa., stopped at the Lester Buildings Service Center en route to weekend World of Outlaws Late Model Series events in Missouri at Lebanon I-44 Speedway (Saturday) and Monett Speedway (Sunday).
“It was a great opportunity to thank everyone at Lester Buildings for all they do to make our sponsorship program possible,” said Frank, who has carried the Lester Buildings logo on his No. 1* dirt Late Models for four seasons. “If it wasn’t for Lester’s backing, we wouldn’t be able to do all the racing that we do.”
Frank’s afternoon in the ‘Land of Lincoln’ included lunch with the company’s employees and a tour of the plant where the tresses for his own Lester Buildings race shop were produced. He displayed his familiar Rocket car outside the plant and mingled with Lester Buildings workers and local fans that stopped by.
“We had a great time at the plant,” said Frank, who is celebrating 30 years behind the wheel of a race car in 2008. “Everyone treated us so well all day and made us feel right at home.
“Hopefully our visit will bring us some good luck that will help get us a win this weekend in Missouri.”
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘At A Glance’: Show-Me State Weekend At Lebanon I-44 Speedway (May 3) and Monett Speedway (May 4)
CONCORD, NC – May 1, 2008 –
WHAT:
* The World of Outlaws Late Model Series invades Missouri for a doubleheader this weekend, visiting Lebanon I-44 Speedway on Saturday night (May 3) and Monett Speedway on Sunday night (May 4).
The Show-Me State swing features a pair of 40-lap A-Mains for the national tour. Saturday’s show at Lebanon I-44 offers a $10,000 top prize, and a $7,000 check will go to the winner of Sunday’s headliner at Monett.
The O’Reilly MARS DIRTcar Series will co-sanction both events.
With sunny skies in the forecast for both days, the weekend is shaping up as the biggest ever at veteran promoter Randy Mooneyham’s pair of racetracks.
WHEN:
* At both speedways, gates are scheduled to open at 4:30 p.m. and on-track action will begin at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE:
* Lebanon I-44 Speedway is a high-banked, three-eighths-mile clay oval located in southwestern Missouri, off Exit 135 (Sleeper) of Interstate 44.
* A 100-mile drive to the southwest of Lebanon is Monett Speedway, a semi-banked, three-eighths-mile clay oval that is known as the ‘Grand Old Lady.’ To reach the track, go 1 mile east of SR 37 on US 60, then north on Chapel Drive.
TICKETS:
* General admission for both events is $30 for adults, $10 for juniors (ages 13-15) and free for kids 12-and-under. Pit passes will be $35 at both tracks.
INFORMATION:
* More information can be obtained by visiting www.lebanoni44speedway.net or www.monettspeedway.net, or calling 417-224-7074 (Randy Mooneyham), 417-532-2060 (Lebanon I-44 raceday hotline) or 417-236-0600 (Monett raceday hotline).
PREVIOUS WoO LMS WINNERS:
* This will be the fourth consecutive year and the fifth time overall that the WoO LMS has raced at Lebanon I-44 Speedway. The track hosted a tour event won by Billy Moyer on Aug. 27, 1988, during the first two-year incarnation of the WoO LMS under the direction of late Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series founder Ted Johnson, and has been part of the tour’s ‘modern-era’ (2004-present) with events won by Clint Smith on July 3, 2007; Brian Birkhofer on July 25, 2006; and Steve Francis on July 26, 2005.
* Monett Speedway is hosting a WoO LMS for the first time – making Sunday’s program the biggest in the track’s 38-year history.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
* Defending WoO LMS champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., brings a strong performance record to Lebanon I-44 – along with his 2005 win, he has tour finishes of fourth (2007) and ninth (2006) – and an eye on moving up in the WoO LMS history books.
Following his victory on April 19 in the Circle K Colossal 100 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Francis is tied with Rick Eckert of York, Pa., for second on the WoO LMS ‘modern-era’ win list, at 15 triumphs. He has an opportunity this weekend to tie or pass Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., as the tour’s winningest driver since 2004.
* Eckert has been stuck on 15 wins since July 8, 2006, at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio – an uncharacteristically long winless streak of 64 races for the star driver. He has high hopes of ending his absence from Victory Lane at Lebanon I-44, where he finished third in last year’s WoO LMS stop.
* Three-time WoO LMS champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., will enter the weekend doubleheader as the tour’s points leader and top winner of 2008 (four wins in seven events) – and likely possessing more experience at Lebanon I-44 and Monett than any of the WoO LMS travelers.
The 50-year-old dirt Late Model legend did, of course, win a WoO LMS event at Lebanon in 1988, and he’s entered each of the tour shows run there over the past three years (finishing 18th in 2005, fifth in 2006 and sixth in 2007). Monett, meanwhile, is a track where Moyer has enjoyed plenty of success, including eight O’Reilly MLRA series wins from 1989-93, two MARS DIRTcar Series triumphs (2001 and 2002) and a victory on the old USAC Late Model Series in 1988.
* A visit to Lebanon I-44 Speedway might be just what the doctor ordered for WoO LMS traveler Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., who has been plagued by bad luck in four of his last five tour starts. The 27-year-old talent known as ‘Squirrel’ has developed a knack for getting around the fast track, as evidenced by his victory in the 2006 Larry Phillips Memorial and a second-place finish in last year’s WoO LMS event.
* Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., will certainly like the smell of the Midwest air this weekend. After all, the southerner won all four of his 2007 WoO LMS A-Mains in the region, including a victory in last year’s tour stop at Lebanon I-44.
* Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., enters the weekend ranked second in the WoO LMS points standings – the highest he’s ever been this far into the season. He’s never raced at Monett, but he has three starts under his belt at Lebanon I-44 with a top finish of sixth in the 2006 WoO LMS event.
* Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., hopes his steady improvement in WoO LMS shows at Lebanon I-44 continues this Saturday night. He finished 23rd in 2005, seventh in 2006 and fifth in 2007.
* Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa. – the winningest driver on the 2007 WoO LMS but still looking for his first win this season – has been steady, if not spectacular, at Lebanon I-44. He has two eighth-place finishes (2005 and 2007) and an 11th (2006).
* Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., who drives for NASCAR Sprint Cup star Clint Bowyer, flashed plenty of speed in last year’s WoO LMS event at Lebanon I-44, leading the first 15 laps of the A-Main. But a blown left-rear tire annihilated his car’s bodywork, forcing him to retire.
* Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., missed last year’s WoO LMS event at Lebanon I-44 to work on his engine program – the only race in the five-year ‘modern-era’ of the WoO LMS that he has not entered. He’ll be back this Saturday looking to run like he did when he finished second in the track’s 2005 tour stop.
* John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va., likes Lebanon I-44. He had one of the best runs of his WoO LMS career there in 2005, finishing fourth.
* There will be an invasion of WoO LMS travelers from New York at this weekend’s events. Leading the group will be 2007 Rookie of the Year Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., who missed last year’s event at Lebanon I-44 to run an Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series big-block Modified show in the Empire State.
Other New Yorkers planning to travel halfway across the country to compete this weekend are Rookie of the Year contenders Vic Coffey of Leceister, N.Y., Danny Johnson of Phelps, N.Y., and Joe Isabell of Pennellville, N.Y.
* With the O’Reilly MARS DIRTcar Series co-sanctioning the weekend events, the Midwestern tour’s top drivers will be in the field, including five-time champ Bill Frye of Greenbrier, Ark.; three-time titlist Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo.; Will Vaught of Seneca, Mo.; and Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo.
This quartet of MARS drivers has proven they can get the job done at Lebanon I-44 and Monett. Last year Vaught won a MARS show at Monett while Payne was victorious in MARS action at Lebanon I-44. And in MARS and MLRA events, Phillips has won 14 times at Monett and seven at Lebanon while Frye has captured 15 races at Monett and six at Lebanon.
* Other top regional drivers expected to compete in the weekend events include Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., who finished fourth in the 2006 WoO LMS A-Main at Lebanon I-44; Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kans., who won the season-opening DLRA event at Monett on April 20; David Turner of Adrian, Mo.; John Anderson of Omaha, Neb., who won an MLRA event at Lebanon last season; and Lebanon I-44 dominator Brad Looney of Republic, Mo.
