Scott | Karnac Racing News

Drivers From Across Country Will Invade Volusia Speedway Park For World of Outlaws & DIRTcar UMP Events Feb. 14-19

Contact: Kevin Kovac
DIRTcar Public Relations
704-254-7929 / kkovac@dirtcar.com

What To Watch For: Late Models At The 40th DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH

Drivers From Across Country Will Invade Volusia Speedway Park For World of Outlaws & DIRTcar UMP Events Feb. 14-19

BARBERVILLE, FL – Jan. 30, 2011 – With the calendar moving toward the dirt Late Model portion of the 40^th DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park – a full-fender extravaganza featuring World of Outlaws Late Model Series events on Feb. 17 and 19 as well as DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned programs on Feb. 14, 15, 16 and 18 – here’s a primer on drivers to watch during the week…

* All eyes at the blazing-fast half-mile oval located 20 miles outside Daytona Beach will be focused on two-time defending WoO LMS champion Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who will bid to extend his unprecedented streak of season-opening victories on the national tour in the 50-lap A-Main scheduled for Thurs., Feb. 17. The 22-year-old sensation has captured the World of Outlaws lidlifter at Volusia in each of the last four years.

What’s more, if Richards can make it five straight opening-night wins, he would become the winningest driver on the WoO LMS since the World Racing Group restarted the tour in 2004. With 28 career series triumphs entering the 2011 season, he’s tied atop the win list with Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.

* The 43-year-old Francis, who in 2004 won the historic first WoO LMS event of the WRG era at Volusia, will roll into the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH in unfamiliar fashion. With a Barry Wright Race Car being his machine of choice this year (he began running the Cowpens, S.C.-based brand late in 2010), he’s beginning a season without a Rocket Chassis under him for the first time in more than a decade. He owns three career WoO LMS victories at Volusia, having also registered checkered flags in 2006 and 2009.

* Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., fell just four points shy of Richards in the final 2010 WoO LMS points standings. One of the places he could have picked up those critical points? Volusia Speedway Park, where he struggled through arguably his worst back-to-back outings of the season.

Lanigan, 40, was never a factor in last year’s pair of WoO LMS A-Mains, settling for finishes of 11^th and 12^th. He had to fall back on a points provisional spot to start the second feature – one of just two provisionals he used in 44 events during the 2010 campaign.

Of course, Lanigan has enjoyed success at Volusia in recent DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. He won the opening-night DIRTcar UMP feature last year and captured the $10,000-to-win UMP finale in 2007.

* Volusia has been very good to Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who finished third in last year’s WoO LMS points standings in his first season as a tour regular since winning the title in 2006. It’s where he won his first-ever dirt Late Model feature (UMP show in 2004), captured his first-ever WoO LMS A-Main (in 2005) and clinched his only World of Outlaws championship. He also won two UMP-sanctioned features in 2005 and reached Victory Lane in DIRTcar big-block Modified competition there in 2002.

McCreadie, who in last year’s DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH WoO LMS finale made a memorable charge from the 28^th starting spot to a third-place finish after gaining entry to the A-Main thanks to a provisional spot, heads into 2011 battle with some new faces supporting his Sweeteners Plus racing effort. His crew now features 25-year-old Barry Knapp, who traveled the WoO LMS with Tim Fuller in 2009 before spending last season working for New York big-block Modified driver Ryan Phelps, and former Russell King crewman Craig (‘Snowman’) McCrimmon, whose brother, Matt, is a mechanic for McCreadie’s teammate Vic Coffey. Al Stevens, who has served as McCreadie’s crew chief for several seasons, remains with the Sweeteners Plus team but is expected to spend more time working in the shop than traveling in 2011.

* Caledonia, N.Y.’s Vic Coffey will be in action at Volusia and is considering a fulltime assault on the WoO LMS for the first time since he won the Rookie of the Year award in 2008. He plans to run the tour’s early-season events and then decide whether he will continue down the road.

* Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., and Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., will lead the DIRTcar UMP brigade into the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. Feger is the reigning DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion and the circuit’s 2009 national champion, while Erb has won three Summer Nationals and two national titles in the last four years.

Neither driver, however, owns a prolific track record at Volusia. Feger made his first career winter racing trip to Florida last year and scored a top finish of 13^th (in the UMP opener) at the half-mile oval; Erb has been a DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH stalwart for a decade but his best finish over the past six years is a fifth (in 2008 and 2010 UMP races).

* Another driver from the heart of DIRTcar UMP country, two-time Summer Nationals champion Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., will likely be chasing a DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH triumph for the third time in the last five years. A Volusia UMP feature winner last year and in 2007 and a WoO LMS victor in 2004, the nationally-known star has switched to Victory Circle by Moyer chassis in 2011 and is hopeful that his equipment will be ready for Volusia action.

* Other Midwestern talents from the DIRTcar UMP circuit with plans to enter the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH include Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Ill., who finished third in the 2010 national points standings; rising teenage star Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill.; Dillan White of Crofton, Ky.; Jason McBride of Carbondale, Ill.; Frank Heckenast Jr. of Orland Park, Ill.; 2009 American Late Model Series champ Jon Henry of Ada, Ohio; and 62-year-old veteran Mike Hammerle of St. Charles, Mo., who will likely set up camp in his usual DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH spot along the pit-area access road leading down to the ‘Gator Pond’ area behind Volusia’s backstretch.

* Rick Eckert of York, Pa. – one of just two drivers who has started all 281 WoO LMS A-Mains contested since 2004 – knows how to get around the D-shaped Volusia layout. He’s won seven features since 1999 – more than any other racer over that span. But Eckert hasn’t won at the track since 2006 and has never captured a WoO LMS event; his triumphs came in UMP, UDTRA/Hav-A-Tampa and unsanctioned races.

