For Immediate Release
April 22, 2008
CORONA, CA (April 18, 2008) - After this weekend off the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series returns to action on Friday Night, April 25th with a first ever visit to Bedford Speedway in Bedford, PA and the first of two visits this year to the Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD on Saturday Night, April 26th.
Off to an excellent start this season the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has seen seven different winners in the first 11 races in 2008. The series in the midst of a 44-race schedule in 17 states this season has had 200 different drivers enter at least one event in '08. Three-time and reigning LOLMDS National Champion Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL coming off of a fifth place finish at K-C Raceway in his Bobby Labonte Racing #44 is the current series points after last weekend's show. Pearson leads Terry Casey of New London, WI by just five points heading into Bedford and Hagerstown. Casey the driver of the Arnie Ranta Motorsports #42, who is tied with Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR for the most series wins this year (3 apiece), holds a 45-point margin over third place driver Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN. Bart Hartman of Zanesville, OH who is in his first season traveling with the Lucas Oil Series is fourth in points followed by last year's series "Rookie of the Year' Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, KY.
The rest of the top ten in the current national standings and who will be making the trip East this weekend are Donnie Moran of Dresden, OH, Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, WI, Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN, Billy Drake of Bloomington, IL and Wayne Chinn of Bradford, OH.
Casey and Chinn are the top two Quarter Master "Rookie of the Year" contenders at the present time with third place K-C runner, John Blankenship of Williamson, WV in third.
Bedford Co-Promoter J.R. Keifer is pumped up about the first ever visit by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series to Bedford Speedway on April 25th for the Bedford Valley Petroleum sponsored "Paul Beamer Memorial" paying $7,000 to win.
After the conclusion of the 2007 racing season 600 tri-axle loads of shifted red clay was put on the track, the first time that the entire speedway has been re-clayed in nearly 20 years. Keifer along with Jim Maybury and Dr. David Horne, who make up the promoting team at Bedford Speedway, have installed new walls and re-cabled all of their catch fences around the fairgrounds facility.
"We want to thank Bedford Valley Petroleum and Bob Salathe for their sponsorship of this event, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has been great to work with and we are really looking forward to their appearance at Bedford this Friday." said Keifer, who first took over the promoting duties at Bedford in 2002.
The next night the series comes to Frank Plessinger's Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD for the 27th Annual "Stanley Schetrompf Memorial" paying $10,000 to win. This will be third consecutive year the series has sanctioned this special event with reigning Dirt Track World Champion Chub Frank of Bear Lake, PA and LOLMDS regular Scott James winning last year's race after starting 16th.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will visit Hagerstown later in the year, (August 2nd), but the April 26th show should draw most of the top competitors in dirt late model racing to Hagerstown which is celebrating its 61st year of racing. The historic racing facility hosted the first ever $50,000 to win payoff for dirt late models back in 1983. Jeff Purvis of Clarksville, TN was the winner of the "Free State 100" which was sanctioned by the National Dirt Racing Association (NDRA), which at that time was the top touring series for late models. LOLMDS competitor Freddy Smith of Seymour, TN finished second in the race followed by Larry Moore, Tom Peck and Gary Stuhler, who is still active and is the all-time winningest driver in Hagerstown Speedway history.
The series trip to Bedford and Hagerstown featuring the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be the next events that 20 drivers will be eligible for the "Winners Circle Program" and the "Jasper Engines Road to Wheatland bonus monies. This is an incentive program that will pay the top ten drivers in the 2008 Championship Points an extra $600 each with perfect attendance throughout 2008. The "Jasper Engines Road to Wheatland" Program will also pay an additional $600 to each of the ten highest points drivers from the final 2007 Championship Points standings that follow the Road to Wheatland with perfect attendance but are not in the current top ten in points. The SuperClean "Diamond Nationals" at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO is slated for May 9th and 10th and will pay $40,000 to win this year.
For more information on the next two tracks on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series schedule you can visit www.bedfordspeedway.com and www.hagerstownspeedway.com where you can find a wealth of information and history on both facilities.
For the latest info on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series you can log onto www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Bedford Speedway-Bedford, PA
Previous Late Model Track Champions
(Known)
1966 - Butch Renninger
1972 - Charlie Johnson
1974 - Tom Peck
1975 - Jim Nave
1976 - Paul Fess
1977 - Turk Burket
1978 - Turk Burket
1980 - Tom Peck
1981 - Tom Peck
1982 - Denny Chamberlain
1983 - Tom Peck
1985 - Tom Peck
1988 - Mike Hess
1989 - Rick Eckert
1990 - Rick Eckert
1991 - Rick Eckert
1992 - Rick Eckert
1993 - Tom Clise
1994 - Bob Salathe
1995 - Tom Myers
1996 - Scott Haus
1997 - Scott Haus
1998 - Scott Haus
1999 - Scott Haus
2000 - Jack Pencil
2001 - Dave Groves
2002 - Jack Pencil
2003 - Scott Rhodes
2004 - Jack Pencil
2005 - Scott Rhodes
2006 - Scott Rhodes
2007 - Jack Pencil
Hagerstown (MD) Speedway
Previous Late Model Track Champions
1965 - Dick Warrenfeltz
1966 - Shorty Bowers
1967 - Dick Warrenfeltz
1968 - Doug Bailey
1969 - Denny Bonebrake
1970 - Sam Nalley
1971 - Buddy Armel
1972 - Denny Bonebrake
1973 - Buck Rees
1974 - Denny Bonebrake
1975 - Buddy Armel
1976 - Buddy Armel
1977 - Buddy Armel
1978 - Ronnie McBee
1979 - Ronnie McBee
1980 - Tom Peck
1981 - Denny Bonebrake
1982 - Sam Nalley
1983 - Denny Bonebrake
1984 - Denny Bonebrake
1985 - Jeff Robinson
1986 - Tom Peck
1987 - Jeff Robinson
1988 - Nathan Durboraw
1989 - Buddy Armel
1990 - Gary Stuhler
1991 - Nathan Durboraw
1992 - Nathan Durboraw
1993 - Nathan Durboraw
1994 - Al Richards
1995 - Nathan Durboraw
1996 - Nathan Durboraw
1997 - Rodney Franklin
1998 - Rodney Franklin
1999 - Roy Deese, Jr.
