Top Gun Sprint Series Banquet is just around the corner, Saturday, January 26th at East Bay Raceway Café. The menu is rib eye steaks or chicken. The event starts at 6pm and tickets are $20.00 in advance with limited seating. Make sure you reserve your tickets now. (813) 677-7326
Longtime World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series announcer given prestigious honor
CONCORD, N.C. – Jan. 14, 2013 – Late last summer amidst an epic championship battle, World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series veteran announcer Johnny Gibson surpassed a unique milestone.
Gibson, who has worked for the premier sprint car series since 1995 and been the series announcer since 1997, attended his 1,500th consecutive World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series race. Take note, that’s not 1,500 overall; it’s 1,500 straight events that Gibson has seen.
This past weekend, the North American Sprint Car Poll recognized Gibson’s tireless efforts by honoring him with the 2012 Outstanding Contribution to the Sport Award, which is the highest honor as voted by industry insiders.
“I’m very honored that there are people in the sport that feel I’ve actually had something to offer,” Gibson said. “It’s really unbelievable to me that I could get to this point from being just a race fan because that’s really all I am. I just get to talk about it.”
Gibson joins a variety of esteemed past recipients, including Kasey Kahne, the late Fred Brownfield, Tony Stewart, Jack Hewitt, Brad Doty, Steve Kinser, the late Don Martin, Earl Baltes and the late World of Outlaws Founder Ted Johnson, among others. (more…)
WAYCROSS, GA (January 14, 2013)- Officials of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series are excited to announce the 37th Annual East Bay Winternationals being held Feb 10-16th at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL. The week-long purse will pay out over $200,000 during the week! This year’s events at the famed “Clay by the Bay” will start on Sunday night Feb 10th, with an open practice session for racers to shake down their cars in preparation for the week long journey.
The 37th annual event will officially get started on Monday Feb 11th. There will be a complete show starting at 6:00PM EST each night. Drivers will be competing for $5,000 to win on both Monday and Tuesday nights. On Wednesday and Thursday nights, drivers will compete for $7,000 to win each of those two nights. The final two nights, Friday and Saturday, events will pay $10,000 to win respectively. The final two events on Friday and Saturday will mark the first points paying events for the 2013 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Each night’s events will include Hot laps, Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, Strawberry Dash, and an A-Main feature event each night. (more…)
The FL United Promoters Series held their 2012 Season Banquet at The Abacoa Golf Club located in Jupiter, FL on Saturday night handing out over $40,000 in points fund money and contingency prizes. The top eight drivers were all honored along special recognition awards for the contingency partners.
Steve Dorer and his Racecar Engineering Motorsports Team from Lakeland were official crowned the 2012 Champions. Dorer compiled 6 wins over the season and never loss the points lead to complete his season with a championship over second place finisher Jesse Dutilly of Bradenton by 22 points. It was not an easy run for the championship as Jesse Dutilly kept the pressure on us all season right up to the end, stated Dorer. For his accomplishment as the champion he received five thousand dollars, the use of a Progressive Racing Engines motor for the 2013 season and a chassis provided by Finish Line Fabricating of Allegan, MI
The Top 8 consisting of Dorer, Dutilly, Jonathan Guy, Jake Perkins, Daniel Webster, Kevin Macy, Anthony Campi & Anthony Sergi, all received point fund monies, Sunoco Race Fuel Jackets along with product certificates from Five Star, ARP, All-Star, Sweet, ARS, Howe, EZ Up, Joes Racing Products, Bassett, Longacre, AP Brakes, and Wildwood Engineering. The series recognized Sunoco, Hoosier Racing Tire, Progressive Racing Engines, Finish Line Fabricating, Jimmy Cope Racing, AMF Chassis, and Racecar Engineering with special thank you awards for their contribution throughout the season.
FL United Promoters Series will begin the 2013 Season at Desoto Super Speedway on Sat. March 2nd with the Ice Breaker 100.