* Several drivers have plans to join the WoO LMS action on Sunday night at Monett, including Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., who won last year’s UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned World 100 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio; Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., who owns four MARS and four MLRA wins at Monett and two MARS triumphs at Lebanon; and Terry Casey of New London, Wis., who finished second in last year’s UMP DIRTcar Summernationals event at Lebanon I-44.
EXTRA CASH:
* The influx of regional and local standouts competing in the events will be chasing some WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks.’
The highest-finishing driver in each A-Main who is not ranked among the current top-12 in the WoO LMS point standings and has never won a WoO feature will receive the $500 ‘Bonus Bucks’ award.
COMING UP:
* The tour will have a weekend off before embarking on a three-race, three-state swing the weekend of May 16-18, visiting Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park on Fri., May 16; Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway on Sat., May 17; and Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway on Sun., May 18.
LISTEN OR WATCH ON THE INTERNET:
* Fans who can’t make it to the track can listen to the action live thanks to the DIRT Radio Network.
To listen to the free audio broadcasts of WoO LMS events, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo.
Listeners will need Windows Media Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. Those who sign up for a free membership can enjoy advanced features while listening to the races, such as text chat and live scoring via AMB.it.
WoO LMS INFO:
* Log on to the WoO LMS website at www.worldofoutlaws.com.
2008 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of April 19 - 7 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/wins/top-5s/top-10s/earnings/points/deficit to leader):
1. Billy Moyer 4-5-5-$66,820-935 (-0)
2. Josh Richards 1-4-6-$32,200-909 (-26)
3. Steve Francis 1-5-6-$69,000-905 (-30)
4. Rick Eckert 0-2-5-$18,050-895 (-40)
5. (tie) Darrell Lanigan 0-0-5-$13,850-879 (-56)
5. (tie) Chub Frank 0-2-4-$16,630-879 (-56)
7. Shannon Babb 0-3-4-$25,650-857 (-78)
8. Clint Smith 0-2-2-$11,660-843 (-92)
9. Shane Clanton 0-3-3-$14,750-839 (-96)
10. John Blankenship 0-0-2-$10,760-793 (-142)
11. Tim Fuller 0-0-1-$7,340-789 (-146)
12. Brian Shirley 0-0-2-$7,470-777 (-158)
13. Vic Coffey 0-0-1-$6,520-599 (-336)
14. (tie) Joe Isabell 0-0-0-$1,910-589 (-346)
14. (tie) Danny Johnson 0-0-0-$2,300-589 (-346)
16. Jeep VanWormer 0-0-1-$6,270-479 (-456)
17. (tie) Eddie Carrier Jr. 0-0-3-$8,500-471 (-464)
17. (tie) Tim McCreadie 0-1-2-$11,550-471 (-464)
19. Billy Decker 0-0-0-$3,020-438 (-497)
20. Darren Miller 0-0-3-$5,700-404 (-531)
DIRTVision.com™ Offers Instant Access to Exciting Race Footage
DIRTVision.com is pleased to announce the release of its first 2008 on-demand video productions. Users now have instant 24/7 access to a wide variety of exciting race footage from across the country. Users can log on and watch on-demand archive events at any time, giving them the ability to pause and rewind with the push of a button. Plus with the on-demand archives, there’s no set schedule, users have the advantage of choosing what they want to watch and when they want to watch it. To access the on-demand section of the site, simply log in, click on the archive tab, and choose an event you wish to view. (Live broadcast archives still require a subscription to view.) You must be a registered user in order to view archive races. To register for your free account simply click on sign up for free.
The first four videos of 2008 are now featured on the site. Users can watch every lap from the World of Outlaws Late Model Series events at Pike County Speedway in Magnolia, MS and the Farmer City Raceway in Farmer City, IL, as well as Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car events at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, MO, and Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, OH. Make sure to check back every week as DIRTVision.com will be posting new videos from the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, The World of Outlaws Late Model Series and The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series. Most videos will be posted within two weeks of the original events date.
Users must have high speed internet (DSL/Cable/T1), and windows media player 9 or higher to view archived videos. For technical questions visit our FAQ Section, or e-mail Customerservice@DIRTVision.com for help.
DIRTVision.com Archive Videos are brought to you by ButlerBuilt. Call ButlerBuilt today and let them build you an advantage.
UMP DIRTcar Racing Weekly Update: Korte Hoping To Return Soon From February Back Injury; Defending Champ Erb Moves To Top Of Super Late Model National Points
EVANSVILLE, IN – April 30, 2008 -
GETTING BETTER: Randy Korte is chomping at the bit to go racing.
Unfortunately, the two-time UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national champion can’t climb into his familiar TMCI Transportation No. 00 until his doctor says he’s ready.
Sidelined since suffering a back injury in a Dirt Late Model Winternationals feature incident on Feb. 5 at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., Korte is not taking well to watching races from the pit area as the UMP DIRTcar Racing season swings into high gear.
“This is the first time in my whole career that I’ve been out (of action) for more than a week,” said Korte, a 42-year-old veteran from Highland, Ill. “It’s hard to be a spectator.”
Korte was in Florida driving a Riggs Motorsports entry to get tuned up for the 2008 campaign when his injury occurred. He was involved in an early-race tangle that caused his car to bounce in the air and slam hard onto the track surface.
“It didn’t really look like anything at all to the fans watching in the grandstand,” Korte said of the accident, which barely even damaged his car. “But it knocked the breath out of me when I came down. I couldn’t catch my breath for like five or 10 minutes, until I got oxygen in the ambulance.
“It was the most scared feeling I’ve ever had in my life.”
On top of that, Korte felt pain in his back. Doctors ultimately discovered that he had broken the T-6 vertebra in his mid- to upper-back and it had stuck into his spinal cord, leaving him with a long road to recovery.
“I’ve had some major rollovers in my career and never had an issue (injury),” said Korte. “But this one, I guess I just hit the right way to do some damage.”
Korte dealt with serious back pain for nearly two months upon returning home. “I could just about get out of bed some days,” he said.
The pain began to diminish last month, however, giving Korte hope that his early-April doctor’s check-up would deem him ready to get back in a car. Instead, his doctor was the bearer of bad news, telling ‘King Kong’ Korte that he needed at least another month of inactivity so his vertebra could completely heal and pull away from his spinal cord.
“I don’t want to rush it,” said Korte. “If the doctor says I need to heal up more, there’s nothing I can do but listen.”
Korte’s next doctor’s visit is scheduled for May 13. He’s hopeful that he’ll get an thumb’s-up signal before he leaves the office, clearing the way for him to get back on the track well before the mid-June start of the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals.
Until he receives the go-ahead from his doctor, Korte is keeping his self-owned dirt Late Model team active. He put Billy Faust of Lebanon, Ill., in his car’s seat for several events in April, and last week he enlisted four-time UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national champion Rodney Melvin of Benton, Ill., to drive his No. 00 until he’s ready to return to the cockpit.
“They’ve done a great job for me,” Korte said of Faust and Melvin. “Billy won (on April 5) at Highland (Ill.) and finished second at Pevely (Missouri’s I-55 Raceway), and last weekend Rodney finished fifth at Pevely.”
Melvin will do a three-race swing in Korte’s car beginning this Thursday night (May 1), running at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill., on Thursday and Friday and I-55 Raceway on Saturday.
FAMILIAR FACE ON TOP: Defending UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., grabbed the lead in the 2008 national points race for the first time after last weekend’s UMP DIRTcar action.
Following a second-place finish to Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., in the UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Northern Allstars Late Model Series event on April 26 at Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind., Erb vaulted into the national points lead by 12 markers over Jason McBride of Carbondale, Ill. Erb has made seven starts so far this season to McBride’s 10.
Randle Sweeney of Clifty, Ky., leads the UMP DIRTcar open-wheel Modified national points standings. He’s coming off a strong weekend that saw him finish second on April 25 at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway and win on April 26 at Soggy Bottom Raceway in Morgantown, Ky.
