Post by RedBud69 on Apr 14, 2010 17:33:04 GMT -5
Newest to older news
Contact: Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model Series PR Director
kkovac@dirtcar.com | 704-254-7929
Civil War Reenactors Will Energize Pre- And Post-Race Scene During This Weekend's Commonwealth 100 At Virginia Motor Speedway
JAMAICA, VA - April 13, 2010 - The throaty roar of dirt Late Models won't be the only adrenalin-pumping noise that shakes the Virginia Motor Speedway grandstand during this weekend's inaugural Commonwealth 100.
Cover your ears, fans and competitors – costumed Civil War reenactors are returning to the half-mile oval to send off the starting field with piercing cannon blasts and greet the winner of the biggest race in track history with a flurry of revolver and rifle fire.
Reprising the unique pre- and post-race ceremonies that punctuated last year's World of Outlaws Late Model Series program at VMS, reenactors dressed in both Union and Confederate uniforms will provide fans an exciting added attraction themed on the rich history of the area surrounding Bill Sawyer's gorgeous dirt track.
At least a half-dozen members of a Virginia-based Civil War reenactment group that portrays the 3rd Company Richmond Howitzers – one of the two most famous artillery units on the Southern side of the war – will participate in activities surrounding the final night of the Commonwealth 100 weekend on Saturday (April 17). Time trials and heat races for the $25,000-to-win event are scheduled for Friday night (April 16).
"We really enjoy being part of the show at Virginia Motor Speedway," said Keith Saunders, one of the reenactors who will return after performing at the track for the first time last year. "We're all race fans, so having a chance to do this is exciting for us."
Saunders will bring along the centerpiece of the reenactor group's pre-race routine: a powerful 1841 six-pound, smooth-bore cannon. A reproduction of the gun type that was used during the early stages of the Civil War, the cannon will be rolled onto pit road during driver introductions on Saturday night and prepared for blast-off by the reenactors.
Expect the grandstand and surrounding countryside to reverberate with an ear-splitting explosion when the cannon is ignited. Anyone unaware of the impending explosion will have their heart skip a beat. Just ask Chris Madden of Gaffney, S.C., who won last year's WoO LMS A-Main at VMS.
"When we first rolled out on the track and I was lining up, that big cannon shot off and I went, 'Holy crap!'" said Madden, who is on the pre-registration list for this weekend's Commonwealth 100. "I jumped in my seat."
The interesting reception that Madden received in Victory Lane will also be duplicated following the Commonwealth 100. After climbing out of his car he was flanked by the costumed soldiers, had a Civil War general's hat placed on his head and was feted by waving flags and loud, smoky gunfire from the reenactors' authentic guns.
Saunders even jumped in on Madden's post-race interview, grabbing the wireless microphone and asking, "Where you from, boy?" When Madden answered that he hailed from South Carolina, Saunders, dressed in his Southern grays, said, "Then the Confederate gold is safe!"
The accomplished Madden thoroughly enjoyed his Victory Lane appearance one year ago.
"That was pretty cool," said Madden, who enters this weekend's action as a favorite for Commonwealth 100 glory having won in his last two appearances at VMS spanning the 2008 and 2009 season. "I’ve never seen anything like that before. That kind of stuff makes winning a race even more fun."
The historical tie-in of the reenactors to VMS comes because Virginia was at the center of America’s Civil War from 1861-1865. The city of Richmond, which sits less than a hour’s drive west of Virginia Motor Speedway, served as the capital of the Confederacy throughout the conflict, and the countryside slightly west of the track – stretching from Washington, D.C., through Richmond to Petersburg, Va. – and east of the Blue Ridge Mountains was the site of fierce fighting that took the lives of thousands of Confederate and Union soldiers.
The area immediately around Virginia Motor Speedway itself harbors many historic Civil War sites, including the nearby Rappahannock River. Waterways like the Rappahannock in Virginia’s Tidewater Region played key strategic roles in the war, and there was ample troop movement on the ground near VMS throughout the conflict.
More than 60 drivers have entered or made plans to compete in the Commonwealth 100, which kicks off with time trials and qualifying heats on Fri., April 16. B-Mains, a 30-lap Non-Qualifiers' Race paying and the headline 100-lapper take center stage on Sat., April 17. A raindate of Sun., April 18, has been established for the event.
Competitor gates will open each day at 3 p.m. and spectator gates will be unlocked at 4 p.m. There will be a BB&T 'Meet and Greet' autograph session with the WoO LMS drivers from 5-6 p.m. on Saturday, and on-track activities will begin both days at about 6:30 p.m. with hot laps.
Boasting the third-largest first-place check of the season on the WoO LMS, the Commonwealth 100 offers $2,000 just to take the green flag. Add in the Non-Qualifiers’ Race that pays $3,000 to win from a purse of nearly $16,000, and the weekend's payout will be in the neighborhood of $125,000.
Fans from 19 states and Canada have ordered tickets for the weekend. Two-day tickets are $50 (adults) and $20 (children 7-12), while Saturday-only general admission is $40 (adults) and $15 (children 7-12). Kids 6-and-under will be admitted free for the weekend, and two-day pit passes will cost $50.
Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway is a half-mile dirt oval located on U.S. Route 17 in Jamaica, Va., eight miles north of Saluda and 25 miles south of Tappahannock. The speedway, which boasts spacious 8,000-seat aluminum grandstand, beautiful sponsor suites, Mucso lighting, a pit area treated with a tar-and-gravel mixture and over 20 acres of parking, is just a short drive from the Richmond, Fredericksburg, southern Maryland and Hampton Roads areas.
For more information about the Commonwealth 100, visit www.vamotorspeedway.com or call the speedway office at 804-758-1VMS.
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), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and Chizmark & Larson Insurance; in addition to contingency sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pink Carburetors, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis and Wrisco Aluminum.
__________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES
BEST APPEARING SPRINT CAR AWARD AT SANTA MARIA
By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – APRIL 13, 2010… For competitors with the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, there will be an award for the Best Appearing Sprint Car this Saturday, April 17th, at the Santa Maria Speedway.
Five Star Grafix Inc., of Santa Maria, is sponsoring the award which will pay $100 to the winner, a trophy, and a 3'x8' banner that will feature the winning entry.
Five Star Grafix is a full service sign and vinyl shop that provides vehicle and trailer lettering, banners, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and other apparel. In addition, they specialize in decals, business cards, safety signs, logo designs, and large format digital printing for the Central Coast area.
Santa Maria Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange on Hutton Road. Joining the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars will be the Toste Grading & Paving Mini Stocks and Okie Bowl Hardtops. The Front Gates will open at 3:00pm, Time Trials will start at 5:00pm, with Racing at 6:00pm. Adult tickets are $16, Senior, Military, and Student tickets are $14, Kids tickets (6-12) are $5, and Children’s tickets (5 and under) are FREE.
For more information on Five Star Grafix, visit the company's website at www.fivestargrafixinc.com.
For more event information, visit the track’s website at www.racesantamariaspeedway.com.
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car series, visit www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, and www.usacracing.com.
--------------------------------------------------------
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES POINT STANDINGS:
1. Craig Stidham 318
2. Davey Pombo 260
3. Peter Murphy 248
4. Rusty Carlile 234
5. Jonathan Logan 216
6. Justyne Hamblin 211
7. T.J. Smith 208
8. Danny Faria Jr. 206
9. Andy Ferris 193
10. Chris Ennis 192
11. Jace VanderWeerd 169
12. Garrett Ishii 146
13. Jimmy Thompson 137
14. Jesse Mack 126
15. Dave Knott 117
16. Kevin Barnes 114
17. Richard VanderWeerd 113
18. Wes Gutierrez 109
19. Dean Alexander 103
20. Geoffrey Strole 88
___________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES
PETER MURPHY LEADS SOUTHWEST CONTRACTORS 360 CLASH
By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – APRIL 13, 2010… After last Saturday's USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car race at Tulare's Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway, Clovis' Peter Murphy sits atop the point standings with the Southwest Contractors 360 Clash Mini-Series. He is followed by Fresno's Craig Stidham and Rusty Carlile of Bakersfield.
The four race mini-series has it’s own $5000 point fund. $2500 is up for grabs to the series winner, $1500 for second, and $1000 for third. As this writing goes to press, the main events will pay $1200 to win and $200 to start. Other dates for the Southwest Contractors 360 Clash are May 29th at Bakersfield, August 28th at Santa Maria, and September 11th at Hanford.
"Southwest Contractors is very supportive of the series and what we are trying to accomplish in 360 Sprint Car Racing on the West Coast," says Series Promoter Chris Kearns. "They have helped out in so many areas, from last year's points fund and special events to our 2010 points fund and the Mini Series."
In addition to the regular contingencies with the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, Kirkey Racing Fabrication will award a $100 certificate to the drivers that earn "Hard Charger / Best Passing Job" honors in the 30-lap main events.
The May 29th "Memorial Day Classic" at the Bakersfield Speedway will also feature American Stocks, Mini Stocks, and Mini Dwarf Cars. For more event information, visit www.bakersfieldspeedway.com.
Santa Maria's "Ron Otto Memorial" on August 28th will also showcase the Powder Puff Mini Stocks, NMRA TQ Midgets, and Outlaw Sprint Karts. For more event information, visit www.racesantamariaspeedway.com.
The "Jim Turner Memorial" on September 11th at Hanford's Giant Chevrolet Speedway will also feature IMCA Stock Cars and the Bud Light Mini-Stocks. For more event information, visit www.kingsspeedway.net.
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, please visit www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, and www.usacracing.com.
---------------------------------------------------------------
SOUTHWEST CONTRACTORS 360 CLASH POINT STANDINGS:
1. Peter Murphy 69
2. Craig Stidham 68
3. Rusty Carlile 60
4. Davey Pombo 58
5. Jonathan Logan 54
6. Justyne Hamblin 48
7. Jesse Mack 47
8. Andy Ferris 44
9. Ronnie Case 44
10. Wes Gutierrez 39
11. Danny Faria Jr. 37
--- Jared Little 37
13. Dave Knott 34
14. Geoffrey Strole 33
15. Chris Ennis 30
16. Jimmy Thompson 27
17. Kevin Barnes 24
18. T.J. Smith 22
19. Ray Knight 17
_____________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES
STIDHAM'S POINT LEAD NOW 58 AS SERIES HEADS TO SANTA MARIA
By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – APRIL 13, 2010… The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series will hold their sixth round of competition this Saturday night, April 17th, at the Santa Maria Speedway. It will be the first of five events at the 1/3-mile facility, followed by May 8th, June 26th, July 24th, and the Ron Otto Memorial on August 28th. The Otto Memorial is also part of the Southwest Contractors 360 Clash, a four-race mini-series that has a $5,000 point fund.
Series point leader Craig Stidham from Fresno kicked off the Southwest Contractors 360 Clash Mini-Series with an impressive 30-lap feature victory last Saturday night at Tulare. The pilot of the Brad Johnson Trucking / KRC Safety #3S Maxim took the lead on lap three and led the rest of the way for his second victory of the 2010 campaign. The Faria Memorial win tied him for second on the series feature win list and extended his point lead to a 58 point advantage over Kerman's Davey Pombo.
