Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
A Final Push: Can Steve Francis Rally To Defend His World of Outlaws Late Model
Series Championship?
CONCORD, NC – Aug. 5, 2008 – Time is running out on Steve Francis.
But with momentum finally on his side, the defending World of Outlaws Late Model
Series champion is ready to make a final push for a $100,000 repeat.
“This is about the time we got on our roll last year,” said Francis, recalling
how a strong close to the 2007 season resulted in his first career WoO LMS
points title. “Hopefully we can do it again.”
Francis, 40, of Ashland, Ky., is arguably the hottest Outlaw entering the
national tour’s upcoming Southeastern doubleheader, on Aug. 15 at Fayetteville
(N.C.) Motor Speedway and Aug. 16 at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga. He
won two of the four A-Mains that made up the recent Alltel Ohio Speedweek, and
he’s registered a top-five finish in five of the last six WoO LMS events.
The problem for Francis, of course, is that, unlike a year ago, his late-season
surge isn’t padding his points lead. He’s playing catch-up on Darrell Lanigan of
Union, Ky., whose amazing campaign has him on course to beat the series record
championship points margin of 126 points, established in 2007 by Francis.
With 31 A-Mains completed and 14 events currently remaining on the 2008 WoO LMS
schedule, Francis sits tied with 20-year-old Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va.,
for second in the points standings, a healthy 146 points behind Lanigan.
What kind of uphill climb does Francis face in his pursuit of the ultra-steady
Lanigan, who owns 19 top-five finishes in his last 21 starts? Consider that
during his run of success over the last six events, Francis has made up exactly
zero points on Lanigan.
“A bad night for Darrell right now is fifth (place),” Francis said in admiration
of Lanigan’s rock-solid performance on tracks big and small, banked and flat,
slick and tacky. “You don’t beat that kind of consistency, so really, for us to
beat him for the championship, he’s gonna have to default to us a few times.
“Darrell is on the ride that I was on last year,” he continued. “You’re just on
an even keel. You’re not necessarily winning a lot of shows (Lanigan has two
victories versus three for Francis), but you’re third, fourth, fifth, second –
you run that way every night, and that’s hard to beat.”
Driving Rocket cars fielded by Maryland’s Dale Beitler this season after
steering his own Valvoline-sponsored equipment to the 2007 championship, Francis
finds himself racing from behind thanks to some uncharacteristic lulls and bad
luck. His worst stretch was the six-race ‘Great Northern Tour’ in June – he
tumbled from a tie for the points lead with Lanigan to 70 points behind in
fourth place – but he also lost significant ground during July’s eight-race
‘Wild West Tour,’ hitting a season-low sixth in the standings early in the swing
and dropping 146 points in arrears of Lanigan by the end of it.
“We struggled on the Northern Tour and were hit-and-miss out west,” analyzed
Francis. “We did a lot of testing with Dale before we really got into the season
and we thought we had everything figured out, but when we got into the heat of
summer we were off a little bit.
“Now we’re back gaining on it again. We finally got our car good again.”
Francis is the leader in one very important WoO LMS category: money won. He’s
the only driver who’s cracked six-figures in earnings this season, with $127,450
to date thanks to his $50,000-plus victory in April’s Circle K Colossal 100 at
The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.
But Francis would also like to add a 100-grand championship check to his take at
the conclusion of the season-ending Vault Outlaws World Finals on Oct. 30-Nov. 1
at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He knows that the only way he can
make that happen is to be absolutely perfect for the remainder of the tour’s
schedule – and achieving that type of ’07-like consistency has been elusive.
“We won Zanesville (Ohio’s Muskingum County Speedway on July 24) then went to
Eldora (the following night) and had everything in the world go wrong,” said
Francis, whose victory in the Alltel Ohio Speedweek finale on July 27 at Eriez
Speedway in Hammett, Pa., made him the winningest WoO LMS driver since 2004 (17
wins). “We can’t afford to follow up a good night with a bad one any more.
“Clint Smith always says, ‘When you’re dial’s right, you’re dial’s right, and
when it falls off, it falls off.’ Hopefully we can keep that dial pegged the
right way for the rest of the year.”
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit
www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, UMP DIRTcar Racing Public Relations
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
Heavy Rains Force Postponement Of Thursday’s Herald & Review 100 At Macon
Speedway; Raindate Changed For UMP DIRT Summer Nationals Event At Morgan County
Speedway
Morgan County/Macon Doubleheader Now Set For Aug. 15 & 16
MACON, IL – July 3, 2008 – Heavy rain overnight and into the morning inundated
the famed Macon Speedway, forcing the postponement of Thursday night’s UMP
DIRTcar Summer Nationals Herald & Review 100.
It marks the second year in a row that the high-banked, one-fifth-mile track’s
marquee extra-distance event has been rescheduled by rain.
The $6,000-to-win Herald & Review 100 will now be run on Sat., Aug. 16, setting
up a big weekend doubleheader of rescheduled Summer Nationals dates in Illinois.
UMP DIRTcar director Sam Driggers said that Morgan County Speedway in
Jacksonville, Ill., which had its Summer Nationals show washed out midway
through time trials on Wednesday night, has rescheduled its $6,000-to-win
program for Fri., Aug. 15. Morgan County Speedway officials initially agreed to
a raindate of Mon., July 7, but it was later determined that racing can not take
place that evening due to preparations for the Morgan County Fair that begins on
July 9.
Macon Speedway is the fourth track that has rescheduled its 2008 UMP DIRTcar
Summer Nationals event due to rain. A fifth event, on June 21 at I-55 Raceway in
Pevely, Mo., was canceled and not rescheduled due to flood waters that covered
the track’s access road.
The Morgan County/Macon swing on Aug. 15-16 will be classified as non-point UMP
DIRTcar Summer Nationals events because they fall after the series finale on
July 12 at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio. But with each $6,000-to-win race
sure to attract a large car count, they will figure prominently in the UMP
DIRTcar Super Late Model national points battle that begins to hits its
homestretch in August.
The Summer Nationals continues on Friday night (July 4) with a $10,000-to-win
event at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill.
For more info on the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals, visit
www.dirtcar.com.
2008 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summer Nationals Schedule (Date/Day/Track/Location/To
Win/Winner – Car Count):
June 12 – Thurs. - Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway/Calvert City, KY - $7,500 (Brad
Neat - 40)
June 13 – Fri. - Brownstown (IN) Speedway - $10,000 (Rain – postponed to July
11)
June 14 – Sat. - Kamp Motor Speedway/Boswell, IN - $10,000 (Wes Steidinger - 36)
June 15 – Sun. – Tri-State Speedway/Haubstadt, IN - $6,000 (Dennis Erb Jr. – 39)
June 16 – Mon - OFF
June 17 – Tues. – Highland Speedway/Highland, IL - $6,000 (Terry English – 47)
June 18 – Wed. – Belle Clair Speedway/Belleville, IL - $6,000 (Will Vaught – 41)
June 19 – Thurs. – I-57/I-64 Raceway/Mt. Vernon, IL - $6,000 (Darren Miller –
37)
June 20 – Fri. – Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL - $10,000 (Darren Miller –
50)
June 21 – Sat. – I-55 Raceway/Pevely, MO - $10,000 (CANCELED – flooding)
June 22 – Sun. – Vermilion Co. Speedway/Danville, IL - $6,000 (Jeep VanWormer –
43)
June 23 – Mon. - OFF
June 24 – Tue. – Sedalia State Fair Speedway/Sedalia, MO - $6,000 (Brian Shirley
– 27)
June 25 – Wed. – Lake Ozark Speedway/Eldon, MO - $6,000 (Billy Moyer – 31)
June 26 – Thurs. – Paducah Int’l Raceway/Paducah, KY - $6,000 (Kevin Claycomb –
35)
June 27 – Fri. – Lawrenceburg Speedway/Lawrenceburg, IN - $10,000 (Dennis Erb
Jr. – 36)
June 28 – Sat. – Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN - $10,000 (Rain –
postponed to July 19)
June 29 – Sun. – Lincoln Speedway/Lincoln, IL - $6,000 (Brian Shirley – 46)
June 30 – Mon. - OFF
July 1 – Tue. – Peoria Speedway/Peoria, IL - $6,000 (Jeep VanWormer – 40)
July 2 – Wed. – Morgan Co. Speedway/Jacksonville, IL - $6,000 (Rain – postponed
to Aug. 15)
July 3 – Thurs. – Macon Speedway/Macon, IL - $6,000 (Rain – postponed to Aug.
