The Dirt Track at Charlotte
Notes: Looking at Charlotte's World Finals
By Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Josh Richards is on the cusp of his third WoO title. (thesportswire.net)
Barring a disastrous pair of back-of-the-field finishes — and two perfect nights for either Lanigan or Clanton — Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., will be honored following Saturday night’s World Finals action at the Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C.
Richards, 25, is set to become the first driver to win three World of Outlaws Late Model Series points titles in the tour’s World Racing Group era (2004-present).
Richards is also the lone WoO regular with a World Finals victory to their credit. He won the ’08 finale.
Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., is the all-time winningest driver at the World Finals with five victories, including an unprecedented sweep of last year’s weekend. He has won Saturday's finale each of the past four years.
Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., has three career World Finals triumphs (the opener in 2007, ’08 and ’09); Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., won the first half of doubleheader in both 2010 and ’11; and Donnie Moran of Dresden, Ohio, captured the finale in ’07.
Weekend happenings
The World Finals begin Nov. 7, with the big qualifying night featuring two rounds of WoO Late Model and sprint car time trials and two sets of Super DIRTcar Series big-block modified heats. Each division’s first round of qualifying will apply to Friday’s program and the second round to Saturday’s racing card.
Late Models and sprint cars will compete in full programs (heats, consolations, features) on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9 while the big-block modifieds will contest consolation races and 40-lap features each evening. Green flags are scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Thursday and 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Wednesday night party
Dirt racing fans are invited to kick off World Finals weekend by attending PRN’s At The Track live show on Wed., Nov. 6, at Carolina Ale House at Concord, just down the road from the speedway near Concord Mills Mall.
The Live with the World of Outlaws party is open to the public from 7-9 p.m. The evening will include door prizes and live interviews with guests, including WoO points leader Josh Richards, two-time World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series champion and Kasey Kahne Racing driver Jason Meyers, Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series point leader Brett Hearn and more. Fans can also get an up-close view of a World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series show car.
PRN’s At The Track is a weekly show produced by the Performance Racing Network. The show features the Southeast’s dirt track and short track news and newsmakers along with insights and behind-the-scenes information on the wide variety of events at these tracks and at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Live on pay-per-view
Fans who can’t make the trip to Charlotte can still watch all the racing live on-line by visiting DirtonDirt.com and purchasing a pay-per-view package. All three nights of the World Finals will be produced live with viewers enjoying lap-by-lap coverage plus interviews with the event’s newsmakers.
The World Finals will also be taped for later broadcast on the CBS Sports Network. Friday night’s program will be broadcast from 9 p.m.-midnight Dec. 15 and Saturday night’s action will be shown on 9 p.m.-midnight Dec. 22.
Lanigan’s final challenge
Darrell Lanigan’s hopes of a second consecutive WoO points crown are nearly extinguished, but the Union, Ky., driver has plenty to race for in the World Finals. Not only will he battle Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., for second in the points standings, but he also will chase his long-awaited first-ever victory at Charlotte.
The 43-year-old Lanigan has had many strong runs at Charlotte — including a pair of third-place finishes in last year’s World Finals — but he’s never won in 20 career starts there.
Carrying momentum
WoO regulars Rick Eckert of York, Pa., and Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., will go to the post this weekend hot off a sweep of the top-two finishing positions in Sunday night’s unsanctioned National 100 at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City.
Eckert claimed the race’s $20,000 first-place prize for the third time in his career over McCreadie, who led much of the distance before Eckert pulled off an outside move exiting turn four to take the top spot heading to the white flag.
Big car count expected
The World Finals typically draws a huge field — average car count over its six-year history: 75.67 — and this year is expected to be no different.
The World Finals will once again serve as a grand season-ending showdown between the country’s best drivers. Among the stars expected to compete:
• WoO regulars Richards, Lanigan, Clanton, Eckert and McCreadie plus Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., and rookies Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., and Morgan Bagley of Longview, Texas.
• UMP DIRTcar standouts Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., and 16-year-old Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill.
• Eight of the top 10 drivers in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points standings: champion Owens and Scott Bloomquist plus Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va., Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., and Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark.
• Southern stalwarts such as Jonathan Davenport, Dennis “Rambo” Franklin of Gaffney, S.C., Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn., and Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C.
• Northern talents Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, Pa. (a two-time WoO winner this season), Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va., Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., Ricky Elliott of Seaford, Del., Dan Stone of Thompson, Pa., Dale Hollidge of Mechanicsville, Md., Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., and Billy Decker of Unadilla, N.Y.
• Hall of Famer Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., who is planning to compete in the full World Finals program for the first time. In 2009 he entered the WoO Topless Showdown that preceded the World Finals but headed home after the event.
Odds and ends
Tickets for the World Finals are available at charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling (800) 455-FANS. Three-day packages are available for $79 and $34 for children 13-and-under. … Drivers will compete for increased purses during this year’s World Finals, with first-place prizes for each feature upped to $12,000 (from $10,000). Start money has also been padded to $1,000 (from $700). … To provide more entertainment for what's expected to be a record World Finals crowd, Charlotte has expanded the fan zone and prerace lineup. Nearly 50 interactive displays and souvenir rigs will fill an 80,000-square-foot fan zone located near the track’s main entrance, nearly 20 percent larger than years past. … Live music by Southern Edge will be available on each event day before on-track action.
