World of Outlaws Late Model Series Adds May Dates At Lincoln Speedway & Bluegrass Speedway
CONCORD, NC - Feb. 19, 2010 - A 2010 season that promises to be the biggest in World of Outlaws Late Model Series history has grown even larger with the announcement of a springtime doubleheader in the Midwest at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway and Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, Ky.
The nation's premier dirt Late Model tour will visit Lincoln Speedway on Fri., May 7, and move on to Bluegrass Speedway on Sat., May 8, pushing the 2010 schedule to 49 events at 42 tracks in 20 states and two Canadian provinces.
"We're excited to add another big weekend of racing to the 2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series schedule," said series director Tim Christman. "Illinois and Kentucky are hotbeds for the dirt Late Model division and we look forward to bringing the best drivers in the country to perform in front of the region's great fans."
The WoO LMS will stop at the quarter-mile Lincoln oval for the fourth consecutive season, but this year's event will be unlike any held there in the past. Promoter Don Hammer has upped the ante at Lincoln, increasing the track's WoO LMS program to a 50-lap A-Main (from 40 laps in previous years) and a $10,000 top prize (from $7,000).
With a total payoff of roughly $50,000 for the evening, this year's Land of Lincoln 50 will boast the biggest purse for a dirt Late Model event in the history of Lincoln Speedway.
"Thats what it's all about -- making everything bigger and better for the fans and racers," said Hammer, who also oversees the fledgling Monster Midwest Tour and plans to make the Land of Lincoln 50 a shootout between drivers from his DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned series and the stars of the WoO LMS. "We want to give everybody the kind of show they want to see."
This year's WoO LMS extravaganza at Lincoln will also move to a Friday-night date, a change from the traditional Sunday that the event has occupied for the last three years. The change puts the big show in line with the new weekly format at Lincoln; Hammer recently announced he is switching the track's regular race night to Friday in 2010, taking the track off the central Illinois area's busier Saturday-night slot and allowing the headline Pro Late Model and Modified classes to carry the sanction of DIRTcar's UMP circuit.
Lincoln will now run head-to-head weekly with Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway, the quarter-mile oval that Hammer has also promoted for several seasons. But Hammer sees no conflict between the tracks; UMP-sanctioned Super Late Models will be featured at Farmer City and the support divisions that will run weekly at both tracks share only a handful of the same drivers. What's more, Farmer City's weekly programs will be organized this season by Brian Stuart, who has promoted events at Quad Cities Raceway in East Moline, Ill., and other tracks; Hammer will continue to promote Farmer City's special events (like the third annual WoO LMS Illini 100 on April 9-10) and work closely with Stuart -- in fact, Hammer said Stuart will keep Farmer City closed on May 7 in support of the WoO LMS show at Lincoln.
Three different drivers have won the previous WoO LMS events held at Lincoln Speedway: Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill. (2007), Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa. (2008) and Rick Eckert of York, Pa. (2009).
Bluegrass Speedway, meanwhile, is set to host the WoO LMS for the first time in its history on May 8. The 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event will serve as the track's eighth annual 'My Old Kentucky Home Shootout.'
Anticipation figures to run high for the Bluegrass show, which brings the WoO LMS to the Commonwealth of Kentucky for the first time since 2007 and just the fourth time in the tour's seven-year run under the World Racing Group banner. Building interest in the night even further, Bluegrass Speedway's fans will be chomping at the bit to go racing on May 8 because the track will be quiet the previous week in deference to the running of the Kentucky Derby horse race less than an hour away.
"We're hoping to have a tremendous turnout for the first-ever World of Outlaws race at Bluegrass Speedway," said David Ferrell, a veteran track promoter who has operated the high-banked, half-mile oval with his wife Anita for 11 years. "We have somewhere around 11-12,000 seats but we've never filled all of them up, so maybe we can come close with this race.
"I know we're excited to have the Outlaws coming in, and I know the fans will see a great show. We have one of the fastest tracks in the country and it's plenty wide for three- and four-wide racing, so I'm sure there will be lots of action."