16)
July 4 – Fri. – Tri-City Speedway/Pontoon Beach, IL - $10,000
July 5 – Sat. – Fairbury American Legion Speedway/Fairbury, IL -$10,000
July 6 – Sun. – Quad City Raceway/East Moline, IL - $6,000
July 7 – Mon. - OFF
July 8 – Tue. – Quincy (IL) Speedway - $6,000
July 9 – Wed. – Spoon River Speedway/Canton, IL - $6,000
July 10 – Thurs. – La Salle Speedway/La Salle, IL - $6,000
July 11 – Fri. – Brownstown (IN) Speedway - $10,000 (Rescheduled date)
July 12 – Sat. – Oakshade Raceway/Wauseon, OH - $10,000
July 19 – Sat. – Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN - $10,000 (Rescheduled
date)
Aug. 15 – Fri. – Morgan Co. Speedway/Jacksonville, IL - $6,000 (Rescheduled
date)
Aug. 16 – Sat. – Macon Speedway/Macon, IL - $6,000 (Rescheduled date)
Contact: World Racing Group
Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR
Kevin Kovac, DIRTcar Racing PR
704-795-7223 • DIRTcar.com
Manzanita Speedway Event Was Big Night For Southwest DIRTcar Late Model Series &
DIRTcar Modified Star Anthony Madrid
PHOENIX, AZ – July 3, 2008 – Last Saturday night’s event at the Manzanita
Speedway half-mile oval was a milestone moment for the Southwest DIRTcar Late
Model Series.
And it was a huge evening for Anthony Madrid, a hometown DIRTcar Modified star
who turned his first career dirt Late Model start into an emotional feature win.
Madrid, 32, of Phoenix, pulled off an amazing Southwest DIRTcar Late Model
Series debut by capturing the 30-lap tour A-Main on June 28 at the
nationally-known Manzanita facility, which hosted the region’s premier tour for
the first time since 2004 when it was under the Southwest Dirt Racing
Association (SWDRA) banner.
“It was just unreal,” Madrid said of his $2,000 triumph behind the wheel of a
Rocket dirt Late Model owned by Phoenix’s Jeff Manka. “The crowd was so loud
when I got out of the car (in Victory Lane). It’s something I will never
forget.”
A DIRTcar Modified mainstay known as the ‘Friday Night Flyer’ for his weekly
exploits at Manzanita, Madrid worked out a deal several months ago to run
Manka’s dirt Late Model because the car’s regular driver, Mark Fowler, had
planned a vacation for the end of June. He climbed in the full-fender machine
for the first time several days prior to the SWDLMS event for a test session on
Manzanita’s inner one-third-mile oval, but his practice laps were limited due to
mechanical trouble.
“I was just hoping for a top-five (finish),” Madrid said of his goal for
Saturday night’s program. “With hardly any laps in the car, I would have been
happy with a top-five.”
But Madrid did better than that – much better. He won a heat race and then
charged to the front of the A-Main pack from the ninth starting spot, taking the
lead from polesitter Randy Carder on lap 21 and marching on to a convincing
victory margin of 6.03 seconds.
One of the drivers Madrid sailed by early in the feature was four-time SWDLMS
champion Lonnie Parker Jr. of El Mirage, Ariz., who entered the event riding a
six-race tour win streak. Parker blew a tire shortly after being passed by
Madrid and finished 11th, absorbing just his second loss in eight series events
this season.
“Once I got past (Parker),” commented Madrid, “I said to myself, ‘O.K., we
really have a chance to win this race. We just went by the guy who dominates the
series!’”
Madrid, whose 118th career victory at Manzanita tied him with Sprint Car legend
Lealand McSpadden for third on the track’s alltime win list, seemed to have
little trouble adjusting to dirt Late Model racing.
“Actually, they’re a lot easier to drive than a Modified,” analyzed Madrid, who
ranks ninth in the UMP DIRTcar Modified national points standings through June
30. “With the big tires, all that horsepower and the rack-and-pinion steering,
the Late Model is just so much more comfortable and stable than a Modified. You
get so much more traction – it’s just unbelievable.
“I could never afford to run a Late Model on my own,” added Madrid, a salesman
for Sunoco Race Fuels in Phoenix and a DIRTcar Modified owner-operator. “But I’d
love to get another chance to drive one.”
Count Chris Morgan, who oversees the SWDLMS as the director of the DIRTcar
Racing Western Region, as one observer who came away impressed with Madrid’s
talent at Manzy.
“He looked like a superstar driving the Late Model,” said Morgan. “You could see
him smiling through his helmet as he ran around out there. He was determined to
make it happen.”
Morgan noted that Madrid’s triumph in front of a partisan hometown crowd was the
cherry on top of a spectacular night at Manzanita for the Southwest DIRTcar Late
Model Series.
“We had two of our elite DIRTcar Modified drivers move up and make some noise in
the Late Model division (Jason Noll of Phoenix finished 10th),” said Morgan. “We
went from a field of 13 to 14 cars running the series earlier this year to a
full field (of 20 cars). And we ran in front of the biggest crowd Manzanita had
in four months.
“It was a real big step for the Southwest DIRTcar Late Model Series. Our
challenge is to keep the momentum up and keep the car counts up so this tour
will continue to grow.”
The Southwest DIRTcar Late Model Series returns to action on July 19 at Prescott
Valley (Ariz.) Raceway.
For more information on all of the series, sanctioning and member tracks of
DIRTcar Racing, visit DIRTcar.com.
Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, UMP DIRTcar Racing Public Relations
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
Wednesday’s UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Stop At Morgan County Speedway
Postponed By Rain To Mon., July 7
JACKSONVILLE, IL – July 2, 2008 – Unrelenting rain forced the postponement of
Wednesday night’s UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals event at Morgan County Speedway.
The 40-lap, $6,000-to-win show has been rescheduled for Mon., July 7 – a
scheduled off-day on the Summer Nationals slate.
Two light showers – one that delayed the start of hot laps, and another midway
through the Super Late Model time trials – slowed the program but weren’t enough
to stop it. Officials finally had to throw in the towel, however, when the rain
intensified around 8:40 p.m. as the surface of the high-banked, quarter-mile
oval was being run in. Strong thunderstorms moved into the area shortly
thereafter.
Thirty-five Super Late Models were signed in for Wednesday night’s competition.
Just over half the field had completed a time-trial lap in the group qualifying
session before the rain stopped the action, with Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning,
Mich., the fastest on the clock at 11.655 seconds.
It was the third rainout of the 2008 UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals, joining
postponements on June 13 at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway and June 28 at
StormPay.com Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway. A fourth event, on June 21 at I-55
Raceway in Pevely, Mo., was canceled and not rescheduled due to flood waters
that covered the track’s access road.
The Summer Nationals continues on Thursday night (July 3) at the one-fifth-mile
Macon (Ill.) Speedway with the $6,000-to-win Herald & Review 100.
For more info on the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals, visit
www.dirtcar.com.
