Bristol Motor Speedway
Notes: Lawrenceburg a new challenge for WoO
Fans enjoy 2008's Summernationals event at Lawrenceburg, Ind. (DirtonDirt.com)
Technically speaking, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series is returning to Lawrenceburg Speedway May 16 after a year's absence. But in reality, Saturday's Whiskey City 50 might as well be considered the tour's debut at the southeastern Indiana track. | May special event schedule
That's how much has changed at Lawrenceburg Speedway, which has been completely transformed from a circular, quarter-mile bullring to a high-banked, 3/8-mile oval since the series last visited on July 26, 2007.
Lawrenceburg setup notes from 2007 will be of no use to the WoO regulars on Saturday night. Every tour traveler will get their first taste of the new Lawrenceburg with the exception of 2007 champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who finished second in a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at the refurbished track last August, and 2009 Rookie of the Year points leader Jordan Bland of Campbellsville, Ky., who competed in last June's UMP DIRTcar Summernationals show.
And actually, experienced gained at Lawrenceburg last year might not be that much of an advantage. Lawrenceburg promoter Dave Rudisell said the track isn't quite the same as it was in 2008, thanks to the off-season application of 400 truckloads of new clay and a slight reshaping of the banking in the turns.
“We gave the track a more progressive banking,” said Rudisell, who is in his third season at the helm of the venerable track. “We wanted to open up more racing grooves out there, and so far it seems to have worked. The racing this year has been great.”
Lawrenceburg Speedway was already one of the top dirt-track facilities in the country when the WoO made its first and only appearance there in 2007; the rustic fairgrounds track was completely leveled after the 2001 racing season and rebuilt to a minor-league baseball stadium level thanks to more than $2 million in funding from the town. But now the speedplant is even bigger and better after the town invested another $4 million following the 2007 season to enlarge the track, erect a concrete wall around the entire oval, add more seating and lighting and generally make the speedway a showplace.
The WoO was scheduled to compete at Lawrenceburg Speedway in May 2008, but the event had to be canceled because the ambitious reconstruction project wasn't yet completed.
“I'm very excited to have the World of Outlaws coming back to Lawrenceburg,” said Rudisell. “It was very disappointing for us to lose the Outlaw show last year, so everyone is pumped up."
A $10,000 first-place check will on the line, but the winner will also receive a special event-themed prize in Victory Lane: a bottle of whiskey. The race is named the Whiskey City 50 in a nod to the longtime nickname of the town of Lawrenceburg, which was once home to at least a half-dozen distilleries but now only claims one — the Joseph E. Seagram & Sons distillery that is visible from the speedway grounds. — Kevin Kovac
LUCAS OIL BACK IN ACTION AT PADUCAH, La SALLE: The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series plans a pair of $10,000-to-win events on May 15-16 with a Friday-Saturday doubleheader at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway and La Salle (Ill.) Speedway. Paducah, hosting the Lucas Oil Series for the first time, also plans a $3,000-to-win tuneup feature on Thursday under the track's weekly UMP rules. Paducah's two-night event is a makeup from rainouts the first weekend in May. In other Lucas Oil news, the series added a $7,000-to-win event at Cleveland (Tenn.) Speedway on June 16. The first series race at Cleveland gives the tour a seven-race stretch over 10 days from June 11-20. — James Essex
SHOWPLACE NEW MEXICO TRACK CLOSING: Hollywood Hills Speedway, an 8-year-old dirt track adjacent to Casino Hollywood in San Felipe Pueblo, N.M., is unexpectedly closing because of safety issues with the main entrance and concession buildings, according to the track website. "We were caught off guard by the news today and feel badly for the racers of New Mexico," said Benji Lyons, who took over as promoter in April. "We truly wanted to give them a place to call home but this is out of our control." Engineers found problems with concrete and masonry issues of two buildings and deemed them unsafe, and "we felt it was too much liability to keep it operating," said Ron Brown of Casino Hollywood. The 10,000-seat track ran regular programs for the Rio Grande Super Late Models and had scheduled the July 31-Aug. 1 Hollywood Hustle, a Late Model special sanctioned by the Southwest Dirt Racing Association, Western Dirt Racing Association and Colorado Late Model Association. The track's final event is scheduled for May 23. — Track and KOAT-TV reports