NOTABLE UMP DIRTcar RACING THIS WEEKEND:
* The second and third legs of the inaugural ‘Midwest Big Ten Series’ for Super Late Models are set for this Friday night (May 2) at Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Ill., and Saturday night (May 3) at Macon (Ill.) Speedway.
The two tracks have teamed up this year to offer Super Late Model teams a chance to run for increased purses five times at each speedway, with the series champion taking home $3,000 from a $10,000 points fund.
* The UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Sunoco American Late Model Series heads to Michigan on Saturday night (May 3) for a $2,000-to-win show at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa.
* The UMP DIRTcar open-wheel Modified class has special events on tap at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in Calvert City, Ky. ($1,200-to-win shows on both Friday and Saturday); Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway on Saturday ($1,500 to win); and Quad City Raceway in East Moline, Ill., on Sunday (May 4).
UMP DIRTcar RACING INFO: Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing and to view complete points standings for all divisions.
ATTENTION: Any UMP DIRTcar track or race team with news that could be used in the ‘UMP DIRTcar Racing Weekly Update’ release can e-mail the info to Kevin Kovac at kkovac@dirtcar.com.
UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of April 29):
Super Late Models (driver/points/races):
1. Dennis Erb Jr. 521 7
2. Jason McBride 509 10
3. Rusty Schlenk 489 8
4. Mike Hammerle 477 11
5. Rusty Griffaw 395 8
6. Wes Steidinger 395 6
7. Billy Moyer 375 4
8. Michael Kloos 362 9
9. Rob Underwood 360 6
10. Steve Francis 355 4
11. Brad Looney 355 5
12. Chris Shelton 341 8
13. Wayne Shugart 331 6
14. Tony Albright 329 6
15. Ryan Unzicker 327 6
16. Richard Ferry 322 5
17. Jeff Phipps 299 6
18. Joe Kump 292 6
19. Chuck Proctor 290 5
20. Jason Davis 288 6
Open-Wheel Modifieds (driver/points/races):
1. Randle Sweeney 817 11
2. Kent Robinson 796 11
3. Tim Hancock 736 11
4. Jon Henry 594 10
5. Denny Schwartz 569 10
6. Chad Evans 539 9
7. Gary Cook Jr. 534 8
8. Mike Spatola 477 8
9. Clayton Miller 473 8
10. George Gilbert 468 7
11. Nick Allen 464 6
12. Jeff Matthews 453 6
13. Matt Bex 441 7
14. Jeff Leka 429 7
15. Clint DeMoss 425 7
16. Hank Schlindwein 416 8
17. Matt Boknecht 406 6
18. Sal Hebert 406 7
19. Bobby Bittle 403 6
20. Jamie Carter 401 8
Pro Late Models (driver/points/races):
1. Duane Hodges 436 7
2. Levi Ashby 396 8
3. Jason Jones 389 8
4. Caleb Ashby 355 6
5. Josh Harris 342 6
6. Phil Gregory 315 6
7. Carnell Parker 295 4
8. Tait Davenport 292 4
9. Darrell Hartman 287 7
10. Mike Watson 279 6
Sportsman (driver/points/races):
1. Troy Clark 429 8
2. Brad Cummings 376 7
3. Shawn Daugherty 375 6
4. Bruce Westerman 355 6
5. Anthony Jackson 355 5
6. Patrick Vareika 352 6
7. Jeremy Hines 348 6
8. Paige Doyle 323 7
9. Chris Hillman 319 6
10. Danny Vogel Jr. 305 5
Limited Modifieds (driver/points/races):
1. Brandon Buhler 350 5
2. Bryan Barrett 265 5
3. Will Duncan 265 4
4. Evan Delahoussaye 260 4
5. Jonathan Clayton 250 4
6. John Talkington 233 4
7. Lee Fincher 212 4
8. Ray Allen Kulhanek 210 3
9. David Jackson 203 4
10. Ray Breeland 198 4
Street Stocks (driver/points/races):
1. Travis Myers 530 8
2. Aaron Penton 439 8
3. Brad Taylor 409 8
4. Jon Wix 396 6
5. Randy Arnold 396 8
6. Grady Christian 380 5
7. David Cline 315 5
8. Chris Fisher 303 5
9. Joe Belkey II 289 5
10. Alan Peacock 280 4
Factory Stocks (driver/points/races):
1. Mickey Hines 289 4
2. Cody Vanosdol 284 4
3. Bodi Henry 269 4
4. William Burton 248 4
5. Mark Bruce 241 4
6. Willie Sallee 223 4
7. Scott Erickson 191 3
8. Clay Ellison 189 4
9. Bill Moore 186 4
10. Casey Crane 158 2
4-Cylinders (driver/points/races):
1. Jeff Rittenberry 425 6
2. Michael Perrigo 368 6
3. Michael Rittenberry 367 6
4. Daniel Stephens 360 6
5. Travis Staats 355 5
6. Tim Sull 345 5
7. Brandon Kuck 338 6
8. Charlie Staats 324 5
9. Jimbob Scott 321 6
10. James Lovelady 317 6
Missouri’s Terry Phillips Chasing History As World of Outlaws Late Model Series Visits His Backyard This Weekend
Show-Me State Star Looking To Join His Legendary Father As A World of Outlaws Winner During Doubleheader At Lebanon I-44 & Monett Speedways
CONCORD, NC – April 30, 2008 – Ask Show-Me State star Terry Phillips what winning one of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series events being run in his Missouri backyard this weekend would mean to him, and you get a typical hard-nosed racer’s reply.
“It would be a great accomplishment,” Phillips said matter-of-factly. “You always want to win against the better cars and drivers.”
Remind Phillips, though, that a WoO LMS victory this Saturday night (May 3) at Lebanon I-44 Speedway or Sunday night (May 4) at Monett Speedway would forge him a historic common bond with his legendary late father Larry Phillips, and his tough exterior softens a bit.
“I didn’t even think about my dad having a World of Outlaws win,” said Phillips, a 41-year-old racing veteran from Springfield, Mo. “That would make winning one pretty cool for me.”
How cool? Consider this: Larry and Terry Phillips would become the first father-and-son tandem to win WoO LMS events in the six-plus seasons (1988-89, 2004-present) of the tour’s existence.
Larry Phillips, a Midwestern mega-talent who passed away in September 2004 at the age of 62 after a four-year battle with lung cancer, won just a single WoO LMS event during his memorable dirt and asphalt Late Model career, but it was an important one. He captured the first WoO LMS A-Main ever contested, on April 22, 1988, at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa.
The elder Phillips’s triumph launched the short-lived first incarnation of the WoO LMS, which was directed by late Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series founder Ted Johnson. The full-bodied off-shoot of the established WoO Sprint Car Series lasted just two seasons before it was discontinued by Johnson, but its results are part of the history of the WoO LMS, which was rekindled in 2004 under the World Racing Group banner and is now in the fifth season of its modern era.
The ‘original’ WoO LMS didn’t travel as far-and-wide or boast as many events as the current version, but it was “a pretty tough series,” said Terry Phillips. He knows this first-hand because he actually followed the inaugural schedule in 1988.
Phillips became a dirt Late Model driver in ’88, at the age of 21, and got an education by going on the WoO LMS road with his father. He showed some flashes of his future brilliance during that rookie campaign, registering four top-five finishes – including third-place runs at Badlands Raceway in Yates Center, Kans., and Colorado National Speedway in Denver (two) – and finishing a respectable seventh in the points standings. (Larry Phillips finished third in the ’88 points race.)
Both Phillips and his father were part-timers with the WoO LMS in 1989 (Larry and Terry placed 11th and 14th, respectively, in the points standings), and the younger Phillips has entered only selected tour events since its resumption in 2004. In eight A-Main appearances during the WoO LMS ‘modern-era’ Phillips has a top finish of third, on July 22, 2005, at Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, Okla., but he’s had a couple legitimate shots at victory ripped from him by bad luck, including last year at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kans. (a broken brake caliper sent him into the wall while running fourth and gaining ground) and Lebanon I-44 Speedway (he was in the top five when he got a flat tire).
