FAYETTEVILLE, NC - April 26, 2010 - More than one year has already passed since Jeff Smith celebrated one of the biggest victories of his dirt Late Model career, but the memory of that special evening remains fresh in his mind.
And this Friday night (April 30), Smith will aim to relive the moment. The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is returning to his hometrack, Fayetteville Motor Speedway, and the veteran racer from the Tar Heel State has his eyes focused on turning back the national tour's stars for a second straight year.
"It seems like the year's flown by," said Smith, a two-time FMS track champion who earned his first-ever WoO LMS victory at the four-tenths-mile oval on April 17, 2009. "We're ready to go back and try again."
Smith, 44, of Dallas, N.C., pulled off one of the big upsets of the '09 WoO LMS campaign, becoming the only non-series driver to win an A-Main at his hometrack over the 40-race schedule. He did it in dramatic fashion, too, dashing into the lead with the white flag waving in the 50-lap event when race-long pacesetter Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., slowed with a blown right-rear tire.
"It's always exciting to win a race at your hometrack in front of all your fans," said Smith, who lives over three hours west of Fayetteville but has come to be considered an adopted 'local' at the track. "It's probably even a little more exciting to take the lead on the last lap of a race – although you hate to have (the dramatic lead-change) happen under the circumstances it did last year with Vic getting the flat tire.
"But the tables have been turned on me too. I've won races there on the last lap because of flat tires and I've also given 'em up, so it's part of the game."
Smith had, of course, put himself in position to take advantage of Coffey's heartbreak with a nearly flawless night. He qualified second-fastest in time trials, won a heat race and used the outside pole starting spot to run second behind Coffey throughout the distance. He also picked a slightly harder-compound tire than Coffey – a decision that ultimately propelled him to Victory Lane.
"We usually run a spec tire at Fayetteville and (the WoO LMS show) was open tires, so we were guessing on our tire combo a little," said Smith. "But we made the right choice. I actually could've run a little harder to pressure Vic than I did, but under a caution I saw Vic's tire was slicked off so I got into a conserve mode because I didn't want to blow mine."
Ask Smith where the $10,000-plus WoO LMS triumph ranks on his career resume, and he doesn't hesitate with a response.
"It's right up there at the top," asserted Smith, a well-known racer throughout the Southeast who makes his living operating J&J Race Cars in Gastonia, N.C. "Whenever you can win against these (fulltime touring) guys, it's an accomplishment.
"I definitely felt for Vic, but I was definitely happy to win the race. I felt great for my guys, my sponsors and everyone who supports me."
It was a victorious feeling that stayed with Smith long after he received his check and left the FMS pit area last spring.
"We couldn't forget about the race because of all that confetti (WoO LMS officials) shot out of a cannon when I got out of the car in Victory Lane," said a smiling Smith, who has registered double-digit overall feature-win totals in all but one season since 2005. "It took three months for us to get all the confetti out of our car. Every time we cleaned the car more pieces would come floating out, so it kept reminding us of what we had done."
Smith will bring that same Menscer Motorsports Rocket car back to Fayetteville this Friday night for the WoO LMS event, which is topped by a 50-lap A-Main paying $10,000 to win. It now sports a slightly different graphics and color scheme, but the number (18m) and iron is unchanged.
"Hopefully it'll be good for us again this year," said Smith. "We need something to help us get back on track. So far this year we have one win (at Lancaster, S.C.) and a couple third-place finishes, but we've crashed out of our last two races.
"We don't have a lot of momentum right now, but it's always good to go to a track where you run good when you're on a downslide. Maybe we'll be able to get ourselves headed in the right direction."
Smith will face a field stocked with world-class dirt Late Model talent, including former WoO LMS champions Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who won the 2008 tour event at Fayetteville; Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who enters the weekend tied with Richards for the points lead; Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.; and Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.
FMS's pit gates are scheduled to open at 2 p.m. and the grandstands at 3 p.m. on Fri., April 30. On-track action is scheduled to get underway at 6:30 p.m.
General admission is $30, with tickets priced at $10 for children ages 5-12 and free for kids under five. VIP tower/deck seating tickets are available for $40 and pit passes are $40.
More info on Fayetteville Motor Speedway can be obtained by logging on to www.fayettevillemotorspeedway.net or calling 910-223-RACE.
Friday's event kicks off a Southeastern doubleheader for the WoO LMS, which moves on to Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway on Sat., May 1.
