WoO plans eight rich Speedweeks races
By Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model SeriesThe 2013 World of Outlaws Late Model Series will kick off with the busiest month of February in the history of the national tour.
The three tracks that hosted WoO events in February ’12 — Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga., Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., and Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla. — will be featured again come 2013, but changes in each facility’s program will produce more lucrative events.
A total of eight WoO races will be contested over a three-week stretch in February, highlighted by the inaugural $20,000-to-win Super Sunday Showdown that will close the second annual Bubba Army Late Model Winter Nationals on Feb. 15-17 at Bubba Raceway Park.
In addition, Screven’s second annual Winter Freeze event has been restructured to include a pair of full WoO racing programs on Feb. 8-9 and Volusia’s 42nd UNOH DIRTcar Nationals presented by Summit Racing Equipment will for the first time boast three consecutive nights of WoO competition from Feb. 21-23.
“The 2013 World of Outlaws Late Model Series is definitely going to start in unprecedented fashion,” said WoO director Tim Christman. “We think this schedule of events will be very attractive for both the racers and fans. In a span of three winter weeks teams will have a chance to race for over $400,000 in purses, including $85,000 in first-place prizes alone.”
The Bubba Army Winter Nationals, an event that debuted earlier this season and produced unforgettable racing at the 3/8-mile D-shaped track in Ocala, will take on a new look in ’13. Moving to a Friday-Sunday spot on the calendar, the meet will grow increasingly larger each night, with a 40-lap, $7,000-to-win show on Feb. 15, and a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event on Feb. 16 leading into the 75-lap, mega-money finale on Feb. 17.
With a track-record $20,000 first-place check on the line in the Super Sunday Showdown, track co-owner Bubba The Love Sponge Clem is anticipating that the already intense action at his unique track will reach an even loftier level.
“We wanted to make the Bubba Army Late Model Winter Nationals even bigger in 2013 for the fans and race teams and I think we’ve done it,” said Clem, a nationally-known syndicated radio show host. “Running a $20,000-to-win show on Sunday night before everybody goes over to Volusia (for the DIRTcar Nationals) seems like a perfect fit. The fans are gonna love seeing all the best drivers come together for the biggest-paying race of Georgia-Florida Speedweeks.”
A practice night at BRP is scheduled for Feb. 14.
The 3/8-mile Screven Motor Speedway, meanwhile, will present the season-opening WoO event for the second consecutive year. In 2013, however, promoter Redd Griffin will spin off two complete programs, running a 40-lap, $8,000-to-win race on Feb. 8, and a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win show on Feb. 9. Dirt Late Model teams will have an opportunity to practice at Screven on Feb. 7.
The circuit’s ambitious month will close at its traditional February home base, Volusia Speedway Park outside Daytona Beach, Fla. A high-speed, half-mile oval, Volusia will offer three consecutive nights of WoO action topped by 50-lappers paying $10,000 to win on Feb. 21, Feb. 22 and Feb. 23.
Volusia's action has included two scheduled WoO programs in each season since 2005, but World Racing Group officials decided to up the ante in ’13 with an additional date. The Dirt Late Model portion of Volusia’s action will begin in ’13 with three nights of DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned action (Feb. 18-20) and close with a WoO tripleheader.
The 42nd UNOH DIRTcar Nationals will also include racing for the WoO Sprint Car Series (Feb. 15-17); All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars (Feb. 13-14); Super DIRTcar Series big-block Modifieds (Feb. 20-23); and UMP Modifieds (Feb. 12-19).