A three-time champion of the O’Reilly MARS DIRTcar Series that is co-sanctioning the WoO LMS events at Lebanon I-44 and Monett, Phillips enters this weekend’s doubleheader with plenty of confidence. He’s only run two dirt Late Model shows since making a January trip to Arizona – the testy spring weather has scuttled most of his planned starts with his Andy’s Frozen Custard GRT No. 75 – but he’s in racing shape thanks to the half-dozen open-wheel Modified appearances he’s made in recent weeks.
And of course, Phillips knows the Lebanon I-44 and Monett ovals as well as anyone.
With plenty of laps around both tracks under his belt over two decades behind the wheel, Phillips has enjoyed spectacular success in regional-series competition at the speedways. He’s won seven MARS and two O’Reilly MLRA series features at Lebanon I-44, and he owns six MARS and eight MLRA triumphs at Monett.
Considering that most of this weekend’s invading national stars have only limited experience at Lebanon I-44 (Saturday will mark the fourth WoO LMS visit to the track) and next to none at Monett (Sunday is the tour’s first-ever stop there), Phillips would appear to have a technical edge. He’s not counting on his knowledge of the distinctly different three-eighths-mile ovals to carry him, however.
“I guess we’ll have a little experience advantage,” said Phillips, who will also field a car from his stable this weekend for his 21-year-old protégé Jeremy Payne, a native of Arizona who now calls Springfield, Mo., home. “But these guys coming in are so good, it doesn’t take them long to figure a track out.
“And the tire-rule deal (the UMP DIRTcar Hoosier tire mandate will be in effect at both tracks) hurts us a little because we’re not used to running the softer tire, but I feel like I should still be able to pick the right compound. I’ve been doing this long enough so I should know what to do.”
Saturday’s program at Lebanon I-44 Speedway will feature a 40-lap WoO LMS A-Main paying $10,000 to win, and Sunday’s card 100 miles to the southwest at Monett will be headlined by a 40-lap A-Main with a $7,000 top prize.
At both tracks, gates open at 4:30 p.m. and on-track action is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on the events, visit www.lebanoni44speedway.net or www.monettspeedway.net.
Additional info on the WoO LMS is available by logging on to www.worldofoutlaws.com
World of Outlaws Late Model Series News & Notes: Richards Starts Weekend With DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Debut; Frank Repairs Favorite Car
CONCORD, NC – April 28, 2008 –
MOD MAN: When the Mark Richards Racing Enterprises hauler shoves off from Shinnston, W.Va., on Thursday to begin an 800-mile trip to Missouri’s Lebanon I-44 Speedway, driver Josh Richards won’t be sitting on his usual seat inside it.
Instead, the 20-year-old star will delay his departure to the weekend’s pair of World of Outlaws Late Model Series events in the Show-Me State to make his debut behind the wheel of a DIRTcar big-block Modified on Thursday night (May 1) at Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Va.
Richards is scheduled to enter VMS’s Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series season opener as a teammate to big-block Modified supernova Brett Hearn of Vernon, N.J. Both drivers will chase a $10,000 top prize in the evening’s 60-lap Paul Sawyer Memorial.
The Hearn-Richards big-block Modified pairing completes a gentleman’s agreement that Hearn made with Richards’s father back in August 2005 when the Garden State veteran drove one of Mark Richards’s Rocket Chassis house cars in a WoO LMS event at Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. Hearn pledged that he’d someday give ‘Kid Rocket’ a shot to run a big-block Mod – and that time will come at Virginia Motor, a half-mile oval where Richards just scored a third-place finish on April 11 in a WoO LMS A-Main.
“I’m pretty excited to drive a Modified,” said Richards, who will pull double-duty on Thursday night at VMS by running the Ernie Davis-owned No. 25 dirt Late Model in the companion $5,000-to-win event for the division. “It’ll be real fun.”
Richards will fly into St. Louis on Saturday morning to meet his dirt Late Model team, which will already be at the Petroff Towing shop outside the city preparing to head out with fellow WoO LMS driver Brian Shirley for tour events on Sat., May 3, at Lebanon I-44 and Sun., May 4, at Monett Speedway.
Richards and Shirley will enter the weekend’s action buoyed by the two days they spent practicing last week at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa.
WEEKEND RACERS: Richards authored the best performance of the WoO LMS regulars who went racing during the past weekend’s idle-time from the tour, finishing a close second to Robbie Blair of Titusville, Pa., in Sunday night’s UFO series ‘Area 51’ feature at Challenger Raceway in Indiana, Pa.
Driving the Ernie Davis No. 25 that is his stead for most non-WoO LMS events, Richards led twice for 13 laps but fell short in a late-race battle with Blair.
Defending WoO LMS champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., also competed at Challenger. He finished 10th driving Dale Beitler’s No. 19.
Georgia residents Shane Clanton and Clint Smith, meanwhile, headed to the Talladega (Ala.) Short Track for Saturday night’s O’Reilly Southern All-Stars show that was held in conjunction with the NASCAR weekend across the street. Clanton advanced from the eighth starting spot to finish third in the 50-lap A-Main, while Smith settled for a 14th-place finish.
INDESTRUCTABLE: It’s going to take more than a wild, high-flying series of flips to put Chub Frank’s favorite race car out to pasture.
Most observers who witnessed Frank’s tumble midway through the Circle K Colossal 100 on April 19 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., probably thought the machine was a write-off, but that wasn’t the case. Frank left most of the car’s crushed bodywork in the pit area for fans to scavenge, but he said the damage was otherwise to bolt-on parts rather than the frame.
Frank, who calls his Rocket mount ‘Old Faithful’ for its consistent speed and strength since a debut run in September 2006, had the car back rolling by the end of last week. He won’t have the car along for this weekend’s WoO LMS shows in Missouri – “We’re giving it a rest,” he smiled – but expects to have a new body on the machine and a freshened motor bolted inside it for the tour’s next swing, to Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park (May 16), Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway (May 17) and Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway (May 18).
The Bear Lake, Pa., standout, by the way, will stop in Charleston, Ill., on Friday (May 2) en route to Missouri to make an appearance at his sponsor Lester Buildings’ plant. Frank will tour the Lester Buildings service center, visit with employees and display a brand-new Rocket car – complete with a slightly different graphics scheme – from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
SPECIAL DELIVERY: WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contender Vic Coffey of Leicester, N.Y., welcomed a new member to his family on April 23, when his wife Jillian gave birth to the couple’s first child – a bouncing baby boy named Kasey.
Kasey Coffey arrived almost exactly one month ahead of schedule, but the 6 pound, 1 ounce baby was pronounced healthy by doctors and sent home after the weekend.
Coffey, who also has two teenage children (Shelby, 12, and Kyle, 11), will try to win a WoO LMS event for his new son when he travels to Missouri with his Sweeteners Plus team for this weekend’s Lebanon I-44/Monett doubleheader.
NEXT UP: For more information about this weekend’s events at Lebanon I-44 Speedway and Monett Speedway, log on to www.lebanoni44speedway.net or www.monettspeedway.net.
INFO: To learn more about the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
July 13 Date At North Dakota’s Williston Basin Speedway Added To World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Wild West Tour’
CONCORD, NC – April 28, 2008 – This summer’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Wild West Tour’ has gotten even bigger.
A visit to Williston Basin Speedway in Williston, N.D., on Sun., July 13, has been added to the ‘Wild West Tour,’ a busy stretch of racing that now features nine $10,000-to-win events in six states and one Canadian province over a 13-day span.
Williston Basin’s 50-lap WoO LMS A-Main will be the biggest show ever contested at the one-third-mile clay oval in the western portion of North Dakota, 18 miles from the Montana state line.
“The whole area here is buzzing about a World of Outlaws race coming to town,” said Jack Blotsky, president of the roughly 150-member Williston Basin Racing Association (WBRA) that operates the track. “We’re already looking at moving in some more bleachers to handle the crowd we expect that night.”
Blotsky said the WBRA has already secured sponsorship for the WoO LMS event from local businesses DC&B Hotshot & Trucking, Triple B Construction and Mr. Gutter. No reserved seats will be sold, but fans can obtain information about purchasing general-admission tickets in advance by visiting www.basinspeedway.com or calling 701-774-8008.
