2009 World of Outlaws Late Model Series

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Local Favorite Kevin Sitton Excited To Challenge World of Outlaws Late Model Series Stars This Weekend (March 20-21) At Battleground Speedway

Reopened Texas Track Hosting Huge $20,000-To-Win Lone Star 100

HIGHLANDS, TX – March 17, 2009 – Kevin Sitton lives just minutes away from Battleground Speedway and calls the three-eighths-mile oval his favorite track, so his feelings about this weekend’s inaugural Lone Star 100 aren’t a mystery.

Yes, Sitton is pumped up to challenge the national stars from the World of Outlaws Late Model Series at the reopened facility.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Sitton said of the $100,000 two-day event, which begins on Fri., March 20, with time trials and heat races and concludes on Sat., March 21, with a driver autograph session, last-chance races and the $20,000-to-win 100-lapper. “Seeing the track reopen this year (after being idle since early 2006) was a great thing – and then when somebody said something about a World of Outlaws Late Model Series race happening, everybody just went nuts.

“This is a real big deal for this area, this state. There’s never been a dirt Late Model show this big around here and everybody is excited about it.”

A 26-year-old driver from Baytown, Texas, who’s in his second year of dirt Late Model racing, Sitton will make his first career attempt to qualify for a WoO LMS A-Main. He has no illusions about how tough it will be to crack the starting field with so much top-rated talent from across the country in attendance.

“The Outlaw guys are the best of the best,” said Sitton.. “I just hope they don’t whoop up on me too bad.”

Coming off an impressive debut campaign in the dirt Late Model ranks that saw him emerge as the Southern United Professional Racing (SUPR) tour’s Rookie of the Year, Sitton is looking at the Lone Star 100 as an invaluable educational experience for his burgeoning career. He relishes the rare opportunity to rub shoulders – and sheet metal – with the fulltime traveling professionals of the WoO LMS.

“You can see these guys racing on television (on the SPEED cable network) and in videos on the internet, but it’s not the same as seeing them in person,” said Sitton, who finished second in the 2008 SUPR points standings and won three features. “When you race with them, you can see how they drive the track and how they handle different situations. And you can walk down and talk to them.

“It’s gonna be a great thing for us to have a chance to talk to guys like Chub Frank, Steve Francis, Josh Richards and the rest of the Outlaws. I just want to learn some things about tires and setups from them.”

Sitton already has a long-distance relationship with Frank, the 47-year-old WoO LMS veteran from Bear Lake, Pa. Last year Sitton made his dirt Late Model debut after his family purchased an ’05 Rocket car from fellow Baytown resident Chris Brown – a machine that Brown had obtained from Frank. Sitton is still driving the same car and has been regularly calling Frank for setup tips over the past year.

“This will be the first time I’ve met Chub in person,” said Sitton, whose No. 20 car will carry a Wall 2 Wall Performance open engine borrowed from Tony Flynn of Oklahoma City, Okla. “I might have to buy a case a beer and bring it over to him for helping me out with my setup questions so many times.”

Sitton is thrilled that promoter Mike Walling has resurrected Battleground Speedway, a local facility that holds a special place in his heart. The track previously operated from 1984-2001 and 2004-2006.

“Battleground is my favorite track mostly because of the memories I have of growing up there,” said Sitton. “I can remember being in the pits there with my father (veteran racer Tim Sitton), scraping mud and learning about setups. Then when I got a Bomber to start racing (in 2000), we used to get a case of beer for the guy who worked on the track (surface) and he’d water it so I could go over there and practice.”

A points champion at Battleground in 2004 competing in the Late Model Stock division, Sitton expects spectacular racing this weekend.

“It has a real nice black-gumbo (clay) surface,” Sitton said of Battleground. “I went out there two weeks ago (for the track’s second program under Walling) and watched from the stands and (the surface) stayed heavy all night. People were racing two- and three-wide, and I think you’ll see the same thing this weekend.

“Battleground is one of the few tracks I’ve been to where you can run the bottom or the top (grooves) without a problem. It’s going to be a great show.”

There will be certainly be plenty of Sitton fans on hand to see the weekend action, which brings the WoO LMS to Texas for the first time since 2004. The field will feature series regulars Frank; Ashland, Ky.’s Francis, who is riding a two-race win streak and leads the points standings; Shinnston, W.Va.’s Richards, a 20-year-old who won the tour’s season opener last month in Florida; defending champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.; Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga.; Rick Eckert of York, Pa.; Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.; Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y.; Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y.; and Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis.

A healthy contingent of WoO LMS Rookie of the Year candidates is also expected, including Dustin Hapka of Grand Forks, N.D.; Russ King of Bristolville, Ohio; Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va.; 14-year-old Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif.; Chuck Hummer of Ottawa Lake, Mich.; and Chas Shellenberger of Winfield, Pa.

And the field will also include a cross-section of well-known names from far away (Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., and Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kan.) and along the Gulf Coast (Chris Brown of Baytown, Texas, Howard Willis of Dayton, Texas, Chris Wall of Holden, La., James Ward of Lettsworth, La., Ray Moore of Shreveport, La., and Rob Litton of Alexandria, La.).

All the entrants will compete not only for the $20,000 top prize – just the second dirt Late Model race held in Texas to offer that much money to win – but also a post-race visit with Hondo, a 1,300-pound Texas Longhorn.. The A-Main winner will pose with the 14-year-old steer in a Texas-themed Victory Lane.

The Lone Star 100 weekend will kick off on Thurs., March 19, with an open practice session from 6-9 p.m. Fans can enter the grandstands free of charge to get a preview of the action, while pit admission will be $20.

Gates will open at 3 p.m. on both Fri., March 20, and Sat., March 21, with practice scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. each day.

Saturday’s schedule will include a driver autograph session in the grandstand area from 4-5 p.m.

For ticket information and other info on the Lone Star 100, visit www.battlegroundspeedway.net or call 832-421-RACE.

Battleground Speedway is located 12 miles east of Houston, just four miles north of Interstate 10 Exit 787 on FM 2100.

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

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

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: Wrapping Up The ‘Showdown on the Gulf’ At Deep South Speedway

LOXLEY, AL – March 16, 2009 –

MILESTONE: Friday night’s 40-lap ‘Showdown on the Gulf’ headliner at Deep South Speedway was the 200th A-Main contested since the World of Outlaws Late Model Series restarted in 2004 under the World Racing Group banner.

The 200 A-Mains have been run at 99 different tracks in 30 states and three Canadian provinces – which means another milestone will be reached with the running of the inaugural ‘Lone Star 100’ this weekend (March 20-21) at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas. The high-banked, three-eighths-mile oval outside Houston is poised to become the 100th track to host a WoO LMS event during the tour’s WRG era.

FORGETTABLE: Rick Eckert still can’t quite recapture his winning magic from the 2004-2006 WoO LMS seasons.

Coming off a strong southern trip in February that ended on Feb. 14 with a third-place finish in the tour’s Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH finale at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park, the York, Pa., veteran seemed primed to rise all the way back to the top when he set fast time for Friday night’s program at Deep South. It was, after all, just his second top-qualifier honor since April 2006.

But Eckert’s hopes were dashed in the first heat faster than you can say, “Red clay oval.” Aware that he would have to quickly get to the faster top lane of the track from his pole position start if he expected to win the preliminary, he attempted to move up but tangled between turns one and two with Shane Clanton and Brady Smith, breaking the left-front suspension of his Bloomquist Chassis machine and causing a chain-reaction pileup behind him. Later, in the first B-Main, he was involved in an opening-lap scrape that flattened both of his car’s rear tires, but he returned to the race and moved forward to grab the third and final transfer spot.

Saddled with the 21st starting spot in the A-Main, Eckert managed to salvage a 12th-place finish. It was the first time in his 16 overall starts this season that he failed to place in the top 10.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” said Eckert. “We had a real fast car, but we just couldn’t put it all together. You don’t expect to get crashed out starting on the pole in a heat, but it happened to us and that put us behind for the rest of the night.”

RARE SIGHT: Something that wasn’t seen very often in 2008 happened during Friday night’s first heat race – a flat tire on Darrell Lanigan’s car.

The defending WoO LMS champion went through the entire ’08 campaign without experiencing a flat tire, but it took just three races for the misfortune to strike him this season. He was running second to Clanton on the seventh lap of the preliminary when his machine’s right-rear tire shredded, bringing out a caution flag and sending him to the pit area.

But Lanigan showed his championship mettle by charging back to qualify in the heat. He went on to advance from the 13th starting spot to an eighth-place finish in the A-Main, which saw him survive several laps of intense bump-and-run action with fellow WoO LMS regular Chub Frank.

CLOSE CALL: A sixth-place finish (after timing fourth-fastest in qualifying) didn’t exactly thrill the 47-year-old Frank, but he gladly accepted it in the wake of his disappointing visit to Volusia last month.

Plus, ‘Chubzilla’ felt fortunate to see the checkered flag on Friday after one particularly scary scrape with Lanigan on lap 10.

“He thought he had me clear (entering turn three), but he hit me in the door,” said Bear Lake, Pa.’s Frank. “It about crashed us both. I thought for a second that I was going right in the wall, but I held on.

“I was mad at the time and we’ll talk about it, but I know he didn’t mean it. He doesn’t drive like that.”

THE REPORTER: Clint Smith provided a pretty simple – and slightly humorous – analysis of Friday night’s feature to a WoO LMS official.

“(Billy) Moyer jumped out to the lead, (Steve) Francis passed him (for the win) – and ‘Cat Daddy’ finished ninth in a World of Outlaws race,” said Smith, pointing out his own performance. “The way we ran in Florida (last month), a top-10 is an accomplishment.”

Senoia, Ga.’s Smith registered by far his best WoO LMS finish of the young season behind the wheel of a GRT car he debuted in Southern races during the tour’s four-week break. He made an engine change following Thursday night’s practice in search of more horsepower.

RALLYING: Brady Smith’s first season with the WoO LMS as his primary focus didn’t start off well (he failed to qualify for the opener at Volusia following a heat-race accident), but the 31-year-old from Solon Springs, Wis., has proven his talent with a pair of comeback top-fives.

Backing up his runner-up finish in the finale at Volusia, Smith registered a steady fourth-place finish on Friday at Deep South.

“We’re very happy with fourth,” said Smith, who started third in his Bloomquist Chassis car. “The outside was the preferred line to start in and we were on the inside (for the initial green flag), so I knew it would be tough to stay ahead of (Brian) Birkhofer and he was able to get in front of us. We never got another opportunity to get by him.”

ONE FOR THE POINTS RACE: Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., entered the weekend as the country’s hottest dirt Late Model driver – he scored his sixth overall win the previous week driving the Ernie Davis-owned No. 25 in the season opener at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway – but he settled for a solid fifth-place finish on Friday night.

“I think we were better than Brady (Smith),” Richards said of his Rocket Chassis house car, “but I ran behind him the whole race.. I could get under him in (turns) one and two, but I couldn’t carry enough speed off the corner to pass him.”

Richards, by the way, will celebrate his 21st birthday the day after the Lone Star 100 at Battleground Speedway.

RACIN’ & SIGHTSEEIN’: Muscatine, Iowa’s Brian Birkhofer made the long tow to Deep South Speedway to kick off his 2009 racing season with a third-place finish on Friday night.

The outing came after Birkhofer snuck away from the track on Friday afternoon to be a tourist, visiting the Battleship USS Alabama in nearby Mobile Bay. He no doubt enjoyed himself after Saturday night’s rainout as well – Saturday, after all, was his 37th birthday.

PIT ACTION: The crews of several WoO LMS teams sported new faces at Deep South…

* Chris Burton, who won the 2008 WoO LMS Crew Chief of the Year Award working for Lanigan’s championship operation but split with the Kentucky driver before the ’09 campaign began, resurfaced with Steve Francis. Burton was hired by Francis to work on the Ashland, Ky., star’s equipment (including the cars that will be driven in selected events by NASCAR Sprint Cup star Ryan Newman), and he’ll also accompany Francis on the road to add manpower to car owner Dale Beitler’s effort.

* Jonathan Owensby, who spent the past two seasons working for Shane Clanton, returned to the pit area as a member of Clint Smith’s team. Owensby left Clanton’s RSD Enterprises effort because he planned to relocate from Georgia to West Virginia and get a non-racing job, but the move fell through and Smith offered him an opportunity to go back out on the road.

* Lanigan’s operation featured a brother act at Deep South – Randle Edwards, who returned as Lanigan’s chief mechanic prior to last month’s opener at Volusia after a one-year separation, was joined by his older Keith Edwards. Keith said he was recently laid off from his job working with dirt Late Model standout Earl Pearson Jr.. on the North Carolina-based Bobby Labonte Motorsports team and agreed to help Lanigan and his brother for the remainder of the month.

STOP AT HOME: With the WoO LMS moving west from Deep South to Texas, the Edwards brothers were planning a mid-week visit with family and friends in their native Alexandria, La.

Lanigan was scheduled to fly home on Sunday, but the Edwards siblings were staying out with the Lanigan Autosports hauler. They headed for their other brother’s home to spend several days working on Lanigan’s equipment before going on to Battleground Speedway.

REINFORCEMENTS: Vic Coffey is relishing some extra help on the road – with his Sweeteners Plus Racing teammate Tim McCreadie sidelined indefinitely by the back injury he suffered two months ago in a Chili Bowl Midget Nationals wreck, the 2008 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year has McCreadie’s mechanics, Al Stevens and Mike Amell, assisting his regular wrench Johnny Coco.

The availability of Stevens, who doubles as McCreadie’s hauler driver, has bought Coffey some time to find a fulltime truck driver for the season. His ’08 truck driver, Dave (‘Frog’) Griepsma, is not planning to return this year.

LOCAL CONNECTION: Former WoO LMS champion Scott Bloomquist didn’t make the haul to Deep South Speedway merely to race. The event actually afforded him an opportunity for a couple days of R&R.

Bloomquist’s wife, Katrina, has ties to the area, having lived just south of the track for about 10 years and worked at the famed Live Bait bar and restaurant in Orange Beach, Ala. She still has family and friends in southern Alabama, and many of them met her at Deep South Speedway to attend Friday night’s event. The Bloomquists also planned to stick around the area after the weekend to enjoy a quick vacation with their daughter, Ariel, in a family member’s condo on the beach.

FLEEING THE NORTH: No one was happier to spend time in 70-degree temperatures along the Gulf Coast than Dustin Hapka, who earned the WoO LMS Rookie of the Race bonus with a 16th-place finish on Friday night.

When Hapka left his hometown of Grand Forks, N.D., to begin the 1,525-mile journey to Deep South Speedway, the temperature was slightly below zero. He also was barely an hour ahead of a snowstorm that ended up closing many roads in the Upper Midwest.

Hapka, who celebrated his 26th birthday on March 9, expects to be away from home until at least the completion of the Illini 100 weekend on April 3-4 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway.

PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS: Rookie of the Year candidate Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., couldn’t help but feel snakebitten at Deep South.

First, during Thursday night’s practice session, he had to replace his car’s radiator after the fan went through it. Then, at the start of his qualifying lap on Friday night, a left-rear flat tire left him without a time and a starting spot at the rear of a heat. The 21-year-old rallied to win a B-Main, but he retired 20 laps into the A-Main with what he thought was engine trouble.

After Saturday’s rainout Robinson and his traveling companions, which included his mother and father, headed west to park their hauler at Gulf Coast star Chris Wall’s shop in Holden, La. They arranged to leave the rig there, fly home for the week (Robinson has classes to attend at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.), and then return on Thursday to retrieve the equipment and head to Texas.

THE INTIMAGATOR: Wall’s first career appearance at Deep South Speedway was a short one. After taking an unplanned trip through the track’s infield early in his heat, engine problems several circuits later ended his night.

Wall, who is planning to enter this weekend’s Lone Star 100 at Battleground Speedway, is still feeling the effects of the broken right hand he suffered in an accident earlier this year. He only wears a brace on the hand while racing, but he made sure to offer his left hand to greet people because he didn’t “want to take the chance that somebody will have a strong grip,” he said.

FRESH LOOK: Teenage Rookie of the Year contender Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif., debuted a new Rocket car that carried prominent sponsorship from Gatorz Precision Built Eyewear.

There was one problem: when Reddick climbed into the machine for the first time (it was put together in upstate New York and hauled south by WoO LMS regular Tim Fuller), he found the seat to be too close to the steering wheel. The 14-year-old lost some practice time on Thursday while the seat was repositioned.

Reddick missed qualifying for Friday night’s A-Main by one position in a B-Main.

ON THE ROAD WITH MOM: Rookie of the Year candidate Russ King made the long haul from Bristolville, Ohio, to Deep South accompanied only by his mother Sis, who also drove the team’s hauler.

King’s brother and chief mechanic, Bobby Bachman, flew down on Friday to meet up with the team. They watched King, who turns 20 on March 18, qualify for his first A-Main of ’09, but an overheating engine forced him to retire.

A GOOD CAUSE: Two fans –Vernon Johnson, 63, of Hammond, La., and Cameron Paul, 18, of Pensacola, Fla. – won once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to experience the start of Friday night’s A-Main from inside the cockpit of two-seat dirt Late Models.

Local racers Frank Wilson and Nathan Ingersoll drove the cars that were used in the unique raffle/promotion, which raised $486 for the families of the victims in last week’s tragic shootings in a nearby Alabama county. They thrilled Johnson and Paul by participating in the four-wide parade lap and taking the green flag from the back of the pack before immediately pulling into the infield.

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

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Red-Hot Steve Francis Is Having A Ball On The World of Outlaws Late Model Series

‘Kentucky Colonel’ Will Go For Rare Three-Race Win Streak In March 20-21 ‘Lone Star 100’ At Battleground Speedway

CONCORD, NC – March 15, 2009 - Steve Francis was bubbling like a little kid on Christmas morning after capturing Friday night’s 40-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Showdown on the Gulf’ A-Main at Deep South Speedway.

Just consider the first words from the Kentucky Colonel’s mouth when he emerged from his Dale Beitler-owned car in Victory Lane: “I’m having more fun than I ever have in my life.”

Yes, the 41-year-old from Ashland, Ky., is living it up on the WoO LMS. With two consecutive wins and a fourth-place finish to his credit so far in 2009 giving him the points lead by 16 markers over Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., he’s off to arguably his best start ever on the national tour.

What’s more, Francis feels completely comfortable campaigning as Beitler’s hired gun. Now in his second season driving for Beitler after running his own equipment in a majority of WoO LMS events from 2004-2007, Francis is relishing the opportunity to concentrate on winning races.

“For some reason, I’m relaxed right now and just enjoying going racing,” said Francis, who has steered Beitler’s familiar Valvoline/Reliable Painting Rocket No. 19 to eight of his series-best 22 career wins since 2004. “Dale has given me whatever I’ve asked for to go racing with, so I can’t complain about anything right now.”

According to Francis, a couple new wrinkles to his pairing with Beitler that went public at Deep South brought further focus and strength to the team’s effort. Most notably, Francis won Friday’s open-tire event on Hoosier rubber rather than the American Racer tires the team used last year – and Beitler has agreed to stick exclusively with Hoosier Tires for the remainder of the season. In addition, Francis has hired 2008 WoO LMS Crew Chief of the Year Chris Burton, who split last month with defending WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., to work on his own equipment (including the dirt Late Models that NASCAR Sprint Cup star Ryan Newman will drive in selected events this season) and provide assistance on the road to Beitler’s chief mechanic Kevin Miller and consultant Robby Allen.

“We’ve just put a whole group of guys together who have one thing in mind, and that’s to try to win every race we can win,” said Francis. “We know that’s not gonna happen, but that’s our goal – to put 100 percent into every race.”

Rain moved in and washed out Saturday night’s scheduled 60-lap, $12,000-to-win program at Deep South Speedway, denying Francis a shot at a rich weekend sweep. But with the 2007 WoO LMS champion so pumped up after his $7,700 triumph on Friday night before the largest crowd in the five-year history of the high-banked oval, there’s no doubt he’ll carry plenty of momentum into the tour’s upcoming big-money events on March 20-21 at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas ($20,000-to-win Lone Star 100); March 27-28 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway ($50,000-to-win Circle K Colossal 100); and April 3-4 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway ($20,000-to-win Illini 100).

“This is kind of a ‘Month of Money’ coming up for us, so it feels good to be on a roll,” said Francis, who led the WoO LMS in purse earnings last year and has already cracked the $20,000 mark this season. “We’re just gonna go out there and see how far we can take this.”

Francis paused, and then rattled off the arsenal at his disposal that gives him plenty of confidence: “This is a brand-new car (he debuted on Friday night), and the car in the front of the trailer is the car we won with at Volusia (Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., last month when it was new). And Robby (Allen) has another brand-new car at home that he’s starting to put together. We’re getting all our equipment in place.”

Next up for Francis is Battleground Speedway, where he’ll attempt to post just the fifth three-race win streak on the WoO LMS since 2004. He previously won three in-a-row in 2005, making him one of only four drivers (Rick Eckert, Tim McCreadie and Billy Moyer are the others) to pull off a three-peat on the ultra-competitive tour.

The Lone Star 100, which includes time trials and heat races on Friday night (March 20) and B-Mains and the extra-distance A-Main on Saturday night (March 21), will mark Francis’s first appearance in the state of Texas since a WoO LMS doubleheader on April 16-17, 2004, at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore. He scored finishes of third and 21st in the two events.

For more information on the first-ever WoO LMS program at Battleground Speedway, visit www.battlegroundspeedway.net or call 832-421-RACE.

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

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Rain Forces Cancellation Of Saturday Night’s ‘Showdown on the Gulf’ Finale At Deep South Speedway

LOXLEY, AL – March 14, 2009 – A historic World of Outlaws Late Model Series weekend at Deep South Speedway that began with a flourish came to an anticlimactic end due to rain.

Steady precipitation began to fall late Saturday afternoon, forcing officials to call off the evening’s ‘Showdown on the Gulf’ finale at the high-banked, four-tenths-mile oval.

No announcement of a new date for Saturday night’s scheduled 60-lap, $12,000-to-win event was announced, but WoO LMS and Deep South Speedway officials plan to discuss the possibility of the tour’s return later in the 2009 season if a suitable place on the schedule can be found.

After Friday night’s inaugural WoO LMS program – won by 2007 tour champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky. – attracted the largest crowd in Deep South Speedway’s five-year history, anticipation was running high for Saturday’s grand finale.

“We had the track ready to go and we were so excited to finish the weekend with a great show,” said Bill Webb, who operates the facility with his wife Karen. “We were thrilled with the turnout of cars and fans last night, but unfortunately the weather wouldn’t let us finish the biggest weekend ever at Deep South Speedway.”

WoO LMS director Tim Christman was disappointed that Mother Nature ruined Saturday night’s big-money finale, but he’s confident that the abbreviated weekend will serve as a springboard to making Deep South Speedway a regular stop on the nation’s premier tour.

“It was a pleasure to work with Bill and Karen Webb, Ozzie Altman (track events manager) and the entire staff of Deep South Speedway,” said Christman. “They have a superb facility and welcomed all the teams and officials from the World of Outlaws Late Model Series with open arms. We’re looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Deep South Speedway.”

The WoO LMS will return to action on March 20-21 with a first-ever visit to Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas, for the ‘Lone Star 100.’ The inaugural event offers a $20,000 top prize from a purse of $100,000.

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

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Sizzling Francis Overtakes Moyer To Capture Opening Night Of Inaugural ‘Showdown On The Gulf’ At Deep South Speedway

LOXLEY, AL – March 13, 2009 – Steve Francis is riding high on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.

And after capturing Friday night’s 40-lap ‘Showdown on the Gulf’ opener at Deep South Speedway, the red-hot star from Ashland, Ky., has no intention of slowing down.

“I’m just gonna go out and try to win every race we can win,” said Francis, who registered his second straight WoO LMS victory and extended his points lead three races into the tour’s grueling 48-event schedule. “For some reason, I’m relaxed right now and just enjoying going racing.”

Francis, 41, topped a battle of former WoO LMS champions, overtaking Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., for the lead on lap 19 of the tour’s first-ever A-Main at the high-banked, four-tenths-mile oval. Driving a brand-new Valvoline/Reliable Painting Rocket car owned by Dale Beitler, Francis held on through two more caution flags to add $7,700 to his bank account.

The 51-year-old Moyer settled for second place, 0.671 of a second behind Francis after leading laps 1-18. He was behind the wheel of a car from the stable of Woodward, Okla.’s Tommy Weder Jr., a young dirt Late Model rookie who is campaigning Victory Circle machines built by Moyer.

Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, who started fourth in his Mars/Birkhofer car, quietly ran in third place from start-to-finish. He finished nearly four seconds behind the leaders.

Completing the top five was third-starter Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., in his Big Red Motorsports Bloomquist Chassis and sixth-starter Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., in the Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket.

Francis started from the pole position, but he was outgunned for the lead at the initial green flag by fellow front-row starter Moyer. Any uneasiness he had about his chances of regaining command from Moyer quickly disappeared.

“I was (doubtful) the first three laps, and then I wasn’t,” said Francis. “I realized how married (Moyer’s) car seemed to be to that top (groove), and then I was just kinda waiting to pick a spot when we got to lapped traffic. Passing him in wide-open track was gonna be hard, but we had a good car and were able to maneuver better than he was.

“I figured just from watching where he was having to run on the racetrack that he had committed a little softer on tires than I had. I knew when we got to lapped cars that I was able to turn and come down the bank a lot better than he could.”

Francis made his move exiting turn two on the 18th circuit, ducking underneath Moyer’s green-and-black mount with slower cars ahead. He had his Cornett Chevy-powered No. 19 in front for good as lap 19 was scored.

Moyer, who accepted an offer to run Weder’s brand-new No. 02 after his own Banner Valley Hauling No. 21 was sidelined by motor trouble during Thursday night’s practice session, would have liked to call a do-over on the 18th lap.

“I feel like I gave the race away myself,” said Moyer, who earned $3,100 for his night’s work. “I hit that hole (in the surface) and kinda made the wrong decisions, and Steve ran a great race. He did what he needed to do.

“It wasn’t the car’s fault. It was good. I set the car up just like mine, so really it should run as good as mine.”

Francis and Moyer had a hairy moment on lap 20, when they momentarily got bottled up on the backstretch behind the slowing car driven by WoO LMS Rookie of the Year candidate Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va. They escaped the episode unscathed and Francis controlled the remainder of the distance.

“It feels like you’re going MACH-3 around this place,” said Francis, whose career WoO LMS win total of 22 leads all drivers during the tour’s World Racing Group-era (2004-present). “Things happen here in a hurry, and we had a close call there.”

Four caution flags slowed the event, which was run before the biggest crowd ever to attend a dirt Late Model event at the five-year-old Deep South Speedway.

Cautions were caused by the turn-two spins of Winston, Ga.’s Travis Pennington (lap four) and William Thomas of Phenix City, Ala. (lap nine), and the slow machines of Watertown, N.Y.’s Tim Fuller (flat left-rear tire as he ran 10th on lap 26) and WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contender Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio (overheating engine on lap 28).

Finishing in positions 6-10 was Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa.; Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga.; defending WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who transferred to the A-Main through a heat race despite pitting to change a blown left-rear tire; Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.; and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill.

Weder, 23, drove his team’s primary car to an 11th-place finish, earning him the $500 WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ cash for being the highest-finishing driver who had never won a tour A-Main and wasn’t ranked among the top 12 in the points standings.

Forty-four cars were signed in for the evening’s action.

Rick Eckert of York, Pa., earned the $50 Ohlins Shocks Fast Time Award, blistering the oval in 15.304 seconds to establish a new track record.

But Eckert’s fortunes dive-bombed when he was involved in a tangle between turns one and two on the opening lap of the first heat, forcing him out of the preliminary with left-front suspension damage. He qualified through a B-Main (despite pitting to change a left-rear flat tire) and salvaged a 12th-place finish in the A-Main.

A total of 25 drivers topped Deep South’s standing dirt Late Model track record of 16.062 seconds, set by Pennington in November 2008.

Heat winners were Clanton, Richards, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., who dropped out of the A-Main while running sixth on lap 31 due to an overheating engine, and Frank. The B-Mains were captured by Robinson and Thomas.

The ‘Showdown on the Gulf’ continues on Saturday night (March 14) with a grand finale highlighted by a 60-lap A-Main paying $12,000 to win.

Grandstand gates will open at 3 p.m. on Saturday, with practice scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Additional info can be obtained by visiting www.deepsouthspeedway.com or calling the speedway office at 251-964-6953.

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

Results of WoO Late Model Series at (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):

1. (1) Steve Francis/40 $7,700

2. (2) Billy Moyer/40 $3,100

3. (4) Brian Birkhofer/40 $2,000

4. (3) Brady Smith/40 $1,700

5. (6) Josh Richards/40 $2,050

6. (7) Chub Frank/40 $1,800

7. (5) Shane Clanton/40 $1,700

8. (13) Darrell Lanigan/40 $1,700

9. (10) Clint Smith/40 $1,500

10. (11) Shannon Babb/40 $1,000

11. (15) Tommy Weder Jr./40 $1,350

12. (21) Rick Eckert/40 $1,350

13. (23) Vic Coffey/40 $1,250

14. (12) Tim Fuller/40 $1,240

15. (14) Tyler Ivey/40 $710

16. (24) Dustin Hapka/38 $930

17. (19) Russell King/36 $650

18. (8) Scott Bloomquist/31 $730

19. (16) Travis Pennington/31 $620

20. (20) Jimmy Mars/26 $610

21. (9) James Ward/21 $600

22. (17) Brent Robinson/19 $600

23. (22) Dan Schlieper/17 $600

24. (18) William Thomas/15 $600

* Earnings include Winner’s Circle program bonuses for WoO LMS Platinum Team members and cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 19 Mins., 04.125 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 0.671 Secs.

