by Lonnie Wheatley
TULSA, Okla. (Nov. 28, 2002) - DIRT Modified star Brett Hearn, UDTRA and UMP Late Model hotshoe Scott Bloomquist and USAC open-wheel sensation J.J. Yeley are the latest group of top drivers announced to accept invitations to compete in the First Annual Ford Focus Midget Race of Champions, to be held prior to the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals finale on Saturday night, January 11, 2003.
The prestigious Chili Bowl Nationals, which attracts approximately 180 drivers from throughout the nation, will take place at the Tulsa Expo center January 8-11, 2003, and will be broadcast the next day, January 12, on ESPN2 from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. EST.
Hearn, Bloomquist and Yeley join NHRA drag racing stars Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps and 2001 World of Outlaws champion Danny Lasoski for the all-star Race of Champions event, which will feature champion drivers from various major series competing in equally-powered state-of-the-art midgets on the famous Tulsa Expo ¼-mile dirt oval.
From Sussex, NJ, Hearn is a five-time Mr. DIRT Series champion, including the 2001 title, and sits atop the all-time Mr. DIRT series win list. In total, Brett "The Jet" Hearn has racked up more than 600 feature victories in his 27 years of professional racing, including 42 triumphs in 2002, solidly establishing himself as one of the winningest drivers of his generation.
Bloomquist, from Mooresburg, TN, has been equally dominant in the Late Model ranks over the course of his 22-year professional racing career, scoring more than 370 feature victories. A four-time champion on the competitive UDTRA circuit, Bloomquist collected $275,000 in winnings over a five-week period this season, including the UMP Summer Nationals title, which consisted of 27 races over 29 days in ten states.
At just 26 years of age, Yeley, hailing from Phoenix, AZ, has emerged as one of the nation's most diverse and talented open-wheel drivers in recent years. After winning the USAC Sprint Car title in 2001, Yeley followed that up by claiming the USAC Silver Crown championship this year aboard the Bob East and Tony Stewart-owned Ford-powered machine, the first USAC title for a Ford-powered racecar. Picking up a total of 16 feature victories this season, Yeley also finished second in USAC Sprint Car and USAC Midget points this season, missing the Sprint Car title by just 13 points. Yeley, who finished ninth in the 1998 Indy 500, will be testing a NASCAR Busch Grand National series car in the coming weeks.
The final participants in the First Annual Ford Focus Midget Race of Champions will be announced in the coming days. The event, sponsored by Ford of Tulsa, has been developed to provide awareness and financial support to a number of charities located in Oklahoma, the home of the Chili Bowl for 16 years. Each of the drivers will be racing for a different Oklahoma charity as selected by Chili Bowl management and Ford of Tulsa dealers.
The event will be held as a preliminary event to the 17th Annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals main event. For tickets or additional information, contact the Chili Bowl office at 918-838-3777.
TULSA, Okla. (Nov. 28, 2002) - DIRT Modified star Brett Hearn, UDTRA and UMP Late Model hotshoe Scott Bloomquist and USAC open-wheel sensation J.J. Yeley are the latest group of top drivers announced to accept invitations to compete in the First Annual Ford Focus Midget Race of Champions, to be held prior to the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals finale on Saturday night, January 11, 2003.
The prestigious Chili Bowl Nationals, which attracts approximately 180 drivers from throughout the nation, will take place at the Tulsa Expo center January 8-11, 2003, and will be broadcast the next day, January 12, on ESPN2 from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. EST.
Hearn, Bloomquist and Yeley join NHRA drag racing stars Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps and 2001 World of Outlaws champion Danny Lasoski for the all-star Race of Champions event, which will feature champion drivers from various major series competing in equally-powered state-of-the-art midgets on the famous Tulsa Expo ¼-mile dirt oval.
From Sussex, NJ, Hearn is a five-time Mr. DIRT Series champion, including the 2001 title, and sits atop the all-time Mr. DIRT series win list. In total, Brett "The Jet" Hearn has racked up more than 600 feature victories in his 27 years of professional racing, including 42 triumphs in 2002, solidly establishing himself as one of the winningest drivers of his generation.
Bloomquist, from Mooresburg, TN, has been equally dominant in the Late Model ranks over the course of his 22-year professional racing career, scoring more than 370 feature victories. A four-time champion on the competitive UDTRA circuit, Bloomquist collected $275,000 in winnings over a five-week period this season, including the UMP Summer Nationals title, which consisted of 27 races over 29 days in ten states.
At just 26 years of age, Yeley, hailing from Phoenix, AZ, has emerged as one of the nation's most diverse and talented open-wheel drivers in recent years. After winning the USAC Sprint Car title in 2001, Yeley followed that up by claiming the USAC Silver Crown championship this year aboard the Bob East and Tony Stewart-owned Ford-powered machine, the first USAC title for a Ford-powered racecar. Picking up a total of 16 feature victories this season, Yeley also finished second in USAC Sprint Car and USAC Midget points this season, missing the Sprint Car title by just 13 points. Yeley, who finished ninth in the 1998 Indy 500, will be testing a NASCAR Busch Grand National series car in the coming weeks.
The final participants in the First Annual Ford Focus Midget Race of Champions will be announced in the coming days. The event, sponsored by Ford of Tulsa, has been developed to provide awareness and financial support to a number of charities located in Oklahoma, the home of the Chili Bowl for 16 years. Each of the drivers will be racing for a different Oklahoma charity as selected by Chili Bowl management and Ford of Tulsa dealers.
The event will be held as a preliminary event to the 17th Annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals main event. For tickets or additional information, contact the Chili Bowl office at 918-838-3777.