Pombo earned "Best Passing Job" honors at Tulare with a fourth place finish after starting thirteenth. Driving Junior Bowman's Buster & Ziggy sponsored #3 Bullet, the 2004 Bandit Series champion was victorious at Bakersfield on March 27th. With four top-5 finishes on the year, Pombo will be looking to cut into Stidham's point lead at Santa Maria.
Clovis' Peter Murphy is currently third in the points chase. After a tough start to his 2010 season, the 2007 SCRA champion took Tom Tarlton's Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino #21 KPC entry to a second place finish at Tulare. With a third place finish the week before, Murphy is back to last year's form and will be among the favorites to score his first victory of 2010 at Santa Maria.
Rusty Carlile of Bakersfield is now fourth in the point standings. After switching to last year's bright green Southwest Contractors / N.T.S. Incorporated #51 Bullet, last season's runner-up in the series points had a third place finish at Tulare. Carlile has four top-10 finishes on the season and will be working for his first win of 2010. Saturday's event at Santa Maria could be his breakthrough race to victory lane.
Sitting fifth in the points hunt is Hanford's Jonathan Logan. After leading the first two circuits at Tulare, Logan took the Evett Racing / Mike Downing Racing Engines #32 KB entry to a fifth place finish. The 2006 SCRA champion has three top-10 finishes on the year and will be looking for his first victory of 2010 at "The West's Best Short Track."
Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are defending series champion Justyne Hamblin of Hanford, "Hollywood" Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton, Four-time Santa Maria track champion "Junkyard" Jimmy Thompson from Arroyo Grande, Fresno's T.J. Smith, Mariposa's Andy Ferris, and Chris Ennis of Bakersfield.
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series would like to thank Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, Amsoil, Cory Kruseman's Sprint Car & Midget Driving School, Crow Enterprizes, DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Hinchman-Indy Racing Uniforms, Integra Shocks, Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Port City Racing, Saferacer.com, and Sander Engineering for their support.
Santa Maria Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange on Hutton Road. Joining the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars will be the Toste Grading & Paving Mini Stocks and Okie Bowl Hardtops. The Front Gates will open at 3:00pm, Time Trials will start at 5:00pm, with Racing at 6:00pm. Adult tickets are $16, Senior, Military, and Student tickets are $14, Kids tickets (6-12) are $5, and Children’s tickets (5 and under) are FREE.
For more event information, visit the track’s website at www.racesantamariaspeedway.com.
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car series, visit www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, and www.usacracing.com.
--------------------------------------------------------
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES POINT STANDINGS:
1. Craig Stidham 318
2. Davey Pombo 260
3. Peter Murphy 248
4. Rusty Carlile 234
5. Jonathan Logan 216
6. Justyne Hamblin 211
7. T.J. Smith 208
8. Danny Faria Jr. 206
9. Andy Ferris 193
10. Chris Ennis 192
11. Jace VanderWeerd 169
12. Garrett Ishii 146
13. Jimmy Thompson 137
14. Jesse Mack 126
15. Dave Knott 117
16. Kevin Barnes 114
17. Richard VanderWeerd 113
18. Wes Gutierrez 109
19. Dean Alexander 103
20. Geoffrey Strole 88
21. Danny Sheridan 87
22. Matt Day 74
23. Jared Little 71
24. Steve Osborne 47
25. Ronnie Case 44
26. Ray Knight 40
27. Matt Streeter 37
28. Scott Kinney 36
29. Koen Shaw 32
30. Adam Frith-Smith 26
31. Ricky Kirkbride 21
32. Albert Pombo 18
33. Aaron Altaffer 1
___________________________________-
For Immediate Release:
Barry Klinedinst Motorsports
contact@jnjmotorsportsmedia.com
JNJ Motorsports Media
Jason Covert Impressive as 2010 Season Gets Underway
York Haven, PA (April 13, 2010) Barry Klinedinst Motorsports and the three time Mid-Atlantic Championship Series (MACS) Champion Jason Covert have opened up the 2010 season the same way they closed the 2009 season, in victory lane.
Jason has started three events so far in 2010; two at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA and one at Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD, and Covert has already picked up two wins and a second to start the new season. The first win came at Williams Grove on March 26 after Jason started ninth in the caution-free event but battled his way to the front and past Daryl Hills to capture his first win of the young season.
After taking the next weekend off to test at Virginia Motor Speedway, the BK Motorsports team entered the first two Three State Flyers series events at ‘The Grove’ and Hagerstown this past weekend. Covert again had to start mid-pack (tenth) at Williams Grove but charged his way to the second spot by the 14th circuit and was gaining on race leader Jamie Lathroum but ran out of laps falling 2.72 seconds short on lap 35 to come home second in the $3,000 to-win event. The following night, Hagerstown hosted its own $3,000 to-win event, one in which Jason dominated. Covert won his heat race, won the dash, and led all 35 laps of the A-Main to capture the checkered flag. “The credit has to go to the crew, my owner and my wife,” said Covert in victory lane. “I want to dedicate this to my wife. We lost one of her grandma’s while the other grandma was in the hospital last Saturday. I left here while watching so this is for her. I told her I‘d try to not let her down tonight. It’s been a pretty hard week for everybody in our family.”
Covert also has brand new T-Shirts on sale for the 2010 season. Two different designs by KRS Graphics are available for this year. A white T-Shirt that features the classic yellow #43A and some of the major wins and championships Jason has won in his career and a new black ‘Covert Operation Tour’ T-Shirt. #43A License Plates and Decals are also available. You can pick up your Jason Covert apparel at the BK Motorsports hauler at any event they attend or online through Jason’s wife Jaynelle via e-mail at jaynellecovert@hotmail.com.
This weekend the team plans on heading to the much anticipated $25,000 to-win ‘Commonwealth 100’ at Jamaica, VA’s Virginia Motor Speedway sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on Friday and Saturday, April 16 and 17. The team will then prepare for a pair of $10,000 to-win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events at Bedford Speedway in Bedford, PA and Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD on Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24. The team will then help open up the O’Reilly All Star Late Model Series season with a trip to Lernerville Speedway for the $5,000 to-win ‘Showdown in Sarvertown’ on Friday, April 30 and KC Raceway in Chillicothe, OH for the ‘Classic’ paying $10,000 to the winner.
For more information on these events please visit www.worldofoutlaws.com, www.lucasdirt.com, and www.allstarlatemodels.com. Tickets for the WoO LMS sanctioned ‘Commonwealth 100’ are still available at www.vamotorspeedway.com.
Jason Covert and Barry Klinedinst Racing would like to thank all of their sponsors for the 2010 season, Pre-Mach, Inc., Red Wing Shoes, Hershey Racing Engines, Rocket Chassis, Baker Carburetion, Bam’s Auto Center, Kuppy’s Diner, Dennis Eberly Building & Remodeling, American Racer Tires, Lias Tires, Kendall Oil, Dyers Rods, Stuhler Signs, KRS Graphics, VP Race Fuels, JNJ Motorsports Media, Beyea Headers, JRI Shocks by Precision Suspension, Trick, MX Integra Springs, Quarter Master, and consulting from Robbie Allen Enterprises
For more information on Jason Covert and Barry Klinedinst Motorsports visit their website at www.kmotorsports43a.com.
Written and Distributed by:
JNJ Motorsports Media
www.jnjmotorsportsmedia.com
___________________________________
Craig Stidham Wins Faria Memorial. Photo by Paul Trevino Racing Photos
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series
STIDHAM WINS TWO IN A ROW AT TULARE
By Lance Jennings
TULARE, CA – APRIL 12, 2010… Fresno's Craig Stidham kicked off the Southwest Contractors 360 Clash Mini-Series with an impressive 30-lap feature victory at Tulare's Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway. By adding the Chris and Brian Faria Memorial win to his resume, Stidham became the first repeat winner of the 2010 campaign with the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series.
Driving his Brad Johnson Trucking / KRC Safety #3S Maxim, Stidham started the main event in the third position behind Jonathan Logan of Hanford and Visalia's Jesse Mack. At the drop of the starter's green flag, it was Logan that took command over the nineteen car field. Jonathan managed to hold off Stidham and Bakersfield's Rusty Carlile for the first two circuits until Stidham powered past the 2006 SCRA champion on the third lap.
Once in the lead, the current USAC West Coast 360 point leader was running away from the field until Peter Murphy was able to chase him down. The veteran driver from Clovis made several challenges for the lead, but Stidham was too strong and scored the win. "I was getting nervous when I saw Peter on the leader board," remarked Stidham. "He tried to pass me a couple of times and I white knuckled up, but I had to settle down." With the win, Craig has a 58 point advantage over Kerman's Davey Pombo.
Peter Murphy was looking for his first main event victory after a tough start to his 2010 season. The pilot of Tom Tarlton's Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino #21 KPC entry finished in the runner-up spot after starting sixth. "The car has been getting better and better all night," said Murphy. "We gave Craig as good of a run as we could and I needed him to make a mistake." The 2009 Santa Maria track champion now sits third in the point standings.
Another driver looking for a better change of luck was Rusty Carlile. Carlile switched to last year's bright green Southwest Contractors / N.T.S. Incorporated #51 Bullet in the hopes of scoring the Tulare win. Last year's Cotton Classic winner battled with the early leaders and came home third after starting fourth. "I had a good race with Pombo and Logan," said Carlile. "It was fun and I had nothing for Stidham and Murphy." Rusty is now fourth in the point chase.
Davey Pombo had his sights set on another victory after the Bakersfield win on March 27th. Last season's Grand Slam Series champion had a tough run in his heat race and would have to start the feature in the thirteenth spot. Driving Junior Bowman's Buster & Ziggy #3 Bullet, Pombo had an inspired run as he made his way to the front. By finishing fourth, Davey earned "Best Passing Job" honors on the night and was awarded a $100 certificate from Kirkey Racing Fabrication.
Jonathan Logan had his second top-5 finish of the season in the Evett Racing / Mike Downing Racing Engines #32 KB entry. Starting on the pole, Logan led the first two laps until Craig Stidham motored by on lap three. Jonathan fought hard to stay up front all 30 laps and crossed the finish line in fifth. The Hanford driver is now fifth in the point standings.
With this night honoring his two brothers, "Hollywood" Danny Faria Jr. from Tipton, recorded his third straight Sander Engineering fast time award. Starting eighth in the main event in his Borges Farms #17V Maxim, Faria was racing for the fourth spot until problems on lap thirteen ended his night. Scored with a fourteenth place finish, Danny now sits eighth in the point chase.
Craig Stidham won the first heat race and received a $100 certificate from Extreme Mufflers. Four-time Santa Maria track champion "Junkyard" Jimmy Thompson from Arroyo Grande and Peter Murphy won the other 10-lap heat races. For winning their respective heats, Keizer Wheels awarded all three drivers with a $50 certificate.