* One year ago Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., arrived at the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH without his familiar No. 25 – and with a PICC line in his left arm so he could receive IV bags filled with powerful antibiotics every eight hours in order to rid his bloodstream of the strep bacteria that had spread from a serious infection in his thumb. Still recovering from the late-January medical scare that had sent him to a hospital for a week, all he could do at the 2010 Volusia meet was use emergency provisionals to start each of the WoO LMS A-Mains in teammate Tony Knowles’s car for points-chasing purposes.

Clanton left Volusia last year already over 100 points behind in the WoO LMS standings, effectively ending his championship hopes. He hopes to turn that around this season; he’s healthy and ready to chase glory in the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH with a brand-new Capital Race Cars chassis that he’s built with retired racer Marshall Green.

* WoO LMS regular Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., won five DIRTcar big-block Modified features at Volusia from 2001-2007, but the tour’s 2007 Rookie of the Year has enjoyed nowhere near that type of success in dirt Late Model competition. A full-fender entrant in every DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH since 2006, he’s managed just one top-10 finish in WoO LMS action (eighth in the first 2009 A-Main) and a personal-best finish of sixth in UMP events (2008).

* Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., who won the $10,000 UMP finale of the 2008 DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, will begin his WoO LMS mentorship of fellow Georgia racer Brian Reese during this year’s meet. The 45-year-old driver known as ‘Cat Daddy’ has been commissioned by Reese’s family-owned team to provide the young upstart technical assistance and driving tips throughout the 2011 season, during which Reese plans to chase the WoO LMS Rookie of the Year award.

Reese is one of at least three drivers expected to apply for WoO LMS Rookie of the Year status at Volusia, joining John Lobb of Frewsburg, N.Y., who earned a WoO LMS fast-time award last year at Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ont., and Ron Davies of Warren, Pa. Davies, whose daughter Michelle is engaged to Shane Clanton, is a veteran driver who has decided to take a stab at a national tour for the first time after focusing primarily on the western Pennsylvania circuit throughout his career.

* Coming off the first winless season of his WoO LMS career in 2010, Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., is hopeful that he can get his program back on a winning track at a speedway that’s treated him well over the years. Frank, who turned 49 on Jan. 20, owns five wins at Volusia since 1999, tied for third-best on the victory list over that period. He last won in 2006, however, and hasn’t triumphed in a WoO LMS A-Main.

* Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., and Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio – the WoO LMS Rookies of the Year in 2010 and 2009, respectively – hope to end their past frustration at Volusia. Both drivers have competed in the last two DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH; Hubbard has qualified for four of the nine events he’s entered (top finish: 10^th in last year’s WoO LMS finale), and King has started two of the 10 races he’s attempted (he finished 24^th in each of last year’s WoO LMS A-Mains).

* After having her Rocket Chassis mount gone over by Clint Smith in the Outlaw veteran’s Peach State shop during the off-season, Jill George of Cedar Falls, Iowa, plans to return to the WoO LMS road in 2011 after becoming the first female driver to pursue the tour’s Rookie of the Year award last season. She heads to Volusia after participating in a mid-January ARCA stock car test at Daytona International Speedway behind the wheel of an Andy Hillenburg Racing stock car.

* Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark. – who, at 54, enjoyed a spectacular 2010 season that included victories in the DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned Dream and World 100 at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway – has the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH on his early-season schedule. He’s won five times at Volusia since 1999, including WoO LMS A-Mains in 2005 and 2008.

Moyer’s son, budding racer Billy Moyer Jr., plans to accompany his legendary father to Volusia to make his DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH competitive debut. The 23-year-old graduated from Arkansas State University in December.

* Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., is scheduled to return to the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH after sitting out last year’s action while serving a suspension from World Racing Group events for a tire infraction during the 2009 World Finals. His last February victory at Volusia came in a 2004 WoO LMS event, but he also won the track’s ‘Gator 100’ in October 2005.

* Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., who closed the 2010 WoO LMS campaign with a victory in the Lowes Foods World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, is in search of his first-ever win at Volusia. He’s finished as high as second.

* Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., is planning to enter the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH for the first time since 2007. His lone career win at Volusia came in a 2000 event sanctioned by the American Late Model Series.

* Wisconsin veteran Pat Doar is accompanying Mars to Volusia. He also has one career win at the Barberville facility – a UMP-sanctioned event back in 1996.

* Jacksonville’s Earl Pearson Jr. is the only driver from Florida to win a DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH event over the past decade. His resume shows four victories, the last coming in the 2009 DIRTcar UMP opener.

* Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., ranks second on the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH win list since 1999, with six triumphs. All his victories came between 2002-2004.

* Other former DIRTcar Nationals feature winners expected in this year’s field include Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis. (WoO LMS 2010), Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis. (UMP 2009), Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga. (UDTRA/Hav-A-Tampa 1999) and Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark. (UDTRA/Hav-A-Tampa 1999).

* Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., will be searching for his initial DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH triumph, but he pocketed $20,000 for winning the 2006 WoO LMS ‘Gator 100’ at Volusia.

* Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., who won his first-ever WoO LMS A-Main in the first half of last November’s Lowes Foods World Finals, is slated to make his DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH debut at Volusia in the Barry Wright house car.