The WBRA has been promoting dirt-track races in Williston for 35 years, including the last nine with the speedway in its current location. The track’s normal night of operation is Saturday with open-wheel Modifieds serving as the headline attraction.
Williston Basin’s WoO LMS date will close a string of five consecutive race nights that kick off the ‘Wild West Tour,’ and it will come the day after the series races north of the border at Estevan Motor Speedway in Estevan, Saskatchewan. Williston is 100 miles south of Estevan.
The WoO LMS ‘Wild West Tour’ is scheduled to begin on July 9 with the ‘Gopher 50’ at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn. The swing then continues on July 10 at North Central Speedway in Brainerd, Minn.; July 11 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D.; July 12 at Estevan; July 13 at Williston Basin; July 16 at Gillette (Wyo.) Thunder Speedway; July 18 at Brown County Speedway in Aberdeen, S.D.; July 20 at the Belleville (Kans.) High Banks; and July 21 at Boone County Speedway in Albion, Neb.
The 2008 WoO LMS schedule now stands at 47 confirmed events at 40 tracks in 22 states and three Canadian provinces.
In other WoO LMS schedule news, the tour’s event set for Sun., Aug. 17, at Golden Isles Speedway in Waynesville, Ga., has been canceled, track and series officials have announced.
Golden Isles promoter Frankie Lloyd made the decision that the track will no longer schedule events or raindates for Sundays, leading him to cancel his planned Sunday-night WoO LMS program.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Weekend At Randy Mooneyham’s Show-Me State Tracks Set To Usher In May For World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Tour Returns To Lebanon I-44 Speedway On May 3, Makes First-Ever Visit To Monett Speedway On May 4
CONCORD, NC – April 25, 2008 – One track has become a staple on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.
The other, meanwhile, has never before played host to the nation’s premier dirt Late Model tour.
It will be a mix of the familiar and the unknown for most of the WoO LMS stars when the trail invades Missouri the first weekend in May to contest two nights of action at veteran promoter Randy Mooneyham’s tracks – Lebanon I-44 Speedway on Sat., May 3, and Monett Speedway on Sun., May 4.
“It’s going to be one of the biggest weekends of the year for racing in Southwestern Missouri,” said Mooneyham. “Two World of Outlaws shows back-to-back sets up a perfect weekend for the fans and racers.”
Lebanon I-44 Speedway, a high-banked, three-eighths-mile oval that was paved in the ‘90s before switching back to a clay surface, is on the WoO LMS schedule for the fourth consecutive season. But there’s something different about this year’s 40-lap, $10,000-to-win event – it’s the first time that the Outlaws visit on the fast track’s regular night of operation.
The WoO LMS has made its annual stop at Lebanon I-44 on summer mid-week dates for the past three years – July 3, 2007 (winner: Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.), July 25, 2006 (Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa) and July 26, 2005 (Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.).
“We’re excited to have the Outlaws coming to Lebanon on a Saturday night,” said Mooneyham, who has operated the facility for six years. “Running on our regular night could make this our best World of Outlaws show ever.”
Following Lebanon’s checkered flag the WoO LMS will shift its action 100 miles to the southwest on Sunday night (May 4) for a first-ever stop at Monett Speedway, a 38-year-old track known as ‘The Grand Old Lady’ that Mooneyham has promoted for the last 28 years.
“Without a doubt this is the biggest race ever run at Monett,” Mooneyham said of the 40-lap WoO LMS A-Main that offers a top prize of $7,000. “With the great names that are coming, it’s going to be a show like no one has ever seen at Monett.”
While at three-eighths-of-a-mile Monett is similarly-sized to Lebanon I-44, drivers will face a different set of challenges at Mooneyham’s longer-running oval.
“Monett is a little flatter and the turns are a little tighter than Lebanon,” said Mooneyham. “It takes a little more of a slick-track style, but it’s good and wide. The drivers always love to race at Monett.”
Plenty of nationally-known all-stars will be invading Monett – many for the first time in their careers – as well as Lebanon.
Former Lebanon I-44 WoO LMS winners Smith and Francis will lead the charge to the sister tracks, hitting town as returning tour regulars. Francis is the defending WoO LMS champion, while Smith is coming off a career-high third-place finish in the 2007 points standings.
Birkhofer has also indicated that he plans to be in the field to chase another WoO LMS win at Lebanon I-44 as well as a triumph at Monett.
And three-time WoO LMS champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., who won a WoO LMS event at Lebanon I-44 in 1988 during the tour’s first incarnation (1988-89) under late Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series founder Ted Johnson, has plans to take a shot at extending his early-season hot streak on the WoO LMS (four wins in seven events so far and the points lead) at two tracks where he’s enjoyed plenty of success of the years.
Also part of the talented roster of WoO LMS regulars who have Lebanon and Monett in their crosshairs is Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., who won the 2006 Larry Phillips Memorial event and finished second in last year’s WoO LMS A-Main at Lebanon I-44; Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., who drives a dirt Late Model owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup star Clint Bowyer; Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa.; Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga.; Rick Eckert of York, Pa.; 20-year-old Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who sits second in the current tour points standings; Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.; 2007 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y.; and John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va.
With both events co-sanctioned by the O’Reilly MARS DIRTcar Series, that tour’s top talents will join the battle at two tracks they have run at often in recent years. Reigning series champion Bill Frye of Greenbrier, Ark., heads the MARS contingent, which also includes former titlist Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., Will Vaught of Seneca, Mo., and Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo.
Other drivers expected to compete in the weekend events include Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis.; Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kans., who won the season-opening DLRA event at Monett on April 20; David Turner of Adrian, Mo.; John Anderson of Omaha, Neb.; and Lebanon I-44 dominator Brad Looney of Republic, Mo.
Gates are scheduled to open at 4:30 p.m. at both tracks, with race time set for 7:30 each evening.
General admission for both events is $30 for adults, $10 for juniors (ages 13-15) and free for kids 12-and-under. Pit passes will be $35.
For more information visit www.lebanoni44speedway.net, www.monettspeedway.net or call Randy Mooneyham at 417-224-7074. Lebanon I-44’s raceday track hotline is 417-532-2060, while Monett’s is 417-236-0600
Additional info on the WoO LMS is available by logging on to www.worldofoutlaws.com.
UMP DIRTcar Racing Weekly Update: 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Promoters of Year Ready To Roll At Oakshade; Earthquake Rattles UMP DIRTcar Office
EVANSVILLE, IN – April 24, 2008 –
TOP OPERATORS: UMP DIRTcar Racing’s 2007 Promoters of the Year are ready to roll out another exciting season of down-home, grassroots racing.
Terry and Pam Henricks, the husband-and-wife team who operate the successful Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, have their first UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned action of 2008 set to go this Saturday night (April 26), with Sportsman and Factory Stocks (called Bombers at Oakshade) headlining the Bill Reckner Memorial card. The track’s marquee UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model division debuts for ‘08 on Sat., May 3, to round out the weekly three-class program.
As has become customary, fans attending a Saturday-night show at Oakshade, a semi-banked, three-eighths-mile clay oval just west of Toledo, can expect to see arguably the biggest field of cars on the 100-plus-track UMP DIRTcar Racing circuit for a very family-friendly price.
“We have really, really tough competition in all our divisions,” said Pam Henricks, whose family built the track in 1976. “We average 50 Late Models, 30 Sportsman and 70 Bombers, so it’s hard racing all night. Our heats can be like features, because nobody can hold back if they want to qualify.”
General admission to Oakshade Raceway is just $12 for adults, $5 for children 6-11 and free for kids under the age of five. Pit passes are $20.
And those prices are for every event at Oakshade, including specials like the 11th annual ‘Birthday Race’ for Super Late Models on July 12 that will once again serve as the finale of the grueling UMP DIRTcar Summernationals. Not surprisingly, the $10,000-to-win, 60-lap ‘Birthday Race’– the biggest show of the year at Oakshade – traditionally draws a standing-room-only crowd, with many fans adding to the festive atmosphere by camping in the parking lot.
“Jon Green, my step-dad (and part of the management team at Oakshade), has always felt that we’re giving back to the people when we give them a special race,” said Henricks, “so we don’t raise the admission price.”