For more info about the series follow us at www.floridaunitedpromotersseries.com
The mom’s of some drivers were on hand tonight with petitions to save the Punta Gorda Speedway. They walked through the pits and met everyone that came through the front gates and it looked as if everyone was eager to sign on the dotted line. This is more than just a racetrack, owner Kevin Wilimas brought the track back to something everyone is proud of, clean, safe and fun for the entire family. Punta Gorda Speedway has loyal fans, drivers, crews and employees that call the speedway their home track and are all behind keeping Kevin and Terry Williams as the owners.
The night started off with T.Q. Midgets for twenty five laps were Rob Kohler was on a roll and led the first ten laps Mike Belusar of Punta Gorda was right on his bumper and made the pass to take over the lead and went onto win the feature, Young Chris Gimmler got by Kohler with five to go to finish second and Kohler held on for third.
The Dwarf cars lined up and battled for twenty five laps that saw the 4 car of Andy Pryor of Bonita Springs lead start to finish. The 77 of Larry Hubbard Jr gave it his all chasing Pryor but would come up short and finish second while John Atherson of Cape Coral was third.
Seventeen Road Warriors signed in to race but four cars broke in the heat race and thirteen drivers took the green. Phl Ellis lead the first lap and got shuffled back when Richard Nelson of Port Charlotte got by him and led every lap to the checkers. A great battle went on behind Richards for the next two spots as drivers put on a heck of show. Chris Scott, Jereny Daring, Jason Miller and Chris Loney all battled for the second spot as they put on one heck of a show for the fans. When the checkers came out it was Chris Loney of Naples that made it to the line in second and Jason Miller was third. (more…)
Stop At Tennessee’s Duck River Set For March 24, New York’s Fonda Hosts Tour On June 19
CONCORD, NC – Jan. 11, 2013 – The record-breaking 2013 World of Outlaws Late Model Series schedule continued its expansion Friday with the announcement of first-ever visits to Duck River Raceway Park in Wheel, Tenn., and Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway.
Duck River is set to host the WoO LMS on Sun., March 24 – anchoring a tripleheader weekend that also includes events in Arkansas and Mississippi – while Fonda’s date on Wed., June 19, will kick off an early-summer swing through the Northeast for the national tour. Both tracks will present 50-lap A-Mains paying $10,000 to win.
The addition of the two shows pushes the 2013 WoO LMS schedule to 54 A-Mains at 41 tracks in 21 states and two Canadian provinces, putting the circuit in line to surpass its single-season record of 44 events.
Duck River’s March 24 program will mark the richest promotion in the short tenure of its new operators Bob and Cathy Harris, who purchased the quarter-mile oval in July 2012. The couple has invested over $100,000 in facility improvements since taking control of the speedway – and Bob Harris, a former dirt Late Model team owner, is anxious to show the fruits of his labor to a large group of traveling racers and fans.
“I’m real excited to bring the World of Outlaws to Duck River,” said Harris, who has overseen a flurry of construction and upgrades that includes new bathrooms, concession stands and guardrails and a fresh clay racing surface. “I think everybody will be real impressed with the facility and what we’ve done here, and we’re hoping this will be a starting point for a long relationship between Duck River and the World of Outlaws.” (more…)
World of Outlaws STP Sprint Cars start at UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit
BARBERVILLE, Fla. – Jan. 11, 2013 – It’s been a long, eventful offseason for Daryn Pittman.
There’s the annual Chili Bowl, where Pittman races his own midget each January to start the year, and a flight to Australia for some competition against the Aussies.
Oh, and then there’s that ride change that happened.
Pittman now drives for Kasey Kahne Racing, which he will debut in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series season-opening event – the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment at Volusia Speedway Park Feb. 12-23.
Pittman and the rest of the sprint car drivers have a practice night on Tuesday, Feb. 12, before five straight nights of racing on the fast half mile.
“It’s a long year, a lot of races,” he said. “You want to start off strong and try to keep that momentum going, but at the end of the day it’s a long year.”
Volusia Speedway Park hosts the All Star Circuit of Champions on Feb. 13-14 before the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Cars hit the track for their first official dates of the 2013 season Feb. 15-17.
While Pittman and a variety of other drivers have spent part of the offseason racing at the Chili Bowl, in Australia or New Zealand, or on an X-box, the start of the season will be fresh for the more than 30 top-notch drivers who are headed to the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit.