FARLEY ADDS TORNADO TUESDAY EVENTS: Coming off a successful May Day Classic, Farley (Iowa) Speedway has added a pair of midweek $10,000-to-win events to its schedule. The Tornado Tuesday races for unsanctioned Super Late Models are scheduled for June 16 and July 7 at the half-mile oval in eastern Iowa. The 50-lap features will pay at least $300 to every starter. In other news at Simmons Promotions tracks, West Liberty boosted the purse of its Aug. 4 event to $10,000-to-win, up from $5,000. — From track reports
HESSTON SCHEDULES $10,000-TO-WIN EVENT: Hesston Speedway, a half-mile dirt track in central Pennsylvania near Huntingdon, has scheduled an unsanctioned $10,000-to-win event for Super Late Models on Oct. 8-10, according to the track website. Pill draw will set heat lineups (no time trials) followed by an 88-lap feature event. Two support divisions will run with the Late Models and more details will be announced. It won't be the only big race in Pennsylvania that weekend. The finale of the Unified Force Race Championship Series is scheduled for Oct. 8-10 at Challenger Raceway near Indiana, Pa. The race paid $22,000 to the winner last year, but the 2009 purse hasn't been announced. — From track reports
MOUNT VERNON TRACK APPARENTLY CLOSING FOR GOOD: The three-way partnership that owns Mount Vernon (Ill.) Raceway has voted to put the 22.5 acres up for sale, according to promoter Rick Heck. Heck, one of the three owning partners, hoped to keep the track operating, but an increase in the monthly lease to $10,000 from $1,500 made it impossible, he said. "I would say that racing at Mount Vernon is at the end," said Heck, who has been affiliated with the long-time UMP track since 1998. The track property's appraised value has increased fivefold or more with the impending opening of a new interchange off a stretch of I-57/I-64, Heck said. If the land is sold, Heck hopes to use some of his earnings to build a new dirt track east of Mount Vernon on State Route 15. — Todd Turner
MSRA EXPANDS MAKEUP EVENT AT MONTICELLO: The O'Reilly Mid-South Racing Association has expanded its makeup of a May 9 rainout at Drew County Speedway in Monticello, Ark., into a May 15-16 doubleheader. Both events at the 3/8-mile oval will pay $2,000-to-win and $300-to-start. Billy Moyer Jr. leads MSRA points after five events. — Ben Shelton
OHIO TRACKS TEAM UP FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND: Two eastern Ohio tracks separated by 42 miles are joining to run a pair of $3,000-to-win Super Late Model specials over Memorial Day weekend. Midway Speedway in Crooksville plans to run the first half of the Double Barrel Shootout on Friday, May 22, while Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville will close the weekend Saturday, May 23. The driver with the best combined finish will receive $500 with the second- and third-place drivers receiving $300 and $200. — From track reports
ODDS AND ENDS: Instead of a two-race weekend, the Mississippi State Championship Series will run a single event May 16 at South Mississippi Speedway near Pass Christian. The feature will pay $2,500 to the winner. ... Central Pennsylvania Speedway in Clearfield, Pa., has scheduled the $4,009-to-win Steel Block Nationals for Sept. 6. The race will honor the late Shawn McGarvey, last year's winner. ... Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway hosts the Indiana Late Model Series for Crate Late Models on Friday, May 15. ... Speedway Motors will sponsor this year's WISSOTA 100, scheduled for Sept. 16-19 at Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D. ... The United Late Model Association has dissolved its association with Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo. .... Camden (Tenn.) Motor Speedway has scheduled a $2,000-to-win race for May 22, the first of three Super Late Model specials scheduled for 2009 at the west Tennessee track. ... The Western Dirt Racing Association has scheduled a non-points event for May 16 at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Olathe, Colo. ... Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., runs ULMA Late Models weekly, but the track is also allowing Crate Late Model and Late Models running on Show-Me Racin' Series rules to compete weekly. ... Crossville (Tenn.) Raceway is moving its weekly program to Saturdays beginning on May 23. The Late Model Sportsman division runs weekly at Crossville. ... The O'Reilly SUPR tour has moved its May 22 event to Paris (Texas) Motor Speedway instead of Fast Trax Speedway in Chatham, La. ... Fast Trax hosts a $2,500-to-win Super Late Model race on May 30 as part of the Doug Murphey Memorial.