* Among other drivers expected to compete in the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH include 2010 United Late Model Series champion Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa.; Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., one of the country’s busiest dirt Late Model racers last season; Dan Stone of Thompson, Pa., a former WoO LMS winner in Pennsylvania who became a father for the first time in November with the birth of his daughter Addison; 2009 DIRTcar Nationals UMP Modified champion Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark., who will be a dirt Late Model regular for the first time this season in cars owned by NASCAR star Clint Bowyer; 2010 WISSOTA Late Model national champion Ricky Weiss of St. Francis Xavier, Manitoba; Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., who followed the WoO LMS in 2009 and for half the 2010 season; teenager Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif., who during the 2009 DIRTcar Nationals became the youngest driver in WoO LMS history to qualify for an A-Main; Larry Wight of Phoenix, N.Y., a teenager from the DIRTcar big-block Modified ranks whose father John also owns Tim Fuller’s Gypsum Express dirt Late Models; Brad Neat of Dunnville, Ky.; and Will Vaught of Crane, Mo.

*****

The dirt Late Model portion of the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH kicks off with DIRTcar UMP programs topped by 30-lap, $7,000-to-win features on Feb. 14, 15 and 16. The season-opening WoO LMS events on Thurs., Feb. 17, and Sat., Feb. 19, boast 50-lap headliners paying $10,000 to win, and the DIRTcar UMP finale on Fri., Feb. 18, will run over the 40-lap distance and offer a $10,000 first-place prize.

All six nights of full-fender competition will be capped by a ‘Bulrush Dash,’ a 12-lap, 15-car race reserved for the top-five non-transfers from each evening’s B-Mains who have not yet qualified for an A-Main during the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. A $300 prize and trophy will go the winner of each dash.

The DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH is a 12-night short-track blockbuster that also includes the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Feb. 11-13); the O’Reilly All-Star Sprint Car Series (Feb. 9-10); the Super DIRTcar Series for big-block Modifieds (Feb. 16-19); and the UMP Modifieds (Feb. 8-15).

For more information on the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH – including special pricing on advance-sale tickets and details of the ‘Free Pit Pass With Every Ticket’ offer that allows fans to get up-close-and-personal with the race teams every night of the DCN – visit www.DIRTcarNationals.com or call 704-795-7223 or 386-985-4402.

Additional info on the WoO LMS is available by logging on to www.worldofoutlaws.com.

By Scott|2011-02-05T01:29:20-05:00January 31st, 2011|Featured, Front Page News, Series, Volusia Speedway Park|Comments Off

Ocala Speedway Celebrates Another Great Season Of Racing

by BJ Cavin- Ocala Speedway Media

OCALA, FL- Racers, fans, and speedway staff, gathered on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to celebrate the 2010 racing season at the historic Ocala Speedway, plus recognize and honor the top finishers in each racing division. The outdoor banquet featured a home cooked dinner featuring bar-b-que pork and chicken, green beans, macaroni and cheese, plus an assortment of delicious desserts, and was held on the checker board concourse behind the main grandstands at the track.

The top five finishers in each divisional points race were honored with trophies and their share of the driver’s points fund, plus a few special individual awards were given to racers who stood out above the others. Ocala Speedway owner Michael Peters personally handed out the awards, and allowed each recipient a chance to thank those who made their success possible in 2010.

The Most Improved Driver of 2010 was awarded to Kyle Morse of Ocala’s Gladiator Division. Morse began the season struggling to get his car around the track without spinning it out or bouncing off of anything within his range, but by the end of the season was competing with some of the top contenders in the division.

The David Reutimann Award went to another Gladiator competitor, Brandon Haseleu. Haseleu also struggled early in the season, but hung tough and showed great desire to learn and adapt. By the end of 2010 Haseleu was holding his own, and now has announced plans to move up to a V8 Thunder Stock sometime in the 2011 season.

The 2010 Driver of the Year Award went to Wayne Hammond, a top competitor in Ocala Speedway’s Open Wheel Modified Division.

The Sportsman Division at Ocala was short lived in 2010, as a wide disparity in the rules between different tracks helped to keep the car counts low and doom the division at Florida’s oldest speedway. But at the time that the division raced a final race at Ocala, Augie Burttram had taken control of the points lead and was awarded the championship trophy for his hard work.

Ocala’s Gladiator division featured probably the wildest and most hotly contested points race through the final weeks of the season. Kyle Morse began the season struggling to keep up, but gradually adapted and earned the 5th place trophy in the end. Casey Feaster at one time in the season held the points lead at both Ocala and at Volusia Speedway Park, but problems with his tow vehicle cost him a night on the track at Ocala and knocked him out of the top spot. Feaster rallied to finish 4th in the points standings, while one time points leader Steve Johnson slipped from the top and salvaged a 3rd place final standing. Devin Walker had been in contention to win the division going into the final races, but an accident in turn 4 on a wild night of racing left him as the 2nd place finisher. And Matt Shea fought his way up the points ladder throughout the season, finally reaching the top rung when it counted most in the final outings, capturing the Gladiator points championship in the process.

There are few tracks left where Mini Stocks can still run on dirt, and Ocala is the only one where they can still compete as a regular division. Paul Combast had been riding at the top of the points battle but a disqualification and missing races at the end of the season left him in the 5th spot as the season ended. Buddy Pope fought his way to a 4th place finish in the points battle, while Johnny Zackery wound up placing 3rd. The top two spots were all in the family as Nick Kerr held off his father, Dan Kerr, for the Mini Stock points championship.

Consistency was the key for William Edwards to finish in 5th place in the Tee Pee Tire Hobby Stock points battle, as Jody Wells raced hard for his 4th place trophy. Danny Miller Jr found his way to victory more than once, but had to overcome possibly the most spectacular crash of 2010 at Ocala Speedway to claim the 3rd spot in the points. But the battle for the points lead was between both Heath Walker and Dean Jarvis for most of the season, with Jarvis taking and holding onto the lead for the Tee Pee Tire Hobby Stock Championship.