Yellow Flags: 4 (Laps 4, 9, 26, 28)

Lap Leaders: Moyer (1-18); Francis (19-40)

Provisional Starters: Coffey, Hapka

Rookie of the Race: Hapka ($250)

WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Weder ($500)

Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race: Kevin Miller (Francis)

Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):

1. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 15.304 (NTR)

2. 19-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 15.308

3. 0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN 15.321

4. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 15.455

5. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 15.467

6. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 15.472

7. 02-Tommy Weder Jr./Woodward, OK 15.488

8. 021-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 15.517

9. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 15.549

10. 12-Jordan Bland/Campbellsville, KY 15.552

11. 15b-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA 15.571

12. 19T-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 15.589

13. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 15.609

14. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 15.615

15. 18b-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 15.673

16. 71-Chris Wall/Holden, LA 15.683

17. w3-James Ward/Lettsworth, LA 15.692

18. 47-Tyler Ivey/Tallahassee, FL 15.744

19. 28M-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI 15.765

20. 01-Travis Pennington/Winston, GA 15.784

21. 27-Jeff Fortner/Vidalia, GA 15.885

22. 6s-Scott Slay/Clinton, MS 15.899

23. 22-William Thomas/Phenix City, AL 15.977

24. 57-Shep Lucas/McKenzie, AL 16.045

25. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 16.049

26. 18H-Dustin Hapka/Grand Forks, ND 16.087

27. 9-Dan Schlieper/Sullivan, WI 16.100

28. 21JR-Billy Moyer Jr./Batesville, AR 16.153

29. 56K-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 16.195

30. 6d-Jack Daughtry/Greenville, AL 16.229

31. B1-Freddy Smith/Seymour, TN 16.329

32. 21T-Mickey Trosclair/Luling, LA 16.528

33. 00J-Devin Jones/Baker, FL 16.638

34. 56s-Chas Shellenberger/Winfield, PA 16.800

35. 25H-Chuck Hummer/Ottawa Lake, MI 16.980

36. 97-Ryan Little/Satsuma, AL 17.028

37. 63-Dale Groves Jr./Tallahassee, FL 17.130

38. 11-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 17.159

39. 327-Jason Phillips/Milton, FL 17.268

40. 99d-Isaiah Day/Flomaton, AL 17.580

41. 00H-Chris Hoomes/Brewton, AL N/T

42. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA N/T

43. 71-James Ussery/Cottondale, AL N/T

44. 13-Craig Grice/Sneads, FL N/T

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Clanton, B. Smith, Ward, Lanigan, Hoomes, Jones, Groves, Coffey, Eckert, Fortner, King

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Richards, Francis, C. Smith, Ivey, Robinson, Slay, Hapka, Shellenberger, Daughtry, Reddick, Bland

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Bloomquist, Birkhofer, Babb, Weder, Thomas, Mars, Schlieper, F. Smith, Phillips, Hummer (DNS) Ussery

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Frank, Moyer, Fuller, Pennington, Trosclair, Moyer Jr., Little, Day, Wall (DNS) Lucas, Grice

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Robinson, King, Eckert, Reddick, Hoomes, Shellenberger, Daughtry, Hapka, Slay, Coffey, Jones, Groves, Bland (DNS) Fortner

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Thomas, Mars, Schlieper, Trosclair, F. Smith, Little, Moyer, Phillips, Day, Hummer (DNS) Wall, Lucas

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners:

* Arizona Sport Shirts ($50 product certificate to fifth-place finisher in B-Mains): Chris Hoomes, Freddy Smith

* Armor All (case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main w/decal): Billy Moyer

* Champ Pans ($50 product certificate to ‘Bonus Bucks’ winner w/decal): Tommy Weder Jr.

* Crane Cams ($100 cash award to A-Main winner w/decal): Steve Francis

* Crane Cams ($100 cash award to 10th-place finisher in A-Main w/decal): Shannon Babb

* Crane Cams ($100 product certificate to Heat 3 winner w/decal): Scott Bloomquist

* Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner w/decal): Brent Robinson, William Thomas

* Fusion Energy ($50 cash award to Heat 2 winner w/decal): Josh Richards

* Ohlins Shocks ($50 cash award to fast qualifier w/decal): Rick Eckert

* Quarter-Master ($100 product certificate to A-Main winner w/decal): Steve Francis

* Quarter-Master ($50 product certificate to fifth-place finisher in A-Main w/decal): Josh Richards

* Quarter-Master ($25 product certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main w/decal): Tyler Ivey

* Super Clean ‘Start of the Race’ (one case of product): Billy Moyer

* VP Racing Fuels ‘Nice Jugs Award’ (two free VP five-gallon containers to fastest qualifier who does not make the A-Main if decal is displayed): Jordan Bland

* Wrisco Aluminum (three sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner w/decal): Steve Francis

2009 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of March 13 - 3 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/wins/top-5s/top-10s/earnings/points/deficit to leader):

1. Steve Francis 2-3-3-$21,000-442 (-0)

2. Josh Richards 1-2-3-$14,050-426 (-16)

3. Darrell Lanigan 0-1-3-$8,750-414 (-28)

4. Shane Clanton 0-0-3-$5,350-410 (-32)

5. Rick Eckert 0-1-2-$6,050-400 (-42)

6. Tim Fuller 0-0-1-$3,240-378 (-64)

7. Chub Frank 0-0-2-$4,200-372 (-70)

8. (tie) Dan Schlieper 0-1-1-$3,600-370 (-72)

8. (tie) Scott Bloomquist 0-0-1-$3,080-370 (-72)

8. (tie) Shannon Babb 0-1-2-$4,700-370 (-72)

11. Brady Smith 0-2-2-$6,700-363 (-79)

12. Billy Moyer 0-1-2-$5,000-359 (-83)

13. Vic Coffey 0-0-0-$3,250-352 (-90)

14. Clint Smith 0-0-1-$2,700-348 (-94)

15. Tyler Ivey 0-0-0-$2,110-334 (-108)

16. Tommy Weder Jr. 0-0-0-$2,160-307 (-135)

17. Jordan Bland 0-0-0-$1,540-295 (-147)

18. Dustin Hapka 0-0-0-$1,400-268 (-174)

19. Russell King 0-0-0-$870-266 (-176)

20. Brent Robinson 0-0-0-$820-256 (-186)

LISTEN ONLINE: If fans can’t get to a track to see the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, they can experience the excitement of the nation’s premier tour live on DIRTvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network.

To listen to the free audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo.

Listeners will need Windows Media Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. For technical support or questions, e-mail customerservice@dirtvision.com.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Thursday-Night Practice Session Kicks Off Deep South Speedway’s Big World of Outlaws Late Model Series Weekend

LOXLEY, AL – March 12, 2009 – Thirty drivers from 19 different states participated in Thursday night’s open practice session at Deep South Speedway to kick off the Gulf Coast track’s first-ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series doubleheader.

The impressive turnout for the test-and-tune points to a big weekend at the four-tenths-mile oval, which will host complete tour programs on both Friday (March 13) and Saturday (March 14). A 40-lap A-Main paying $7,000 to win tops Friday night’s card, while Saturday night’s 60-lap finale offers a $12,000 top prize.

An army of WoO LMS travelers participated in Thursday night’s hot laps, including 10 championship hopefuls and five Rookie of the Year candidates. The practice group also included former WoO LMS champions Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., and Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., and ’08 tour regular Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill.

Still more drivers are expected to join the weekend action at Deep South, potentially swelling the most talented field ever to compete at the track to 50 or more entries.

Several of Thursday’s early arrivals were clocked turning laps in the low 15-second bracket around the high-banked, four-tenths-mile oval. No dirt Late Model driver has ever turned an official circuit under 16 seconds at the facility owned by Bill and Karen Webb.

One of the fastest drivers on the stopwatches was WoO LMS regular Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., but he knows he still has plenty to prove.

“I can always win practice,” smiled Clanton, who is making his first career appearance at Deep South Speedway. “It’s race time that I can struggle with, but as good as we were tonight, I feel pretty good about our chances this weekend.”

The majority of drivers on hand took their first-ever laps around the red-clay track. In fact, only two WoO LMS regulars have previously visited the speedway: Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., and Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., who caravanned to the track to run an unsanctioned special in March 2008.

Grandstand gates will open at 4 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Saturday, and the pit area will be unlocked at 12 noon each day. WoO LMS time trials are scheduled to begin at 6:15 each night.

General Admission adult tickets are priced at $20 on Friday and $25 on Saturday, with kids 6-12 charged $5 for entrance each night. Children five years of age and under will be admitted free into the grandstand area each day when accompanied by an adult, and pit passes will cost $30 each day.

Deep South Speedway is located on Alabama Hwy 59, four miles north of Exit 44 off Interstate 10 or 16 miles south of I-65 Exit 37.

For more information, visit www.deepsouthspeedway.com or call the speedway office 251-964-6953.

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

Drivers participating in Thursday night’s practice included…

0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN

00-Devin Jones/Baker, FL

1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV

1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA

02-Tommy Weder Jr./Woodward, OK

2b-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI

3R-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA

w3-James Ward/Lettsworth, LA

6-Scott Slay/Clinton, MS

11-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA

15b-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA

18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL

18H-Dustin Hapka/Grand Forks, ND

19-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY

19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY

21-Mickey Trosclair/Luling, LA

21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR

21Jr.-Billy Moyer Jr./Batesville, AR

24-Rick Eckert/York, PA

25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA

27-Jeff Fortner/Vidalia, GA

29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY

32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY

44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA

47-Tyler Ivey/Tallahassee, FL

56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH

56-Chas Shellenberger/Winfield, PA

63-Dale Groves Jr./Tallahassee, FL

77-Win Ingersoll/Okeechobee, FL

99-Isiah Day/Flomaton, AL

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Battleground Speedway’s Lone Star 100 Winner Will Receive Victory Lane Visit From 1,300-Pound Texas Longhorn

‘Hondo’ Adds Spice To Ceremonies Following $20,000-To-Win World of Outlaws Late Model Series Event On March 20-21

HIGHLANDS, TX – March 12, 2009 – The winner of the inaugural Lone Star 100 on March 21 at Battleground Speedway will partake in the usual Victory Lane dance of interviews, hugs, handshakes and photos.

And then the champion of the three-eighths-mile oval’s first-ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series event will meet Hondo.

Odds are good that the triumphant driver will have never celebrated with a post-race visitor quite like Hondo, an impressive brown-and-white Texas Longhorn steer who weighs in at over 1,300 pounds. The 14-year-old animal is being brought in from the LaBuff Bucking Bulls ranch in nearby Ames, Texas, to add an interesting bit of Texas flavor to arguably the biggest dirt Late Model show ever contested in the Continental U.S.’s largest state.

A $20,000 top prize from a total purse of $100,000 will be on the line in the Lone Star 100, which begins with time trials and heat races on Fri., March 20, and concludes with a driver autograph session, last-chance races and the extra-distance headliner on Sat., March 21.

“This is going to be a huge weekend that really puts Battleground Speedway back on the map,” said promoter/general manager Mike Walling, who purchased the complex in September 2008 and recently reopened the speedway for its first action since 2006. “We wanted to do something to entertain the fans and make the event even more memorable. Having the winner of the Lone Star 100 pose for pictures with a genuine Longhorn seemed to be a perfect way to blend a slice of Texas history into the post-race celebration.

“We’re definitely going to get some unique Victory Lane photos. Maybe the winner will even be happy enough to climb on Hondo’s back!”

Despite the steer’s intimidating six-and-a-half-foot horn spread and ring-pierced nose, Hondo will be more than willing to let the victorious driver hop on him for a photo opp. Texas Longhorns are known for their innate gentle dispositions and intelligence and Hondo fits that description. The animal’s owner, Twila Strickland, takes him to rodeos and fairs across the region, where kids and adults alike enjoy having their pictures taken while sitting on a saddle placed on his back.

“He’s very used to people,” said Strickland, who will haul Hondo to a racetrack for the first time. “He’s been going to rodeos and fairs all over since he was two years old, so crowds don’t bother him at all.”

The question is – which expected entrant in the Lone Star 100 should fans root for to win the race and meet Hondo? Who would relish an up-close-and-personal encounter with a Texas Longhorn?

“This will be a driver’s chance to really play up the moment and have some fun,” said WoO LMS director Tim Christman. “Whoever wins $20,000 is going to be pumped up, but will they get the crowd going by hopping up on Hondo in Victory Lane? We’ll see if the winner of the Lone Star 100 will be a showman.”

Would normally reserved celebrators like defending WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., ’07 titlist Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and red-hot 20-year-old Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., warm up to Hondo? Would outgoing Outlaws like Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., Rick Eckert of York, Pa., Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., and 2008 Rookie of the Year Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., frolic with the Longhorn? Would cool-customer tour regulars like Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., and Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., smile through a photo shoot with Hondo? How would even-keeled new WoO LMS regular Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., handle the situation?

And what about the famously affable Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, a jokester who has actually worn an Elvis mask to a WoO LMS driver’s meeting – would he jump on Hondo and try to ride him around the track? Would focused standouts like Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., and Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., let loose in the presence of the beast? What kind of interaction with Hondo would fans see from Chris (‘The Intimagator’) Wall of Holden, La., who has been known to climb catch fences to celebrate victories? Or local favorites like Kevin Sitton and Chris Brown, two drivers from Baytown, Texas, who, if either happened to pull off an upset win, would already have brought down the house before even reaching Hondo?

The Lone Star 100 weekend – the first WoO LMS event in Texas since 2004 – will kick off on Thurs., March 19, with an open practice session from 6-9 p..m. Fans can enter the grandstands free of charge to get a preview of the action, while pit admission will be $20.

Gates will open at 3 p.m. on both Fri., March 20, and Sat., March 21, with practice scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. each day.

Saturday’s schedule will include a driver autograph session in the grandstand area from 4-5 p.m.

For ticket information and other info on the Lone Star 100, visit www.battlegroundspeedway.net or call 832-421-RACE.

Battleground Speedway is located 12 miles east of Houston, just four miles north of Interstate 10 Exit 787 on FM 2100.

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

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Deep South Speedway
Ozzie Altman
Office: 251-964-6953/Cell: 704-960-9387 • victory.lane@prodigy.net

History To Be Made This Weekend At Deep South Speedway: Four Race Fans Will Start World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Mains In Two-Seat Cars

Raffle For Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity Part Of Charitable Effort To Support Families Of Victims Slain In Tuesday’s Alabama Tragedy

LOXLEY, AL - March 11, 2009 – By Ozzie Altman/Deep South Speedway –

A new ‘first’ in the world of American Stock Car Racing will be unveiled this weekend when the World of Outlaws Late Model Series rumbles into Deep South Speedway for a special two-day event weekend on the high-banked, four-tenths mile oval near the Gulf Coast.

Deep South Speedway officials, in a cooperative effort with the World Racing Group and

Domino’s Pizza, announced Wednesday morning that a never-before-attempted promotion will occur during the two nights of WoO LMS action at the exciting racing facility located halfway between Mobile, Ala., and Pensacola, Fla.

With a busy racing schedule ahead for Deep South Speedway this weekend, a special cause will also take center stage in the form of a unique charitable effort to help the victims of Tuesday’s shooting tragedy in Geneva and Samson, Ala.

When the green flag waves in the weekend’s ‘Battle of the Gulf’ A-Mains on Friday night (March 13) and Saturday night (March 14), four race fans will actually have the opportunity of a lifetime and start the feature events as passengers in two-seat dirt Late Model race cars.

You didn’t misread the previous sentence – yes, two race fans each night will be strapped into dirt Late Model race cars for the start of the features. These history-making racing fans will literally start at the tail of the feature events.

All fans attending this weekend’s WoO LMS action at Deep South Speedway will have the opportunity to make a charitable donation of one dollar or more to the families who suffered great losses in Tuesday’s Geneva County tragedy. Donations made on Friday will give fans a chance at winning one of two seats in the specially-prepared dirt Late Models to start the evening’s 40-lap, $7,000-to-win A-Main, and donations made on Saturday will provide fans a shot at two open seats in the cars for the evening’s 60-lap, $12,000-to-win finale.

The winning fans will suit up and experience the start of a WoO LMS A-Main from a vantage point right in the middle of the action. With an experienced racer steering them around the track, they will be a part of the field during the tour’s famed four-wide parade laps and then actually take the green flag at the start of each A-Main before pulling off the racing surface as the field exits turn two on the opening lap.

The special, unprecedented promotion will be a part of the activities during one of the biggest stock car programs ever held along the coastal region of Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.

“We wanted to do something thrilling for the race fans that make this sport what it is,” said Speedway manager Ozzie Altman of the unique fund-raising promotion. “This week’s tragic events down the road forced us to see what we could do to help out the immediate needs of some folks that are facing life-changing circumstances and grief. As their neighbors we need to help them out, and we can involve all the race fans in the assistance effort as well during an event of the magnitude that we have this weekend at Deep South Speedway.”

Karen Webb, a lead partner in Deep South Speedway’s ownership team, is a graduate of Auburn University, as is U.S. Congressman Bobby Bright, whose district includes the communities of Samson and Geneva, Ala. Webb, along with her husband Bill, are accustomed to quick response and aid to communities through their BKW, Inc. response and recovery business, which the government calls upon for disaster relief.

“Just to be strapped into a real racecar as the starting field of American racing legends takes pace laps around the track for opening ceremonies – and then to actually take the green flag with the field – is something that race fans across the nation have never had the opportunity to do,” stated Altman. “Bill Webb (of Deep South Speedway) and I have talked about this deal for a lot of years, and we have recently spoken with the officials of the World of Outlaws to make it become a reality.

“The most important issues surrounding the promotion are to make certain that we do not jeopardize the safety of anyone involved, while also not creating any interference with the actual race itself. It is unheard of, but it is also a great method to raise much-needed funds for such a worthy cause and the folks with the World of Outlaws are behind the promotion one-hundred percent.”

Along with the promoters of the event, the new-age online media outlet DirtOnDirt.com is a part of the effort to give race fans a radical manner to participate in the sport that they so dearly love. In addition to the winning pair of race fans in each night’s raffle, consolation prize winners will be given the opportunity to wave the green flag to start each feature event and also win year-long subscriptions to www.dirtondirt.com. DirtOnDirt.com will also be on hand to document the history-making nights of the four fortunate race fans

Thursday Night Welcome Party/Open Practice/Media Night Kicks Off Weekend

Action gets underway this week at Deep South Speedway with a ‘Welcome Party/Media Night that features an open practice session for all racecars on Thursday (March 12) from 6-9 p.m. Pit Gates will open at 5 p.m.

On Friday, pit gates will open at 12 noon and grandstand gates will open at 4 p.m., and on Saturday afternoon pit gates will again open at 12 noon and grandstand gates will swing open at 3 p.m. ahead of pre-race festivities featuring a performance by the band “7th Green” from 4-6 p.m.

WoO LMS time trials are scheduled to begin at 6:15 each night, with each night’s opening ceremonies slated for 7:10 p.m. Feature racing will immediately follow.

Adult pit passes are $30 each night, with adult grandstand ticket pricing set at $20 on Friday and $25 on Saturday night. Grandstand admission for kids 6-12 years of age is $5 each night, with children 5-and-under admitted free into the grandstand area when accompanied by a paying adult.

Complete WoO LMS programs will be presented on both Fri., March 13, and Sat., March 14, including time trials, heats, B-Mains and an A-Main. Local divisions will also be in action each evening.

Deep South Speedway is located on Alabama Hwy 59, four miles north of Exit 44 off Interstate 10 or 16 miles south of I-65 Exit 37.

For more information, visit www.deepsouthspeedway.com or call the speedway office 251-964-6953.

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

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Big Group Of Rookie of the Year Candidates Headed For This Weekend’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series Doubleheader At Deep South Speedway

CONCORD, NC – March 9, 2009 – When the World of Outlaws Late Model Series roars back into action this weekend (March 13-14) at Deep South Speedway in Loxley, Ala., the pit area will be teeming with upstart full-fender drivers seeking to carve out a national name for themselves.

At least a half-dozen 2009 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year candidates are expected to attack the blockbuster doubleheader at the four-tenths-mile Gulf Coast oval – by far the largest rookie crop in tour history.

The rookies will help swell the WoO LMS traveling contingent at Deep South Speedway, which will host two complete programs (40 laps/$7,000 to win on Fri., March 13, and 60 laps/$12,000 to win on Sat., March 14) as part of the biggest weekend of dirt Late Model racing in the track’s five-year history. Among the WoO LMS regulars ready for the tour’s first-ever visit to Deep South are defending champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and former series Rookie of the Year award winners Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. (2005), Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y. (2007) and Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y. (2008).

The ’09 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year candidates represent a cross-section of drivers, ranging from fresh-faced youngsters on the rise to veteran local racers looking to realize lifelong dreams of racing alongside the sport’s top stars at tracks across the country. They will all chase a top-rookie honor – worth a minimum of $10,000 – that is to be determined using each driver’s best 30 finishes on the WoO LMS, which currently lists 48 events at 39 tracks in 21 states and three Canadian provinces.

Drivers who have already applied for and received Rookie of the Year contender certification include:

* Dustin Hapka, 26, of Grand Forks, N.D., who has advanced through the Street Stock, WISSOTA Super Stock and WISSOTA Late Model classes since beginning his career in 2001 at his hometown’s River Cities Speedway. The operator of a SureStep (non-slip floor treatment) franchise, Hapka made his full-blown dirt Late Model debut last summer when he followed the eight-race WoO LMS Wild West Tour behind the wheel of family-owned equipment.

* Chuck Hummer, 34, of Ottawa Lake, Mich., a fifth-year dirt Late Model racer who has raced mostly at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, and Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park. The operator of Wynn’s Service Drive Solutions, Hummer was diagnosed with lymphoma last August but is responding so well to continued treatments that he’s primed to attempt the busiest, most far-flung schedule of his career. Thanks to backing from Love’s Travel Stops’ John Gardine of Salt Lake City, Utah, he now has the equipment to do something he’s “always wanted to do.”

* Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio, who will seek to continue the DIRTcar big-block Modified-to-WoO LMS RoY pipeline that includes Fuller, Coffey and 2006 WoO LMS champion Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y. The son of eastern Ohio/western Pennsylvania big-block Modified standout Rex King, the soon-to-be 20-year-old (he celebrates his birthday on March 18) debuted in a big-block Mod when he was 15 and won the division’s BRP Modified Tour title in 2007 before moving to dirt Late Model competition last season.

* Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif., who at 14 became the youngest driver in WoO LMS history to qualify for an A-Main when he grabbed a heat-race transfer spot for the 2009 season opener on Feb. 12 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla. An eighth-grader whose slight size belies his precocious ability behind the wheel, Reddick has made more than 650 feature starts during a 10-year racing career that has seen him run go-karts, outlaw karts, Mini-Sprints and, most recently, Midgets and wingless 410 Sprint Cars in the Midwest. The ‘California Kid’ will campaign family-owned equipment on this year’s WoO LMS that is prepared by tour regular Tim Fuller.

* Brent Robinson, 21, of Smithfield, Va., a junior civil engineering student at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., who is making his fifth year of dirt Late Model competition the most ambitious of his career. The 2007 Carolina Clash Series Rookie of the Year, Robinson has recorded four career feature wins in his family-backed, red-white-and-blue cars – all at tracks in North Carolina.

* Chas Shellenberger, 44, of Winfield, Pa., a longtime contractor who plans to “live the dream” by spending a season on the renowned WoO LMS. Shellenberger, who has raced locally (Selinsgrove Speedway is his hometrack) off-and-on since 1989 and is still searching for his first career dirt Late Model feature win, said help from legendary driver and chassis builder C.J. Rayburn has made it possible for him to hit the road in 2009.

In addition, Jeff Isabell Jr., 17, of Pennellville, N.Y., plans to make his 2009 WoO LMS debut at Deep South Speedway and formally submit his Rookie of the Year application. The younger brother of 2008 Rookie of the Year runner-up Joe Isabell – a 19-year-old who plans another season of WoO LMS action in ’09 – Jeff Jr. got his first taste of dirt Late Model racing last year by running the second half of the WoO LMS schedule as a teammate to his sibling.

Another possible Rookie of the Year applicant is Jeff Isabell Sr., the 38-year-old father of Joe and Jeff Jr. and owner of the JIR Motorsports team. A veteran DIRTcar big-block Modified competitor, the elder Isabell made just a handful of dirt Late Model starts in 2008 but hopes to significantly increase his participation in WoO LMS events this season if he can arrange his work schedule accordingly.

Drivers have until the ‘Illini 100’ on April 3-4 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway to submit a Rookie of the Year application to WoO LMS officials for consideration by a six-person panel of drivers and media members.

Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., was the lone driver whose application for RoY status was voted down by the tour’s panel during last month’s season-opening Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park. A 31-year-old talent who has never run a full national tour but owns two WoO LMS wins in 32 career A-Main starts since 2005 and counts a 2007 Knoxville Nationals triumph among his strong runs in major dirt Late Model events, Smith is geared up to run the WoO LMS for the first time and already has a runner-up finish in the Feb. 14 feature at Volusia under his belt.

As an incentive for Rookie of the Year candidates, the highest-finishing rookie in each WoO LMS event receives a $250 bonus.

For more information on this weekend’s doubleheader at Deep South Speedway, visit www.deepsouthspeedway.com or call the speedway office at 251-964-6953.

Deep South Speedway is located on Alabama Hwy 59, four miles north of Exit 44 off Interstate 10 or 16 miles south of I-65 Exit 37.

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

2009 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Rookie of the Year Points Standings (as of Feb. 14) – Best 30 Finishes Used To Determine Standings (each driver’s series starts to date in parenthesis)

1. Tyler Reddick (2) 177

2. (tie) Dustin Hapka (2) 150

2. (tie) Chuck Hummer (2) 150

2. (tie) Russell King (2) 150

2. (tie) Brent Robinson (2) 150

2. (tie) Chas Shellenberger (2) 150

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: Kellen Burns
DIRTcar Racing Public Relations
kburns@dirtcar.com • 704-707-0218

DIRTcar Download: March ‘Madness’ Moves In Across The Nation

CONCORD, NC – March 6, 2009 -

DIRTcar Download is your source for everything in DIRTcar Racing. Throughout the season, you’ll find weekly news, notes and track and driver spotlights from across DIRTcar Racing’s regions.

Track Spotlight: Clarksville Speedway Gearing Up For Tuckasee Toilet Bowl Classic

To most, a fresh-painted toilet bowl may not be considered a prized possession. That will undoubtedly change for one DIRTcar Late Model driver next week.

The fifth annual ‘Tuckasee Toilet Bowl Classic’ is set to take place at Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway on March 13-14. In its short history, the event has become known for its competitive fields, large payout ($5,000 to win this year) that attracts top-level UMP DIRTcar drivers – and, of course, its signature trophy.

Track owner William Scogin hands the winner of the Saturday-night headline A-Main a full-fledged toilet in Victory Lane.

“When I bought the racetrack I said, ‘We have to have a signature race,’” commented Scogin, who gives plungers to the winner of Friday night’s preliminary features. “I thought a toilet bowl was a signature thing in itself.”

Two-time and defending UMP DIRTcar national Late Model champion Dennis Erb of Carpentersville, Ill., and reigning MARS DIRTcar Series titlist Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., are expected to lead the full-fender contingent to Clarksville for the unique weekend.

The DIRTcar Late Models aren’t the only attraction on the bill at the banked, three-eighths-mile facility. Both the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Models will be in action, vying for $1,000 winner’s prizes each night.

“Both the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and the UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Models provide fans with excellent racing and we wanted to reward those competitors with a good payout as well,” said Scogin. “It should be an excellent two days of action.”

Driver Spotlight: 2008 UMP DIRTcar Sportsman Champion Jeremy Hines

Hard work and dedication have been a constant theme in the life of Jeremy Hines.

The combination paid off in 2008 for Hines, who claimed both state and national points championships in the UMP DIRTcar Sportsman class.

The young Indiana pilot started the 2008 season with a bang, winning his first night out, and never looked back.

“Winning the first night was a big deal,” said Hines. “We were just trying to do the best we could.”

Hines, who grew up watching his father accumulate over 150 wins in nearly 25 years as a racer, claims a streak of eight consecutive 1-2 finishes with his father in 2001 to be his greatest racing memory. But that doesn’t mean his 2008 season wasn’t just as memorable.

“It’s obviously a big accomplishment,” Hines said of his UMP DIRTcar titles. “It’s something you can’t really even think about while you’re racing. I’ve had a little bit of success, but last year we had an awesome year. About June we realized it was something we could do (win the national crown), so why not give it a shot.”

All of his success might not have ever been realized had Hines not made one of his more admirable decisions after high school. Before Hines ever climbed into the seat of a racecar, he made sure he got an education. But the classroom wasn’t the only place he excelled while in school. He also played football, a sport that he said helped lead to his racing success.

“I went to college and played football,” said Hines. “It instilled a good work ethic (that carried over to racing).

“It’s all about working hard in the garage. If you want to be good at anything, you gotta work hard. Whether it’s playing pool or playing ball or racing, you have to work hard. You practice hard so you can play hard.”

All of his success in 2008 has once again led to bigger and better things for Hines. He acquired a UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Model ride before last October’s UMP DIRTcar Roundup at I-55 Raceway in Pevely. Mo.

“Before the UMP DIRTcar Roundup last year a guy from Indiana called me who I didn’t know,” said Hines. “He said he wanted to go to the DIRTcar Roundup and wanted me to go race with him. I couldn’t turn it down.”

Hines showed promise once again at I-55’s ‘Party in Pevely’ with a fifth-place finish against a strong crowd in UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Model competition – a showing that definitely carried over to the early stages of 2009.

“We started off running early this year at East Bay (in Florida),” said Hines. “We didn’t win, but we had success. To go to East Bay and run decent is saying something in my eyes.”

With a schedule of approximately 40 nights in his UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Model and 30 events in his UMP DIRTcar Sportsman, Hines has a busy season ahead. But if 2009 is anything like 2008, he has quite a bit to look forward to.

Hines knows all of his success wouldn’t be possible if it were just him. He understands success comes from a combination of things.

