Bristol Motor Speedway
Notes: Cheerios, Dollar General sponsor Bowyer
Dale McDowell
Dale McDowell's Clint Bowyer Racing team has new major sponsorship with the addition of Dollar General Stores and General Mills, the Welcome, N.C., team announced Thursday. The sponsors came to a multiyear agreement with the team that's following the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2009.
McDowell, second in the Lucas Oil Series standings heading into the Fourth of July weekend, will carry sponsorship from Dollar General on his No. 17 while General Mills will highlight products including Cheerios, Hamburger Helper, Bugles and Betty Crocker brands. Bowyer, who does the bulk of his racing on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will also highlight the sponsors when he pilots his No. 33 in occasional Dirt Late Model events.
The new association kicks off Friday at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio. The team will campaign the colors for the remainder of the 2009 and the entire 2010 season.
“We’re in our second season of competition in the Dirt Late Model ranks, and we’re working hard every day to make our cars better and provide a strong marketing tool for our sponsors," Bowyer said in a release. "I’m excited to start our new partnership with Dollar General and Cheerios this weekend." — Chip Williams
SOUTHERN NATIONALS ADDS TWO VENUES: The O'Reilly Southern Nationals Series has filled a couple of holes in the 10-race schedule with $3,500-to-win races at Fort Payne (Ala.) Motor Speedway on July 20 and Crossville (Tenn.) Raceway on July 21. That gives the two-week, Ray Cook-promoter tour a full slate of races for the tour that has seen Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., win the past two championships. Fort Payne will host the series for the first time while Crossville had series events in '05 and '08. The tour kicks off July 13 at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Va., and concludes July 25 at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway. The champion receives $5,353. — Ryan Delph
NORTH CENTRAL CANCELS WoO EVENT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series Wild West Tour event scheduled for July 9, at North Central Speedway in Brainerd, Minn., has been canceled, series officials announced on Wednesday. Track promoter Tim Boeder made the surprise announcement that he would not host the event just over one week before the tour was set to make its first appearance since 2006 at the third-mile oval. The Wild West Tour kicks off July 8 with the 30th annual Gopher 50 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn, before moving to River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., on July 10. Other events are July 14 at Gillette (Wyo.) Thunder Speedway and July 16 at Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D. — Kevin Kovac
DEERY BROTHERS RAINOUTS RESCHEDULED: Both Deery Brothers Summer Series events recently lost to inclement weather are back on the schedule for Tuesday events later in the season. The IMCA-sanctioned tour will return to Fayette County Speedway in West Union on July 14 to complete two consolation races and the feature. That program had been called after four heat races were run on June 17. The Cresco Speedway show rained out on June 16 will be made up on Aug. 25. Both features pay $2,000 to win and a minimum of $250 to start. — Bill Martin
CRATE NOTES: Langlade County Speedway in Antigo, Wis., is now hosting Fastrak Great Lakes events paying $600 to the winner each Friday night. ... The final NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series points events of 2009 will be run topless on Oct. 16-17 at South Mississippi Speedway near Pass Christian, Miss. ... Two Florida tracks, Southern Raceway in Milton and Northwest Florida Speedway in Blackman, dropped weekly Fastrak sanctioning. The tracks are not running under NeSmith Chevrolet rules but aren't sanctioned. ... Batesville (Ark.) Motor Speedway postponed its June 26-27 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series events until 2010 to give the track more time to build up its weekly program and give the economy time to improve, the series announced. — From series and track reports
ODDS AND ENDS: Former STARS champion Davey Johnson of Latrobe, Pa., is out of action for a while after a motorcycle accident. He needed 117 stitches and 13 staples in his head. Johnson, who previously drove the Tracy Seymour-owned No. 17 car, plans to run events later this season for car owner Bill Stile. ... The Northern Tier ULMS tour has moved its date at Arcade International Raceway in Delevan, N.Y., up two weeks to Aug. 14. ... The Unified Force Race Championship (UFO) tour has eliminated entry fees for events paying less than $10,000 to win. ... The fifth annual Ironman Classic, paying $3,500 to the winner, is scheduled for Aug. 22 at Richmond (Ky.) Raceway. — From correspondent and series reports
