HAMMETT, PA - July 26, 2009 - Rick ‘Boom' Briggs has been around Eriez Speedway for virtually his entire life.
He's watched his father, Rick Sr., and famous cousin Chub Frank win plenty of dirt Late Model races there. He ran his first competitive laps there in 1988 behind the wheel of a Cadet car. He even won his first-ever dirt Late Model feature there in 2006 during his rookie season in the division.
So it's not hard to imagine how excited the personable driver from Bear Lake, Pa., would become if he were to win the 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series event scheduled for this Sunday night (July 26) at the one-third-mile oval.
“It would mean so much if I could win an Outlaw show at Eriez,” said Briggs, who will chase a $10,000 top prize in Sunday's program at the Bob and Kathy Rohrer-promoted track. “It would definitely be the biggest win of my career.”
Briggs certainly stands as one of the biggest threats to the World of Outlaws stars on Sunday – a fact that he has a hard time grasping, but it's warranted. In just his fourth season as a dirt Late Model driver, the late-blooming Briggs, who turns 38 on July 29, has arrived as a guy to reckon with in more than local events.
After breaking out with some big victories around home late last season, Briggs has gained serious attention in 2009 with his performance on the new O'Reilly All-Star Late Model Series. He won the tour's first two events – in April at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., and K-C Raceway in Alma, Ohio – and later added another victory at Butler, Mich., to help stake himself to the current points lead.
Briggs credits his rapid rise to Frank, a WoO LMS regular since the tour's reincarnation in 2004 under the World Racing Group banner. Briggs, who ran Cadets and Limited Late Models from 1988-1992 but then climbed out of the cockpit for 14 years to start a family and concentrate on work at his family's Briggs Transport business, worked as a Frank crewman while not racing and has shared a shop with Frank since he entered the dirt Late Model ranks.
“He's really just a pain in my ***,” Briggs jokes when discussing his second-cousin Frank (Frank's mother and Briggs's paternal grandmother were sisters). “We're cousins, but we fight like we're brothers.
“But really, Chub's done a lot for me. I wouldn't be where I am today without him. I've told a lot of people that being around Chub for so long has made it easier for me.
Briggs, who took over his family's No. 99b dirt Late Model in 2006 after his father's driving career was curtailed by a heart attack and neck surgery, served as Frank's chief mechanic for a decade. Frank won four STARS/Renegade DirtCar Series championships with Briggs's assistance, and in 2004 Briggs was named the WoO LMS Crew Chief of the Year.
“You learn so much from just being around these (national touring) guys and seeing so much racing,” Briggs said of his experience on the road with Frank. “I feel like it was a big advantage for me when I finally started racing myself. I had already learned so much about what it takes to be successful, I just had to hone my skills to what I'd watched all these years.”
Briggs will put all his acquired talent and knowledge to the test on Sunday at Eriez. He downplays the talk that he's a contender to capture the checkered flag, but he certainly hopes to be in the mix more than he was in the previous two WoO LMS events held at the track. He failed to qualify for the Eriez WoO LMS A-Mains in 2007 (he was involved in a heat-race crash) and 2008 (he was in his first weekend back from being sidelined for a month due to a concussion suffered in a wild flip at Ontario's Cornwall Motor Speedway and admits that he wasn't 100 percent mentally and physically).
“I'm really just hoping to make the show,” said the modest Briggs, who will make his first start of 2009 at Eriez. “If I can go to Eriez and get a top 10, it'll be like a win for me. These Outlaw guys are so good, and whenever they come to race in our area the competition is very, very tough because there's so many good guys around here.”
The WoO LMS roster Briggs will face at Eriez includes Frank, who has WoO LMS finishes of seventh (2007) and 13th (2008) at Eriez; points leader Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who won the tour event at Eriez in 2007; Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who was victorious last year; Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.; Rick Eckert of York, Pa.; Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga.; Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis.; Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y.; Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.; and Rookie of the Year contenders Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio, Jordan Bland of Campbellsville, Ky., Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., Dustin Hapka of Grand Forks, N.D., and 14-year-old Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif.
Other drivers expected to compete include 2006 WoO LMS champion Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who charged from deep in the field to finish fourth in last year's event; Robbie Blair of Titusville, Pa., who finished second last year; Mike Knight of Ripley, N.Y., who is coming off a victory in last Sunday's dirt Late Model feature at Eriez; 17-year-old Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., Matt Lux of Franklin, Pa., Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, Pa.; Ron Davies of Erie, Pa.; and Dave Hess Jr. of Waterford, Pa.
All of Sunday's entrants will go to work on an Eriez track surface that has been extremely racy all season, according to track promoter Bob Rohrer.
“For 10 weeks of racing the track has been almost perfect,” said Rohrer, who purchased the track with his wife in 2006. “We've been working hard on the surface since we bought the place and we've finally figured out how to do it and what kind of clay to put on it.
“We re-clayed it last fall and we put in a little more banking this year to make more three-wide racing – and from the racing we've had this year, it looks we're headed in the right direction. We're real excited about the World of Outlaws show.”
Gates are scheduled to open at 3 p.m. with racing set to begin at 6 p.m.