“Hard work and dedication and a lot of awesome help,” emphasized Hines. “Racing takes a lot of money, and I’ve got good car owners and a lot of good sponsors.”

“My first goal is always to run competitive in either class,” he continued, talking about his aspirations for ’09. “Ten wins between the two classes would be awesome for me, but obviously 20 is better.”

Armed with a strong following and his ’08 success, nothing should be out of the question for Hines in 2009.

DIRTcar NorthEast:

Alltel All-star Winners: For the second consecutive year a driver from the Northeastern United States claimed the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals All-Star fan vote grand prize of $10,000.

Randy Hall of Olean, N.Y., near the New York/western Pennsylvania border, claimed the UMP DIRTcar Modified feature at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., on Feb. 7 – the second of two preliminary nights leading up to the inaugural ‘The Gator Championship.’ Then Hall, who didn’t decide to enter the 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH until his sponsors provided him backing to make the trip, earned the most combined text-message and on-line votes to beat 13 other Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH feature winners for the 10-grand top prize.

Hall’s captured 28 percent of the final fan vote, besting the 16 percent earned by Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark.

The Northeast also claimed an Alltel DIRTcar Nationals All-Star divisional winner in DIRTcar big-block Modified veteran Pat Ward of Genoa, N.Y., who captured seven percent of the final fan vote to pocket $1,000 as his division’s top vote-getter. Ward claimed Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series big-block Modified features on the first two nights of action at the Volusia half-mile.

DIRTcar Northeast ’09 Openers On Tap (from Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director):

2009 marks DIRTcar Racing’s 34th consecutive year of sanctioning motorsports events in the Northeast. Twenty-four tracks currently carry full membership, while more than a dozen ovals in the region maintain associate status as hosts for either Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series, Western Pa./Ohio-based BRP Modified Tour or specially approved events scheduled during the upcoming summer months.

Beginning with the season openers at all DIRTcar member tracks, valuable points will be on the line for teams contending for both DIRTcar Weekly Racing Series Track and DIRTcar Regional Championships, as well as the overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar titles.

The premier DIRTcar Big-Block Modified class was first established in 1976, current 358-Modified division was initiated in 1980 and Sportsman gained notoriety in 1987 before the Northeastern Pro Stocks comprised the first full-fender class to be recognized in 1995. In competition at many tracks around the DIRTcar NE circuit today, entry level Street Stocks are officially enjoying the fifth year of sanctioning in 2009 while the Pro Late Models make their area debut at Can-Am Motorsports Park in April.

DIRTcar Racing Northeast Tracks -- Opening Day/Track/Location/Sanctioned Divisions):

Sat-May 2......Airborne Speedway/Plattsburgh, NY (358)

Sat-May 23….Albany-Saratoga Speedway/Malta, NY (Spt)

Sat-Apr. 3…...Black Rock Speedway/Dundee, NY (Spt, Sts)

Fri-Apr. 17........Brewerton Speedway/Brewerton, NY (Mod)

Sat-May 16.…..Brockville Ontario Speedway/Brockville, ONT (358, Spt)

Fri-Apr. 17........Can-Am Motorsports Park,Ltd./LaFargeville, NY (Mod/358, Spt, Sts, Pro LM)

Sat-Apr. 18.......Canandaigua Speedway/Canandaigua, NY (Mod, Spt, Pro, Sts)

Sun-Apr. 19......Cayuga Co. Fair Speedway/Weedsport, NY (Mod, Spt, Sts)

Sun-May 17......Cornwall Motor Speedway/Cornwall, ONT (358, Pro)

Sat-May 16.......Autodrome Drummond/Drummondville, QUE (358, Pro)

Fri-May 15........Autodrome Edelweiss/Hull, QUE (358, Pro)

Sat-Apr. 25.......Fulton Speedway/Fulton, NY (Mod, Spt, Sts)

Sat-Apr. 25.......Genesee Speedway/Batavia, NY (Spt, Pro)

Fri-Apr. 17…….Glen Ridge Motorsports Park/Fultonville, NY (Mod, Spt)

Fri-May 15........Autodrome Granby/Granby, QUE (358)

Sun-Apr. 26......Humberstone Speedway/Pt. Colborne, ONT (358, Spt)

Sat-Apr. 18...... Lebanon Valley Speedway/West Lebanon, NY (Mod, Pro)

Fri-Mar. 27…….Lernerville Speedway/Sarver, PA (Mod, Pro)

Sat-Apr. 25.......Merrittville Speedway/Thorold, ONT (358, Spt)

Fri-May 22........Mohawk Int'l Raceway/Hogansburg, NY (358, Pro)

Oct. 6-11....…...New York State Fairgrounds/Syracuse, NY (Mod, 358, Spt, Pro)

Fri-May 1..........Ransomville Speedway/Ransomville, NY (358, Spt)

Sun-May 3........Rolling Wheels Raceway Park/Elbridge, NY (Mod, 358, Spt, Pro, Sts)

Sun-Apr. 5......Tri-City Speedway/Franklin, PA (Mod)

UMP DIRTcar:

Alltel All-Star Winners: Although the winner of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals All-Star contest’s top prize didn’t hail from the Midwest, a driver from the heart of the UMP DIRTcar circuit was the top Late Model division vote-getter.

Darren ‘The Thriller’ Miller of Milledgeville, Ill., who is a familiar face on the annual UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals tour, claimed an additional $1,000 for beating out four other Alltel DIRTcar Nationals Late Model winners in the text-message and on-line voting.

Illini 100 Tickets On Sale: Reserved seat tickets for the biggest early-season event in UMP DIRTcar country – the second annual $20,000-to-win World of Outlaws Late Model Series Illini 100 on April 3-4 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway – went on sale earlier this week.

With last year’s thrilling inaugural Illini 100 witnessed by a track-record crowd, tickets for the ’09 version are in high demand. Call Truspeed Inc. at 217-828-0078 or visit www.farmercityraceway.net for more information.

DIRTcar Western Region:

Frozen No More: Winter gives way to racing in the Southwestern United States with the running of the Winter Meltdown this weekend (March 6-7) at Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, N.M.

The event features the third annual Chub Daniels Memorial, which will boast a huge $10,000 winner’s take for UMP DIRTcar Modified competitors.

The event is quickly becoming one of the top draws in UMP DIRTcar Modified competition in the United States.

“We want to make it one of the biggest races in the western United States,” said Brian Hulbert of Southern New Mexico Speedway. “We want the fans to be able to see these really big-name, high-profile drivers come to their area and compete on this scale in a community that is as small as ours is.”

SWDRA Is Racing: The 2009 season for the Southwest Dirt Racing Association (SWDRA) Super Late Model Series – which is part of the new DIRTcar Racing Southwest Region and thus offers points toward the UMP DIRTcar Racing regional and national points battles – kicks off this Saturday night (March 7) at USA Raceway in Tucson, Ariz.

For all the latest DIRTcar Racing news and information, visit DIRTcar.com. If you’re a member or would like to become a member, visit DIRTcarMembers.com.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, DIRTcar Racing Public Relations
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Battle For 2009 Super Late Model Glory In New DIRTcar Racing Southwest Region Kicks Off Saturday (March 7) At Arizona’s USA Raceway

TUCSON, AZ – March 6, 2009 – The chase for the 2009 DIRTcar Racing Southwest Region Super Late Model championship begins this Saturday night (March 7) at USA Raceway.

Saturday’s season-opening event for the Southwest Dirt Racing Association (SWDRA) Super Late Model Series at the three-eighths-mile oval outside Tucson will usher in a campaign filled with exciting new opportunities for the area’s full-fender racers, all of whom stand poised to battle for a share of a UMP DIRTcar Racing points fund that topped $200,000 in 2008.

The DIRTcar Racing Southwest Region has been created to encompass DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned Super Late Model events held in Arizona, New Mexico and Western Texas. Last year drivers from the Southwest competed for UMP DIRTcar Racing glory as part of the organization’s Arizona/California State points program, pitting them against the followers of the Golden State-based DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series for post-season awards.

In 2009, a DIRTcar Racing West Region has also been formed, giving drivers in Western Allstars, DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour and other sanctioned events a shot at the UMP DIRTcar points fund.

“We’re looking forward to DIRTcar Racing’s continued participation in the Southwest’s Super Late Model scene,” said DIRTcar Racing Western Region director Chris Morgan. “With the launch of the new DIRTcar Racing Southwest Region, we’re bringing more benefits of the DIRTcar program to the region’s teams. They have an opportunity to earn increased recognition and points-fund cash by competing for a prestigious UMP DIRTcar Racing regional title and the national championship.”

All of this year’s SWDRA tour events will be sanctioned by DIRTcar Racing – the brand name for the sanctioning body run by the World Racing Group of Concord, N.C. – and offer UMP DIRTcar Racing points toward the Southwest Region and national standings.

“DIRTcar Racing’s relationship with SWDRA and Late Model racing in the entire western United States is very beneficial to the drivers,” said SWDRA director Carl Nemeth. “Being part of the DIRTcar Racing organization gives the racers more points-fund and contingency money to race for as well as more ammunition to find sponsors. And another very big benefit is the insurance coverage now available to drivers through DIRTcar Racing at no extra cost for their membership.”

The 2009 SWDRA schedule currently boasts 10 confirmed dates, including five shows at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix, Ariz. (March 14, June 20 and Aug. 29 on the inner one-third-mile oval; April 25 and Aug. 15 on the half-mile layout); four at USA Raceway (March 7, April 4, June 6 and Oct. 10); and one at Prescott Valley (Ariz.) Raceway (Sept. 19). Additional dates are under negotiation, including at least three more races at Manzanita.

Lonnie Parker Jr. of El Mirage, Ariz., enters the 2009 season as the driver to beat for the inaugural DIRTcar Southwest Region championship. He has won more SWDRA events (54) since 2001 than any other driver and will be shooting for his sixth consecutive series title in ’09 behind the wheel of his family-owned No. 8.

Other drivers to watch in the Southwest Region include Mark Fowler of Peoria, Ariz., who finished second in the ’08 SWDRA points standings; up-and-coming Tommy Hussak III of Picacho Peak, Ariz.; Brad Williams of Tucson, who captured one SWDRA feature last season; Jamie Throckmorton of Tucson, who is ready for full-bore Late Model action after running a crate Late Model in 2008; and Super Late Model newcomers R.C. Whitwell of Tucson, Terry Belcher Jr. of Phoenix and Jeremy Thornton of Tucson (all from the DIRTcar Modified ranks) and Brad Whitfield of Casa Grande, Ariz. (a Super Stock graduate).

“We’re looking forward to a great year with the SWDRA Super Late Model Series,” said Nemeth. “We have several drivers coming to race with us for the first time this season, and it’s that addition of new talent that will help us continue to build the tour.”

Product sponsors for the DIRTcar Racing Southwest Region include Hoosier Tires, VP Racing Fuels, Victory Circle Chassis and Extreme Mufflers.

Additional info on all of the series, sanctioning and member tracks of DIRTcar Racing is available at www.DIRTcar.com.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Rush Is On To Purchase Reserved Seat Tickets For April 3-4 ‘Illini 100’ At Farmer City Raceway

Demand Is High After Last Year’s Thrilling Inaugural World of Outlaws Late Model Series Event

FARMER CITY, IL – March 6, 2009 – Last year’s inaugural ‘Illini 100’ was a classic, down-to-the-wire thriller.

Can the second annual version on April 3-4 at Farmer City Raceway be any better? Fans are already scrambling to make sure they’re on hand to find out.

Reserved seat tickets are on sale and going fast for the $20,000-to-win World of Outlaws Late Model Series spectacular, which was widely hailed as one of the best country’s best dirt Late Model events in 2008.

Former WoO LMS champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., pocketed a total of $20,150 – the biggest dirt Late Model prize ever paid out in the state of Illinois – for winning last year’s wildly competitive Illini 100. He led just three laps, including the final two after he slipped ahead of Moweaqua, Ill.’s Shannon Babb, whose bid to win the race from the 24th starting spot (he went to the rear by rule because he decided to change two tires after reporting to the track for the A-Main lineup) fell less than a half car length short at the checkered flag.

A record crowd witnessed last year’s titanic Illini 100 battle (eight lead changes among five drivers) at the quarter-mile fairgrounds oval – a fact that has kept the phone lines to the Truspeed, Inc. office very busy since tickets to next month’s encore went on sale earlier this week.

“I’ve heard everyone tell me over and over how awesome last year’s race was,” said Truspeed, Inc.’s Don Hammer, who operates Farmer City Raceway with his wife Bonny. “Everyone says that if this year’s race is just half as good as last year’s, it will still be great.

“We love to hear talk like that, but we’re not expecting anything less than the exciting show fans saw last year. We’re working hard to give the fans and racers an action-packed weekend as we continue to build the Illini 100 into a springtime tradition in the Midwest.”

Hammer has increased the number of reserved seats available for this year’s Illini 100, adding the grandstands alongside the beer tent to the pre-sale. The top 10 rows of six bleacher sections, including the two that comprise the main covered grandstand, are currently designated as reserved, but more rows will be sold if demand warrants it.

In addition, Hammer said the fairboard has obtained another seat of bleachers to erect on the backstretch, making 1,000 more general-admission seats available on race day.

The weekend kicks off with an open practice on Thursday night, April 2. Grandstand admission will be free, with pit passes $20 for adults, $10 for children 4-10 and free for kids 3-and-under.

On Friday night, April 3, time trials and heat races will be contested for the Illini 100 along with competitior for the weekly Farmer City divisions. The finale on Saturday night, April 4, will include B-Mains, a 25-lap Non-Qualifiers Race offering Farmer City’s regular weekly UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model purse ($1,000 to win/$150 to start) as well as UMP DIRTcar points, and the 100-lap headliner.

Ticket prices for adults are $15 (Friday) and $30 (Saturday), with children’s tickets priced at $5 (Friday) and $15 (Saturday). Two-day adult tickets cost $40, while pit passes are $30 on Friday and $35 on Saturday or $60 for a two-day combo.

For reserve seat and drive-in parking spots (outside turns one and two), call Truspeed Inc. at 217-828-0078.

More information on Farmer City Raceway is available at www.farmercityraceway.net.

The Illini 100 will culminate a huge ‘Month of Money’ for the WoO LMS that also includes a doubleheader on March 13-14 at Deep South Speedway in Loxley, Ala. ($7,000 to win on Friday, $12,000 to win on Saturday); the inaugural ‘Lone Star 100’ paying $20,000 to win on March 20-21 at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas; and the fourth annual $50,000-to-win Circle K Colossal 100 on March 27-28 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. A total of $109,000 in first-place cash and over a half-million dollars in purses will be on the line in the five races over a four-week period.

For info on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: World Racing Group
Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR
704-795-7223 • cdolack@dirtcar..com

Canandaigua Speedway’s ‘Wings & Warriors Tour’ Features

World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and World of Outlaws Late Models

Rolling Wheels’ World of Outlaws Sprint Car Race Now Oct. 10 During Super DIRT Week

CONCORD, N.C. — March 6, 2009 — The 2009 New York Outlaw Invasion is a blockbuster. The inaugural “Wings & Warriors Tour” at Canandaigua Speedway will feature the world’s most prolific dirt track racers from the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series on May 25 and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on June 23.

Plus, the superstars of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and their jet-like race cars will be featured during the 38th Annual Super DIRT Week festivities when they race Saturday, Oct. 10, at Rolling Wheels Raceway, giving New York its biggest stake in the series’ championship battle in years.

Beginning today, fans who purchase the $65 Wings & Warriors Tour advance reserved combo ticket package for the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars on May 25 and the World of Outlaws Late Models on June 23 will receive a pit pass to each event. That’s a savings of $80 over purchasing the same tickets on race day. Tickets can be reserved at the DIRTcar Racing Northeast Region office by calling 315-834-6606.

“Last year the World of Outlaws Late Model Series came to Canandaigua Speedway and put on an incredible show in front of a packed house,” GM Jack Deery said. “Ours fans asked for the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars to come back, too. We’re thrilled we can make that happen, and offer our fans an affordable combo ticket with the opportunity to get a pit pass for free to both events.. I believe the Wings & Warriors Tour will be the biggest thing Canandaigua Speedway has seen in a long, long time.

“On top of that, to have the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars be part of Super DIRT Week again is very exciting. It will no doubt make Central New York the focal point of dirt track racing in October.”

In addition to the World of Outlaws series, DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds will also be featured at the May 25 event with the BRP Late Models racing on June 23, making that night one of the biggest Dirt Late Model shows in New York history.

Stevie Smith captured the most recent World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series feature in 1999 at Canandaigua. Jac Haudenschild set a track record of 14.773 seconds at 121.844 mph in 1997. Steve Kinser has won four World of Outlaws A-mains at Canandaigua, more than any other driver.

Josh Richards won the World of Outlaws Late Model Series event last season at Canandaigua Speedway. The Wings & Warriors Tour will mark the series’ second appearance there.

For more information on Canandaigua Speedway, visit www.canandaiguaspeedway.com or call 315-834-6606. To learn more about the World of Outlaws, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Contact: World Racing Group
Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR
704-795-7223 • cdolack@dirtcar.com

UMP Modified Racer Randy Hall Crowned Alltel All-Star

Fan Vote Gives N.Y. native $10,000 Prize After ‘Biggest Win’ Of His Career

CONCORD, N.C. — March 5, 2009 — Randy Hall almost didn’t come to Florida to race this year. He had never won at Volusia Speedway Park, and if not for the urging and hard work of his sponsor the New Yorker would have missed the Feb. 3-14 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH.

Turns out, his trip south was the most beneficial of his racing career. Hall, 38, of Olean, N.Y., won the UMP Modified feature on Feb. 7 to become one of 14 drivers eligible for the 2009 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals All-Star contest. His fans did the rest, voting online at AlltelAllStar.com and via text message to make him the $10,000 Alltel All-Star grand prize winner. Sprint Car driver Stevie Smith, Dirt Late Model racer Darren Miller and Big Block Modified competitor Pat Ward all won $1,000 for earning the most votes in their divisions.

“Bob Follman, my biggest sponsor, ran around and got some help from some other sponsors, or we probably weren’t going to race down there,” said Hall, a married father of two who started racing in 1983.. “We actually had a pretty successful trip. It’s hard to do, but we actually broke even on the trip before we won the Alltel contest. To win something like the Alltel contest you have to be there. We were fortunate enough to be one of the 90-plus UMP Modified guys there.

“It was definitely the biggest win of my career considering the car count and the level of competition. There might have been 90 cars down there but more than 45 of them could have won on any given night.”

Hall was more focused on racing during the eight nights of UMP Modified action than winning the Alltel All-Star contest, but that quickly changed on his journey back north.

“When we were down there running, the thought was kind of out of our head because we were just trying to be competitive,” Hall said. “We got home and I didn’t even have to pay attention to the contest because my dad and brother kept me informed every day. I thought we were going to be in good shape, but then we lost some ground. I thought we would be all right again, but then I heard Bubba the Love Sponge was really pushing for Josh Richards on Sirius Radio so I said that’s the end of it, we’re done now.”

But that wasn’t the case. Hall maintained his lead over the other 13 competitors thanks to support from around the country as well as his region.

“I know Ohio and Pennsylvania and New York really supported us, but I can’t say it’s just here, it’s been everywhere,” Hall said. “I talked to people who voted from Arizona and Kansas and Florida. I really want to thank everybody. I appreciate all of their support. We were probably the least known driver on that list. It’s really an honor to beat all of those guys.”

The drive for votes started quickly, and came from places that surprised him.

“We were on our way back from Florida and a radio station from Buffalo, N.Y. — the biggest AM station in the area — called me and did an interview and then linked to the Alltel site,” said Hall, who plans to put the winnings back into his race team. “They were pushing for it, which helped. There are a couple of factories in town that employ a couple thousand people and the word got back to me that everybody around here was voting. Then one of my buddies went down to an indoor motocross arena in Harrisburg, Pa., and there was a clown that did the announcing and got the fans going. My friend went up to him and asked him to put a plug in and the guy did. He said there were 35,000 people in the arena. It was everybody around me and everybody who supports us. They just took a hold of it and ran with it. Everybody really rallied.

“I thank Alltel for everything they did, helping out the local racers and everybody who went down to Florida to try and win this contest. It really means a lot.”

The online poll closed at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 28 with Hall earning 28 percent of the overall votes. One voter, Frank Banks of New York, was selected by a random computer generated draw as the winner of a $500 gift card.

The Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park featured the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series, UMP Modifieds, UMP DIRTcar Late Models and All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars.

Drivers who celebrated in the Alltel Wireless Victory Lane at Volusia represented 13 different states. Only those drivers who captured a feature win were eligible, including:

Sprint Cars — Alltel All-Star division winner Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Okla.; Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Ind.; and Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D.

“I got a lot of support from a lot of good people,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without the Zemco race team and wouldn’t have accomplished anything else without Jeannie Butler of ButlerBuilt and Chris Luck of GLR Investments. Without them I wouldn’t have even had a chance to be voted on. I had a lot of help.”

UMP DIRTcar Modifieds — Overall Alltel All-Star Randy Hall, Olean, N.Y.; Austin Dillon, Lewisville, N.C.; and Jared Landers, Batesville, Ark.

Dirt Late Models — Alltel All-Star division winner Darren Miller, Chadwick, Ill.; Steve Francis, Ashland, Ky.; Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.; Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va.; and Dan Schlieper, Sullivan, Wis.

“I want to thank everybody who voted for us,” Miller said. “We wouldn’t have won without them voting for us and going to the races and supporting the event because we can’t do this without them.”

Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds — Alltel All-Star division winner Pat Ward, Genoa, N.Y.; Brett Hearn, Sussex, N.J.; and Jamie Mills, Milford, Del.

“I just appreciate all of the votes,” Ward said. “I have a lot of fans out there that I talk to at the races. I thank them for all of their support.”

For more information about Alltel, please visit www.alltel.com.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Deep South Speedway’s Biggest Weekend Ever: World of Outlaws Late Model Series Invades March 13-14 For Two-Day Shootout

LOXLEY, AL – March 4, 2009 – Deep South Speedway has never hosted an event quite like this.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is set to invade the burgeoning four-tenths-mile oval for a two-day shootout on March 13-14 – by far the biggest show that has ever been scheduled at the Gulf Coast facility.

With a 40-lap A-Main paying $7,000 to win topping the Friday-night program and a $12,000 first-place prize on the line in Saturday night’s 60-lap headliner, over $100,000 in purses will be paid out during the blockbuster weekend.

And with the entry list expected to boast drivers from nearly two dozen different states, an unprecedented field of dirt Late Model talent will perform on the Deep South Speedway high banks.

“It’s going to be explosive,” promised Ozzie Altman, a veteran short-track racing announcer and publicist who oversees the operation of Deep South Speedway. “This has to be one of the biggest weekends of racing ever around this part of the Gulf Coast – and not just for dirt Late Models. The Snowball Derby (a well-known asphalt Late Model event at Five Flags Speedway in nearby Pensacola, Fla.) doesn’t even pay this much money.”

Located midway between Pensacola and Mobile, Ala., and just 25 miles north of the Alabama resort towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Deep South Speedway is a newcomer to the national dirt Late Model scene. The track was built five years ago, but it wasn’t until the husband-and-wife team of Bill and Karen Webb bought the facility prior to the 2008 season that it began to gain widespread recognition.

The Webbs, whose Pensacola-based business, BKW, Inc., is one of the first called by the federal government to assist with the critical recovery needs of areas hit by severe storms, are longtime racing enthusiasts with an especially deep background in the dirt Late Model ranks. A decade ago they spent time as the owners of Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway and, more recently, they fielded the dirt Late Model that Rick Rogers of Knoxville, Tenn., drove to the 2008 Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series championship, so they couldn’t resist purchasing Deep South when they stumbled upon the track on a Sunday afternoon in 2007 and discovered it was for sale.

After green-lighting the most ambitious schedule in Deep South Speedway last season, Bill and Karen Webb gave the directive to make the 2009 campaign even more spectacular. A visit by the WoO LMS on March 13-14 was arranged to serve as the season’s marquee event.

“We were all very pleased with how the 2008 season went, so the decision was made to really put the place on the map this year,” said Altman. “We are just so excited to kick off the new season with a World of Outlaws Late Model Series event of this magnitude.

“Deep South Speedway is an ultra-competitive place, and with the quality of the drivers that will be on hand there’s no doubt fans are going to see a thrilling show.”

According to Altman, around 50 drivers from across the country have indicated their plans to enter the WoO LMS doubleheader at the red-clay oval, which boasts such amenities as grass-terraced grandstand seating (lawnchairs and blankets allowed), air-conditioned restrooms and spacious camping areas.

Leading the talent-laden charge to Deep South will be the roster of WoO LMS stars, including defending tour champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.; young sensation Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va; ’07 champ Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.; Peach State standouts Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., and Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.; Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa.; Rick Eckert of York, Pa.; and former Rookies of the Year Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y. (2007) and Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y. (2008).

The WoO LMS banner will also be waved by Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., who has announced plans to chase the series for the first time in 2009; sophomore traveler Joe Isabell of Pennellville, N.Y.; and ’09 Rookie of the Year candidates Dustin Hapka of Grand Forks, N.D.; Chuck Hummer of Ottawa Lake, Mich.; Jeff Isabell Sr. and Jr., both of Pennellville, N.Y.; Russ King of Bristolville, Ohio; 14-year-old Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif.; Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va.; and Chas Shellenberger of Winfield, Pa.

Former WoO LMS champions Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., and Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., are among the nationally-known names expected to invade Deep South Speedway for the first time, heading a list that also includes Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colo., Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., and Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis.

Others on Deep South’s list of expected entries include Terry Casey of New London, Wis., Randle Chupp of Troutman, N.C., Tyler Ivey of Tallahassee, Fla., Shep Lucas of McKenzie, Ala., Travis Pennington of Winston, Ga., Rick Rogers of Knoxville, Tenn., William Thomas of Phenix City, Ala., and James Ward of Lettsworth, La.

The weekend will actually begin on Thurs., March 12, with a special WoO LMS Welcome Party and Media Night at the track. Local print and electronic media members have been invited to the speedway to interview the drivers, who will enjoy an extended practice session from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. as well as complimentary Gulf Coast cuisine and refreshments.

Complete WoO LMS programs will be presented on both Fri., March 13, and Sat., March 14, including time trials, heats, B-Mains and an A-Main. Local divisions will also be in action each evening.

Grandstand gates will open at 4 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Saturday, and the pit area will be unlocked at 12 noon each day.

General Admission adult tickets are priced at $20 on Friday and $25 on Saturday, with kids 6-12 charged $5 for entrance each night. Children five years of age and under will be admitted free into the grandstand area each day when accompanied by an adult, and pit passes will cost $30 each day.

Deep South Speedway is located on Alabama Hwy 59, four miles north of Exit 44 off Interstate 10 or 16 miles south of I-65 Exit 37.

For more information, visit www.deepsouthspeedway.com or call the speedway office 251-964-6953.

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

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

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 Adds Summer Dates At New York’s Can-Am Motorsports Park & South Dakota’s Dakota State Fair Speedway

Wild West Tour Visit To Wyoming’s Gillette Thunder Speedway Changed To Tues., July 14

CONCORD, NC – March 2, 2009 – The 2009 World of Outlaws Late Model Series schedule continues to expand.

Series officials announced Monday that summer dates have been added at Caprara’s Can-Am Motorsports Park in LaFargeville, N.Y., and Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D., pushing the ’09 WoO LMS slate to a record 48 events at 39 tracks in 21 states and three Canadian provinces.

The DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned Can-Am Motorsports Park will join the WoO LMS ‘Great Northern Tour,’ hosting the ‘North Country 40’ presented by FX Caprara Car Companies on Mon., June 22. A first-place prize of $7,000 has been posted for the half-mile oval’s inaugural dirt Late Model event.

Dakota State Fair Speedway returns to the WoO LMS for the first time since 2005 as part of the second annual ‘Wild West Tour,’ presenting the $10,000-to-win ‘Great Plains 50’ on Thurs., July 16.

In a related schedule change, the previously announced Wild West Tour event at Gillette (Wyo.) Thunder Speedway has been moved up one day to Tues., July 14. The date change will provide race teams a travel day on Wednesday to make the 450-mile haul to Dakota State Fair Speedway.

Can-Am’s mid-week show will serve as a blockbuster dirt Late Model homecoming for two well-known WoO LMS names with deep roots at the track: 2006 tour champion Tim McCreadie and 2007 Rookie of the Year Tim Fuller. Both DIRTcar big-block Modified-turned-dirt Late Model drivers live in Watertown, N.Y., which sits mere minutes south of Can-Am, and have won Modified features at the track.

McCreadie, 34, is currently sidelined by a back injury suffered in a crash during January’s Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla., but he is expected to be back behind the wheel in time to enter the first-ever full-fender special at the track located in his backyard. Fuller, 41, is a WoO LMS regular for the third consecutive year driving for upstate New York trucking company magnate John Wight, who owned and promoted Can-Am from 2001-2003.

In addition, 2008 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., who is chasing the tour again this season, has tasted success at Can-Am. He won the track’s 2007 DIRTcar big-block Modified points title.

“I’ve been working at Can-Am for 25 years, and this is going to be the biggest thing to ever hit the place,” said Chip Burdick, who manages Can-Am Motorsports Park for co-owners Billy and Charlie Caprara. “It’s a dream come true – for me and all of Can-Am’s longtime employees and fans – to finally have a World of Outlaws event here.

“With Tim McCreadie and Tim Fuller having a chance to run their Late Models in front of their local fans and other big-block Modified stars like Vic Coffey and Billy Decker (the defending Mr. DIRTcar Modified champ) now driving Late Models as well, the interest in a World of Outlaws Late Model Series event at Can-Am is just off the charts.”

Burdick said ticket information will be forthcoming on Can-Am’s North Country 40, which is slotted into the WoO LMS Great Northern Tour between a Sunday-night (June 21) event at Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway and a Tuesday-night (June 23) stop at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Speedway. Information will be available at www.canammotorsports.com or by calling the track office at 315-778-3407.