Bakersfield's Chris Ennis flipped the family's Skarphol Associates / West Olive Welding #86 777 entry on lap thirteen of the main event. Ennis' car was done for the night and he walked away uninjured. "Wide Open" Wes Gutierrez from San Martin flipped his WG Motorsports / California Graphics #007 DRC while racing in the third spot on lap twenty of the feature. He also walked away uninjured. Defending series champion Justyne Hamblin of Hanford had a solid run in the feature with a sixth place finish after starting fourteenth.
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series would like to thank Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, Amsoil, Cory Kruseman's Sprint Car & Midget Driving School, Crow Enterprizes, DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Hinchman-Indy Racing Uniforms, Integra Shocks, Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Port City Racing, Saferacer.com, and Sander Engineering for their support.
Round 6 for the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series will be this Saturday, April 17th, at the Santa Maria Speedway. Joining the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars will be the Toste Grading & Paving Mini Stocks and the Okie Bowl Hardtops. The Front Gates will open at 3:00pm, Time Trials will start at 5:00pm, with Racing at 6:00pm. Adult tickets are $16, Senior, Military, and Student tickets are $14, Kids tickets (6-12) are $5, and Children’s tickets (5 and under) are FREE.
For event information, please visit www.racesantamariaspeedway.com,
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car series, visit www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, and www.usacracing.com.
--------------------------------------------------------
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS:
Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, California
April 10, 2010 – “Southwest Contractors 360 Clash / Chris & Brian Faria Memorial”
SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS:
1. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-16.112; 2. Wes Gutierrez, 007, WG-16.651; 3. Peter Murphy, 21, Tarlton-16.680; 4. Davey Pombo, 3, Bowman-16.807; 5. Ronnie Case, 8X, Case-16.834; 6. Rusty Carlile, 51, Carlile-16.960; 7. Craig Stidham, 3S, Stidham-17.008; 8. Jesse Mack, 8M, May-17.17.238; 9. Jonathan Logan, 32, Evett/Logan-17.312; 10. Justyne Hamblin, 8, JH-17.316; 11. Jimmy Thompson, 71R, Eames-17.411; 12. T.J. Smith, 14, Legras-17.432; 13. Andy Ferris, 4J, Ferris-17.436; 14. Geoffrey Strole, 09S, Strole-17.600; 15. Jared Little, 25, Little-17.670; 16. Chris Ennis, 86, Ennis-17.722; 17. Dave Knott, 28, Knott-18.410; 18. Kevin Barnes, 36B, Barnes-19.026; 19. Ray Knight, 99K, Knight-23.059.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Craig Stidham, 2. Chris Ennis, 3. Danny Faria Jr., 4. Andy Ferris, 5. Davey Pombo, 6. Justyne Hamblin, 7. Ray Knight. NT.
KEIZER WHEELS HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Jimmy Thompson, 2. Wes Gutierrez, 3. Ronnie Case, 4. Jesse Mack, 5. Geoffrey Strole, 6. Dave Knott. NT.
HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Peter Murphy, 2. T.J. Smith, 3. Jonathan Logan, 4. Rusty Carlile, 5. Jared Little, 6. Kevin Barnes. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps - With Starting Positions)
1. Craig Stidham (3rd), 2. Peter Murphy (6th), 3. Rusty Carlile (4th), 4. Davey Pombo (13th), 5. Jonathan Logan (1st), 6. Justyne Hamblin (14th), 7. Jesse Mack (2nd), 8. Andy Ferris (11th), 9. Ronnie Case (5th), 10. Jared Little (16th), 11. Dave Knott (17th), 12. Geoffrey Strole (15th), 13. Wes Gutierrez (7th), 14. Danny Faria Jr. (8th), 15. Chris Ennis (12th), 16. Kevin Barnes (18th), 17. Jimmy Thompson (9th), 18. Ray Knight (19th), 19. T.J. Smith (10th). NT.
------------------------------
**Chris Ennis and Wes Gutierrez flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS:
Laps 1-2 Jonathan Logan, Laps 3-30 Craig Stidham.
NEW USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT POINTS:
1- Craig Stidham-318; 2- Davey Pombo-260; 3- Peter Murphy-248; 4- Rusty Carlile-234; 5- Jonathan Logan-216; 6- Justyne Hamblin-211; 7- T.J. Smith-208; 8- Danny Faria Jr. -206; 9- Andy Ferris-193; 10- Chris Ennis-192.
NEXT USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT RACE: April 17 – Santa Maria (CA) Speedway
NEXT SOUTHWEST CONTRACTORS 360 CLASH RACE: May 29 – Bakersfield (CA) Speedway
__________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 12, 2010
thingy JORDAN 10-51
360s MAKE 2010 SANTA MARIA DEBUT SATURDAY;
STIDHAM GOES FOR TRIPLE AFTER WINNING AT TULARE
Craig Stidham of Fresno, Calif. will try to complete the “triple” this Saturday when he competes in the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint race at Santa Maria (Calif.) Speedway.
Stidham sits atop the series standings after scoring his second consecutive feature victory Saturday night at the Gropetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif.
Stidham led all but the first two laps of the 30-lap “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” race at Tulare, passing Jonathan Logan on lap three. He led the rest of the way in his Brad D. Johnson Trucking/KRC Safety Maxim/Shark. Peter Murphy finished second ahead of Rusty Carlile, Davey Pombo and Logan.
Stidham has a 58-point lead over Pombo in the new series standings.
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT SERIES POINT STANDINGS
1-Craig Stidham-318; 2-Davey Pombo-260; 3-Peter Murphy-248; 4-Rusty Carlile-234; 5-Jonathan Logan-216; 6-Justyne Hamblin-211; 7-T.J. Smith-208; 8-Danny Faria Jr.-206; 9-Andy Ferris-193; 10-Chris Ennis-192.
Five New Winners In Victory Lane At Natural Bridge Speedway
On a night when temperatures were cooling down the racing action was heating up at Natural Bridge Speedway. Saturday night, five new winners picked up their first victories of the young season.
Track conditions were perfect as the late models pulled onto the speedway for their hot lap qualifying session. David Watts set fast time with a lap of 15.831 and an average speed of just over 86 mph. The previous night Watts had qualified his machine for the Steel Block Bandits race in Cumberland, Maryland. However, Watts made the decision to load up and head south to Natural Bridge Speedway, forfeiting his starting position in the Bandits season opener. Watts’ fastest lap would be over a half second faster than Walker Arthur’s fast lap on opening night. The top five qualifiers were Watts, Gerald Wolfe, Philip Woods, David Bennett, and Timmy Stalnaker. Watts, as fastest qualifier, would draw the inversion pill to set the line-up for the feature event. Watts drew a number four, putting Bennett and Woods on the front row for the 35-lap feature.
The late models would see action later in the night’s racing program. The first feature of the night would be the street stocks. Skye Reynolds and Stephen Campbell brought the field to the green flag with Reynolds jumping to lead. His lead was short-lived as veteran racer Lester Lyons took command on the second circuit. Lyons held onto the lead until lap 9 when Campbell took his turn at the front of the pack. Meanwhile, the defending champion, Michael Taylor was steadily moving his way to the front. Taylor moved into second on lap 13 and set his sights on Campbell. Michael Taylor finally got the run he needed to make a move on Campbell for the lead on lap 19
Also on the move to the front was Charles Wyant who started deep in the field. As Taylor and Campbell battled for the lead lap after lap, Wyant joined the two at the front of the field, moving from fourth to second on lap 23. Wyant looked like he was ready to make a run at Taylor but with two laps to go, Wyant lost control of his car entering turn three. Wyant spun off the track setting up a green, white, checkered finish. Taylor’s mount would show signs of heavy smoke during the waning laps but he held on to take the victory over Lyons, Campbell, Troy Fitzgerald, and Earl Brooks. An emotional Taylor commented in victory lane, “I made up my mind I would race when I wanted to this year and not run for points. The car sat all winter so that might be where the smoke came from.”
Clifton Mays and Todd Campbell used their front row starting positions to take control of the sportsman feature event at the drop of the green flag. The two held down the top two positions throughout the entire 25-lap feature. Mays, of Madison Heights, led the event flag to flag with Campbell in hot pursuit. Lexington’s Shad Cooper had a strong run going only to slow with mechanical problems on the tenth lap. After starting shotgun on the field, Timmy Mays worked his way through the field to finish third. Eric Groah, whose car seems to be set up for the long run, made a late race charge to claim his second top five of the season. Rounding out the top five was Toby Stalnaker.
After qualifying earlier in the night, the stage was set for the 35-lap late model feature event. At the drop of the green flag, outside pole sitter Philip Woods seemed to spin his tires and lose traction. Woods would spin sideways in front of the entire field at the flag stand. The front straightaway became a parking lot of crinkled-up late models. Nearly the entire field would suffer some sort of damage from the accident. The machines of Woods, Ricky Wells, and Watts would suffer significant damage that sidelined them from the event.
The restart found two Covington drivers doing battle for the lead. David Bennett started on the pole, but it was Gerald Wolfe who jumped into the lead heading into turn one, never looking back. Wolfe, who also suffered slight right front damage in the opening lap crash, led all 35 laps. Wolfe was followed across the line by defending late model champion Ricky Knight. J.R. Overstreet had another solid run finishing third. Bennett would fade to finish fourth, and rounding out the top five would be Mount Sidney’s John Michael. In victory lane, Wolfe thanked his long time friend and former competitor Wilson Shanks, “Every time we pull onto the race track I thank Wilson. He is the reason we are able to do this. I had not won a race in awhile. This is such a thrill to be back in victory lane.”
A full field of pure stocks was on hand for their 25-lap feature. Jason Thompson, who missed opening night, put his number 5 machine in victory lane the first time out. Thompson started on the front row and took the lead heading into turn one. He was never seriously challenged until the final lap of the feature. Ronnie Martin, who started third and moved into second on lap six, bumped Thompson off of turn two but could not make a move down the back stretch. Ricky Mayberry, last week’s feature winner, was third. Derrick Ayers had his first top five finish of the season. Howard Hall, who moved up to pure stock this season, rounded out the top five. The defending champion, Justin Williams, started deep in the field and rallied to third before running over a piece of debris under caution, suffering a flat right rear tire. He finished 8th.
The final feature event was the All-American division. Jeff Mays, who battled Jeremy Pooley for the victory last Saturday night, put his machine in victory lane with an impressive flag to flag win. Mays was challenged by the number 53 of Ryan Kassab throughout the 20-lap feature. Kassab made a run off of turn 4 on the final lap but came up just short at the checkered flag. Pooley finished third, followed by James Campbell and Robbie Barger.
Natural Bridge Speedway will sit idle next Saturday night. Racing will resume in two weeks, April 24th, with a 30-lap Pure Stock feature event paying $300 to win. On May 1, the Three State Flyer Super Late Model series will invade Natural Bridge Speedway. This will be the first of two super late model races hosted by the speedway during the 2010 season. Some of the nation’ best regional super late model drivers will be on hand.