To wind up in the top five of the Amsoil V8 Thunder Stock points battle is a matter of survival at Ocala, as the Thunder Stocks are a rough and tumble bunch, but Brian Shea was up to the task and claimed the 5th spot overall. Vaughn Woodall used consistency to claim the 4th spot, while Chris Shea hung tough for a 3rd place finish. The championship was decided on the final night of the season as Mike Stalnaker’s disqualification landed him the 2nd place points trophy and awarded the Amsoil V8 Thunder Stock Championship to Scott Mooers. That feat meant that Mooers managed to claim the championship at both the tough 3/8ths mile at Ocala Speedway, and also at the 1/2 mile expanse of Volusia Speedway Park.

Ocala Speedway’s Open Wheel Modifieds battled hard all season, with Garret Stewart rising through the ranks to wind up in the 5th place overall. Stewart was followed in 4th place by Wayne Hammond, while consistent performances placed Tim Zackery 3rd in the final points tally. Kyle Bronson was a tough competitor all season, and managed to claim the 2nd place trophy despite some setbacks. But the dominant force in Ocala’s Modified division once again was Jeff Mathews, who managed to win all but two races on the schedule in route to the open Wheel Modified Points Championship.

The Ocala Speedway Late Model Division saw Phillip Cobb prove that he could be a winner, as he won the prestigious Powell Memorial at Ocala Speedway in June of 2010. That feat, along with consistent racing throughout the season, gained Cobb the 5th place in the final points standings for the racing season. Christian Augspurger may have just gotten his learner’s permit back in December, but he used both consistency and excellent driving skills to wheel his late model to claim the 4th place trophy while he was still just 14 years old. Augspurger will,be back in 2011, and possibly even more ambitious now that he is the ripe old age of 15.

Things get a bit confused in the final Late Model points standings as the season ended in a tie between Ocala’s Ivedent Lloyd Jr and defending 2009 Champion J.O. Nobles. So with no true 2nd and 3rd place finishers determined, the winnings for both racers were combined and divided evenly between them, and each was awarded a trophy. But in 2010 the Late Model Points Championship was won by Mark Whitener, who also managed to claim the top spot for the season with the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series as well.

Ocala Speedway will kick off the 2011 racing season on Friday, March 4th, with outstanding Late Model action from the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series, plus Ocala Speedway’s tough V8 Thunder Stocks and the highly competitive Gladiators. In the meantime, fans can enjoy Winternationals sprint car action from the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions, and the Florida Mini Sprint Association, on Friday and Saturday, February 4th and 5th. Winternationals competition continues on Sunday, February 13th as the best of the best in national dirt late model action come to Ocala in a one night free for all that pays $8000 to the winner, and that also features a $500 to win feature for Ocala’s fender banging V8 Thunder Stocks. And on February 17th through 19th feature non winged sprint car mayhem from the USAC Bubba Army Sprint Car Nationals, plus the UMP Modifieds. For more information on upcoming events at America’s Dirt Track, please visit www.OcalaSpeedway.com.

By Scott|2011-01-31T04:22:40-05:00January 31st, 2011|Bubba Raceway Park, Featured, Front Page News, Upcoming Events|Comments Off

Sprint Car Racing on at Citrus County February 5th

John Chance, CCS Media

Citrus County Speedway has reached and agreement to run an unsanctioned sprint car race on February 5th. This race will not be run under any series or club affiliation.

We are trying very hard to make this work for ALL involved. With that being said, everyone needs to put their own egos, personal agendas, and politics aside if they want to have asphalt sprint car racing at all this year.

Everyone involved with asphalt sprint car racing needs to do all they can to support this event. If not, this will be the end of sprint car racing at Citrus for a very long time.

Please contact Tony Carreno for any additional details at 813-267-3710.

By Scott|2011-01-30T17:13:18-05:00January 30th, 2011|Citrus County Speedway, Featured, Front Page News, Upcoming Events|Comments Off

Outlaws Know Quick Start at Volusia Key to Championship Race

by Kyle Luetters

CONCORD, N.C. — Points. In motorsports, those numbers are what separate champions from the rest of the field. The past two years on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series tour, the margin between title contenders has never been closer for a longer period of time.

Those points earned on the first night of the season Feb. 11 at Volusia Speedway Park are just as important as the points that will be earned on Nov. 5 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in the season finale. Last year at the DIRTcar Nationals by University of Northwestern Ohio, Tony Stewart Racing’s Donny Schatz and Steve Kinser put themselves in the title chase with Jason Meyers, Joey Saldana and Jason Sides by topping the World of Outlaws events during the 12-night kickoff to the 2011 dirt track racing season.

Meyers needs a strong start at Florida to begin his title defense because Schatz and Kinser, with 24 championships between them, know what it takes to win a crown. And nobody will be as motivated as Saldana, who is trying to give car owner Kasey Kahne his first World of Outlaws crown.

All that leads into a breakdown of the Outlaws, by their 2010 finishing order, entering the season opener Feb. 11 at Volusia:

Can Jason Meyers pick up where he left off in Charlotte? Meyers dominated the World Finals in November, capturing both A-mains to become the first Californian to win the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series championship. A single-car operation that prides itself on its teamwork and dedication to winning against bigger multi-car teams, the Elite Racing Team with Meyers behind the wheel won’t rest on its 2010 accomplishments, which led to Meyers being named Driver of the Year by the North American 410 Sprint Car Poll. Determined to repeat like the champions before him, Meyers knows he will need a strong effort at Volusia to continue the momentum he had at the end of last season.

