By BJ Cavin- VSP Media

BARBERVILLE, FL- This Saturday’s racing schedule at Volusia Speedway Park, headlined by the Jack Miller Memorial “Holy Cow 25” featuring the Sprint Cars sponsored by Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson, just got a little richer as a new “Dash for Cash” been added to an already exciting card.  Volusia Speedway lost one of its own racers over the holiday weekend as two time champion Dennis North passed away.  In addition to racers passing their helmets in order to benefit his surviving family, the “Dash for Cash” will honor North’s memory by giving something to the racers in the two divisions in which North competed.

Dennis North was well known as the driver of the number 88 “Low Buck Racing” machines in both the Thunder Stock and Street Stock Divisions, and with that in mind the Volusia Speedway Thunder Stocks, and the Daytona Sportswear Street Stocks, will participate in an 8 lap Dash for Cash that will pay $88 to the winner.  The competitors will race together with top finishers awarded in their respective division, plus other prizes which will be announced on Saturday Night.  Family and friends of Dennis North are also arranging for an auction/raffle to take place as well, again benefiting North’s wife and young child.

Fans are asked to remember Dennis North in a show of support to the family by wearing their Low Buck Racing shirts, or by wearing red to the races on Saturday night.  Gates open at 5:30 with racing set to get underway at 7PM, featuring Florida’s top sprint cars in the Jack Miller Memorial “Holy Cow 25” plus the Florida Mini Sprint Association.  And in addition to the two divisions running in the Dash for Cash events, fans will see action from the Daytona Machine Shop Sportsman Division, the Daytona Sportswear Street Stocks, the Volusia Speedway Thunder Stocks, and the Sparkle and Shine Car Wash Challengers.  The Daytona Antique Auto Racing Association will also be present and running their wide variety of vintage race cars.

by BJ Cavin- VSP Media

BARBERVILLE, FL-  This Saturday night at Volusia Speedway Park marks the 6th Annual Scott Thompson Memorial as the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series and the Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Fiat Late Models will go 50 laps in search of a $3800 to win payout on The World’s Fastest Half Mile.  The 50 lap late model race will headline a night of action that includes The Daytona Machine Shop Sportsman Division, the Daytona Sportswear Street Stocks, the Volusia Speedway Thunder Stocks, the Sparkle and Shine Car Wash Challengers, and will also include the All Quality Products Mini Stock Division.

21 year old racer Scott Thompson lost his life tragically on May 12th of 2006.  The year before he had charged to the top of Volusia Speedway’s Late Model Division and was the defending champion at the time of his passing, and he was also competing for Rookie of the Year honors for 2006 with the National Late Model Series. The five previous Scott Thompson Memorial races at VSP have been dominated by Ocala’s Ivedent Lloyd Jr, who has taken the trophy home with him four out of five times.  The only previous installment of the race not won by Lloyd was in 2008 when Johnny Collins claimed victory.

This year’s race will again be a United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series event, attracting racers who are shooting for points in the series as well as those wishing to honor Scott Thompson and his family by competing in this prestigious event.  Koury Engines has put up a $380 bonus to the leader of lap 38, in honor of the number of Scott Thompson’s famous late model, and VP Racing Fuels will award a 55 gallon drum of top quality racing fuel to the Fast Qualifier for the event.  And depending on which racers are on hand to battle for the $3800 check that will be made out to the winner of the 50 lap race, and the very unique “hunting themed” trophy that will go to the victor, anything can happen on the track.

And while a lot will be happening on the racing surface, fans and racers will be thrilled with many additional contests and surprises that will happen outside of the racing action.  Brian’s Bar-B-Que will be judging the annual Bar-B-Que cooking contest, which will award prizes donated by some of Volusia Speedway’s top sponsors.  There will also be a Tailgate Contest sponsored by Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Fiat, and focused on the Daytona Dodge fan section located in turn 2.  The liveliest tailgate crowd will be awarded, as well as the best decorated tailgate party.  Prizes will be provided by Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Fiat, plus Daytona Sportswear and more to be announced later.

Blaise Hetznecker still holds onto the points lead over the Daytona Machine Shop Sportsman Division as the competitors get ready to challenge the big half mile this weekend, with Heinz Haas and Steve Shead not all that far behind him.  But the car to watch has been the 11 machine piloted by either Scott Lagassee or defending points champion Aaron Barsness, and no matter which of the tag team duo is at the controls the car it usually finds its way to the Destination Daytona Victory Lane.  Hetznecker is still battling his way back after major engine woes, and Corey Holley is suffering from his own engine issues as well that recently sent him home prematurely and had a drastic effect on the current points totals.  Meanwhile Kyle Chappell and Paul Shead are among those who look poised to go after the 11 team, and they will make another go at a win this weekend.

