Madden Outruns World of Outlaws Late Model Series Stars For 'Pine Tree 50' Glory At Swainsboro Raceway

 SWAINSBORO, GA – May 5, 2012 - Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., survived a mid-race challenge from Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and marched on to capture Saturday night's World of Outlaws Late Model Series 'Pine Tree 50' at Swainsboro Raceway.

Madden, 36, raced off the outside pole to lead the entire distance, but it was a timely caution flag on lap 28 that allowed him to stay at the head of the pack. Lanigan had pulled ahead of Madden on the backstretch that circuit as the leaders negotiated lapped traffic but the 2008 WoO LMS champion couldn’t complete a pass because two cars spun between turns three and four.

The remainder of the event belonged to Madden, who kept his Team Zero by Bloomquist machine firmly in command following two more caution periods. He crossed the finish line 1.826 seconds ahead of Bear Lake, Pa.’s Chub Frank, who piloted his Rocket car past Lanigan for second place on the race’s final restart with four laps left.

Lanigan settled for third place after starting sixth in his Rocket. Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who won his first A-Main of the season the previous night at 311 Motor Speedway in Pine Hall, N.C., started from the pole position but slipped to fourth at the checkered flag in the Sweeteners Plus Warrior, and Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., tied his season-high finish by steering his self-owned Rocket machine to fifth place.

The $10,000 triumph was the eighth of Madden’s career on the WoO LMS, making him the winningest driver who has never run at least one full season as a regular on the national tour since its reincarnation in 2004. He had shared the distinction with Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, at seven wins.

“We were a little tight for our heat race, but we freed it up for the feature and I think we had a great race car,” said Madden, who became the 10 th different winner in 11 WoO LMS A-Mains this season. “We were able to get the lead and hold our own for the 50 laps.”

Madden’s moment of truth came when the 41-year-old Lanigan bid for the lead on lap 28. With Madden pinned behind the slower car driven by Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., on the backstretch, Lanigan surged to the outside and powered ahead of both Madden and Coffey entering turn three.

But a tangle between turns three and four involving Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind., and John Lobb of Frewsburg, N.Y., forced Madden and Lanigan to take evasive action and kept Madden in front.

“We got to lapped traffic and we were a little bit too tight to maneuver around,” said Madden. “When we got behind those lapped cars we got into an aero-push, and I think Darrell was gonna be a little better than us. I think in open racetrack we had a great race car, but we got lucky there with that caution taking us out of traffic.”

Lanigan, who wasn’t able to mount a serious challenge on Madden before losing second to Frank, didn’t mourn his fate. He professed satisfaction with earning his third straight third-place finish and pushing his points lead to 66 over defending champ Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who finished 19 th after engine problems forced him to relinquish fifth place on lap 40.

“I think we could’ve won if that caution didn’t come out (on lap 28),” said Lanigan, who reached second when he passed McCreadie on lap 22. “It’s kind of an unfortunate, but that’s racing.”

Frank, 50, slipped underneath Lanigan for second rounding turns one and two on the race’s final restart, on lap 46, but he didn’t have enough time to even draw within striking distance of Madden.

“I think (Lanigan) thought he had such a good car, and got such a good jump on that restart, that he could just roll around Madden on the outside,” said Frank, who finished in the runner-up WoO LMS spot at Swainsboro for the second consecutive year. “I just filled the hole (on the inside) before he got to it and then he was stuck out there in that loose stuff.

“We didn’t have anything for Madden. He was definitely harder on tire than we were.”

Frank, who started 12th, remained winless on the WoO LMS since August. 2009 – a stretch that has reached 93 races.

“We’re getting closer,” said Frank, whose third WoO LMS top-five finish this season puts him just two away from matching his total from all of 2012. “If we keep running int the top five, we’re gonna get one of these races soon.”

It took two attempts for the A-Main to successfully get a lap in the books. Back-to-back red flags were thrown due to multi-car tangles between turns three and four.

The first, on the original start, swept up WoO LMS regulars Coffey, Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., and Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., as well as Chesley Dixon of Swainsboro, Ga., and Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga. Only Overton didn’t pit, but all of the drivers restarted the race.

The second try brought on another crash – this one with even wilder results. Jordy Nipper of Macon, Ga., ended up rolling his car onto its side in the midst of a turn-three scramble that also included Greg Johnson of Bedford, Ind., Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., Ivedent Lloyd Jr. of Ocala, Fla., Chris Ferguson of Mt. Holly, N.C., and Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va. No drivers were injured.

McCool escaped the second crash virtually unscathed and pressed on to finish sixth. Shaver and Ferguson also came back from the accident to place seventh and eighth, respectively, while Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., who used a provisional to start the A-Main, was ninth and Clanton rallied from the rear to finish 10th after receiving pit-area service for damage his car sustained in the opening-lap wreck.

Fuller’s quick lap of 14.768 seconds in the 29-car Ohlins Shocks Time Trials was his eighth career WoO LMS fast-time honor but first since June 25, 2010, at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa.

Heat winners were Fuller, Ferguson and McCreadie, and Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., captured the B-Main.

The WoO LMS is idle until embarking on a busy Memorial Day Weekend tripleheader. The tour visits Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio, on Fri., May 25; Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va., on Sat., May 26, for the $25,000-to-win ‘Jackpot 100’; and I-77 Raceway Park in Ripley, W.Va., on Sun., May 27.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .

Results of WoO Late Model Series ‘Pine Tree 50’ at Swainsboro Raceway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (2) Chris Madden/50 $10,000
2. (12) Chub Frank/50 $5,550
3. (6) Darrell Lanigan/50 $3,650
4. (1) Tim McCreadie/50 $3,150
5. (3) Tim Fuller/50 $2,550
6. (9) Bub McCool/50 $2,500
7. (11) Steve Shaver/50 $1,450
8. (5) Chris Ferguson/50 $1,800
9. (23) Pat Doar/50 $1,750
10. (17) Shane Clanton/50 $1,650
11. (24) Jack Sullivan/50 $1,100
12. (19) Mike Marlar/50 $1,550
13. (13) Vic Coffey/50 $1,500
14. (21) Kent Robinson/50 $1,450
15. (16) John Lobb/50 $850
16. (20) Clint Smith/50 $1,350
17. (22) Duane Treadwell/50 $770
18. (7) Greg Johnson/50 $900
19. (4) Rick Eckert/39 $1,280
20. (15) Brandon Overton/24 $700
21. (18) Chesley Dixon/8 $700
22. (8) Jordy Nipper/0 $700
23. (14) Ivedent Lloyd Jr./0 $700
24. (10) Dillon Wood/0 $700

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 21 Mins., 23.266 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 1.826 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 3 (Laps 28, 40, 46)
Red Flags: 2 (both opening lap)

Lap Leaders: Madden (1-50)

2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of May 5 – 11 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 1564
2. Rick Eckert 1498 (-66)
3. Chub Frank 1432 (-132)
4. Shane Clanton 1424 (-140)
5. Bub McCool 1374 (-190)
6. Tim McCreadie 1366 (-198)
7. Vic Coffey 1360 (-204)
8. Clint Smith 1350 (-214)
9. Pat Doar 1274 (-290)
10. Mike Marlar 1252 (-312)
11. Tim Fuller 1236 (-328)
12. Kent Robinson 1218 (-346)
13. John Lobb 1188 (-376)
14. Greg Johnson 1150 (-414)
15. Jack Sullivan 1142 (-422)
16. Josh Richards 974 (-590)
17. Jill George 914 (-650)
18. Billy Moyer 870 (-694)
19. (tie) Brandon Sheppard 782 (-782)
19. (tie) Billy Moyer Jr. 782 (-782)

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McCreadie Returns To Winning Ways In First-Ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series Event At 311 Motor Speedway

PINE HALL, NC – May 4, 2012 – Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., returned to his winning ways on Friday night, rolling to victory in the 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main at 311 Motor Speedway.

Snapping a nearly 10-month winless slump on the national tour, McCreadie surged into the lead at the initial green flag and never looked back in the first-ever WoO LMS event at the half-mile Tar Heel State oval. The circuit’s 2006 champion beat defending titlist Rick Eckert of York, Pa., to the finish line by 0.669 of a second.

WoO LMS points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., finished third, Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va., was fourth and Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., placed fifth for his first top-five run of the 2012 tour.

McCreadie, 38, righted a ship that had been listing this season. He began the campaign with renewed vigor thanks to a switch to Warrior Chassis, but he struggled to find his rhythm and entered Friday evening’s action mired in eighth in the points standings, without a top-five finish through nine WoO LMS events.

After poor performance prompted him to retire early from back-to-back WoO LMS A-Mains last week at North Alabama Speedway and Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway, McCreadie and his Sweeteners Plus team went back to the drawing board. Several days spent at Warrior’s headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn., and a Tuesday-night practice session at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn., led to an uplifting checkered flag.

“It feels good. It’s also a big relief,” McCreadie said of his first win on the WoO LMS since July 15, 2011, at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D. “You make changes during the winter and you hope they pay off. Sooner or later we were hopefully gonna hit on something.

“We got better a lot by sitting down as a team with Warrior and figuring stuff out. It was a total team effort. This win is as much for our whole team as it is just for me.”

McCreadie caught a much-needed break when he drew the pole position for the A-Main, but he used sheer speed to keep his No. 39 in front for the race’s entire distance. He was never seriously challenged, pulling away to a short-but-steady edge after each of the four caution flags and one red that dotted the affair.

There was one anxious moment for McCreadie, however. It came after a red flag flew on a lap-38 restart for a multi-car tangle in turn two that left McCreadie’s teammate, Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., and WoO LMS Rookie of the Year leader Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., stuck together at the bottom of the track.

“Earlier this year in a (Big-Block) Modified I led so many laps and got beat at the end when the track changed,” said McCreadie, who earned $10,650 for the 18th WoO LMS victory of his career. “We had that long red and everybody’s packing the cushion, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, here we go. We’re gonna crab around the bottom and somebody’s gonna get up on that cushion and make it work.’

“It just didn’t work out that way.”

Indeed, McCreadie had little trouble outdistancing the second-starting Eckert, who slipped to third early but wrestled second back from Shaver on a lap-26 restart and kept his Team Zero by Bloomquist car in the spot to the finish. It was Eckert’s second runner-up finish in the last three races.

“He was better than firing off on restarts,” Eckert said of McCreadie. “I could run back up on him after a few laps, but passing him would’ve been another thing.”

