Bristol Motor Speedway
Notes: WoO drivers can gamble on starting spots
From series, staff and track reports
Dirt Late Model fans have never seen a draw for position quite like the one planned for the Armour Vienna Sausage Showdown Presented by Ferris Commercial Mowers on Oct. 8 at the Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The pressure will be on the drivers when they step up for what's been tabbed the Southern Fried Scramble, the draw for the starting field for the 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series feature in Concord, N.C.
Assuming a format of four qualifying heats, 20 drivers will participate in the unique feature draw that gives them a chance to play it safe or roll the dice in pursuit of the maximum $30,000 first-place prize on the line in the first-ever WoO event that will be run topless.
The draw will consist of five buckets holding four starting-spot pills each. The first bucket will have positions 1-4, the second bucket positions 5-8, the third bucket positions 9-12, the fourth bucket positions 13-16 and the fifth bucket positions 17-20.
Heat transferees, starting with the winners, will have the option of selecting a pill from any of the buckets. Essentially they can guarantee themselves a starting spot in the first two rows by staying conservative and sticking their hand in the first bucket — or they can go for a position further back in the field that would set them up to a claim a huge paycheck if they win.
The Showdown is offering a base purse of $10,000 for first place, but if the driver who wins entered before Sept. 13, he will also receive a bonus in an amount equal to $1,000 multiplied by his starting position. That means winning from the pole position is worth a $1,000 bonus; from the 10th spot is worth a $10,000 bonus; and from the 20th spot is worth a $20,000 bonus. Will drivers take the gamble?
“Ideally, I would like to start in the sixth to 10th spot,” said Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who won the Circle K Colossal 100 earlier this year at Lowe's. “You’re close enough to the front to avoid some of the incidents and close enough to the back to get a good payday.”
“It’ll all depend on how the track conditions are,” said Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa. “If the track is real good, I’d pull from the bucket that would get a spot from 10th to 15th or so. I’d go for the closest spot to the front, though, if the track is heavy and fast so I’d have a better chance of staying out of trouble.”
And then there’s drivers with a more aggressive approach, like 20-year-old tour star Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. He has no reservations about getting to the front from the 20th starting spot. After all, in last year's race, he went from 21st to the lead in just 10 laps before front-end damage forced him out. “I would pick from the last bucket,” said Richards. “I know you can win from wherever you start at Charlotte, so I’d go for all or nothing.”
More than 50 dirt Late Model drivers are expected to compete in the Showdown. Joining the dirt regulars in action on Wednesday will be NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Ryan Newman, who will drive an Alltel No. 12 machine prepared by Francis. — Kevin Kovac
ULTIMATE WRAPS UP UFO SEASON: Big money on the championship on the first year Unified Force Race Championship will be on the line Oct. 9-11 at Challenger Raceway near Indiana, Pa. The weekend promises more than $145,000 in purse money for all the divisions with the $22,000-to-win Ultimate highlighting the weekend on Saturday night. Action opens Thursday with a $3,000-to-win tuneup event while Friday brings prelims for the weekend finale. Following the UFO format, action begins with eight 17-lap heat races as drivers must race their way into the main event. The 91-lap finale will follow 22-lap consolation races on Saturday. Heading into the season finale, Alex Ferree of Saxonburg, Pa., holds an eight-point lead over Jared Miley of South Park, Pa. — From series reports.
MOUNTAIN RACEWAY PARK TO HONOR ROGERS: The Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series finale on Oct. 19 at Mountain Raceway Park in Maryville, Tenn., will honor the memory of east Tennessee racer Buddy Rogers, who died in late September after a lengthy illness. The Buddy Rogers Memorial 44 pays tribute to the driver's car number. Among those in competition for the $4,000-to-win event will be the son of the race's namesake, Rick Rogers of Knoxville, Tenn., who can clinch the AAPTS championship simply by starting the feature. Rogers leads Tommy Kerr by 106 points heading into the final series event. The race was originally scheduled for Oct. 18 but moved back a day to avoid conflicts with other events and the University of Tennessee-Mississippi State football game in Knoxville. — From series reports
MARTIN WRAPS UP NESMITH CHEVROLET EAST REGION: Adam Martin of Talladega, Ala., was crowned the 2008 NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series East Region champion and put the icing on his title with his eighth weekly victory of the season Oct. 3 at Talladega Short Track. Martin has piled up 804 points with the Crate Late Model organization to outpoint Richie Stephens of Phenix City, Ala., and Blake Stewart of Centre, Ala. The West Region is still up for grabs after Jim McDuffie of Meridian, Miss., took the points lead from two-time champion Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, Miss., with his eighth victory of the season Oct. 4 at Whynot Motorsports Park near Meridian. McDuffie leads Keeton by a single point with Ben McCready of Baldwyn, Miss., still in contention for the title. — Roby Helm
UDLMCS ANNOUNCES 2009 SCHEDULE: The first-year United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series isn't wasting any time in getting ready for its second year. The series that runs primarily in Florida and Georgia plans 20 events at 13 tracks in three states beginning with a Feb. 27-28 weekend at Ocala (Fla.) Speedway and East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla. Most races pay $3,000 to the winner with several higher-paying specials, including a $10,000-to-win event at Golden Isles Speedway near Brunswick, Ga., on Oct. 15-17. Check out the complete 2009 schedule. — From series reports
ODDS AND ENDS: The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series added a Nov. 8 race at Avenger Motor Speedway in Greenville, Ala., the track formerly known as Butler County Motorsports Park. The $3,000-to-win track will be held at the track recently purchased by retired driver and car owner Chris Coggin, a land developer and real estate developer Robert Orlich, who plans improvements at the 3/8-mile track. ... A new Kentucky dirt track, Montgomery County Race Park in Mount Sterling, is being completed and promoter Shannon Pence plans to host Late Model events on a quarter-mile oval, according to the Mount Sterling (Ky.) Advocate. ... Golden Isles Speedway near Brunswick, Ga., has announced its Super Bowl of Racing in 2009 will be held from Jan. 28-31, six nights fewer than 2008's 10-race miniseries. Sanctions and purses haven't been announced. ... Butler (Mo.) Motor Speedway announced it plans to switch to Friday night race in 2009; the track ran Sundays in 2008.