Last Saturday’s rainout stopped Grady Christian from having another go at Philip Brown when the Daytona Sportswear Street Stocks never got onto the race track.  Christian had been all over Brown the week before, but Brown prevailed and got his third win in a row.  That shot in the arm helped Brown build his season points lead over Mick Kulack, and sent notice to the rest of the competitors that the 13 car is the dominant force in the division at present.  But after the battle seen two weeks ago it is obvious that “Shady” Grady is unimpressed, so look for quite the battle to again erupt as soon as the green flag waves this weekend.

The Thunder Stocks also had quite a battle between Tom Hughes and Alan Peacock before Peacock gained the advantage and won the race, and that win edged Peacock just a little closer to Hughes at the top of the season points standings.  Donnie Birdwell might be a little further down the points rankings, but that hasn’t stopped him from running with the lead pack, and Birdwell is threatening to jump up and steal some of the spotlight from Hughes and Peacock at the first opportunity.  This weekend’s race is yet another chance for Birdwell to step it up, while Hughes and Peacock will renew their rivalry.

RJ Glaser has climbed to the top of the Sparkle and Shine Car Wash Challenger points race despite mechanical issues, and he was poised to defend his new status last weekend when nature stepped in and put a stop to it.  Meanwhile the female force in the Challenger Division have overcome their issues and are ready to return, as Denica Hetznecker has a new ride and Tiffany Shaw has her ride repaired and ready to race.  While Glaser is currently the new points leader, he has not made his way to the Destination Daytona Victory Lane yet and the ladies are in no mood to let him. and neither is Ray Hunter, who is quickly establishing himself as the latest man to beat with another win the previous week.

The All Quality Products Mini Stocks have had only two opportunities to go racing on the big half mile this season, and at present DJ Nobles holds onto the season points lead by a mere four points going into this week’s race.  Both races so far have seen all but two completely different fields of racers competing, so depending on who decides to take the challenge this time almost anyone could be the points leader when all is said and done next Sunday morning.  Being a local racer it would seem only logical that DJ Nobles would want to protect his status at the top, but David Lebeau is also from the area and is only 12 points shy of knocking Nobles out of the top spot.

The pit gate will open for the competitors this Saturday at 4PM with fans admitted to the grandstand at 5:30.  Fans holding ticket stubs from the rained out event on June 11th can redeem those stubs for free admission this weekend for the Scott Thompson Memorial, and wrist bands from the rainout will be honored at the pit gate this week as well.  Racing begins at 7PM, and for more information fans and racers can visit www.TheVolusiaSpeedway.com.

by BJ Cavin- VSP Media

BARBERVILLE, FL-  Sometimes even the best made plans can come undone, and such was the case at Volusia Speedway Park on Saturday night as weather forced the first postponement of a scheduled night of racing in the 2011 season.  The “Holy Cow 25” Jack Miller Memorial for Sprint Cars, sponsored by Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson, will be run on July 9th, as will the Elimination Race featuring the top ten sprints in the season points race.  The Quality Brands Budweiser $1000 to win Modified feature, plus the Modified “Dash for Cash” sponsored by Murray Ford of Starke, will be held on July 16th.  There will be no make up for the other divisional races that were halted by the weather.

Clouds and rain were building early in the afternoon just to the west of Volusia Speedway Park, and as the pit gates opened for the competitors at 4PM some moderate showers fell on the racetrack.  But in the next hour and a half things turned very ugly just to the west as severe weather erupted, prompting a tornado warning for the Barberville area and producing high winds, hail, torrential rain, and dangerous lightning, within a mile of the track. And while only sprinkles and light showers fell on the racing surface and the teams already setting up in the infield, the weather just to the west had the full attention of race officials.  Racers and fans arriving to the track from the west reported that high winds, hail, and torrential rain, battered them along SR40 from Astor to Barberville.  It was also reported that some racers were turned back, or were halted, by the weather conditions as they became more severe.