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), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and Chizmark & Larson Insurance; in addition to contingency sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pink Carburetors, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis and Wrisco Aluminum.
And this Friday night (April 30), Smith will aim to relive the moment. The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is returning to his hometrack, Fayetteville Motor Speedway, and the veteran racer from the Tar Heel State has his eyes focused on turning back the national tour's stars for a second straight year.
"It seems like the year's flown by," said Smith, a two-time FMS track champion who earned his first-ever WoO LMS victory at the four-tenths-mile oval on April 17, 2009. "We're ready to go back and try again."
Smith, 44, of Dallas, N.C., pulled off one of the big upsets of the '09 WoO LMS campaign, becoming the only non-series driver to win an A-Main at his hometrack over the 40-race schedule. He did it in dramatic fashion, too, dashing into the lead with the white flag waving in the 50-lap event when race-long pacesetter Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., slowed with a blown right-rear tire.
"It's always exciting to win a race at your hometrack in front of all your fans," said Smith, who lives over three hours west of Fayetteville but has come to be considered an adopted 'local' at the track. "It's probably even a little more exciting to take the lead on the last lap of a race – although you hate to have (the dramatic lead-change) happen under the circumstances it did last year with Vic getting the flat tire.
"But the tables have been turned on me too. I've won races there on the last lap because of flat tires and I've also given 'em up, so it's part of the game."
Smith had, of course, put himself in position to take advantage of Coffey's heartbreak with a nearly flawless night. He qualified second-fastest in time trials, won a heat race and used the outside pole starting spot to run second behind Coffey throughout the distance. He also picked a slightly harder-compound tire than Coffey – a decision that ultimately propelled him to Victory Lane.
"We usually run a spec tire at Fayetteville and (the WoO LMS show) was open tires, so we were guessing on our tire combo a little," said Smith. "But we made the right choice. I actually could've run a little harder to pressure Vic than I did, but under a caution I saw Vic's tire was slicked off so I got into a conserve mode because I didn't want to blow mine."
Ask Smith where the $10,000-plus WoO LMS triumph ranks on his career resume, and he doesn't hesitate with a response.
"It's right up there at the top," asserted Smith, a well-known racer throughout the Southeast who makes his living operating J&J Race Cars in Gastonia, N.C. "Whenever you can win against these (fulltime touring) guys, it's an accomplishment.
"I definitely felt for Vic, but I was definitely happy to win the race. I felt great for my guys, my sponsors and everyone who supports me."
It was a victorious feeling that stayed with Smith long after he received his check and left the FMS pit area last spring.
"We couldn't forget about the race because of all that confetti (WoO LMS officials) shot out of a cannon when I got out of the car in Victory Lane," said a smiling Smith, who has registered double-digit overall feature-win totals in all but one season since 2005. "It took three months for us to get all the confetti out of our car. Every time we cleaned the car more pieces would come floating out, so it kept reminding us of what we had done."
Smith will bring that same Menscer Motorsports Rocket car back to Fayetteville this Friday night for the WoO LMS event, which is topped by a 50-lap A-Main paying $10,000 to win. It now sports a slightly different graphics and color scheme, but the number (18m) and iron is unchanged.
"Hopefully it'll be good for us again this year," said Smith. "We need something to help us get back on track. So far this year we have one win (at Lancaster, S.C.) and a couple third-place finishes, but we've crashed out of our last two races.
"We don't have a lot of momentum right now, but it's always good to go to a track where you run good when you're on a downslide. Maybe we'll be able to get ourselves headed in the right direction."
Smith will face a field stocked with world-class dirt Late Model talent, including former WoO LMS champions Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who won the 2008 tour event at Fayetteville; Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who enters the weekend tied with Richards for the points lead; Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.; and Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.
FMS's pit gates are scheduled to open at 2 p.m. and the grandstands at 3 p.m. on Fri., April 30. On-track action is scheduled to get underway at 6:30 p.m.
General admission is $30, with tickets priced at $10 for children ages 5-12 and free for kids under five. VIP tower/deck seating tickets are available for $40 and pit passes are $40.
More info on Fayetteville Motor Speedway can be obtained by logging on to www.fayettevillemotorspeedway.net or calling 910-223-RACE.
Friday's event kicks off a Southeastern doubleheader for the WoO LMS, which moves on to Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway on Sat., May 1.
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), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and Chizmark & Larson Insurance; in addition to contingency sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pink Carburetors, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis and Wrisco Aluminum.