Lanigan, meanwhile, survived an opening-lap incident that could have quickly ended his hopes for a second straight third-place finish on the WoO LMS. The race’s third starter, he tangled with Chris Ferguson of Mt. Holly, N.C., entering turn three and both drivers spun. Lanigan restarted in his original spot by rule because he was involved in a multi-car tangle at the initial green flag; Ferguson, who started fourth, could have rejoined Lanigan in the second row but nose damage forced him to pit and then retire after completing one lap.

Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., finished sixth, quietly working his way forward from the 13th starting spot. Dennis ‘Rambo’ Franklin of Gaffney, S.C., placed seventh to earn the $500 WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ cash for being the highest-finishing driver who hasn’t won a tour A-Main and isn’t ranked among the top 12 in series points; Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., was eighth after using a provisional to start the event; 18th -starter Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., was ninth; and Greg Johnson of Bedford, Ind., who started 25th after using a WoO LMS emergency provisional to gain entry to the field, finished 10th and earned the $250 top-rookie bonus.

Among the contenders struck down by mechanical trouble was Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., who ran as high as sixth before exiting on lap 26 due to an overheating engine; Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., who relinquished seventh place on lap 38; and Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., who joined Clanton in retiring to the pits on lap 38.

Ferguson earned his first career WoO LMS fast-time honor, topping the 33-car Ohlins Shocks Time Trials session with a lap of 15.653 seconds.

Heat winners were Ferguson, Shaver and Donald Bradsher of Burlington, N.C. The B-Main was captured by Trinity, N.C.’s Justin Labonte, the son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Terry Labonte.

The evening’s hard-luck driver was Bradsher, whose joy of winning a career-first WoO LMS heat race turned to despair when his crew found that the front seal blew out of his car’s motor. He was forced to relinquish the sixth starting spot and merely take the green flag for start money.

The WoO LMS heads farther south to complete its weekend doubleheader on Saturday night (May 5), visiting Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway for a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win A-Main that is part of the track’s ‘Pine Tree 100.’

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .

Results of WoO Late Model Series at 311 Motor Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (1) Tim McCreadie/50 $10,650
2. (2) Rick Eckert/50 $5,650
3. (3) Darrell Lanigan/50 $3,650
4. (5) Steve Shaver/50 $2,550
5. (8) Clint Smith/50 $2,550
6. (13) Dale McDowell/50 $1,700
7. (9) Dennis Franklin/50 $2,000
8. (23) Chub Frank/50 $1,850
9. (18) Pat Doar/50 $1,750
10. (25) Greg Johnson/50 $450
11. (19) Justin Labonte/50 $1,050
12. (24) Kent Robinson/50 $1,050
13. (17) John Lobb/50 $1,000
14. (22) Mike Gault/48 $900
15. (15) Tim Fuller/43 $1,400
16. (7) Shane Clanton/39 $1,350
17. (16) Vic Coffey/38 $1,370
18. (12) Bub McCool/38 $1,300
19. (11) Chris Madden/38 $730
20. (10) Mike Marlar/25 $1,250
21. (21) Daniel Baggerly/25 $700
22. (17) Dustin Mitchell/13 $700
23. (14) Jay Sessoms/10 $700
24. (6) Donald Bradsher/1 $725
25. (4) Chris Ferguson/1 $700

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 33 Mins., 25.071 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 0.669 Secs.

Yellow Flags: 4 (Laps 0, 15, 26, 38); 1 Red Flag (Lap 38)

Lap Leaders: McCreadie (1-50)

WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Franklin ($500)

2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of – A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 1420
2. Rick Eckert 1384 (-36)
3. Shane Clanton 1294 (-126)
4. Chub Frank 1286 (-134)
5. Bub McCool 1236 (-184)
6. Vic Coffey 1236 (-184)
7. Clint Smith 1232 (-188)
8. Tim McCreadie 1224 (-196)
9. Pat Doar 1142 (-278)
10. Mike Marlar 1126 (-294)
11. (tie) Tim Fuller 1096 (-324)
11. (tie) Kent Robinson 1096 (-324)
13. John Lobb 1068 (-352)
14. Greg Johnson 1036 (-384)
15. Jack Sullivan 1014 (-406)
16. Josh Richards 974 (-446)
17. Billy Moyer 870 (-550)
18. Jill George 832 (-588)
19. (tie) Brandon Sheppard 782 (-638)
19. (tie) Billy Moyer Jr. 782 (-638)

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311 Motor Speedway Returns To National Spotlight This Friday Night (May 4) With First-Ever Visit By World of Outlaws Late Model Series

PINE HALL, NC – May 2, 2012 – The time has come for 311 Motor Speedway to explode back onto the national dirt Late Model scene.

With the running of a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win World of Outlaws Late Model Series event this Friday night (May 4), the venerable half-mile Tar Heel State oval will host a national tour for the first time in nearly a decade.

“This World of Outlaws show is the biggest thing for dirt-track racing in this area in a long time,” said 311 Motor Speedway owner Mike Fulp, who is in his second full season operating the venue located 35 minutes northeast of Winston-Salem and two hours northeast of Charlotte. “With (forecasts) talking about great weather on Friday (sunny with highs in the upper 80s and lows in the 60s), I think this can be huge for 311 Motor Speedway – a race that really showcases the track and puts it back on the map.”

A former racer who competed most recently in the dirt Late Model division, Fulp, 47, purchased 311 in September 2010. Friday’s WoO LMS program is by far the biggest and richest of Fulp’s short tenure, offering a winner’s purse more than double that of the next highest payoff over the past two years.

The event also marks the first-ever race at 311 for the WoO LMS and the track’s first national-touring series extravaganza since the defunct Hav-A-Tampa/UDTRA/Xtreme circuit visited in April 2004. The well-manicured facility near the Virginia border was actually an annual stop on the HAT/UDTRA/Xtreme tour from 2002-2004, but for the past seven years its schedule has focused on weekly racing and special shows featuring the Southeast’s Carolina Clash series.

Fulp is hopeful that the return of a high-profile tour to 311 will develop into must-see entertainment for his local fans as well as dirt Late Model aficionados from throughout the Carolinas and Virginia.

“I’d like to give everybody – the World of Outlaws Outlaws and the fans – what they want,” said Fulp, a pipe fitter-turned-racetrack promoter who lives in Danbury, N.C. “I want to have everybody walk away on Friday night and say, ‘Hey, we want to have a World of Outlaws race here every year.’ I hope this can build into a long-time deal.”

Fulp said there’s an unmistakable buzz about the World of Outlaws coming to a track he calls “bad-ass fast.” He anticipates fans will be thrilled by drivers turning sub-16-second laps around the sweeping half-mile layout.

The track won’t be familiar territory to most of the WoO LMS regulars, however. The traveler with the most experience at 311 would be Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., who enjoyed success there during the ‘90s driving for Carlton Lamm’s North Carolina-based team, but Smith’s last start at the speedway was in 2007.

For WoO LMS drivers like defending champion Rick Eckert of York, Pa., and current fourth-place points driver Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., Friday’s race will be their first appearances at 311 since 2003 when they competed in HAT/UDTRA and Renegade STARS events, respectively. Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., who is third in the points race, will also return to the track after an absence of nearly a decade.

Meanwhile, for other WoO LMS followers – like points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., former champ Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., and top Rookie of the Year contender Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., who won his first tour A-Main on April 28 at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway – the track will be a new adventure.

Creating a challenge for the Outlaws is the fact that Friday’s field will feature several standouts from the Southeast who have proven their mettle at 311 by winning touring-series events. The group includes Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C. (HAT/UDTRA ’03, Carolina Clash ’01); Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga. (Clash ’09, HAT/UDTRA ’02); Dennis ‘Rambo’ Franklin of Gaffney, S.C. (Clash ’11 and ’09); and Billy Hicks of Mount Airy, N.C. (Clash ’05 and STARS ’94).

Friday’s field is also expected to include 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion and current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor Ty Dillon of Welcome, N.C., the grandson of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. Dillon’s older brother, Austin, who captured the 2011 NASCAR Truck Series championship and is currently a NASCAR Nationwide Series regular, won two Carolina Clash events at 311 in 2010.

Other drivers with plans to compete on Friday include Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va., Johnny Pursley of Clover, S.C., Donald Bradsher of Burlington, N.C., Chris Ferguson of Mt. Holly, N.C., Daniel Baggerly of Rural Retreat, Va., and Ross Bailes of Clover, S.C.

Pit gates at 311 Motor Speedway are scheduled to open at 3 p.m. and the grandstands will be unlocked at 4 p.m. for Friday’s program, which also includes a $1,500-to-win crate Late Model feature (311 Motor Speedway rules) and a $400-to-win Stock Four event.

Practice is set to start at 7:30 p.m. with on-track action to immediately follow.

Grandstand admission is $30, with children 6-15 charged $15 and kids under 6 admitted free. Pit passes will be $40 (kids under 6 are free).

More information on 311 Motor Speedway can be obtained by logging on to www.311speedway.net or calling 336-593-8736.

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McCool Holds Off Bloomquist For First-Ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series Victory Saturday Night At Tazewell Speedway

TAZEWELL, TN – April 28, 2012 – Now Bub McCool likes Tazewell Speedway.

He really, really likes it.

After McCool scored his first career World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory in Saturday night’s ‘Outlaw Sizzler 50’ presented by Rusty Wallace Cadillac-GMC-Kia of Morristown, the intimidating high-banked bullring forever earned a special place in his heart.

“I come in here having been here one time,” said McCool, whose previous visit to the third-mile oval came in 2011. “I wasn’t really happy with (the challenging track) because of just not having laps. But it turned out good (on Saturday). I’m starting to like this place.”

McCool, 34, of Vicksburg, Miss., solidified his status as the 2012 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year frontrunner with a flawless performance. He surged into the lead from the pole position at the initial green flag and never looked back, holding off repeated challenges from dirt Late Model legend Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn. – a master of the third-mile Tazewell oval – to emerge triumphant in a caution-free race that was completed in a tour-record 10 minutes, 47.989 seconds.

Racing in front of a crowd that promoter Gary Hall called the biggest in the history of the track, McCool steered his family-owned Victory Circle car across the finish line with a slim edge of 0.281 of a second over Bloomquist’s self-built machine.

Former WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who started fourth, finished third in a Rocket, close behind the leaders after chasing them for the entire distance. Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., who won the 2011 WoO LMS event at Tazewell, placed fourth in a Team Zero by Bloomquist car and former track champion Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., settled for a fifth-place finish in his Rocket after starting third.