With light rain still falling on the track by 6PM and showing no indication of moving out of the area anytime soon, and with severe weather still being reported just to the west and expanding to the south of the facility, the racers on hand in the infield were asked if they minded postponing the events, and race officials made the call to suspend the night’s schedule in the interest of safety, and to ensure that fans and racers still trying to get to the facility that were hunkered down while the weather passed, were free to turn back with no regrets.  Wrist bands can be reused at the next scheduled race for each division, and fans may redeem their ticket stubs for admission for the Scott Thompson Memorial on June 25th.  Anyone with questions as to how to redeem their wrist bands or tickets should phone the track at 386-985-4402.

by BJ Cavin- VSP Media

BARBERVILLE, FL-  Racing will return to The World’s Fastest Half Mile this Saturday night as five divisions will continue the trek toward their year end championships and provide ample fun and excitement for local race fans.  The Quality Brands Budweiser Modifieds will be taking a weekend off while the Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Fiat Late Models will be back on the clay as everyone chases Donnie Chappell.  The Daytona Machine Shop Sportsman Division will also be back, as well as the Daytona Sportswear Street Stocks, Volusia Speedway’s fender banging Thunder Stocks, and the Sparkle and Shine Car Wash Challenger Division.

The situation in the Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Fiat Late Model Division is simple.  Donnie Chappell has established himself as heads above the rest of the bunch, and no one has the first clue as to how to catch him, much less beat him.  Even if the other racers wanted to play dirty and put him into the wall, they can’t even get close enough to try unless they spot him blowing past as he puts them a lap down.  As one racer mentioned a couple of weeks ago, somebody has to step up and match Chappell’s magic or this season is already over and done, but so far even racers visiting from other tracks have been unable to reel the 25 car in.  So will “The Chappell Show” continue, or will someone step up and figure out how to preempt the scheduled programming?

If the season points totals were based on the car instead of the driver, the “Incredible 11” would have already shifted the focus of the Daytona Machine Shop Sportsman Division to the battle for second place.  But the 11 machine has a “tag team” duo at the controls in the form of Scott Lagasse and last year’s champion, Aaron Barsness, so the points earned are split between the two of them, much to the benefit of the rest of that division.  But no matter which of the two are in the car, the 11 is fast and heading toward the front, and other racers are having a hard time keeping it behind them.  Meanwhile Corey Holley left the building early last Saturday with mechanical issues, but Steve Shead stepped up his game and managed to hold Scott Lagasse at bay for some time before settling for second place behind him.  So Shead may be the best bet to slow down the “Incredible Duo” and this Saturday might be the night that he does it.

There seems to be a revolving door policy in effect for the Daytona Sportswear Street Stocks as many racers are here one week and gone the next, but Philip Brown stays at home on the big half mile every weekend and also stays in front of the pack, establishing himself as the guy to beat.  Brown won again last Saturday night and will be back to try and make it three in a row this weekend, but depending on who shows up to race and how much success challengers like Mick Kulack and Chris Lane may have, Brown may have his work cut out for him this time around.

Tom Hughes also wants to make it three wins in a row as he takes on Volusia’s Thunder Stocks this Saturday night, but Alan Peacock might want to bust up Hughes’ party plans after finishing behind the 29 car two weeks in a row.  The surprise last weekend was DJ Nobles, who came from deep in the pack and made his way to second place, and Brian Schrunk who found himself in fourth place when the checkers waved.  Their success is evidence that other drivers are stepping up their game and catching up to the big shots, and that means that the competition level is only getting higher.

After dropping a Sparkle and Shine Car Wash Challenger race two weeks ago, Casey Feaster changed his tactics and found a new way to win this past Saturday night, firming up his position at the top of the season points race.  At the same time Ray Hunter found out that he can’t beat the 20 car every week, and Feaster’s main rival, RJ Glaser, almost fell out of the top five finishers late in the race.  But Feaster can’t get too comfortable at the top of the points heap because Glaser is close enough to reach up and jerk him down a notch, and that could happen this Saturday night if circumstances allow.  So the rivalry will continue regardless of what Hunter does, and chances are that Glaser and Feaster will be a lot closer together at the end of the race this time around.

Volusia Speedway Park will open the grandstand gate at 5:30PM this Saturday, with racing action scheduled for 7PM.  As usual, fans can expect a lot of excitement, plus great prizes provided by VSP’s awesome sponsors, including Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson, Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Fiat, Sparkle and Shine Car Wash, and Big Kahuna’s Bar and Grill in Daytona Beach.  For a look at the updated racing schedule or for more information about The World’s Fastest Half Mile, visit us online at www.TheVolusiaSpeedway.com.