By the time the WoO LMS reaches Bluegrass, Ferrell will have one of the tour's biggest stars in his family. Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., the 2007 series champion and three-time runner-up, is marrying Ferrell's daughter, Amanda, on Feb. 27.
"I told Steve, 'I hope you'll be there for the Outlaw show,'" Ferrell said with a smile.
With the addition of Lincoln Speedway and Bluegrass Speedway to the 2010 schedule, the WoO LMS is well positioned to reach new heights this season. The tour currently boasts single-season records of 44 A-Mains (2007) and visits to 36 different tracks (2007 and 2008).
For more information on Lincoln Speedway, visit www.lincolnspeedway.org or call 217-737-7134.
Additional info on Bluegrass Speedway is available by logging on to www.bluegrass-speedway.com or calling 859-854-6922 or 859-854-6495.
For information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
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World of Outlaws Late Model Series Announces Star-Studded Roster Of Drivers Set To Chase 2010 Championship
CONCORD, NC - Feb. 4, 2010 - A star-studded group of drivers has committed to chasing the 2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series schedule, setting up another fierce battle for the nation's richest and most prestigious full-fender points title.
The top 10 finishers in the 2009 WoO LMS points standings have signed on to return as regulars on the grueling tour. One additional driver is also eligible to start the campaign as part of the 'Platinum Member' travel-incentive program, creating an even more attractive '10 roster for fans of the country's premier dirt Late Model series.
Led by defending WoO LMS champion Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., the 2010 committed-driver lineup is filled with standout chauffeurs. The contracted racers represent a combined 125 career WoO LMS A-Main victories and occupy eight of the top 11 spots on the tour's win list since 2004, when the series began its modern era under the World Racing Group banner.
In addition, the drivers own a combined 24 touring-series titles, six Dirt Track World Championship triumphs, three World 100 wins and two $100,000 Dirt Late Model Dream checkered flags. The group includes the last three series champions -- Richards, Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. (2008) and Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky. (2007) -- and could swell to four former titlists with the possible addition of 2006 champ Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who has not yet committed but is seriously considering returning as a regular.
With 'Platinum Member' status available at the start of the season to the owners and/or drivers who finished among the top 10 in the 2009 WoO LMS points standings as well as former series champions, WoO LMS Rookie of the Year candidate Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., also qualifies because his car owner, Dale Beitler, fielded the machine that Francis drove on last year's tour.
"It's a testament to the strength and stability of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series that the top 10 drivers from last year's points standings are coming back as regulars," said WoO LMS director Tim Christman, who is entering his fourth season at the helm of the tour. "Add in the up-and-coming Austin Hubbard joining the series with Dale Beitler and several other drivers who have hopes of breaking into the top 12 in the points standings, and it's clear that the 2010 season is shaping up as one of the most competitive in series history.
"We're proud that so many great drivers and teams understand the benefits of following the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. It's their support that allows the series to continue building momentum with fans, racetrack promoters and sponsors across the country."
The touring drivers are set to follow a 2010 WoO LMS schedule that features more events, at more different tracks, than any previous season. There are currently 48 confirmed events at 41 tracks in 20 states and two Canadian provinces, including first-time visits to nearly a dozen speedways.
The 2010 WoO LMS kicks off with 50-lap, $10,000-to-win events on Feb. 11 and 13 as part of the 39th annual DIRTcar Nationals by University of Northwestern Ohio at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.
The tour's 2010 driver roster includes (in order of '09 points finish):
* Josh Richards, the 21-year-old sensation who last year became the youngest national touring series champion in dirt Late Model history. The 2005 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year outdueled Francis for the $100,000 title, topping off a season that saw him lead the series with eight victories, move to second behind Francis on the tour's win list since 2004 (with 20 triumphs) and cement his status as a full-fledged superstar.