The Great Plains 50, meanwhile, will bring the nation’s premier dirt Late Model tour back to a three-eighths-mile oval that can boast of holding arguably the most thrilling A-Main in WoO LMS history. On June 5, 2005, Dakota State Fair Speedway fans watched in awe as McCreadie authored a stirring charge to become the first – and still only – driver to win a WoO LMS feature from the last starting spot.

McCreadie actually set fast time and won a heat race that memorable evening at DSFS, but a blown engine during the dash relegated him to the 24th starting position in a backup car. He proceeded to blow through the field, finally grabbing the lead from Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., as the white flag was waved.

“Everybody still remembers how Tim McCreadie came from the back to win the last time the World of Outlaws Late Model Series was at Dakota State Fair Speedway,” said Orville Chenoweth of Dakota Promotions, who is beginning his 14th season at the track’s helm. “That was an incredible performance and our fans are anxious to see if someone can do it again.”

The lone 2009 appearance in South Dakota for the WoO LMS, the Great Plains 50 will be contested at the tail-end of the region-hopping Wild West Tour that now numbers six events. WISSOTA Super Stocks and Midwest Modifieds will also be part of the mid-week program.

Ticket information for the Great Plains 50 will soon be available at www.dakotapromotions.com or by calling 605-352-4848.

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

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Half-Million Dollar ‘Month of Money’ For World of Outlaws Late Model Series Begins March 13-14 At Alabama’s Deep South Speedway

Drivers Ready To Chase $109,000 In First-Place Cash At Four Tracks Over Four Consecutive Weekends

CONCORD, NC – Feb. 27, 2009 – Five races. Four tracks. Four-hundred feature laps. Four consecutive weekends. A total of $109,000 in first-place cash. Over a half-million dollars in purse awards.

Welcome to the ‘Month of Money’ for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.

The unprecedented early-season stretch of major events kicks off on March 13-14 at Deep South Speedway in Loxley, Ala., an emerging four-tenths-mile oval along the Gulf Coast that will make a WoO LMS doubleheader the biggest show of its five-year existence. Two complete programs will be presented – a 40-lap A-Main paying $7,000 to win on Fri., March 13, and a 60-lap finale with $12,000 earmarked for the victor on Sat., March 14.

Three more weekends featuring two-day, extra-distance WoO LMS spectaculars will follow the tour’s first-ever visit to Deep South Speedway. The inaugural $20,000-to-win ‘Lone Star 100’ is set for March 20-21 at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas, followed by the fourth annual Circle K Colossal 100 ($50,000 to win) on March 27-28 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., and the second annual ‘Illini 100’ ($20,000 to win) on April 3-4 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway.

“The World of Outlaws Late Model Series has never before had so much money on the line over four consecutive weekends in the spring,” said WoO LMS director Tim Christman. “Thanks to the track promoters of Deep South Speedway, Battleground Speedway, Lowe’s Motor Speedway and Farmer City Raceway, we’ve been able to put together a huge month of racing that really gets the attention of the race teams and fans.

“A ‘Month of Money’ is just a great way to get the teams rolling full-speed ahead into a record-breaking 2009 schedule of events for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.”

The stars of the WoO LMS certainly realize the significance of the next four weekends on the tour’s slate.

“If you can win two or three of these big shows coming up, you can put yourself money-ahead for the whole year,” said 2007 WoO LMS champion Steve Francis, who enters the ‘Month of Money’ leading the points standings coming off a victory in the tour’s second event of ’09, on Feb. 14 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla. “It sure would be nice if we can put ourselves in that situation.”

Francis, 41, of Ashland, Ky., experienced a huge early-season win one year ago, capturing the 50-grand Circle K Colossal 100 prize. But that was his first WoO LMS victory with new car owner Dale Beitler and he didn’t win again on the tour until late July, so heading into this season’s rich stretch of action with a triumph already under his belt has him confident about his chances of quickly pumping up his bank account.

“I know we have a fast car that’s capable of winning any of these big races if everything goes our way,” said Francis, who will make his first career starts at both Deep South and Battleground. “But there’s going to be a lot of guys who come to these races with plenty of confidence and ready to go. I know Josh (Richards) has to have all the confidence in the world after winning at Volusia (the WoO LMS season opener on Feb. 12) and a bunch of other races in Florida. (Darrell) Lanigan (the defending WoO LMS champion) is comfortable and confident with his new car after running well at Volusia.

“We won the last race so we get to be the ‘winner’ for four weeks until we get to Alabama, but we’ll forget about that win when we get back on the track. We just take everything one race at a time.”

The WoO LMS will make a first-ever appearance at both Deep South and Battleground, which is reopening this season after being shuttered since early 2006. The Circle K Colossal 100 will be one of four WoO LMS events at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the third consecutive year, and Farmer City will host the nation’s premier tour for the fourth season in a row.

For more information on the WoO LMS ‘Month of Money’ events:

* Deep South Speedway: www.deepsouthspeedway.com or call 251-964-6953.

* Battleground Speedway: www.battlegroundspeedway.net or call 832-421-RACE.

* The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway: www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or call 1-800-455-FANS.

* Farmer City Raceway: www.farmercityraceway.net or call 309-928-9110.

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

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, DIRTcar Racing PR
704-254-7929 • www.DIRTcar.com

Exciting 2009 Schedule Signals Continued Growth Of DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series

CONCORD, NC – Feb. 25, 2009 – The DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series is primed to accentuate its status as the Pacific Coast’s preeminent full-fender tour with an exciting slate of events in 2009.

More than a dozen dates at a minimum of nine different tracks in California and Nevada currently comprise the tour’s 2009 schedule, which was released on Monday by DIRTcar Racing officials.

The 2009 DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series, which is set to kick off on March 28 with the Gary Jacob Memorial at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif., will celebrate its first full season under the DIRTcar Racing banner. DIRTcar Racing – the brand name for the sanctioning body run by the World Racing Group of Concord, N.C. – acquired and began administering the popular tour midway through the 2008 campaign.

“We’re working hard to continue building this great Super Late Model series for the teams, track promoters and fans on the West Coast,” said DIRTcar Racing Western Region Director Chris Morgan, who oversees the operation of the Western Allstars. “We’ve put together a solid, efficient 2009 schedule that realistically expands the series across the region, making it more attractive for the race teams to follow and exposing more fans to the talented drivers and thrilling action that the series is well known to provide.

“Our goal this year was to deliver a schedule that increases the geographic reach of the series and makes the championship chase challenging and intriguing, but at the same time keeps the travel demands at a reasonable level for the race teams. We’ve achieved that with the 2009 DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series, and the excitement and enthusiasm in the racing community tells us we’re headed for a big season.”

The ’09 sked boasts unprecedented balance, with no track hosting more than two points races. The series is currently scheduled to contest two events at Kings Speedway (March 28, July 25), Chowchilla (Calif.) Speedway (April 18, Oct. 17), Santa Maria (Calif.) Speedway (May 9, July 18), Great Basin Raceway in Ely, Nev. (July 10-11) and Reno-Fernley Raceway in Fernley, Nev. (Oct. 2-3), plus single shows at Marysville (Calif.) Raceway Park (June 6), Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif. (June 19), Antioch (Calif.) Speedway (June 20) and Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway (Aug. 15).

At least four additional dates – June 5, Oct. 24 and Nov. 20-21 – are expected to be announced in the near future.

“The 2009 schedule shows the growth of the DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series,” said tour director Scott Woodhouse, who is beginning his second full season at the helm of the four-year-old series. “This year we’ll be more of a true regional touring series than ever before. Rather than running multiple races at a single track, we’re bringing our show to different venues and building special events with some real value for the track promoters and fans.”

The battle for the West Coast’s most prestigious dirt Late Model title begins on March 28 at Kings Speedway with one of those premium events – the Gary Jacob Memorial, which honors a late California media representative who was well-respected throughout the West Coast racing community. The event returns to Kings Speedway after a one-year absence.

“We’re really excited to have the Gary Jacob Memorial back at Kings Speedway and serving as the opener for the DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series,” said Kings Speedway promoter Frank Diaz, whose three-eighths-mile track located 40 miles southeast of Fresno is part of the tour for the third consecutive year. “The Jacob Memorial means a lot to his family and everyone in Late Model racing, and we feel that it will be a great way to get the ball rolling for the series.”

Other highlights of the ’09 Western Allstars schedule include:

* The addition of Chowchilla Speedway, which will be part of the series for the first time this season. A one-third-mile oval situated 40 miles northwest of Fresno, Chowchilla will host a pair of Saturday-night dates, on April 18 and Oct. 17.

* A doubleheader at Silver Dollar Speedway (June 19) and Antioch Speedway (June 20) built around the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., which is located 150 miles from Silver Dollar and just over 50 miles from Antioch. Both tracks return to the series for the second consecutive year – and the event at John Padjen’s Silver Dollar Speedway, a 410 Sprint Car haven that will be promoted by Padjen’s son Alan Handy in 2009, will notably be held as part of the quarter-mile oval’s regular Friday-night program after last year’s first-ever WAS show there ran on a Saturday night.

* Trips to Santa Maria Speedway (May 9 and July 18) and Bakersfield Speedway (Aug. 15), two one-third-mile ovals that are the most southern California tracks on the ’09 schedule. Santa Maria held its first Western Allstars event in 2008, while Bakersfield, which hosted the entire inaugural Western Allstars slate of eight races in 2006, is the only track that has run at least one event in each year of the tour’s existence.

* A visit to Marysville Speedway for the second year in a row. The quarter-mile oval located 40 miles north of Sacramento has been widened for the 2009 season, building anticipation for the tour’s return on June 6.

* A pair of trips to Nevada for special two-day programs – July 10-11 at Great Basin Raceway (450 miles east of Sacramento) and Oct. 2-3 at Reno-Fernley Raceway (165 miles northeast of Sacramento). Both tracks are back on the Western Allstars Series after hosting non-points events in 2007 and promise to add more big-show atmosphere to the 2009 trail.

Notably, officials have arranged the Western Allstars schedule to not conflict with the 12-date DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour, a new Pacific Coast arm of the DIRTcar Racing Western Region that will compete at tracks in Oregon and Washington. With the two series being designated as part of the WRG’s UMP DIRTcar Racing program, drivers will have a shot at increased exposure and cash by competing for the championship of UMP DIRTcar’s new West Region and the national standings.

“We’re excited to create more opportunities for our DIRTcar Western Region Late Model competitors to gain national recognition and earn post-season points-fund money,” said Morgan, noting that over $200,000 was posted for the 2008 UMP DIRTcar points fund. “Having a chance to compete for the prestigious UMP DIRTcar national and regional championships offers another incentive to the DIRTcar Western Region teams.”

A star-studded group of drivers is expected to enter this year’s DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series events, which will pay at least $2,000 to win. All tour races will also offer a minimum of $400 to start – the highest figure in West Coast Super Late Model competition.

Leading the charge will be defending series champion Chris Shannon of Merced, Calif., and runner-up Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas, Calif., the tour’s ’08 and career win leader. Other contenders include 2007 series titlist Mike Johnson of Lompoc, Calif., who plans a return to the tour as part of a three-car Forster Racing effort alongside Johnny Malcolm of Corona, Calif., and Zach Forster of Bakersfield, Calif.; five-time ’08 winner A.J. Kirkpatrick of Castroville, Calif.; and the El Segundo, Calif.-based family trio of Ron, Nick and Bill Bartels.

Additional info on all of the series, sanctioning and member tracks of DIRTcar Racing is available at www.DIRTcar.com.

Tentative 2009 DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series Schedule

March 28, Kings Speedway/Hanford, Calif. (Gary Jacob Memorial)

April 18, Chowchilla Speedway/Chowchilla, Calif.

May 9, Santa Maria Speedway/Santa Maria, Calif.

June 5, TBA
June 6, Marysville Raceway Park/Marysville, Calif.
June 19, Silver Dollar Speedway/Chico, Calif. (NASCAR Weekend)
June 20, Antioch Speedway/Antioch, Calif. (NASCAR Weekend)

July 10, Great Basin Raceway/Ely, Nev.
July 11, Great Basin Raceway/Ely, Nev.
July 18, Santa Maria Speedway/Santa Maria, Calif.
July 25, Kings Speedway/Hanford, Calif.

Aug. 15, Bakersfield Speedway/Bakersfield, Calif.

Oct. 2, Reno-Fernley Raceway/Fernley, Nev.
Oct. 3, Reno-Fernley Raceway/Fernley, Nev.
Oct. 17, Chowchilla Speedway/Chowchilla, Calif.
Oct. 24, TBA

Nov. 20, TBA
Nov. 21, TBA

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Inaugural ‘Charlotte 30’ Gives Circle K Colossal 100 Non-Qualifiers A Shot At Sweet Consolation Prize

Early-Entry Deadline Approaching For March 27-28 Spectacular At The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway

CONCORD, NC – Feb. 24, 2009 – Only 36 drivers from a star-studded field will earn coveted starting spots in the fourth annual Circle K Colossal 100 on March 27-28 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

But thanks to the introduction of the ‘Charlotte 30’ to the two-day World of Outlaws Late Model Series spectacular, 28 other entrants will have an opportunity to chase a sweet consolation prize.

Fourteen non-qualifiers from each of two scheduled B-Mains on Sat., March 28, will line up in the ‘Charlotte 30’ prior to the headlining $50,000-to-win Circle K Colossal 100. A total purse of $12,830 has been posted for the added 30-lap attraction, including a cool $2,000 earmarked for the winner and $250 for the 28th-place finisher.

“With the large number of cars expected sure to make the qualifying races very tough, a lot of very talented drivers will fall short of the starting field for the Circle K Colossal 100,” said Seamus Curley, the short-track manager at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “We figured that those competitors would like a chance to go back on the track, hammer it out for a few more laps and earn some extra money, so we’ve created the first-ever ‘Charlotte 30’ for them.

“Plus, the ‘Charlotte 30’ will add a little more flavor to the weekend. The fans will see even more racing before the big finale.”

The Circle K Colossal 100 becomes the third major extra-distance WoO LMS event to boast a lucrative Non-Qualifiers’ race, joining the $20,000-to-win Illini 100 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway (second annual event scheduled for April 3-4) and the Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. (third annual weekend scheduled for June 26-27).

“The Non-Qualifiers’ Race at the Illini 100 and the ‘Uncle Sam 30’ at the Firecracker 100 have been big hits,” said WoO LMS director Tim Christman. “The extra races provide an incentive to the race teams who might be on the fence about entering – and with the quality of the fields for these events, it’s like the fans get to see another feature for their ticket price.”

Even drivers who fall short of the ‘Charlotte 30’ won’t leave empty-handed, with $200 payoffs reserved for racers who do not transfer from the C-Mains (which will be run either on Friday or Saturday night, depending on car count) to the B-Mains. The non-qualifier money is part of the $250,000 in cash and contingency awards that have been posted by Lowe’s Motor Speedway officials for the prestigious weekend.

“We’ve really put it all out there for the competitors,” said Curley. “Hopefully the magnitude of the event we’re putting on will resonate with the drivers and fans and we’ll continue to see the Circle K Colossal 100 build in significance this year.”

Time is running out for dirt Late Model teams to take advantage of the event’s early-entry deadline. Entries post-marked by March 7 are $150 and include a pit pass for the driver, while late entries after that date and at the pit gate on race day will cost $250 without a driver pit pass included.

Top names in dirt Late Model racing are already entered, including the first two winners of the 2009 WoO LMS season – defending Circle K Colossal 100 champ Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and 20-year-old star Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va.; reigning WoO LMS titlist Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.; two-time Colossal 100 victor and 2004 WoO LMS champion Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn.; former WoO LMS champ Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark.; and NASCAR veteran Kenny Schrader of Fenton, Mo.

Two exciting days of activities are in store for attendees of the Circle K Colossal 100, beginning with group time trials and heat races on Fri., March 27. The top-three finishers in each heat will secure a spot in Saturday night’s 100-lap finale and a draw will determine the starting lineup.

The Saturday-night (March 28) program begins with the Circle K Driver Autograph Party, which allows fans to meet every driver in the field underneath the grandstand from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The first 1,000 ticketed fans that come to the autograph session will receive a free Circle K Colossal 100 commemorative poster.

Saturday night’s on-track action includes last-chance events, the ‘Charlotte 30’ and the huge Circle K Colossal 100.

If purchased in advance, reserved tickets for both Friday and Saturday nights are just $39 for adults and $10 for children ages 12 and under. Two-day pit passes are $60 in advance.

Tickets and pit passes for the March 27-28 Circle K Colossal 100 can be purchased online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS.

All event information, including printable entry forms, the current entry list and the weekend time schedule, can be found by logging on to www.lowesmotorspeedway.com/schedules/the_dirt_track/circle_k_colossal_100/.

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

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: World Racing Group
Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR
704-795-7223 • cdolack@dirtcar.com

Persistent Rain Forces World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series To Postpone March 7 Event At Ocean Speedway

CONCORD, N.C. — Feb. 23, 2009 — Sunny California didn’t shine enough to dry out Ocean Speedway in preparation for its March 7 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event. Rain has left track and series officials looking for another date to compete at the Watsonville, Calif., bullring.

“Due to the recent rain activity, we unfortunately must cancel the World of Outlaws race scheduled on March 7, 2009,” Ocean Speedway promoter John Prentice said. “We will continue to work with the organization to secure a new date in the season. If you purchased a ticket, you will be receiving a full refund for the amount you were charged. If you paid by credit card, the credit should appear within one cycle.”

Last fall at Ocean Speedway, Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion, battled Jac Haudenschild to the checkered flag in a thriller, winning by less than a second in the series’ first race at the track since 2002.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns to action Thursday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (http://www.lvms.com) , and will then motor to California to compete March 13-14 in the Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico (http://www.handyracingpromotions.com), March 20-21 at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare (http://www.thunderbowlraceway.com/) and then onto Arizona where it will race March 28 at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix (http://www.manzanitaspeedway.us).

For more information on the World of Outlaws, visit http://www.worldofoutlaws.com, and for more on Ocean Speedway go to http://www.oceanspeedway.com.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Richards & Francis Hope To Win Alltel DIRTcar All-Star Cash For McCreadie

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Stars Seek Contest Victory To Help Recovering Driver

CONCORD, NC – Feb. 20, 2009 – Two World of Outlaws Late Model Series standouts are eligible for the $10,000 prize that goes to the winner of the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star contest.

But neither Josh Richards nor Steve Francis is thinking about buying new toys for themselves if they’re fortunate enough to collect that cool, hard cash when text-message and on-line (www.alltelallstar.com) voting ends at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 28.

Both drivers just want an Alltel DIRTcar All-Star victory so they can help out a racing buddy in need: 2006 WoO LMS champion Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who is sidelined until at least April with a back injury.

After Richards and Francis earned berths in the lucrative contest by winning last week’s season-opening WoO LMS events during the 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., they were asked why fans should cast votes for them. Both made it clear that they intend to transfer money to a support fund that has been set up for McCreadie, who faces mounting medical bills – with little insurance to pay them – after suffering a fractured T3 vertebra in a crash on Jan. 14 during the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla.

Yes, the stars of the WoO LMS make sure they take care of their own.

Richards, 20, of Shinnston, W.Va., was the first dirt Late Model driver to pledge Alltel DIRTcar All-Star money toward McCreadie’s treatment after he captured the WoO LMS lidlifter on Feb. 12 for the third consecutive year. The young sensation known as ‘Kid Rocket’ is close with the 34-year-old McCreadie, who preceded Richards as the WoO LMS Rookie of the Year (McCreadie in 2004, Richards in 2005) and has offered Richards much guidance on and off the track.

“If I win this thing, I’ll give the money to McCreadie,” said Richards, who backed up his Volusia WoO LMS score with a $10,000 UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Super Late Model triumph the following evening. “He’s helped me a lot and he definitely keeps the racing exciting. I’d like to see him out here racing with us right now.”

Francis, 41, of Ashland, Ky., seconded Richards’s assertion when he claimed the WoO LMS 50-lapper on Feb. 14 that ended the 2009 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. Not only have Francis, the 2007 WoO LMS champion, and McCreadie been friendly rivals since 2004, last year McCreadie drove Francis’s car in two major events early in the season.

“If we can win it, we’ll give part of it to Timmy to help pay for some of his medical bills,” Francis said of the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star contest. “I think I heard Austin Dillon (the teenage grandson of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress and a two-time UMP DIRTcar Modified winner during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH) say that the other night, too. Timmy is a stand-up guy and that’s the best thing I can think to do with (the money).”

McCreadie attended the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, spectating from the hauler of his Sweeteners Plus Racing teammate Vic Coffey. He was almost speechless after hearing his friends Richards, Francis and Dillon think of him first when asked about winning a possible $10,000 prize.

“I really do appreciate what everybody’s done,” said McCreadie, who must wear a wraparound back brace until doctors give him a clean bill of health. “I know everybody means well and I thank them for thinking of me.”

Richards and Francis are currently trailing in the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star voting, which includes the 14 drivers who won features in four divisions (dirt Late Models, 410 Sprint Cars, DIRTcar big-block Modifieds and UMP DIRTcar Modifieds) during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. But there’s still plenty of time for them to come back with help from dirt Late Model fans, who can vote once a day through Feb. 28.

And even if a driver from another division tops the voting to pocket the $10,000, the highest vote-getters in the three non-winning classes will pocket $1,000 apiece.

To vote, fans can text-message 247253 plus their favorite driver’s letter code or visit www.alltelallstar.com and click on their favorite driver’s photo. One voting fan will win a $500 Alltel gift card.

The final list of Alltel DIRTcar All-Star candidates and their text message letter cods are Dirt Late Models – Richards (k), Francis (m), Darren Miller (g), Earl Pearson Jr. (h) and Dan Schlieper (j); 410 Sprint Cars – Donny Schatz (b), Stevie Smith (d) and Joey Saldana (f); big-block Modifieds – Pat Ward (i), Jamie Mills (L) and Brett Hearn (n); and UMP DIRTcar Modifieds – Jared Landers (a), Austin Dillon (c) and Randy Hall (e).

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

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: Kellen Burns
DIRTcar Racing Public Relations
kburns@dirtcar.com • 704-707-0218

DIRTcar Download: Marching Into the Madness

CONCORD, NC – Feb. 20, 2009 -

DIRTcar Download is your source for everything in DIRTcar Racing. Throughout the season, you’ll find weekly news, notes and track and driver spotlights from across DIRTcar Racing’s regions.

Track Spotlight: Southern New Mexico Speedway Melts March With DIRTcar Modified Action

UMP DIRTcar Modified action already kicked off this month in warm Florida, and now it’s time for the division to get rolling for 2009 in the DIRTcar Western Region.

The DIRTcar Winter Meltdown on March 5-8 at Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, N.M., gives drivers and fans alike the chance to scream into the racing season with great DIRTcar Modified racing action.

The Winter Meltdown event will feature the long-running Chub Daniels Memorial race, which for the first time will be nationally sanctioned under the DIRTcar Racing banner.

“We want to make it one of the biggest races in the western United States,” said Brian Hulbert of Southern New Mexico Speedway. “We want the fans to be able to see these really big-name, high-profile drivers come to their area and compete on this scale in a community that is as small as ours is.”

Bringing the biggest names to the 5/16th-mile Southern New Mexico track is a tribute to whom the event bares name. A prominent car owner in the area for over 25 years, Chub Daniels served the Southwest’s racing community by attracting the biggest names in the sport to the area.

“Chub brought the best drivers you can imagine into this area,” said Hulbert. “If Chub showed up with a driver, you already knew who was going to win. You were basically running for second.”

The third annual edition of the Chub Daniels Memorial will boast over $65,000 in purse money for DIRTcar Modified competitors. The event offers a hefty $10,000 winner’s prize, with $1,250 just to start the A-Main.

The vision of building a premier event at Southern New Mexico Speedway was one the late Daniels shared with Southern New Mexico Speedway owner Royal Jones.

“Royal and Chub always had a very close relationship; they were always very good friends,” said Hulbert. “Royal actually bought his first car from Chub in 1985.”

The event showcasing the DIRTcar West open-wheel Modifieds will also allow drivers to earn points towards UMP DIRTcar regional and national points titles.

Families planning on attending the Winter Meltdown can take advantage of already low ticket prices and $3 off general admission for kids ages 11-15. Special prices also apply for senior citizens and military personnel with I.D. Kids 10 and under are free during the event.

For more information regarding the Winter Meltdown, visit Southern New Mexico Speedway on the web at www.snmspeedway.com.

Driver Spotlight: Chris Raabe – Big Things On Deck After 2008 DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Title

Most racers would view a season in which they capture a track championship to be a successful year. Often times it’s a measure of success that a driver can use in determining how his year was.

If you happen to be 2008 Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman champion Chris Raabe, however, the standards might be a little higher after an ’08 season in which he claimed not one, but three different track championships.

Raabe captured 22 wins during his 2008 campaign, but that’s not the young star’s most memorable snapshot of the season.

“For 2008 our biggest highlight would have been winning the overall Mr. DIRTcar title seeing as we ran one less race as everyone else,” commented Raabe. “We were able to turn a lot of second- or third-place finishes into wins for our team. “

What’s more impressive is that those 22 wins throughout his year came in only 45 starts – a winning percentage of nearly 50 percent for the races Raabe competed in. The racing world saw Carl Edwards win nine NASCAR races in 2008 (the most by any driver), which resulted in a win percentage of 25%. Raabe’s win percentage of 49.5% almost doubled Edwards’s and is better than nearly half of the 30 Major League Baseball teams in 2008.

Even more remarkable yet is the fact that Raabe’s success came in the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified division, which due to the success of the GM Crate Engine program has become one of the toughest classes in North America to win in.

“I think it has really leveled the playing field,” Raabe said of the crate engine program. “You have guys running up front and contending for wins each night. I think the program has been phenomenal for the class and certainly skyrocketed the competition. It makes it that much more tough to win.”

After becoming the youngest driver ever to win the Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman title, Raabe is looking forward to a great 2009 season.

“I think we’re going to be able to carry over some momentum in terms of how we run this year,” commented Raabe.

The teenage Canadian standout has seen no shortage of opportunities come his way for 2009 as a result of his success in past years.

“I’ve got a ride in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series with Peter Gibbons Motorsports,” said Raabe. “I think last year, just running the full DIRTcar circuit and being as successful as we were, brought along that opportunity.”

With goals intact for the 2009 season, Raabe is sure to be a contender wherever he finds himself competing.

“I think we can’t lower ourselves from last year – just go out and do the same as 2008,” remarked Raabe. “I just want to try and repeat everything we accomplished last year.”

More information on Chris Raabe can be found at www.chrisraabe.com.

DIRTcar NorthEast: Big Blocks Return Home

The 2009 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH staged at Volusia Speedway Park is now firmly entrenched in the record book with overall Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Florida Tour champion Pat Ward joining Brett Hearn and Jamie Mills in the winner’s circle during the four-night meet.

And while four more Big-Block Modified features were run at the popular Barberville half-miler, the 38th edition of the annual winter bash in Barberville, Florida also made its mark in two other categories: fuel and engine.

Fuel For Thought: Just as teams from the Northeast were setting to depart for the Sunshine State, the World Racing Group announced that VP Racing Fuels had signed a multi-year agreement to be the Official Racing Fuel of the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series. The recent agreement stipulated that the only fuels allowed in the Big-Block Modified and 358-Modified divisions at sanctioned events will be VP110 and C12, and VP responded as it was highly visible throughout the week as the only fuel supplier at Volusia.

Ironically, Brett Hearn and Jamie Mills copped the final two feature events – New Jersey speedster Hearn was formerly a staunch supporter of VP Racing Fuels while associated with the no. 6 Freightliner Trucks of Newburgh team, while Mills is currently a recognized distributor of VP Fuels to fellow racers in his homestate of Delaware.

With the timing of the VP Racing Fuels program, teams were allowed to burn off their own supplies of competing brand fuels during the week and VP reps stationed trackside even afforded them the opportunity to trade gallon-for-gallon up to a drum of their own fuel for the required VP blend.

Engine Economics: DIRTcar Modified racers Jimmy Johnson and Brett Hearn shared seat time with World Racing Group officials Brian Carter and Gary Risch Jr., with each logging laps behind the wheel of Risch’s Teo-Pro Car that was the first to carry an experimental General Motors Performance Parts Engine. Jeffrey Shaw, Powertrain & Performance Parts Specialist for GM’s Northeast Region, and DIRTcar NE Director of Technical Operations Bob Dini worked together throughout the week monitoring nightly test runs made with the 572/720R powerplant – an engine originally developed for drag-racing applications and built to provide a comfortable 720 horsepower.

Farewell: With the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH over, teams packed up and headed home to get ready for the start of DIRTcar Northeast's 34th season at their hometrack. The first major event of the points season is the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified Series opener scheduled at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway on Sat., March 28.

In the meantime, Big-Block enthusiasts are encouraged to cast votes daily for Brett Hearn, Jamie Mills and Pat Ward at www.alltelallstar.com or via text message at 247253 plus driver code letter, as the driver generating the most Alltel All-Star votes will win $10,000. In addition, one voting fan will win a $500 Alltel gift card. The contest ends this month as all votes must be cast by 11:59 p.m. on February 28.

UMP DIRTcar:

Tracks Kick Up Dirt: Midwestern tracks are starting to kick up the dirt once again with major events on the horizon for fans and drivers alike.

Upcoming special events include the second edition of Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway’s March Madness on March 6-7, which boasts a $7,500 payday for Saturday’s Late Model winner on top of a $5,000 Friday night prize. Modifieds are also included in the bill, with $2,000-to-win action both nights.

In addition, Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway’s fifth annual Tuckasee Toilet Bowl Classic – the first major event in 2009 for the Volunteer State track – will run March 13-14. Last year’s event saw Martinsville, Ind., driver Don O’neal take home the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model win alongside Tim Hancock of Mt. Olive, Ill., in the Modified competition and Tennessee native Duane Hodges in the Crate Late Model divison.

