CONCORD, NC - July 7, 2009 - There's a common theme surrounding the four tracks that comprise this year's World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Wild West Tour.
Each facility, of course, has hosted some truly outstanding World of Outlaws events in the past.
“You'll be hard-pressed to find four tracks that have a better track record for producing great World of Outlaws Late Model Series action than the speedways we're visiting over the next week,” said series director Tim Christman. “If a fan wants to see some exciting, unpredictable racing, this year's ‘Wild West Tour' definitely fits the bill.”
The four-race, four-state swing kicks off on Wednesday night (July 8) with the 30th annual NAPA ‘Gopher 50' at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., followed by stops on Fri., July 10, at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D.; Tues., July 14, at Gillette (Wyo.) Thunder Speedway; and Thurs., July 16, at Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D.
All of the A-Mains will be run over the 50-lap distance and pay $10,000 to win. Deer Creek's event could bring one driver a $20,000 top prize, including a $10,000 bonus that goes to the victor if they are a former Gopher 50 winner or a driver who has been selected to race for the extra cash by an inactive past winner.
Will this year's ‘Wild West Tour' events top the memorable WoO LMS moments that have already occurred at the four tracks? Consider some of these unforgettable races from recent seasons:
* A fixture on the WoO LMS schedule since 2005, the Queensland family's finely-manicured, three-eighths-mile Deer Creek Speedway was the scene of a dramatic Gopher 50 on June 1, 2006. After early leader Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., slowed with a broken fifth-coil midway through the A-Main (but still manhandled his car to a third-place finish), Rick Eckert of York, Pa., came on to pass Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., for the lead with just seven laps remaining to record the second of what would become his series-record four wins in a row.
* The high-banked, quarter-mile River Cities Speedway has seen drivers score first career WoO LMS victories in consecutive years – and in thrilling fashion. On June 12, 2007, Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., sliced through heavy lapped traffic to steal the lead from Salt Rock, W.Va.'s Eddie Carrier Jr. with just four laps remaining en route to a chest-thumping triumph (over Carrier and charging 23rd-place-starter Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill.). One year ago, on July 11, 2008, Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., one-upped Fuller on the excitement meter, outdueling Babb to win a race that ended with Babb's car climbing the homestretch wall just before the flagstand when his last-ditch bid ran out of room outside of Smith and a lapped car.
* Gillette Thunder Speedway was virtually unknown to the WoO LMS stars prior to last year's inaugural ‘Cowboy 50,' but the high-banked, one-third-mile oval drew rave reviews after Fuller pulled off a heart-stopping win on July 16, 2008. He overtook Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., for the lead as the white flag was flying and moments later stood celebrating in Victory Lane with a cowboy hat on his head.
* No race stands out more in the WoO LMS history books than the only tour event ever contested at Dakota State Fair Speedway, on June 5, 2005. It was on that evening that McCreadie did the unthinkable, becoming the first – and still only – driver to win a WoO LMS A-Main from the last starting spot. Forced to take the green flag from 24th after switching to a backup car following his heat-race win, he marched through the field using mostly the top side of the three-eighths-mile oval, finally passing Lanigan for the lead with just one lap remaining.
A star-studded group of WoO LMS travelers is ready to make some more memories on this year's Wild West Tour, led by points leader Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who has won four of the last seven series A-Mains but is winless at the four tracks on the western swing.
The Outlaws roster also includes defending champion Lanigan; Eckert, a two-time winner this year; Fuller, whose three career WoO LMS wins have come in the Upper Midwest; Brady Smith, who sits sixth in the points standings in his first year as a series regular; Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who is tied with Richards as the tour's winningest driver in 2009 (five apiece); Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga; Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., who won the Gopher 50 in 2007; 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.
Mars, who pocketed $30,950 for winning the WoO LMS Firecracker 100 on June 27 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., and Zach Johnson of Kensington, Minn., are among the drivers who plan to join the Outlaws caravan for the entire four-race swing.
Other racers expected to run parts of the Wild West Tour include Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colo. (River Cities and Gillette); April Farmer of Livingston, Tenn., who will enter the Deer Creek and River Cities shows in an attempt to become the first female to qualify for a WoO LMS A-Main; Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa (Deer Creek); and Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill. (Deer Creek).
For more information on the ‘Wild West Tour':
* Deer Creek Speedway on Wed., July 8: Visit www.deercreekspeedway.com or call 1-877-DCS-RACE.
* River Cities Speedway on Fri., July 10: Visit www.rivercitiesspeedway.com or call 701-780-0999.
* Gillette Thunder Speedway on Tues., July 14: Visit www.gillettespeedway.com or call 307-682-7290.
* Dakota State Fair Speedway on Thurs., July 16: Visit www.dakotapromotions.com or call 605-352-4848.