2000 - Roy Deese, Jr.
2001 - Roy Deese, Jr.
2002 - Nathan Durboraw
2003 - Gary Stuhler
2004 - Roy Deese, Jr.
2005 - Nathan Durboraw
2006 - Roy Deese, Jr.
2007 - J.T. Spence
NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series News Release: Contact – ROBY HELM – (865) 207-4157
April 22, 2008
ROOKIE BATTLE IN RACE WITHIN A RACE AT NeSMITH CHEVROLET DLMS $10K-TO-WIN PIKE COUNTY CAJUN SPRING NATIONALS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CARTERSVILLE, GA – With a stellar field of NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series drivers representing ten states headed to Pike County Speedway in McComb, MS for the 100-lap $10,000-to-win Cajun Spring Nationals, there will be a group of drivers battling each other in a race within the race for the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year title.
Chip Brindle of Chatsworth, GA and Jeff Fields of Aragon, GA are locked in a tight battle for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National point lead. Brindle has an eight-point lead over Fields. The 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Champion will pick up a $20,000 check at season’s end.
Brindle knows a little about the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year battle, as he was the 2007 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS Rookie of the Year. Brindle won $5,000 for the title, and a brand new GRT Chassis. His success has led a group of eight drivers to the first four events of the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS season to battle for that prize this season.
Jason Hiett of Lincoln, AL leads the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year points, and he is seventh overall on the NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National points with one top five finish. Hiett with 254 points, has a ten point lead over Scott Knowles of Lanett, AL. Knowles is currently ninth overall in the National points with a top ten finish.
Hunter Peacock of Macon, GA is third the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year point standings, and tenth overall in the National points. Peacock has 212 points with a second-place finish, and a fast time honor at the season opener at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL in January.
Eric Cooley of Fulton, MS has moved into position to challenge for the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year title, as he is fourth in the Rookie points, and 11th in the National standings with 198 points. Cooley could be higher in the Rookie points race, but he has competed in just three of the first four races of the season.
A pair of Hoosier State drivers that finished one-two in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Indiana State competition in 2007 have stepped up to the National Tour this season, and are competing for the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Championship.
Steve Godsey of Bedford, IN won the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Indiana Championship last season, and was third in the 2007 NeSmith Chevrolet WRS West Region. Godsey has had success in Mississippi having won the Weekly Racing Series post-season extravaganza Fall Nationals and the Race of Regions last November at Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS.
Godsey, a second-generation drive and son of National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee Ray Godsey, has 182 points, and sits fifth in the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year points, and 14th in the National points.
Jim Moon of Zionsville, IN finished second to Godsey last season in the NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Indiana points. Moon leads a two-car team on the National Tour this season with veteran Chris Carlson of West Milwaukee, WI. Moon is sixth in the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie points, and is 17th in the National standings with 144 points.
A pair of Sunoco Race Fuel Rookie of the Year candidates are tied for the seventh spot in the Rookie standings with 120 points, and will be looking to break out this weekend at Pike County Speedway.
Chad Wallace of LaGrange, GA won the 2007 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Track Championship at Penton Raceway in Penton, AL, and finished third in the East Region points. Marcus Minga of Shannon, MS will be looking for success in his home state, after a top ten finish in NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS action last season at Columbus Speedway.
Other top contenders expected at Pike County Speedway this weekend for the richest NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS points race of the season include Chris Tays of Corinth, MS, Larry Boutwell of Baker, FL, and the 2007 NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS National Championship Runner-Up Jay Blair of Angie, LA, who will be debuting a new Mastersbilt race car.
The top dirt late model drivers from Mississippi will also be represented in legendary fashion this weekend at Pike County Speedway with seven-time Mississippi State Late Model Champion Mike Boland of Cuba, AL, “Dr. Dirt” Johnny Stokes of Columbus, MS, and Rodney Wing of Meridian, MS.
Also representing Mississippi at Pike County Speedway this weekend will be the defending and two-time NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS. Keeton already has four wins in 2008 Weekly Racing Series action and leads the West Region in quest of his third straight title.
The NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS cars and stars will compete in Qualifying and Heat Races on Friday night, in which the top 16 starting spots for the Saturday night 100-lap main event will be determined. On Saturday night, the B-Main Races will fill starting spots 17 through 24, followed by the 100-lap $10,000-to-win main event.
The Best Western Hotel in McComb, MS is the Official Host Hotel for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series 100-lap $10,000-to-win Cajun Spring Nationals at Pike County Speedway. The Best Western Hotel will be offering NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series fans and competitors a special discount rate.
The Best Western Hotel in McComb, MS is located at exit 17 on I-55, and features comfortable rooms with Tempur-pedic mattresses, flat screen HDTVs, free high-speed internet and an indoor pool. The special discount rate for NeSmith Chevrolet DLMS fans and competitors is $79.99 per night. To make reservations call 601-249-4300 and ask for the Pike County Speedway discount rate.
For more information call Pike County Speedway at 601-783-2500, or visit the track web site at www.pikecountyspeedway.com. Pike County Speedway is located at exit 8 on I-55. For more information about the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site at www.nesmithracing.com.
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