Previewing Midwestern tours for the '13 season
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com managing editor
With spring just around the corner (or already here in many places), here's a look at developments on Midwestern Dirt Late Model tours for the 2013 season. The brief capsules, with information primarily from series officials, directors and publicists, focus on changes for the upcoming season and includes links to the series websites and schedule pages. As usual most series are concerned about fuel costs, the economy and need more sponsorship. With that said, welcome to 2013 (regional series preview home):
Allstar Performance Michigan Dirt Cup
2012 recap: Brandon Thirlby of Traverse City, Mich., won three of eight series races — including the opener and finale — to earn the championship on the first-year series.
2013 opener: April 26 at Mount Pleasant (Mich.) Speedway.
Schedule highlights (complete schedule): The Wood Tic weekend at Merritt Speedway in on the schedule for July 19-20, and the dirt-covered asphalt at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich., hosts the Sept. 14 finale.
Rule-format changes: None for the DIRTcar-sanctioned organization.
Expected regulars: Rich Neiser, Eric Spangler, Zack Olger, Dona Marcoullier, Ryan VanderVeen, J.R. Hotovy and Rusty Schlenk among others.
Key question: Can the tour continue to build momentum in its second season?
Odds and ends: The minimum winning purses for series events is $1,500, but some races will likely pay more, series co-director Bill Long said. Purse updates will be announced later ... A March 23 meeting at Lane Automotive in Watervliet, Mich., will include a tour of the facility and a chance for drivers to pre-register and get information on the series. ... Drivers who are rookies at their home tracks are considered rookies on the tour and can run for Rookie of the Year title. ... The series is looking for additional sponsorship to help boost the Late Model purses. ... Brandon Thirlby is expected to chase the weekly UMP DIRTcar title, but he’ll likely run a number of series events. ... The Michigan Dirt Cup launched in 2011 with modifieds before adding the Late Model division in 2012.
Corn Belt Clash Late Model Series
2012 recap: Winningest series driver Chad Simpson of Mount Vernon, Iowa, captured four series races en route to his third straight crown on the Iowa-based Super Late Model tour, topping brother Chris by 62 points.
2013 opener: April 5-6 doubleheader at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb., paying $2,000- and $3,000-to-win in races co-sanctioned by MLRA.
Schedule highlights (complete schedule): The April 19-21 tripleheader at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill.; 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa; and Quincy (Ill.) Raceway along with MARS and Sunoco ALMS. The June 28-29 weekend at I-80 Speedway and Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, pay $4,000- and $5,000-to-win. The tour also plans a three-race Wisconsin swing.
Rule-format changes: Following the lead of MLRA, the tire rule formerly restricting drivers to Hoosier D-55, WRS 55 and WRS2 tires now allows other tires of near-identical hardness, including Hoosier LM-40s and the new Hoosier L06 (that rule will be implemented following the season-opening April 5-6 weekend).
Expected regulars: Chad Simpson, Dave Eckrich, Jason Rauen, Jake Meier, Tim Isenberg, Justin Kay, Denny Eckrich, Chris Simpson, Rob Moss and Charlie McKenna among others.
Key question: Can the series continue to uphold Super Late Model racing in spec engine-dominated Iowa?
Odds and ends: The series is trying to land a sponsor for a Rookie of the Year program ... The tour also may add a transponder system; if that happens, adding time trials to the format has been a consideration. ... The series plans a miniseries point fund for the Fourth of July swing through Wisconsin. ... As soon as a few race contracts are returned, series director Cam Granger said, the series plans to add as many has a half-dozen more events to the schedule, including a few in July and a few in September. ... Chad Simpson owns 20 career victories to lead brother Chris (6) and Jason Rauen (4) on the all-time wins list.
IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series
2012 recap: Veteran Jeff Aikey of Waterloo, Iowa, won three races, including the series finale, to notch his series-leading seventh championship on the Iowa-based circuit.
2013 opener: April 5 at Dubuque (Iowa) Speedway.
Schedule highlights (complete schedule): The $5,555-to-win Brenton Slocum Memorial at 34 Raceway on April 6 and the $7,500-to-win Yankee Dirt Track Classic at Farley (Iowa) Speedway on Sept. 14, following a $3,000-to-win event Sept. 13.
Rule-format changes: Purses get a big bump to a minimum $3,000-to-win (up from $2,000) and $300-to-start (up from $250). Entry fees ($50) don’t change. The only rule changes for IMCA Late Models: SA2000 helmets are no longer legal (must be SA2005 or 2010) and requirements are tightened for mounting safety belts. Digital tachometers are now allowed.
Expected regulars: Jeff Aikey, Ray Guss Jr., Mike Murphy Jr., Jay Johnson, Andy Eckrich, Denny Eckrich and series ironman Darrel DeFrance, who has competed in all 404 series events over 26 seasons.