_______________________________
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Visits Bedford and Hagerstown in April
CORONA, CA (April 12, 2010) - The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will take the next weekend off before commencing on a busy remaining 2010 race schedule. The next scheduled events will be Friday Night, April 23rd at Bedford (PA) Speedway and Saturday Night, April 24th at Hagerstown (MD) Speedway. Both events will pay $10,000 to win with over $80,000 in prize money up for grabs on the weekend between the two tracks.
Coming off of a successful "Indiana Icebreaker" at Brownstown (IN) Speedway on March 27th, Saturday Night which saw Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN score his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season and his 14th career victory in series competition. The event drew 61 entries before an enormous crowd.
So far this year there have been seven different winners in the first nine events on the series tour and 22 drivers still maintain perfect attendance in the Sunoco Race Fuels "Road to Wheatland" bonus program.
Defending Series Champion, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN leads the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points heading to Bedford and Hagerstown. Bloomquist, who set a new all-time Late Model track record at Bedford last year with a qualifying lap of 19.346 seconds around the five-eighth's mile fairgrounds track, holds a 90-point lead over Jimmy Owens. Trailing Bloomquist and Owens are Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN; Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL; and Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, GA.
The remainder of the top ten in current Lucas Oil Championship Points' Standings are Chris Wall of Holden, LA; Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, WI; Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC; Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN; and Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN. The 2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship is worth $75,000.
Wall holds the top spot in the Quarter Master "Rookie of the Year" standings ahead of Eric Wells of Hazard, KY; Tim Isenberg of Marshfield, WI; and Will Vaught of Crane, MO. All four drivers will be making their first ever appearances at Bedford and Hagerstown. The 2010 Quarter Master Rookie of the Year title is worth $10,000.
In the two previous Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series visits to Bedford in '08 and '09 Steve Francis of Ashland, KY and Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, WI were the winners. The visit to historic Hagerstown Speedway will be the sixth visit for the series. There have been five different winners in the first five appearances. Chub Frank of Bear Lake, PA; Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN; Bart Hartman of Zanesville, OH; Tim Fuller of Watertown, NY; and Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY have ended up in victory lane in LOLMDS competition at Hagerstown in the past.
For more information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series' "Bedford Valley Petroleum" event at the HKM, Inc. promoted Bedford Speedway on April 23rd, go to www.bedfordspeedway.com. For the more information on the 29th Annual Stanley Schetrompf Classic at Frank Plessinger's Hagerstown Speedway on April 24th, visit the track's website at www.hagerstownspeedway.com.
The tire rule for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series visit to Bedford and Hagerstown will be the same. American Racer - SD44 or any compound harder - SD44 must punch a minimum of 40. Hoosier - 1300 or any compound harder - 1300 must punch a minimum of 40.
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, visit the Series' website at www.lucasdirt.com or call the Series' office at (951) 532-2503.
Upcoming Events
April 23rd - Bedford Speedway - Bedford, PA - $10,000 to win
April 24th - Hagerstown Speedway - Hagerstown, MD - $10,000 to win
2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Event Results
East Bay (FL) Raceway Park - Mike Marlar (Winner)
East Bay (FL) Raceway Park - Scott Bloomquist (Winner)
East Bay (FL) Raceway Park - Billy Moyer (Winner)
East Bay (FL) Raceway Park - Earl Pearson Jr. (Winner)
East Bay (FL) Raceway Park - Scott Bloomquist (Winner)
East Bay (FL) Raceway Park - Don O'Neal (Winner)
Volunteer (TN) Speedway -Ray Cook (Winner)
Cherokee (SC) Speedway - Scott Bloomquist (Winner)
Brownstown (IN) Speedway - Jimmy Owens (Winner)
Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:
POS
CAR #
DRIVER NAME
HOMETOWN
POINTS
1
0
Scott Bloomquist
Mooresburg, TN
925
2
20
Jimmy Owens
Newport, TN
835
3
71
Don O'Neal
Martinsville, IN
805
4
44
Earl Pearson, Jr.
Jacksonville, FL
735
5
17m
Dale McDowell
Chickamauga, GA
730
6
71w
Chris Wall
Holden, LA
725
7
s9
Dan Schlieper
Sullivan, WI
715
8
53
Ray Cook
Brasstown, NC
710
9
157
Mike Marlar
Winfield, TN
670
9
c9
Steve Casebolt
Richmond, IN
670
11
28e
Dennis Erb, Jr.
Carpentersville, IL
655
12
18e
Eric Wells
Hazard, KY
610
13
41n
Brad Neat
Dunnville, KY
600
14
23
John Blankenship
Williamson, WV
595
15
25f
Jason Feger
Bloomington, IL
550
16
57j
Bub McCool
Vicksburg, MS
530
17
9t
Tim Isenberg
Marshfield, WI
505
18
5
Eric Jacobsen
Seacliffe Beach, CA
500
19
16
Justin Rattliff
Campbellsville, KY
495
20
11t
Tyler Redthingy
Corning, CA
490
2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Sponsors
ASI Racewear - "The Official Merchandise Vendor" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Canidae Pet Foods - "The Official Pet Foods" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
DART Machinery - "The Official Engine Components" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
E3 Spark Plugs - "The Official Spark Plug" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Geico Power Sports - "The Official Insurance" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
General Tire - "The Official Tire" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Hoosier Tire - "The Official Race Tire" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
K&N Filters - "The Official Filter" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Lucas Oil Products - "The Official Oil" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Magnaflow Exhaust - "The Official Exhaust" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
MavTV - "The Official Men's Network" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
R&L Carrier - "The Official Carrier" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Rockstar Energy Drink - "The Official Drink" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Sunoco Race Fuels - "The Official Fuel" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Supporters Include: AFCO, Allstar Performance, American Racer, Banshee Graphics, Bloomquist Race Cars, COMP Cams, Cornett Racing Engines, Cruise with the Champions, Custom Race Engines, DirtonDirt.com, Dominator Race Products, Dyers Top Rods, ECR Race Engines, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hypercoil Springs, Jay thingyens Race Engines, JRi Shocks, Malcuit Race Engines, MasterSbilt Chassis, Öhlins, Penske Shocks, PBM/Erson Cams, Performance Bodies, Performance Rod & Custom, Pro Power Racing, Quarter Master, Red Buck Cigars, Rhyne Race Engines, Rick Schwallie Photography, Rocket Chassis, Safety Solutions, SuperFlow, Sweet Manufactuing, Vic Hill Race Engines, Warrior Race Cars, Weld Racing Wheels, Wiles Drive Shafts, Wrisco, WD Enterprises, 5150 Race Trailers.
James Essex, Public Relations Coordinator, jessex@lucasdirt.com
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Gary Camp
Director of Public Relations
Dover International Speedway
(302) 883-6560
April 13, 2010
“The King” Richard Petty to visit the Monster Mile Club at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, May 16
DOVER, Del. – Just days before being inducted into the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Richard Petty will be a special guest of a hosted question-and-answer session in the Monster Mile Club at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, May 16. Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota, is also scheduled to make an appearance in the club. The Monster Mile Club, an all-inclusive hospitality option, is available for $99 and can be added on to any Sunday race ticket.
“The King,” owner of Richard Petty Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been involved in the sport for over 45 years and has been a popular figure at Dover ever since winning the inaugural event in 1969. Tied with Bobby Allison for most wins at Dover with seven, Petty was honored with a marquee plaque on the Monster Monument at Victory Plaza, presented by AAA, in September 2008.
The Monster Mile Club opens at 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 16 with a continental breakfast. Trackside tours begin at 8:30 a.m. and the hosted question-and-answer session with Petty and Hamlin will follow later in the morning. An all-you-can-eat lunch will be served at 11 a.m. prior to the start of the “Autism Speaks 400 presented by HERSHEY®’S Milk & Milkshakes” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at 1 p.m. Monster Mile Club ticket holders will also receive a souvenir gift and a race program.
Admission to the Monster Mile Club costs $99 and can be added to any May 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race ticket by calling the Dover ticket office at 1-800-441-RACE or by visiting DoverSpeedway.com.
NASCAR returns to the Monster Mile on May 14-16, 2010. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 1-800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.
# # #
Dover International Speedway is owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD), a leading promoter of motorsports events in the United States. DVD subsidiaries operate three tracks in three states, and present several hundred motorsports events each year. This includes 14 major, national events which include races sanctioned by NASCAR and the NHRA. Dover Motorsports, Inc. also owns and operates Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, Mo., and Nashville Superspeedway near Nashville, Tenn. For further information log on to www.DoverMotorsports.com.
______________________________
_______________________________-
TAKE A RIDE AROUND RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY IN A NASCAR-STYLE STOCK CAR PRIOR TO NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES RACE
Enjoy Ride-Along Experience on Saturday, May 1
Richmond, VA (April 12, 2010)—If you ever wanted to take a ride around Richmond International Raceway on race day, now is your chance. Ticket holders for the Saturday, May 1, Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will have the opportunity to ride shotgun around America’s Premier Short track, just hours before the green flag drops for the Saturday night shootout.
Richard Petty Driving Experience (RPDE) will bring 10 NASCAR-style stock cars to Richmond International Raceway for three-lap ride-alongs with professional drivers, reaching speeds up to 120 mph. Ticket holders for the Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 will have the chance to race around the same ¾-mile track on which Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and the rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers will compete later than night.
Ride-alongs with RPDE on Saturday, May 1, will run from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. and are $149. Guests may register in advance by calling 1-800-BE-PETTY (1-800-237-3889). Reservations will also be accepted on Friday, April 30, at the RPDE display on Richmond International Raceway’s midway. Walk-up registration is also available on Saturday, May 1, at Gate 34, during operation times. Additional information can be found by visiting www.1800bepetty.com.
Tickets for the Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race “under the lights” on Saturday, May 1, are available now. Tickets start at $40 and can be purchased by logging on to www.rir.com or calling 866-455-RACE (7223).
The weekend begins on Friday, April 30, with a full day of on-track activity highlighted by the BUBBA burger 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Friday’s ticket includes Wawa Pole Qualifying, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBC12 Pole Qualifying and practice for the BUBBA burger 250. Friday’s tickets start at $30 and can be purchased at www.rir.com or by calling 866-455-RACE (7223). Children 12 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult in general admission sections on Friday only.
About Richmond International Raceway:
Richmond International Raceway, known as America’s Premier Short Track, offers great night racing action and a commitment to the fan experience. One of the most popular facilities among drivers and fans in all of motorsports, Richmond International Raceway annually hosts all of its major events, two NASCAR Doubleheader weekends featuring the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series and an open-wheel racing weekend featuring the IndyCar Series, under the lights on a ¾-mile D-Shaped oval. The unique layout traditionally produces exciting side-by-side racing, yet drivers reach high enough speeds for a superspeedway feel. Combined with first-class amenities and a focus on the fans, guests at Richmond International Raceway can expect to experience what “Racing Perfection” truly is. For tickets to events at Richmond International Raceway, call 866-455-RACE or visit www.rir.com online.