2008 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summer Nationals Schedule (Date/Day/Track/Location/To
Win/Winner – Car Count):
June 12 – Thurs. - Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway/Calvert City, KY - $7,500 (Brad
Neat - 40)
June 13 – Fri. - Brownstown (IN) Speedway - $10,000 (Rain – postponed to July
11)
June 14 – Sat. - Kamp Motor Speedway/Boswell, IN - $10,000 (Wes Steidinger - 36)
June 15 – Sun. – Tri-State Speedway/Haubstadt, IN - $6,000 (Dennis Erb Jr. – 39)
June 16 – Mon - OFF
June 17 – Tues. – Highland Speedway/Highland, IL - $6,000 (Terry English – 47)
June 18 – Wed. – Belle Clair Speedway/Belleville, IL - $6,000 (Will Vaught – 41)
June 19 – Thurs. – I-57/I-64 Raceway/Mt. Vernon, IL - $6,000 (Darren Miller –
37)
June 20 – Fri. – Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL - $10,000 (Darren Miller –
50)
June 21 – Sat. – I-55 Raceway/Pevely, MO - $10,000 (CANCELED – flooding)
June 22 – Sun. – Vermilion Co. Speedway/Danville, IL - $6,000 (Jeep VanWormer –
43)
June 23 – Mon. - OFF
June 24 – Tue. – Sedalia State Fair Speedway/Sedalia, MO - $6,000 (Brian Shirley
– 27)
June 25 – Wed. – Lake Ozark Speedway/Eldon, MO - $6,000 (Billy Moyer – 31)
June 26 – Thurs. – Paducah Int’l Raceway/Paducah, KY - $6,000 (Kevin Claycomb –
35)
June 27 – Fri. – Lawrenceburg Speedway/Lawrenceburg, IN - $10,000 (Dennis Erb
Jr. – 36)
June 28 – Sat. – Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN - $10,000 (Rain –
postponed to July 19)
June 29 – Sun. – Lincoln Speedway/Lincoln, IL - $6,000 (Brian Shirley – 46)
June 30 – Mon. - OFF
July 1 – Tue. – Peoria Speedway/Peoria, IL - $6,000 (Jeep VanWormer – 40)
July 2 – Wed. – Morgan Co. Speedway/Jacksonville, IL - $6,000 (Rain – postponed
to July 7)
July 3 – Thurs. – Macon Speedway/Macon, IL - $6,000
July 4 – Fri. – Tri-City Speedway/Pontoon Beach, IL - $10,000
July 5 – Sat. – Fairbury American Legion Speedway/Fairbury, IL -$10,000
July 6 – Sun. – Quad City Raceway/East Moline, IL - $6,000
July 7 – Mon. - Morgan Co. Speedway/Jacksonville, IL - $6,000 (Rescheduled date)
July 8 – Tue. – Quincy (IL) Speedway - $6,000
July 9 – Wed. – Spoon River Speedway/Canton, IL - $6,000
July 10 – Thurs. – La Salle Speedway/La Salle, IL - $6,000
July 11 – Fri. – Brownstown (IN) Speedway - $10,000 (Rescheduled date)
July 12 – Sat. – Oakshade Raceway/Wauseon, OH - $10,000
July 19 – Sat. – Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN - $10,000 (Rescheduled
date)
Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, UMP DIRTcar Racing Public Relations
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Night 14: VanWormer Powers To Second Victory Of
Tour At Peoria Speedway
PEORIA, IL – July 1, 2008 – By Kellen Burns/DIRTcar Racing P.R. -
Winning certainly never gets old for Pinconning, Mich.’s Jeep VanWormer.
The 33-year-old driver enjoyed another UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals triumph on
Tuesday night, visiting RacingJunk.com Victory Lane for the second time on the
2008 tour at Peoria Speedway.
VanWormer hopes that his checkered flag sets him off on a strong run down the
Summer Nationals homestretch.
“Hopefully we can win the rest of them (Summer Nationals events),” remarked the
chauffeur of the popular No. 55, who sits fourth in the tour’s points standings.
“That wouldn’t hurt my feelings a bit.”
VanWormer saw things go his way early in the evening, using a strong qualifying
run and heat-race victory to position himself on the inside of the second row
for the start of the 40-lap feature.
“We just had a good qualifying run and heat race,” said VanWormer, who earned
$6,000 for his eighth career Summer Nationals win. “We drew third (for the
A-Main) and that put us where we wanted to be – right on the bottom.”
VanWormer overtook defending Summer Nationals champion and current points leader
Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., for the lead on the second lap and
never looked back. With the race running caution-free after an opening-lap
slowdown, VanWormer maintained solid command and crossed the finish line ahead
of former Summer Nationals champion Kevin Weaver of Gibson City, Ill.,
Weaver used his familiarity with Peoria Speedway to his advantage. The runner-up
finish was his best of the 2008 Summer Nationals.
“I’ve got a few laps around this place,” said Weaver, who started fourth. “We
just have a pretty good Bill West car and we’ve just been working on it. I’m
hoping to put some more good finishes together.”
Weaver was unsure if he could have challenged VanWormer with the help of a
late-race caution flag, but he still took positives from the second-place
finish.
“It’s hard to change your line and know where someone is behind you to try and
pass someone else,” said Weaver. “It would have been tough to pass him.”
UMP DIRTcar hotshoe Wes Steidinger of Fairbury,Ill., came through with another
strong showing. Starting fifth, ‘The Fairbury Flyer’ used the low line to earn a
hard fought third-place finish.
“I think we might have been better (than VanWormer and Weaver),” said Steidinger.
“It got kind of one-lane on the bottom there.”
The competitive Steidinger took the third-place finish in stride on a track most
drivers found hard to pass on late in the distance.
“Maybe I could have squeezed by them guys,” the pilot of the Rayburn No. J1 said
of challenging the leaders. “It would have taken me several laps. I think we
would have needed 100 laps instead of 40.”
Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., finished fourth after slipping by Erb in the
final laps, leaving Erb fifth at the finish. That left Erb atop the Summer
Nationals points standings by just three markers over Shirley after 14 events.
Forty UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models packed the pits at Peoria Speedway, with
Steidinger’s lap of 12.522 seconds fastest in the group qualifying session.
Heat races were won by Erb, Randy Korte of Highland, Ill., Weaver and VanWormer,
while Steve Sheppard Jr. of New Berlin, Ill., captured the B-Main and Steve
Lance Jr. of Cuba, Ill., topped the C-main.
The UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals continues on Wednesday night (July 2) at Morgan
County Speedway in Jacksonville, Ill.
For more information on the Summer Nationals, visit
www.dirtcar.com.
UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Feature Finish (40 laps):
1. Jeep VanWormer
2. Kevin Weaver
3. Wes Steidinger
4. Brian Shirley
5. Dennis Erb Jr.
6. Don O’Neal
7. Will Vaught
8. Ryan Unzicker
9. Steve Lance
10. Jesse Stoval
11. Steve Sheppard Jr.
12. Jason Feger
13. Tim Lance
14. Jordan Bland
15. Todd Bennett
16. Rich Bell
17. Ryan Dauber
18. Randy Korte
19. Scott Bull
20. Shane Allen
21. Donny Walden
B-Main Finish: Steve Sheppard Jr., Todd Bennett, Jordan Bland, Donny Walden,
Rich Bell, Steve Lance Jr., Kyle Steffen, Mark Burgtorf, Shane Allen, Mike
Mullvain, Matt Murphy, Cory Daugherty, Brandon Sheppard, Rick Standridge (DNS)
Will Vaught
C-Main Finish: Steve Lance Jr., Mark Burgtorf, Shane Allen, Mike Mullvain, Rick
O'Brien, Joe Janowski, Gerry Reeder Jr., Greg Longfellow, Jason McBride, Russ
Adams, Joey Markle, Dawn Mennell, Brandon Thirlby
UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Points Standings (after 14 events):
1. Dennis Erb Jr. 1086
2. Brian Shirley 1083
3. Wes Steidinger 946
4. Jeep VanWormer 925
5. Will Vaught 892
6. Randy Korte 854
7. Steve Sheppard Jr. 801
8. Jason Feger 615
9. Darren Miller 580
10. Kevin Weaver 560
11. Jordan Bland 521
12. Dewayne Kiefer 500
13. Billy Moyer 479
14. Ryan Unzicker 473
15. Kevin Claycomb 462
2008 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summer Nationals Schedule (Date/Day/Track/Location/To
Win/Winner – Car Count):
June 12 – Thurs. - Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway/Calvert City, KY - $7,500 (Brad
Neat - 40)
June 13 – Fri. - Brownstown (IN) Speedway - $10,000 (Rain – postponed to July
11)
June 14 – Sat. - Kamp Motor Speedway/Boswell, IN - $10,000 (Wes Steidinger - 36)
June 15 – Sun. – Tri-State Speedway/Haubstadt, IN - $6,000 (Dennis Erb Jr. – 39)
June 16 – Mon - OFF
June 17 – Tues. – Highland Speedway/Highland, IL - $6,000 (Terry English – 47)
June 18 – Wed. – Belle Clair Speedway/Belleville, IL - $6,000 (Will Vaught – 41)
June 19 – Thurs. – I-57/I-64 Raceway/Mt. Vernon, IL - $6,000 (Darren Miller –
37)
June 20 – Fri. – Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL - $10,000 (Darren Miller –
50)
June 21 – Sat. – I-55 Raceway/Pevely, MO - $10,000 (CANCELED – flooding)
June 22 – Sun. – Vermilion Co. Speedway/Danville, IL - $6,000 (Jeep VanWormer –
43)
June 23 – Mon. - OFF
June 24 – Tue. – Sedalia State Fair Speedway/Sedalia, MO - $6,000 (Brian Shirley
– 27)
June 25 – Wed. – Lake Ozark Speedway/Eldon, MO - $6,000 (Billy Moyer – 31)
June 26 – Thurs. – Paducah Int’l Raceway/Paducah, KY - $6,000 (Kevin Claycomb –
35)
June 27 – Fri. – Lawrenceburg Speedway/Lawrenceburg, IN - $10,000 (Dennis Erb
Jr. – 36)
June 28 – Sat. – Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN - $10,000 (Rain –
postponed to July 19)
June 29 – Sun. – Lincoln Speedway/Lincoln, IL - $6,000 (Brian Shirley – 46)
June 30 – Mon. - OFF
July 1 – Tue. – Peoria Speedway/Peoria, IL - $6,000 (Jeep VanWormer – 40)
July 2 – Wed. – Morgan Co. Speedway/Jacksonville, IL - $6,000
July 3 – Thurs. – Macon Speedway/Macon, IL - $6,000
July 4 – Fri. – Tri-City Speedway/Pontoon Beach, IL - $10,000
July 5 – Sat. – Fairbury American Legion Speedway/Fairbury, IL -$10,000
July 6 – Sun. – Quad City Raceway/East Moline, IL - $6,000
July 7 – Mon. - OFF
July 8 – Tue. – Quincy (IL) Speedway - $6,000
July 9 – Wed. – Spoon River Speedway/Canton, IL - $6,000
July 10 – Thurs. – La Salle Speedway/La Salle, IL - $6,000
July 11 – Fri. – Brownstown (IN) Speedway - $10,000 (Rescheduled date)
July 12 – Sat. – Oakshade Raceway/Wauseon, OH - $10,000
July 19 – Sat. – Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN - $10,000 (Rescheduled
date)
Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
World of Outlaws Late Model Series News & Notes: Looking Back At The ‘Great
Northern Tour’
CONCORD, NC – July 1, 2008 –
SUPER SWING: From the massive 55-car field that opened the swing on June 17 at
Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway to the spectacular heat-race action that ended up
closing it on June 27 during the Firecracker 100 weekend at Lernerville Speedway
in Sarver, Pa., the World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Great Northern Tour’ was
a smashing success.