For their efforts in making Oakshade a UMP DIRTcar Racing success story, Henricks and her husband, who are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary this year, were honored with the 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Promoters of the Year Award during the organization’s awards banquet on Jan. 12 in Springfield, Ill. They were overwhelmed when their names were called out to the banquet gathering.
“It’s just awesome – there’s no words to describe how we feel,” Pam Henricks said after accepting the award. “We didn’t expect to win. We’ve been coming to the banquet a long time and never thought we’d get the award.”
Henricks makes it clear that the weekly racing at Oakshade is “not just Terry and I,” but a true collaborative effort. The operation of the track, which opened in June 1976, is a family affair.
“It takes all of us to do it,” said Henricks. “Terry takes care of the track and does the watering. I do the lineups. My daughter’s doing the pits. My mom’s doing the concessions (which are known to offer some of the most delectable food in short-track racing).
“We all love it. Racing is our life.”
The 2008 Oakshade Raceway schedule is dotted with special Super Late Model events, including the traditional ‘Birthday Race’; the 19th annual ‘Barney Oldfield Race’ on June 14 that pays $4,400 to win; and four visits from the UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Sunoco American Late Model Series (a $3,000-to-win program on June 21, plus $2,000-to-win shows on May 24, Aug. 2 and Aug. 30).
For more information on Oakshade Raceway, visit the track’s redesigned website at www.oakshaderaceway.com.
SHAKE IT UP: The UMP DIRTcar Racing office in Evansville, Ind., got ‘rattled’ a bit on April 18.
The epicenter of the 5.2 magnitude earthquake that shook the Midwest in the early-morning hours of April 18 was just 66 miles from Evansville, or about six miles from West Salem, Ill. The temblor was clearly felt by UMP DIRTcar officials, including Jim Magill, who said he was awoken from a dead sleep while in Paducah, Ky., when the tremors hit. After-shocks have continued to be felt around Evansville for much of the past week.
The UMP DIRTcar Racing headquarters was not damaged in the earthquake, and there were no reports of damage to any UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned tracks in the region.
OFF AND RUNNING: The 2008 Sunoco American Late Model Series campaign kicked off on April 19 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, with a familiar face capturing the 25-lap feature – defending ALMS champion Brian Ruhlman of Clarklake, Mich.
The headline event was marred by an injury to veteran ALMS driver Hillard Miller, 52, of Defiance, Ohio. He is now home recovering from serious facial injuries – including broken bones around his right eye, a broken nose, broken teeth and a bitten tongue – that he suffered when an unidentified piece of debris slammed into his helmet while he was racing. He was taken to a nearby hospital after the incident, then airlifted to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind., for further treatment before being released the following afternoon.
UMP DIRTcar RACING THIS WEEKEND:
* The ‘NASCAR Night of Stars’ at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway this Friday (April 25) will feature appearances by track co-owners Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ken Schrader as well as Kenny Wallace. The three NASCAR drivers will fly up from Talladega SuperSpeedway late Friday afternoon following the conclusion of NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying.
Assuming an on-time arrival from Talladega, Wallace plans to compete in the UMP DIRTcar Modified division during Friday’s program, which will be headlined by UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models.
There will be a limited autograph session with Earnhardt and Schrader, and Wallace will also participate if his evening of Modified racing does not conflict. The first several hundred fans through the track gates when they open at 3 p.m. will receive ‘autograph line passes’ enabling them to line up for signatures when called.
For more information visit www.paducahinternationalraceway.com or www.paducahracing.com or call 270-898-7469.
* Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway – the UMP DIRTcar Racing ‘Track of the Year’ in both 2006 and 2007 – opens for its 62nd year of racing this Saturday (April 26) with a regular night of racing featuring the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models, Modifieds, Sportsman and Hornets.
* The Northern Allstars Late Model Series visits Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind., this Saturday (April 26) for a $2,000-to-win A-Main.
* UMP DIRTcar specials for open-wheel Modifieds are set for Friday at Moler Raceway Park in Williamsburg, Ohio ($1,000 to win); Friday at Callaway Raceway in Fulton, Mo. ($1,000 to win); Saturday at Thunderbird Race Park in Muskegon, Mich. ($1,200 to win); and Saturday at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway ($750 to win).
UMP DIRTcar RACING INFO: Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing.
ATTENTION: Any UMP DIRTcar track or race team with news that could be used in the ‘UMP DIRTcar Racing Weekly Update’ release can e-mail the info to Kevin Kovac at kkovac@dirtcar.com.
UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of April 20):
Super Late Models (driver/races/points):
1. Dennis Erb Jr. 6 440
2. Mike Hammerle 10 422
3. Billy Moyer 4 375
4. Jason McBride 7 359
5. Steve Francis 4 355
6. Rusty Schlenk 6 347
7. Rusty Griffaw 6 328
8. Rob Underwood 5 324
9. Wes Steidinger 5 320
10. Michael Kloos 7 303
11. Brad Looney 4 280
12. Ryan Unzicker 5 278
13. Wayne Shugart 5 271
14. Jeff Phipps 5 259
15. Tony Albright 5 254
16. Richard Ferry 4 252
17. Jason Davis 5 250
18. Ivedent Lloyd 4 249
19. Earl Pearson Jr. 3 244
20. Joe Kump 5 242
Modifieds (driver/races/points):
1. Tim Hancock 10 676
2. Kent Robinson 9 659
3. Randle Sweeney 9 658
4. Gary Cook Jr. 7 500
5. Chad Evans 8 477
6. Denny Schwartz 8 460
7. Jon Henry 8 447
8. Hank Schlindwien 8 416
9. George Gilbert 6 413
10. Mike Spatola 7 411
11. Sal Hebert 7 406
12. Clayton Miller 6 388
13. Jeff Matthews 5 380
14. Jamie Carter 7 361
15. Jason Taylor 6 352
16. Jeff Leka 6 347
17. Dave Hess Jr. 4 339
18. Kevin Battarbee 6 334
19. Kevin Hastings 5 327
20. Matt Bex 5 325
Pro Late Models (driver/races/points):
1. Duane Hodges 5 322
2. Levi Ashby 6 311
3. Jason Jones 6 289
4. Josh Harris 4 241
5. Caleb Ashby 4 225
6. Carnell Parker 3 220
7. Tait Davenport 3 216
8. Phil Gregory 4 204
9. Darrell Hartman 4 195
10. Mike Watson 4 191
Sportsman (driver/races/points):
1. Troy Clark 6 334
2. Paige Doyle 7 323
3. Shane Daugherty 5 310
4. Bruce Westerman 5 295
5. Patrick Vareika 5 282
6. Anthony Jackson 4 280
7. Danny Vogel Jr. 4 245
8. Bobby Richardson 5 240
9. Steve Branton 5 231
10. Jimmie Davenport 4 228
Limited Modifieds (driver/races/points):
1. Brandon Buhler 5 350
2. Bryan Barrett 5 265
3. Will Duncan 4 264
4. Evan Delahoussaye 4 260
5. Jonathan Clayton 4 250
6. John Paul Talkington 4 233
7. Lee Fincher 4 212
8. Ray Allen Kulhanek 3 210
9. David Jackson 4 203
10. Ray Breeland 4 198
Street Stocks (driver/races/points):
1. Travis Myers 8 530
2. Aaron Penton 8 439
3. Brad Taylor 8 409
4. Randy Arnold 8 396
5. Jon Wix 5 350
6. Josh Taylor 5 298
7. Grady Christian 4 291
8. Steven Chapman 4 273
9. Doug Nastasi 5 269
10. David Cline 4 260
Factory Stocks (driver/races/points):
1. Mickey Hines 3 217
2. Bodi Henry 3 207
3. Cody Vanosdol 3 202
4. Mark Bruce 3 193
5. William Burton 3 181
6. Scott Erickson 2 152
7. Willie Sallee 3 146
8. Seth Hull 3 141
9. Jeremmy Owens 3 138
10. Josh Phelps 3 138
4-Cylinders (driver/races/points):
1. Travis Staats 5 355
2. Jeff Rittenberry 5 350
3. Charlie Staats 5 324
4. Michael Perrigo 5 308
5. Tommy Saunders 5 305
6. Brandon Kuck 5 298
7. Michael Rittenberry 5 297
8. Daniel Stephens 5 295
9. Patrick Carpenters 5 280
10. James Lovelady 5 275
World of Outlaws Late Model Series News & Notes: Wrapping Up The Circle K Colossal 100 At The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway
CONCORD, NC – April 21, 2008 -
HITTING HIS STRIDE: Before the 2008 season started, Steve Francis estimated that he’d be completely comfortable and rolling with Dale Beitler’s team by Memorial Day Weekend.