-30-
Contact: Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model Series PR Director
kkovac@dirtcar.com | 704-254-7929
Civil War Reenactors Will Energize Pre- And Post-Race Scene During This Weekend's Commonwealth 100 At Virginia Motor Speedway
JAMAICA, VA - April 13, 2010 - The throaty roar of dirt Late Models won't be the only adrenalin-pumping noise that shakes the Virginia Motor Speedway grandstand during this weekend's inaugural Commonwealth 100.
Cover your ears, fans and competitors – costumed Civil War reenactors are returning to the half-mile oval to send off the starting field with piercing cannon blasts and greet the winner of the biggest race in track history with a flurry of revolver and rifle fire.
Reprising the unique pre- and post-race ceremonies that punctuated last year's World of Outlaws Late Model Series program at VMS, reenactors dressed in both Union and Confederate uniforms will provide fans an exciting added attraction themed on the rich history of the area surrounding Bill Sawyer's gorgeous dirt track.
At least a half-dozen members of a Virginia-based Civil War reenactment group that portrays the 3rd Company Richmond Howitzers – one of the two most famous artillery units on the Southern side of the war – will participate in activities surrounding the final night of the Commonwealth 100 weekend on Saturday (April 17). Time trials and heat races for the $25,000-to-win event are scheduled for Friday night (April 16).
"We really enjoy being part of the show at Virginia Motor Speedway," said Keith Saunders, one of the reenactors who will return after performing at the track for the first time last year. "We're all race fans, so having a chance to do this is exciting for us."
Saunders will bring along the centerpiece of the reenactor group's pre-race routine: a powerful 1841 six-pound, smooth-bore cannon. A reproduction of the gun type that was used during the early stages of the Civil War, the cannon will be rolled onto pit road during driver introductions on Saturday night and prepared for blast-off by the reenactors.
Expect the grandstand and surrounding countryside to reverberate with an ear-splitting explosion when the cannon is ignited. Anyone unaware of the impending explosion will have their heart skip a beat. Just ask Chris Madden of Gaffney, S.C., who won last year's WoO LMS A-Main at VMS.
"When we first rolled out on the track and I was lining up, that big cannon shot off and I went, 'Holy crap!'" said Madden, who is on the pre-registration list for this weekend's Commonwealth 100. "I jumped in my seat."
The interesting reception that Madden received in Victory Lane will also be duplicated following the Commonwealth 100. After climbing out of his car he was flanked by the costumed soldiers, had a Civil War general's hat placed on his head and was feted by waving flags and loud, smoky gunfire from the reenactors' authentic guns.
Saunders even jumped in on Madden's post-race interview, grabbing the wireless microphone and asking, "Where you from, boy?" When Madden answered that he hailed from South Carolina, Saunders, dressed in his Southern grays, said, "Then the Confederate gold is safe!"
The accomplished Madden thoroughly enjoyed his Victory Lane appearance one year ago.
"That was pretty cool," said Madden, who enters this weekend's action as a favorite for Commonwealth 100 glory having won in his last two appearances at VMS spanning the 2008 and 2009 season. "I’ve never seen anything like that before. That kind of stuff makes winning a race even more fun."
The historical tie-in of the reenactors to VMS comes because Virginia was at the center of America’s Civil War from 1861-1865. The city of Richmond, which sits less than a hour’s drive west of Virginia Motor Speedway, served as the capital of the Confederacy throughout the conflict, and the countryside slightly west of the track – stretching from Washington, D.C., through Richmond to Petersburg, Va. – and east of the Blue Ridge Mountains was the site of fierce fighting that took the lives of thousands of Confederate and Union soldiers.
The area immediately around Virginia Motor Speedway itself harbors many historic Civil War sites, including the nearby Rappahannock River. Waterways like the Rappahannock in Virginia’s Tidewater Region played key strategic roles in the war, and there was ample troop movement on the ground near VMS throughout the conflict.
More than 60 drivers have entered or made plans to compete in the Commonwealth 100, which kicks off with time trials and qualifying heats on Fri., April 16. B-Mains, a 30-lap Non-Qualifiers' Race paying and the headline 100-lapper take center stage on Sat., April 17. A raindate of Sun., April 18, has been established for the event.
Competitor gates will open each day at 3 p.m. and spectator gates will be unlocked at 4 p.m. There will be a BB&T 'Meet and Greet' autograph session with the WoO LMS drivers from 5-6 p.m. on Saturday, and on-track activities will begin both days at about 6:30 p.m. with hot laps.
Boasting the third-largest first-place check of the season on the WoO LMS, the Commonwealth 100 offers $2,000 just to take the green flag. Add in the Non-Qualifiers’ Race that pays $3,000 to win from a purse of nearly $16,000, and the weekend's payout will be in the neighborhood of $125,000.
Fans from 19 states and Canada have ordered tickets for the weekend. Two-day tickets are $50 (adults) and $20 (children 7-12), while Saturday-only general admission is $40 (adults) and $15 (children 7-12). Kids 6-and-under will be admitted free for the weekend, and two-day pit passes will cost $50.
Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway is a half-mile dirt oval located on U.S. Route 17 in Jamaica, Va., eight miles north of Saluda and 25 miles south of Tappahannock. The speedway, which boasts spacious 8,000-seat aluminum grandstand, beautiful sponsor suites, Mucso lighting, a pit area treated with a tar-and-gravel mixture and over 20 acres of parking, is just a short drive from the Richmond, Fredericksburg, southern Maryland and Hampton Roads areas.
For more information about the Commonwealth 100, visit www.vamotorspeedway.com or call the speedway office at 804-758-1VMS.
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), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and Chizmark & Larson Insurance; in addition to contingency sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pink Carburetors, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis and Wrisco Aluminum.
__________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES
BEST APPEARING SPRINT CAR AWARD AT SANTA MARIA
By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – APRIL 13, 2010… For competitors with the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, there will be an award for the Best Appearing Sprint Car this Saturday, April 17th, at the Santa Maria Speedway.
Five Star Grafix Inc., of Santa Maria, is sponsoring the award which will pay $100 to the winner, a trophy, and a 3'x8' banner that will feature the winning entry.
Five Star Grafix is a full service sign and vinyl shop that provides vehicle and trailer lettering, banners, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and other apparel. In addition, they specialize in decals, business cards, safety signs, logo designs, and large format digital printing for the Central Coast area.
Santa Maria Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange on Hutton Road. Joining the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars will be the Toste Grading & Paving Mini Stocks and Okie Bowl Hardtops. The Front Gates will open at 3:00pm, Time Trials will start at 5:00pm, with Racing at 6:00pm. Adult tickets are $16, Senior, Military, and Student tickets are $14, Kids tickets (6-12) are $5, and Children’s tickets (5 and under) are FREE.
For more information on Five Star Grafix, visit the company's website at www.fivestargrafixinc.com.
For more event information, visit the track’s website at www.racesantamariaspeedway.com.
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car series, visit www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, and www.usacracing.com.
--------------------------------------------------------
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES POINT STANDINGS:
1. Craig Stidham 318
2. Davey Pombo 260
3. Peter Murphy 248
4. Rusty Carlile 234
5. Jonathan Logan 216
6. Justyne Hamblin 211
7. T.J. Smith 208
8. Danny Faria Jr. 206
9. Andy Ferris 193
10. Chris Ennis 192
11. Jace VanderWeerd 169
12. Garrett Ishii 146
13. Jimmy Thompson 137
14. Jesse Mack 126
15. Dave Knott 117
16. Kevin Barnes 114
17. Richard VanderWeerd 113
18. Wes Gutierrez 109
19. Dean Alexander 103
20. Geoffrey Strole 88
___________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES
PETER MURPHY LEADS SOUTHWEST CONTRACTORS 360 CLASH
By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – APRIL 13, 2010… After last Saturday's USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car race at Tulare's Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway, Clovis' Peter Murphy sits atop the point standings with the Southwest Contractors 360 Clash Mini-Series. He is followed by Fresno's Craig Stidham and Rusty Carlile of Bakersfield.
The four race mini-series has it’s own $5000 point fund. $2500 is up for grabs to the series winner, $1500 for second, and $1000 for third. As this writing goes to press, the main events will pay $1200 to win and $200 to start. Other dates for the Southwest Contractors 360 Clash are May 29th at Bakersfield, August 28th at Santa Maria, and September 11th at Hanford.
"Southwest Contractors is very supportive of the series and what we are trying to accomplish in 360 Sprint Car Racing on the West Coast," says Series Promoter Chris Kearns. "They have helped out in so many areas, from last year's points fund and special events to our 2010 points fund and the Mini Series."
In addition to the regular contingencies with the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, Kirkey Racing Fabrication will award a $100 certificate to the drivers that earn "Hard Charger / Best Passing Job" honors in the 30-lap main events.
The May 29th "Memorial Day Classic" at the Bakersfield Speedway will also feature American Stocks, Mini Stocks, and Mini Dwarf Cars. For more event information, visit www.bakersfieldspeedway.com.
Santa Maria's "Ron Otto Memorial" on August 28th will also showcase the Powder Puff Mini Stocks, NMRA TQ Midgets, and Outlaw Sprint Karts. For more event information, visit www.racesantamariaspeedway.com.
The "Jim Turner Memorial" on September 11th at Hanford's Giant Chevrolet Speedway will also feature IMCA Stock Cars and the Bud Light Mini-Stocks. For more event information, visit www.kingsspeedway.net.
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, please visit www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, and www.usacracing.com.
---------------------------------------------------------------
SOUTHWEST CONTRACTORS 360 CLASH POINT STANDINGS:
1. Peter Murphy 69
2. Craig Stidham 68
3. Rusty Carlile 60
4. Davey Pombo 58
5. Jonathan Logan 54
6. Justyne Hamblin 48
7. Jesse Mack 47
8. Andy Ferris 44
9. Ronnie Case 44
10. Wes Gutierrez 39
11. Danny Faria Jr. 37
--- Jared Little 37
13. Dave Knott 34
14. Geoffrey Strole 33
15. Chris Ennis 30
16. Jimmy Thompson 27
17. Kevin Barnes 24
18. T.J. Smith 22
19. Ray Knight 17
_____________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES
STIDHAM'S POINT LEAD NOW 58 AS SERIES HEADS TO SANTA MARIA
By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – APRIL 13, 2010… The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series will hold their sixth round of competition this Saturday night, April 17th, at the Santa Maria Speedway. It will be the first of five events at the 1/3-mile facility, followed by May 8th, June 26th, July 24th, and the Ron Otto Memorial on August 28th. The Otto Memorial is also part of the Southwest Contractors 360 Clash, a four-race mini-series that has a $5,000 point fund.
Series point leader Craig Stidham from Fresno kicked off the Southwest Contractors 360 Clash Mini-Series with an impressive 30-lap feature victory last Saturday night at Tulare. The pilot of the Brad Johnson Trucking / KRC Safety #3S Maxim took the lead on lap three and led the rest of the way for his second victory of the 2010 campaign. The Faria Memorial win tied him for second on the series feature win list and extended his point lead to a 58 point advantage over Kerman's Davey Pombo.