* Steve Francis, a 42-year-old who in 2009 scored six wins and fell just short of becoming the first driver to repeat as WoO LMS champion during the tour's modern era. A three-time STARS/Renegade Series champ and former winner of the World 100 and Dirt Track World Championship events, the veteran known as the 'Kentucky Colonel' leads all drivers with 26 WoO LMS victories since 2004. He will be back behind the wheel of his own Valvoline No. 15 in 2010 after spending the last two seasons running for Beitler.
* Darrell Lanigan, who slipped to third place in last year's points standings after his spectacularly-steady 2008 campaign made him a WoO LMS champion for the first time by the largest points margin in tour history. The 39-year-old owner-operator known as the 'Bluegrass Bandit' has 12 career WoO LMS victories to his credit, and his resume boasts triumphs in such dirt Late Model mega-events as the $100,000 Dirt Late Model Dream and Dirt Track World Championship.
* Tim Fuller, 42, of Watertown, N.Y., a DIRTcar big-block Modified superstar who broke out in the full-fender ranks with a memorable 2009 season. The 2007 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year finished a career-best fourth in last year's points standings after rolling to seven victories, including a record-tying four-race win streak during the summer.
* Rick Eckert, 44, of York, Pa., the third-winningest driver (19 victories) on the WoO LMS since 2004 and one of only two drivers (Francis is the other) to start all 237 tour A-Mains contested over the past six years. The two-time UDTRA/Hav-A-Tampa Series champion, whose major-event victories include the $100,000 Dirt Late Model Dream and the Dirt Track World Championship, switched to a Team Zero by Bloomquist chassis in 2009 and racked up three wins -- his first multiple-victory WoO LMS season since 2006 -- and finished fifth in the points standings. He'll field his own team this season after his longtime car owner, Raye Vest, passed away last November.
* Shane Clanton, 34, of Locust Grove, Ga., who will seek to regain the form he displayed during his breakout 2008 season after winning just once and finishing sixth in the 2009 points standings. The driver of Ronnie Dobbins's RSD Enterprises No. 25 owns 11 career WoO LMS triumphs as well as an '08 victory in the sport's most prestigious event, the DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned World 100 classic at Ohio's Eldora Speedway.
* Chub Frank, 48, of Bear Lake, Pa., the popular driver known as 'Chubzilla' who has finished as high as second (2007) in the WoO LMS points standings. He finished seventh in the points standings during a frustrating 2009 season that ended abruptly due to a facial injury in a lead-in event to the World Finals, but the owner-operator did score back-to-back victories in August and possesses a sparkling resume that includes 16 career WoO LMS wins as well as four STARS/Renegade Series titles and victories in crown-jewel shows such as the World 100, Dirt Track World Championship and North-South 100.
* Brady Smith, 32, of Solon Springs, Wis., who fell short of Victory Lane during a 2009 campaign that marked his first as a fulltime WoO LMS traveler but flashed the type of potential that established him as a serious championship contender in the future. A two-time WoO LMS winner in 2008 and eighth-place finisher in the '09 points standings, the former Knoxville Late Model Nationals champion joins Eckert as a Team Zero by Bloomquist member on the national tour.
* Clint Smith, 44, of Senoia, Ga., who has been a WoO LMS stalwart since 2004. The veteran known as 'Cat Daddy' experienced a rare winless season on the tour in 2009 and has switched to Rocket Chassis in hopes of returning to form so he can pad a resume that features 11 career WoO LMS A-Main victories, a UDTRA/Hav-A-Tampa Series championship and four titles with the Southern All-Stars Series.
* Russell King, 20, of Bristolville, Ohio, emerged as the 2009 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year, registering eight top-10 finishes to best four other contenders for the crown. The fourth driver with DIRTcar big-block Modified roots to capture the tour's top rookie award, he returns for another trip through the schedule with his family-owned team.
* Austin Hubbard, a teenager who ranks as one of the country's most exciting young dirt Late Model drivers. After testing the waters by running half of the 2009 WoO LMS, the affable racer was hired to replace Francis as the driver of the high-profile Beitler Motorsports No. 19 and will attempt the entire schedule this season. Hubbard, who turns 18 on Feb. 17, has already gained national attention in 2010 with a $12,000 victory -- and very unique post-race celebration -- on Jan. 30 at Georgia's Golden Isles Speedway.