“Everybody is going in with a clean slate,” Pittman said. “I like a new track or a place we haven’t raced in a while.”
Every night is a doubleheader and there are FREE Fan Pit Passes with every ticket. Tickets can be ordered online by clicking WorldofOutlaws.com/tickets or by calling 877-395-8606.
CARTERSVILLE, GA – Ross Martin of Talladega, AL won the 22nd Annual Ice Bowl Super Late Model Race on Sunday afternoon at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL driving a three-year-old GRT Chassis that was won by his son Adam and powered by a four-year-old $7,000 Chevrolet Performance CT 525 Engine purchased from NeSmith Chevrolet in Claxton, GA.
Martin started third in the 50-lap race and worked his way up to the lead on lap 31, passing polesitter Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, TN. Martin never looked back and scored the biggest win of his 30-year career and the $6,000 top prize. Martin said his race car was so good, it made him very nervous.
“When we unloaded the car on Friday, it was perfect and we were in the top 5 in times in every practice session,” Martin said. “My son Adam told me to just be quiet and not brag that we won hot laps. Then we qualified third fastest without much effort, and I knew we had the car to beat. We were so good, I was nervous about it.”
But Martin’s nerves turned into confidence after taking some valuable advice from a Hall of Fame driver.
“Right before the race, Mike Head told me this race was ours to win, and to just relax and let it happen,” Martin said. “Mike told me we had the right set-up, the right engine, and the right tires. After he told me that, I quit being nervous and was just busting with confidence.”
The right engine was a four-year-old $7,000 Chevrolet Performance CT525 Engine that Martin credits for making his race car the one to beat. Martin had won some weekly shows at Talladega Short Track with the engine, but Sunday was the race he wanted to win more than any. (more…)
CHARLOTTE, NC (January – Pro All Stars Series (PASS) officials released today the schedule and entry forms for Super Late Model racing’s first major points event of the season, the Inaugural Florida Winter Meltdown at Auburndale Speedway on February 8-9. The Florida Winter Meltdown will be 200 green flag laps and will serve as the first event of the 2013 PASS National Series. Drivers from across the country including former PASS National Champions Ben Rowe and Jay Fogleman are expected to invade the tough quarter mile in Winter Haven to battle some of Florida’s best Super Late Model drivers. PASS regulars DJ Shaw, Joey Doiron, Tate Fogleman, and Bill Catania have also announced their intentions to compete for the $6,000 winner’s share of the purse.
“For the better part of a century, racers from all over North America have flocked to Florida in the Winter to get out of the cold and heat things on the raceways of the Sunshine State,” said PASS President Tom Mayberry. “This year is set to be the biggest year yet for PASS and I can’t think of a better way to kick things off than at Auburndale with the Inaugural Florida Winter Meltdown.” (more…)
Hendersonville, NC –Falcon Racing’s Travis Swaim was crowned the 2012 Champion at Rockingham Speedway during the season finale in November. Swaim will be the guest of honor at the 2012 UARA banquet that will be held on January 12, 2013 at the Crowne Plaza in Hickory NC.
“Every win, every Championship is special,” says Swaim. “This championship means a lot because I get to celebrate it with a different group of guys including my crew chief Ronald and Jamie Skinner.”
The driver from High Point, NC had an incredible season. Prior to the season finale, Swaim only finished out of the top -10 twice. Along with strong finishes, Swaim started eight of the 16 events on the Sunoco Pole, a season record for the UARA. His first pole came at the second race, Dillon.
“We’ve always been good at qualifying, but never had this kind of success,” says the 2012 Champion. “My guys prepare the car really well in the shop, so we spend raceday practice tweaking a few things and not changing a whole lot.”
After starting on the pole at Rockingham in the spring and finishing third, Swaim and his team knew that they were competitive and began striving for the Championship. With his first place starting positions, Swaim stayed up front and led 522 laps throughout the season.
“Looking back on how many laps we lead, I have some regrets that we didn’t seal the deal,” says Swaim. “But winning two out of the last four races kinda eases that pain.” (more…)