Well, after Francis cruised to a convincing $50,000 victory in Saturday night’s Circle K Colossal 100 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway, he could probably move up that performance time-table.
“To win a race like this for Dale, as early as we are here with this new team, is just a great accomplishment,” said Francis, who decided to park his own team after winning the 2007 World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship and chase a second title driving for Beitler. “We haven’t gotten our consistency exactly where we want it yet, but our cars are getting closer and closer.
“We’re really starting to jell as a team. We’re getting everything where we really want it.”
Francis is actually still getting accustomed to using American Racer tires, which he rode to victory in the Colossal 100.
“I have worn them American Racer guys out since I took this ride,” said Francis. “We did a bunch of testing before the season started, and they’ve been sending some engineers to the races with us to help us out. We’ve been working on development, but we’re still not 100 percent there.”
Francis, 40, credits West Friendship, Md.’s Beitler with providing him all the tools for success.
“The group of guys that Dale has put together behind me – Robby Allen, Kevin Miller, Jeff, Jeremy – they’ve given me excellent equipment every time I’ve gone on the racetrack,” said Francis. “I can’t ask for anything more.”
Francis has especially enjoyed working with Allen, a former WoO LMS traveler as Rick Eckert’s chief mechanic who serves as a consultant to the Beitler team.
“Me and Robby are able to talk and he understands when I’m trying to explain things to him now,” said Francis. “It’s very similar to the relationship I had with Lee (Logan, Francis’s ’07 crew chief) last year, and my brother (the late Chris Francis) in the past.
“I’ve been real fortunate to be able to work with excellent crew chiefs my whole career – my brother, Ronnie Stuckey, Ronnie Hackworth, Lee – and then for Dale to put Robby in there…it’s phenomenal to work with guys like that. It makes my job a lot easier because it just adds that much experience.”
Beitler, meanwhile, is just enjoying the magic-carpet ride that Francis is giving him.
“This is great, as good as it gets,” a smiling Beitler said in the pit area after the Colossal 100. “It’s just an awesome feeling to win this race.
“I’ve got a great team, a great driver. I couldn’t be any happier right now.”
KNIGHTS OF THE OUTLAWS TRAIL: One of the spoils of victory in the Circle K Colossal 100 is the ceremonial Medieval knight's helmet and 50-inch Macleod Medieval sword that is presented to the race winner.
Francis, of course, donned the helmet and waved the sword during the Victory Lane ceremonies. But the whole time he posed in the full regalia he just wanted to find Robby Allen and hand the headgear over to the mechanic known affectionately as ‘Hog Head.’
“When we started racing this year Robby Allen said, ‘I wanna put that Colossal hat on at Charlotte,’” said Francis. “That’s why I was trying to find him after the race.”
When Allen came to the stage to try the helmet on for size, announcer Ozzie Altman asked him, “Is it big enough to fit you?”
Allen answered quickly, saying with a smile over the p.a. system, “I saw (Scott) Bloomquist wear it (after winning in 2006 and 2007), and if it fits on his head, I know it’ll fit on mine.”
Francis enjoyed joining Bloomquist as the only other winner of the Colossal helmet and sword, but he might have actually been a bit more excited about becoming the featured driver on the huge banner that will be hung from the back of The Dirt Track’s tower to promote the 2009 Circle K Colossal 100.
“It’s a pretty unique situation to be on the second winner of the race,” said Francis. “But when (Ryan) Newman (the NASCAR star who is friendly with Francis) drives by over here (for a Sprint Cup race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway), he gets to look at my picture now (on the banner) – plus everybody who drives through Charlotte will see it too!”
DOUBLE-DUTY: Francis also claimed a seventh-place finish in the Colossal 100 as the owner of the car driven by 2006 WoO LMS champion Tim McCreadie, who made his debut in Francis’s Valvoline No. 15.
McCreadie led Francis across the finish line in heat action on Friday night, finishing second to Francis’s third. But McCreadie had to fight through several problems during the 100 to score a top-10 finish.
McCreadie had to pit to change a left-front flat tire on lap 40 after a scrape with Jackie Boggs that also left his car with a bent spindle. He returned to the pits later to make more adjustments and work on his mud-caked helmet, which was out of tearoffs, and he finished the race with a right-rear tire that was deflating thanks to a piece of metal stuck in its side.
WILD RIDE: Chub Frank had never flipped a car during his 30-year racing career – until Saturday night.
While biding his time running 11th on lap 45 of the 100, Frank’s machine bicycled onto its right side between turns three and four and went flipping. He got some serious air time before the car landed on its wheels in turn four.
“I came in (the corner) on a bad angle,” said Frank. “Instead of going in high, I kinda come in a little bit off the cushion and slid to it. But I was in there so hot, the whole right side just caught and bicycled over, and then it just took off.
“It felt like when you’re watching a crash on those in-car cameras, when the camera is behind the driver. At one point I was standing on my nose and looking right at the ground, and I’m thinking, ‘This ain’t gonna be good.’”
Frank, who has worn an R3 head-and-neck restraint from Safety Solutions all season, quickly emerged from his cockpit without injury. He even jogged back to the pits.
Frank’s car – his favorite Rocket since he debuted it in September 2006 – had its bodywork mangled and plenty of suspension parts broken, but Frank didn’t think it sustained significant frame damage.
HE’LL TAKE IT: After losing several spots in the first-lap jam-up that occurred when outside-polesitter Eddie Carrier Jr. spun in turn four, Josh Richards thought he might be stuck racing just outside the top 10 for the entire Colossal 100.
But the 20-year-old broke free late in the distance and finished third, his personal-best run in the event.
Richards spent the race battling a push condition (his right-front tire choice was too hard), visibility problems due to the large amount of flying mud during the race (he ran out of tearoffs and actually changed helmets during the red flag for Frank’s wreck) and perhaps some unexpected handling issues that resulted from the thick mud that was caked all over the nose of his car.
“On that first lap the front of my car just got covered with mud,” said Richards. “I didn’t know the nose was so bad with mud, but I know the car drove kind of sluggish so maybe it was affected by all that extra weight on the front.”
UPON FURTHER REVIEW: While Francis thought that Darrell Lanigan had run out of fuel due to the excessive number of caution circuits when Lanigan slowed and fell from second place on lap 90, Lanigan’s fuel tank actually wasn’t dry.
The culprit: rearend problems on Lanigan’s car, which he said felt strong throughout the race.
“I was having fun out there,” said Lanigan.
DISAPPOINTMENT: Rick Eckert didn’t know if he “had anything for Francis,” but he certainly appeared to have enough speed in his GRT No. 24 to contend for a second-place finish.
Those hopes went down the drain, however, when Eckert’s car began billowing smoke on a lap-82 restart, seconds after he took fourth place. He pulled off two circuits later, done in by an oil line that had come loose.
ODDS & ENDS…
* Shannon Babb struggled on Friday night, but he turned his weekend around in the Colossal 100.
Guaranteed the 11th starting spot even though he failed to transfer in Friday’s heats because he won last October’s Jani-King Southern Showdown at The Dirt Track, Babb drove his Clint Bowyer-owned car straight to the front in the 100. He ran second for much of the distance, but after losing the spot when he slipped high in turn two on lap 86 he never recovered and settled for sixth place.
* Clint Smith had to rely on a WoO LMS provisional to start the A-Main after breaking a jackshaft in a Friday heat and sliding into the wall between turns three and four during Saturday’s B-Main, which was run with the track still slick in spots following a two-hour rain delay.
