Bristol Motor Speedway
Notes: Bedford geared up for return of WoO
From series, track and staff reports
Last year’s inaugural World of Outlaws Late Model Series event at Bedford Speedway served as a hallmark moment for the historic track’s promotional team of J.R. Keifer, Jim Maybury and Dr. Dave Horne. The renowned national tour’s return engagement Friday, Aug. 29, promises to take the half-mile Keystone State oval to even loftier heights.
DKM Inc.’s Keifer, who began operating Bedford with Maybury seven years ago and added Horne to the mix last season, said last year’s blockbuster WoO program has built anticipation for Friday’s 50-lap, $10,000-to-win special to an unprecedented level.
“There’s a lot of excitement about the World of Outlaws coming back to Bedford,” said the 50-year-old Keifer, a former dirt-track driver whose facility drew a huge crowd and a field of over 40 dirt Late Models for the 2007 WoO event. “Last year’s race was one of those nights where the sun, the moon and stars all line up and everything works out great — there was a good surface, good car count, good racing and a good crowd. It definitely got us some respect and it’s the reason why so many people are talking about this Friday’s show."
Keifer and Co. have added a fireworks display to Bedford’s 2008 WoO event, which has been moved to the attractive Labor Day holiday weekend as opposed to last year’s late-September date. Adding another element of freshness, the speedway is sporting a new racing surface since most of the WoO regulars last visited. DKM applied for and received grant money from the state to obtain 600 truckloads of clay, which was laid down following the 2007 season in what was the first complete resurfacing of the fairgrounds track in two decades.
“We’re real proud of what we’ve accomplished in seven years at Bedford,” said Keifer. “We’ve gotten the track to the point where we can bring in a nationally-known series like the World of Outlaws and give our fans a big show.”
WoO regular Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., will lead the tour to Bedford, hoping to repeat his victory in last year’s first-ever event. He emerged triumphant after dueling for the lead with Bo Feathers of Winchester, Va., and Jeremy Miller of Gettysburg, Pa., two regional drivers expected at Friday's race. No WoO driver, of course, has more experience at Bedford than Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who won four consecutive Late Model titles (1989-1992) at the track before becoming a touring professional. He finished fifth in last year’s WoO event. — Kevin Kovac
CAROLINA SPEEDWAY HONORING WHEELER: Humpy Wheeler, one of NASCAR's top promoters and the former general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, will be the inaugural inductee into the Carolina Speedway Hall of Fame on Sept. 5 at the Gastonia, N.C., track. Wheeler, a Gaston County native, will be honored prior to the Hall of Fame 50, a $5,000-to-win Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series event. Wheeler promoted Carolina Speedway in 1963 for track builder R.P. Harrison Jr. "I had to do just about everything: write press releases, prepare the track, get the change, deal with drivers and fans, park cars, whatever it took. I would give nothing for all that," Wheeler said. "Short track operations was the backbone of my learning. I could not have ran Charlotte nearly as well without the short track experience. I think every superspeedway operator would be much better if he ran a short track." The track plans to add another member to the Hall of Fame each season. — From track reports
MACS EVENT AT LERNERVILLE HONORS FAN: The Aug. 29 Jim Shank Memorial at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., a $7,000-to-win event on the Mid-Atlantic Championship Series, will be a rare event that honors a late race fan. Shank, a huge fan of Lernerville regular Lynn Geisler, frequented tracks in western Pennsylvania and beyond. "Jim had an airbrushed mural of my car and name on the rear tire cover of his conversion van that he used to travel to the races in," Geisler recalled. "Jim’s van became a popular attraction at the different facilities he visited. There were always fans stopping by to look at the mural which sparked many conversations, often times with total strangers. To win this race would be very special. It would really be the icing on the cake and a great tribute to my friend." The event is sponsored by Cleveland Brothers CAT and Potoka Trucking and Repair. — From series reports
WORLD 100 BEST APPEARING AWARD AVAILABLE: There will be $500 on the line Sept. 5-6 at Eldora Speedway's World 100 for the Beat Appearing Car and Crew award. Teams are encouraged to unveil their fanciest graphic schemes and best crew apparel the DirtonDirt.com-sponsored honor at the sport's most prestigious event. "Chub Frank set the bar high with his Chubzilla paint scheme, and based on what we’re hearing from drivers so far, this year is going to be even better," DirtonDirt.com's Michael Rigsby said. Media members will receive ballots to judge the award at Sept. 6's media luncheon at the Eldora Ballroom. — From track reports
WDRA'S RICHEST EVENT ON TAP: Western Dirt Racing Association Late Models are prepared for Aug. 30-31 at Aztec (N.M.) Speedway. The second annual Snap-On Tools Four Corners Shootout opens with a $1,000-to-win feature and closes with Saturday's $2,500-to-win event. Jeep Berry enters the events at the high-banked third-mile track undefeated in WDRA action in 2008. — Tom Freimann
CAROLINA CLASH READY FOR COUNTDOWN TO THE CUP: Using a playoff-style format for the first time in 2008, the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series has set the nine drivers eligible for the Countdown to the Cup Championship Series which leads to the $12,500 series title. The drivers still alive for the final six-race stretch that begins Aug. 30 at Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway are four-time and defending series champion Ricky Weeks, Dennis Franklin, Doug Sanders, Craig Shuffield, Scott Neighbors, Anthony Sanders, Jeff Smith, Ed Gibbons and Deano Long. — From series reports
SCHEDULE CHANGES: O'Reilly NCRA moved its Aug. 29 event at Hutchinson (Kan.) Raceway Park to 81 Speedway, giving the track near Wichita, Kan., a weekend doubleheader for the Late Model division. ... While the Sept. 1 Independent Racing Series event at Cannonball Motor Speedway was cancelled, IRS officials hope to add a date later in the season at the track in St. Clairsville, Ohio. ... With the closing of Milan (Tenn.) Speedway, the Southern Regional Racing Series has moved its Sept. 6 event to Clayhill Motorsports in Atwood, Tenn. ... Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, Okla., has added a Sept. 5-6 event co-sanctioned by the Allstate Dirt LateModel Racing Association and O'Reilly Mid-South Racing Association.