I-55 Raceway’s Ken Schrader DIRTcar Modified Challenge will round out the month on March 28 as UMP Modified competitors take to the high-banked, one-third-mile oval in Pevely, Mo., for a $2,500-to-win special event.

UMP Drivers in Alltel Allstar Contest: UMP DIRTcar competitors from the Midwest were showcased during the 12-day Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH earlier this month – and some of those same drivers are still waging war in the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star Fan Vote competition.

Batesville, Ark.’s Jared Landers, who dominated UMP DIRTcar Modified action taking five of the eight nights of competition at Volusia Speedway Park, currently sits second in his division and second overall in the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star standings, which will reward the overall top vote-getter with a $10,000 prize and the other divisional voting leaders with $1,000 checks.

UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals competitor Darren Miller of Milledgeville, Ill., who won a UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model feature at Volusia, is currently fifth overall in the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star voting but leads the Late Model portion of the contest in which he can still win a $1,000 check from Alltel Wireless.

Fans can vote by visiting www.alltelallstar.com or by texting their favoritedriver’s code to 247253. Fans who register and vote are also eligible for a $500 gift certificate from Alltel Wireless. Voting continues on the web and via text until 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 28.

DIRTcarMembers.com: World Racing Group, home of DIRTcar Racing, launched its online membership site in 2009. DIRTcarmembers.com allows officials and competitors alike to purchase membership online while providing members access to points, rules and special event registration, among other pertinent information. Visit DIRTcarmembers.com today and sign up for your membership.

DIRTcar Western Region:

Shannon Competes at DIRTcar Nationals: Merced, Calif., driver Chris Shannon made one of the longest hauls in his racing career earlier this month.

The 2008 DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series champion made the long trek east to compete in the 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park. He took advantage of six nights of Late Model action to get tuned up for 2009, which might make his West Coast competitors a little leery. Shannon gained valuable time in the seat against the sport’s best competition, which most drivers agree only makes one better and allows time to learn the car.

Shannon returned home after racing in order to prepare more equipment for his 2009 defense of the DIRTcar Western Allstars crown. He’s expected to battle it out with the most prolific drivers on the West Coast for the title on the growing tour.

Look for the 2009 DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series schedule to be released in the coming days.

DIRTcar Nortwest I-5 Late Model Tour Schedule: Racers and fans in the Northwest found another reason to look forward to the 2009 racing season recently when DIRTcar Racing officials eleased the inaugural schedule for the DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour.

“Our goal is to work with the great racers and tracks in Oregon and Washington to build the DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour into a premier regional series that showcases the talented drivers and excellent racing facilities in the Northwest,” said Chris Morgan of DIRTcar West.

For all the latest DIRTcar Racing news and information, visit DIRTcar.com. If you’re a member or would like to become a member, visit DIRTcarMembers.com.

KELLEN BURNS
Public Relations/Websites
Main: 704-707-0218
Cell: 573-366-7665
Fax: 704-795-7229

"Welcome to Real Racing"

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, DIRTcar Racing PR
704-254-7929 • www.DIRTcar.com

2009 Schedule Released For Highly-Anticipated DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour

CONCORD, NC – Feb. 17, 2009 – With the announcement of the 2009 schedule, the DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour is set to usher in an exciting new era for the region’s full-fender racers and fans.

Twelve events at five tracks in Oregon and Washington currently comprise the championship battle for the highly-anticipated series, which expands DIRTcar Racing’s presence to the Northwestern corner of the country. DIRTcar Racing – the brand name for the sanctioning body run by the World Racing Group of Concord, N.C. – brought its name recognition and organizational muscle to the Pacific Coast’s dirt Late Model scene for the first time in 2008 by assuming control of the California-based DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series.

“We’re thrilled to bring the benefits of the DIRTcar Racing program to the Northwest’s dirt Late Model teams,” said Chris Morgan, who serves as director of DIRTcar Racing’s operations in the western states. “Our goal is to work with the great racers and tracks in Oregon and Washington to build the DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour into a premier regional series that showcases the talented drivers and excellent racing facilities in the Northwest.”

The 2009 DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour schedule lists a series-high five events at Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore., a historic one-third-mile oval that boasts arguably the strongest weekly Super Late Model program in the region. Three races have been inked at the longtime UMP DIRTcar Modified-sanctioned Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Ore., two at Cottage Grove (Ore.) Speedway and one each at Sunset Speedway Park in Banks, Ore., and Skagit Speedway in Burlington, Wash.

Making the series appealing to teams from a traveling standpoint, one-third of the schedule will be contested over three holiday weekends, beginning with a season-opening Memorial Day weekend tripleheader at Cottage Grove (May 22) and Willamette (May 23-24). Additional holiday tripleheaders will be staged around Independence Day (Southern Oregon on July 3, Willamette on July 4 and Cottage Grove on July 5) and Labor Day (Skagit on Sept. 3 and Willamette on Sept. 5-6).

With a two-day program concluding the season on Sept. 25-26 at Southern Oregon Speedway, the only stand-alone date is Aug. 14 at Sunset Speedway Park. Sunset is a one-third-mile oval located just minutes from Portland.

The tour’s visit to Skagit Speedway on Thurs., Sept. 3, will bring a rare full-bore dirt Late Model event to the famed Washington State oval promoted by Steve Beitler. The date will also lead into a two-night (Sept. 4-5) program for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, another tour operated by the World Racing Group.

“I’m excited to bring the DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour to Skagit Speedway,” said Beitler, a veteran Sprint Car driver who is entering his eighth season at the helm of the track. “The best Late Model drivers on the West Coast will be coming to Skagit, so the show is going to be fantastic.

“This race is going to give the fans the best of both worlds – dirt Late Models and the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. We already have a lot of people who camp out on Thursday night for the World of Outlaws races, so adding a Late Model show is going to give them something extra and spectacular to watch.”

The DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour will continue the tradition of the former I-5 Challenge Series, which Willamette Speedway promoter Bill Arnold operated for the last nine years. Arnold is a key supporter of DIRTcar Racing’s arrival on the Pacific Northwest’s dirt Late Model landscape.

“I think DIRTcar running the Northwest I-5 Tour is going to help Late Model racing immensely in this area,” said Arnold, whose track hosted strong Super Late Model fields ranging from 28 to 47 cars during the 2008 season. “It’s what we’ve needed around here to get the tracks together so a series can grow into something big.

“Having DIRTcar directing the series opens the door for Late Model drivers from this area to fine-tune their talent by running more races on different surfaces and different size tracks, and the individual (track) promoters will have a better chance to draw more fans with the name ‘DIRTcar’ behind them.”

Richard Barney, who in 2009 will operate Southern Oregon Speedway with Ric Donnelly under the banner of B&D Racing, LLC, is another promoter who is bullish on the prospects of the DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour.

“I think this series will bring Late Models more to the forefront in the region,” said Barney, whose track is a cornerstone for UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned open-wheel Modified racing on the West Coast. “The more people get exposed to these fast, wild-looking, exciting, high-traction cars, the more it’s going to build awareness and demand for the division.”

Barney is looking forward to Southern Oregon Speedway hosting the season finale for the tour – the two-day ‘Battle at the Border’ that will close out the 2009 points race. The special event at the track located 30 miles from the California border is expected to attract a contingent of drivers from the DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series.

The DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour will operate using the same rules and race format (time trials, heats, dash, etc.) as the DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series, which has grown to become the West Coast’s preeminent dirt Late Model trail. The Northwest Tour and Western Allstars will also not have conflicting dates, allowing Western Allstars director Scott Woodhouse to add the same position with the Northwest Tour to his DIRTcar duties.

The tour’s 30-lap features will carry a base first-place purse of $1,500.

In addition, the DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour will provide the West Coast’s dirt Late Model drivers increased exposure by being part of the WRG’s UMP DIRTcar Racing program, which posted $206,625 in points-fund cash just for the dirt Late Model division in 2008. Drivers competing in DIRTcar Northwest and DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series events will battle for a new UMP DIRTcar West Region points title and earn points toward the sanctioning body’s national standings.

“We’re excited to create more opportunities for our DIRTcar Western Region Late Model competitors to gain national recognition and earn post-season points-fund money,” said Morgan. “Having a chance to compete for the prestigious UMP DIRTcar national and regional championships offers another incentive to the DIRTcar Western Region teams.”

Drivers from the Pacific Northwest are already making plans to be part of the region’s biggest dirt Late Model series ever.

“I hope it evolves into something that encompasses the entire West Coast and leads to bigger races both in the Northwest and on the West Coast,” said Portland, Ore.’s John Duty, one of the region’s top drivers. “With this series and the Western Allstars being run by the same people and under the DIRTcar banner, I hope that can lead to bigger things and bigger events for dirt Late Model racing out West. Now we have a regional series with some notoriety like everywhere else in the country, so that will benefit us when talking to new and potential sponsors.

“Hopefully this series will step up the competition level here in the Northwest and help to make us better when we go to bigger events back east.”

Additional info on all of the series, sanctioning and member tracks of DIRTcar Racing is available at www.DIRTcar.com.

2009 DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Tour Tentative Schedule

May 22, Cottage Grove Speedway, Cottage Grove, Ore.

May 23, Willamette Speedway, Lebanon, Ore.

May 24, Willamette Speedway, Lebanon, Ore.

July 3, Southern Oregon Speedway, Medford, Ore.

July 4, Willamette Speedway, Lebanon, Ore.

July 5, Cottage Grove Speedway, Cottage Grove, Ore.

Aug. 14, Sunset Speedway Park, Banks, Ore.

Sept. 3, Skagit Speedway, Burlington, Wash.

Sept. 5, Willamette Speedway, Lebanon, Ore.

Sept. 6, Willamette Speedway, Lebanon, Ore.

Sept. 25, Southern Oregon Speedway, Medford, Ore.

Sept. 26, Southern Oregon Speedway, Medford, Ore.

* Schedule is subject to change

Contact: World Racing Group
Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR
704-795-7223 • cdolack@dirtcar.com

Drivers Representing 13 States Seek Fan Support In $10,000 Alltel All-Star Online Competition

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Feb. 16, 2009 — Election season might be over, but there is still plenty of politicking going on in DIRTcar Racing. The 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH wrapped up on Saturday, the 12th consecutive night of racing at Volusia Speedway Park. During the event 14 different drivers representing 13 different states wound up in the Alltel Wireless Victory Lane, and now they’re pleading with you, the fans, for your vote.

The driver from any of the four divisions competing in the event — 410 Sprint Cars, Dirt Late Models, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds and Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds — who generates the most Alltel All-Star votes at http://www.alltelallstar.com or via text message at 247253 plus driver code letter will win $10,000. To make it even more interesting, the top vote-getters in the three non-winning divisions will pocket $1,000. Plus, one voting fan will win a $500 Alltel gift card.

The contest doesn’t last long, though. All votes must be cast by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 28.

In all, there were three different 410 Sprint Car winners, three different UMP DIRTcar Modified winners, five different Dirt Late Model winners and three different Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series winners. In alphabetical order, the contenders are:

• Austin Dillon, Lewisville, N.C. (UMP DIRTcar Modified, text code is C): The grandson of Richard Childress, Dillon won twice during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH, including the finale. He was in the hunt nearly every night, and says he would donate the prize money to Tim McCreadie, a former World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion who was injured during a race last month.

• Steve Francis, Ashland, Ky. (Dirt Late Model, text code is M): The 2007 World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion, Francis waited until the final night of the event to capture the checkered flag on a feature event. Like Dillon, Francis would donate his winnings to McCreadie.

• Randy Hall, Olean, N.Y. (UMP DIRTcar Modified, text code is E): Hall captured the second qualifying night of the inaugural Gator Championship during the event, calling it the biggest win of his career in a jubilant Alltel Wireless Victory Lane. Hall hails from the same region of the country as the past two Alltel All-Star winners, Dave Hess Jr. and Michael Knight.

• Brett Hearn, Sussex, N.J. (Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modified, text code is N): Hearn saved the best for last, winning the final feature of the 12-day event. One of the most successful competitors through the years at Florida, Hearn chased down Andy Bachetti before finally taking the lead with eight laps to go in the 50-lap feature and holding off the field to the checkered flag.

• Jared Landers, Batesville, Ark. (UMP DIRTcar Modified, text code is A): No division raced more during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH than the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, and no driver was more successful than Landers. He won a record-tying five of the eight events — including the inaugural Gator Championship — while cars he helped build won two more times. And after each victory, Landers made sure his young son, Madden, was with him in Alltel Wireless Victory Lane.

• Darren Miller, Chadwick, Ill. (Dirt Late Model, text code G): Miller was in charge on the first of six nights of Dirt Late Model action. He quickly grabbed control of the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model feature and worked smoothly through traffic during the 30-lap green-to-checker race and drove right into Alltel Wireless Victory Lane, where he thanked Alltel for all of its support.

• Jamie Mills, Milford, Del. (Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modified, text code L): Mills was so dominant on the third night of Big Block action that officials pumped his motor just to prove to the other competitors he wasn’t cheating. He even raced the final 10 laps without power steering, almost giving up with two to go because he could barely make the turns at speed around the sweeping half mile oval. In the end, Mills held on to win and end the two-race win streak of Pat Ward.

• Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville, Fla. (Dirt Late Model, text code H): One year after a horrifying crash in Turns 3 and 4 at Volusia, Pearson was back on top, winning the second night of UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model action. Pearson jumped from eighth to third in the first three laps, then worked past World 100 winner Shane Clanton and early leader Brady Smith for the checkered flag. And like all of the other winners during the event, Pearson signed autographs for the fans on their way out of the gate at the end of the night.

• Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va. (Dirt Late Model, text code K): Richards earned two victories during the event, including the season-opener for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, marking the third consecutive year Kid Rocket has started the season off with a win. Like Francis and Dillon, Richards says he also plans to put any Alltel All-Star prize money toward getting McCreadie healthy and back on the track.

• Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Ind. (410 Sprint Car, text code F): Saldana, who drives a car owned by Kasey Kahne, won a World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series feature on the fifth night of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH, then jumped up on his car in celebration, much to the delight of the crowd. Saldana’s victory was a back-and-forth race with Jason Sides. Saldana made the winning pass in the final two corners. Twice in six nights of 410 Sprint Car racing, the driver who led the white flag lap wound up finishing second.

• Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. (410 Sprint Car, text code B): Nearly as dominant as Landers, the three-time and defending World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion was a fixture in Victory Lane during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH. He won four of the six features, including the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series finale, for his hottest start to a season in several years.

• Dan Schlieper, Sullivan, Wis. (Dirt Late Model, text code J): Former World of Outlaws Late Model Series regular Schlieper captured the third night of Dirt Late Model action. He took the green on the inside or Row 2, then traded the lead with 2008 World of Outlaws Late Model Series titlist Darrell Lanigan on Lap 25 before pulling away to the checkered flag and acknowledging the fans, hoping they vote for him.

• Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Okla. (410 Sprint Car, text code D): One of the most popular 410 Sprint Car racers still competing, Smith swapped the lead four times with Craig Dollansky before closing the gap on the backstretch and sliding in front through the final corners to swipe the lead for the fifth time en route to the checkered flag in his new ride.

• Pat Ward, Genoa, N.Y. (Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modified, text code I): Ward had never won before at the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH. He changed that in a big way this year. Ward won the first two nights of Big Block racing and was the overall Big Block champion. He started on the outside of the second row and won on the opening night of Big Block racing, then followed that with a win from the pole that was anything but easy as he had to chase down Jeff Brownell for the win.

So those are the contenders. Voting by text message or at AlltelAllStar.com is open until 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 28. Make sure to cast a ballot daily for your favorite Alltel All-Star contender.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

World of Outlaw Late Model Series News & Notes: Wrapping Up The 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 16, 2009 –

TIP OF THE HAT: Steve Francis was beaming after closing the 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH with a powerful victory in Saturday night’s 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series event, but he had no illusions about who was the star of the week at Volusia Speedway Park.

The Kentucky Colonel hailed his fellow WoO LMS regular Josh Richards, who set the half-mile oval on fire by capturing the tour’s season opener on Thursday night and a $10,000-to-win UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Super Late Model special on Friday night.

“We might have won the last race, but nobody is gonna forget about Josh’s performance here,” said Francis. “He comes out of here the ‘King of Florida.’ They had a phenomenal Florida trip.”

Richards, 20, couldn’t complete a sweep of the week’s three $10,000-to-win events, finishing a relatively quiet seventh in Saturday night’s WoO LMS finale. He advanced a modest five positions from his 12th starting spot.

“The track was a little bit different tonight after the (one-hour) rain delay,” Richards said following Saturday’s action. “Francis was a little bit softer on tires, so he could lean on the cushion and gain some time. Everyone else was pretty much equal and had a hard time passing.”

NICE FINISH: Disappointed after failing to qualify for the WoO LMS lidlifter on Thursday night due to a heat-race crash and learning that his application for Rookie of the Year status on the 2009 WoO LMS had been denied by vote of a panel of six veteran drivers and media members, Brady Smith turned his emotions around with a sterling second-place finish in Saturday night’s A-Main.

The 31-year-old headed home to Solon Springs, Wis., with a clear understanding of where his program needs to be improved before the next WoO LMS event, on March 13-14 at Deep South Speedway in Loxley, Ala.

“We have some work to do,” said Smith, who led laps 1-35 of Saturday’s feature. “We have to get a second car ready that works consistently. This one we ran (on Friday and Saturday) is our ‘old reliable’ (Bloomquist Chassis) car. It’s like my ‘honey car’ – she’s always reliable, always there for me. We need to get another one running just like it.”

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR: Judging by the race results down south, the Rick Eckert who won 15 WoO LMS A-Mains from 2004 through mid-2006 – including eight of the first 17 events in ’06 – is thisclose to making a huge return to the scene.

Armed with new Bloomquist Chassis cars for the 2009 campaign, Eckert, 43, of York, Pa., appears rejuvenated after being mired in a two-and-a-half-year slump. He failed to win an A-Main during the six-night Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, but he finished as high as second (in a UMP DIRTcar event) and third (in Saturday’s WoO LMS finale) during a three-week, season-opening swing through Georgia and Florida that proved his current victory drought on the WoO LMS (one win in the last 102 races) will undoubtedly come to an end.

“I’m disappointed we didn’t win,” said Eckert, who never finished outside the top 10 in his 15 starts in Georgia and Florida. “But I can look back at the last few years we were down here and think about how bad we ran, so the way we’ve run does make us happy.

“I’m just excited to go to the next race now. This gets us pumped up for the rest of the year.”

ROUGH START: No WoO LMS driver experienced a more frustrating visit to Volusia Speedway Park than Clint Smith, a veteran tour regular who gained attention only for jumping in-and-out of the three cars at his disposal and two near-disastrous incidents.

One year after scoring his first career victory at VSP in the $10,000-to-win UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model finale, Smith was never a factor in the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. His top finish was a 17th in the week’s first UMP DIRTcar A-Main; he failed to qualify for the ensuing three UMP DIRTcar shows and used provisional spots to start both WoO LMS features, with dismal finishes of 20th and 22nd sending him home 22nd in the points standings, already 76 points behind leader Francis.

Smith, who drove two of his own GRT mounts and a GRT owned by Mississippi’s Don Cliburn, narrowly escaped major problems during qualifying for two UMP DIRTcar programs. On Wednesday night he got squeezed into the outside wall on the homestretch early in a heat race and rode the concrete for what seemed like an eternity; he said he avoided flipping by cutting the steering wheel hard to the left to pull the car off the wall, but he had to retire with suspension damage after completing one more lap. Later, on Friday night, he pulled to the infield during time trials with flames shooting from under his car’s hood due to a flare-up caused by a loose fuel line to the carburetor, but again damage was minimal.

MISERABLE WEEK: WoO LMS star Chub Frank has enjoyed plenty of success at VSP over the years, but that wasn’t the case last week.

Frank, 47, entered the week saddened after one of his two trusty Chihuahuas, Champ, was killed a few days earlier when it was hit in a Wal-Mart parking lot where Frank’s hauler was parked. He didn’t put the despair behind him with a strong performance at VSP, struggling throughout the meet and recording disappointing WoO LMS finishes of ninth (Thursday) and 24th (after using a provisional to start the A-Main, spinning and then retiring from action on lap 24).

THEY’LL TAKE IT: Shane Clanton and Tim Fuller left Volusia in much better shape in the WoO LMS points standings than they did one year ago.

Last season both drivers dug themselves big holes in the points race, running into trouble in the two WoO LMS events while in contention for top-five finishes. Fuller headed home tied for 16th in the standings (62 points out of the lead), while Clanton was 19th in the rankings (-84 points).

With Clanton scoring a pair of top-10 finishes in this year’s WoO LMS shows and Fuller finishing eighth and 14th, Clanton sits tied for fourth in the standings (-18 points) and Fuller is tied for seventh (-36 points).

Fuller made an especially respectable recovery on Saturday night. He used a provisional spot and started 28th in the A-Main after an incorrect tire choice prompted him to drop out of his heat race, but he inched his way forward to finish on the lead lap in 14th place.

The Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH continued Fuller’s new-for-’09 deal serving as a mentor for teenage racer Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif. Reddick, who plans to chase the 2009 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year award, turned heads – and impressed Fuller – by qualifying through a heat race in his first-ever WoO LMS event on Thursday night (he finished two laps down in 24th), but a blown engine left the ‘California Kid’ a non-qualifier on Saturday.

SMOKE SCREEN: Vic Coffey thought he had his new Sweeteners Plus Rocket car cruising into Saturday night’s headliner with a solid hold on second place in the first B-Main after the rain delay.

Well, the 2008 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year crossed the finish line to place second. But when he stopped in the infield just short of the scales, a huge cloud of smoke and steam billowed from the engine compartment of his car, filling the cockpit and prompting him to bail out until it dissipated.

“The motor blew up,” said Coffey, who went on to finish 20th in the A-Main after his crew scrambled to prepare his backup car. “It was running great until the last lap. Then it started to skip so I switched to the second ignition after the race because I thought that might be the problem, but it was the motor.”

ON THE MEND: Coffey’s teammate, former WoO LMS champion Tim McCreadie, was seen in the VSP pit area throughout the week, assisting Coffey and visiting with friends while continuing to recover from the fractured vertebra he suffered in a vicious wreck on Jan. 14 during the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla.

McCreadie, 34, sported a wraparound back brace and walked gingerly, but he was in good spirits despite watching from the sidelines. He said he’s hoping to get a clean bill of health from his doctors to go racing again by late April/early May, and he expressed deep appreciation to everyone in the racing community who has donated to the recovery fund that has been established to assist with his medical expenses.

DIFFICULT TRIP: WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contender Dustin Hapka saw his season get off to a bad start – before he even arrived at Volusia Speedway Park.

The 25-year-old’s long haul to Florida from Grand Forks, N.D., was plagued by problems at truck stops. First, when the team fueled up in Illinois, his mother’s credit card number was apparently obtained by someone there and used to make over $2,000 in purchases. (Fortunately, Mrs. Hapka had reported the possibility of a problem to her credit-card company after feeling uneasy about the transaction at the truck stop.) Shortly thereafter, in broad daylight at a truck stop in Kentucky, one of Hapka’s crewman was cornered between trucks by assailants while away from his group and robbed of his money.

Hapka didn’t qualify for an A-Main during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, but he chalked the week up as a “valuable learning experience” and is looking forward to the remainder of his first busy season in the full-bore Late Model division.

HEARTBREAK: Nineteen-year-old Russ King of Bristolville, Ohio, who is considering a run at the 2009 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year award if his family-owned team can obtain sufficient sponsorship, suffered a demoralizing fate on Saturday night.

Flashing his potential, the son of veteran big-block Modified driver Rex King appeared headed to a B-Main victory over veterans Jimmy Owens and Dale McDowell when his car’s engine shut off with just two laps remaining.

THANKS, TEACH: WoO LMS Rookie of the Year candidate Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., arrived at the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH late on Wednesday, but it could have been later if not for a cooperative professor.

Robinson, who turns 21 on Feb. 17, is a junior majoring in civil engineering at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. He had a test in a Soils & Foundations class scheduled for Wednesday, but his instructor allowed him to reschedule the exam so he could get on the road to Florida.

Though Robinson fell short of qualifying for a feature during the week, the fourth-year Super Late Model racer is excited about chasing the WoO LMS in ’09 with his family-backed team.

NEW AWARD: John Anderson of Omaha, Neb., and former WoO LMS champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., received consolation prizes after failing to qualify for the week’s WoO LMS A-Mains, becoming the first winners of the VP Racing Fuels ‘Nice Jugs’ Award.

As the fastest qualifiers in each night’s Ohlins Shocks Time Trials who did not transfer to the A-Main, Anderson and Moyer received two five-gallon fuel containers from officials representing the official fuel of the WoO LMS. Anderson, who was impressive throughout the DIRTcar Nationals, missed a heat-race transfer spot by one position on Thursday before failing to finish the B-Main, and Moyer dropped out of his heat on Saturday night with terminal engine trouble.

GET OUT THE VOTE: The week’s four Super Late Model A-Mains winners – Francis, Richards, Darren Miller and Earl Pearson Jr. – are eligible for the $10,000 top prize in the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star contest.

The 14 feature winners during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH earned berths in the contest, which combines on-line and text-message voting. Fans can vote for their favorite driver once a day through Feb. 28 either on-line at www.alltelallstar.com or by texting 247253 and entering their favorite driver’s letter code.

The overall winner as determined by fan votes will receive the $10,000 grand prize, while the top vote-getter in the other three divisions will earn $1,000. Over the 12 consecutive nights of the event that began Feb. 3, 410 Sprint Cars, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, dirt Late Models and big-block Modifieds all competed.

NEXT UP: The WoO LMS is idle until diving into an early-season ‘Month of Money’ beginning with a two-day show on March 13-14 at Deep South Speedway in Loxley, Ala. Complete programs will be contested both nights at the high-banked oval – a 40-lap A-Main paying $7,000 to win on Fri., March 13, and a 60-lap, $12,000-to-win finale on Sat. March 14.

A total of $109,000 in first-place cash will be on the line over a four-week period of WoO LMS action that begins at Deep South and continues with the inaugural ‘Lone Star 100’ on March 20-21 at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas ($20,000 to win win); the Circle K Colossal 100 on March 27-28 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. ($50,000 to win); and the ‘Illini 100’ on April 3-4 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway ($20,000 to win).

INFO: More information on the WoO LMS is available at www.worldofoutlaws.com.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Contact: World Racing Group
Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR
704-795-7223 • cdolack@dirtcar.com

Hearn, Francis Earn Alltel DIRTcar Nationals Victories; 14 Drivers Seek Fan Support In Alltel All-Star Online Voting

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Feb. 14, 2009 — Steve Francis and Brett Hearn, two of the most storied competitors in their respective divisions, wrapped up the 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH on Saturday night at Volusia Speedway Park by earning their first victories on the finale of the 12-day event.

World of Outlaws Late Model Series star Francis, of Ashland, Ky., and Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series star Hearn, of Sussex, N.J., became the 13th and 14th different drivers to become eligible for the $10,000 grand prize, voted on by fans. There are 13 different states represented in this year’s contest: Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Fans can vote via text message to 247253 and enter their favorite driver’s letter code, or by visiting AlltelAllStar.com and casting a ballot. Votes will be tallied daily until Feb. 28. The overall winner as determined by fan votes will receive the $10,000 grand prize, while the top vote-getter in the other three divisions will earn $1,000. Over the 12 consecutive nights of the event that began Feb. 3, 410 Sprint Cars, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, Dirt Late Models and Big-Block Modifieds all competed.

Francis, the 2007 World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion, ran down Brady Smith and pulled away to capture the checkered flag. Like many of the other winners during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH, Francis would help out injured racer Tim McCreadie should the fans vote for him to be the event’s Alltel All-Star.

“Timmy McCreadie was hurt a little while back,” Francis said. “He drove my Dirt Late Model for a little bit. If we can win it, we’ll give part of it to Timmy to help pay for some of his medical bills. I think I heard Austin Dillon say that the other night, too. Timmy is a stand-up guy and that’s the best thing I can think to do with it.”

Hearn, who year in and year out is one of the strongest Big Block Modified teams to compete at the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, waited until the final feature of the event to get his victory this time around. He chased down Andy Bachetti before finally taking the lead with eight laps to go in the 50-lap conclusion to the 12-day event.

“I think it adds a level of recognition to the cars and the guys who do this. It raises the level of professionalism of the event. This whole event is just an awesome event. It’s unbelievable racing every night. We were blessed with beautiful weather. It’s a blast. I really appreciate Alltel being here.”

Through all 12 nights of competition at the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH, the Alltel All-Star contenders and their text message Letter Codes (in parenthesis) include:

Sprint Cars — Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. (b); Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Okla. (d); Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Ind. (f).

UMP DIRTcar Modifieds — Jared Landers, Batesville, Ark. (a); Austin Dillon, Lewisville, N.C. (c); Randy Hall, Olean, N.Y. (e).

Dirt Late Models — Darren Miller, Chadwick, Ill. (g); Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville, Fla. (h); Dan Schlieper, Sullivan, Wis. (j); Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va. (k); and Steve Francis, Ashland, Ky. (m).

Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series — Pat Ward, Genoa, N.Y. (i); Jamie Mills, Milford, Del. (L); and Brett Hearn, Sussex, N.J. (n).

For more information about Alltel, please visit www.alltel.com. To cast your vote online visit www.AlltelAllStar.com.

Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH Statistical Report — Night 12

Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series 50-lap A-main

Pos. / Driver

1. Brett Hearn

2. Andy Bachetti

3. Matt Sheppard

4. Billy Decker

5. Pat Ward

6. Jamie Mills

7. Dale Planck

8. Jimmy Horton

9. Keith Flach

10. Mario Clair

11. Sean Beardsley

12. Dan Vauter

13. Larry Wight

14. Jeff Brownell Jr.

15. James M. Friesen

16. Michel Chicione

17. Jim Rasey

18. Guy Sheldon

19. Roger Chrysler

20. Tim Kerr

21. Randy Chrysler

22. Jeremy Markle

23. Rich Scagliotta

24. Darwin Greene

25. Rex King Jr.

26. Matt Jester

27. Brian Sadler

28. Dave Rauscher

World of Outlaws Late Model Series 50-lap A-main

Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won

1. (8) Steve Francis/50 $10,100

2. (2) Brady Smith/50 $5,000

3. (4) Rick Eckert/50 $3,000

4. (5) Kelly Boen/50 $2,550

5. (6) Earl Pearson Jr./50 $2,000

6. (7) Shane Clanton/50 $1,700

7. (12) Josh Richards/50 $1,400

8. (11) Darrell Lanigan/50 $1,300

9. (18) Scott Bloomquist/50 $1,200

10. (24) Dale McDowell/50 $1,200

11. (9) Dennis Erb Jr./50 $1,050

12. (13) Dan Schlieper/50 $1,000

13. (3) Chris Madden/50 $1,000

14. (28) Tim Fuller/50 $200

15. (16) Darren Miller/50 $1,350

16. (19) Justin Rattliff/50 $800

17. (17) Billy Decker/50 $770

18. (10) John Blankenship/49 $750

19. (15) Jordan Bland/49 $730

20. (22) Vic Coffey/48 $700

21. (20) Tyler Ivey/48 $700

22. (27) Clint Smith/48 $0

23. (23) Scott James/25 $700

24. (25) Chub Frank/24 $700

25. (1) Wendell Wallace/23 $700

26. (14) Dillon Wood/18 $700

27. (26) Shannon Babb/14 $700

28. (21) Jimmy Owens/13 $700

Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH Daily Winners
February 3, Tuesday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 4, Wednesday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 5, Thursday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Stevie Smith)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Austin Dillon)

February 6, Friday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” qualifying Night 1 (Jared Landers)

February 7, Saturday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Joey Saldana)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” qualifying Night 2 (Randy Hall)

February 8, Sunday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” Championship (Jared Landers)

February 9, Monday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Darren Miller)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 10, Tuesday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Earl Pearson Jr.)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Austin Dillon)

February 11, Wednesday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Dan Schlieper)
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds (Pat Ward)

February 12, Thursday
World of Outlaws Late Model Series (Josh Richards)
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds (Pat Ward)

February 13, Friday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Josh Richards)
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds (Jamie Mills)

February 14, Saturday
World of Outlaws Late Model Series (Steve Francis)
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds (Brett Hearn)

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Francis Comes Alive To Capture Finale Of Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 14, 2009 – Steve Francis saved his best for the last night of the 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH.

With a stirring drive forward from the eighth starting spot to win the 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main that ended the 12-night mid-winter racing extravaganza at Volusia Speedway Park, Francis headed home to Ashland, Ky., with a smile on his face and $10,100 in his pocket.

“I shouldn’t say, ‘It was about time,’ because no racetrack ever owes you anything,” said Francis, whose best finish in the week’s five other Super Late Model events was a fourth in Thursday night’s WoO LMS season opener. “But when you struggle as much as we have down here, it just makes you feel good when you leave here with a win.

“Now we get to be the guy who won the last race – and we get a month to think about it.”

Francis, 41, nailed the UMP DIRTcar Hoosier tire choice for his Dale Beitler-owned Rocket car after a post-heat race shower dampened the half-mile oval and delayed the program for one hour. He reached second with a lap-20 pass of Jacksonville, Fla.’s Earl Pearson Jr. and then chased down race-long pacesetter Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., finally grabbing the top spot for good on lap 36.

Smith, who started from the outside pole in his Bloomquist Chassis mount, settled for a runner-up finish, 1.878 seconds behind Francis. The $5,000 outing came after the hopeful 2009 WoO LMS regular failed to qualify for the tour’s lidlifter on Thursday night due to a heat-race accident.

Rick Eckert of York, Pa., finished third in the Raye Vest Racing Bloomquist car, giving him four top-five finishes in six events during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH.

Completing the top five was fifth-starter Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colo., who enjoyed his best finish of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, and Pearson, who ran as high as second after starting sixth. Both drivers were behind the wheel of Rocket cars.

Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who entered the evening’s action with back-to-back $10,000-plus victories in WoO LMS (Thursday) and UMP DIRTcar (Friday) competition, saw his hot streak end with a seventh-place finish. He started 12th.

Francis credited his 21st career WoO LMS triumph – the most of any driver on the national tour since 2004 – to his starting spot and tire choice.

“With the (heat) inverts (in the four UMP DIRTcar events) and how everything has played out, we haven’t been able to see the front of the field much this week,” said Francis, who previously won WoO LMS A-Mains during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH in 2004 (the first WoO LMS event under the World Racing Group banner) and 2006. “Tonight we were finally able to start closer to the front and it made a big difference. We just didn’t have to kill our car the first 20 laps to get into contention. We were able to save some tires and some car.

“We went a little soft on tires because of the showers. I was afraid that after three or four laps we’d start seeing a black line, but I just saw some spotty black spots so I knew we could just keep chasing that cushion because we had on a little softer tires. Then we were able to save enough so we could go to the bottom and pass Brady (for the lead).”

Smith, 31, mourned the pair of caution flags that slowed the race, on lap 24 (for the stopped car of Batesville, Ark.’s Wendell Wallace) and lap 25 (a homestretch spin by Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa.).

“After the last restart I didn’t go as good,” said Smith, who built as much as a half-straightaway lead during the race’s first half. “I got some wheel spin, so I believe my right-rear sealed over. We actually had on a harder tire than (Francis), but that tire has got a tendency to seal over.

“I think if the race would’ve went all green we might’ve been able to hold on, but you always have ifs, ands or buts. We’re just happy we had a good run here to end our Speedweeks.”

Eckert, 43, thought tires and the mid-race caution flags were his downfall.

“I think Steve was a little bit softer on tires than us,” said Eckert. “I didn’t think the softer tires would’ve kept going the whole way, but those two cautions probably helped him more than us because his soft tires cooled down and it took me a while to get going after the restarts.”

Finishing in positions 6-10 was Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., who surged to fourth following the lap-25 caution flag but slipped backward because he couldn’t hold the outside groove; Richards; defending WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.; 18th-starter Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn.; and Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga.

Lanigan’s quiet run left him winless during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, but his steady week – topped by three runner-up finishes – earned him the week’s overall points championship.

Fifty-six cars were entered in the evening’s action.

Chris Madden of Gaffney, S.C., was fastest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials with a lap of 16.125 seconds.

Heat winners were Madden, Boen, Eckert, Pearson, Wallace and Brady Smith. The B-Mains were captured by Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, Ky., Tyler Ivey of Tallahassee, Fla., and Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn.

The WoO LMS will be idle until diving into an early-season ‘Month of Money’ beginning with a two-day show on March 13-14 at Deep South Speedway in Loxley, Ala. Complete programs will be contested both nights – a 40-lap A-Main paying $7,000 to win on Friday and a 60-lap, $12,000-to-win finale on Saturday.

A total of $109,000 in first-place cash will be on the line over a four-week period that begins at Deep South and continues with the inaugural ‘Lone Star 100’ on March 20-21 at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas ($20,000 to win win); the Circle K Colossal 100 on March 27-28 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. ($50,000); and the ‘Illini 100’ on April 3-4 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway ($20,000).

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

Results of WoO Late Model Series at Volusia Speedway Park (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):

1. (8) Steve Francis/50 $10,100

2. (2) Brady Smith/50 $5,000

3. (4) Rick Eckert/50 $3,000

4. (5) Kelly Boen/50 $2,550

5. (6) Earl Pearson Jr./50 $2,000

6. (7) Shane Clanton/50 $1,700

7. (12) Josh Richards/50 $1,400

8. (11) Darrell Lanigan/50 $1,300

9. (18) Scott Bloomquist/50 $1,200

10. (24) Dale McDowell/50 $1,200

11. (9) Dennis Erb Jr./50 $1,050

12. (13) Dan Schlieper/50 $1,000

13. (3) Chris Madden/50 $1,000

14. (28) Tim Fuller/50 $200

15. (16) Darren Miller/50 $1,350

16. (19) Justin Rattliff/50 $800

17. (17) Billy Decker/50 $770

18. (10) John Blankenship/49 $750

19. (15) Jordan Bland/49 $730

20. (22) Vic Coffey/48 $700

21. (20) Tyler Ivey/48 $700

22. (27) Clint Smith/48 $0

23. (23) Scott James/25 $700

24. (25) Chub Frank/24 $700

25. (1) Wendell Wallace/23 $700

26. (14) Dillon Wood/18 $700

27. (26) Shannon Babb/14 $700

28. (21) Jimmy Owens/13 $700

* Earnings include cash contingency award bonuses

NOTE: Vic Coffey switched to a backup car for the A-Main and started from the rear of the field

Time of Race: 21 Mins., 10.904 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 1.878 Secs.

Yellow Flags: 2 (Laps 24, 25)

Lap Leaders: Brady Smith (1-35); Francis (36-50)

Provisional Starters: Frank, Babb, C. Smith, Fuller

Rookie of the Race: Dustin Hapka ($250)

WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Darren Miller ($500)

Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race ($50): Kevin Miller (Francis)

Ohlins Shock Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):

1. 44M-Chris Madden/Gaffney, SC 16.125

2. 19-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 16.191

3. 28e-Dennis Erb Jr./Carpentersville, IL 16.199

4. 21M-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 16.228

5. 91-Billy Decker/Unadilla, NY 16.251

6. 02-Tommy Weder/Woodward, OK 16.271

7. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 16.306

8. 07-Kelly Boen/Henderson, CO 16.380

9. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 16.384

10. 44P-Earl Pearson Jr./Jacksonville, FL 16.388

11. 88-Wendell Wallace/Batesville, AR 16.393

12. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 16.398

13. 9-Dan Schlieper/Sullivan, WI 16.407

14. 18b-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 16.417

15. 12b-Jordan Bland/Campbellsville, KY 16.420

16. 32d-Darren Miller/Milledgeville, IL 16.433

17. 56K-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 16.434

18. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 16.440

19. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 16.450

20. 26-Dillon Wood/Daytona Beach, FL 16.452

21. 2A-John Anderson/Omaha, NE 16.454

22. 23-John Blankenship/Williamson, WV 16.480

23. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 16.499

24. 17M-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA 16.511

25. 19T-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 16.512

26. 50-Shannon Buckingham/Morristown, TN 16.513

27. 54-David Breazeale/Four Corners, MS 16.516

28. 47-Tyler Ivey/Tallahassee, FL 16.516

29. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 16.525

30. 0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN 16.526

31. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 16.542

32. 16R-Justin Rattliff/Campbellsville, KY 16.548

33. 3R-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 16.549

34. 18K-Brandon Kinzer/Allen, KY 16.556

35. 21L-Ivedent Lloyd/Ocala, FL 16.583

36. 20-Jimmy Owens/Newport, TN 16.654

37. 18H-Dustin Hapka/Grand Forks, ND 16.667

38. 28c-Eddie Carrier Jr./Salt Rock, WV 16.674

39. 83-Scott James/Greendale, IN 16.676

40. 7J-Joe Isabell/Pennellville, NY 16.690

41. 49-Mark Pettyjohn/Millsboro, DE 16.732

42. 29R-Ronnie Rihn/Chippewa Falls, WI 16.745

43. 99B-Rick Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 16.757

44. 19J-Greg Johnson/Bedford, IN 16.760

45. 11H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 16.772

46. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 16.810

47. 12K-A.J. Kirkpatrick/Castroville, CA 17.220

48. 77-Jason McBride/Carbondale, IL 17.319

49. 8-Gregg Hill/Eveleth, MN 17.595

50. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 17.661

51. 11R-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 17.682

52. 56s-Chas Shellenberger/Winfield, PA 17.685

53. 32-Greg Kendall/Paoli, IN 17.690

54. 25H-Chuck Hummer/Ottawa Lake, MI 17.884

55. 1*CFR-Peter Mantha/Gatineau, QUE 17.931

56. 16H-Mike Hammerle/St. Charles, MO 17.941

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Madden, Clanton, Schlieper, Coffey, Stone, Briggs, Hill, Hapka, Mantha, Fuller

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Boen, Francis, Wood, Rattliff, Babb, Buckingham, Johnson, Carrier Jr., Hammerle, George

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Eckert, Erb Jr., Bland, Breazeale, James, Anderson, Hubbard, Robinson, Reddick

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Pearson, Blankenship, Miller, Ivey, Kinzer, C. Smith, Isabell, Shellenberger, Moyer

Heat No. 5 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Wallace, Lanigan, Decker, King, Lloyd, Frank, Pettyjohn, Kirkpatrick, Kendall

Heat No. 6 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): B. Smith, Richards, Bloomquist, Weder, McDowell, Owens, McBride, Rihn, Hummer

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Rattliff, Coffey, Stone, G. Johnson, Hapka, Briggs, George, Hammerle, Hill, Babb (DNS) Carrier, Fuller, Buckingham, Mantha

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Ivey, James, Kinzer, C. Smith, Anderson, Hubbard, Robinson, Shellenberger, Isabell, Reddick (DNS) Breazeale, Moyer

B-Main No. 3 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Owens, McDowell, Lloyd, McBride, Weder, Hummer, Kendall, Rihn, King, Frank, Kirkpatrick, Pettyjohn

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners:

* Arizona Sport Shirts ($50 product certificate to fifth-place finisher in B-Mains): Dustin Hapka, John Anderson, Tommy Weder

* Armor All (case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main w/decal): Brady Smith

* Champ Pans ($50 product certificate to ‘Bonus Bucks’ winner w/decal): Darren Miller

* Crane Cams ($100 cash award to A-Main winner w/decal): Steve Francis

* Crane Cams ($100 cash award to 10th-place finisher in A-Main w/decal): Dale McDowell

* Crane Cams ($100 product certificate to Heat 3 winner w/decal): Rick Eckert

* Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner w/decal): Justin Rattliff, Tyler Ivey, Jimmy Owens

* Fusion Energy ($50 cash award to Heat 2 winner w/decal): Kelly Boen

* Ohlins Shocks ($50 cash award to fast qualifier w/decal): Chris Madden

* Quarter-Master ($100 product certificate to A-Main winner w/decal): Steve Francis

* Quarter-Master ($50 product certificate to fifth-place finisher in A-Main w/decal): Earl Pearson Jr.

* Quarter-Master ($25 product certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main w/decal): Darren Miller

* Super Clean ‘Start of the Race’ (one case of product): Steve Francis

* VP Racing Fuels ‘Nice Jugs Award’ (two free VP five-gallon containers to fastest qualifier who does not make the A-Main if decal is displayed): Billy Moyer

* Wrisco Aluminum (three sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner w/decal): Steve Francis

2009 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of Feb. 14 - 2 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/wins/top-5s/top-10s/earnings/points/deficit to leader):

1. Steve Francis 1-2-2-$13,200-292 (-0)

2. Josh Richards 1-1-2-$12,000-286 (-6)

3. Darrell Lanigan 0-1-2-$6,950-280 (-12)

4. (tie) Rick Eckert 0-1-2-$4,700-274 (-18)

4. (tie) Shane Clanton 0-0-2-$3,650-274 (-18)

6. Dan Schlieper 0-1-1-$3,000-266 (-26)

7. (tie) Tim Fuller 0-0-1-$2,000-256 (-36)

7. (tie) Scott Bloomquist 0-0-1-$2,250-256 (-36)

9. Dale McDowell 0-0-1-$2,050-250 (-42)

10. Chris Madden 0-0-0-$1,900-246 (-46)

11. (tie) Billy Decker 0-0-0-$2,270-242 (-50)

11. (tie) Kelly Boen 0-1-1-$3,250-242 (-50)

13. Shannon Babb 0-1-1-$3,700-240 (-52)

14. Chub Frank 0-0-1-$2,400-234 (-58)

15. Justin Rattliff 0-0-0-$1,550-232 (-60)

16. John Blankenship 0-0-0-$1,520-230 (-62)

17. Vic Coffey 0-0-0-$2,000-228 (-64)

18. Jimmy Owens 0-0-0-$1,750-222 (-70)

19. Brady Smith 0-1-1-$5,000-221 (-71)

20. Jordan Bland 0-0-0-$1,430-220 (-72)

LISTEN ONLINE: If fans can’t get to a track to see the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, they can experience the excitement of the nation’s premier tour live on DIRTvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network.

To listen to the free audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo.

Listeners will need Windows Media Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. For technical support or questions, e-mail customerservice@dirtvision.com.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by several sponsors and partners, including VP Racing – the Official Racing Fuel of the WoO LMS; Fusion Energy – the Official Energy Boost of the WoO; and contingency sponsors Armor All, Champ Pans, Crane Cams, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Quarter-Master, Super Clean and Wrisco Industries.

Contact: World Racing Group
Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR
704-795-7223 • cdolack@dirtcar.com

Josh Richards, Jamie Mills Have 10,000 Reasons Fans Should Vote For Them At AlltelAllStar.com

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Feb. 13, 2009 — Josh Richards is the hottest driver in Dirt Late Model racing, and now he’s a two-time Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH winner this week. Friday night at Volusia Speedway Park he won his second consecutive feature event, increasing his odds of becoming an Alltel All-Star by fan voting. But after winning the Big Block Modified feature Friday night, Jamie Mills now has reason to rally his supporters, too.

Mills, of Milford, Del., became the 12th different driver to make himself eligible for the $10,000 grand prize, voted on by fans. There are now 11 different states represented in this year’s contest with one more night of racing to go: Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Fans can vote via text message to 247253 and enter their favorite driver’s letter code, or by visiting AlltelAllStar.com and casting a ballot. Votes will be tallied daily until Feb. 28. The overall winner as determined by fan votes will receive the $10,000 grand prize, while the top vote-getter in the other three divisions will earn $1,000. Over the 12 consecutive nights of the event that began Feb. 3, 410 Sprint Cars, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, Dirt Late Models and Big-Block Modifieds all competed.

Mills outlasted the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series field for 30 laps, using his VP Racing Fuel to provide the horsepower to his first checkered flag of the season, ending Pat Ward’s two-race win streak at Volusia. Mills lost his power steering with 10 laps to go, and with two laps didn’t think he’d be able to make it to the finish. He was thrilled he could hang on long enough to become eligible in Alltel All-Star voting.

“I don’t know that we pull the attention of the Dirt Late Models since we’re a regional deal, but I’ll make sure the money goes to good use,” said Mills, should he win the online voting contest at AlltelAllStar.com. “I think some should go to charity. It’s like free money, it’s like hitting the lottery so make sure it goes to good use. … It really brings professionalism to dirt track racing. They’ve got a Jumbo-tron up there. I was watching the consi while we were waiting to draw and it’s just awesome what they’ve done here to make it fan friendly. We need fans all over the United States to make this work and Alltel has made it great.”

For the second consecutive night, Richards has proven why he’s the early season favorite to win the 2009 World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship. He’s won two in a row at Volusia, and has five victories overall to start the year. Richards is hoping he wins the Alltel All-Star fan voting because he’d like to help former World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion Tim McCreadie pay a few doctor’s bills incurred from a crash during a race last month.

“Whatever it takes to get him back out here on the racetrack,” said Richards, 20, of Shinnston, W.Va. “I know it’s killing him like crazy, his misfortune at the Chili Bowl. I watched the whole thing. It was just a malfunction of the car, I guess. I’d just like to be racing him, too.”

Through 11 nights of competition at the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH, the Alltel All-Star contenders and their text message Letter Codes (in parenthesis) include:

Sprint Cars — Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. (b); Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Okla. (d); Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Ind. (f).

UMP DIRTcar Modifieds — Jared Landers, Batesville, Ark. (a); Austin Dillon, Lewisville, N.C. (c); Randy Hall, Olean, N.Y. (e).

Dirt Late Models — Darren Miller, Chadwick, Ill. (g); Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville, Fla. (h); Dan Schlieper, Sullivan, Wis. (j), Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va. (k).

Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series — Pat Ward, Genoa, N.Y. (i) and Jamie Mills, Milford, Del. (L)

For more information about Alltel, please visit www.alltel.com. To cast your vote online visit www.AlltelAllStar.com.

Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH Statistical Report — Night 11

Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series 30-lap A-main

Pos. / Driver

1. Jamie Mills

2. Billy Decker

3. Dale Planck

4. Matt Sheppard

5. Andy Bachetti

6. Jimmy Horton

7. Rex King Jr.

8. Randy Chrysler

9. Pat Ward

10. Larry Wight

11. Brett Hearn

12. Mario Clair

13. Dan Vauter

14. Dave Camara

15. James M. Friesen

16. Brad Trice

17. Sean Beardsley

18. Jimmy Johnson

19. Jeremy Markle

20. Darwin Greene

21. Keith Flach

22. Jim Rasey

23. Matt Jester

24. Jeff Brownell Jr.

25. Alan Johnson

26. Rich Scagliotta

27. Guy Sheldon

UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model Series 40-lap A-main

Pos. / Driver

1. Josh Richards

2. Rick Eckert

3. Darrell Lanigan

4. Scott James

5. Shane Clanton

6. Scott Bloomquist

7. Darren Miller

8. Steve Francis

9. Billy Decker

10. Jimmy Owens

11. Shannon Babb

12. Dan Stone

13. Dennis Erb Jr.

14. Dan Schlieper

15. Earl Pearson Jr.

16. Eddie Carrier Jr.

17. Brady Smith

18. Chub Frank

19. Justin Rattliff

20. Rusty Schlenk

21. Jason McBride

22. Tommy Weder

23. Billy Moyer

24. John Blankenship

25. Chris Madden

26. Rick Briggs

Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH Daily Schedule

Pits open at 3 p.m., grandstands at 5 p.m., racing at 7:30 p.m.

February 3, Tuesday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 4, Wednesday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 5, Thursday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Stevie Smith)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Austin Dillon)

February 6, Friday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” qualifying Night 1 (Jared Landers)

February 7, Saturday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Joey Saldana)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” qualifying Night 2 (Randy Hall)

February 8, Sunday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” Championship (Jared Landers)

February 9, Monday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Darren Miller)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 10, Tuesday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Earl Pearson Jr.)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Austin Dillon)

February 11, Wednesday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Dan Schlieper)
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds (Pat Ward)

February 12, Thursday
World of Outlaws Late Model Series (Josh Richards)
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds (Pat Ward)

February 13, Friday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Josh Richards)
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds (Jamie Mills)

February 14, Saturday
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Richards Pockets Another $10,000 For Winning Friday’s UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model Finale At Volusia Speedway Park

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 13, 2009 – Josh Richards is scrawling his name all over the 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH.

The 20-year-old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va., rolled to his second $10,000 victory in as many nights on Friday, capturing the mid-winter racing extravaganza’s 40-lap UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model finale at Volusia Speedway Park.

Richards continued his February assault on dirt tracks in the Sunshine State, winning for the second time during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH and fifth time overall in Florida over a one-week span. He authored a virtual repeat of his triumph in the previous night’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener.

“To win three last week and two this week is pretty unreal,” said Richards, who joined Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., as the only drivers since 2004 to win the week-ending UMP DIRTcar special and a WoO LMS event during the same Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. “It’s starting to sink in a little bit, but I still don’t even know what to say.

“We did everything exactly the same (as Thursday night) – qualified the same, ran the heat race the same, ran the same tires in the feature. The track was just a little bit wetter tonight so you had to be down against the brown in (turns) three and four, but everything worked out great again.”

Richards, who started fifth in Friday’s extra-distance A-Main, moved steadily forward in his Mark Richards Racing Enterprises Rocket car to grab the lead from outside-polesitter Moyer on lap 13. He was never seriously challenged for the remainder of the event, which was slowed by a single caution flag, on lap 31 for a turn-four spin by Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis.

Rick Eckert of York, Pa., slipped by Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., for second place following the lap-31 restart and finished there in his Raye Vest Racing Bloomquist Chassis car. He crossed the finish line 1.939 seconds behind Richards.

Defending WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who started eighth, advanced two spots after the restart to claim third in his Rocket mount. Ninth-starter Scott James of Greendale, Ind., got his Scott Riggs-owned Rocket car hooked up on the outside of the half-mile oval over the final nine circuits to vault from eighth to a fourth-place finish, while Clanton, who started from the pole position, faded to fifth at the checkered flag in his RSD Enterprises Rocket machine.

Four of the top five finishers were regulars on the WoO LMS, which ends the 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH on Saturday night (Feb. 14) with a 50-lap event paying $10,000 to win. James was the only driver who doesn’t follow the national tour.

Eckert, 43, registered his best finish of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, improving upon the third-place run he enjoyed on Wednesday night. He hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in the week’s five events but is still searching for the extra speed to reach Victory Lane.

“We just lack a little bit,” said Eckert. “I can’t get quite as aggressive getting into the corners as Josh can. Exiting the corner I might be a little bit better, but I can’t hustle in there like he can.”

Eckert paused, and then quipped with a smile, “I think we’re gaining on it and getting better every night, but it’s looking like we might run out of nights.”

Finishing in positions 6-10 was Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., who started 11th; Darren Miller of Milledgeville, Ill.; 19th-starter Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.; Billy Decker of Unadilla, N.Y.; and 20th-starter Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn.

Moyer, who won three times during last year’s Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, pulled out of the event during the lap-31 caution flag while running third due to a broken lifter in his engine.

Earlier in the night Moyer turned the overall fastest lap of the 64-car group time-trial session, roaring around the track in 16.021 seconds.

Other group fast-timers included Dillon Wood of Daytona Beach, Fla. (16.125), Eckert (16.352), Chris Madden of Gaffney, S.C. (16.086), Bloomquist (16.354) and Miller (16.402).

Heat winners were Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., Moyer, Eckert, Richards, Schlieper and Clanton. The B-Mains were captured by Francis, Owens and Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, W.Va.

The 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH conclude on Saturday (Feb. 14) with a doubleheader headlined by the WoO LMS. A 50-lap finale for the big-block Modifieds of the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series is also part of the program, which begins at 7:30 p.m.

For more information visit www.dirtcar.com, www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com or www.dirtcarnationals.com.

UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model A-Main Finish (40 laps):

1. Josh Richards

2. Rick Eckert

3. Darrell Lanigan

4. Scott James

5. Shane Clanton

6. Scott Bloomquist

7. Darren Miller

8. Steve Francis

9. Billy Decker

10. Jimmy Owens

11. Shannon Babb

12. Dan Stone

13. Dennis Erb Jr.

14. Dan Schlieper

15. Earl Pearson Jr.

16. Eddie Carrier Jr.

17. Brady Smith

18. Chub Frank

19. Justin Rattliff

20. Rusty Schlenk

21. Jason McBride

22. Tommy Weder

23. Billy Moyer

24. John Blankenship

25. Chris Madden

26. Rick Briggs

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Dennis Erb Jr., 2. Brady Smith, 3. John Blankenship, 4. Shannon Buckingham, 5. Chris Shannon, 6. Dillon Wood, 7. Dale McDowell, 8. Greg Johnson, 9. Jordan Bland, 10. Clint Smith, 11. Brad Eitniear

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Billy Moyer, 2. Darrell Lanigan, 3. Earl Pearson Jr., 4. Steve Francis, 5. Justin Rattliff, 6. Kelly Boen, 7. Wendell Wallace, 8. Chad Mahder, 9. Dave Hess Jr., 10. Tim Isenberg, 11. Russell King

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Rick Eckert, 2. Scott James, 3. Billy Decker, 4. Shannon Babb, 5. Jimmy Owens, 6. Eric Jacobsen, 7. Mark Pettyjohn, 8. Greg Kendall, 9. A.J. Kirkpatrick, 10. John Anderson, 11. Tyler Reddick

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Josh Richards, 2. Chris Madden, 3. Tommy Weder, 4. David Breazeale, 5. Davey Johnson, 6. Tyler Ivey, 7. Tommy Kerr, 8. Vic Coffey, 9. Tim Fuller, 10. Chub Frank, 11. Gregg Hill

Heat No. 5 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Dan Schlieper, 2. Scott Bloomquist, 3. Dan Stone, 4. Eddie Carrier Jr., 5. Rick Briggs, 6. Austin Hubbard, 7. Ronnie Rihn, 8. Jill George, 9. Win Ingersoll (DNS) Ivedent Lloyd

Heat No. 6 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Shane Clanton, 2. Darren Miller, 3. Jason McBride, 4. Dustin Hapka, 5. Brent Robinson, 6. Brandon Kinzer, 7. Jayme Zidar, 8. Rusty Schlenk, 9. Peter Mantha, 10. Mike Hammerle

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Francis, Rattliff, Buckingham, Wood, Boen, C. Smith, Bland, Shannon, G. Johnson, King, Eitniear, Mahder, McDowell, Isenberg, Wallace, Hess

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Owens, Babb, Breazeale, Ivey, Jacobsen, Coffey, Kerr, Pettyjohn, Anderson, Kendall, Hill, Frank, Fuller, Reddick, D. Johnson (DNS) Kirkpatrick

B-Main No. 3 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Carrier, Briggs, Robinson, Hubbard, Kinzer, Hapka, Rihn, Zidar, Schlenk, Mantha, George, Hammerle, Ingersoll, Lloyd

Contact: Kellen Burns
DIRTcar Public Relations
kburns@dirtcar.com • 704-707-0218

DIRTcar Download: Marching Into the Madness

DIRTcar Download is your source for everything in DIRTcar Racing. Throughout the season, you’ll find weekly news, notes and track and driver spotlights from across DIRTcar Racing’s regions.

DIRTcar West Driver Spotlight: Chris Shannon – 2008 DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series Champion

Chris Shannon might not be a household name to many, but the 2008 DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series champion is undoubtedly on the path to gain a reputation as one of the better DIRTcar Late Model drivers in the country.

Shannon, who hails from Merced, Calif., decided 2009 was an ideal time to test his luck on the East Coast for the first time, entering the 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.

“We just decided to come out here, play our hand and race with the best,” said Shannon, a former paved-track competitor in the early- to mid-‘90s on the NASCAR Southwest Tour. “DIRTcar has supported us on the West Coast and so I thought we could come out here to Florida and support DIRTcar.”

