WAYCROSS, GA (April 25, 2011) -The 2011 racing season on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is shaping up to be one of the most lucrative seasons for drivers that compete on the series. Not only will the series pay a whopping $75,000 to the series champion, but several companies have stepped up to offer numerous specialty awards for drivers that earn points in separate categories. With a schedule loaded with many crown jewel events and a record 3.2 million in prize monies to compete for in 2011, this could be a record year in earnings for drivers that compete on the series.

Sunoco Race Fuels will once again sponsor the Sunoco Road to Wheatland program and the Sunoco Race for Gas Program in 2011. The Sunoco Road to Wheatland program will pay five competitors $700 that participate with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and maintain perfect attendance through the 19th Annual DART Show-Me 100 on May 27th-28th at Lucas Oil Speedway. In addition, Sunoco Race Fuels will award $2,000 to the winner of the DART Show-Me 100, if that driver maintained perfect attendance through the Sunoco Road to Wheatland and used Sunoco Race Fuels to win the event. The Sunoco Race for Gas program rewards drivers that use Sunoco Race Fuel exclusively and awards points at each race to drivers using Sunoco Race Fuel based on their finishes. The driver that earns the most Sunoco points will receive a $3,000 cash award at the banquet. Brad Neat currently leads this category after the East Bay Winternationals.
Quarter Master and Sweet Mfg will sponsor the Rookie of the Year Program again in 2011. Quarter Master will pay $10,000 to the top rookie and Sweet Mfg will pay $5,000 to the rookie runner up in 2011. There will also be numerous product awards to the rookies that compete on the series. Four talented drivers have announced their intentions to compete on the series and run for the Quarter Master Rookie of The Year title in 2011. They include Tyler Reddick, Jared Landers, Frank Heckenast Jr. and Bub McCool. McCool is currently leading the rookie points.
E3 Spark plugs will pay a special cash award at the year-end banquet to the driver that earns the most points in the TV races for 2011. The winner will receive a $2,500 cash award with the runner-up receiving $1,500. The next televised event for the E3 Spark Plugs TV Challenge will be the Bad Boy 98 at Batesville Motor Speedway.
ASI Racewear will sponsor a special program this year, awarding two different drivers custom driving suits valued at over $2,500 each. A special custom made Sunoco driving suit will be awarded to a Sunoco Race Fuels driver for the DART Show-Me 100 as the final event of the Sunoco Road to Wheatland. All perfect attendance drivers then will compete for special ASI Racewear points for the remainder of the season to win a special custom driving suit at the year-end banquet.
COMP Cams will again sponsor the COMP Cams Engine Builder’s Challenge in 2011, awarding the top engine builder that participates a special $2,500 cash award. The winner will also receive a separate product award as well. Engine builders competing in the special challenge this year include Jay Dickens, Cornett, Pro Power, Roush-Yates, Vic Hill, ECR, Race Engine Designs, Rhyne, Gaerte Race Engines. Jay Dickens Race Engines currently leads the COMP Cams points standings.
Ohlins Shocks has stepped up this year to sponsor the Ohlins Chassis Builders Challenge. This year’s top chassis builder will earn a $1,500 cash award at the series year-end banquet. Chassis builders participating in 2011 include: Bloomquist Chassis, Rocket Chassis, Mastersbilt Chassis, Warrior Race Cars, Longhorn Chassis, Pierce Race Cars and GRT Race Cars. Bloomquist Chassis currently leads the Ohlins points category. Ohlins Shocks will also sponsor a special chassis manufactures dash at this years DART Show-Me 100.
Red Buck Cigars returns as the Fast Time award sponsor paying $100 cash to the driver that sets the fastest lap in qualifying at each event. The driver that earns the most Red Buck Fast Time Awards for the season will receive a $500 cash award at the year-end banquet. Eight different drivers have set fast time so far in 2011.
PBM/Erson Cams returns again this season as the sponsor of the PBM Hard Charger Award. They will be giving a special product award to the driver that passes the most cars in each event. The driver that earns the most PBM Hard Charger points for the season will be awarded a special PBM engine block valued at over $4,000 at the year end banquet. Earl Pearson Jr. currently leads the points in this category.
Wiles Drive Shafts will sponsor the Heat Race Challenge in 2011, awarding the driver that wins the most heat races in 2011 a special $500 cash award at the year-end banquet. Jimmy Owens and Don O’Neal are tied in this category with 5 heat race wins in 2011.
Allstar Performance will sponsor the Allstar Performer of the Race Award for each event in 2011. The driver that has the best overall performance at each event will receive a special product award. The driver that earns the most Allstar Performer of the Race points for the year will receive a $500 cash award at the year-end banquet. Earl Pearson Jr. leads with two Allstar Performer awards in 2011.
Outerwears has come on board in 2011 to sponsor a special category for drivers to earn special Outerwear points towards a $1,500 cash award at the year-end banquet. Jimmy Owens won the $500 Outerwear Challenge cash award for the East Bay Winternationals. Earl Pearson Jr. currently leads the yearlong category.
A new category in 2011 is the Janowski Insurance Feature Winner’s category. Janowski Insurance has partnered with the series to pay the driver that wins the most series features in 2011 a special $1,000 cash award at the year-end banquet. So far in 2011, Scott Bloomquist leads this category with three wins.
Dirt on Dirt will again sponsor the DirtonDirt.com Crew Chief of the Race and a special year-end award to the top crew chief voted on by the top ten crew chiefs in the final point standings. Dirt on Dirt will pay a $50 cash award at each event to the top crew chief of the race and a special $500 cash award to the top crew chief of the year.
Race fans and drivers can view all the points categories and keep up with each category competition during the season by going to the series’ website www.lucasdirt.com and click on the link titled points standings where a drop down menu will show each category and updated points standings.
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log onto www.lucasdirt.com or call the series’ office at (951) 532-2503.