Pombo earned "Best Passing Job" honors at Tulare with a fourth place finish after starting thirteenth. Driving Junior Bowman's Buster & Ziggy sponsored #3 Bullet, the 2004 Bandit Series champion was victorious at Bakersfield on March 27th. With four top-5 finishes on the year, Pombo will be looking to cut into Stidham's point lead at Santa Maria.
Clovis' Peter Murphy is currently third in the points chase. After a tough start to his 2010 season, the 2007 SCRA champion took Tom Tarlton's Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino #21 KPC entry to a second place finish at Tulare. With a third place finish the week before, Murphy is back to last year's form and will be among the favorites to score his first victory of 2010 at Santa Maria.
Rusty Carlile of Bakersfield is now fourth in the point standings. After switching to last year's bright green Southwest Contractors / N.T.S. Incorporated #51 Bullet, last season's runner-up in the series points had a third place finish at Tulare. Carlile has four top-10 finishes on the season and will be working for his first win of 2010. Saturday's event at Santa Maria could be his breakthrough race to victory lane.
Sitting fifth in the points hunt is Hanford's Jonathan Logan. After leading the first two circuits at Tulare, Logan took the Evett Racing / Mike Downing Racing Engines #32 KB entry to a fifth place finish. The 2006 SCRA champion has three top-10 finishes on the year and will be looking for his first victory of 2010 at "The West's Best Short Track."
Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are defending series champion Justyne Hamblin of Hanford, "Hollywood" Danny Faria Jr. of Tipton, Four-time Santa Maria track champion "Junkyard" Jimmy Thompson from Arroyo Grande, Fresno's T.J. Smith, Mariposa's Andy Ferris, and Chris Ennis of Bakersfield.
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series would like to thank Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, Amsoil, Cory Kruseman's Sprint Car & Midget Driving School, Crow Enterprizes, DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Hinchman-Indy Racing Uniforms, Integra Shocks, Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Port City Racing, Saferacer.com, and Sander Engineering for their support.
Santa Maria Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange on Hutton Road. Joining the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars will be the Toste Grading & Paving Mini Stocks and Okie Bowl Hardtops. The Front Gates will open at 3:00pm, Time Trials will start at 5:00pm, with Racing at 6:00pm. Adult tickets are $16, Senior, Military, and Student tickets are $14, Kids tickets (6-12) are $5, and Children’s tickets (5 and under) are FREE.
For more event information, visit the track’s website at www.racesantamariaspeedway.com.
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car series, visit www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, and www.usacracing.com.
--------------------------------------------------------
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES POINT STANDINGS:
1. Craig Stidham 318
2. Davey Pombo 260
3. Peter Murphy 248
4. Rusty Carlile 234
5. Jonathan Logan 216
6. Justyne Hamblin 211
7. T.J. Smith 208
8. Danny Faria Jr. 206
9. Andy Ferris 193
10. Chris Ennis 192
11. Jace VanderWeerd 169
12. Garrett Ishii 146
13. Jimmy Thompson 137
14. Jesse Mack 126
15. Dave Knott 117
16. Kevin Barnes 114
17. Richard VanderWeerd 113
18. Wes Gutierrez 109
19. Dean Alexander 103
20. Geoffrey Strole 88
21. Danny Sheridan 87
22. Matt Day 74
23. Jared Little 71
24. Steve Osborne 47
25. Ronnie Case 44
26. Ray Knight 40
27. Matt Streeter 37
28. Scott Kinney 36
29. Koen Shaw 32
30. Adam Frith-Smith 26
31. Ricky Kirkbride 21
32. Albert Pombo 18
33. Aaron Altaffer 1
___________________________________-
For Immediate Release:
Barry Klinedinst Motorsports
contact@jnjmotorsportsmedia.com
JNJ Motorsports Media
Jason Covert Impressive as 2010 Season Gets Underway
York Haven, PA (April 13, 2010) Barry Klinedinst Motorsports and the three time Mid-Atlantic Championship Series (MACS) Champion Jason Covert have opened up the 2010 season the same way they closed the 2009 season, in victory lane.
Jason has started three events so far in 2010; two at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA and one at Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD, and Covert has already picked up two wins and a second to start the new season. The first win came at Williams Grove on March 26 after Jason started ninth in the caution-free event but battled his way to the front and past Daryl Hills to capture his first win of the young season.
After taking the next weekend off to test at Virginia Motor Speedway, the BK Motorsports team entered the first two Three State Flyers series events at ‘The Grove’ and Hagerstown this past weekend. Covert again had to start mid-pack (tenth) at Williams Grove but charged his way to the second spot by the 14th circuit and was gaining on race leader Jamie Lathroum but ran out of laps falling 2.72 seconds short on lap 35 to come home second in the $3,000 to-win event. The following night, Hagerstown hosted its own $3,000 to-win event, one in which Jason dominated. Covert won his heat race, won the dash, and led all 35 laps of the A-Main to capture the checkered flag. “The credit has to go to the crew, my owner and my wife,” said Covert in victory lane. “I want to dedicate this to my wife. We lost one of her grandma’s while the other grandma was in the hospital last Saturday. I left here while watching so this is for her. I told her I‘d try to not let her down tonight. It’s been a pretty hard week for everybody in our family.”
Covert also has brand new T-Shirts on sale for the 2010 season. Two different designs by KRS Graphics are available for this year. A white T-Shirt that features the classic yellow #43A and some of the major wins and championships Jason has won in his career and a new black ‘Covert Operation Tour’ T-Shirt. #43A License Plates and Decals are also available. You can pick up your Jason Covert apparel at the BK Motorsports hauler at any event they attend or online through Jason’s wife Jaynelle via e-mail at jaynellecovert@hotmail.com.
This weekend the team plans on heading to the much anticipated $25,000 to-win ‘Commonwealth 100’ at Jamaica, VA’s Virginia Motor Speedway sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on Friday and Saturday, April 16 and 17. The team will then prepare for a pair of $10,000 to-win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events at Bedford Speedway in Bedford, PA and Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD on Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24. The team will then help open up the O’Reilly All Star Late Model Series season with a trip to Lernerville Speedway for the $5,000 to-win ‘Showdown in Sarvertown’ on Friday, April 30 and KC Raceway in Chillicothe, OH for the ‘Classic’ paying $10,000 to the winner.
For more information on these events please visit www.worldofoutlaws.com, www.lucasdirt.com, and www.allstarlatemodels.com. Tickets for the WoO LMS sanctioned ‘Commonwealth 100’ are still available at www.vamotorspeedway.com.
Jason Covert and Barry Klinedinst Racing would like to thank all of their sponsors for the 2010 season, Pre-Mach, Inc., Red Wing Shoes, Hershey Racing Engines, Rocket Chassis, Baker Carburetion, Bam’s Auto Center, Kuppy’s Diner, Dennis Eberly Building & Remodeling, American Racer Tires, Lias Tires, Kendall Oil, Dyers Rods, Stuhler Signs, KRS Graphics, VP Race Fuels, JNJ Motorsports Media, Beyea Headers, JRI Shocks by Precision Suspension, Trick, MX Integra Springs, Quarter Master, and consulting from Robbie Allen Enterprises
For more information on Jason Covert and Barry Klinedinst Motorsports visit their website at www.kmotorsports43a.com.
Written and Distributed by:
JNJ Motorsports Media
www.jnjmotorsportsmedia.com
___________________________________
Craig Stidham Wins Faria Memorial. Photo by Paul Trevino Racing Photos
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series
STIDHAM WINS TWO IN A ROW AT TULARE
By Lance Jennings
TULARE, CA – APRIL 12, 2010… Fresno's Craig Stidham kicked off the Southwest Contractors 360 Clash Mini-Series with an impressive 30-lap feature victory at Tulare's Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway. By adding the Chris and Brian Faria Memorial win to his resume, Stidham became the first repeat winner of the 2010 campaign with the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series.
Driving his Brad Johnson Trucking / KRC Safety #3S Maxim, Stidham started the main event in the third position behind Jonathan Logan of Hanford and Visalia's Jesse Mack. At the drop of the starter's green flag, it was Logan that took command over the nineteen car field. Jonathan managed to hold off Stidham and Bakersfield's Rusty Carlile for the first two circuits until Stidham powered past the 2006 SCRA champion on the third lap.
Once in the lead, the current USAC West Coast 360 point leader was running away from the field until Peter Murphy was able to chase him down. The veteran driver from Clovis made several challenges for the lead, but Stidham was too strong and scored the win. "I was getting nervous when I saw Peter on the leader board," remarked Stidham. "He tried to pass me a couple of times and I white knuckled up, but I had to settle down." With the win, Craig has a 58 point advantage over Kerman's Davey Pombo.
Peter Murphy was looking for his first main event victory after a tough start to his 2010 season. The pilot of Tom Tarlton's Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino #21 KPC entry finished in the runner-up spot after starting sixth. "The car has been getting better and better all night," said Murphy. "We gave Craig as good of a run as we could and I needed him to make a mistake." The 2009 Santa Maria track champion now sits third in the point standings.
Another driver looking for a better change of luck was Rusty Carlile. Carlile switched to last year's bright green Southwest Contractors / N.T.S. Incorporated #51 Bullet in the hopes of scoring the Tulare win. Last year's Cotton Classic winner battled with the early leaders and came home third after starting fourth. "I had a good race with Pombo and Logan," said Carlile. "It was fun and I had nothing for Stidham and Murphy." Rusty is now fourth in the point chase.
Davey Pombo had his sights set on another victory after the Bakersfield win on March 27th. Last season's Grand Slam Series champion had a tough run in his heat race and would have to start the feature in the thirteenth spot. Driving Junior Bowman's Buster & Ziggy #3 Bullet, Pombo had an inspired run as he made his way to the front. By finishing fourth, Davey earned "Best Passing Job" honors on the night and was awarded a $100 certificate from Kirkey Racing Fabrication.
Jonathan Logan had his second top-5 finish of the season in the Evett Racing / Mike Downing Racing Engines #32 KB entry. Starting on the pole, Logan led the first two laps until Craig Stidham motored by on lap three. Jonathan fought hard to stay up front all 30 laps and crossed the finish line in fifth. The Hanford driver is now fifth in the point standings.
With this night honoring his two brothers, "Hollywood" Danny Faria Jr. from Tipton, recorded his third straight Sander Engineering fast time award. Starting eighth in the main event in his Borges Farms #17V Maxim, Faria was racing for the fourth spot until problems on lap thirteen ended his night. Scored with a fourteenth place finish, Danny now sits eighth in the point chase.
Craig Stidham won the first heat race and received a $100 certificate from Extreme Mufflers. Four-time Santa Maria track champion "Junkyard" Jimmy Thompson from Arroyo Grande and Peter Murphy won the other 10-lap heat races. For winning their respective heats, Keizer Wheels awarded all three drivers with a $50 certificate.