At least a half-dozen other drivers have indicated that they plan to head out on the road with the WoO LMS in 2010 in hopes of racing their way into the tour's travel-incentive program. Drivers who do not begin the season with 'Platinum Member' status are assured of receiving the benefits of the plan if they rank among the top 12 in the points standings after five events and maintain perfect attendance.
McCreadie leads the list of drivers interested in following the entire series. Others include 2009 Rookie of the Year contenders Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., Dustin Hapka of Grand Forks, N.D., and 15-year-old Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif., and 2010 Rookie of the Year candidates Jill George of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Chas Shellenberger of Winfield, Pa.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
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World Racing Group Appeal Commission Decision Affirmed In Penalty to Scott Bloomquist for Competing With Illegally Treated Tires
CONCORD, N.C. (Jan. 30, 2010) -- A Commissioner Potestas confirmed the decision of the World Racing Group Appeal Commission regarding a penalty to World of Outlaws Late Model Series driver, Scott Bloomquist, issued at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., for the event on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009.
As part of a routine post qualifying inspection that retained the tires of the top six qualifiers, the tires from two of the top six indicated a reasonable suspicion of treatment. Tire samples were collected and acknowledged in a classic evidence chain of custody procedure. The samples were submitted to a respected southeastern lab for analysis. The lab determined the tire used by Bloomquist was significantly altered and contained the presence of chemicals not found in the control tire(s) or part of tire chemistry. Following the report from the lab, Bloomquist was disqualified for all events, levied a fine equal to his winnings and suspended from DIRTcar and World of Outlaws events for six months.
As a member of DIRTcar, Bloomquist appealed the penalty to the World Racing Group Appeals Committee. The committee met in December and heard testimony from the officials and Bloomquist. In a unanimous decision, the independent panel reduced the overall penalty by reinstating his win in the events on Nov. 6 as the illegal tire was from qualifying for the Nov. 7 event.
The World Racing Group Appeal process offers a second appeal to the Chairman Potestas, who reviews the process and serves as the final authority. Bloomquist appealed to the Chairman. The Chairman confirmed the Commission's decision.
The Appeal Commission determined Dec. 12, and the Commissioner Potestas affirmed yesterday, penalties should be:
* The loss of purse and award earnings from Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in the amount of $1,350.
* A penalty of $1,350.
* A six (6) month suspension from Nov. 7, 2009, to May 7, 2010.
* The loss of 1,000 championship points.
Bloomquist will be eligible to compete in World of Outlaws Late Model Series and DIRTcar Racing events beginning May 8, 2010.
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2009 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Rookie of the Year Russell King Ready For DIRTcar Nationals
BARBERVILLE, FL - Jan. 21, 2010 - Russell King remembers the timid, uncertain feeling he took into last year's DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park.
One flip of the calendar, however, has produced a dramatic change in the up-and-coming driver's mental outlook.
Coming off a 2009 season that saw him obtain a serious full-fender education while marching to World of Outlaws Late Model Series Rookie of the Year honors, King is a new (young) man entering the 39th annual mid-winter racing extravaganza at the half-mile oval outside Daytona Beach.
King, 20, of Bristolville, Ohio, simply has a much better vibe about the dirt Late Model portion of the 2010 DIRTcar Nationals, which features the season-opening WoO LMS events on Feb. 11 and 13 as well as UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned programs on Feb. 8, 9, 10 and 12.
“When we went to Volusia last year I didn't really have any confidence at all,” said King, a DIRTcar big-block Modified transplant who had barely two dozen career dirt Late Model starts to his credit when he unloaded for the 2009 DCN. “It was a whole new experience for me. I didn't know many guys, and we didn't really know what we doing with a Late Model. We were just trying to find our way.”