While many observers expected another conquest of Tazewell by Bloomquist after he drew the outside-pole starting spot, but McCool would have none of that. He kept Bloomquist at bay throughout the fast-paced event.

“I knew if I could just beat him to that first corner (at the start) and stay ahead until it started rubbering up and not make no mistakes – do my job like I was supposed to – I didn’t think he could get around me,” McCool said of Bloomquist. “We just took it easy, saved our tires and ended up with a win.”

After Bloomquist was unable to mount a serious challenge on the final lap, McCool headed to Victory Lane as this season’s eighth different winner in nine WoO LMS A-Mains. He also became the 45th driver to claim victory on the national tour since 2004.

“It means a lot to win our first World of Outlaws over Bloomquist at a track where he’s real good,” said McCool, who earned $10,550 – the first five-figure race payday of his driving career. “Our goal this year was to win the rookie deal and hopefully win at least one race during the season. Now that we’ve got a win, hopefully this will lead us to (the Rookie of the Year honor).”

McCool entered the 2012 season having entered 16 WoO LMS events and made 10 A-Mains. He never finished better 11th in a WoO LMS show until placing a sterling third on Feb. 17 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla.

The victory also vaulted McCool from eighth to fifth in the WoO LMS points standings.

Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., a fan favorite and big winner at Tazewell, fought hard to secure a sixth-place finish after starting 12th. Defending WoO LMS champion Rick Eckert of York, Pa., slipped from the fifth starting spot to a seventh-place finish, followed by Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., Eric Jacobsen of Sea Cliff Beach, Calif., and Brad Neat of Dunnville, Ky., who won his first-ever WoO LMS A-Main the previous night at North Alabama Speeday in Tuscumbia, Ala.

Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., who won the 2010 WoO LMS event at Tazewell, appeared to be a serious contender again after finishing second in his heat race. But engine problems forced his crew to swap in a backup powerplant – work that wasn’t completed until the A-Main starting field was saluting the fans with a four-wide pace lap.

Since Clanton reported late to the A-Main lineup, series rules necessitated that he relinquish his sixth starting spot and tag the back of the field. He managed only a 19th-place finish.

Clanton’s Kennedy Motorsports teammate, John Lobb of Frewsburg, N.Y., also was struck by terminal engines woes midway through the night. He pitted and returned on the lead lap but settled for a fourth-place finish.

The caution-free A-Main supplanted the May 30, 2006, WoO LMS 50-lapper at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., as the fastest feature ever run on the World of Outlaws trail. That race on a quarter-mile oval saw Lanigan take the win in 11 minutes, 36.143 seconds.

Bloomquist was quickest of 32 entrants in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, blistering his home-state track in 11.599 seconds. It was his first WoO LMS fast-time honor of 2012 and the ninth of his career.

Heat winners were Bloomquist, Jacobsen, McCool and Madden. The B-Mains were captured by Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., and Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark.

The WoO LMS will remain in the Southeast for two another weekend doubleheader, visiting 311 Motor Speedway in Pine Hall, N.C., on Fri., May 4, and Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway on Sat., May 5.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .

Results of WoO Late Model Series ‘Outlaw Sizzler 50 presented by Rusty Wallace Cadillac-GMC-Kia of Morristown’ at Tazewell Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (1) Bub McCool/50 $10,550
2. (2) Scott Bloomquist/50 $5,200
3. (4) Darrell Lanigan/50 $3,650
4. (8) Chris Madden/50 $2,500
5. (3) Billy Ogle Jr./50 $2,500
6. (12) Jimmy Owens/50 $1,700
7. (5) Rick Eckert/50 $2,050
8. (10) Jonathan Davenport/50 $1,300
9. (7) Eric Jacobsen/50 $1,200
10. (11) Brad Neat/50 $1,100
11. (16) Greg Johnson/50 $1,250
12. (14) Vic Hill/50 $1,000
13. (11) Vic Coffey/50 $1,550
14. (13) Mike Marlar/50 $1,450
15. (18) Jack Sullivan/50 $850
16. (17) Clint Smith/50 $1,350
17. (22) Chub Frank/50 $1,320
18. (21) Tim Fuller/50 $1,300
19. (6) Shane Clanton/50 $1,280
20. (19) Kent Robinson/50 $700
21. (20) Bryan Hendrix/50 $700
22. (24) John Lobb/50 $700
23. (15) Tim McCreadie/18 $1,350
24. (23) Pat Doar/6 $1,250

NOTE: Clanton forfeited his sixth starting spot and tagged the rear of the field after reporting late to the A-Main lineup while completing an engine change

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 10 Mins., 47.989 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 0.281 Secs.

Yellow Flags: None

Lap Leaders: McCool (1-50)

Provisional Starters: Doar, Lobb

2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of April 28 – 9 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 1276
2. Rick Eckert 1238 (-38)
3. Shane Clanton 1176 (-100)
4. Chub Frank 1152 (-124)
5. Bub McCool 1122 (-154)
6. Vic Coffey 1120 (-156)
7. Clint Smith 1092 (-184)
8. Tim McCreadie 1074 (-202)
9. Mike Marlar 1016 (-260)
10. Pat Doar 1010 (-266)
11. Tim Fuller 976 (-300)
12. Josh Richards 974 (-302)
13. Kent Robinson 970 (-306)
14. John Lobb 944 (-332)
15. Jack Sullivan 932 (-344)
16. Greg Johnson 906 (-370)
17. Billy Moyer 870 (-406)
18. (tie) Brandon Sheppard 782 (-494)
18. (tie) Billy Moyer Jr. 782 (-494)
20. Jill George 752 (-524)

-end-

Neat Rolls To First-Ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series Victory Friday Night At North Alabama Speedway

TUSCUMBIA, AL – April 27, 2012 – Brad Neat of Dunnville, Ky., registered his first-ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory on Friday night, surviving a hardscrabble 50-lap A-Main at North Alabama Speedway.

Taking advantage of an outside pole starting spot, Neat, 32, bolted into the lead at the initial green flag and never looked back. He controlled the action from start-to-finish, maintaining command following each of the race’s 10 caution flags and beating defending WoO LMS champion Rick Eckert of York, Pa., by 1.434 of a second.

Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., who ran second behind Neat for much of the distance, settled for third place after being overtaken by Eckert on a lap-44 restart. Though his one-race-old Rocket car was hampered by suspension damage sustained in some restart scrapes early in the race, the 50-year-old driver matched his best finish of the 2012 WoO LMS campaign

Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., advanced from the 18th starting spot to place fourth, giving him a top-five finish for the first time this season.

Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., who started 17th, finished a season-high fifth in his first WoO LMS appearance behind the wheel of Mark Richards’s Rocket house car. The struggling racer was tapped as a replacement for two-time tour champion Josh Richards, whose decision to move south and pursue a NASCAR driving career brought an end to his streak of 278 consecutive WoO LMS starts dating back to September 2004.

Neat’s march to the $10,500 triumph wasn’t without some anxious moments. Beyond the headache of facing a series of restarts necessitated by the event’s rough-and-tumble nature, he nearly opened the door for his rivals on several occasions.

“This car was awesome tonight,” Neat said of his Red Buck Cigars-sponsored machine, a battle-tested vehicle built eight years ago by B&B Motorsports’ Butch Barber and reworked in recent years by Barber and the Longhorn Chassis shop. “But I about messed it up there a few times. That cushion was bad news – we went in the corner and pushed.”

Fortunately for Neat, no one was close enough to steer by him when his car momentarily lost momentum.

“My (crew) guy ‘Hopper’ was out there showing me that I was getting away from ‘em and I couldn’t believe it,” said Neat, who this season has backed off the national touring schedule he’s maintained in recent years. “I think we were alright.”

Neat became the seventh different winner in eight WoO LMS A-Mains this season and the 44th driver to claim victory on the tour since 2004. He had enjoyed few highlights in his 24 previous World of Outlaws appearances, failing to record a single top-10 finish in 13 A-Main starts.

Eckert, 46, congratulated Neat in Victory Lane and shortly thereafter acknowledged that his only hope for pushing his Team Zero by Bloomquist mount into the top spot was a final caution flag after he grabbed second – a caution that never came.

“He was really good,” Eckert said of Neat. “I think with another restart where I could’ve been behind him, then maybe I could’ve showed myself at least and had a chance. The first lap (on a restart) is when it’s hard not to make a mistake.

“That’s how I got Chub (for second). Chub ran a great race – I was all over him and couldn’t pass – but then on that (lap-44) restart there I snuck by him because it’s just hard when you have somebody behind you you’re not all the way up to speed when you get into one. You can’t get your car in a position you want to.”

Eckert, who started fifth but lost a couple spots early in the distance, moved to second in the WoO LMS points standings. He closed to within 30 points of Union, Ky.’s Darrell Lanigan, who was running seventh on lap 39 when he was collected in a turn-one tangle that began when popular local Josh Putnam of Killen, Ala., slid sideways into turn one. Lanigan limped to the pit area with front-end damage and did not return, finishing 14th and absorbing his DNF of 2012.

Putnam, who started from the pole position, ran among the top five for most of the distance in a head-turning effort. But after surviving the lap-39 incident he completed only five more circuits before stopping on the track with his car’s rearend broken.

Another Alabama standout, Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, saw a promising performance go awry late in the race. He advanced from the eighth starting spot to take second from Frank on a lap-28 restart, but his bid ended when he slid over the third-mile oval’s backstretch berm while battling for the runner-up spot with Frank on a lap-38 restart.

WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contender Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind., placed sixth, rallying after a slip off the backstretch on lap 13 dropped him from seventh to nearly out of the top 20. He tied his career-best finish on the WoO LMS.

Finishing in positions 7-10 was Rick Rickman of Columbus, Miss.; John Lobb of Frewsburg, N.Y., who started 23rd after using a provisional to gain entry to the A-Main; WoO LMS rookie contender Greg Johnson of Bedford, Ind.; and Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., who recovered from a lap-nine pit stop to change a flat tire.

Hollingsworth blistered the track in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, earning his first career WoO LMS fast-time honor with a lap of 12.704 seconds.

Heat winners were Eckert, Neat, Robinson and Putnam. The B-Mains were captured by Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., and Coffey.

The WoO LMS continues a weekend doubleheader on Saturday night (April 28) at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway, a high-banked, third-mile oval that hosts the ‘Outlaw Sizzler 50’ presented by Rusty Wallace Cadillac-GMC-Kia of Morristown.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .

Results of WoO Late Model Series at North Alabama Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (2) Brad Neat/50 $10,500
2. (5) Rick Eckert/50 $5,700
3. (4) Chub Frank/50 $3,550
4. (18) Vic Coffey/50 $3,050
5. (17) Tim Fuller/50 $2,550
6. (6) Kent Robinson/50 $1,750
7. (14) Rick Rickman/50 $1,500
8. (23) John Lobb/50 $1,300
9. (16) Greg Johnson/50 $1,350
10. (15) Shane Clanton/50 $1,650
11. (19) Jack Sullivan/50 $1,050
12. (11) Bub McCool/48 $1,650
13. (1) Josh Putnam/44 $950
14. (7) Darrell Lanigan/39 $1,550
15. (21) Clint Smith/39 $1,450
16. (8) Ronny Lee Hollingsworth/38 $800
17. (10) Tim McCreadie/36 $1,420
18. (22) Eric Cooley/27 $750
19. (9) Mike Marlar/26 $1,280
20. (3) Dillon Wood/11 $700
21. (25) Jill George/11 $110
22. (12) Duke Whiseant/9 $700
23. (13) Billy Moyer/7 $700
24. (20) Pat Doar/7 $1,250
25. (24) Billy Moyer Jr./3 $700

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 39 Mins., 51.669 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 1.434 Secs.

Yellow Flags: 10 (Laps 3, 9, 10, 11, 28, 39, 39, 44)

Lap Leaders: Neat (1-50)

Provisional Starters: Lobb, Moyer Jr. (WoO points); George (WoO emergency)

WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Neat ($500)

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Eckert, Hollingsworth, Marlar, Moyer, Sullivan, Dodson, Cook, Tyler (DNS) Wallace

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Neat, Wood, McCreadie, R. Rickman, Fuller, Moyer Jr., C. Smith, Lobb (DNS) Winkles

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Robinson, Frank, McCool, Clanton, Coffey, Hickman, George, Fields

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Putnam, Lanigan, Whiseant, Johnson, Doar, Cooley, McCormack, Finley

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Fuller, Sullivan, C. Smith, Moyer Jr., Lobb, Cook, Dodson (DNS) Tyler, Winkles, Wallace

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Coffey, Doar, Cooley, Hickman, Fields, Finley, McCormack (DNS) George

2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of April 27 – 8 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 1132
2. Rick Eckert 1102 (-30)
3. Shane Clanton 1064 (-68)
4. Chub Frank 1036 (-96)
5. Vic Coffey 996 (-136)
6. (tie) Josh Richards 974 (-158)
6. (tie) Clint Smith 974 (-158)
8. Bub McCool 972 (-160)
9. Tim McCreadie 970 (-162)
10. Pat Doar 908 (-224)
11. Mike Marlar 894 (-238)
12. Billy Moyer 870 (-262)
13. Tim Fuller 862 (-270)
14. Kent Robinson 860 (-272)
15. John Lobb 838 (-294)
16. Jack Sullivan 812 (-320)
17. Brandon Sheppard 782 (-350)
17. Billy Moyer Jr. 782 (-350)
19. Greg Johnson 778 (-354)
20. Jason Feger 738 (-394)

-end-

Filling Josh’s Seat: Fuller In Rocket House Car For This Weekend’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series Action At North Alabama & Tazewell

Two-Time Champ Richards Announces He’s Departing Series As Regular To Pursue NASCAR Career

CONCORD, NC – April 26, 2012 – Tim Fuller’s life as a World of Outlaws Late Model Series regular has gotten an 11th-hour reprieve.

With two-time series champion Josh Richards announcing on Wednesday that he’s decided to end his eight-year run on the national tour and move south to pursue a NASCAR driving career, Watertown, N.Y.’s Fuller has been tapped as Richards’s replacement behind the wheel of the iconic Rocket Chassis house car. Fuller will be in the blue No. 1 machine for this weekend’s WoO LMS events at North Alabama Speedway in Tuscumbia, Ala. (April 27) and Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway (April 28).

While Richards’s father and career-long dirt Late Model owner, Mark, has not committed to fielding his familiar car beyond this weekend’s doubleheader, Fuller is appreciative of the offer to drive for one of the full-fender division’s most high-profile teams and hopes it will allow him to resuscitate his lagging racing fortunes.

Fuller, 44, had already confirmed after the Illini 100 on March 31 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway that he would not enter his own struggling, cash-strapped team in WoO LMS events at North Alabama and Tazewell, so the Rocket house car ride provides him an unexpected chance to continue following the circuit.

“It’s quite an opportunity,” said Fuller, who has been a loyal WoO LMS traveler since winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2007. “Mark could’ve picked a couple hundred drivers (to step in for his son), and I feel real fortunate that he picked me to do it.

“There’s nothing lacking with this team at all. Mark has the best of the best of everything. Basically, to put it into terms, you got the Jimmie Johnson ride and Rick Hendrick called you, so there are no excuses. You gotta produce, and that’s what I’m going to try my hardest to do for him.”

A former champion in the DIRTcar Big-Block Modified division, Fuller has experienced a nightmarish opening to the 2012 season with his self-owned dirt Late Model operation, failing to record a single top-10 finish in seven WoO LMS A-Mains and not even starting the Illini 100 because he had already exhausted his supply of emergency provisional spots for the season. He is currently mired in 15th in the points standings, 288 points behind leader Darrell Lanigan.

But Fuller is just three years removed from a breakout 2009 WoO LMS season that saw him finish a personal-best fourth in the points standings while registering career highs in wins (seven), top fives (17), top 10s (24) and earnings ($172,150). He tied the tour’s consecutive-win record of four and captured all seven of his victories over an 11-race span from July 25-Sept. 6 – a prolific checkered-flag stretch exceeded in WoO LMS history by only one driver, Rick Eckert, who in 2006 won seven times in 10 races.

A variety of obstacles have prevented Fuller from recapturing his ’09 magic, however. In 2010 he won just twice and slipped to eighth in the points standings as he found himself hampered by his Gypsum Express team’s transition to a new engine program and a mid-season bout with appendicitis, and last year he split with car owner John Wight early in the season and struggled to a 10th-place finish in the standings campaigning just a single car from his own stable.

Fuller began the ’12 season with hopes of a rebound thanks to assistance from former WoO LMS team owner Dale Beitler, who provided him a backup car. But with no positive moments through the first seven events, Fuller admitted that the time had come to step off the tour and regroup his effort.

Now Fuller has a shot at rebuilding his morale and his reputation with a team that has won two WoO LMS championships (Josh Richards in 2009 and ’10) and 41 A-Mains (37 with Richards from 2005-2012, four with Bart Hartman in ’04).

“I’ve been kicked for about a year, and yeah, it hurts my pride and ego – and ego is a lot of this game,” said Fuller, who is tied for 10th on the WoO LMS win list since 2004 but last reached Victory Lane on June 17, 2010, at Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ont. “But you still know you can do it. I’ve been through tough times before in the Modified, when things weren’t right, and then you get into a good ride and you go. It comes down to equipment and ability, and I still have the ability to do it. I’m not questioning that.”

Fuller made his debut in the Mark Richards Racing Enterprises mount on April 20 at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex in Markleysburg, Pa. He used a qualifying provisional to start the 50-lap A-Main and recorded a pedestrian 16th-place finish, but he was encouraged by the outing.

“I felt really good after last week even though we bombed with our finish,” said Fuller, who is looking to end a 65-race winless streak on the WoO LMS. “It’s a big step to jump into somebody else’s car and actually be comfortable, and their cars are actually quite a bit different than mine as far as how they react to everything. But by the end of the night I was actually comfortable in the car, so I think getting one race under our belt to break me in with them was a good thing.

“Now we’re gonna go to North Alabama and Tazewell with me already having some laps in the car.”

Fuller would love to run the remainder of the 2012 WoO LMS for Mark Richards, but he has no illusions about the future.

“We’ve talked about several things for the rest of the year, but I know the situation,” said Fuller. “It all comes down to, You better produce. Mark’s never said that, but I know Mark Richards enough that he wants his driver to produce.

“Hopefully I’m in it for the rest of the year,” he added, “because that means everything’s going good.”

Josh Richards, meanwhile, will this weekend be absent from a WoO LMS event for the first time since Sept. 5, 2004, at Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park – 278 races ago. He departs the tour sitting second in the points standings, 36 points behind Lanigan, and with more wins (38) since ’04 than any other driver. All but one of his triumphs have come driving for his father, who has fielded at least one car in every WoO LMS event since ’04 except June 18, 2012, at Winchester (Va.) Speedway, where his son steered the Ernie Davis-owned No. 25 to victory.

After running a limited schedule of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events last season for Kyle Busch Motorsports, Richards had hoped to go fulltime on the pavement circuit in 2012. A ride didn’t materialize so he continued on the dirt, but the 24-year-old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va., still felt a longing to chase his NASCAR dreams so he recently decided to move to the Charlotte, N.C., area in order to devote himself to that effort.

“I’ve decided that I’m going to make a full attempt to pursue my career in NASCAR and make a jump fulltime,” Richards told DirtonDirt.com, which broke the news of Richards’s decision. “It’s a lot to give up. To give up not only, you know, the team that we have, I mean, everyone that I have behind me, my whole support group, between all my family, my friends, all my sponsors that have been behind me from the start, and without a doubt all my fans – it’s, really, really, really hard.

“It’s been a real tough decision, and without a doubt the fire inside of me to move on has always been there, and the only way to put it out or keep it going is to try to pursue it. It’s a decision I’ve made the last couple of weeks.”

Richards plans to make occasional dirt Late Model starts for the remainder of the season, but his focus will be on a NASCAR ride that he expects to announce within the next week.

“We’re certainly going to miss Josh, but all of us with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series wish him well with his NASCAR dreams,” said WoO LMS director Tim Christman. “We’ve all watched Josh grow up racing on the series and become a great ambassador for the World of Outlaws, and our hope is that he’ll continue to bring recognition to the series by becoming a star in the NASCAR world.”

Information on this weekend’s WoO LMS events at North Alabama Speedway and Tazewell Speedway is available by logging on towww.northalabamaspeedway.com and www.tazewellspeedway.com.

-end-

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Promoter of the Year Brings National Tour Back To Tazewell Speedway On April 28

Gary Hall Ready To Welcome Circuit’s Stars To His Blazing-Fast, High-Banked Track

TAZEWELL, TN – April 19, 2012 – The 2011 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Promoter of the Year is ready to welcome the national tour’s stars back to his facility.