Shannon, who chased down Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas, Calif., to claim the 2008 DIRTcar Western Allstars crown without the benefit of a feature win, has enjoyed the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH and is looking forward to the 2009 campaign in the Golden State.

“It would be tremendous to win (at Volusia), but right now our whole goal is just to make a race,” said Shannon, who through Friday (Feb. 13) had failed to qualify for any of the four Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH A-Mains (three UMP DIRTcar events, one World of Outlaws Late Model Series program). “You have the best guys in the country racing here at Volusia. We’re just going to do our best.”

The 42-year-old driver is anxious to get things started in 2009 out west. After his February sojourn to Florida, Shannon will make the 50-plus-hour haul back home and get ready to attempt to defend his Western Allstars title.

“We’re going to run the DIRTcar Western Allstars and contend for the championship,” said Shannon, who puts everything into his racing program that he can while making a living running the family business, Shannon Pump Co.

Shannon, who runs cars built by the Bakersfield, Calif.-based Victory Circle Chassis, is excited about the potential for success and recognition for himself and drivers in the DIRTcar Western Region.

“Just the publicity that we got from DIRTcar and World Racing Group, it got our names out there,” commented Shannon. “It loops us in with the World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Racing.”

Track Spotlight: Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway Blast Into March

DIRTcar Racing once again rumbles into the 2009 season in the Midwest with the second edition of ‘March Madness’ on March 6-7 at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in Calvert City, Ky.

The event has featured some of the biggest names in UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model competition throughout its existence. Previous winners include 2007 World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion Steve Francis and Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark.

Not only do fans get to experience the best names in UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model competiton, the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds are on the docket as well. Drivers will compete for a total of over $55,000 in purse money in the Late Model portion of the program -- $5,000 to win on Fri., March 6, and $7,500 to win on Sat., March 7 – and the Modifieds will battle each night in $2,000-to-win features offering purses of $8,400.

“The payout is excellent is all the way down through the field,” said promoter Sherri Heckenast. “We’ve had drivers contact us from as far away as New York already, and we’ve usually had drivers from Canada and Minnesota make an appearance.”

The ever-popular, three-eighths-mile oval, which is proclaimed the “Taj Mahal of Dirt Racing,” hosts other major events such as the Commonwealth Cup, Battle of the Mods and the Bluegrass Nationals.

“The facility is in really good shape and we’ve had a really good track the past events.” Said Heckenast. “When people come to Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway, there’s not a person who doesn’t like the facility.”

With a weather date set for March 8 and the March 13-15 weekend set aside in case of prolonged wet or cold weather, those fans who have been clamoring for racing action all winter can expect to start the season off with an excellent UMP DIRTcar event.

For more information on Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway, visit the track online at www.klmsllc.com.

UMP DIRTcar: Landers Dominates Action at 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals; Ocala Opens Modified Season

Young Batesville, Ark., driver Jared Landers has had a reputation for performing well at Volusia Speedway Park in UMP DIRTcar Modified competition during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, but even he didn’t see his success coming in the form of back-to-back feature wins to kick off the two-week-long dirt-track festival.

Landers became a father in August of 2008 and has been on quite a roll since. Before coming to Florida, every race Landers entered where his new son, Madden, was in attendance, he won.

The Midwestern standout reeled off five wins in seven starts – including the inaugural $5,000-to-win ‘Gator Championship’ event on Feb. 8 – and captured the overall Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH points title.

The 2009 UMP DIRTcar Modified season officially kicked off the weekend prior to the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Ocala (Fla.) Speedway.

Racing on a card headlined by the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series regular Kenny Wallace held off Jeff Mathews to claim victory the first night of the Ocala UMP DIRTcar Modified meet after the original kickoff date was rained out. Night 2 was captured by New Yorker Randy Hall, who held off the familiar JEGS No. 36 of Wallace for the victory. Hall also won a qualifying night the following week at Volusia Speedway Park, making him one of three UMP DIRTcar Modified drivers eligible for the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star competition at www.alltelallstar.com.

For information concerning the 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, visit www.DIRTcarNationals.com

DIRTcar NorthEast: Teams Take Show On The Road

By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director

While more than 30 DIRTcar Northeast big-block Modified teams are currently competing in the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH from Feb. 11-14, Empire State big-block standout Gary Tomkins is also getting a head start on the ’09 season with a racing trip halfway around the world to Australia.

Tomkins, a regular on the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series, began his second Australian tour with a fighting fourth-place finish at the Lismore Speedway on Sat., Feb. 7. He has reunited with Australian racer Ray Klarich for a two-race campaign which will end with this Saturday night’s (Feb. 14) Roosters Cup round in Toowoomba.

The Clifton Springs, N.Y., veteran is driving the same Bicknell chassis – powered by a Small-Block – he campaigned during the 2007 Advance Series numbered 84, a car Klarich purchased at the end of that season.

On Feb. 7 at the demanding, almost circular, Lismore bullring, Tomkins crossed the line in first position in both his qualifying heat races. However, he was penalized two positions in his first heat for passing on the infield. The results were enough to earn Tomkins top qualifier honors, although drawing the ‘6’ marble in the inversion would force him to start outside the third row alongside eventual race winner Mark Robinson.

Originally slated for 30 laps, the main event was cut to just 15 laps after Keith Muller rolled his ‘Keith-4-Wheels’ backed Bicknell in front of the main grandstand, embedding it upside down in the catch fence. With the strict 10:30pm curfew fast approaching, Promoter David Lander had little alternative but to cut the race distance in half, leaving Tomkins with a fourth-place finish.

For all the latest DIRTcar Racing news and information, visit DIRTcar.com. If you’re a member or would like to become a member, visit DIRTcarMembers.com.

KELLEN BURNS
Public Relations/Websites
Main: 704-707-0218
Cell: 573-366-7665
Fax: 704-795-7229

"Welcome to Real Racing"

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: 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH Night 1

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 13, 2009 –

HIGH EXPECTATIONS: Josh Richards made the press members who recently voted him the overwhelming favorite to win the 2009 World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship look very good with a victory in Thursday night’s 50-lap season opener at Volusia Speedway Park.

But even after receiving 17 of 24 first-place votes in the second annual WoO LMS Pre-Season Media Poll and capturing the tour’s lidlifter for an unprecedented third consecutive year, Richards isn’t looking ahead at a potential title.

“It’s way too early,” the 20-year-old Richards said when asked about championship possibilities while signing autographs for fans following Thursday night’s Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH program. “I think October is too early (to think about the points). We’re just gonna race, not try to force too much, do our best and maybe get it.”

Richards is honored to be considered the favorite for the $100,000 crown, however.

“That’s pretty crazy,” said Richards, who recorded his 50th career WoO LMS heat-race win on Thursday night. “It’s awesome that everybody expects big things from us. Hopefully I don’t let everybody down.

“I know our equipment is awesome and we have an awesome crew, so as long as we stay focused and work together as a team, I think we can pull it off.”

REUNITED: Darrell Lanigan began his WoO LMS title defense on Thursday night with a familiar face back at his side in the pit area: his former chief mechanic Randall Edwards, who worked for Lanigan off-and-on from 2001-2003 and fulltime from 2004 through the middle of the 2007 season.

Edwards, 34, has returned to lead the Union, Ky., star’s effort after spending the 2008 campaign with the Bobby Labonte Motorsports team and driver Earl Pearson Jr. The Louisiana native replaces Chris Burton, who was voted the 2008 WoO LMS Crew Chief of the Year in his only season with Lanigan’s operation.

The Lanigan/Edwards pairing has certainly clicked so far in 2009. Lanigan’s second-place finish was his third bridesmaid run in four events during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, proving that the reigning champ’s off-season moves have kept him at the top of his game. He debuted all kinds of new stuff at Volusia – a Rocket car, a Cornett Chevy engine program (after more than a decade using Cornett Fords), an Integra Shocks deal and a gorgeous, sparkling black hauler and trailer.

NEW WRENCH: WoO LMS standout Shane Clanton has hired Brandon Bilskie, 25 of McDonough, Ga., as his second fulltime crewman working alongside chief mechanic Mark (‘Head’) Lloyd.

Bilskie comes to the RSD Enterprises team after spending six years as a crewman with Clanton’s brother Joey’s asphalt efforts.

BACK ON TRACK: Making his debut with a self-operated team backed by Sheltra Motorsports, Shannon Babb struggled with “new car blues” during the first three nights of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH.

But after making a motor change on Thursday afternoon – a switch suggested by his teammate Patrick Sheltra, the 22-year-old ARCA/dirt Late Model driver whose plans to compete at Volusia were ended by the fractured vertebra he suffered in an ARCA crash on Feb. 7 at Daytona International Speedway – Babb’s Rocket car was reinvigorated. He led the A-Main’s first 13 laps and finished a strong third.

“We were just trying to find the right combination,” said Babb. “Patrick (who was in attendance Thursday) gave his opinion that we probably had another motor that was better, so we put it in the car. It’s a Darge engine with a little different head style. It’s a little more aggressive engine – we went with it thinking there would be water down (on the track) with a cushion, and we were right.”

Babb, 35, of Moweaqua, Ill., finished sixth in the 2008 points standings in his first season as WoO LMS regular, but he’s not planning to chase the entire tour in ’09 after leaving the Bowyer Dirt Motorsports operation and basically launching a new team out of his own shop with the help of Sheltra Motorsports and Petroff Towing, among others. He does, however, expect to enter early-season WoO LMS events at Deep South Speedway in Loxley, Ala. (March 13-14), Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas (Lone Star 100 on March 20-21), The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. (Circle K Colossal 100 on March 27-28) and Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway (Illini 100 on April 3-4).

OLD SCHOOL: Volusia’s action prompted Steve Francis and car owner Dale Beitler to bust out a Rocket that sported a new graphics scheme – not something drastically different from the team’s 2008 style, but a “throwback” to what Beitler’s machines looked like when Pennsylvania star Gary Stuhler drove for him a decade ago. A sparkling blue No. 19 serves as the mount’s eye-catching centerpiece.

Francis kicked off the ’09 WoO LMS season with a solid fourth-place finish on Thursday night, but he felt he could have placed even higher if not for a frustrating motor issue that plagued him throughout the evening. His powerplant stumbled on restarts, costing him time and positions that he had to fight to make up.

“The motor just has no acceleration on restarts,” said Francis. “It’s fine once we get rolling, but I can’t keep up on the starts. We’ve changed carburetors three times but it hasn’t helped, so it must be something electrical inside the car. We’ll go over everything (on Friday) and try to find it.”

TOUGH START: Brady Smith began a season he plans to make his first as a WoO LMS regular in ugly fashion: as a non-qualifier due to a heat-race accident.

Smith, 31, of Solon Springs, Wis., was battling for a transfer spot on the opening lap of his heat race when contact from Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., who was driving the No. 33 car steered earlier in the week by his team owner Clint Bowyer of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series fame, sent his Bloomquist Chassis No. 2b into the outside wall off turn four. His machine was towed back to the pit area with significant front-end damage and he did not report for the B-Main in a backup car.

FIRST-TIMERS: Three young drivers – Tommy Weder, 23, of Woodward, Okla., Tyler Ivey, 20, of Tallahassee, Fla., and Tyler Reddick, 14, of Corning, Calif. – qualified for their first-ever WoO LMS A-Main on Thursday night. They finished two laps down in consecutive positions, with Ivey taking 22nd, Weder placing 23rd and Reddick finishing 24th.

Reddick was one of the night’s big stories. Thursday night actually marked the first dirt Late Model A-Main that he transferred into during his three-week debut stretch with the full-fender division in Georgia and Florida. With WoO LMS regular Tim Fuller serving as his mentor, the fresh-faced teenager plans to chase the tour in his Incredible Pizza No. 11 after racing Sprint Cars and Midgets last season.

Showing his rapid growth behind the wheel of a dirt Late Model, Reddick qualified 11th-fastest in time trials on Thursday night and finished a solid third in his heat to make the A-Main field. A large crowd gathered around Reddick’s car in the pit area to catch a glimpse of him after his preliminary-race success, and then he stayed out of trouble throughout the feature to gain valuable seat-time.

ONE MORE: The WoO LMS returns to action on Saturday night (Feb. 14) with a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win program that closes the 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH.

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

Contact: World Racing Group
Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR
704-795-7223 • cdolack@dirtcar.com

Ward Wins Again, Richards Captures Third Opener As Alltel All-Star Online Voting Intensifies

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Feb. 12, 2009 — It was a night of multiples during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH on Thursday at Volusia Speedway Park. For the second consecutive night, Pat Ward motored his Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modified to victory. Before Ward’s celebration ended, Josh Richards powered his Rocket Chassis Dirt Late Model to victory for the third consecutive year in the season-opening event for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.

Ward’s victory increases his odds winning at least a $1,000 bonus in the Alltel All-Star competition while Kid Rocket’s victory makes him eligible for the fan voting with two more nights of racing to go. Richards, of Shinnston, W.Va., increases the number of different states represented in this year’s contest to nine: Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Fans can vote via text message to 247253 and enter their favorite driver’s letter code, or by visiting AlltelAllStar.com and casting a ballot. Votes will be tallied daily until Feb. 28. The overall winner as determined by fan votes will receive the $10,000 grand prize, while the top vote-getter in the other three divisions will earn $1,000. Over 12 consecutive nights from Feb. 3 to Feb. 14, 410 Sprint Cars, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, Dirt Late Models and Big-Block Modifieds will all compete.

Ward had never won at Volusia before Wednesday night. Now, after his VP Racing Fuels powered Big Block chased down Jeff Brownell on Thursday in the 30-lap feature event, he is 2-for-2 and aiming for the Florida Tour Big Block championship. He’s hoping fans vote for him to be the Alltel All-Star contest so he can get a little more comfortable on the road.

“I still need it for that motorhome,” said Ward, of Genoa, N.Y. “I need to get it paid off so I can get rid of it and get something I can rely on. It was just a great night for the Gypsum car. I’m happier than heck. Brownell was going good. He gave me the top on one turn and that’s all it took.”

Richards has assembled an incredible start to the 2009 season. Entering the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH he had already earned three victories in tune-ups for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series season-opener. With everybody wondering if he’d be able to win his third consecutive season-opener for the series, Richards didn’t disappoint. He started third and worked past Wednesday night’s winner Dan Schlieper and then Shannon Babb for the lead on Lap 13 of the 50-lap feature. Once in front, Richards continued to stretch his lead to the checkered flag to become eligible for the Alltel All-Star contest.

“If we win this Alltel contest I’d like to get Tim McCreadie back to the racetrack as soon as possible, I’d give him the money and get him healed up as quick as we can,” said Richards, whose sentiments are the same as those of earlier Alltel All-Star competitor Austin Dillon in hoping the winnings will help cover medical expenses for McCreadie, who was injured during a race in January. “He’s a good friend of mine and I’d like to see him out here soon.”

Through 10 nights of competition at the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH, the Alltel All-Star contenders and their text message Letter Codes (in parenthesis) include:

Sprint Cars — Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. (b); Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Okla. (d); Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Ind. (f).

UMP DIRTcar Modifieds — Jared Landers, Batesville, Ark. (a); Austin Dillon, Lewisville, N.C. (c); Randy Hall, Olean, N.Y. (e).

Dirt Late Models — Darren Miller, Chadwick, Ill. (g); Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville, Fla. (h); Dan Schlieper, Sullivan, Wis. (j), Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va. (k).

Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series — Pat Ward, Genoa, N.Y. (i).

For more information about Alltel, please visit www.alltel.com. To cast your vote online visit www.AlltelAllStar.com.

Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH Statistical Report — Night 10

Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series 30-lap A-main

Pos. Start Car Driver/Hometown

1 1 42p Pat Ward/Genoa,NY($2,000)

2 5 9s Matt Sheppard/Waterloo,NY

3 3 20 Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ

4 4 29 Jeff Brownell Jr./Waterloo,NY

5 2 43 Keith Flach/Ravena,NY

6 8 34 Andy Bachetti/Sheffield,MA

7 6 77x Dale Planck/Cortland,NY

8 10 32 Jim Rasey/Southington,OH

9 9 33 Ray Swinehart/Bechtelsville,PA

10 18 26 Dave Camara/Poultney,VT

11 21 5 Jimmy Horton/Neshanic Station,NJ

12 12 14j Alan Johnson/Middlesex,NY

13 7 62 Matt Jester/Lincoln,DE

14 14 48too Dave Rauscher/Waterloo,NY

15 17 165 Rex King Jr./Bristolville,OH

16 24 85 Dan Vauter/Forest City,PA

17 20 22c Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE

18 13 79 Jeremy Markle/Port Jervis,NY

19 15 42 Guy Sheldon/Nassau,NY

20 16 1 Darwin Greene/Susquehanna,PA

21 23 33t Brad Trice/Parsonsburg,MD

22 19 17 Sean Beardsley/Central Square,NY

23 26 07 Tim Kerr/Picton,ONT

24 27 3g Jimmy Johnson/Bloomingburg,NY

25 11 30 Jamie Mills/Milford,DE

26 22 99L Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY

27 25 8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook,NJ

World of Outlaws Late Model Series 50-lap A-main

Pos. (Start) / Driver/ Laps / Earnings

1. (3) Josh Richards/50 $10,600

2. (7) Darrell Lanigan/50 $5,650

3. (2) Shannon Babb/50 $3,000

4. (9) Steve Francis/50 $3,100

5. (1) Dan Schlieper/50 $2,000

6. (4) Billy Moyer/50 $1,800

7. (6) Shane Clanton/50 $1,950

8. (5) Tim Fuller/50 $1,800

9. (11) Chub Frank/50 $1,700

10. (20) Rick Eckert/50 $1,700

11. (10) Jimmy Owens/50 $1,050

12. (8) Billy Decker/50 $1,500

13. (21) Scott Bloomquist/50 $1,050

14. (23) Chris Madden/49 $900

15. (13) Dale McDowell/49 $850

16. (22) Vic Coffey/49 $1,300

17. (26) John Blankenship/49 $770

18. (18) Justin Rattliff/49 $750

19. (12) Ivedent Lloyd/49 $730

20. (25) Clint Smith/49 $1,200

21. (24) Jordan Bland/49 $700

22. (19) Tyler Ivey/48 $700

23. (16) Tommy Weder/48 $700

24. (17) Tyler Reddick/48 $700

25. (14) Kelly Boen/48 $700

26. (15) Darren Miller/15 $700

Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH Daily Schedule

Pits open at 3 p.m., grandstands at 5 p.m., racing at 7:30 p.m.

February 3, Tuesday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 4, Wednesday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 5, Thursday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Stevie Smith)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Austin Dillon)

February 6, Friday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” qualifying Night 1 (Jared Landers)

February 7, Saturday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Joey Saldana)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” qualifying Night 2 (Randy Hall)

February 8, Sunday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” Championship (Jared Landers)

February 9, Monday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Darren Miller)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 10, Tuesday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Earl Pearson Jr.)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Austin Dillon)

February 11, Wednesday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Dan Schlieper)
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds (Pat Ward)

February 12, Thursday
World of Outlaws Late Model Series (Josh Richards)
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds (Pat Ward)

February 13, Friday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds

February 14, Saturday
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Mr. Opening Night: Josh Richards Captures World of Outlaws Late Model Series Lidlifter For Third Straight Year

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 12, 2009 – Just call him Mr. Opening Night.

Josh Richards continued his mastery of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener during the 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, capturing the tour’s lidlifter for the third consecutive year on Thursday night at Volusia Speedway Park.

Though the 20-year-old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va., initially had some doubts about extending his unprecedented streak, he turned up the wick on his Rocket car to take the lead from Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., on lap 14 and march to a triumph worth $10,600.

“I ran the first couple laps and didn’t know if we could pull off three in a row off,” said Richards, who started third after winning his heat race despite suffering some electrical problems with his car’s motor. “I fell back to fourth, but then the car just came on.

“Winning the opener three years in a row – it’s just crazy. It’s a great feeling.”

With the race slowed by only a single caution flag on lap five, Richards dominated the uninterrupted action once he sailed by Babb’s Sheltra Construction Rocket for the lead. He built an edge of more than a full straightaway before late-race lapped traffic helped shrink his final victory margin to 2.013 seconds over defending WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who cut a half-straightaway off Richards’s advantage after overtaking Babb for second on lap 41.

Babb, who started from the outside pole in his new ride for ’09, settled for third place after leading laps 1-13. Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., drove Dale Beitler’s Rocket forward from the ninth starting spot to place fourth and polesitter Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis., who won the previous night’s UMP DIRTcar Late Model feature, finished fifth in his Wild Chassis.

Richards, who in 2008 finished a career-high second in the WoO LMS points standings and tied Francis as the tour’s winningest driver, struggled the first three nights of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, finishing no better than seventh in UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned competition. But a change for Thursday’s program to a car he drove to three WoO LMS victories last season got him back to his old self at the sweeping, half-mile oval.

“We just hit everything right tonight,” said Richards, who registered his 13th career win on the WoO LMS. “When this track is like this, I love every second out there. It just fits my driving style. You can get in the black, and you can get in the traction. You don’t have to worry about being on the cushion the whole race.”

Lanigan, 38, recorded his third runner-up finish in four starts during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. He ran out of time in his advance from the seventh starting spot with his Fusion Energy Rocket car.

“We had a good enough car to win, but starting behind so many good cars makes it tough,” said Lanigan. “It’s just hard to get past them all. It’s frustrating (to fall short again), but we’ve been running good, so the wins will come.”

The 35-year-old Babb, meanwhile, was satisfied with a third-place run that shook him out of some “new car blues.” An engine change earlier in the day got him back on track, albeit not good enough to hold off the top two drivers in last year’s WoO LMS points standings.

“Josh had a real good driving car and so did Darrell,” said Babb. “I had a fast car, but I just got tighter as the race went on. We gotta get it a little freer.”

Finishing in positions 6-10 was Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark.; Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., who ran as high as third early in the distance; fifth-starter Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y.; Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., who slipped into the top 10 late in the race; and Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who rallied back from a left-rear tire change after tangling in turn four with Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., in the event’s only caution-causing incident, on lap five.

Sixty-one cars were signed in for the start of the sixth WoO LMS campaign under the World Racing Group banner.

Lanigan was fastest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, topping the field with a lap of 15.946 seconds.

Heat winners were Fuller, Clanton, Moyer, Schlieper, Richards and Babb. The B-Mains were captured by Tyler Ivey of Tallahassee, Fla., Eckert and Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn.

The Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH continue on Friday night (Feb. 13) with a doubleheader featuring the $10,000-to-win finale for the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models and the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for big-block Modifieds. WoO LMS action returns on Saturday night (Feb. 14), concluding the 12-night meet with a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win A-Main that shares the card with a 50-lap big-block Modified special.

For more information on the WoO LMS or the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com or www.dirtcarnationals.com.

Results of WoO Late Model Series at Volusia Speedway Park (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):

1. (3) Josh Richards/50 $10,600

2. (7) Darrell Lanigan/50 $5,650

3. (2) Shannon Babb/50 $3,000

4. (9) Steve Francis/50 $3,100

5. (1) Dan Schlieper/50 $2,000

6. (4) Billy Moyer/50 $1,800

7. (6) Shane Clanton/50 $1,950

8. (5) Tim Fuller/50 $1,800

9. (11) Chub Frank/50 $1,700

10. (20) Rick Eckert/50 $1,700

11. (10) Jimmy Owens/50 $1,050

12. (8) Billy Decker/50 $1,500

13. (21) Scott Bloomquist/50 $1,050

14. (23) Chris Madden/49 $900

15. (13) Dale McDowell/49 $850

16. (22) Vic Coffey/49 $1,300

17. (26) John Blankenship/49 $770

18. (18) Justin Rattliff/49 $750

19. (12) Ivedent Lloyd/49 $730

20. (25) Clint Smith/49 $1,200

21. (24) Jordan Bland/49 $700

22. (19) Tyler Ivey/48 $700

23. (16) Tommy Weder/48 $700

24. (17) Tyler Reddick/48 $700

25. (14) Kelly Boen/48 $700

26. (15) Darren Miller/15 $700

* Earnings include Winner’s Circle program bonuses for WoO LMS Platinum Team members and cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 18 Mins., 28.441 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 2.013 Secs.

Yellow Flags: 1 (Lap 5)

Lap Leaders: Babb (1-13); Richards (14-50)

Provisional Starters: C. Smith, Blankenship

WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Billy Decker ($500)

Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race ($50): Matt Barnes (Josh Richards)

Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):

1. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 15.946

2. 91-Billy Decker/Unadilla, NY 15.959

3. 21M-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 15.975

4. 9-Dan Schlieper/Sullivan, WI 16.037

5. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 16.046

6. 21L-Ivedent Lloyd/Ocala, FL 16.166

7. 19T-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 16.173

8. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 16.178

9. 19-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 16.183

10. 02-Tommy Weder/Woodward, OK 16.228

11. 11R-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 16.258

12. 18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 16.280

13. 47-Tyler Ivey/Tallahassee, FL 16.293

14. 07-Kelly Boen/Henderson, CO 16.294

15. 32d-Darren Miller/Milledgeville, IL 16.295

16. 2A-John Anderson/Omaha, NE 16.311

17. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 16.313

18. 0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN 16.331

19. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 16.342

20. 26-Dillon Wood/Daytona Beach, FL 16.342

21. 19J-Greg Johnson/Bedford, IN 16.348

22. 44P-Earl Pearson Jr./Jacksonville, FL 16.374

23. 49-Mark Pettyjohn/Milford, DE 16.375

24. 16R-Justin Rattliff/Campbellsville, KY 16.379

25. 28e-Dennis Erb Jr./Carpentersville, IL 16.388

26. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 16.395

27. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 16.397

28. 18K-Brandon Kinzer/Allen, KY 16.402

29. Jordan Bland/Campbellsville, KY 16.429

30. 28c-Eddie Carrier Jr./Salt Rock, WV 16.453

31. 33-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA 16.457

32. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 16.461

33. 44M-Chris Madden/Gaffney, SC 16.474

34. 20-Jimmy Owens/Newport, TN 16.506

35. 56K-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 16.511

36. 4T-Tommy Kerr/Maryville, TN 16.514

37. 23-John Blankenship/Williamson, WV 16.517

38. 77-Jason McBride/Carbondale, IL 16.535

39. 3R-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 16.590

40. 54-David Breazeale/Four Corners, MS 16.606

41. 11H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 16.622

42. 88-Wendell Wallace/Batesville, AR 16.635

43. 83-Scott James/Greendale, IN 16.642

44. 99B-Rick Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 16.646

45. 5-Eric Jacobsen/Sea Cliff Beach, CA 16.679

46. 17J-Davey Johnson/Latrobe, PA 16.703

47. 18H-Dustin Hapka/Grand Forks, ND 16.703

48. 12K-A.J. Kirkpatrick/Castroville, CA 16.709

49. 44H-Dave Hess Jr./Waterford, PA 16.737

50. 3c-Mike Collins/Council Bluffs, IA 16.781

51. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 16.796

52. 27-Jeff Beyers/Pana, IL 16.821

53. 29R-Ronnie Rihn/Chippewa Falls, WI 16.990

54. 7J-Joe Isabell/Pennellville, NY 17.043

55. 32s-Chris Shannon/Merced, CA 17.101

56. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 17.241

57. 64-Michael Walker/Lewisburg, TN 17.470

58. 1*CFR-Peter Mantha/Gatineau, QUE 17.477

59. 56s-Chas Shellenberger/Winfield, PA 17.622

60. 25H-Chuck Hummer/Ottawa Lake, MI 17.688

61. 16H-Mike Hammerle/St. Charles, MO 17.929

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Fuller, Lanigan, McDowell, Ivey, Blankenship, James, Erb, Hess, Shannon, Hammerle, B. Smith

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Clanton, Decker, Boen, Coffey, Wood, Stone, Briggs, Collins, McBride, George

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Moyer, Francis, D. Miller, Eckert, Madden, C. Smith, Jacobsen, G. Johnson, Robinson, Walker

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Schlieper, Owens, Weder, Anderson, Pearson, Breazeale, Kinzer, D. Johnson, Beyers, Mantha

Heat No. 5 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Richards, Frank, Reddick, Bland, Pettyjohn, Hubbard, King, Hapka, Shellenberger, Rihn

Heat No. 6 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Babb, Lloyd, Rattliff, Bloomquist, Carrier, Wallace, Kirkpatrick, Isabell, Hummer, Kerr

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Ivey, Coffey, Blankenship, Erb, Stone, McBride, Shannon, Collins, James, Briggs, George, Hammerle, Hess, Wood (DNS) B. Smith

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Eckert, Madden, Pearson, Jacobsen, C. Smith, Kinzer, Beyers, Mantha, Robinson, D. Johnson, Anderson, G. Johnson (DNS) Breazeale, Walker

B-Main No. 3 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Bloomquist, Bland, Carrier, King, Pettyjohn, Shellenberger, Isabell, Kirkpatrick, Hapka, Hummer, Wallace (DNS) Hubbard, Rihn, Kerr

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners:

* Arizona Sport Shirts ($50 product certificate to fifth-place finisher in B-Mains): Dan Stone, Clint Smith, Mark Pettyjohn

* Armor All (case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main w/decal): Shannon Babb

* Champ Pans ($50 product certificate to ‘Bonus Bucks’ winner w/decal): Billy Decker

* Crane Cams ($100 cash award to A-Main winner w/decal): Josh Richards

* Crane Cams ($100 cash award to 10th-place finisher in A-Main w/decal): Rick Eckert

* Crane Cams ($100 product certificate to Heat 3 winner w/decal): Billy Moyer

* Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner w/decal): Tyler Ivey, Rick Eckert, Scott Bloomquist

* Fusion Energy ($50 cash award to Heat 2 winner w/decal): Shane Clanton

* Ohlins Shocks ($50 cash award to fast qualifier w/decal): Darrell Lanigan

* Quarter-Master ($100 product certificate to A-Main winner w/decal): Josh Richards

* Quarter-Master ($50 product certificate to fifth-place finisher in A-Main w/decal): Dan Schlieper

* Quarter-Master ($25 product certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main w/decal): Dale McDowell

* Super Clean ‘Start of the Race’ (one case of product): Shane Clanton

* VP Racing Fuels ‘Nice Jugs Award’ (two free VP five-gallon containers to fastest qualifier who does not make the A-Main if decal is displayed): John Anderson

* Wrisco Aluminum (three sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner w/decal): Josh Richards

LISTEN ONLINE: If fans can’t get to a track to see the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, they can experience the excitement of the nation’s premier tour live on DIRTvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network.