Yes, the ‘Great Northern Tour’ did end in anticlimactic fashion when two days of
showers forced the postponement of the $40,000-to-win Firecracker 100 to Tues.,
July 29, but the six races that were completed provided plenty of memorable
moments for the Northeast’s fans.
The WoO LMS visited five tracks for the first time during the ‘Great Northern
Tour’ and it was embraced warmly by spectators at every stop. The only facility
that wasn’t packed to capacity was Ohsweken (Ont.) Speedway on June 20, but
beaming track promoter Glenn Styres pointed out that the turnout for a rare dirt
Late Model event at the three-eighths-mile oval would have likely filled
Ohsweken’s old bleachers (new stands that were completed just in time for the
WoO LMS show have more than doubled Ohsweken’s seating, to 8,000) and was more
than enough for him to begin planning a return engagement for 2009.
Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, Que., which hosted the first-ever WoO LMS
program in Canada last year, returned on June 21 as the middle event in an
expanded three-race trip north of the border and once again enjoyed a stellar
crowd. The vocal fans gave ‘Quebec 50’ winner Rick Eckert a rousing ovation
during the wild Victory Lane ceremonies, which included a fireworks display set
to music that had been planned for pre-race driver introductions before
approaching weather forced a hasty start to the A-Main.
“That’s a great crowd,” Eckert said of the French-speaking Drummond faithful.
“They cheer and holler. I’m not sure what they’re saying, but those are the kind
of fans you want to race in front of.”
The WoO LMS headlined one of the biggest events ever presented at Cornwall
(Ont.) Motor Speedway, which drew a standing-room-only crowd for its ‘Triple
Crown of Racing’ program on June 22 that also included the Empire Super Sprints
and DIRTcar 358-Modifieds. There was nary an open space left in the tight pit
area of the quarter-mile oval, a spic-and-span facility owned by Ron Morin.
Mid-week shows at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Speedway (June 24) and Big Diamond Raceway
in Minersville, Pa. (June 25) maintained the tour’s momentum. Both tracks are
mainstays of Northeast dirt Modified racing, but they drew large, electric
crowds for dirt Late Model events.
BEFORE THE DELUGE: Not a single car hit Lernerville Speedway’s racing surface on
Saturday night nor Sunday’s raindate before officials postponed the finale of
the Firecracker 100 weekend, but Saturday’s off-track activities were completed.
Eight drivers were paired with fans for the second annual Firecracker 100
Horseshoes Tournament. Held in the parking lot behind the main grandstands, the
tourney was the centerpiece of the afternoon ‘weenie roast’ and pre-race concert
featuring singer Sarah Wilson.
Emerging victorious in the horseshoes competition for the second straight year
was Lernerville dirt Late Model star Lynn Geisler. Teamed with Rich Friberg of
Forest Hills, Pa. – a Geisler fan who, ironically, works for Geisler’s sponsor,
#1 Cochran – Geisler defeated WoO LMS standout Rick Eckert and his partner in
the championship round to capture the $200 first prize.
First-round losers in the tournament were the pairings headed by drivers Shane
Clanton (the tourney’s runner-up last year), Brian Birkhofer, Alex Ferree and
Josh Richards, and falling in the semi-finals were the teams led by dirt Late
Model stars Clint Smith and Scott Bloomquist.
The driver/fan interaction continued from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., when every driver
ready for action on Saturday night participated in an autograph session
underneath the main grandstand.
WHO’S HOT: The ‘Great Northern Tour’ was a great time for Darrell Lanigan, Josh
Richards, Rick Eckert and Tim McCreadie. Each driver made a Victory Lane visit –
Richards picked up two wins – and were solid contenders virtually every night.
Lanigan, of course, enjoyed the steadiest swing, rolling up a top-five finish in
all six events (including a win at Big Diamond) to build a 36-point lead in the
WoO LMS standings by the time he headed home to Union, Ky.
Richards, meanwhile, captured back-to-back wins at Cornwall and Canandaigua and
ran off four straight top-five finishes to close the tour; Eckert ended a
71-race winless slump on the WoO LMS with a victory at Drummond and was a
top-five finisher in every A-Main except the tour opener at Port Royal; and
McCreadie captured the Ohsweken event for his first WoO LMS win since his 2006
championship season and didn’t finish outside the top-three in his other three
starts.
WHO’S NOT: Steve Francis entered the swing in a tie for the points lead with
Lanigan, but he ended it in fourth place (70 points behind) after failing to
crack the top-five after a runner-up finish in the tour opener at Port Royal. He
called the ‘Great Northern Tour’ “one of the worst trips I’ve ever had.”
Shannon Babb ended the ‘Great Northern Tour’ with a pair of sixth-place finishes
as his best runs – not satisfactory for the hyper-competitive star from
Moweaqua, Ill., who fell to seventh in the points standings, 120 points behind
Lanigan. He did put on a memorable show at Big Diamond when he used the high
side of the track to grab the lead late in the distance, but a flat tire with
six laps remaining ended his bid.
Tim Fuller started off strong with fourth-place finishes at Port Royal and
Ohsweken, but a 10th-place finish at Canandaigua was the best he could manage
for the rest of the trip. Especially frustrating to Fuller was the fact that he
guessed wrong on his A-Main combination at Cornwall and Canandaigua, two ovals
he ran often during his days as a DIRTcar Modified regular.
WILD RIDE: The first-ever hot-lap session for Super Late Models at Cornwall
Motor Speedway was a little too spectacular for Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs of Bear Lake,
Pa., who gave everyone a scare when he executed a wild series of flips after his
car dug into the track surface in turn three as soon as he throttled up.
Briggs, who won the 2004 WoO LMS Crew Chief of the Year Award while working for
his cousin Chub Frank, took at least two parts-shedding rolls before his car
came to rest on its wheels. He was conscious but clearly disoriented when safety
crews reached him, but he gingerly climbed out of his demolished machine with
some assistance and walked back to his trailer under the supervision of WoO LMS
director Tim Christman. After changing into street clothes, Briggs was convinced
to visit a local hospital for a checkup.
Doctors put him through a CAT scan and conducted other tests, but he was
diagnosed with nothing more serious than a concussion and released around 2 a.m.