Gary Hall’s Tazewell Speedway will host the ‘Outlaw Sizzler 50’ presented by Rusty Wallace Cadillac-GMC-Kia of Morristown on Sat., April 28 – the first WoO LMS visit to the high-banked, one-third-mile oval since Hall was honored as last year’s standout track operator on the renowned full-fender circuit.

WoO LMS officials will take a moment during the $10,000-to-win event to recognize Hall’s lofty achievement in front of his home fans, but don’t expect the low-key promoter to bask in any cheers that come his way. His focus will be on ensuring the success of Tazewell’s third World of Outlaws program in as many years.

Hall, 59, is a modest sort who doesn’t promote Tazewell Speedway to earn accolades and adulation, which would explain his reaction when his name was announced as the recipient of the 2011 WoO LMS Promoter of the Year award during last November’s awards banquet in Concord, N.C.

“I was totally surprised and shocked about it,” said Hall, the first promoter of a Tennessee track to win the World of Outlaws’ top-promoter honor. “I’m not good at speeches anyway, so I was just speechless when I got up there on that stage (to accept the trophy). I didn’t know what to say.

“But believe me, I really appreciate it. To me, to get an award like that when I know how many different tracks the Outlaws go to every year, it’s an awesome honor.”

And well deserved. A former dirt Late Model driver who is entering his seventh season as owner of Tazewell Speedway, Hall was singled out by WoO LMS officials for organizing one of the 2011 season’s biggest events, the two-day, $20,000-to-win ‘Outlaw Sizzler 101’ that ran over the Independence Day weekend. The race was the richest ever contested at the track, which opened in 1965, and drew a near-capacity crowd.

Last year’s 101-lapper was a reputation-building event for Hall, who is still a relative newcomer to the racetrack promotion business. He retired from driving dirt Late Models in early 1996 – following a 19-year career that saw him enjoy most of his success at the now-closed Atomic Speedway in Oak Ridge, Tenn., where he was a track champion and won a Hav-A-Tampa/UDTRA series event in 1990 – and had no immediate desire to continue toiling in the sport in any capacity. He didn’t even attend a race until his son, Brad, began running a Late Model in 1999.

After a few years helping his son, however, Hall started getting an itch to try his hand at the helm of a track. When he learned in the mid-2000s that Tazewell – the track where he ran his first Late Model race in 1977 (but never won a feature) – was available for purchase, his interest was piqued.

“I had always thought I could do it (operate a track),” said Hall, the longtime owner of Gary Hall Motors in his hometown of Knoxville, Tenn. “But I never gave it any real serious thought until Tazewell popped up for sale. Before that I had thought about buying Atomic, but that got too expensive to buy (and) keep a racetrack.

“When Tazewell was for sale, I thought about it for a year. I talked myself into it and then talked myself out it – and then talked myself back into it again. I just never did get it out of my mind and I finally did buy it (prior to the 2006 season).”

Running a weekly dirt track has proven to be a challenging endeavor for Hall. In fact, simply preparing the Tazewell surface “takes a lot more effort than other tracks” because of the speedway’s extremely steep banking. But he’s come to enjoy “everything it takes to make a racetrack work,” no matter the stress all of it can produce.

Hall decided to test his maturation as a promoter and his track’s drawing power by scheduling last year’s ‘Outlaw Sizzler 101.’ With the Fourth of July falling on a Monday in 2011, he felt the calendar laid out perfectly for a two-day holiday-weekend special on Saturday and Sunday nights.

“I always wanted to do a big two-day show at Tazewell and last year felt like the right time to go ahead with one,” said Hall. “It was the biggest purse the racetrack ever had and we had a real good crowd. I was real happy with it and I’m glad we did it.”

Hall never intended for the extra-distance race to become an annual event, noting that the intense July heat in eastern Tennessee makes a two-day show extremely grueling for his staff, the racers and fans. He’s not ruling out running another big-money weekend spectacular in the future if the right fit materializes, but for now he thinks a single-night springtime show will provide more than enough thrills to satisfy his clientele.

“I think everything is in place for the fans to see a real good race being it’s early in the year,” said Hall, who credits his wife, Shirlene, race director/right-hand man Rick Brooks and his loyal employees for making his tenure at Tazewell so successful. “The lower temperatures and the sun going down earlier (than in July) will help make the surface a lot better. The moisture is gonna stay in the track a lot better, and that’s gonna help us give the fans a great show.”

Hall also expects a star-studded field to enter the April 28 program, including more than a dozen WoO LMS travelers and some high-profile challengers from Tennessee and other surrounding states.

The WoO LMS brigade will be led to Tazewell by 2008 champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who sits atop the tour’s points standings through seven events. He’s followed in the standings by two-time titlist Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., defending champ Rick Eckert of York, Pa., 2010 Tazewell WoO LMS winner Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., and Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa.

Other series regulars expected include 2006 champion Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn. (a former feature winner at Tazewell), John Lobb of Frewsburg, N.Y., Jill George of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and 2012 Rookie of the Year contenders Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind., Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville, Ark., and Greg Johnson of Bedford, Ind.

Drivers who will likely present the biggest threats to the Outlaws include 2011 ‘Outlaw Sizzler 101’ winner Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., Ray Cook of Brasstown, N.C., track record-holder Steve Smith of Powell, Tenn., Vic Hill of Morristown, Tenn., and Billy Ogle Jr. of Seiverville, Tenn. Hall said former WoO LMS champion Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., is a possible entrant as well.

Tazewell’s April 28 card, which features Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, heat races, B-Mains and the ‘Outlaw Sizzler 50,’ will also include racing for the Modified Streets, Classic Cars and Four-Cylinders.

Tickets for the WoO LMS event are $26, with children 10-and-under admitted free of charge. Pit passes are $38.

Pit gates open will open at 2 p.m. and grandstand gates will be unlocked at 4 p.m. On-track action is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Tazewell Speedway is located just two miles northwest of Tazewell, Tenn. Going north on US 25-E, turn right and then left onto Bacchus Rd., travel 1.8 miles north and .8 miles west and the racetrack is located on the left.

Additional information can be obtained by logging on to www.TazewellSpeedway.net or calling 865-626-2222.

The Tazewell Speedway event will be preceded by a WoO LMS program on Fri., April 27, at North Alabama Speedway in Tuscumbia, Ala.

-end-

McCool Looking To Take Advantage Of His Familiarity With North Alabama Speedway On April 27

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Rookie Has High Hopes For Success In Tour’s First Visit To Tuscumbia Track Since 2007

TUSCUMBIA, AL – April 11, 2012 – Bub McCool understands that the World of Outlaws Late Model Series event on Fri., April 27, at North Alabama Speedway presents him with a unique opportunity.

As a Rookie of the Year candidate on the national tour, McCool is unfamiliar with a majority of the tracks on the circuit’s 2012 schedule. But that’s not the case with North Alabama, a one-third-mile oval at which the Vicksburg, Miss., driver possesses more experience than any of his WoO LMS rivals.

McCool, 34, hasn’t raced at North Alabama since September 2009, but over a three-year span beginning with the track’s one and only previous WoO LMS program, on March 25, 2007, he entered 15 special events. His NAS performance record includes a victory in a 2008 Mississippi State Championship Challenge Series feature, five top-five and nine top-10 finishes – stats that send him into the 50-lap, $10,000-to-win A-Main on April 27 with a good feeling about his prospects.

“We’ve run pretty good there in the past so hopefully we can continue that in the Outlaw show,” said McCool, whose home is about five-and-a-half hours southwest of North Alabama. “We’re not gonna run a track we know any better this year, so we better be on our game and take advantage of our knowledge of the place.

“Of course, racing with this Outlaw bunch, I don’t know if you can ever have a real advantage. But if you know the racetrack a little bit, I guess it helps.”

McCool forecasts an exciting evening of action at the Jeff Greer-promoted track, which many observers say produces some of the best racing in the Southeast.

“It’s one of those little paper-clip, tight bullrings,” said McCool, who failed to qualify for the 2007 WoO LMS event at North Alabama that was won by Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla. “Come feature time it cleans up and you can race all over it. You can run two- or three-wide.

“I think it’ll be a good show. I’m looking forward to it.”

McCool will enter the North Alabama event, which leads off a WoO LMS doubleheader that also includes an April 28 date at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway, as the tour’s highest-ranked rookie but in desperate need of a slump-busting run. He sits a respectable ninth in the points standings through seven A-Mains, but he plummeted from sixth after a 28th-place finish in the last event, the Illini 100 on March 31 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway.

The affable McCool began his first season as a WoO LMS regular on a strong note, matching his career-best tour finish of 11th in the ‘Winter Freeze’ opener on Feb. 11 at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga., and then bettering that by a country mile with a solid third-place run on Feb. 17 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla. He also finished ninth on Feb. 18 at BRP and eighth on Feb. 23 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.

But McCool’s momentum was dulled in the season-opening swing’s finale on Feb. 25 at Volusia, where his family’s primary Victory Circle machine was sidelined by engine problems discovered during afternoon maintenance and then his backup car was slowed by more terminal maladies under the hood. He was able to start the A-Main with a points provisional but could only baby the mount to a 22nd-place finish.

“We were tickled to death with how we started, but we’ve run into some problems the last couple shows,” said McCool, who entered the 2012 season having entered 16 WoO LMS events since 2007. “We have to get back on track.”

McCool, who won a MSCCS event on March 24 at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, Miss., between his last two WoO LMS starts, realizes that there are no shortcuts to success with the World of Outlaws. But he’s confident that he has the equipment, manpower, ability and desire to capture the Rookie of the Year honor over a first-year driver group that currently includes Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind., Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville, Ark., and Greg Johnson of Bedford, Ind.

“Winning this rookie deal is our goal,” said McCool, who lists racing as his occupation but also helps out when needed at his family’s McCool Logging business. “If we could do that along with finishing top-10 in points and maybe winning a show or two, we’d be satisfied. We know how hard this is.”

McCool’s assault on the WoO LMS this season continues his steady climb onto the national dirt Late Model stage. While he debuted in the division as a 13-year-old, won his first feature the week before his 15th birthday and traveled the old Hav-A-Tampa/UDTRA series as a teenager in 1996, he’s actually a relative newcomer to the class. He spent nearly seven years out of the cockpit after a serious January 1997 highway accident near his home left him with a badly broken left hip among other injuries, and it wasn’t until 2006 that he began racing extensively again.