King certainly isn't returning to Volusia with everything figured out, but going through a season full of hard knocks on the grueling, hyper-competitive Outlaw trail has him in a different place. Though the tough-as-nails kid would have liked to put up a better performance record on the 40-event '09 WoO LMS schedule (he had eight top-10s and a best finish of ninth), he understands that the campaign was all about learning the ropes.
And make no mistake – King absorbed all the lessons like an eager student. In fact, he chuckles when asked to compare the depth of his knowledge today to one year ago.
“It's not even in the same ballpark,” said King, who earned the $10,000 Rookie of the Year award over Jordan Bland of Campbellsville, Ky., by a margin of 148 points (3,604-3,456) in a battle determined by the drivers' best 30 finishes. “Knowing what we know now, I don't even know how we attempted to race (as a WoO LMS regular) last year. It's like anything else – you have to do it to learn what it really takes.”
King has enjoyed a very productive off-season preparing his family-owned equipment, assuring he'll be in a much stronger position when the first green flag drops at Volusia. With his work in the shop assisted by the hiring of Craig (‘Snowman') McCrimmon as a fulltime mechanic (last year King's primary crewman for most of the season was veteran wrench Bobby Bachman, a dedicated volunteer who often had to arrange travel to races around his work schedule), he has black- and blue-front end Rocket cars re-skinned and ready to roll with fresh powerplants and his trailer stocked with spare parts.
Buoyed by the most active campaign of his short career, King can't wait to leave freezing Northeastern Ohio for the Sunshine State. He will arrive in Florida several days before the start of competition at Volusia in order to participate in a test session with several other Outlaw regulars at Ocala Speedway, which will host its first-ever WoO LMS event on March 19.
“I'm really looking forward to that test,” said King, who validated his WoO LMS education when he broke through for his first career dirt Late Model feature victory (worth $12,000) on Oct. 3, 2009, at McKean County Raceway in East Smethport, Pa. “Last year I would've just been out there testing to make laps, but this year I know guys like Chub (Frank) and (Tim) Fuller so I feel like I will understand more about what they're talking about (during the practice) and can compare it to what my car feels like.”
King hopes the test will help him get off to a great WoO LMS start at Volusia, a track that happens to hold a special place in his heart. He made the first start of his racing career there, entering the DIRTcar big-block Modified action during the 2004 DIRTcar Nationals just one month shy of his 15th birthday.
“Volusia is where I learned how to put a car in high gear and go,” said King, whose 44-year-old father, Rex Sr., and 18-year-old brother, Rex Jr. (aka ‘Cooter'), will also travel south with their DIRTcar big-block Modifieds to compete in the DCN. “I'll always have good memories of Volusia.”
King experienced some frustration last year at Volusia, failing to qualify for a dirt Late Model A-Main during the DCN. The two 50-lap, $10,000-to-win WoO LMS events that highlight the week were especially heartbreaking to the upstart – he missed transferring on Thursday night by just two spots in a B-Main, and on Saturday night he was headed to victory in a B-Main when his car's engine expired in a cloud of steam.
“We had finally gotten our act together at the end of the week last year and then we blew up,” said King, who turns 21 on March 18. “Hopefully we can run like we did that last night from the start this year and not run into any bad luck. We started (the WoO LMS) behind last year – not only in the points, but with our motor program – so it would be nice to get through Volusia in good shape.”
King has the right focus for the task at hand. With all indications pointing to the 2010 season boasting one of the most competitive, talent-laden fulltime driver rosters in WoO LMS history, he knows he can give nothing less than his best if he expects to improve upon his 10th-place finish in the 2009 points standings.
“I gotta take this thing real seriously,” said King, whose racing effort is funded primarily through his family's business, King Bros. Concrete. “My family is still behind this whole deal, but I know they can't fund it forever. They're giving me a chance to do what I love to do, but it's up to me to make this deal successful. You hope you can turn some heads so hopefully somebody will take notice and pick you up or back you.