He was hanging out soon afterward with the Frank and Jeremy Miller teams in the
parking lot of a Cornwall truck stop, complaining mostly of a sore shoulder
while trying to remember exactly what happened on his first practice lap at the
quarter-mile oval.
Briggs had a long list of people to thank after the first flip of his racing
career: “My wife for allowing me to race and mom and dad for providing the
finances for me to race…Mary (Frank, Chub’s wife) for staying at the hospital
with me the whole time…Chub (who joined his wife at the hospital after
Cornwall’s program) for the help…Rick Eckert and Mark Richards for getting to me
first and getting me out of the car…Rocket chassis for a safe car, Simpson for
the safety equipment and Kirky for building a safe seat…and the track safety
crew for their assistance and the World of Outlaws officials for their help and
concern.”
After making a follow-up visit to his home doctor, Briggs was told that he must
not race for three weeks. He plans to be action, however, as soon as his doctors
says it’s O.K. – and he’ll be behind the wheel of a new Rocket car he ordered
the day after his wreck.
ETCETERA…
* The rain that postponed Ohsweken Speedway’s WoO LMS event from Thursday (June
19) to Friday (June 20) wiped out a scheduled travel day for the teams running
the remainder of the Canadian swing, setting up a challenging overnight haul of
roughly eight hours to Drummondville, Que.
* Making an impressive cameo appearance on the WoO LMS for the Canadian shows
was Neil Baggett, a 25-year-old from Shannon, Miss., who accepted Clint Smith’s
offer to drive his second car. He timed second-fastest – right behind
top-qualifier Smith – his first night out at Ohsweken, and he scored a WoO LMS
career-best finish of seventh at Drummond.
* Northeast standout Jeremy Miller of Gettysburg, Pa., and several members of
his Buckler Motorsports team arranged their vacation days well in advance in
order to follow the entire ‘Great Northern Tour,’ but he didn’t enjoy the
results he would have liked.
Miller, who won his first career WoO LMS A-Main in April at Virginia Motor
Speedway, managed just a single top-10 finish on the swing (eighth place at
Drummond). He had a potential seventh-place finish at Port Royal wiped out by a
flat tire on the final lap, and his other four starts resulted in a top run of
20th.
The talented driver chalked up his trip as a learning experience, noting that it
was the first time he’s truly been able to think nothing but racing for two full
weeks.
* Seaford, Del.’s Ricky Elliott ran the events in Canada and at Canandaigua in
the Rocket No. 121 fielded by New Yorker Joe Beyea, a DIRTcar Modified driver
who is becoming well known for his Beyea Custom Headers enterprise. The machine
was wrenched by champion DIRTcar Modified crew chief Randy Kisacky, who has
taken on the job of maintaining Beyea’s dirt Late Model as a mechanical
challenge.
Elliott scored finishes of seventh (Ohsweken) and 10th (Drummond) before
struggling at Cornwall and Canandaigua. His Cornwall effort was behind the
eight-ball from the start after the car’s rearend blew in hot laps.
* Tyrone, Ga.’s Tony Knowles got a taste of the WoO LMS road by running the
entire ‘Great Northern Tour’ except the Firecracker 100 at Lernerville.
Part of the same RSD Enterprises team as WoO LMS regular Shane Clanton, the
21-year-old Knowles flashed his potential with a tour-best finish of ninth at
Canandaigua after starting 19th. His 17-year-old chief mechanic, Jared Morris,
was that night’s surprised recipient of the Integra Shocks ‘Wrench of the Race’
Award.
UP NEXT: The WoO LMS will embark on the ‘Wild West Tour,’ a swing of nine races
in 13 days beginning on July 9 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn.
The tour then continues on July 10 at North Central Speedway in Brainerd, Minn.;
July 11 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D.; July 12 at Estevan Motor
Speedway in Estevan, Saskatchewan; July 13 at Williston Basin Speedway in
Williston, N.D.; July 16 at Gillette (Wyo.) Thunder Speedway; July 18 at Brown
County Speedway in Aberdeen, S.D.; July 20 at the Belleville (Kans.) High Banks;
and July 21 at Boone County Speedway in Albion, Neb.
INFO: For more on the WoO LMS, visit
www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
Rain-Postponed Firecracker 100 Weekend At Lernerville Speedway Rescheduled For
Tues., July 29
SARVER, PA – June 30, 2008 – All 180 laps of the rain-postponed final night of
the second annual Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com at Lernerville
Speedway have been rescheduled for Tues., July 29, officials announced on
Monday.
Continuous waves of showers hit the four-tenths-mile track on Saturday and again
on Sunday’s raindate, preventing the conclusion of the blockbuster $150,000
World of Outlaws Late Model Series event. The weekend had kicked off in
spectacular fashion on Friday night with a huge crowd watching 62 dirt Late
Model superstars do battle in what many fans proclaimed to be “the best six heat
races of the year.”
“Friday night’s action had everyone so pumped up to see what those guys were
going to do when the big money was on the line that it was really hard to take
the fact that the weather just wouldn’t cooperate and allow us to run the finale
of the Firecracker 100 weekend as scheduled,” said Lernerville Speedway general
manager Gary Risch Jr. “All the teams and fans hung in there with us as our crew
did all they could to make the show happen on Saturday and Sunday, but we just
couldn’t catch a break from Mother Nature.
“Now the anticipation of who will make the show and who will be crowned the
Firecracker 100 champion will build for another month until July 29th.”
Firecracker 100 rainchecks and pit bands will be honored on Tues., July 29. The
full program scheduled to close the weekend will be run on the midweek date,
including a 10-lap C-Main, a pair of star-studded 20-lap B-Mains, the
$3,000-to-win Uncle Sam 30 for non-qualifiers and the $40,000-to-win Firecracker
100.
Fans who purchased reserved camping spots should also contact the speedway
office by Fri., July 25, in order to re-confirm as spots will be provided at no
additional charge and general camping will once again be free.
The new date will feature all of the pre-race pomp and pageantry fans are coming
to expect from the Firecracker 100, including fireworks, the Firecracker Girls
and adrenalin-pumping driver introductions delivered by ‘Uncle Sam’ himself.
Eighteen drivers are already locked into the Firecracker 100 A-Main following
Friday night’s preliminary program, including heat winners Shane Clanton of
Locust Grove, Ga., Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., Earl Pearson Jr. of
Jacksonville, Fla., Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., Darrell Lanigan of Union,
Ky., and Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa. Many of the best drivers in the
country, including Rick Eckert, Clint Smith, Scott Bloomquist and Jimmy Owens as
well as local favorites Alex Ferree, Lynn Geisler, John Flinner and Jason
Covert, will square off in B-Main action as they have yet to claim a starting
spot in the main event.
The July 29 date fits snugly into the WoO LMS schedule, which will bring the
tour’s stars through Ohio for the Alltel Ohio Speedweek in the preceding days.
Alltel Ohio Speedweek includes events on July 24 at Muskingum County Speedway in
Zanesville, Ohio; July 25 at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio;
July 26 at Dave Blaney’s Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio; and July 27 at Eriez
Speedway just across the Buckeye State’s border in Hammett, Pa.
The rescheduled Firecracker 100 will also close out a mammoth stretch of July
competition at Lernerville Speedway, which also hosts the $40,000-to-win
Cleveland Brothers Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup for the Advance Auto Parts
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series on Tues., July 15.
Some Firecracker 100 reserved seats are still available at $34 each, with
General Admission priced at $32.50 and, as always at Lernerville, kids 10 and
under are admitted free. Senior and Student pricing is also available.
For more information on the Firecracker 100 or Cleveland Brothers Don Martin
Memorial Silver Cup, visit
www.lernerville.com,
www.worldofoutlaws.com or call the track office at 724-353-1511.
Contact: World Racing Group
Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR
704-795-7223 • cdolack@dirtcar.com
Alltel Wireless Becomes Title Sponsor
For World of Outlaws Late Model Series Ohio Speedweek
CONCORD, N.C. — June 30, 2008 — World Racing Group (OTCBB: WRGI) and Alltel
Wireless (NYSE: AT) are excited to announce their second major event partnership
of 2008.
Alltel, the official wireless provider of fans and America’s largest network
providing coverage across the nation, will be the title sponsor of the Alltel
Ohio Speedweek featuring the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. This four-race
event follows the highly successful Alltel DIRTcar Nationals partnership that
opened the 2008 racing season.