“We’ve gotten bigger each year since getting back into it,” McCool said of his racing schedule since ’06. “I’ve always wanted to try the World of Outlaws one year and felt like this was the best time to take a shot at it.

“To make yourself better, you gotta get out here and run with these national guys. That’s what we’re trying to do this year.”

The WoO LMS event on Fri., April 27, at North Alabama Speedway is scheduled to kick off with hot laps at 7:30 p.m. Also on the program will be the track’s Late Model Stock and Modified Street divisions.

Grandstand admission will be $25 with children ages 12-and-under admitted free of charge. Pit passes will cost $35 (ages 13-and-up) and $20 (ages 7-12), with kids 6-and-under free.

North Alabama Speedway is located one mile south of US Rt. 72 on SR 247, a few miles south of Florence, Ala.

More information on North Alabama Speedway is available by logging on to www.northalabamaspeedway.com or calling the track office at 256-381-5051.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .

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Promoter Jim Borden’s Health Concerns Force Cancelation of July 20 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Event At Hartford Motor Speedway

 Series Officials Send Best Wishes To Hard-Working Michigan Track Operator

HARTFORD, MI – April 4, 2012 – The World of Outlaws Late Model Series event scheduled for July 20 at Hartford Motor Speedway has been cancelled due to track promoter Jim Borden’s health concerns.

Borden announced on Monday that he was stepping down as Hartford’s promoter for the 2012 season in order to focus on treatment of his medical issues. His daughter and son-in-law, Becky and J.R. Hotovy, have assumed the operational reigns of the facility for the upcoming campaign, but their desire to concentrate on weekly racing programs led to the cancelation of the half-mile oval’s mid-summer WoO LMS card.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Jim, his wife Patty and the entire Borden family as Jim is treated for his health concerns,” said WoO LMS director Tim Christman. “We’re hopeful that Jim will make a full recovery and we’ll be able to visit with him at Hartford Motor Speedway sometime during the 2013 season.”

Hartford’s 2012 DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned racing schedule is set to kick off on Fri., May 4. More information on the track’s season is available by logging on to www.hartfordmotorspeedway.net.

The WoO LMS, which made its first-ever stop at Hartford in 2011, still has three Michigan events on its 2012 calendar. The national tour will contest a Wolverine State doubleheader on Aug. 17 at Winston Speedway in Rothbury and Aug. 18 at Merritt Raceway in Lake City, and a second trip will bring the series to Berlin Raceway in Marne, which will have clay put down on its paved surface for a historic 100-lap, $20,000-to-win A-Main on Sept. 21-22.

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Mars Holds Off Lanigan For $20,000 Illini 100 Triumph At Farmer City Raceway

FARMER CITY, IL – March 31, 2012 – Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., added another major-event victory to his already bulging resume, holding off Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., to capture Saturday night’s Illini 100 at Farmer City Raceway.

Racing in front of a standing-room-only crowd, Mars roared off the outside pole starting spot to grab the lead at the initial green flag and never relinquished the position. He turned back repeated challenges from Lanigan during the race’s final circuits to pocket the $20,000 top prize.

“I’ve never really been all that good here at Farmer City where I’ve been in contention to win,” said Mars, who recorded his first-ever triumph at the quarter-mile fairgrounds oval. “So to come out of here with a win – to me, it’s a true honor.”

Mars, 40, drove his Mars Race Car across the finish line 0.308 of a second in front of Lanigan, who advanced from the sixth starting spot in his Rocket mount and retained his WoO LMS points lead. Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., finished a distant third in a Victory Circle machine, defending WoO LMS champion Rick Eckert of York, Pa., placed fourth in a Team Zero by Bloomquist car and Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, was fifth in an MB Customs chassis.

In a blistering-fast race that was slowed by just two caution flags, Lanigan surged to second place on a lap-22 restart and took up the chase of Mars. The 2008 WoO LMS titlist was on Mars’s rear bumper when the second caution flew on lap 80 and made several bids over the remaining distance but couldn’t pull off a pass.

Mars knew Lanigan was nipping at his heels, but he never made a mistake en route to his fifth career WoO LMS victory. It was his third triumph in a 100-lap event on the national tour, joining his 2009 and 2011 victories in the Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa.

“I couldn’t keep my momentum up as much as I wanted to on the bottom and I’d get a little loose off (turn) two,” said Mars, whose previous Illini 100 finishes at Farmer City included a fourth in 2009 and 12th in 2010. “My car was really flawless early on when the track was completely slick, but it started to get a little bit narrow and I couldn’t turn quite as good as I needed to. I was just trying to protect it as much as I could.

“But Darrell’s a good driver, we race hard against each other and we respect each other, so I’d have to say I think it would’ve been a clean pass (if he made a move). It wouldn’t have been anything other than that.”

Lanigan, 41, settled for another runner-up finish in a 100-lap WoO LMS show. His only century-grind victory on the circuit came in last year’s ‘Cash Cow 100’ at Columbus (Miss.) Speedway.

“We had an excellent car,” said Lanigan, whose previous best finish in the Illini 100 was seventh, in 2009. “I just wish we could’ve started a little closer to the front. Once we got to second it got tough to make a move. I tried everything I could but I wasn’t getting by (Mars) unless he made a mistake.”

Babb, 38, fell short of a coveted checkered flag in the Illini 100 for the fourth time. While he remained the only driver to finish among the top five in each of the event’s editions, he desperately craves a victory in his home state’s richest race.

Babb started third but ran in the fourth position for the first 58 laps of the event. He finally regained third when he overtook Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., and his legion of fans were roused when the lap-80 caution flag – for a tangle in turns one and two involving Coffey and two-time Illini 100 winner Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., who spun together while battling for fourth – gave him a shot at the leaders.

But Babb was unable to find any traction in the track’s upper lane on the restart and gradually lost ground to Mars and Lanigan, leaving him nearly a straightaway behind at the finish.

“The top (groove) always looks good there,” said Babb, whose previous Illini 100 finishes were second in 2008 and 2010 and fifth in ’09. “But it was wishful thinking. There just wasn’t nothing up there at all.

“We have to be happy with third tonight. Those two guys (Mars and Lanigan) did a helluva job. I got to watch a good race up front.”

Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., moved forward from the 12th starting spot to finish sixth. Polesitter Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., faded to seventh after running second for the race’s first 22 laps; 15-year-old Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., recorded a career-best WoO LMS finish of eighth; WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contender Greg Johnson of Bedford, Ind., advanced from 16th to place ninth; and Frankie Heckenast Jr. of Orland Park, Ill., was 10th.

Saturday night’s program began with a pair of 20-lap B-Mains won by Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., and Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill.

The WoO LMS is idle until embarking on a Southeastern swing to North Alabama Speedway in Tuscumbia, Ala., on Fri., April 27, and Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway on Sat., April 28.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .

Results of WoO Late Model Series ‘Illini 100’ at Farmer City Raceway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (2) Jimmy Mars/100 $20,000
2. (6) Darrell Lanigan/100 $10,700
3. (3) Shannon Babb/100 $6,000
4. (8) Rick Eckert/100 $5,650
5. (7) Brian Birkhofer/100 $4,000
6. (12) Josh Richards/100 $3,650
7. (1) Brian Shirley/100 $2,800
8. (14) Bobby Pierce/100 $3,100
9. (16) Greg Johnson/100 $2,350
10. (7) Frankie Heckenast Jr./100 $2,100
11. (20) Jason Feger/100 $1,950
12. (11) Jack Sullivan/100 $1,850
13. (19) Tim McCreadie/100 $2,350
14. (15) Clint Smith/100 $2,200
15. (17) Kent Robinson/100 $1,650
16. (26) Pat Doar/100 $740
17. (4) Vic Coffey/100 $2,110
18. (24) Chub Frank/100 $2,090
19. (23) Shane Clanton/99 $2,070
20. (5) Billy Moyer/79 $1,650
21. (28) Jill George/56 $110
22. (18) Brandon Sheppard/54 $2,050
23. (10) Steve Lance Jr./41 $1,500
24. (13) Mike Marlar/30 $2,050
25. (22) Chris Simpson/30 $1,500
26. (21) Kevin Weaver/21 $1,500
27. (27) Billy Moyer Jr./17 $110
28. (25) Bub McCool/12 $2,050

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 31 Mins., 00.398 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 0.308 Secs.

Yellow Flags: 2 (Laps 22, 80)

Lap Leaders: Mars (1-100)

Provisional Starters: Clanton, Frank (WoO points); McCool, Doar, Moyer Jr., George (WoO emergency)

WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Bobby Pierce ($500)

B-Main No. 1 Finish (20 laps – Top 2 Transfer): 1. Tim McCreadie, 2. Kevin Weaver, 3. Mark Burgtorf, 4. Rich Bell, 5. Derek Chandler, 6. Bret Sievert, 7. Eric Smith, 8. Mike Spatola, 9. Walker Arthur, 10. John Lobb, 11. Kyle Logue, 12. Bob Gardner, 13. Bub McCool, 14. Donny Walden, 15. Shelby Miles, 16. A.J. Diemel, 17. Jeff Larson

B-Main No. 2 Finish (20 laps – Top 2 Transfer): 1. Jason Feger, 2. Chris Simpson, 3. Chub Frank, 4. Shane Clanton, 5. Darren Friedman, 6. Tim Fuller, 7. Pat Doar, 8. Billy Moyer Jr., 9. Torin Mettille, 10. Scott Bull, 11. Jeremy Hines, 12. Greg Kimmons, 13. Russ Adams, 14. John Gardner Jr., 15. Jill George, 16. Don Rance

Drivers not returning for Saturday night’s program: Ryan Unzicker (penalty), Jay Morris

2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of – A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 1010
2. Josh Richards 974
3. Rick Eckert 956
4. Shane Clanton 934
5. Chub Frank 892
6. Vic Coffey 854
6. Clint Smith 854
6. Tim McCreadie 854
9. Bub McCool 846
10. Pat Doar 806

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Moyer Begins Bid For Third Illini 100 Triumph With Fast-Time, Heat Win During Friday’s Qualifying Action At Farmer City

FARMER CITY, IL – March 30, 2012 – Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., began his bid for a third Illini 100 triumph with a perfect performance during Friday night’s qualifying program at Farmer City Raceway.