Donny Schatz had a huge surge down the stretch last season to close within striking distance of Meyers at the World Finals and carried it into the winter with big wins in Australia. In the past, that combination has led to a strong start for Schatz at Volusia, where he earned a World of Outlaws victory last season, and could spell trouble for the rest of the field as the North Dakota native aims for his fifth title. A new-look color combination on the #15 machine might be just the spark he needs.

Steve Kinser was rejuvenated last season, coming ever so close to an unreal 21st championship and refueling the legend for another title run. Kinser earned a victory last season at Volusia on the series’ second night and that momentum combined with his new Tony Stewart Racing ride helped keep the King of the Outlaws at or near the points lead throughout the season. A resurgent Kinser created a buzz everywhere the Outlaws raced, highlighted by his spectacular Kings Royal last-lap victory. Nobody knows the value of a strong start more than Kinser, and he’ll no doubt be ready to roll Feb. 11.

Ask many experts and Joey Saldana is their pick to win his first World of Outlaws championship in 2011. The Kasey Kahne Racing driver was atop or near the top of the standings for nearly the entire 2010 season, winning a series-high 13 races, before a freak accident in the fall at Eldora cost him a night of racing and made it almost impossible to have a shot at the title. Saldana is one of the best racers at Volusia every February, finishing on the podium seemingly every night. Another strong start by Saldana and it could be trouble for the rest of the Outlaws in ’11.

Jason Sides started coming on strong at the end of the 2009 season and had a breakout year in 2010, winning on tracks requiring many different skills and finishing in the Top Five in points for the first time in his career. That success will no doubt raise Sides’ expectations this year. To contend he knows a fast start is crucial, and he has continued to put the pieces in place to be a threat to win every night. Don’t be surprised to see Sides, one of the most fan friendly drivers in Sprint Car racing, take the next step toward a title this season.

Paul McMahan’s 2010 season will be one he never forgets. He took over the Kasey Kahne Racing #91 Great Clips ride after Cody Darrah was injured in an off-track accident and turned in one of the best seasons of his stellar career. McMahan was tied with Meyers to lead the series with 10 quick times and tied with Schatz to lead the series with 8 pole positions. McMahan moves into the #83 car this year in a partnership between Kasey Kahne and longtime car owner Dennis Roth. A strong showing at Volusia will guarantee an even bigger battle for the World of Outlaws title in 2011 as the series races its way west in March to McMahan’s – and Roth’s -native California.

Every season opener at Volusia, Craig Dollansky is one of the drivers keep an eye on. A quick start in 2009 launched him to the top of the standings and he’ll look to duplicate that performance as he begins his second season in the Big Game Treestands #7 car. One of the most intense drivers in the pits, Dollansky is primed to attack the championship race this season after a strong winter of competition Down Under.

Lucas Wolfe is ever so close to winning his first World of Outlaws race, and Volusia is exactly the type of big, fast track where he can accomplish that feat. A native of Mechanicsburg, Pa., and the 2008 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year winner, Wolfe set three track records in 2010 as he’s progressed up the standings in each season he’s toured with the Outlaws. Kerry Madsen earned his first World of Outlaws win during the 2008 DIRTcar Nationals, this might be the year Wolfe does the same thing.

The World of Outlaws 2001 champion Danny Lasoski will unveil a new ride at Volusia, and his competitive edge will no doubt make him a force.

He’s had success in the past and if anybody knows the importance of starting fast and finishing strong it’s Lasoski.

Kraig Kinser , the 2005 Knoxville Nationals champion, moves into the #6 Casey’s General Stores car in 2011. A fast start at Volusia will be the spark he needs to climb into the wide-open championship race.

Like Wolfe, Sam Haferetpe Jr. also is on the verge of his first World of Outlaws victory. The Texas native topped time trials six times last year to go with three pole positions and three track records. He’s fast everywhere but seems especially quick on the big, high-speed half-miles like Volusia. A victory at Volusia could launch Hafertepe’s career to the next level.

Always a fan favorite, Jac Haudenschild earned five World of Outlaws victories in 2010. He enters Volusia, where he’s gone wheel-to-wheel for some of the most exciting finishes in recent years, knowing he’s one of the drivers everybody will be watching. His high-side racing style combined with the fast top-side at Volusia makes the Wild Child a threat to win on every night.

Chad Kemenah knows how to get around Volusia, having raced to victory on opening night in 2006. The Ohio native and four-time O’Reilly Auto Parts All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series champion came one strong in the fall and will look to carry that momentum into the DIRTcar Nationals.

No driver progressed more in 2010 than Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year winner Ben Gregg. Following a year on the road with Outlaws, Gregg will no doubt put that experience to work at Volusia.

Canadian Toni Lutar fulfilled a life-long dream in 2010, touring with the World of Outlaws at every event. Like Gregg, the experience will help Lutar take on the expected huge field of Sprint Cars at the DIRTcar Nationals.

Cody Darrah will be the front-runner for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award. An injured knee sustained in a car accident on his way to the track for the 2010 opener prevented Darrah from climbing into his Kasey Kahne Racing ride. A year later, Darrah is ready to restart his career with the Outlaws. Only 21 years old, Darrah has already earned a World of Outlaws victory at his home track of Williams Grove in 2009, a season when he turned heads with his on-track performance and caught the eye of Kasey Kahne. Everybody is eager to see how Darrah will compete in 2011, but no one doubts he’ll be one of the fastest racers on the tour right off the trailer at Volusia.

