Bristol Motor Speedway
Notebook: Alltel pairs drivers, Volunteer fans
From staff, track and series reports
Big bucks will be on the line during this week’s fifth annual Scorcher presented by Alltel Wireless at Volunteer Speedway for both drivers and fans. The drivers, of course, will have two chances to fill their pockets at the 4/10-mile oval. World of Outlaws Late Model Series events paying $10,000 to win are scheduled for Wednesday (Aug. 20) and Thursday (Aug. 21), marking the first time in the history of the Scorcher that complete shows will be contested both nights on the blazing-fast, high-banked track.
Alltel Wireless, meanwhile, has posted an additional $4,000 to be divided among five drivers and five fans following Thursday night’s show, which will also feature an appearance by Alltel-sponsored NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Ryan Newman.
Thursday night’s Alltel Wireless promotion will see 24 fans paired with drivers in the A-Main starting field by a random distribution of Alltel hats. The fans holding the hats marked with the numbers and names of the drivers who finish in the top-five at the end of the feature will be invited to participate in the Alltel My Circle 5 victory lane ceremonies and receive cash prizes.
The feature's winning driver and the fan paired with him for the event will receive $1,000 apiece from Alltel Wireless. The remaining driver-fan pairings will earn payoffs of $400 each for second place, $300 each for third, $200 each for fourth and $100 each for fifth. — Kevin Kovac
WORLD 100 ALLOWING BACKUP CARS: In years past at Eldora Speedway's World 100, drivers seriously damaging a car hot laps were done for the weekend at the prestigious event in Rossburg, Ohio. But the track has announced drivers can now switch to backup cars for this year's Sept. 5-6 event under certain conditions. If a car is wrecked in Friday's hot laps, the team can go to a second car. The conditions: the car must pass technical inspection before time trials and the car can't be among those that have already hot-lapped. The track said the change was being made, with escalating travel costs in mind, to give drivers a chance to qualify and to give fans a chance to see their favorite drivers. — From track reports
MAGNOLIA STATE 100 RESTRUCTURES PURSE: Promoters of the Magnolia State 100 plan to offer a larger race purse for this year's 19th annual event at Columbus (Miss.) Speedway with a restructured payoff that sees 17 positions getting purse increases. The Dewitt Singleton-promoted event has paid more than $25,000 in recent years, but this year's winning purse for the 100-lap Super Late Model feature will be $20,008 as more money will be spread among more drivers. The race, which pays at least $1,000 to all 26 starters, has also added non-qualifier payoffs as well to help racers offset expenses. The purse breakdown: (1) $20,008, (2) $10,000, (3) $7,000, (4) $5,000, (5) $3,000, (6) $2,50,0 7) $2,000, (8) $1,800, (9) $1,700, (10) $1,600, (11) $1,500, (12) $1,450, (13) $1,400, (14) $1,350, (15) $1,300, (16) $1,250, (17) $1,200, (18) $1,150, (19) $1,100, (20) $1,050, (21-26) $1,000. For more information, call Singleton at (601) 917-1500 or Johnny Stokes of Columbus Speedway at (662) 574-2572. — Ben Shelton
MACS CONSIDERING ADDING BEDFORD RACE: The Mid-Atlantic Championship Series, which has lost several races at tracks facing economic struggles, announced that negotiations are under way for a mid- to late September event at Bedford (Pa.) Speedway. If the two-day, big-purse event is confirmed, details will be announced. In recent weeks, MACS has been forced to cancel events at Hesston (Pa.) Speedway, Sharon (Ohio) Speedway and Hilltop (Ohio) Speedway after promoters told the series unfavorable economic conditions forced the schedule changes. The next MACS event is the $5,000-to-win Jim Shank Memorial on Aug. 29 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., an event sponsored by Cleveland Brothers Caterpillar and Potoka Trucking & Repair. — From series reports
DEEP SOUTH HOSTING MISSISSIPPI TOUR: Instead of running at Pike County Speedway in Magnolia, Miss., on Sept. 20, the Mississippi State Championship Challenge Series will run at Deep South Speedway in Loxley, Ala., according to Deep South promoters. MSCC competitors twice visited Deep South in 2006 with Shep Lucas and Jay Blair capturing checkered flags. Deep South has also scheduled a $2,500-to-win Super Late Model event for Aug. 31. — From staff reports
PITTSBURGHER PURSE CUT TO $12,000-TO-WIN: The Sept. 18-20 Pittsburgher 100 at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway will pay $12,000 to the winner instead of the originally announced $20,000, according to a track release. The Unified Race Force Championship-sanctioned event pays $1,000 to the 20th-place finisher and at least $500 to all 32 starters. Next up for the first-year UFO tour is the $5,500-to-win King of the Knob on Sept. 6 at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex in Markleysburg, Pa. Jason Covert of Lock Haven, Pa., has won the last two King of the Knob events. — From track and series reports
NO COMMONWEALTH CUP IN 2008: Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in Calvert City, Ky., won't run its traditional Commonwealth Cup Super Late Model special in 2008. The event has been run most autumns in a variety of formats, but this year's original schedule of two $10,000-to-win events has been cancelled, according to track owner Sherri Heckenast. The track will still be running Late Model events on Oct. 23-25 with three $2,500-to-win events. The Late Models will be on the undercard of the second annual Battle of the Mods, highlighted by three straight nights of $5,000-to-win modified events. — From staff and series reports
FORMER CANADIAN DRIVER DROWNS: Former Canadian Dirt Late Model driver Frank Levesque, a native of Windsor, Ontario, drowned Aug. 10 on the Peace River near Arcadia, Fla., in a canoeing accident, according to the Naples (Fla.) Daily News. He was 48. Levesque and another passenger tried to retrieve a paddle from a capsized canoe when their canoe tipped and Levesque, who couldn't swim and wasn't wearing a life jacket, went under. Levesque, who retired from racing a few years ago and moved to Florida, was a charter member of the Ontario Dirt Late Models and competed in 2003 and 2004 at tracks in Ontario and Ohio. — James Baker and newspaper reports
CASH AVAILABLE FOR FANS AT BALTES CLASSIC: The inaugural Baltes Classic, presented by Aesthetic Finishers, will pay $3,000 to the winner of the night's Sunoco American Late Model Series feature, but at least $50,000 in cash and awards will be distributed to fans at the Aug. 31 event. The race, run in honor of track founders Earl and Berneice Baltes, serves as a tuneup for the Sept. 5-6 tuneup for the World 100. Among prizes available to fans are cash, product and gift cards from The Home Depot, MAC Tools, NIKE, Sunoco, Armor All and Old Spice. In addition, $15,000 in cash will be distributed randomly among fans. — From track reports
ODDS AND ENDS: Jackson (Miss.) Motor Speedway has scheduled an unsanctioned $5,000-to-win Super Late Model event for Sept. 13. ... Long-time Casper (Wyo.) Speedway pit boss Terry Asmus is recovering from a massive heart attack suffered on Aug. 16. He's being treated at the Wyoming Medical Center. ... The Arkansas Motorsports Professionals have added a $2,500-to-win event at North Alabama Speedway near Tuscumbia on Aug. 31. ... Bobby Carnes, who had been out of racing for more than 15 years before competing in the Aug. 15-16 North-South 100 at Florence (Ky.) Speedway, plans to began racing again in a Gary Engle's backup car. Carnes, winner of the 1987 Ralph Latham Memorial at Florence, appreciated Engle giving him a chance to race at the North-South. "I only wish I would have made a better showing — maybe next time," Carnes said. "I also greatly appreciated the welcome home from the fans, my friends, and the staff at Florence. It means a great deal to me."