Key question: Will bigger purses draw even more regulars to the already healthy series?
Odds and ends: The tour visits Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City, Iowa, for the first time since 2006. ... The series, wanting to make sure to hit the balance of touring races among IMCA’s weekly tracks, turned down some requests from tracks to host series races in 2013. IMCA marketing director Kevin Yoder said officials are already studying 2014 to try to accommodate more events. ... the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals event on Sept. 2 at Boone (Iowa) Speedway comes with a bonus. Beside the $3,000 winner’s purse, the winner receives a cash equivalent of an extra $30 per IMCA weekly event he’s competed in during the season, adding perhaps $1,000 for a busy driver. ... Jeff Aikey (58) leads the all-time wins list followed by Ray Guss Jr. (27), Mark Burgtorf (26), Curt Martin (25) and Gary Webb (22).
Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association
2012 recap: John Anderson of Omaha, Neb., grabbed five victories en route to his third championship on the Missouri-based tour.
2013 opener: An April 5-6 doubleheader at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb., co-sanctioned by the Corn Belt Clash.
Schedule highlights (complete schedule): While MLRA co-sanctions the Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 and Silver Dollar Nationals with the bigger brother Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, the biggest standalone MLRA event is the Oct. 4-5 season finale weekend at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., capped by a $5,000-to-win event during NASCAR weekend at nearby Kansas Speedway. The newly announced $5,000-to-win event on Thursday’s preceding the Show-Me 100 also gives the tour a chance to shine.
Rule-format changes: MLRA added a Winner’s Circle program that pays the top 10 series drivers with perfect attendance $200 at each venue in addition to purse earnings. Also, MLRA's tire rule expands from Hoosier WRS 55-only to allow other Hoosier tires of similar hardness, including newly-plated tires of identical hardness new for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. In addition MLRA is more closely aligned to specifics of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series rulebook, as well as adding a pound-per-lap fuel burnoff, allowing second ignition systems and giving a 50-pound weight break for steel-block engine cars.
Expected regulars: John Anderson, Eric Turner, Mark Dotson, Kevin Sather and Bill Leighton Jr. along with a variety of MARS competitors when the tours don’t overlap. Rookie of the Year candidates are Chase Junghans, Joe Walkenhorst and Tommy Weder Jr., last year’s NCRA champ.
Key question: Will the Winner Circle’s program expand the number of drivers following the tour?
Odds and ends: Dan Robinson serves as series director for the first time in 2013 after Lucas Oil purchased the series from former owners Allen and Harriett Chancellor, who remain as series consultants. ... The series visits Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, Okla., for the first time since 2000. ... I-80 Speedway hosts a series-high four events. ... MLRA has only one driver (John Anderson) regularly competing with more than five career series victories. ... Dates at Springfield (Mo.) Raceway were on the tour’s initial schedule, but they’ve been removed. A few more dates are expected to be added to give the tour more than 20 events. ... Terry Phillips (104) is the all-time winningest driver followed by Al Purkey (49), Billy Moyer (38), Bill Frye (31) and John Anderson (29).
MARS DIRTcar Series
2012 recap: Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., notched seven victories en route to his first championship on the Missouri-based, DIRTcar-sanctioned tour.
2013 opener: The series opened March 8-9 at Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway with non-regulars Walker Arthur of Forest, Va., and Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., earning Tuckassee Toilet Bowl Classic victories.
Schedule highlights (complete schedule): A $5,000-to-win event at Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, on June 29 and a pair of weekends at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo., paying $5,000-to-win each night (May 31-June 1; Aug. 23-24).
Rule-format changes: None announced.
Expected regulars: Jesse Stovall, Tony Jackson Jr., Brandon Morton, David Turner, Justin Wells, Dustin Walker, Justin Asplin, Leroy Johnson and more.
Key question: Can Stovall recapture the magic of his 2012 season?
Odds and ends: The 29-race schedule is the busiest for MARS since 2003. ... Dustin Walker of Peculiar, Mo., MLRA’s 2011 Rookie of the Year, is gunning for the MARS rookie title in 2013. ... The series makes its first-ever trip to West Siloam (Okla.) Speedway on July 5-6 with $1,500- and $3,000-to-win events. ... MARS also debuts at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, and Quincy (Ill.) Raceway on April 20-21, part of a three-race weekend tri-sanctioned by the Corn Belt Clash and Sunoco ALMS tours. ... MARS joins MLRA and NCRA at Junction Motor Speedway’s King of the Hill Nationals on Aug. 9-10. ... Monett (Mo.) Speedway hosts a series-high four events, including the 43rd annual Four-State Dirt Track Championship on Sept. 1. Monett is moving its weekly events to Friday nights but Memorial and Labor Day weekend specials remain on Sunday. ... Terry Phillips (81) is the all-time winningest series driver folllowed by Bill Frye (35), Wendell Wallace (28), Billy Moyer (16) and Jesse Stovall (12).