NETWORK AIR DATE AIR TIME VENUE EVENT NAME LOCATION EVENT DATE
MavTV 6/2/11 9:00PM East Bay Raceway Park 35th Annual DART Winternationals Presented by Magnaflow (Fri) Tampa, FL 2/11/11
SPEED 6/12/11 12:00 PM Batesville Motor Speedway Bad Boy 98 Batesville, AR 5/21/11
CBS 6/19/11 5:00 PM Lucas Oil Speedway 19th Annual DART Show-Me 100 Wheatland, MO 5/28/11
SPEED 7/31/11 1:00 PM Magnolia Motor Speedway Clash at the Mag Columbus, MS 7/9/11
SPEED 8/7/11 1:00 PM Tri-City Speedway Budweiser Battle at the Beach Pontoon Beach, IL 7/15/11
VERSUS 8/27/11 2:30 PM Batesville Motor Speedway Bad Boy 98 Batesville, AR 5/21/11
SPEED 9/4/11 11:00 AM Florence Speedway 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil Florence, KY 8/13/11
MavTV 9/8/11 9:00PM Batesville Motor Speedway Bad Boy 98 Batesville, AR 5/21/11
SPEED 9/17/11 2:00 PM Lawrenceburg Speedway Lawrenceburg, IN 8/26/11
SPEED 10/2/11 1:00 PM Portsmouth Raceway Park River Days Rumble Portsmouth, OH 9/3/11
SPEED 10/9/11 1:00 PM Virginia Motor Speedway ASi Racewear USA 100 Saluda, VA 9/17/11
SPEED 10/23/11 6:00 PM Brownstown Speedway 32nd Annual Jackson 100 Brownstown, IN 9/24/11
SPEED 10/30/11 3:00 PM Dixie Speedway Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout Woodstock, GA 10/8/11
VERSUS 12/18/11 6:00 PM Florence Speedway 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil Florence, KY 8/13/11
MavTV 12/29/11 9:00PM Florence Speedway 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil Florence, KY 8/13/11
SPEED TBA TBA Lucas Oil Speedway Diamond Nationals Wheatland, MO 7/16/11
SPEED TBA TBA Knoxville Raceway 8th Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Knoxville, IA 10/1/11
MavTV TBA TBA Dixie Speedway Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout Woodstock, GA 10/8/11
VERSUS TBA TBA Dixie Speedway Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout Woodstock, GA 10/8/11

2011 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Sponsors

ApplianceZone.com- “The Official Appliance Parts Retailer” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

ASI Racewear – “The Official Merchandise Vendor” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Canidae Pet Foods – “The Official Pet Foods” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

DART Machinery – “The Official Engine Components” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

E3 Spark Plugs – “The Official Spark Plug” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Geico Power Sports – “The Official Insurance” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

General Tire – “The Official Tire” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Hoosier Tire – “The Official Race Tire” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

K&N Filters – “The Official Filter” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Lucas Oil Products – “The Official Oil” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Magnaflow Exhaust – “The Official Exhaust” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

MavTV – “The Official Men’s Network” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

R&L Carrier – “The Official Carrier” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Rockstar Energy Drink – “The Official Drink” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Speedco – “The Official Truck Lube and Tire Center” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Sunoco Race Fuels – “The Official Fuel” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

2011 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Supporters Include:

Allstar Performance, American Racer, Banshee Graphics, Bloomquist Race Cars, COMP Cams, Cornett Racing Engines, Cruise with the Champions, DirtonDirt.com, Dominator Race Products, Dyers Top Rods, ECR Race Engines, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Gaerte Engines, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hypercoil, Janowski Insurance, Jay Dickens Racing Engines, JRi Shocks, Keyser MFG, Longhorn Chassis, MasterSbilt Chassis, Öhlins, Outerwears, PBM/Erson Cams, Performance Bodies, Pierce Racecars, Pro Power Racing, Quarter Master, Race Engine Design, Red Buck Cigars, Rhyne Race Engines, Rick Schwallie Photography, Rocket Chassis, Roush Yates Engines, Safety Solutions, Sweet Manufactuing, Vic Hill Race Engines, Warrior Race Cars, Weld Racing Wheels, Wiles Drive Shafts, Wrisco, 5150 Race Trailers.

James Essex, Public Relations Coordinator, jessex@lucasdirt.com