Bakersfield's Chris Ennis flipped the family's Skarphol Associates / West Olive Welding #86 777 entry on lap thirteen of the main event. Ennis' car was done for the night and he walked away uninjured. "Wide Open" Wes Gutierrez from San Martin flipped his WG Motorsports / California Graphics #007 DRC while racing in the third spot on lap twenty of the feature. He also walked away uninjured. Defending series champion Justyne Hamblin of Hanford had a solid run in the feature with a sixth place finish after starting fourteenth.
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series would like to thank Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, Amsoil, Cory Kruseman's Sprint Car & Midget Driving School, Crow Enterprizes, DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Hinchman-Indy Racing Uniforms, Integra Shocks, Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Port City Racing, Saferacer.com, and Sander Engineering for their support.
Round 6 for the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series will be this Saturday, April 17th, at the Santa Maria Speedway. Joining the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars will be the Toste Grading & Paving Mini Stocks and the Okie Bowl Hardtops. The Front Gates will open at 3:00pm, Time Trials will start at 5:00pm, with Racing at 6:00pm. Adult tickets are $16, Senior, Military, and Student tickets are $14, Kids tickets (6-12) are $5, and Children’s tickets (5 and under) are FREE.
For event information, please visit www.racesantamariaspeedway.com,
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car series, visit www.racesantamariaspeedway.com, and www.usacracing.com.
--------------------------------------------------------
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS:
Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, California
April 10, 2010 – “Southwest Contractors 360 Clash / Chris & Brian Faria Memorial”
SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS:
1. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-16.112; 2. Wes Gutierrez, 007, WG-16.651; 3. Peter Murphy, 21, Tarlton-16.680; 4. Davey Pombo, 3, Bowman-16.807; 5. Ronnie Case, 8X, Case-16.834; 6. Rusty Carlile, 51, Carlile-16.960; 7. Craig Stidham, 3S, Stidham-17.008; 8. Jesse Mack, 8M, May-17.17.238; 9. Jonathan Logan, 32, Evett/Logan-17.312; 10. Justyne Hamblin, 8, JH-17.316; 11. Jimmy Thompson, 71R, Eames-17.411; 12. T.J. Smith, 14, Legras-17.432; 13. Andy Ferris, 4J, Ferris-17.436; 14. Geoffrey Strole, 09S, Strole-17.600; 15. Jared Little, 25, Little-17.670; 16. Chris Ennis, 86, Ennis-17.722; 17. Dave Knott, 28, Knott-18.410; 18. Kevin Barnes, 36B, Barnes-19.026; 19. Ray Knight, 99K, Knight-23.059.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Craig Stidham, 2. Chris Ennis, 3. Danny Faria Jr., 4. Andy Ferris, 5. Davey Pombo, 6. Justyne Hamblin, 7. Ray Knight. NT.
KEIZER WHEELS HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Jimmy Thompson, 2. Wes Gutierrez, 3. Ronnie Case, 4. Jesse Mack, 5. Geoffrey Strole, 6. Dave Knott. NT.
HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Peter Murphy, 2. T.J. Smith, 3. Jonathan Logan, 4. Rusty Carlile, 5. Jared Little, 6. Kevin Barnes. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps - With Starting Positions)
1. Craig Stidham (3rd), 2. Peter Murphy (6th), 3. Rusty Carlile (4th), 4. Davey Pombo (13th), 5. Jonathan Logan (1st), 6. Justyne Hamblin (14th), 7. Jesse Mack (2nd), 8. Andy Ferris (11th), 9. Ronnie Case (5th), 10. Jared Little (16th), 11. Dave Knott (17th), 12. Geoffrey Strole (15th), 13. Wes Gutierrez (7th), 14. Danny Faria Jr. (8th), 15. Chris Ennis (12th), 16. Kevin Barnes (18th), 17. Jimmy Thompson (9th), 18. Ray Knight (19th), 19. T.J. Smith (10th). NT.
------------------------------
**Chris Ennis and Wes Gutierrez flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS:
Laps 1-2 Jonathan Logan, Laps 3-30 Craig Stidham.
NEW USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT POINTS:
1- Craig Stidham-318; 2- Davey Pombo-260; 3- Peter Murphy-248; 4- Rusty Carlile-234; 5- Jonathan Logan-216; 6- Justyne Hamblin-211; 7- T.J. Smith-208; 8- Danny Faria Jr. -206; 9- Andy Ferris-193; 10- Chris Ennis-192.
NEXT USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT RACE: April 17 – Santa Maria (CA) Speedway
NEXT SOUTHWEST CONTRACTORS 360 CLASH RACE: May 29 – Bakersfield (CA) Speedway
__________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 12, 2010
thingy JORDAN 10-51
360s MAKE 2010 SANTA MARIA DEBUT SATURDAY;
STIDHAM GOES FOR TRIPLE AFTER WINNING AT TULARE
Craig Stidham of Fresno, Calif. will try to complete the “triple” this Saturday when he competes in the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint race at Santa Maria (Calif.) Speedway.
Stidham sits atop the series standings after scoring his second consecutive feature victory Saturday night at the Gropetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif.
Stidham led all but the first two laps of the 30-lap “Chris & Brian Faria Memorial” race at Tulare, passing Jonathan Logan on lap three. He led the rest of the way in his Brad D. Johnson Trucking/KRC Safety Maxim/Shark. Peter Murphy finished second ahead of Rusty Carlile, Davey Pombo and Logan.
Stidham has a 58-point lead over Pombo in the new series standings.
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT SERIES POINT STANDINGS
1-Craig Stidham-318; 2-Davey Pombo-260; 3-Peter Murphy-248; 4-Rusty Carlile-234; 5-Jonathan Logan-216; 6-Justyne Hamblin-211; 7-T.J. Smith-208; 8-Danny Faria Jr.-206; 9-Andy Ferris-193; 10-Chris Ennis-192.
Five New Winners In Victory Lane At Natural Bridge Speedway
On a night when temperatures were cooling down the racing action was heating up at Natural Bridge Speedway. Saturday night, five new winners picked up their first victories of the young season.
Track conditions were perfect as the late models pulled onto the speedway for their hot lap qualifying session. David Watts set fast time with a lap of 15.831 and an average speed of just over 86 mph. The previous night Watts had qualified his machine for the Steel Block Bandits race in Cumberland, Maryland. However, Watts made the decision to load up and head south to Natural Bridge Speedway, forfeiting his starting position in the Bandits season opener. Watts’ fastest lap would be over a half second faster than Walker Arthur’s fast lap on opening night. The top five qualifiers were Watts, Gerald Wolfe, Philip Woods, David Bennett, and Timmy Stalnaker. Watts, as fastest qualifier, would draw the inversion pill to set the line-up for the feature event. Watts drew a number four, putting Bennett and Woods on the front row for the 35-lap feature.
The late models would see action later in the night’s racing program. The first feature of the night would be the street stocks. Skye Reynolds and Stephen Campbell brought the field to the green flag with Reynolds jumping to lead. His lead was short-lived as veteran racer Lester Lyons took command on the second circuit. Lyons held onto the lead until lap 9 when Campbell took his turn at the front of the pack. Meanwhile, the defending champion, Michael Taylor was steadily moving his way to the front. Taylor moved into second on lap 13 and set his sights on Campbell. Michael Taylor finally got the run he needed to make a move on Campbell for the lead on lap 19
Also on the move to the front was Charles Wyant who started deep in the field. As Taylor and Campbell battled for the lead lap after lap, Wyant joined the two at the front of the field, moving from fourth to second on lap 23. Wyant looked like he was ready to make a run at Taylor but with two laps to go, Wyant lost control of his car entering turn three. Wyant spun off the track setting up a green, white, checkered finish. Taylor’s mount would show signs of heavy smoke during the waning laps but he held on to take the victory over Lyons, Campbell, Troy Fitzgerald, and Earl Brooks. An emotional Taylor commented in victory lane, “I made up my mind I would race when I wanted to this year and not run for points. The car sat all winter so that might be where the smoke came from.”
Clifton Mays and Todd Campbell used their front row starting positions to take control of the sportsman feature event at the drop of the green flag. The two held down the top two positions throughout the entire 25-lap feature. Mays, of Madison Heights, led the event flag to flag with Campbell in hot pursuit. Lexington’s Shad Cooper had a strong run going only to slow with mechanical problems on the tenth lap. After starting shotgun on the field, Timmy Mays worked his way through the field to finish third. Eric Groah, whose car seems to be set up for the long run, made a late race charge to claim his second top five of the season. Rounding out the top five was Toby Stalnaker.
After qualifying earlier in the night, the stage was set for the 35-lap late model feature event. At the drop of the green flag, outside pole sitter Philip Woods seemed to spin his tires and lose traction. Woods would spin sideways in front of the entire field at the flag stand. The front straightaway became a parking lot of crinkled-up late models. Nearly the entire field would suffer some sort of damage from the accident. The machines of Woods, Ricky Wells, and Watts would suffer significant damage that sidelined them from the event.
The restart found two Covington drivers doing battle for the lead. David Bennett started on the pole, but it was Gerald Wolfe who jumped into the lead heading into turn one, never looking back. Wolfe, who also suffered slight right front damage in the opening lap crash, led all 35 laps. Wolfe was followed across the line by defending late model champion Ricky Knight. J.R. Overstreet had another solid run finishing third. Bennett would fade to finish fourth, and rounding out the top five would be Mount Sidney’s John Michael. In victory lane, Wolfe thanked his long time friend and former competitor Wilson Shanks, “Every time we pull onto the race track I thank Wilson. He is the reason we are able to do this. I had not won a race in awhile. This is such a thrill to be back in victory lane.”
A full field of pure stocks was on hand for their 25-lap feature. Jason Thompson, who missed opening night, put his number 5 machine in victory lane the first time out. Thompson started on the front row and took the lead heading into turn one. He was never seriously challenged until the final lap of the feature. Ronnie Martin, who started third and moved into second on lap six, bumped Thompson off of turn two but could not make a move down the back stretch. Ricky Mayberry, last week’s feature winner, was third. Derrick Ayers had his first top five finish of the season. Howard Hall, who moved up to pure stock this season, rounded out the top five. The defending champion, Justin Williams, started deep in the field and rallied to third before running over a piece of debris under caution, suffering a flat right rear tire. He finished 8th.
The final feature event was the All-American division. Jeff Mays, who battled Jeremy Pooley for the victory last Saturday night, put his machine in victory lane with an impressive flag to flag win. Mays was challenged by the number 53 of Ryan Kassab throughout the 20-lap feature. Kassab made a run off of turn 4 on the final lap but came up just short at the checkered flag. Pooley finished third, followed by James Campbell and Robbie Barger.
Natural Bridge Speedway will sit idle next Saturday night. Racing will resume in two weeks, April 24th, with a 30-lap Pure Stock feature event paying $300 to win. On May 1, the Three State Flyer Super Late Model series will invade Natural Bridge Speedway. This will be the first of two super late model races hosted by the speedway during the 2010 season. Some of the nation’ best regional super late model drivers will be on hand.