“We were very pleased by the fan support during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals in
February, so expanding our partnership with the World Racing Group was a very
easy decision,” said Samira Zebian, director of sponsorship marketing for Alltel
Wireless. “Becoming title sponsor of the Alltel Ohio Speedweek is another great
way to reach hard core racing fans and introduce them to Alltel’s products and
services. Like we did in February at the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, we will have
the Alltel Fan Zone, the Alltel Wireless NASCAR Stock Car and hospitality at all
four events during the Alltel Ohio Speedweek.”
Alltel also intends to crown an Alltel All-Star for the event, which features
races July 24 at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio; July 25 at Tony
Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio; July 26 at Dave Blaney’s Sharon
Speedway in Hartford, Ohio; and July 27 at Eriez Speedway just across the border
in Hammett, Pa.
The top five finishers each night will qualify to become the Alltel Ohio
Speedweek All-Star, making a possible 20 different drivers eligible for the
title. Voting will begin online at AlltelAllStar.com after the final Alltel Ohio
Speedweek event July 27 from Eriez Speedway, and fans each night will receive
hero cards and posters.
“We are excited Alltel Wireless experienced so much success in February that it
wants to expand its involvement with the World Racing Group as the title sponsor
of the Alltel Ohio Speedweek,” said World Racing Group Chief Marketing Officer
Ben Geisler. “From the Fan Zone to the show car to the Alltel All-Star contest,
Alltel is once again taking a very proactive role in the activation of its
partnership with us, which will no doubt benefit fans and racers alike.”
For more information on the Alltel Ohio Speedweek and the World of Outlaws Late
Model Series, visit WorldofOutlaws.com.
About World Racing Group, Inc.
World Racing Group, Inc. (OTCBB: WRGI), a sports entertainment company, is a
world leader in the sanctioning and promotion of dirt track auto racing. WRGI,
based in Concord, N.C., owns and operates the three highest profile national
touring series for dirt track racing in the United States:
· The Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws® Sprint Car Series
· The World of Outlaws Late Model Series(SM)
· The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series™
World Racing Group sanctions more than 4,900 local and regional dirt track
racing events in the United States and Canada at 126 tracks each year under the
DIRTcar™ Racing brand. In addition, World Racing Group owns and/or operates
seven premier dirt track speedways. WRG races can be heard online at
DIRTVision.com®.
To learn more about World Racing Group, visit worldracinggroup.com.
About Alltel Wireless
Alltel is owner and operator of the nation’s largest wireless network and has
more than 12 million customers. For more information about Alltel, please visit
www.alltel.com.
Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, UMP DIRTcar Racing Public Relations
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Night 13: Shirley Captures Rain-Shortened Event At
Lincoln Speedway
LINCOLN, IL – June 29, 2008 – Brian Shirley turned his luck around on Sunday
night, taking advantage of other drivers’ misfortune to win the rain-shortened
UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals A-Main at Lincoln Speedway.
After a blown tire during heat action two nights earlier at Lawrenceburg (Ind.)
Speedway set him down a road that cost him the Summer Nationals points lead,
Shirley had everything go his way at the quarter-mile fairgrounds oval. He
inherited the lead on two occasions from drivers who retired with mechanical
trouble and was in front when rain arrived and forced officials to declare the
race official with 26 of a scheduled 40 laps completed.
Shirley, 27, of Chatham, Ill., recorded his second win of the 2008 Summer
Nationals, joining Darren Miller of Milledgeville, Ill., and defending champion
Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., as repeat tour winners. It was his
fourth career triumph on the grueling month-long Super Late Model series.
The race’s fourth starter, Shirley found himself in front of the field for the
first time with his Ed Petroff-owned No. 3s when race-long pacesetter Don O’Neal
of Martinsville, Ind., dropped out with mechanical woes on lap 21. Eric Smith of
Bloomington, Ill., overtook Shirley to assume command on the lap-21 restart, but
he paced only two circuits before also pulling off with mechanical trouble.
Smith’s departure left Shirley in the lead on lap 24. He was still there on lap
26 when rain intensified during a caution flag for Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning,
Mich., prompting an early checkered flag and handing Shirley a $6,000 prize.
Wes Steidinger of Fairbury, Ill., advanced from the ninth starting spot to
finish second. Erb maintained a slim points lead over Shirley by placing third,
with Ryan Unzicker of El Paso, Ill., scoring a Summer Nationals-best finish of
fourth and 16th-starter Randy Korte of Highland, Ill., taking fifth.
Four caution flags slowed the event, with the most serious incident for a
lap-two rollover by Derek Chandler of Pontiac, Ill. He wasn’t injured.
VanWormer was the fastest qualifier among the 46 cars on hand, turning a lap of
13.712 seconds.
Heat winners were Smith, O’Neal, Matt Taylor of Springfield, Ill., Shirley and
VanWormer. The twin C-Mains were topped by Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill.,
and Daren Friedman of Forrest, Ill., and Korte captured the B-Main.
The UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals has a scheduled off day on Monday (June 30)
before returning to action with Round 14 on Tuesday night (July 1) at Peoria
(Ill.) Speedway.
UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Feature Finish (rain-shortened to 26 of 40 laps):
1. Brian Shirley
2. Wes Steidinger
3. Dennis Erb Jr.
4. Ryan Unzicker
5. Randy Korte
6. Matt Taylor
7. Steve Lance Jr.
8. Steve Sheppard Jr.
9. Will Vaught
10. Jeep Van Wormer
11. Jayme Zidar
12. Eric Smith
13. Don O'Neal
14. Mike Hammerle
15. Kevin Weaver
16. Nick Bauman
17. Tim Lance
18. Donny Walden
19. Michael Kloos
20. Jesse Stovall
21. Derek Chandler
First C-Main Finish: Brandon Sheppard, Ted Loomis, Russ Adams, Travis Wallbaum,
Nick Bauman, Steve Sheppard Jr., Scott Bull. Scratched: Brent Kreke, Jordan
Bland, Roben Huffman, Butch Smith
Second C-Main Finish: Daren Friedman, Jason McBride, Mike Hammerle, Jeremy
Conaway, Matt Beadles, Dennis Vandermeersch, Kelly Kovski, Nick Macklin, Nick
Vandenbergh
B-Main Finish: Randy Korte, Jayme Zidar, Tim Lance, Rodney Melvin, Daren
Friedman, Brandon Sheppard, Brandon McCormick, Cory Daugherty, Rick Standridge,
Jimmy Dehm, Mike Hammerle, Brandon Thirlby, Kyle Logue (DNS) Ted Loomis
2008 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summer Nationals Schedule (Date/Day/Track/Location/To
Win/Winner – Car Count):
June 12 – Thurs. - Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway/Calvert City, KY - $7,500 (Brad
Neat - 40)
June 13 – Fri. - Brownstown (IN) Speedway - $10,000 (Rain – postponed to July
11)
June 14 – Sat. - Kamp Motor Speedway/Boswell, IN - $10,000 (Wes Steidinger - 36)
June 15 – Sun. – Tri-State Speedway/Haubstadt, IN - $6,000 (Dennis Erb Jr. – 39)
June 16 – Mon - OFF
June 17 – Tues. – Highland Speedway/Highland, IL - $6,000 (Terry English – 47)
June 18 – Wed. – Belle Clair Speedway/Belleville, IL - $6,000 (Will Vaught – 41)
June 19 – Thurs. – I-57/I-64 Raceway/Mt. Vernon, IL - $6,000 (Darren Miller –
37)
June 20 – Fri. – Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL - $10,000 (Darren Miller –
50)
June 21 – Sat. – I-55 Raceway/Pevely, MO - $10,000 (CANCELED – flooding)
June 22 – Sun. – Vermilion Co. Speedway/Danville, IL - $6,000 (Jeep VanWormer –
43)
June 23 – Mon. - OFF
June 24 – Tue. – Sedalia State Fair Speedway/Sedalia, MO - $6,000 (Brian Shirley
– 27)
June 25 – Wed. – Lake Ozark Speedway/Eldon, MO - $6,000 (Billy Moyer – 31)
June 26 – Thurs. – Paducah Int’l Raceway/Paducah, KY - $6,000 (Kevin Claycomb –
35)
June 27 – Fri. – Lawrenceburg Speedway/Lawrenceburg, IN - $10,000 (Dennis Erb
Jr. – 36)
June 28 – Sat. – Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN - $10,000 (Rain –
postponed to July 19)
June 29 – Sun. – Lincoln Speedway/Lincoln, IL - $6,000 (Brian Shirley – 46)
June 30 – Mon. - OFF
July 1 – Tue. – Peoria Speedway/Peoria, IL - $6,000
July 2 – Wed. – Morgan Co. Speedway/Jacksonville, IL - $6,000
July 3 – Thurs. – Macon Speedway/Macon, IL - $6,000
July 4 – Fri. – Tri-City Speedway/Pontoon Beach, IL - $10,000
July 5 – Sat. – Fairbury American Legion Speedway/Fairbury, IL -$10,000
July 6 – Sun. – Quad City Raceway/East Moline, IL - $6,000
July 7 – Mon. - OFF
July 8 – Tue. – Quincy (IL) Speedway - $6,000
July 9 – Wed. – Spoon River Speedway/Canton, IL - $6,000
July 10 – Thurs. – La Salle Speedway/La Salle, IL - $6,000
July 11 – Fri. – Brownstown (IN) Speedway - $10,000 (Rescheduled date)
July 12 – Sat. – Oakshade Raceway/Wauseon, OH - $10,000
July 19 – Sat. – Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN - $10,000 (Rescheduled
date)
Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
Continuing Showers On Sunday Force Postponement Of Firecracker 100 Weekend
Finale At Lernerville Speedway
SARVER, PA – June 29, 2008 – Mother Nature wouldn’t allow the second annual
Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com to be completed on Sunday.
