Florence Speedway
Fast Facts: 33rd annual Sunoco North-South 100
33rd annual Sunoco Race Fuels North-South 100
(Complete North-South coverage)
Dates: Aug. 6-8 (practice on Thursday; two sets of heat races Friday; consolations, dashes and 100-lap main event Saturday).
Track: Florence Speedway, Union, Ky. (high-banked half-mile oval)
Purse: $50,000-to-win, $2,500-to-start.
Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Tickets: Two-day tickets $55 ($10 for children 6-11); pit passes $70; see track website for more ticket details.
On the web: florencespeedway.com or lucasdirt.com
Track phone: (859) 493-0034
Last year’s winner: Coming alive in the final dozen laps, Eddie Carrier Jr. became the first Kentucky native to win the state’s richest race in 20 years.
Notes: It’s the second year for a new format. Dumping time trials last season, Florence instituted a double-heat race format similar to I-80 Speedway’s Silver Dollar Nationals. Entrants will draw for Friday heat race positions, run the first set of heats, then the start inverted by the same draw in the second set of heats. The top 16 drivers in passing points are locked into Saturday’s 100-lapper. … Two eight-car dashes (inside row, outside row) on Saturday will set the first eight rows for the main event. … Three 20-lap consolation races are also on Saturday’s card. … Turns three and four were widened in 2014 and more work was down in turns one and two before the 2015 season. … The track also unveiled a new scoreboard this season. … A $2,500-to-win non-qualifiers’ race is also on the program. … Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader Jonathan Davenport returns to Florence after dominating the Ralph Latham Memorial, the track’s major spring event. … He’s won seven of the last 10 series races overall. … The National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Saturday. This year’s class: Davey Johnson, Red Droste, Skip Arp, Curt Hansen, Leon Sells, Jim Butler, Al Frieden and Wayne Kindness. … Eddie Carrier Jr. will receive the Sportsman award and Lifetime Achievement awards will go to Butch Shay and Craig Cowan. … Lucas Oil is the presenting race sponsor. … The race is part of the Bad Boy Mowers TV Challenge and ASi Crown Jewel Cup. … Modifieds are in action during the weekend with prelims on Friday and a $2,000-to-win main event Saturday.
Sunoco North-South 100 winners
1983: Pat Patrick, Saylor Park, Ohio
Sunoco North-South 100 purse
24. $2,500
Non-qualifiers’ purse
20. $300
Sunoco North-South 100 schedule
Friday
Saturday
• Late Model 100-lap main event
Correction: Adds Leon Sells to Hall of Fame inductees