Additional info on the WoO LMS is available by logging on to 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.
Each facility, of course, has hosted some truly outstanding World of Outlaws events in the past.
“You'll be hard-pressed to find four tracks that have a better track record for producing great World of Outlaws Late Model Series action than the speedways we're visiting over the next week,” said series director Tim Christman. “If a fan wants to see some exciting, unpredictable racing, this year's ‘Wild West Tour' definitely fits the bill.”
The four-race, four-state swing kicks off on Wednesday night (July 8) with the 30th annual NAPA ‘Gopher 50' at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., followed by stops on Fri., July 10, at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D.; Tues., July 14, at Gillette (Wyo.) Thunder Speedway; and Thurs., July 16, at Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D.
All of the A-Mains will be run over the 50-lap distance and pay $10,000 to win. Deer Creek's event could bring one driver a $20,000 top prize, including a $10,000 bonus that goes to the victor if they are a former Gopher 50 winner or a driver who has been selected to race for the extra cash by an inactive past winner.
Will this year's ‘Wild West Tour' events top the memorable WoO LMS moments that have already occurred at the four tracks? Consider some of these unforgettable races from recent seasons:
* A fixture on the WoO LMS schedule since 2005, the Queensland family's finely-manicured, three-eighths-mile Deer Creek Speedway was the scene of a dramatic Gopher 50 on June 1, 2006. After early leader Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., slowed with a broken fifth-coil midway through the A-Main (but still manhandled his car to a third-place finish), Rick Eckert of York, Pa., came on to pass Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., for the lead with just seven laps remaining to record the second of what would become his series-record four wins in a row.
* The high-banked, quarter-mile River Cities Speedway has seen drivers score first career WoO LMS victories in consecutive years – and in thrilling fashion. On June 12, 2007, Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., sliced through heavy lapped traffic to steal the lead from Salt Rock, W.Va.'s Eddie Carrier Jr. with just four laps remaining en route to a chest-thumping triumph (over Carrier and charging 23rd-place-starter Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill.). One year ago, on July 11, 2008, Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., one-upped Fuller on the excitement meter, outdueling Babb to win a race that ended with Babb's car climbing the homestretch wall just before the flagstand when his last-ditch bid ran out of room outside of Smith and a lapped car.
* Gillette Thunder Speedway was virtually unknown to the WoO LMS stars prior to last year's inaugural ‘Cowboy 50,' but the high-banked, one-third-mile oval drew rave reviews after Fuller pulled off a heart-stopping win on July 16, 2008. He overtook Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., for the lead as the white flag was flying and moments later stood celebrating in Victory Lane with a cowboy hat on his head.
* No race stands out more in the WoO LMS history books than the only tour event ever contested at Dakota State Fair Speedway, on June 5, 2005. It was on that evening that McCreadie did the unthinkable, becoming the first – and still only – driver to win a WoO LMS A-Main from the last starting spot. Forced to take the green flag from 24th after switching to a backup car following his heat-race win, he marched through the field using mostly the top side of the three-eighths-mile oval, finally passing Lanigan for the lead with just one lap remaining.
A star-studded group of WoO LMS travelers is ready to make some more memories on this year's Wild West Tour, led by points leader Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who has won four of the last seven series A-Mains but is winless at the four tracks on the western swing.
The Outlaws roster also includes defending champion Lanigan; Eckert, a two-time winner this year; Fuller, whose three career WoO LMS wins have come in the Upper Midwest; Brady Smith, who sits sixth in the points standings in his first year as a series regular; Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who is tied with Richards as the tour's winningest driver in 2009 (five apiece); Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga; Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., who won the Gopher 50 in 2007; 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.
Mars, who pocketed $30,950 for winning the WoO LMS Firecracker 100 on June 27 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., and Zach Johnson of Kensington, Minn., are among the drivers who plan to join the Outlaws caravan for the entire four-race swing.
Other racers expected to run parts of the Wild West Tour include Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colo. (River Cities and Gillette); April Farmer of Livingston, Tenn., who will enter the Deer Creek and River Cities shows in an attempt to become the first female to qualify for a WoO LMS A-Main; Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa (Deer Creek); and Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill. (Deer Creek).
For more information on the ‘Wild West Tour':
* Deer Creek Speedway on Wed., July 8: Visit www.deercreekspeedway.com or call 1-877-DCS-RACE.
* River Cities Speedway on Fri., July 10: Visit www.rivercitiesspeedway.com or call 701-780-0999.
* Gillette Thunder Speedway on Tues., July 14: Visit www.gillettespeedway.com or call 307-682-7290.
* Dakota State Fair Speedway on Thurs., July 16: Visit www.dakotapromotions.com or call 605-352-4848.
Additional info on the WoO LMS is available by logging on to 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.