To listen to the free audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo.

Listeners will need Windows Media Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. For technical support or questions, e-mail customerservice@dirtvision.com.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by several sponsors and partners, including VP Racing – the Official Racing Fuel of the WoO LMS; Fusion Energy – the Official Energy Boost of the WoO; and contingency sponsors Armor All, Champ Pans, Crane Cams, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Quarter-Master, Super Clean and Wrisco Industries.

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Jared Landers Certified As UMP DIRTcar Modified Champ Of Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 12, 2009 – A week of near complete dominance made Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark., the UMP DIRTcar Modified champion of the 38^th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH.

A thorough post-race technical inspection following Tuesday night’s UMP DIRTcar Modified finale certified the 26-year-old’s spectacular performance at Volusia Speedway Park.

UMP DIRTcar officials brought Landers’s Shaw By Landers car to the tech barn on Tuesday night and closely examined its components, including its rearend.

“Our officials dissembled the rearend of the car and they confirmed that he was running just a plain-old nine-inch Ford rear,” said UMP DIRTcar director Sam Driggers. “His car was found to be completely legal.”

Landers won five of the seven A-Mains that he competed in during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, including the inaugural 30-lap ‘Gator Championship’ event on Feb. 8 that carried a $5,000 top prize. Even after finishing 25^th in the series-ending feature on Feb. 10 due to a blown engine, Landers ran away with the points title by 75 points over teenager Austin Dillon of Lewisville, N.C., who won twice during the week.

According to Driggers, after the ‘Gator Championship’ officials also claimed the MSD box and tires from Landers’s car, as well as the tires from second-place finisher Jeff Taylor of Jonesboro, Ark., and third-place finisher Dillon. Driggers said technicians deemed Landers’s MSD box legal, while the tires from the top-three finishers were checked for softness and also declared legal.

The 38^th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH continue through Saturday night (Feb. 14) with doubleheaders featuring the Super Late Model division and Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series action for big-block Modifieds. UMP DIRTcar sanctions Friday night’s Super Late Model program, while Saturday’s show is headlined by a World of Outlaws Late Model Series card.

For more information visit www.dirtcar.com, www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com or www.dirtcarnationals.com.

Final Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH UMP DIRTcar Modified Points Standings:

1. Jared Landers 591

2. Austin Dillon 516

3. Ryan Gifford 478

4. Jon Henry 459

5. Randy Hall 438

6. Darrell Nelson 412

7. Ty Dillon 387

8. Mike Knight 382

9. Rodney Wing 365

10. Kenny Schrader 358

11. Kenny Wallace 358

12. Mike Spatola 337

13. Kent Robinson 337

14. Corky Thomas 334

15. Gary Cook Jr. 330

16. Jeff Taylor 329

17. Jason Hughes 326

18. Dave Groves 320

19. Brian Aho 311

20. Tim Hancock 307

Contact: World Racing Group
Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR
704-795-7223 • cdolack@dirtcar.com

Pat Ward, Dan Schlieper Earn Volusia Victories, Become Eligible In Alltel All-Star Fan Voting

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Feb. 11, 2009 — Pat Ward and Dan Schlieper logged many miles to race in Florida at the season-opening Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park. On Wednesday night, they made it pay off.

Ward, of Genoa, N.Y., drove his Advance Auto Parts Big-Block Modified to victory before Schlieper, of Sullivan, Wis., held off Darrell Lanigan to capture the checkered flag in the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model main event. Ward becomes the second New Yorker to win during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH, joining Randy Hall of Olean. With three more nights to go, the winners represent eight different states: Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

Ward and Schlieper are now eligible for voting in the Alltel All-Star competition. Fans can vote via text message to 247253 and enter their favorite driver’s letter code, or by visiting AlltelAllStar.com and casting a ballot. Votes will be tallied daily until Feb. 28. The overall winner as determined by fan votes will receive the $10,000 grand prize, while the top vote-getter in the other three divisions will earn $1,000. Over 12 consecutive nights from Feb. 3 to Feb. 14, 410 Sprint Cars, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, Dirt Late Models and Big-Block Modifieds will all compete.

Ward earned his first victory at Volusia after several years of trying. He started on the outside of Row 2, worked to the front and held off Dale Planck down the stretch for the victory at the sweeping half-mile oval, making him eligible for voting at AlltelAllStar.com.

“I’m a good clean racer and I’ve got an old motorhome that keeps breaking down every time I come down to Florida,” said Ward about why fans should choose him as the Alltel All-Star. “The money would help pay for that, and me and my girlfriend wouldn’t have to worry about that every time we get in it and drive it.”

Schlieper took the green on the inside of Row 2, working past pole-sitter Eddie Carrier Jr. midway through the 30-lap feature event. Darrell Lanigan came from 10th to take the lead with five to go before Schlieper motored back in front on the high side of the track and held off Lanigan at the checkered flag, making the Wisconsin Wild Man eligible in Alltel All-Star voting.
“Just to be able to get some votes, and maybe even get the most votes, would be an accomplishment,” Schlieper said. “Alltel is putting up a lot of money for that and I just hope everybody votes for me.”

Through nine nights of competition at the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH, the Alltel All-Star contenders and their text message Letter Codes (in parenthesis) include:

Sprint Cars — Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. (b); Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Okla. (d); Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Ind. (f).

UMP DIRTcar Modifieds — Jared Landers, Batesville, Ark. (a); Austin Dillon, Lewisville, N.C. (c); Randy Hall, Olean, N.Y. (e).

Dirt Late Models — Darren Miller, Chadwick, Ill. (g); Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville, Fla. (h); Dan Schlieper, Sullivan, Wis. (j).

Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series — Pat Ward, Genoa, N.Y. (i).

For more information about Alltel, please visit www.alltel.com. To cast your vote online visit www.AlltelAllStar.com.

Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH Statistical Report — Night 9
Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series 30-lap A-main
Pos. / Name
1. Pat Ward
2. Dale Planck
3. Andy Bachetti
4. Dan Vauter
5. Brett Hearn
6. Jamie Mills
7. Jeff Brownell
8. Matt Jester
9. Keith Flach
10. Jimmy Johnson
11. Dave Camara
12. Tim Kerr
13. Randy Chrysler
14. Rich Scagliotta
15. Rex King Jr.
16. Matt Sheppard
17. Darwin Greene
18. Brad Trice
19. Larry Wight Jr.
20. Michel Chicoine
21. Jeff Brown
22. Jim Rasey
23. Dave Rauscher
24. Sean Beardsley
25. Jimmy Horton
26. Mario Clair
27. Gary Risch Jr.

UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model 30-lap A-main
Pos. / Driver
1. Dan Schlieper
2. Darrell Lanigan
3. Rick Eckert
4. Earl Pearson Jr.
5. Billy Moyer
6. Eddie Carrier Jr.
7. Tim Fuller
8. Chub Frank
9. Jimmy Owens
10. Scott James
11. Steve Francis
12. Darren Miller
13. Dennis Erb Jr.
14. John Anderson
15. Josh Richards
16. Billy Decker
17. Mark Pettyjohn
18. Vic Coffey
19. John Blankenship
20. Frank Heckenast Jr.
21. Justin Ratliff
22. Austin Hubbard
23. Tommy Kerr
24. Scott Bloomquist

Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH Daily Schedule
Pits open at 3 p.m., grandstands at 5 p.m., racing at 7:30 p.m.

February 3, Tuesday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 4, Wednesday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 5, Thursday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Stevie Smith)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Austin Dillon)

February 6, Friday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” qualifying Night 1 (Jared Landers)

February 7, Saturday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Joey Saldana)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” qualifying Night 2 (Randy Hall)

February 8, Sunday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” Championship (Jared Landers)

February 9, Monday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Darren Miller)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 10, Tuesday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Earl Pearson Jr.)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Austin Dillon)

February 11, Wednesday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Dan Schlieper)
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds (Pat Ward)

February 12, Thursday
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds

February 13, Friday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds

February 14, Saturday
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Schlieper Outduels Lanigan For First Career UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model Victory At Volusia Speedway Park

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 11, 2009 – Dan Schlieper worked hard for his long-awaited first career victory at Volusia Speedway Park.

The 37-year-old driver from Sullivan, Wis., came out on top of a frantic late-race duel with Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., on Wednesday night, holding on to capture the 30-lap UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model A-Main during the 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH.

Schlieper lost the lead to Lanigan on lap 25, but he regained command moments later and repelled the challenges of the defending World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion over the remaining distance. The standout racer known as the ‘Wisconsin Wildman’ pocketed $7,000 after beating Lanigan to the finish line by 0.434 of a second.

“It was definitely a nail-biter,” Schlieper said of the intense event, which was slowed by just a single caution flag on lap 15. “Darrell got inside of me (to take the lead by inches on lap 25) when I started losing big grip off the high side, but then I cut back underneath him (off turn two) and decided to commit to the bottom for the rest of the race.

“Basically, I guess I took his line away.”

Schlieper, who started fourth, grabbed the top spot for the first time on lap 15 when he overtook race-long pacesetter Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, W.Va. The harder UMP DIRTcar Hoosier tires that he bolted on his Wild Chassis mount helped him stay in front for all but one of the remaining circuits.

“I’m definitely excited to finally get a win here,” said Schlieper, who became the third Super Late Model driver eligible for the $10,000 prize that goes to the winner of the Alltel All-Star contest at www.alltelallstar.com. “I’ve finished second here. I’ve had a fast time here. We’ve been coming here a long time and it finally paid off with a win.”

Lanigan, 38, settled for his second runner-up finish in three UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model events during the 2009 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH.

“I got ahead of him, but then I pushed out and he got back under me,” said Lanigan, who started ninth in his Fusion Energy Rocket car. “Then he got down and took my groove away. He did what he had to do.”

Rick Eckert of York, Pa., finished third after starting in the same position. After his apparent pass of Carrier for second on lap 15 was negated by a caution flag for the stopped car driven by Tommy Kerr of Maryville, Tenn., Eckert snared the spot from Carrier again two laps later but proceeded to lose it to Lanigan on lap 20.

“I didn’t need that caution,” said Eckert, who improved from his previous Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH finishes of seventh (Monday) and fifth (Tuesday) behind the wheel of the Raye Vest Racing Bloomquist Chassis mount. “I was a little softer on tire (choice) and I just didn’t seem to be as good after the caution.”

Tuesday-night A-Main winner Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., advanced from the eighth starting spot to place fourth and Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., started and finished fifth.

Carrier slipped to sixth at the finish after leading laps 1-14 from the outside pole position. He was hampered during the race’s second half by handling problems resulting from minor front-end damage his car sustained while he battled for position with Eckert.

Finishing in positions 7-10 was 11th-starter Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., polesitter Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., 19th-starter Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., and Scott James of Greendale, Ind.

Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., registered the overall fastest lap of the 69-car group time-trial session for the second consecutive night, rounding the track in 16.141 seconds.

Other group fast-timers included Owens (16.865), Pearson (16.798), Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn. (16.548), Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill. (16.359) and Fuller (16.320).

Heat winners were Frank, Eckert, Schlieper, Moyer, Mark Pettyjohn of Millsboro, Del., and Carrier. The B-Mains were captured by Owens, Darren Miller of Milledgeville, Ill., and Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y.

WoO LMS Rookie of the Year applicant Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., who finished fourth in Tuesday night’s UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model A-Main, scratched from Wednesday night’s action after his car’s engine exploded in a cloud of smoke during the group time-trial session. He had turned the group’s second-fastest lap before being struck by the mechanical malfunction.

The 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH continue on Thursday (Feb. 12) with a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event that opens the 2009 season for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for big-block Modifieds is also part of the program, which begins at 7:30 p.m.

For more information visit www.dirtcar.com, www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com or www.dirtcarnationals.com.

UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model A-Main Finish (30 laps):

1. Dan Schlieper

2. Darrell Lanigan

3. Rick Eckert

4. Earl Pearson Jr.

5. Billy Moyer

6. Eddie Carrier Jr.

7. Tim Fuller

8. Chub Frank

9. Jimmy Owens

10. Scott James

11. Steve Francis

12. Darren Miller

13. Dennis Erb Jr.

14. John Anderson

15. Josh Richards

16. Billy Decker

17. Mark Pettyjohn

18. Vic Coffey

19. John Blankenship

20. Frank Heckenast Jr.

21. Justin Rattliff

22. Austin Hubbard

23. Tommy Kerr

24. Scott Bloomquist

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Chub Frank, 2. Justin Rattliff, 3. Steve Francis, 4. Jimmy Owens, 5. Wendell Wallace, 6. Russell King, 7. Jayme Zidar, 8. Jeff Beyers, 9. Michael Walker, 10. Tyler Reddick, 11. Gregg Hill (DNS) Jon Henry

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Rick Eckert, 2. Earl Pearson Jr., 3. Scott James, 4. Austin Hubbard, 5. Chad Mahder, 6. Tyler Ivey, 7. Stacy Boles, 8. Jason McBride, 9. Dustin Hapka, 10. Brad Eitiniear, 11. Chuck Hummer, 12. Russ Adams

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Dan Schlieper, 2. Darrell Lanigan, 3. Scott Bloomquist, 4. Tommy Kerr, 5. Darren Miller, 6. Shane Clanton, 7. Rick Briggs, 8. Adam Ferri, 9. Chas Shellenberger, 10. Jill George (DNS) Brady Smith, Chris Shannon

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Billy Moyer, 2. John Anderson, 3. Dennis Erb Jr., 4. Jordan Bland, 5. Jason Fitzgerald, 6. Dan Stone, 7. Dale McDowell, 8. Brandon Kinzer, 9. Greg Johnson, 10. Tim Isenberg (DNS) Eric Jacobsen

Heat No. 5 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Mark Pettyjohn, 2. Tim Fuller, 3. Billy Decker, 4. Vic Coffey, 5. Ivedent Lloyd, 6. Shannon Babb, 7. Peter Mantha, 8. Ronnie Rihn, 9. Tommy Weder, 10. David Breazeale, 11. Kelly Boen

Heat No. 6 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Eddie Carrier Jr., 2. Frank Heckenast Jr., 3. John Blankenship, 4. Josh Richards, 5. Brent Robinson, 6. Mike Collins, 7. A.J. Kirkpatrick, 8. Tim Lance, 9. Mike Hammerle, 10. Clint Smith, 11. Davey Johnson

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Owens, Hubbard, Mahder, Zidar, King, Ivey, Reddick, Beyers, McBride, Boles, Hummer, Walker, G. Hill, Eitiniear, Wallace, Adams, Hapka (DNS) Henry

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): D. Miller, Kerr, Clanton, Bland, McDowell, Stone, Briggs, Kinzer, Ferri, Fitzgerald, Isenberg (DNS) Shellenberger, G. Johnson, George, Shannon, Jacobsen, B. Smith

B-Main No. 3 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Coffey, Richards, Lloyd, Babb, Robinson, Collins, Weder, C. Smith, Kirkpatrick, Rihn, Lance, Mantha, Hammerle (DNS) Breazeale, Boen, D. Johnson

Contact: Kellen Burns
DIRTcar Racing Public Relations
kburns@dirtcar.com • 704-707-0218

Sweep Success: Dillon Earns Win, Landers Claims Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH Crown

Barberville, FL — February 10, 2009 — Austin Dillon knew what he had to do to get into Alltel Wireless Victory Lane on Tuesday night at Volusia Speedway Park.

“I don’t know what it was, I just had to get up on the wheel tonight,” the 18-year-old phenom said after receiving his eagle trophy. “I’m really glad to get this second bird and keep it all in the Shaw by Landers Camp.”

Dillon started seventh but wasn’t there long as he rocketed all the way to third before a caution on Lap 7. Austin made quick work of his younger brother, Ty, on the restart and immediately went after leader Gary Cook Jr., who had led from the onset soon found himself four wheels above the cushion as Dillon flew by under him.

“Cook drove me clean and I have to thank my brother for not coming up too high when I went around him on the outside,” Austin Dillon said. “My car was awesome.”

The win gave Dillon his second chance to let fans know why they should vote for him in the Alltel All-Star contest. Dillon’s reasoning was the most unique to date in the competition.

“You need to vote for us because we’re going to help out another racer that got hurt awhile ago,” he said. “I’m sure you guys have heard of Tim McCreadie, we want to use it to pay one of his medical bills.”

Ty Dillon settled for a second-place finish in as many nights. He had a strong run the night before but lapped traffic allowed overall event champion Landers around him late in the race.

“Two seconds in a row,” Ty Dillon said. “We almost won last night and then my brother and I are one, two tonight. We shut them out this week.”

The Dillon’s grandfather, Richard Childress, joined his grandsons in victory lane to celebrate the podium finishes.

“I’m really proud of both of them,” said Childress, a long-time NASCAR team-owner. “To be one, two that’s just great.

Minnesota native Darrell Nelson ended up on the podium for the first time in competition on the final night of racing for the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds.

“This is like being at the Daytona 500. We have Childress, Dillon, and Landers.” commented Nelson. “I’m really happy.”

Landers had a strong run go sour on the final night of competition but he still claimed the overall points title for the 38th edition of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. He won five nights of competition, tying Canada’s Steve Arpin for most wins in a DIRTcar Nationals event.

“I’ve had a great week,” said Landers, of Batesville, Ark. “I’m so glad I’ve won this. I’m glad that Alltel gave us the opportunity to be a part of the Alltel All-Star. They’re helping our sport and making it a big deal to come down here.”

Six heat races were run in the night’s program. Winners were Illinois drivers Gary Cook Jr., Mike Spatola, Indiana shoe Kent Robinson, Ty Dillon, Darrell Nelson, and New Mexico driver Stormy Scott.

Consolation races went to Alan Mondus, Rich Michael Jr., and Les Duellman.

UMP DIRTcar Modified A-Main Finish (25 Laps)

Pos No. Name

1 3 Austin Dillon

2 2d Ty Dillon

3 44N Darrell Nelson

4 29 Ryan Gifford

5 64 Gary Cook Jr

6 7R Kent Robinson

7 4 Stormy Scott

8 18H Jon Henry

9 51W Rodney Wing

10 89 Mike Spatola

11 10H Randy Hall

12 21A Andy Gordon

13 55M Alan Mondus

14 0H Tim Hancock

15 12d Scott Drake

16 25G Scott Green

17 71A Ryan Aho

18 36 Kenny Wallace

19 17X Rich Michael

20 0d Les Duellman

21 2X Grant Junghans

22 88T Jeff Taylor

23 6T Corky Thomas

24 T3 Dave Groves

25 777 Jared Landers

26 *222 Mike Knight

27 21CZ Tim Czarneski

28 1G Devin Gilpin

For more on the 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH please visit: www.dirtcarnationals.com

Through the fifth night of competition at the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH, the Alltel All‐Star contenders and their text message Letter Codes include:

Sprint Cars — Donny Schatz (b); Stevie Smith (d); Joey Saldana (f)

UMP DIRTcar Modifieds — Jared Landers, Batesville, Ark. (a). Austin Dillon Lewisville,NC (c), Randy Hall Olean, NY (e)

UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models – Darren Miller (g), Earl Pearson Jr. (h)

Fans can vote by visiting www.AlltelAllStar.com or texting their drivers code to 247253.

Complete raw results can be viewed by visiting MyLaps.com

KELLEN BURNS
Public Relations/Websites
Main: 704-707-0218
Cell: 573-366-7665
Fax: 704-795-7229

"Welcome to Real Racing"

Contact: World Racing Group
Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR
704-795-7223 • cdolack@dirtcar.com

Dillon Brothers Top UMP DIRTcar Modified Finale

As Pearson Captures Late Model Victory At Volusia

BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Feb. 10, 2009 — The Dillon Brothers wrapped up the UMP DIRTcar Modified portion of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH on Tuesday night at Volusia Speedway Park with a 1-2 finish while Earl Pearson Jr. charged to the front of the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model main event and won the second of six consecutive nights of Dirt Late Model racing.

Dillon, who also won the Night 3 of the UMP DIRTcar Modified action, and Pearson are eligible for voting in the Alltel All-Star competition. Fans can vote via text message to 247253 and enter their favorite driver’s letter code, or by visiting AlltelAllStar.com and casting a ballot. Votes will be tallied daily until Feb. 28. The overall winner as determined by fan votes will receive the $10,000 grand prize, while the top vote-getter in the other three divisions will earn $1,000. Over 12 consecutive nights from Feb. 3 to Feb. 14, 410 Sprint Cars, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, Dirt Late Models and Big-Block Modifieds will all compete.

Austin Dillon led his younger brother, Ty, to the checkered flag after both worked around Gary Cook Jr. and Darrell Nelson. Jared Landers, who won five of the UMP DIRTcar Modified features during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH, was in contention to win Tuesday night when his car finally gave up with 17 of the 25 laps complete. Still, Landers wound up as the UMP DIRTcar Modified overall champion on the strength of his handful of victories, including the inaugural Gator Championship.

Should the fans vote Austin Dillon as the Alltel All-Star, he said in Victory Lane he would give some of the $10,000 grand prize to Tim McCreadie to help with medical bills incurred during a race last month. “I’m a big fan of his,” Dillon said.

Landers, who helped to build the Team Dillon UMP DIRTcar machines, still found a way to climb the Victory Lane stage, thanks to his event title.

“I’ve had a great week,” said Landers, of Batesville, Ark. “I’m so glad I’ve won this. I’m glad that Alltel gave us the opportunity to be a part of the Alltel All-Star contest. They’re helping our sport and making it a big deal to come down here.”

World of Outlaws Late Model Series rookie of the year contender Brady Smith led the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model field to the green flag and kept it at bay until the 12th of 30 laps in the feature event. Pearson jumped from eighth to third in the first three laps, then worked past World 100 winner Shane Clanton and Smith for the checkered flag, and finally wrapped up the night signing autographs for fans as they left the main gate.

“The fans make our paycheck, so anytime we have an autograph session like this I’m always up here to meet the fans and the kids,” said Pearson, of Jacksonville, Fla. “I always try to be a nice guy to the fans because we need them to support us, so hopefully they’ll vote for me in the Alltel All-Star contest.”

Through eight nights of competition at the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH, the Alltel All-Star contenders and their text message Letter Codes (in parenthesis) include:

Sprint Cars — Donny Schatz, Fargo, N.D. (b); Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, Okla. (d); Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Ind. (f).

UMP DIRTcar Modifieds — Jared Landers, Batesville, Ark. (a); Austin Dillon, Lewisville, N.C. (c); Randy Hall, Olean, N.Y. (e).

Dirt Late Models — Darren Miller, Chadwick, Ill. (g); Earl Pearson Jr. (h).

For more information about Alltel, please visit www.alltel.com. To cast your vote online visit www.AlltelAllStar.com.

Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH Statistical Report — Night 8

UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model 30-lap A-main

Pos. / Driver

1. Earl Pearson Jr.

2. Jimmy Owens

3. Shane Clanton

4. Brady Smith

5. Rick Eckert

6. Dale McDowell

7. Josh Richards

8. Billy Moyer

9. Steve Francis

10. Scott Bloomquist

11. Dan Schlieper

12. Darrell Lanigan

13. Tim Fuller

14. Dan Stone

15. John Anderson

16. Greg Johnson

17. Tommy Weder

18. John Blankenship

19. Ivedent Lloyd

20. Jordan Bland

21. Tyler Ivey

22. Chub Frank

23. Kelly Boen

24. Eric Jacobsen

UMP DIRTcar Modified 25-lap A-main

Pos. / Name

1. Austin Dillon

2. Ty Dillon

3. Darrell Nelson

4. Ryan Gifford

5. Gary Cook Jr.

6. Kent Robinson

7. Stormy Scott

8. Jon Henry

9. Rodney Wing

10. Mike Spatola

11. Randy Hall

12. Andy Gordon

13. Alan Mondus

14. Tim Hancock

15. Scott Drake

16. Scott Green

17. Ryan Aho

18. Kenny Wallace

19. Rich Michael

20. Les Duellman

21. Grant Junghans

22. Jeff Taylor

23. Corky Thomas

24. Dave Groves

25. Jared Landers

26. Mike Knight

27. Tim Czarneski

28. Devin Gilpin

Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH Daily Schedule

Pits open at 3 p.m., grandstands at 5 p.m., racing at 7:30 p.m.

February 3, Tuesday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 4, Wednesday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 5, Thursday
All Star Circuit of Champions (Stevie Smith)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Austin Dillon)

February 6, Friday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” qualifying Night 1 (Jared Landers)

February 7, Saturday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Joey Saldana)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” qualifying Night 2 (Randy Hall)

February 8, Sunday
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Donny Schatz)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds “The Gator” Championship (Jared Landers)

February 9, Monday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Darren Miller)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Jared Landers)

February 10, Tuesday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models (Earl Pearson Jr.)
UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Austin Dillon)

February 11, Wednesday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds

February 12, Thursday
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds

February 13, Friday
UMP DIRTcar Late Models
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds

February 14, Saturday
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modifieds

Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Exorcising A Demon: Pearson Captures UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model A-Main At Volusia Speedway Park

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 10, 2009 – Earl Pearson Jr. exorcised a demon on Tuesday night at Volusia Speedway Park.

Fifty-one weeks after suffering a concussion in a spectacular series of flips at the half-mile oval, Pearson romped to a dominating victory in the 30-lap UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model A-Main during the 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH.

“A lot of people have come by and talked to me about it, but I don’t really remember the wreck,” said Pearson, who was transported to the hospital after crashing during a World of Outlaws Late Model Series heat race on Feb. 16, 2008, at Volusia. “That’s a plus. I know I had a bad wreck last year, but I just try to forget it and let it go.

“To be able to come back here and win after all that, though, definitely makes you feel better.”

Pearson, 37, of Jacksonville, Fla., overtook Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., for the lead on lap 12 and never looked back. He drove away to triumph by 2.667 seconds over Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., who slipped by Locust Grove, Ga.’s Shane Clanton for second on lap 24 but ran out of time to catch Pearson.

Clanton settled for third place after starting from the outside pole. Smith, a 2009 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year applicant who roared off the pole to lead laps 1-11, slipped to fourth at the finish and ninth-starter Rick Eckert of York, Pa., placed fifth.

Pearson mastered the inside groove while steering his Bobby Labonte Motorsports Rocket car forward from the seventh starting spot. After spending eight laps dueling for second with Clanton following a lap-three caution flag, Pearson slid by Smith for the lead and dominated the remainder of the distance.

“I went a little softer on tire and it definitely made us better down around the bottom,” said Pearson, whose triumph made him the second Super Late Model driver eligible for the $10,000 Alltel All-Star voting contest at www.alltelallstar.com. “We couldn’t get up in the black and do anything.”

The $7,000 victory was the fifth of Pearson’s career at VSP. He previously captured UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned events during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH in 2003 and 2006.

Owens, who turned 37 on Feb. 3, charged forward from the 11th starting spot to finish second in his Bloomquist Chassis mount.

“I thought I had the lead when I passed Clanton,” said Owens, who was nearly five seconds behind Pearson when he reached the runner-up spot. “Then I looked up at the scoreboard and the 44 (Pearson) was in the lead, and I was like, ‘Shoot, shoot!

“I would’ve liked to see a caution come out, but it didn’t happen.”

The 33-year-old Clanton, meanwhile, gave Pearson his toughest battle but couldn’t stop the Sunshine State star.

“It’s hard to run the bottom here,” said Clanton, “but Earl’s one of the best at running the bottom everywhere we go and he showed it tonight. He had a good race car running way down there.”

Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., slipped by Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., on the final lap to finish sixth. Richards fell to seventh after starting third, with Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., 18th-starter Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and 23rd-starter Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., completing the top 10.

The race’s only caution flag flew on lap three for Eric Jacobsen of Sea Cliff Beach, Calif., who slowed on the homestretch with a flat right-rear tire.

Richards turned the fastest overall lap during the 70-car group time-trial session, blistering the sweeping oval in 15.932 seconds. The only driver to break into the 15-second bracket, Richards’s lap was unofficially deemed a new Super Late Model track record.

Fast-timers in the other groups included John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va. (16.281), Darren Miller of Milledgeville, Ill. (16.088), Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis. (16.307), Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill. (16.316) and Francis (16.161).

Billy Decker of Unadilla, N.Y., actually registered the fastest lap of the fourth qualifying group, but his run was wiped out because his Gypsum Wholesalers No. 91 weighed in light. He was banished to the rear of the field for the start of his heat race and never recovered, failing to qualify for the A-Main.

Heat winners were Richards, Clanton, John Anderson of Omaha, Neb., Tyler Ivey of Tallahassee, Fla., Brady Smith and Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colo. The B-Mains were captured by Tommy Weder of Woodward, Okla., Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., and Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y.

The 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH continue on Wednesday (Feb. 10) with a doubleheader featuring the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models and the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for big-block Modifieds. Race time is 7:30 p.m.

For more information visit www.dirtcar.com, www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com or www.dirtcarnationals.com.

UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model A-Main Finish (30 laps):

1. Earl Pearson Jr.

2. Jimmy Owens

3. Shane Clanton

4. Brady Smith

5. Rick Eckert

6. Dale McDowell

7. Josh Richards

8. Billy Moyer

9. Steve Francis

10. Scott Bloomquist

11. Dan Schlieper

12. Darrell Lanigan

13. Tim Fuller

14. Dan Stone

15. John Anderson

16. Greg Johnson

17. Tommy Weder

18. John Blankenship

19. Ivedent Lloyd

20. Jordan Bland

21. Tyler Ivey

22. Chub Frank

23. Kelly Boen