Additional info is available by logging on to www.eriez-speedway.com or call 814-434-4370 or 814-440-2859.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake's Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.
He's watched his father, Rick Sr., and famous cousin Chub Frank win plenty of dirt Late Model races there. He ran his first competitive laps there in 1988 behind the wheel of a Cadet car. He even won his first-ever dirt Late Model feature there in 2006 during his rookie season in the division.
So it's not hard to imagine how excited the personable driver from Bear Lake, Pa., would become if he were to win the 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series event scheduled for this Sunday night (July 26) at the one-third-mile oval.
“It would mean so much if I could win an Outlaw show at Eriez,” said Briggs, who will chase a $10,000 top prize in Sunday's program at the Bob and Kathy Rohrer-promoted track. “It would definitely be the biggest win of my career.”
Briggs certainly stands as one of the biggest threats to the World of Outlaws stars on Sunday – a fact that he has a hard time grasping, but it's warranted. In just his fourth season as a dirt Late Model driver, the late-blooming Briggs, who turns 38 on July 29, has arrived as a guy to reckon with in more than local events.
After breaking out with some big victories around home late last season, Briggs has gained serious attention in 2009 with his performance on the new O'Reilly All-Star Late Model Series. He won the tour's first two events – in April at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., and K-C Raceway in Alma, Ohio – and later added another victory at Butler, Mich., to help stake himself to the current points lead.
Briggs credits his rapid rise to Frank, a WoO LMS regular since the tour's reincarnation in 2004 under the World Racing Group banner. Briggs, who ran Cadets and Limited Late Models from 1988-1992 but then climbed out of the cockpit for 14 years to start a family and concentrate on work at his family's Briggs Transport business, worked as a Frank crewman while not racing and has shared a shop with Frank since he entered the dirt Late Model ranks.
“He's really just a pain in my ***,” Briggs jokes when discussing his second-cousin Frank (Frank's mother and Briggs's paternal grandmother were sisters). “We're cousins, but we fight like we're brothers.
“But really, Chub's done a lot for me. I wouldn't be where I am today without him. I've told a lot of people that being around Chub for so long has made it easier for me.
Briggs, who took over his family's No. 99b dirt Late Model in 2006 after his father's driving career was curtailed by a heart attack and neck surgery, served as Frank's chief mechanic for a decade. Frank won four STARS/Renegade DirtCar Series championships with Briggs's assistance, and in 2004 Briggs was named the WoO LMS Crew Chief of the Year.
“You learn so much from just being around these (national touring) guys and seeing so much racing,” Briggs said of his experience on the road with Frank. “I feel like it was a big advantage for me when I finally started racing myself. I had already learned so much about what it takes to be successful, I just had to hone my skills to what I'd watched all these years.”
Briggs will put all his acquired talent and knowledge to the test on Sunday at Eriez. He downplays the talk that he's a contender to capture the checkered flag, but he certainly hopes to be in the mix more than he was in the previous two WoO LMS events held at the track. He failed to qualify for the Eriez WoO LMS A-Mains in 2007 (he was involved in a heat-race crash) and 2008 (he was in his first weekend back from being sidelined for a month due to a concussion suffered in a wild flip at Ontario's Cornwall Motor Speedway and admits that he wasn't 100 percent mentally and physically).
“I'm really just hoping to make the show,” said the modest Briggs, who will make his first start of 2009 at Eriez. “If I can go to Eriez and get a top 10, it'll be like a win for me. These Outlaw guys are so good, and whenever they come to race in our area the competition is very, very tough because there's so many good guys around here.”
The WoO LMS roster Briggs will face at Eriez includes Frank, who has WoO LMS finishes of seventh (2007) and 13th (2008) at Eriez; points leader Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who won the tour event at Eriez in 2007; Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who was victorious last year; Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.; Rick Eckert of York, Pa.; Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga.; Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis.; Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y.; Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.; and Rookie of the Year contenders Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio, Jordan Bland of Campbellsville, Ky., Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., Dustin Hapka of Grand Forks, N.D., and 14-year-old Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif.
Other drivers expected to compete include 2006 WoO LMS champion Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who charged from deep in the field to finish fourth in last year's event; Robbie Blair of Titusville, Pa., who finished second last year; Mike Knight of Ripley, N.Y., who is coming off a victory in last Sunday's dirt Late Model feature at Eriez; 17-year-old Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., Matt Lux of Franklin, Pa., Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, Pa.; Ron Davies of Erie, Pa.; and Dave Hess Jr. of Waterford, Pa.
All of Sunday's entrants will go to work on an Eriez track surface that has been extremely racy all season, according to track promoter Bob Rohrer.
“For 10 weeks of racing the track has been almost perfect,” said Rohrer, who purchased the track with his wife in 2006. “We've been working hard on the surface since we bought the place and we've finally figured out how to do it and what kind of clay to put on it.
“We re-clayed it last fall and we put in a little more banking this year to make more three-wide racing – and from the racing we've had this year, it looks we're headed in the right direction. We're real excited about the World of Outlaws show.”
Gates are scheduled to open at 3 p.m. with racing set to begin at 6 p.m.
Additional info is available by logging on to www.eriez-speedway.com or call 814-434-4370 or 814-440-2859.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake's Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.