So will Meyers be able to make it two in a row? Can Schatz add a fifth trophy to the display case? Will Kinser get his coveted 21st crown? Or will Saldana, Sides, Dollansky, McMahan or another Outlaw win their first title? The story of the 2011 season begins Feb. 11 at the 40th DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park. Tickets are available by calling the event ticket hotline at 386-985-4402 or by clicking the Buy Tickets button at www.DIRTcarNationals.com, the official online home of the DIRTcar Nationals that includes news, directions and lodging information.

By Scott|2011-01-29T15:36:47-05:00January 29th, 2011|Featured, Front Page News, Series, Upcoming Events, Volusia Speedway Park|Comments Off

Russell King Aims To Put Frustrating Sophomore Campaign On World of Outlaws Late Model Series Behind Him

by Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series PR Director

Tour’s 2009 Rookie of the Year Ready To Start Fresh During 40^th DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH On Feb. 14-19 At Volusia Speedway Park

BARBERVILLE, FL – Jan. 26, 2011 – Good riddance, 2010. Hello, 2011.

That’s Russell King’s simple mindset as he prepares for the upcoming World of Outlaws Late Model Series campaign, which kicks off with 50-lap events on Thurs., Feb. 17, and Sat., Feb. 19, during the 40^th DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park.

Coming off a miserable 2010 season in which he failed to show the progress he expected after winning the WoO LMS Rookie of the Year award in 2009, King, 21, of Bristolville, Ohio, is staring squarely at what he considers a make-or-break year. He feels he must improve on the road with the Outlaws or begin considering another line of work.

“The first year (following the WoO LMS) we ran good sometimes even though we didn’t know a lot (about dirt Late Models),” said King, who excelled on the western Pennsylvania/eastern Ohio big-block Modified circuit before tackling the WoO LMS schedule with less than two-dozen career dirt Late Model starts under his belt. “We seemed to be making some strides at the end of the (2009) season so last year I thought we’d continue to get better because we actually knew some stuff, but we got worse. We had a horrible season.

“Last year was real frustrating,” he added. “I want to be way further ahead than where I am right now. My mom and dad spend a lot of money for me to do this deal, so we have to be more competitive this year if I’m going to keep doing this fulltime.”

King appeared to be on an upward trajectory in 2009, registering eight top-10 finishes – including a late-season stretch of four top 10s in five races – en route to the national tour’s top rookie honor. He capped his year with a $12,000 triumph away from the WoO LMS at McKean County Raceway in East Smethport, Pa., proving that his Outlaw education had served him well.

But King experienced a disheartening 2010 season. He managed just two top-10 finishes, led the circuit in DNFs (13) and finished out of the points-fund money (11^th in the standings). Only a shining moment in the mid-summer WoO LMS event at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park – he won his first-ever tour heat race and impressively led laps 1-11 of the A-Main before a scrape with a lapped car started him on a fall from contention – provided King some solace.

“Attica pretty much kept me from hanging myself off the lift-gate of my trailer halfway through the year,” quipped King, who settled for a 13 ^th-place finish at Attica after a mid-race tangle forced him to restart at the rear of the field.

Despite his demoralizing performance in 2010, King’s confidence is not shaken. He feels good about the state of his family-owned program, which features two Rocket cars (one he debuted last year and a brand-new machine) and a freshened stock of Custom engines.

“I’m staying positive and I’m real focused,” said King, who displayed his new King Bros. Racing. No. 56 in the DIRTcar Racing booth during last weekend’s Motorsports 2011 Race Car & Trade Show at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa. “I feel like we’re the best prepared that we’ve ever been and I feel like I’m more serious mentally than I’ve ever been.

“The mental aspect is half of this deal right now because everybody’s got good race cars and good motors, but sometimes with the Late Model I don’t have that killer instinct to keep digging like I used to in the Modified. When I raced Modifieds I didn’t care who I lined up against or how the car felt – I just had that drive to keep going.

“I just want to get back to having fun like when I was racing Modifieds, just at a different level. It’s a big psychological deal for me.”

In an effort to make himself even sharper behind the wheel, King recently began working with a personal trainer to whip his burly frame into better condition. He’s also made a move to buoy him on the technical side, contracting veteran mechanic Robby Allen to provide valuable set-up assistance. Allen, who will remain crew chief for 2010 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year Austin Hubbard this season, began working with King late last year and will continue advising the young driver in 2011.

“I’m excited about working with ‘Hog’ this year,” King said of Allen, who is best known for his successful stint as Rick Eckert’s chief mechanic. “He’s smart and he’s not afraid to answer my questions. The first night I worked with him last year we went to Roaring Knob (in Markleysburg, Pa., for a non-Outlaw event) and I ran fifth. I’ve been talking to him once or twice a week ever since, and last week he was at my shop and we scaled the cars.

“I feel like working with Robby has already helped us make a bunch of gains. I’m confident my race cars are better because he’s changed some stuff on them. You know, my car’s the same as Josh’s (WoO LMS champ Josh Richards) and all of them (with Rockets), but the problem is, Josh is like 160 pounds and I’m 260. We had to change things around to get the (weight) percentages where they needed to be without getting the car too heavy. I never really thought about that, but every little thing matters in dirt Late Model racing.”

King, who proposed to his high-school sweetheart, Ashley Jackson, last month in a manner that he admitted was “pretty romantic for a guy like me” (he popped the question on sleigh ride in Ohio’s Amish Country), does not currently have a fulltime mechanic. He’s content overseeing all aspects of his team’s preparation with help from, among others, his father, Rex Sr., and younger brother, Rex Jr. (both big-block Modified regulars); his cousin Mark Bates; and veteran crewman Bobby Bachman.