National Championship Racing Association
2012 recap: Tommy Weder Jr. of Woodward, Okla., captured the series title, winning two of nine events on the Kansas-based, DIRTcar-sanctioned circuit.
2013 opener: May 25 at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb.
Schedule highlights (complete schedule): A 12-race schedule among eight tracks in four states includes events two stops at the Belleville (Kan.) High Banks and the Aug. 9-10 King of the Hill Nationals at Junction Motor Speedway.
Rule-format changes: None announced.
Expected regulars: Gary Gorby, Dan Battaglia, Chase Junghans, Kyle Berck, Bill Leighton Jr., Brian Kenkel and more.
Key question: With Tommy Weder Jr. not expected to defend his title, who will be the odds-on favorite?
Odds and ends: Precise Racing Products is NCRA’s Late Model division presenting sponsor. ... NCRA is in its 30th season. ... MLRA and MARS will co-sanction Junction’s Kind of the Hill Nationals. ... Colorado-based Championship Dirt Motorsports is co-sanctioning the July 12-13 weekend at Hutchinson, Kan., and Doniphan, Neb. ... NCRA is making its first stop at Salina (Okla.) Highbanks Speedway since 2003. ... G&G Dozer of Caney, Kan., is sponsoring NCRA’s Rookie of the Year award; Darin Busch of Enid, Okla., has announced his intentions to chase the title. ... Kelly Boen (59) is NCRA’s all-time victories leader followed by Al Purkey (26), Kyle Berck (25), Larry Phillips (24) and Larry McDaniels (24).
Northern LateModel Racing Association
2012 recap: Brad Seng of Grand Forks, N.D., won his first NLRA touring title, winning three mid-season races in a row in topping Ricky Weiss by 26 points.
2013 opener: May 11 at Devil’s Lake (N.D.) Speedway, the first of 18 series events.
Schedule highlights (complete schedule): Labor Day weekend doubleheader with $4,500 in winning purses in Viking Speedway, the Prelude to the Johnny before the John Seitz Memorial at River City Speedway and the first-ever series visit to Emo Speedway in Ontario, the track’s first Late Model event in more than 15 years.
Rule-format changes: None announced.
Expected regulars: Brad Seng, Mike Balcaen, Dustin Strand, Troy Schill, Bill Mooney, Steve Anderson, Shane Edginton, Cole Schill and more.
Key question: Can the driver-operated tour balance a travel schedule that’s economical for race teams?
Odds and ends: The series visits Hibbing (Minn.) Raceway for the first time since 2003 ... NLRA will give show-up points for the John Seitz Memorial, a non-touring WISSOTA event at River Cities paying $9,200-to-win. ... Norman County Raceway in Ada, Minn., hosts three events, including a July 18 race co-sanctioned by the WISSOTA Challenge Series. ... The late John Seitz (26) is the winningest tour driver followed by Mike Balcaen (19), Brad Sent (18), Mitch Johnson (12) and Jeff Wildung (10).
Sunoco American Late Model Series
2012 recap: Winning only the series opener, Brian Ruhlman of Clarklake, Mich., captured his fourth title, all in the last eight seasons, during a 17-race schedule.
2013 opener: March 30 at La Salle (Ill.) Speedway for the inaugural Thaw Brawl, a $10,000-to-win event.
Schedule highlights (complete schedule): Besides La Salle, the other richest events are the June 22 Barney Oldfield Race at Oakshade Raceway ($4,900-to-win) and the Oct. 5 season finale Fall Nationals at Eldora Speedway ($5,000).
Rule-format changes: The series has split into East and West Regions with three separate points funds. Each region will crown a champion while the overall champ will be determined by each drivers’ top 20 finishes in any ALMS event.
Expected regulars: Brian Ruhlman, Ryan Vanderveen, Curtis Roberts, Jerry Bowersock, Jon Henry, Jeff Babcock, Rusty Schlenk with a likely influx of Illinois drivers focusing on West Region events.
Key question: Will splitting the tour into regions give Illinois an ample replacement for the defunct Northern All Stars and Monster Midwest tours?
Odds and ends: The expansion of the West Region brings many first-time Illinois tracks: Tri-City Speedway, Charleston Speedway, Macon Speedway and Peoria Speedway. ... Other first-time tracks: Iowa’s 34 Raceway and Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway, Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind., and Twin Cities Raceway Park in North Vernon, Ind. ... Oakshade’s Barney Oldfield Race is part of the ALMS circuit for the first time. ... Some races are East and West Region only; some are part of both regions. ... The series is expected to add a pair of races at Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track. ... Kris Patterson (36) is the all-time winningest series driver followed by Jeep Van Wormer (30), Brian Ruhlman (23), Matt Miller (22) and Shane Yoder (18).