_______________________________
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Visits Bedford and Hagerstown in April
CORONA, CA (April 12, 2010) - The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will take the next weekend off before commencing on a busy remaining 2010 race schedule. The next scheduled events will be Friday Night, April 23rd at Bedford (PA) Speedway and Saturday Night, April 24th at Hagerstown (MD) Speedway. Both events will pay $10,000 to win with over $80,000 in prize money up for grabs on the weekend between the two tracks.
Coming off of a successful "Indiana Icebreaker" at Brownstown (IN) Speedway on March 27th, Saturday Night which saw Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN score his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season and his 14th career victory in series competition. The event drew 61 entries before an enormous crowd.
So far this year there have been seven different winners in the first nine events on the series tour and 22 drivers still maintain perfect attendance in the Sunoco Race Fuels "Road to Wheatland" bonus program.
Defending Series Champion, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN leads the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points heading to Bedford and Hagerstown. Bloomquist, who set a new all-time Late Model track record at Bedford last year with a qualifying lap of 19.346 seconds around the five-eighth's mile fairgrounds track, holds a 90-point lead over Jimmy Owens. Trailing Bloomquist and Owens are Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN; Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL; and Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, GA.
The remainder of the top ten in current Lucas Oil Championship Points' Standings are Chris Wall of Holden, LA; Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, WI; Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC; Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN; and Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN. The 2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship is worth $75,000.
Wall holds the top spot in the Quarter Master "Rookie of the Year" standings ahead of Eric Wells of Hazard, KY; Tim Isenberg of Marshfield, WI; and Will Vaught of Crane, MO. All four drivers will be making their first ever appearances at Bedford and Hagerstown. The 2010 Quarter Master Rookie of the Year title is worth $10,000.
In the two previous Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series visits to Bedford in '08 and '09 Steve Francis of Ashland, KY and Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, WI were the winners. The visit to historic Hagerstown Speedway will be the sixth visit for the series. There have been five different winners in the first five appearances. Chub Frank of Bear Lake, PA; Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN; Bart Hartman of Zanesville, OH; Tim Fuller of Watertown, NY; and Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY have ended up in victory lane in LOLMDS competition at Hagerstown in the past.
For more information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series' "Bedford Valley Petroleum" event at the HKM, Inc. promoted Bedford Speedway on April 23rd, go to www.bedfordspeedway.com. For the more information on the 29th Annual Stanley Schetrompf Classic at Frank Plessinger's Hagerstown Speedway on April 24th, visit the track's website at www.hagerstownspeedway.com.
The tire rule for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series visit to Bedford and Hagerstown will be the same. American Racer - SD44 or any compound harder - SD44 must punch a minimum of 40. Hoosier - 1300 or any compound harder - 1300 must punch a minimum of 40.
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, visit the Series' website at www.lucasdirt.com or call the Series' office at (951) 532-2503.
Upcoming Events
April 23rd - Bedford Speedway - Bedford, PA - $10,000 to win
April 24th - Hagerstown Speedway - Hagerstown, MD - $10,000 to win
2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Event Results
East Bay (FL) Raceway Park - Mike Marlar (Winner)
East Bay (FL) Raceway Park - Scott Bloomquist (Winner)
East Bay (FL) Raceway Park - Billy Moyer (Winner)
East Bay (FL) Raceway Park - Earl Pearson Jr. (Winner)
East Bay (FL) Raceway Park - Scott Bloomquist (Winner)
East Bay (FL) Raceway Park - Don O'Neal (Winner)
Volunteer (TN) Speedway -Ray Cook (Winner)
Cherokee (SC) Speedway - Scott Bloomquist (Winner)
Brownstown (IN) Speedway - Jimmy Owens (Winner)
Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:
POS
CAR #
DRIVER NAME
HOMETOWN
POINTS
1
0
Scott Bloomquist
Mooresburg, TN
925
2
20
Jimmy Owens
Newport, TN
835
3
71
Don O'Neal
Martinsville, IN
805
4
44
Earl Pearson, Jr.
Jacksonville, FL
735
5
17m
Dale McDowell
Chickamauga, GA
730
6
71w
Chris Wall
Holden, LA
725
7
s9
Dan Schlieper
Sullivan, WI
715
8
53
Ray Cook
Brasstown, NC
710
9
157
Mike Marlar
Winfield, TN
670
9
c9
Steve Casebolt
Richmond, IN
670
11
28e
Dennis Erb, Jr.
Carpentersville, IL
655
12
18e
Eric Wells
Hazard, KY
610
13
41n
Brad Neat
Dunnville, KY
600
14
23
John Blankenship
Williamson, WV
595
15
25f
Jason Feger
Bloomington, IL
550
16
57j
Bub McCool
Vicksburg, MS
530
17
9t
Tim Isenberg
Marshfield, WI
505
18
5
Eric Jacobsen
Seacliffe Beach, CA
500
19
16
Justin Rattliff
Campbellsville, KY
495
20
11t
Tyler Redthingy
Corning, CA
490
2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Sponsors
ASI Racewear - "The Official Merchandise Vendor" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Canidae Pet Foods - "The Official Pet Foods" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
DART Machinery - "The Official Engine Components" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
E3 Spark Plugs - "The Official Spark Plug" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Geico Power Sports - "The Official Insurance" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
General Tire - "The Official Tire" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Hoosier Tire - "The Official Race Tire" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
K&N Filters - "The Official Filter" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Lucas Oil Products - "The Official Oil" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Magnaflow Exhaust - "The Official Exhaust" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
MavTV - "The Official Men's Network" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
R&L Carrier - "The Official Carrier" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Rockstar Energy Drink - "The Official Drink" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Sunoco Race Fuels - "The Official Fuel" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Supporters Include: AFCO, Allstar Performance, American Racer, Banshee Graphics, Bloomquist Race Cars, COMP Cams, Cornett Racing Engines, Cruise with the Champions, Custom Race Engines, DirtonDirt.com, Dominator Race Products, Dyers Top Rods, ECR Race Engines, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hypercoil Springs, Jay thingyens Race Engines, JRi Shocks, Malcuit Race Engines, MasterSbilt Chassis, Öhlins, Penske Shocks, PBM/Erson Cams, Performance Bodies, Performance Rod & Custom, Pro Power Racing, Quarter Master, Red Buck Cigars, Rhyne Race Engines, Rick Schwallie Photography, Rocket Chassis, Safety Solutions, SuperFlow, Sweet Manufactuing, Vic Hill Race Engines, Warrior Race Cars, Weld Racing Wheels, Wiles Drive Shafts, Wrisco, WD Enterprises, 5150 Race Trailers.
James Essex, Public Relations Coordinator, jessex@lucasdirt.com
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Gary Camp
Director of Public Relations
Dover International Speedway
(302) 883-6560
April 13, 2010
“The King” Richard Petty to visit the Monster Mile Club at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, May 16
DOVER, Del. – Just days before being inducted into the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Richard Petty will be a special guest of a hosted question-and-answer session in the Monster Mile Club at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, May 16. Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota, is also scheduled to make an appearance in the club. The Monster Mile Club, an all-inclusive hospitality option, is available for $99 and can be added on to any Sunday race ticket.
“The King,” owner of Richard Petty Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been involved in the sport for over 45 years and has been a popular figure at Dover ever since winning the inaugural event in 1969. Tied with Bobby Allison for most wins at Dover with seven, Petty was honored with a marquee plaque on the Monster Monument at Victory Plaza, presented by AAA, in September 2008.
The Monster Mile Club opens at 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 16 with a continental breakfast. Trackside tours begin at 8:30 a.m. and the hosted question-and-answer session with Petty and Hamlin will follow later in the morning. An all-you-can-eat lunch will be served at 11 a.m. prior to the start of the “Autism Speaks 400 presented by HERSHEY®’S Milk & Milkshakes” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at 1 p.m. Monster Mile Club ticket holders will also receive a souvenir gift and a race program.
Admission to the Monster Mile Club costs $99 and can be added to any May 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race ticket by calling the Dover ticket office at 1-800-441-RACE or by visiting DoverSpeedway.com.
NASCAR returns to the Monster Mile on May 14-16, 2010. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 1-800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.
# # #
Dover International Speedway is owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD), a leading promoter of motorsports events in the United States. DVD subsidiaries operate three tracks in three states, and present several hundred motorsports events each year. This includes 14 major, national events which include races sanctioned by NASCAR and the NHRA. Dover Motorsports, Inc. also owns and operates Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, Mo., and Nashville Superspeedway near Nashville, Tenn. For further information log on to www.DoverMotorsports.com.
______________________________
_______________________________-
TAKE A RIDE AROUND RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY IN A NASCAR-STYLE STOCK CAR PRIOR TO NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES RACE
Enjoy Ride-Along Experience on Saturday, May 1
Richmond, VA (April 12, 2010)—If you ever wanted to take a ride around Richmond International Raceway on race day, now is your chance. Ticket holders for the Saturday, May 1, Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will have the opportunity to ride shotgun around America’s Premier Short track, just hours before the green flag drops for the Saturday night shootout.
Richard Petty Driving Experience (RPDE) will bring 10 NASCAR-style stock cars to Richmond International Raceway for three-lap ride-alongs with professional drivers, reaching speeds up to 120 mph. Ticket holders for the Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 will have the chance to race around the same ¾-mile track on which Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and the rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers will compete later than night.
Ride-alongs with RPDE on Saturday, May 1, will run from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. and are $149. Guests may register in advance by calling 1-800-BE-PETTY (1-800-237-3889). Reservations will also be accepted on Friday, April 30, at the RPDE display on Richmond International Raceway’s midway. Walk-up registration is also available on Saturday, May 1, at Gate 34, during operation times. Additional information can be found by visiting www.1800bepetty.com.
Tickets for the Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race “under the lights” on Saturday, May 1, are available now. Tickets start at $40 and can be purchased by logging on to www.rir.com or calling 866-455-RACE (7223).
The weekend begins on Friday, April 30, with a full day of on-track activity highlighted by the BUBBA burger 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Friday’s ticket includes Wawa Pole Qualifying, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, NBC12 Pole Qualifying and practice for the BUBBA burger 250. Friday’s tickets start at $30 and can be purchased at www.rir.com or by calling 866-455-RACE (7223). Children 12 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult in general admission sections on Friday only.
About Richmond International Raceway:
Richmond International Raceway, known as America’s Premier Short Track, offers great night racing action and a commitment to the fan experience. One of the most popular facilities among drivers and fans in all of motorsports, Richmond International Raceway annually hosts all of its major events, two NASCAR Doubleheader weekends featuring the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series and an open-wheel racing weekend featuring the IndyCar Series, under the lights on a ¾-mile D-Shaped oval. The unique layout traditionally produces exciting side-by-side racing, yet drivers reach high enough speeds for a superspeedway feel. Combined with first-class amenities and a focus on the fans, guests at Richmond International Raceway can expect to experience what “Racing Perfection” truly is. For tickets to events at Richmond International Raceway, call 866-455-RACE or visit www.rir.com online.
-30-