“I’m back to doing a lot of the stuff on the car myself like I did with the Modified,” said King, who has set an October 2012 wedding date. “It makes me feel better at night that I know what’s been done to my stuff.

“My goal this year is just to be competitive everywhere we go,” he continued. “I feel like we can do that.”

King will start his 2011 quest for redemption in the Sunshine State. He’ll hit the track for the first time on Sun., Feb. 13, in a DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned event at Ocala (Fla.) Speedway before moving on for six consecutive nights of DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH action at the half-mile Volusia oval, which also hosts DIRTcar UMP shows on Feb. 14, 15, 16 and 18 in addition to the season-opening, $10,000-to-win WoO LMS programs on Feb. 17 and 19.

The DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH will provide a serious challenge for King, who recognizes that the event draws one of the most talented dirt Late Model fields of the season. While the track holds a special place in his heart – he made his big-block Modified debut there in February 2004, one month before his 15^th birthday – it hasn’t treated him well. He’s had an especially tough go in his two seasons of dirt Late Model competition at Volusia, entering 10 events (six UMP, four WoO LMS) but only making two A-Main lineups (a pair of 24^th-place WoO LMS finishes in 2010).

“Realistically, when there’s 75 to 80 good cars there, I’d just like to make all the shows and get a couple top 10s,” said King, whose career-best WoO LMS finish is a ninth, on July 10 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D. “If we can get off to a good start like that, I think it would help set the tone for the rest of the season.”

The DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH is a 12-night short-track blockbuster that also includes the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Feb. 11-13); the O’Reilly All-Star Sprint Car Series (Feb. 9-10); the Super DIRTcar Series for big-block Modifieds (Feb. 16-19); and the UMP Modifieds (Feb. 8-15).

For more information on the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH – including special pricing on advance-sale tickets and details of the ‘Free Pit Pass With Every Ticket’ offer that allows fans to get up-close-and-personal with the race teams every night of the DCN – visit www.DIRTcarNationals.com or call 704-795-7223 or 386-985-4402.

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

By Scott|2011-02-03T20:35:43-05:00January 27th, 2011|Front Page News, Series, Volusia Speedway Park|Comments Off

BREAKING NEWS: NASCAR ADDS WILD CARD ELEMENT TO SETTING THE CHASE FIELD; SIMPLIFIES POINTS SYSTEM

DAYTONA BEACH, FL — NASCAR on Wednesday announced that it has added a wild-card element to setting the Chase for the Sprint Cup field and it has simplified its points system for 2011, making it easier for fans, competitors and the industry to understand.

While the 12-driver Chase field remains intact, the final two spots will be determined by the number of victories during the first 26 races.

The top 10 in points following Race No. 26 — the “cutoff” race — continue to earn Chase berths.

Positions 11 and 12 are “wild-card” qualifiers and will go to non-top-10-ranked drivers with the most victories, as long as they’re ranked in the top 20 in points. The top 10 Chase drivers will continue to be seeded based on victories during the first 26 races, with each win worth three bonus points. The wild-card drivers will not receive bonus points for wins and will be seeded 11th and 12th, respectively. It’s a move aimed toward rewarding winning and consistency during the regular season.

NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France made the announcements at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., during the Sprint Media Tour .

“The fans tell us that winning matters the most with them, so we’re combining the tradition of consistency in our sport with the excitement that comes along with winning,” France said. “This makes every race count leading into the 26th race of the season at Richmond, when we set the field for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.”

The new points system — which applies to all NASCAR national series — will award points in one-point increments. As an example, in the Cup Series, race winners will earn 43 points, plus three bonus points for the victory. Winners also can earn an extra point for leading a lap and leading the most laps, bringing their total to a possible maximum of 48 points.

All other drivers in a finishing order will be separated by one-point increments. A second-place finisher will earn 42 points, a third-place driver 41 points, and so on. A last-place finisher — 43rd place — earns one point. In the Camping World Truck Series, the last-place finisher receives eight points, to account for that series’ 36-driver race field.

“Many of our most loyal fans don’t fully understand the points system we have used to date,” said France, referencing the system that has been in use since 1975. “So, we are simplifying the points system to one that is much easier to understand. Conceptually, it is comparable to our previous system, but it is easier to follow.”

During his remarks Wednesday night, France reflected on the outstanding competition the sport enjoyed in 2010 and expected to see that high caliber of racing to continue once the green flag drops for the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20.

“NASCAR enters 2011 with positive momentum and a great sense of excitement and optimism,” France said. “We’re extremely excited for the launch of the season. Leading the season off with Daytona, Phoenix and Las Vegas, we believe our fans are in store for some of the best racing the sport has to offer.”

Other competitive enhancements announced Wednesday:

Pick a Series — Drivers in all three national series now must select the series where they’ll compete for a drivers’ championship. Drivers still may compete in multiple series and help their teams win owners’ titles in series where they’re not competing for a drivers’ title. The move helps spotlight young talent in the Nationwide and Truck series.

New Qualifying Procedure — The qualifying order will be set based upon slowest-to-fastest practice speeds.

Inclement Weather Qualifying — If bad weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by practice speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book.

Tire Rules Revision — Cup teams now are allowed five sets of tires for practice and qualifying instead of six. They must return four of those sets to Goodyear in order to receive their race allotment, and may keep one set of practice/qualifying tires. Tire allotments for race weekends will vary according to historical performance data.

Closed Loop Fueling System — Introduced in the Truck Series, this goes into effect for all three national series in 2011. It combines a more efficient fueling system with the elimination of the catch-can man, considered the most “vulnerable” pit-crew member. Teams now will use six, rather than seven, over-the-wall pit-crew members.