“I feel like we can do it,” he continued, looking toward the '10 campaign. “I felt more comfortable toward the end of last year – we were working with Chub and Fuller, and we had some good runs (top 10s in four out of five races) at Tri-City. So as a realistic goal, I'm looking at a top-seven (finish) in the points and maybe a win if we hit it right at the right track.
“It's gonna be hard, but if we stay focused I think we can do it.”
The DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH begin on Feb. 2 and run nightly through Feb. 13. Joining the dirt Late Models on the schedule are the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Feb. 5-7); the Super DIRTcar Series for big-block Modifieds (Feb. 10-13); the All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series (Feb. 3-4); and the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Feb. 2-9).
For tickets to the 39th Annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, visit www.DIRTcarNationals.com or call Volusia Speedway Park at 386-985-4402. A ticket package for all six nights of dirt Late Model racing is available for $175.
In addition, for the first time in DIRTcar Nationals history, all fans will have the chance to see the competitors and their teams up close during each race nightt. A FREE Fan Pit Pass is available to every ticket-buying fan who comes through the main gates every night; fans can show their grandstand ticket and sign in to the pits at a table near the pit entrance.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
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World of Outlaws Late Model Series Champ Josh Richards Will Enter February's DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH Hot Off ARCA Debut At Daytona
BARBERVILLE, FL - Jan. 7, 2010 - Josh Richards is ready for what just might be the first week in the rest of his racing life.
With his national profile soaring in the wake of a World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship season in 2009, the 21-year-old sensation brings superstar status into the dirt Late Model portion of the 39th annual DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH from Feb. 8-13 at Volusia Speedway Park.
And if Richards can make some noise a couple days earlier in his stock-car debut at a certain nearby superspeedway, he'll grab even more attention from the legions of race fans who make nightly pilgrimages to the half-mile Volusia oval every February.
Richards loves making the annual trek from his Shinnston, W.Va., home to the Daytona Beach area for Volusia's big festival of speed – he has, after all, won the WoO LMS season opener there in each of the past three years – but he's never so eagerly anticipated heading south for the winter. As part of his bid to use his WoO LMS title as a launching pad to NASCAR stardom, Richards will take his first laps in ARCA Racing Series competition at Daytona International Speedway before entering the DIRTcar Nationals.
“It's going to be the most exciting Speedweeks ever for me,” said Richards, who has been competing in the DIRTcar Nationals since 2005, when he was still in high school and had to skip a couple days of classes to go racing. “Running at Volusia is always fun because it's one of my favorite tracks – and now I'm getting a chance to run at Daytona too while I'm there. It's a dream come true.”
Richards has visited the famed Daytona tri-oval during past DIRTcar Nationals, but only to network and chat with such friends as former Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart, who enters selected dirt Late Model events in a car that Richards helps prepare. Speeding around the high banks this year will be a new experience for the young talent.
Coming off a 2009 season that saw him enter a combined four pavement events on the NASCAR Camping World East Series (Greenville-Pickens, New Hampshire, Dover) and ARCA Racing Series (Kentucky Speedway) amid his busy dirt Late Model schedule, Richards got his first taste of Daytona's 2.5-mile layout during a late-December ARCA test. He turned over 100 laps in a Ken Schrader Racing Chevy during the three-day practice session, ending the weekend with the 12th-fastest circuit overall (out of over 80 drivers) at 182.120 mph.
Richards relished the experience he acquired during the ARCA test, which attracted an unusually large media contingent because it featured the first public stock-car laps taken by IndyCar starlet Danica Patrick. He's anxiously awaiting his opportunity to qualify for the 200-mile ARCA event, which is scheduled for the afternoon of Sat., Feb. 6.
“It was a lot of fun to get out there (at Daytona),” said Richards, who was actually scheduled to sit next to Patrick on his connecting flight from Charlotte to Daytona but missed that chance because she swapped seats just before Richards boarded the plane. “I felt pretty comfortable right from the start. When you peel off down the backstretch for the first time you can't help but wonder for a second if the car's gonna stick in (turn) three, but you just say, ‘Hey, this car is made to go around here,' and you put your foot down.”