The 54-year-old dirt Late Model legend was the evening’s fastest time-trialer and won the first of six 15-lap heat races, once again stamping him as the favorite to take home the 100-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main’s $20,000 top prize on Saturday night. He is undefeated in two career Illini 100 appearances, winning the 2008 and 2010 events.

“We’re not done yet, but it’s a good start,” said Moyer, who also set fast time for the inaugural Illini 100 in 2008. “The car felt good. It needs some adjustments, but being in the first heat, the track hadn’t really gone either way yet. We got some decisions to make about what we think it will do tomorrow.”

Moyer will start his Victory Circle No. 21 machine from a spot in the first three rows of Saturday night’s Illini 100, which is returning to the quarter-mile Farmer City oval after a year’s hiatus. He will redraw for the top six spots with Friday’s other heat winners, including Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill.

Saturday night’s headliner could shape up as the third installment of a historic Moyer/Babb battle. Moyer held off Babb’s furious late-race charges to record both of his Illini 100 wins and knows the Land of Lincoln star will be gunning for him.

“I’m sure he’ll be one of the guys there at the end,” Moyer said of the 38-year-old Babb, who owns two runner-up and a fifth-place finish in three Illini 100 starts. “He gets around this place as well as anybody. He’ll be doing everything he can to win.

“If he does,” Moyer quipped, “at least he’s in one of my cars (a Victory Circle Chassis) this time.”

Moyer sees another typically hard-fought Illini 100 in the offing.

“It’s good old Midwest racing,” said Moyer. “There’s usually a three- or four-groove track and that makes it fun.

“I hope I don’t have to work as hard as I did in those other (Illini 100) – the fans like exciting races like that, but I sure don’t. We’ll just have to see where we draw and hopefully by the end we’ll be in position to make something happen.”

Moyer bested a 53-car field in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, turning a lap of 13.307 seconds.

The largest Qualifying Night crowd in the history of the Illini 100 packed the stands on Friday, setting the stage for a record-breaking evening on Saturday.

Saturday’s program, which begins with hot laps at 5 p.m., features B-Mains and the Illini 100. The UMP Modifieds will also run B-Mains and 50-lap, $5,000-to-win feature, and the track’s regular Pro Late Model and Street Stock classes will be in competition.

More information on Farmer City Raceway is available by logging on to www.farmercityracing.com or calling 217-552-0432 (main line) or 217-552-0434 (promoter Jeff Hammer).

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .

Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results for World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Illini 100’ at Farmer City Raceway (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 13.307
2. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 13.406
3. 99Jr-Frankie Heckenast Jr./Orland Park, IL 13.406
4. 25L-Steve Lance Jr./Cuba, IL 13.422
5. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 13.487
6. 3s-Brian Shirley/Chatham, IL 13.520
7. 15B-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA 13.557
8. 32P-Bobby Pierce/Oakwood, IL 13.572
9. 28M-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI 13.579
10. 18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 13.587
11. B12-Kevin Weaver/Gibson City, IL 13.599
12. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 13.605
13. 5b-Mike Marlar/Winfield, TN 13.614
14. 24U-Ryan Unzicker/El Paso, IL 13.627
15. 9-Eric Smith/Bloomington, IL 13.691
16. 83-Scott Bull/Fairbury, IL 13.740
17. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 13.747
18. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 13.753
19. 21b-Rich Bell/Sheffield, IL 13.754
20. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 13.755
21. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 13.758
22. 49-Greg Johnson/Bedford, IN 13.765
23. 7R-Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN 13.794
24. b5-Brandon Sheppard/New Berlin, IL 13.831
25. 58-A.J. Diemel/Bonduel, WI 13.840
26. 32s-Chris Simpson/Oxford, IA 13.857
27. 35-Derek Chandler/Pontiac, IL 13.864
28. 25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 13.867
29. 1s-Jack Sullivan/Greenbrier, AR 13.880
30. 1W-Donny Walden/Towanda, IL 13.882
31. 89-Mike Spatola/Manhattan, IL 13.896
32. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 13.937
33. 15-Mark Burgtorf/Quincy, IL 13.959
34. 25F-Jason Feger/Bloomington, IL 13.977
35. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 14.023
36. 21Jr.-Billy Moyer Jr./Batesville, AR 14.030
37. 5-Bret Sievert/Mukwanago, IL 14.120
38. 11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 14.131
39. 87-Walker Arthur/Forest, VA 14.157
40. 116-Torin Mettille/Cullom, IL 14.165
41. 4G-Bob Gardner/Peoria, IL 14.245
42. 27-Greg Kimmons/Pleasant Plains, IL 14.267
43. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 14.290
44. 38c-John Gardner/Peoria, IL 14.343
45. 74-Russ Adams/Princeville, IL 14.354
46. 76-Shelby Miles/Bloomington, IN 14.370
47. 5H-Jeremy Hines/Bloomington, IN 14.451
48. 89F-Daren Friedman/Forrest, IL 14.722
49. 28L-John Lobb/Frewsburg, NY 14.904
50. 36-Jeff Larson/Freeport, IL 14.961
51. 16-Don Rance/DeMott, IN 15.276
52. 77M-Jay Morris/Watseka, IL N/T
53. 21K-Kyle Logue/Cisco, IL N/T

Heat No. 1 (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Moyer, Birkhofer, Marlar, Diemel, Bell, Sievert, Spatola, Lobb, George

Heat No. 2 (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Coffey, Eckert, Pierce, Simpson, Frank, J. Gardner, Doar, Unzicker, Larson

Heat No. 3 (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Mars, Heckenast, C. Smith, Chandler, E. Smith, Arthur, Adams, Burgtorf, Rance

Heat No. 4 (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Babb, Lance, Johnson, Feger, Clanton, Mettille, Bull, Miles, Morris

Heat No. 5 (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Lanigan, Sullivan, Robinson, McCreadie, McCool, Weaver, Logue, Hines, B. Gardner

Heat No. 6 (15 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Shirley, Richards, Sheppard, Fuller, Friedman, Moyer Jr., Kimmons, Walden

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‘Illini 100’ This Weekend (March 30-31) At Farmer City Raceway: Feger Hopes To Give Home Track Fans A Thrill; World of Outlaws Stars Ready For Battle

 Anticipation High For $20,000-To-Win World of Outlaws Late Model Series Spectacular

FARMER CITY, IL – March 28, 2012 -

LOCAL HERO: ‘Feger Nation’ will be out in full force this weekend (March 30-31) for the ‘Illini 100’ at Farmer City Raceway – and their hero would like to give them something to celebrate.

Just imagine the post-race scene if the World of Outlaws Late Model Series event’s $20,000 first-place check were to be claimed by Jason Feger, a DIRTcar UMP circuit star from Bloomington, Ill., who considers Farmer City his home track.

“There would be a big party, that’s for sure,” said Feger, who will bid to become the first Land of Lincoln driver to win the Illini 100. “(Farmer City) is close to our home area and we got a lot of great fans, so I’m sure we’ll have a lot of them there. I’m hoping that we can make them proud.”

Feger, 33, has spent the last month with a laser-focus on the Illini 100, which begins with Ohlins Shocks Time Trials and heat races on Fri., March 30, and culminates with B-Mains and the 100-lap headliner on Sat., March 31. He wants to have his Bob Pierce-built car at full strength for his first home-state start of the 2012 season.

“We haven’t been anywhere since Florida (last month’s two weeks of racing in the Sunshine State),” said Feger. “We’ve just been home working on our stuff, preparing everything. We got a new motor put in for (the Illini 100), so I’m looking forward to getting over there Thursday night and shaking it down (at practice).”

Feger hasn’t made a serious run at victory in any of the three previous Illini 100s at Farmer City, but he has performed progressively better. After failing to make the A-Main cut for the inaugural event in 2008 (he suffered a flat tire while running in a heat-race transfer spot), he finished eighth in ’09 (despite being hampered by a suspension problem) and sixth in ’10.

“I’m real excited (for the Illini 100),” said Feger, who displayed his car and met fans on Tuesday night during the Illini 100 Kick-Off Party & Car Show at the Bob Evans restaurant in Champaign, Ill. “(Farmer City is) a great place. I’ve been going there since I was a little kid.

“I got a lot of laps there so I’m really excited to have (the Illini) back there. That’s the biggest race we have in Illinois and it’s back where it needs to be.”

To hear more of Feger’s thoughts on the Illini 100 – as well as comments from 2009 Illini 100 winner Shane Clanton and defending WoO LMS champion Rick Eckert – check out the event preview that is part of this week’s edition of 4Wide.TV.

CHASING A HAT TRACK: Billy Moyer has never lost an Illini 100. He’s also never been involved in a ho-hum race.

The 54-year-old dirt Late Model legend and three-time WoO LMS champion is undefeated in two Illini 100 appearances, winning the 2008 and 2010 editions. Both victories came in down-to-the-wire thrillers over Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill.

Moyer’s triumph in the inaugural Illini 100 was a classic that’s still remembered by all in attendance. In a wildly competitive race that featured eight lead changes among five drivers, he overtook Babb, who had started last in the 24-car field because he changed two tires after reporting to the track for the A-Main lineup, for the lead on lap 85. Babb regained command the following circuit, but Moyer used the inside groove to slip in front on lap 99 and then repelled Babb’s final-corner challenge to cross the finish line less than a half car length ahead.

Two years later Moyer once again dashed Babb’s hopes of an emotional home-turf checkered flag. While his victory margin wasn't quite as narrow, Moyer grabbed the lead on lap 72 when Babb slipped over the turn-one berm while negotiating lapped traffic and then had to repel several frantic late-race challenges from his hard-charging protégé.

Both Moyer and Babb will enter Victory Circle by Moyer cars in this weekend’s Illini 100. Moyer has already won six features this season – in Arizona, Florida and Arkansas – while Babb is winless and will see his first action since last month’s Georgia/Florida Speedweeks.

Babb, 38, holds the distinction as the only driver to finish among the top five in all three Illini 100s. His pair of runner-up finishes sandwich a fifth in 2009.

THE CHAMPS: The four former WoO LMS titlists who are current tour regulars – Eckert, Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y. – share a common thread: none have ever won at Farmer City.

Eckert, the 46-year-old reigning champ from York, Pa., has probably had the worst Illini 100 luck of the decorated group. His finishes are seventh in 2008, 10th in ’09 and 25th in ’10.

“It’s about time to change that,” Eckert said of his poor Illini 100 fortunes. “Last time we were there we weren’t too bad, but we blew up. Year before I had to change a motor before the feature.