Super Late Model Racing Series (Nebraska)
2012 recap: In the sixth series season, Travis Dickes of Madison, Neb., won two races en route to his second straight championship on the Nebraska-based series.
2013 opener: April 28 at the newly-reopened Butler County Speedway near Rising City, Neb., which hasn’t hosted a series event since 2010.
Schedule highlights (complete schedule): I-80 Speedway hosts a series-high six events, including the $2,022-to-win Charlie Clark Memorial on May 26 and a Thursday night special preceding the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Silver Dollar Nationals. The 14 racetracks and four states hosting events mark the most in series history.
Rule-format changes: The top eight cars will redraw to set the lineup for the first four rows of the feature (six if there are 20 cars are fewer).
Expected regulars: Travis Dickes, Kyle Berck, Justin Zeitner, Bill Leighton Jr., Tad Pospisil, Mike Collins, Mike Wiarda, Al Humphrey, Craig Preble and more. Newcomers expected are Billy Murphy, Chad Dolan and Jim Johnson.
Key question: Can Dickes, the only two-time champion on the series, win his third in a row?
Odds and ends: Series purses are $7,750 for a 22-car field, up from $7,150. ... First-time series tracks: Beatrice Speedway, Eagle Raceway, Mid-Nebraska Speedway and Thunder Hill Speedway in Mayetta, Kan., marking the first series visit to Kansas since 2008. ... Malvern Trust & Savings Bank again leads the list of series sponsors. ... Following the series quirk of paying the second-place finisher more than the winner, I-80’s Charlie Clark Memorial pays $2,222 for the runner-up, $200 more than the winner. ... That May 26 event is expected to be lengthened to 35 laps. .... July is the busiest month with five races. ... Kyle Berck is far and away the winningest series driver with 38 career victories followed by Travis Dickes (5), Leon Zeitner (4) and three drivers with three victories apiece.
UMP DIRTcar Summernationals
2012 recap: Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., had four victories overall, including two during a stretch of nine final races of top-five finishes, in securing his first championship on a 28-race tour plagued by 100-degree heat.
2013 opener: June 12 at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway for a $5,000-to-win event.
Schedule highlights (complete schedule): A June 14-15 doubleheader at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., along with $10,000-to-win races at Tri-City, Fairbury, Paducah, I-55, Kankakee, 34 Raceway as well as Oakshade Raceway’s traditional finale.
Rule-format changes: None significant.
Expected regulars: Brian Shirley, Shannon Babb, Jason Feger, Bobby Pierce, Brandon Sheppard, Mike Spatola, Jeff Babcock, Kevin Weaver and others.
Key question: Will instituting more days off (primarily Mondays and Tuesdays) and adding a sixth week help refresh the race teams but retain the day-after-day Hell Tour vibe?
Odds and ends: Twin Cities Raceway Park in North Vernon, Ind., is back on the schedule again for the first time since 2006. ... Races at Clayhill Motorsports Park in Atwood, Tenn., and Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway will run back-to-back on June 26-27 for the first time since Clayhill joined the tour in 2009. ... Among other key schedule changes is the removal of a Friday race preceding the Cedar Lake weekend, giving teams extra time for one of the longest hauls. ... Vermilion County Speedway in Danville, Ill., is back on the slate after two years off. ... UMP DIRTcar is beefing up the modified program that has run with the Late Models each of the past two seasons. ... Billy Moyer (81) is the all-time winningest driver, but Shannon Babb (76) is within striking distance. Don O’Neal (39), Scott Bloomquist (27) and Rick Aukland (23) are next on the list.
WISSOTA Challenge Series
2012 recap: John Kaanta of Elk Mound, Wis., captured the championship with a single victory during the 14-race season. Kaanta’s fourth title matched the championship total of Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis.
2013 opener: A May 10-11 doubleheader weekend at Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D., pays $2,000-to-win on the opening night and $4,000-to-win for the finale.
Schedule highlights (complete schedule): Dakota State Fair Speedway hosts the richest events, including the $6,300-to-win event on June 1 that matches its payout and lap count for the 63-lap feature with promoter Orville Chenoweth’s 63rd birthday.
Rule-format changes: None significant.
Expected regulars: Last year’s champion John Kaanta, Lance Matthees, Jordan Yaggy, David McDonald, Jake Redetzke, Marshall Fegers and reigning WISSOTA weekly champ Chad Becker.
Key question: With six of 11 series races in South Dakota, can a South Dakota driver capture the title for the first time?
Odds and ends: Norman County Raceway in Ada, Minn., hosts a July 18 date, its first-ever on the series. ... Pat Doar, who had two victories last year, leads the series with 27 all-time victories. ... John Kaanta has 21. ... A.J. Diemel won three straight last season for his first victories on the tour since 2006. ... The 11 races on the schedule are the fewest since 2010.