Evolution of Cup Car — NASCAR continues to work with the manufacturers and teams to enhance the look of the Cup Series car. The cars have new fronts this season and the body makeover will continue to help appeal to fans and aid manufacturer identity.

By Scott|2011-01-27T12:16:35-05:00January 27th, 2011|Featured, Front Page News, Series, Upcoming Events|Comments Off

2010 Season Champions Crowned At East Bay Banquet

Photo by Mike Horne

Tampa, FL – This past weekend, January 21st & 22nd, East Bay Raceway Park held its banquets to crown the 2010 Season Champions for both the Go-Karts (Friday Night) and the 1/3 Clay dirt track (Saturday Night).

Congratulations once again to the following Go-Kart Champions. Jr. Champ – Rebecca George; Jr. Non – Kenny Myers; Novice – Ira Mattice, Jr.; Purple – Anthony D’Alessio; Jr. Sport Champ – Kyle Knotek; Blue – David Kelley; Sr. Champ – Rick Hockman; Stock Lite – Chris Zimmerman; Stock Medium – Rob Barse; and Stock Heavy – Scooter Bennett.

2010 Stock Car Champions (Pictured) Back Row (L-R) – Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds – Austin Sanders; Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Limited Late Models – Forrest Gough; East Bay Sprints – Tim George – Front Row – Racecar Engineering Late Models – Bryan Bernhardt – Outlaw 4?s – Matthew Haynes; Precison Kia Street Stocks – Donnie Reed; Motorstats.com 4 Cylinder Bombers – Kever Raulerson; Dirt Daubers – Brett Phillips

Congratulations to everyone and look forward to the 2011 Season..

By Scott|2011-01-30T17:12:28-05:00January 26th, 2011|East Bay Raceway Park, Featured, Front Page News, Series|Comments Off

Southern Raceway Announces Pre-Season Practice and Winter Nationals Schedules

Open practice for all classes

Saturday. February 12, 2011

Gates will open at 10 am with practice from 11 am to 5 pm.
Pit Pass $15.00. Grandstands are free.
There will be concessions, fuel and tires available.

2011 Winter Nationals
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Gates open 9 am with racing starting at noon.

Seasons Opener

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Daytime show with same times as above.

By Scott|2011-01-30T17:19:46-05:00January 26th, 2011|Featured, Front Page News, Tracks, Upcoming Events|Comments Off

Five Flags 2010 Season Celebrated At Banquet

Five Flags Speedway Media

Pensacola FL –January 24, 2011- An overflow crowd filled the Hadji Shrine Temple on Saturday Night as 5 Flags Speedway paid tribute to the top competitors in the Pro Late Model, Super Stock, Modified, Sportsman, and Bomber Divisions.

The evening got off to an appropriate start as Track Chaplain Wayne Butts delivered the invocation, and paid tribute to several members of the local racing community who were lost in 2010.

After a delicious dinner, served by the staff from Wayne’s Family Diner, the attention shifted to center stage, where 5 Flags GM Tim Bryant started things off by introducing the many Special Guests in attendance. Among those guests were Mobile International Speedway owner Ida Fields and South Alabama Speedway owner John Dykes. Many of the Track Sponsors were on hand and were recognized next on the program.

Bryant followed with some brief remarks relating to the 2010 season, and outlined the upcoming 2011 schedule as well.

Although the Blizzard Series drivers had received their awards at the Snowball Derby and were not in attendance at the Banquet, the crowd gave a rousing ovation to Chase Elliott for winning the 2010 Championship, and to Johanna Long for winning the 43^rd Annual Snowball Derby.

Track announcer Robbie Harvey began the Awards ceremony, with the top ten drivers in each division coming to the stage where they were received by track officials Steve Stokes, Jimmy Wiggins, and Dan Spence. Mike Goraum, (Bomber) Steve Buttrick, (Sportsman) Randy Thompson, (Super Stock) Ryan Redmon, (Modified) and DJ VanderLey (Pro Late Model) were honored as the 2010 Champions in their respective divisions, and each delivered very elequent acceptance speeches, thanking all the people whom had helped them achieve their rewards.

The highly anticipated “Rex E. Brooks Iron Man Award” was presented to longtime videographer Ted Baber.

In a touching moment near the end of the program, VanderLey opted to pass on one of his many rewards, a $200 Product Certificate from VDL Fuel Systems, (his family’s business) to a very surprised runner-up, Ronnie Smith.

At the end of the night, thousands of dollars in cash and awards had been given out, and most in attendance had won something from the long list of door prize contributors.

The Banquet after party moved just up the street to Roper’s Nightclub, where many stories of the night and the season were most likely told.

By Scott|2011-01-25T18:11:17-05:00January 25th, 2011|Five Flags Speedway, Series|Comments Off

Florida Mini Sprint Association Announces Winter Race Schedule

Here is the Winter race schedule for the Florida Mini Sprints Association.

2011 2nd. Annual F.M.S.A. Winter Shootout
Ocala Speedway- Feb. 4th. & 5th. 2011
Practice- Feb. 3rd. 2011
With ALLSTAR 410 SPRINTS
Pre-Registration Not Required, Speeds Up Process

19th. Annual F.M.S.A. Winternationals
Hendry County Motorsports Park- Feb. 11th, & 12th. 2011
With (USAC Style) 410 Non Wing Sprints

East Bay Raceway Park- Feb. 17th.,18th., & 19th. 2011
With King of the 360’s Sprints

By Scott|2011-01-30T17:15:40-05:00January 25th, 2011|Featured, Front Page News, Series, Upcoming Events|Comments Off

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