With showers continuing to hit Lernerville Speedway in waves and more still on
the way, officials made a late-afternoon decision to postpone the blockbuster
$150,000 World of Outlaws Late Model Series event.
A new date for the finale of the Firecracker 100 weekend will be announced soon
by track and series officials.
The $40,000-to-win event kicked off in spectacular fashion on Friday night with
a huge crowd watching six memorable qualifying heat races for 62 dirt Late
Models, building the anticipation for the main event. But rain arrived just
before race time on Saturday evening and refused to let up long enough for
competition, pushing the scheduled program of a C-Main, two B-Mains, the
$3,000-to-win Uncle Sam 30 and the Firecracker 100 to Sunday.
A late-afternoon start time was planned on Sunday, but thunderstorms began to
strike the four-tenths-mile oval again before a car was able to hit the racing
surface. Several strong storms followed, deluging the track and forcing the
ultimate postponement of the Firecracker 100.
When a new date is announced for the Firecracker 100 finale, the action will
pick up with the last-chance events that have already been aligned and end with
the pomp, pageantry and excitement of the rich 100-lap A-Main.
Rainchecks and pit bands will be honored on the rescheduled date.
For more information, visit
www.lernerville.com,
www.worldofoutlaws.com or call the track office at 724-353-1511.
The WoO LMS will be idle until embarking the ‘Wild West Tour,’ a series of nine
events over a 13-day period that will visit Minnesota, North Dakota, Wyoming,
South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The
‘Wild West Tour’ begins on July 9 with the ‘Gopher 50’ at Deer Creek Speedway in
Spring Valley, Minn.
Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
Sunday’s Postponed Finale Of Firecracker 100 Weekend At Lernerville Speedway
Scheduled To Start At 4 p.m.
SARVER, PA – June 29, 2008 – The postponed final day of the second annual
Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com will begin at 4 p.m. on Sunday (June
29), track and World of Outlaws Late Model Series officials have announced.
Gates will open at 3 p.m., with hot laps set for 3:15 p.m. and racing scheduled
to get the green flag one hour later. The complete card that was scheduled for
Saturday night before rain arrived will be contested on Sunday, including
B-Mains, the $3,000-to-win Uncle Sam 30 for non-qualifiers and the
$40,000-to-win Firecracker 100 main-event.
Single-day tickets are still available for Sunday’s program. Reserved seats cost
$34, and general admission is $32.50 for adults, $31 for seniors, $30 for
students 11-17 and free for kids 10-and-under.
For more information, visit
www.lernerville.com,
www.worldofoutlaws.com or call the track office at 724-353-1511.
Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
Persistent Showers Force Postponement Of Firecracker 100 Weekend Finale To
Sunday At Lernerville Speedway
SARVER, PA – June 28, 2008 – A strong thunderstorm that struck just prior to
race time was followed by persistent showers, forcing the postponement of
Saturday night’s second annual Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com at
Lernerville Speedway.
The blockbuster $40,000-to-win World of Outlaws Late Model Series event was
rescheduled for Sunday (June 29).
In order to provide racers and fans the best possible scenario for the $150,000
program, officials announced that Sunday’s raindate will use a ‘flex’ start
time. Officials will announce a start time for the finale of the Firecracker 100
weekend at noon on Sunday, with the first green flag expected to be waved
between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The start-time news will be available at 12 noon on Sunday by logging on to
www.worldofoutlaws.com and www.lernerville.com or by calling the track office at
724-353-1511.
The complete card scheduled for Saturday night will be contested on Sunday,
including a C-Main, two B-Mains, the $3,000-to-win Uncle Sam 30 for
non-qualifiers and the Firecracker 100 main-event.
Single-day tickets are still available for Sunday’s program. Reserved seats cost
$34, and general admission is $32.50 for adults, $31 for seniors, $30 for
students 11-17 and free for kids 10-and-under.
C-Main Lineup (top 4 transfer to B-Mains):
Row 1: Jason Covert/Nick Reges
Row 2: Dane Laraway/Sean Beardsley
Row 3: Joe Isabell/Lynn Geisler
Row 4: Ken Schaltenbrand/Ryan Scott
Row 5: Russ King/Jared Miley
First B-Main Lineup (top 3 transfer to A-Main):
Row 1: Doug Horton/David Scott
Row 2: Davey Johnson/Rick Eckert
Row 3: Clate Copeman/Dutch Davies
Row 4: Mike Knight/Chuck Kennedy
Row 5: Robbie Blair/John Flinner
Row 6: Chad Valone/Brent Rhebergen
Row 7: Josh McGuire/Danny Johnson
Row 8: Gary Lyle/C-Transfer
Row 9: C-Transfer
Second B-Main Lineup (top 3 transfer to A-Main):
Row 1: Jimmy Owens/Matt Lux
Row 2: Ron Davies/Keith Barbara
Row 3: Scott Bloomquist/Clint Smith
Row 4: Tony Burke/Dan Stone
Row 5: Bob Close/Todd Bachman
Row 6: John Mollick/Dave Hess Jr.
Row 7: John Blankenship/Vic Coffey
Row 8: Alex Ferree/C-Transfer
Row 9: C-Transfer
Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, UMP DIRTcar Racing Public Relations
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Event At Clarksville Speedway Postponed Until July
19
CLARKSVILLE, TN - June 28, 2008 – Officials with the StormPay.com Clarksville
Speedway and the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals tour decided in the morning to
postpone Saturday night’s $10,000-to-win series event due to expected
precipitation later in the day.
The track’s Summer Nationals event will now be run on Sat., July 19.
With a 70 percent chance of precipitation in the Clarksville area on Saturday,
officials were concerned about the travel time for teams running Friday night’s
UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals event at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway, Clarksville
and Sunday night’s tour event at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway. As a result, they
decided to pull the plug on the event until July 19.
The Summer Nationals resumes with a $6,000-to-win event on Sunday night (June
29) at Don Hammer’s Lincoln Speedway.
Defending Summer Nationals champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill.,
leads the tour points standings entering Lincoln’s action.
For more information on the UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals, visit
www.dirtcar.com.
UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Points Standings (after 12 events):
1. Dennis Erb Jr. 927
2. Brian Shirley 909
3. Wes Steidinger 772
4. Jeep VanWormer 769
5. Will Vaught 761
6. Randy Korte 727
7. Steve Sheppard Jr. 676
8. Darren Miller 580
9. Jason Feger 557
10. Dewayne Kiefer 500
11. Billy Moyer 479
12. Kevin Claycomb 462
13. Jordan Bland 455
14. Terry English 435
15. Kevin Weaver 415
2008 UMP DIRTcar Racing Summer Nationals Schedule (Date/Day/Track/Location/To
Win/Winner – Car Count):
June 12 – Thurs. - Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway/Calvert City, KY - $7,500 (Brad
Neat - 40)
June 13 – Fri. - Brownstown (IN) Speedway - $10,000 (Rain – postponed to July
11)
June 14 – Sat. - Kamp Motor Speedway/Boswell, IN - $10,000 (Wes Steidinger - 36)
June 15 – Sun. – Tri-State Speedway/Haubstadt, IN - $6,000 (Dennis Erb Jr. – 39)
June 16 – Mon - OFF
June 17 – Tues. – Highland Speedway/Highland, IL - $6,000 (Terry English – 47)
June 18 – Wed. – Belle Clair Speedway/Belleville, IL - $6,000 (Will Vaught – 41)
June 19 – Thurs. – I-57/I-64 Raceway/Mt. Vernon, IL - $6,000 (Darren Miller –
37)
June 20 – Fri. – Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL - $10,000 (Darren Miller –
50)
June 21 – Sat. – I-55 Raceway/Pevely, MO - $10,000 (CANCELED – flooding)
June 22 – Sun. – Vermilion Co. Speedway/Danville, IL - $6,000 (Jeep VanWormer –
43)
June 23 – Mon. - OFF
June 24 – Tue. – Sedalia State Fair Speedway/Sedalia, MO - $6,000 (Brian Shirley
– 27)
June 25 – Wed. – Lake Ozark Speedway/Eldon, MO - $6,000 (Billy Moyer – 31)
June 26 – Thurs. – Paducah Int’l Raceway/Paducah, KY - $6,000 (Kevin Claycomb –
35)
June 27 – Fri. – Lawrenceburg Speedway/Lawrenceburg, IN - $10,000 (Dennis Erb
Jr. – 36)
June 28 – Sat. – Clarksville Speedway/Clarksville, TN - $10,000 (Rain –
postponed to July 19)
June 29 – Sun. – Lincoln Speedway/Lincoln, IL - $6,000
June 30 – Mon. - OFF
July 1 – Tue. – Peoria Speedway/Peoria, IL - $6,000
July 2 – Wed. – Morgan Co. Speedway/Jacksonville, IL - $6,000
July 3 – Thurs. – Macon Speedway/Macon, IL - $6,000
July 4 – Fri. – Tri-City Speedway/Pontoon Beach, IL - $10,000
July 5 – Sat. – Fairbury American Legion Speedway/Fairbury, IL -$10,000
July 6 – Sun. – Quad City Raceway/East Moline, IL - $6,000
July 7 – Mon. - OFF
July 8 – Tue. – Quincy (IL) Speedway - $6,000
July 9 – Wed. – Spoon River Speedway/Canton, IL - $6,000
July 10 – Thurs. – La Salle Speedway/La Salle, IL - $6,000
July 11 – Fri. – Brownstown (IN) Speedway - $10,000 (Rescheduled date)
July 12 – Sat. – Oakshade Raceway/Wauseon, OH - $10,000
Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
Firecracker 100 Weekend At Lernerville Speedway Opens With Spectacular
Friday-Night Qualifying Program
SARVER, PA – June 27, 2008 – If Friday night’s qualifying program at Lernerville
Speedway is any indication, the second annual Firecracker 100 presented by
GottaRace.com is going to be a show to remember.
Western Pennsylvania’s blockbuster $150,000 World of Outlaws Late Model Series
event opened in spectacular fashion on Friday, with a 62-car field providing
fans an endless supply of action during six breathtaking heat races.
Side-by-side battles for the lead. Last-lap drama. A storybook comeback from
near-disaster by a local hotshoe. Emotions boiling over.
Yes, the preliminary night had it all, setting the stage for Saturday night’s
$40,000-to-win Firecracker 100.
The most thrilling heat-race victory was authored by 20-year-old WoO LMS
sensation Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who went to the outside of the
four-tenths-mile oval to pull off a three-wide pass for the lead on lap 12 of
the fourth 15-lap qualifier.
As if a daredevil move to assume command wasn’t exciting enough, the two drivers
Richards sailed by for the lead added even more luster to his performance. He
overtook dirt Late Model legends Donnie Moran of Dresden, Ohio, and Scott
Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., in one deft sweep.
“I knew the only chance I had to start up front (in the Firecracker 100) was if
I won the heat, so I got my elbows up and drove as hard as I could,” said
Richards, aware that the six heat winners will redraw on Saturday for the
top-six starting spots in the 100-lapper. “I didn’t get off to a very good
start, but I kept packing the top (groove) during the cautions and I kept
getting better and better up there.
“The top has always been my preferred line around this place, so I knew I could
make it work. I just had to get it done.”
Bloomquist, who won last year’s inaugural Firecracker 100, tumbled to a
fifth-place finish after losing the lead to Richards’ Seubert Calf Ranches
Rocket. He’ll have to run a B-Main on Saturday night to make the feature.
Dramatic heat-race competition actually began with the first prelim, when WoO
LMS regular Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., passed upstart Coleby Frye of
Dover, Pa., on the final lap to emerge triumphant. Frye fell one lap short of an
upset, flag-to-flag victory, settling for second when he left the door open for
Clanton by bumping the homestretch wall with the white flag waving.
The sixth heat was another barnburner, with Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa,
winning over Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., following a side-by-side duel that
raged for virtually the entire distance.
Other heat victors included defending WoO LMS champion Steve Francis of Ashland,
Ky., who dominated the second prelim; Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla.;
and WoO LMS points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who enters the weekend
hot off a tour victory on Wednesday night at Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville,
Pa.
The drive of the night was turned in by Mike Blose of New Bethlehem, Pa., who
became the darling of the crowd with an amazing rally in the second heat.
Blose, 50, was bidding for the third and final transfer spot on lap nine of the
heat when contact with Brandon Kinzer of Allen, Ky., sent him spinning wildly
over the third-turn bank at a high rate of speed. A red flag was thrown after he
disappeared from the fans’ view, but moments later he drove his car back onto
the racing surface and decided to continue racing.
With the fans cheering his every move, Blose slid by Keith Barbara of South
Park, Pa., and Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., on the 13th lap to snare a
third-place finish and transfer to the Firecracker 100. He had started the heat
from the last spot after being disqualified from his time-trial run because his
car weighed in 18 pounds light.
“I’m too damn old for this,” Blose smiled amid a large crowd of well-wishers at
his trailer following the night’s action. “When I went over the bank backwards,
I was thinking, Man, this is gonna hurt! But the car stayed on its wheels and
all we bent was a left-front tie-rod and a wheel.
“I guess we finally lucked into something,” added Blose, who credited WoO LMS
star Chub Frank with providing him valuable setup help.
The close-quarters racing got a little too tight during the third heat,
resulting in a confrontation between John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va., and
Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis. After Blankenship rubbed his way past Mars for
third place on lap 12, Mars retaliated by running into the left-rear corner of
Blankenship’s car and spinning the WoO LMS regular between turns three and four.
As the angry Mars retired to the pit area, Blankenship restarted at the rear of
the field and limped to an eighth-place finish.
Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., piloted his Bowyer Dirt Motorsports Rocket to
the fastest lap in time trials, roaring around the finely-manicured track in
15.228 seconds. He went on to finish third in the first heat while trailing
smoke from an apparent oil overflow.
The Firecracker 100 weekend continues on Saturday with a full day of activities,
starting at 12 noon with a driver/fan horseshoe tournament, ‘Best Burger’ and
‘Best Banner’ contests, a ‘weenie roast’ and music by Sarah Wilson. A driver
autograph session is scheduled for underneath the grandstand from 4 p.m. to 5
p.m., followed by B-Mains, the $3,000-to-win Uncle Sam 30 for non-qualifiers and
the main event — the $40,000-to-win Firecracker 100.
Pit gates open at 3 p.m., with hot laps at 6:45 p.m. and opening ceremonies at
7:30 p.m.
For more information on this weekend’s event, visit
www.lernerville.com and
www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 15.228
2. 15-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 15.229
3. 21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 15.307
4. 0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN 15.416
5. 19T-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 15.449
6. 15b-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA 15.462
7. F1-Coleby Frye/Dover, PA 15.493
8. 43A-Jason Covert/York Haven, PA 15.504
9. 44p-Earl Pearson Jr./Jacksonville, FL 15.523
10. 4J-John Mollick/Toronto, OH 15.545
11. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 15.553
12. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 15.577
13. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 15.577
14. 20-Jimmy Owens/Newport, TN 15.578
15. 28M-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI 15.590
16. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 15.630
17. 24M-Jeremy Miller/Gettysburg, PA 15.636
18. 71d-Ron Davies/Warren, PA 15.652
19. 9k-Mike Knight/Ripley, NY 15.665
20. 28-Eddie Carrier Jr./Salt Rock, WV 15.666
21. 23-John Blankenship/Wil