There were more problems in the 100 for Smith, who pulled out his backup car after the B-Main incident. He was an early retiree after a tangle smashed in his car’s right-side door.
* WoO LMS traveler John Blankenship persevered through several mid-race pit stops to claim eighth at the finish, just inches behind a slowing McCreadie at the checkered flag.
* WoO LMS Rookie of the Year aspirant Vic Coffey was forced out of his heat race with damage to his Sweeteners Plus No. 39, but he came from deep in the field of the B-Main to transfer to the 100. He was an early dropout, however, after being involved in several incidents.
* WoO LMS followers who failed to qualify were Shane Clanton, who broke a wheel during time trials, was involved in a couple heat-race scrapes and pulled out of the B-Main early; Tim Fuller, whose hopes ended when he slid into the wall between turns one and two on a slick track at the start of the first B-Main, causing him to fall from fourth to near the back of the pack; Brian Shirley, who dropped out of his heat and retired early from the second B-Main; and Rookie of the Year contenders Danny Johnson (blew motor on Friday) and Joe Isabell (did not return for a B-Main).
* With the Colossal 100 offering only WoO LMS show-up points to all entered drivers because the tour’s normal format was not used, the top of the points standings didn’t change.
Billy Moyer, who wasn’t allowed back in the race by Lowe’s Motor Speedway officials after he stopped on the track to draw a caution flag on lap 64 while running sixth because his car’s hood was flapping up, remains the points leader heading to a Missouri doubleheader on May 3 (Lebanon I-44 Speedway) and May 4 (Monett Speedway).
* The Sirius satellite radio NASCAR racing show Tradin’ Paint, which is hosted by MRN pit reporter Steve Post and former RCR gas-man ‘Chocolate’ Myers, beamed out live interviews with three WoO LMS stars – Josh Richards (Thursday), and Steve Francis and Shannon Babb (Friday) – who have affiliations with Sprint Cup drivers in advance of the Colossal 100.
* WoO LMS announcer Rick Eshelman reluctantly relinquished his race-calling duties to tour race director Bret Emrick – a longtime announcer himself – on Friday night after spending Thursday night in a local hospital.
Eshelman feared that he might be having a heart attack when he experienced chest tightness and shortness of breath upon arriving at The Dirt Track on Thursday afternoon, but tests he underwent on Thursday and Friday found no heart problems. He was released late Friday afternoon and told to rest that night, so he wasn’t at his usual spot behind the microphone.
Feeling much better on Saturday, Eshelman was in The Dirt Track’s announcer’s booth and called the Colossal 100.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
2008 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of April 19 - 7 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/wins/top-5s/top-10s/earnings/points/deficit to leader):
1. Billy Moyer 4-5-5-$66,820-935 (-0)
2. Josh Richards 1-4-6-$32,200-909 (-26)
3. Steve Francis 1-5-6-$69,000-905 (-30)
4. Rick Eckert 0-2-5-$18,050-895 (-40)
5. (tie) Darrell Lanigan 0-0-5-$13,850-879 (-56)
5. (tie) Chub Frank 0-2-4-$16,630-879 (-56)
7. Shannon Babb 0-3-4-$25,650-857 (-78)
8. Clint Smith 0-2-2-$11,660-843 (-92)
9. Shane Clanton 0-3-3-$14,750-839 (-96)
10. John Blankenship 0-0-2-$10,760-793 (-142)
11. Tim Fuller 0-0-1-$7,340-789 (-146)
12. Brian Shirley 0-0-2-$7,470-777 (-158)
13. Vic Coffey 0-0-1-$6,520-599 (-336)
14. (tie) Joe Isabell 0-0-0-$1,910-589 (-346)
14. (tie) Danny Johnson 0-0-0-$2,300-589 (-346)
16. Jeep VanWormer 0-0-1-$6,270-479 (-456)
17. (tie) Eddie Carrier Jr. 0-0-3-$8,500-471 (-464)
17. (tie) Tim McCreadie 0-1-2-$11,550-471 (-464)
19. Billy Decker 0-0-0-$3,020-438 (-497)
20. Darren Miller 0-0-3-$5,700-404 (-531)
Francis Flawless In Flag-To-Flag Circle K Colossal 100 Victory At The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway
CONCORD, NC – April 19, 2008 – There was simply no stopping Steve Francis in Saturday night’s Circle K Colossal 100 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
With a flawless performance behind the wheel of Dale Beitler’s Reliable Painting/Valvoline Rocket No. 19, Francis dominated the entire distance to score his first career win in the $200,000 World of Outlaws Late Model Series event.
“The car was just absolutely phenomenal tonight,” said Francis, who earned $50,000 for breaking Scott Bloomquist’s two-year ownership of Victory Lane in the blockbuster race. “We never even had to run a lap hard. We had a lot left if we needed to go.
“That’s just unbelievable to get a car that good against this level of competition.”
Francis, 40, of Ashland, Ky., picked the pole position in the pre-race draw among heat qualifiers and used it to his advantage, leading from flag-to-flag virtually without a challenge. He pulled away at will from such pursuers as Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., and Chris Madden of Gaffney, S.C., holding firm control of a marathon race that was slowed by 16 caution flags and one red flag.
“I was so impressed when I drove my car in the corner the first lap, I just thought, ‘Well, if we can just keep from breaking something, we can win this,’” said Francis, who beat Madden to the finish line by a comfortable 3.007 secoonds. “Actually, it’s probably the best car I’ve ever had in a 100-lap race. It just never changed a characteristic the whole race.
“I could run right around the bottom, I could go around the top, and we got to running the best when I’d just run through the middle, let the car kinda float up and not bind it up any.
“The only time I’d run into (turn) one as hard as I could was on a restart,” added Francis, “By the time I got to (turn) three I’d just start letting it float in.
“When you get a car that good, it just makes your job a lot easier.”
Madden, 32, settled for a $20,000 runner-up finish in the Colossal 100 for the second straight year in his Bloomquist ‘Team Zero’ car. He started 25th and finally gained possession of second place on lap 90, when Lanigan, who started third and never ran worse than fifth, relinquished the spot because his Rocket machine’s fuel tank ran dry thanks to the excessive number of caution circuits.
Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., marched forward from the 13th starting spot to finish third in his father Mark’s Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket No. 1. It was a career-best finish in the Colossal 100 for Richards, who was sixth when the race restarted for the final time on lap 82.
Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., ended an up-and-down run with a fourth-place finish in the Reece Monuments Bloomquist car. He climbed up to fourth from the 16th starting spot early in the race, fell out of the top 10 and then rallied late to register his second consecutive top-five in the event.
Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., completed the top five, finishing in the same position that he started after a steady drive in the Hamrick Racing Bloomquist Chassis No. 97.
The only anxious moments for Francis came as the race neared its conclusion. With the event’s seemingly endless series of caution periods creating dozens of extra laps around the four-tenths-mile oval, he became very concerned about his car’s fuel situation.
“It was the race that didn’t want to end,” said Francis, who scored his first career win at The Dirt Track. “I’ve led a lot of these (caution-plagued) things and usually something happens to me right at the end, so when I seen Darrell (Lanigan) coasting down through there I figured he was out of fuel and I was worried I might be next.”
Francis had his car’s fuel-pressure light blinking on down the straightaways with the checkered flag in sight.
“The last five laps were probably the scariest of the race for me because I was watching the fuel-pressure gauge rather than what I should’ve been watching at that point,” said Francis, who nearly got into some scrapes with lapped traffic during the A-Main’s longest stretch of consecutive green-flag action (laps 82-100). “The motor was running lean at the end of the straightaway. It would start to slow down, so as soon as I felt that I’d let off the gas and let it coast into the corner.”
How much gas did Francis think was left in his car’s cell? Not a whole lot.
“It would surprise me if it makes it back over to the truck (in the pits),” Francis said with a smile after donning the Colossal 100’s traditional Medieval knight's helmet and waving a 50-inch Macleod Medieval sword during the Victory Lane ceremonies.
The defending WoO LMS champion recorded his first win of 2008 on the tour and the 15th of his career, tying him for second on the tour’s modern-era (2004-present) win list with Rick