“So as a car owner,” he joked, “I’m not really looking forward to going there. Hopefully we can change our luck.”

McCreadie, meanwhile, has a formidable performance record in the Illini 100. He didn’t compete in the 2009 event while recovering from a back injury, but he finished fourth (from the 20th starting spot) in ’08 and third (from 17th) in ’10.

Richards has never finished outside the top 10 in the Illini 100 (sixth in ’08, third in ’09, 10th in ’10) while Lanigan, who enters the weekend leading the WoO LMS points standings, placed eighth in ’08, seventh in ’09 and 17th in ’10.

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR: The only driver who has led at least one lap in each of the Illini 100s is Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, who will make his 2012 season debut this weekend.

Birkhofer appeared to be the dominant force in the 2008 event when he grabbed the top spot on lap 10, but he caught a rut in turn four and spun out of the lead – and the race – on lap 50. He came back to lead the first 93 laps of the 2009 race before Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., slipped by to take the win and leave Birky second, and in ’10 he nosed into the lead for laps 44-46 but settled for a fourth-place finish.

ROOKIE TO WATCH: For Brandon Sheppard, the Illini 100 could serve as a springboard in his pursuit of the 2012 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year award.

Sheppard, 19, of New Berlin, Ill., is eyeing the national’s top-rookie honor – and he’s off to a decent start, entering this weekend’s competition with one top-10 finish and ranked 11th in the points standings. There’s also no track on the series schedule that he knows better than Farmer City, a quarter-mile oval where he outdueled Babb to win a DIRTcar Summer Nationals event last year.

The son of veteran DIRTcar UMP Late Model racer Steve Sheppard Jr. has entered all three previous Illini 100s. He didn’t qualify in 2008 and ’09, but he finished 21st in ’10 as a 17-year-old high-school junior.

Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., who will enter the Illini 100 for the first time, currently leads the WoO LMS Rookie of the Year battle and is sixth in the overall points standings. Sheppard is second in the rookie race, followed by Jared Hawkins of Fairmont, W.Va., Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind., Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville, Ark., Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., and Greg Johnson of Bedford, Ind.

Hawkins, Robinson, Moyer, Sullivan and Johnson have never entered an Illini 100, but only Hawkins will be making his first career start at the track this weekend.

JAMMED PITS: More than 50 cars are expected to enter this weekend’s Illini 100, including WoO LMS regulars Clanton, Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., and Jill George of Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Other notable drivers with plans to participate include Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., Chris Simpson of Oxford, Iowa, and Illinois standouts Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Brian Shirley of Chatham, Kevin Weaver of Gibson City, Eric Smith of Bloomington, Mike Spatola of Manhattan, Daren Friedman of Forrest, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Frankie Heckenast Jr. of Orland Park and Donny Walden of Towanda.

INFO: This year’s Illini 100 weekend will also include an open practice session from 6-9 p.m. on Thurs., March 29; a $5,000-to-win DIRTcar UMP Modified event (heats on Fri., March 30, and B-Mains and 50-lap feature on Sat., March 31); and racing for Farmer City’s weekly support classes. The DIRTcar UMP Pro Late Models, Street Stocks and Hornets will run complete programs on Friday evening, and the Pro Late Models and Street Stocks will return on Saturday night to battle in regular racing cards.

Pit gates are scheduled to be unlocked at 4 p.m. for Thursday’s practice and 12 noon on Friday and Saturday, with hot laps set to start at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday and qualifying to immediately follow.

The ‘Will Call’ window for ticket pickup will open at 5 p.m. on Thursday and 11:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and the front gates will open at 12 noon on both Friday and Saturday.

Illini 100 ticket prices (reserved and general admission) are $15 (Friday) and $30 (Saturday), with children’s tickets (ages 12-and-under) priced at $5 (Friday) and $15 (Saturday). Pit passes are $25 on Thursday, $30 on Friday and $40 on Saturday with a two-day band available for $65 and a three-day band (including Thursday’s practice) offered for $85. DIRTcar members receive a $5 discount on pit-admission packages.

With the deadline for purchasing tickets in advance now passed, all tickets sold at the track will be general admission.

Reserved trackside parking spots are sold out, event officials said.

More information on Farmer City Raceway is available by logging on to www.farmercityracing.com or calling 217-552-0432 (main line) or 217-552-0434 (promoter Jeff Hammer).

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .

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2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Schedule Continues To Grow With Addition Of Three Events

I-77 Raceway Park, North Central Speedway & Independence Motor Speedway Join National Tour

CONCORD, NC – March 5, 2012 – The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is now poised to match its record for A-Mains contested in a single season following Monday’s announcement that three dates have been added to the 2012 schedule.

With 50-lap, $10,000-to-win events inked for I-77 Raceway Park in Ripley, W.Va., on May 27, North Central Speedway in Brainerd, Minn., on July 14 and Independence (Iowa) Motor Speedway on Aug. 6, the national tour’s slate currently lists 49 race dates comprising 44 A-Mains in 20 states and three Canadian provinces. The completion of 44 A-Mains would tie the 2007 and 2010 campaigns as the busiest in series history.

“Coming off last month’s extremely successful season-opening swing through Georgia and Florida, we’re excited to continue building the 2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series schedule,” said tour director Tim Christman. “Adding events in three distinct markets will allow us to bring memorable racing programs to even more fans in 2012.”

I-77 Raceway Park will hold a WoO LMS event for the first time, while the tour is set to make its second visit to both North Central and Independence. Defending WoO LMS champion Rick Eckert of York, Pa., was victorious at NCS in 2006 and two-time tour titlist Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., captured last year’s inaugural World of Outlaws event at Independence.

The 50-lapper at I-77 on Sun., May 27, replaces an event at West Virginia Motor Speedway in Mineral Wells that was originally scheduled for the date. With WVMS’s reconstruction still incomplete, I-77 co-owners Kenney Newhouse and Craig Givens stepped up to make their burgeoning track the host venue for the anchor leg of a WoO LMS Memorial Day weekend tripleheader that also includes a May 25 date at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio, and the $25,000-to-win ‘Jackpot 100’ on May 26 at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va.

Located just off Interstate 77 about a half-hour south of WVMS and 40 minutes north of Charleston, W.Va., I-77 Raceway Park is a three-eighths-mile oval that has undergone a dramatic transformation since its purchase in 2009 by Newhouse and Givens. The WoO LMS event will represent the most high-profile show presented to date by the new ownership team.

“I-77 Raceway Park has gone through a complete facility facelift,” said I-77 promoter Shon Parsons, who is positioning the WoO LMS invasion as the centerpiece of the track’s two-day ‘Ripley Race Fest Weekend.’ “All the hard work that Kenney, Craig and many others have put into the track is allowing us to host the World of Outlaws for the first time.”

The current off-season has been filled with renovation projects at I-77, including a doubling of the pit area’s size; erection of a complete new stadium-style general admission area; construction of a new women’s restroom; and the application of a new clay surface on the racetrack.

“We’ve worked so hard and we are so happy to feature the World of Outlaws for our dedicated fans,” said Givens.

North Central Speedway will bring the WoO LMS back after a six-year absence (a scheduled 2008 event was rained out) as part of the circuit’s ‘Wild West Tour,’ which currently boasts five races in three states and one Canadian province over a nine-day period. The three-eighths-mile NCS oval is slated to present the finale of the swing on Sat., July 14.

The ‘Wild West Tour’ also includes events on July 6 at Amsoil Speedway in Superior, Wis.; July 7 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn.; July 12 at Red River Co-op Speedway in Winnipeg, Manitoba; and July 13 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D. A WoO LMS program scheduled for July 17 at Red River Valley Speedway in Fargo, N.D., has been canceled by track promoter Danny Schatz due to logistical problems associated with clean-up from the Red River Valley Fair that ends on July 15.

“The demand right now for a big special Late Model show is this area is huge,” said K.T. Torbert, who promotes the North Central Speedway facility that is owned by Cliff Sasker. “It’s been the biggest request we’ve had from our fans, so we decided if we’re gonna do something big, let’s go real big and go with the World of Outlaws.

“We’re real excited to have the World of Outlaws Late Model Series back on our schedule and we really hope we can impress all the World of Outlaws drivers. I want everybody to leave here after the race and say, ‘Man, we want to go back there to race.’”

Dondelinger Automotive Company and Charter Media are signed as sponsors for the Saturday-night summer showdown at North Central, which had a new clay surface laid down in the spring of 2011.

The three-eighths-mile Independence Motor Speedway, meanwhile, returns to the WoO LMS trail for the second consecutive year with the ‘Dirt Late Model Magazine 50’ on Mon., Aug. 6. The event, which also includes the ‘Dirt Modified Magazine 25’ for the IMCA A-Modifieds, will be promoted by Three Wide Promotions of Independence, Iowa, and has a rain date of Tues., Aug. 7.

The Independence date will immediately follow the $50,000-to-win WoO LMS USA Nationals on Aug. 3-4 at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., which sits three-and-a-half hours due north of Independence Motor Speedway.

“We are very excited to bring the World of Outlaws Late Model Series back to Independence for the second consecutive year,” said Rick Hartzell, the CEO of Three Wide Promotions and husband of WoO LMS traveler Jill George of Cedar Falls, Iowa. “In conjunction with Darren Burco, the new promoter at Independence Motor Speedway, and the Buchanan County Fair Board, we feel strongly that we have a date that works well for this event and we expect all the stars of the World of Outlaws series plus other national, regional and local Late Model drivers to show up and put on a great show.

“We are committed to keeping open-motor Late Model racing alive in Iowa and to help promote the outstanding racing and facility at Independence. This will be the only show of its type for any national Late Model series in the state this year, and we are hopeful that the great racing fans of the Independence/Waterloo/Dubuque and Cedar Rapids area, as well as those across the state and Midwest, will come out and support this terrific event.

“We had a good night with this event last year (the WoO LMS program was rescheduled for the Monday after Cedar Lake’s USA Nationals following a rainout on its original mid-July date) and we are hoping this event will be even better this season.”

More information about the newest tracks on the WoO LMS is available by visiting the speedway websites at www.racei77.com, www.racencs.net and www.independencemotorspeedway.com.

The next action for the WoO LMS is the $20,000-to-win ‘Illini 100’ on March 30-31 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway. Advance tickets are available for purchase at www.worldofoutlaws.com/tickets.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .

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