Lucas Oil Series notebook
Grandson anxious for Florence's Latham Memorial
Nick Latham
Most drivers who race regularly at Florence Speedway would love to win the Ralph Latham Memorial, but the race is extra special for one driver. Nick Latham of Winchester, Ohio, is the 21-year-old grandson of Latham and the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event is something he’s looking forward to.
Saturday’s event pays $10,000-to-win at the Union, Ky., oval, the second race of a two-race weekend that starts Friday at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway’s Toyota of Knoxville 50.
Florence’s 50-lapper is a tribute to the three-decade standout driver from Cincinnati, Ohio, who died in 1986, five years before Nick Latham was born.
“I have had several people tell me about my grandfather, I never got to meet him, but everything I have ever heard was that he was a great man, husband, father and racer,” said Latham, who is looking for his first career Late Model victory. “I put pressure on myself, I want to do well especially this weekend, my grandfather won over 200 races and several championships, and I just want that first one and then go from there.”
Latham has a pair of top-five finishes so far this season at Florence, and he’s third in track points behind Tim Prince and Duane Chamberlain. He credits his improvement to help from standout Florence graduate Darrell Lanigan, a two-time World of Outlaws champion, along with his Club 29 crew chief Jason Jameson, himself a former track champion.
“Florence is known for its tough weekly competition and when the Lucas Oil guys come in they are going to be on their game,” said Latham, who gets help in the pits from crew members Kenny Spencer, Kenny Stacey, Jason Daniels, Jonathan Harper, Jeremiah Anderson and John Chaboude. “To compete against guys like Scott Bloomquist, Jimmy Owens, Don O’Neal and the rest of those drivers, you only get better as a driver. They are the best of the best in this business. We feel with the team and car we have we can learn so much racing against those guys.
“One of our goals coming into the season was to win a race, I feel I have a monkey on my back, we are third in in the points and have a chance to win the point’s title which would mean a lot to the team. I can’t thank Darrell and Jason enough for their help with our race team.”
General admission tickets are $30 ($3 for children 6-11) with pit passes $40. Reserved seats are $2 more. Modifieds and pure stocks are also in action. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. with grandstands at 5; hot laps are scheduled for 6 p.m., time trials are 6:30 and racing at 7:30.
More Lucas Oil Series weekend notes:
THE HIGH BANKS OF TAZEWELL: Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., will be gunning for his second straight Toyota of Knoxville 50 victory Saturday at the high-banked east Tennessee oval. He’ll also be trying to match Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., the only three-time Lucas Oil Series winner at the track. Besides series regulars, among drivers expected are Jonathan Davenport, Chris Madden, Billy Ogle Jr., Vic Hill, Steve Smith and Jason Trammell. Tickets are $26 for adults (children 9-and-under free). Pit passes are $38 ($22 for children 12-and-under). Pit gates open at 3 p.m., grandstand gates at 4 with hot laps scheduled for 7:45. Sportsman, modified street and four-cylinder divisions are also in action.
HOOSIERS ROLLING AT FLORENCE: All seven Late Model features contested so far this season have been won by Indiana drivers. Greg Johnson of Bedford, Ind., and Mike Jewell of Scottsburg, Ind., have won two features apiece. Other winners are Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind., Duane Chamberlain of Richmond, Ind., and Scott James of Lawrenceburg, Ind., who earned a $5,000 Spring 50 victory. James, who won the 2003 Ralph Latham Memorial, is expected at Florence on Saturday after dropping off the World of Outlaws circuit.
O’NEAL GOING FOR THREE IN A ROW: No driver has won the Ralph Latham Memorial three straight years, but Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., will try to change that Saturday. O’Neal, second in Lucas Oil Series points behind Jimmy Owens, has won the last two Latham Memorials. The late Jack Boggs, Bart Hartman and Owens have also won back-to-back Latham Memorial races.
ODDS AND ENDS: Scott Bloomquist owns the Tazewell track record (10.822 seconds) set last year. ... The namesake of Florence’s race, Ralph Latham, had a 43-victory season in 1970 and won ARCA’s 1967 event at Daytona International Speedway. ... Florence also hosts the Lucas Oil series in August at the Sunoco Race Fuels North-South 100.