Of course, Richards's focus will shift to his Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket Chassis house car once he drives out of Daytona's infield tunnel. There's six nights of dirt Late Model action on his plate at Volusia, including four UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned events (Feb. 8, 9, 10 and 12) and the season-opening 50-lap, $10,000-to-win programs for the WoO LMS on Feb. 11 and 13.
Richards will attempt to win the WoO LMS lidlifter for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year at Volusia, a track that has treated him very well. He also pocketed $10,000 for capturing last year's UMP DIRTcar finale, becoming just the second driver since 2004 to win the week's big UMP DIRTcar show and a WoO LMS event during the same DIRTcar Nationals.
“I've always had pretty good luck there,” Richards said of Volusia. “I remember the first time we ran there back in 2005, I won a heat and was in contention to win. It's a big, fast, sweeping track, and I just feel like it fits my driving style real well.”
But Richards understands that his spectacular record at Volusia is no guarantee of continued success in 2010. He expects this year's DIRTcar Nationals to be a major challenge – and not merely a result of the always-tough field of dirt Late Model teams that annually bring their ‘A' game to the event.
“I think the (track) surface is gonne be a little bit different this year,” said Richards, who led the WoO LMS in A-Main victories last season with eight. “They put some new clay on it. I saw it when we went down there (in early December) to test (his planned session was rained out), and it looks like there's less sand in the clay. I think it's going to be fast when they get it wet.”
With Richards planning to defend his WoO LMS title in 2010 unless a serious ARCA or NASCAR ride materializes, his Mark Richards Racing Enterprises team is geared up to spend another season on the road. Richards has two new and two rebuilt Rocket cars in his arsenal, plus a full complement of powerful Cornett racing engines.
Richards gives the lion's share of the credit for his team's meticulous off-season preparation to his mechanic Matt Barnes. That's understandable, considering Richards's busy off-season schedule made him largely absent from the race shop from shortly after he clinched the '09 crown in early-November through Christmas.
“Matt was pretty much the ‘Lone Ranger' here for a month-and-a-half,” said Richards. “He stayed home and worked while we were away. If it wasn't for Matt, there's no way we'd be ready.”
Yes, it was a fast-moving off-season for Richards. In December alone, he went from the International Motorsports Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis (where his car was displayed)...to three days of dirt Late Model testing in the Southeast...to the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Orlando...to Charlotte for a seat-fitting in Schrader's ARCA car...to Daytona testing. He even snuck in a visit with West Virginia governor Joe Manchin III for a discussion about the state's tourism arm lending some sponsorship help to his racing efforts.
“It's like there's been no off-season,” said Richards, who has an autograph appearance on Jan. 22 at the Motorsports show in Oaks, Pa. (outside Philadelphia) and duties at the annual Rocket Chassis Open House on Jan. 23 still on his itinerary before he begins his competitive campaign in Georgia just days later. “We've had so much going on, the days have just flown by. Before you even know it, it's time to go racing again.”
The DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH begin on Feb. 2 and run nightly through Feb. 13. Joining the dirt Late Models on the schedule is the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Feb. 5-7); the Super DIRTcar Series for big-block Modifieds (Feb. 10-13); the All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series (Feb. 3-4); and the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Feb. 2-9).
For tickets to the 39th Annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, visit www.DIRTcarNationals.com or call Volusia Speedway Park at 386-985-4402. A ticket package for all six nights of dirt Late Model racing is available for $175.
Every fan who purchases a ticket before Jan. 15 will be entered in the ‘Fan of February' contest, which rewards its winner with two free tickets and a free hotel stay during the DIRTcar Nationals. Fans can log on to www.fanoffebruary.com for more information.
In addition, for the first time in DIRTcar Nationals history, all fans will have the chance to see the competitors and their teams up close during each race nightt. A FREE Fan Pit Pass is available to every ticket-buying fan who comes through the main gates every night; fans can show their grandstand and sign in to the pits at a table near the pit entrance
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
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