CONCORD, NC - May 4, 2009 - A two-week break hasn't slowed the 2009 DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series.
When the West Coast's premier full-fender tour roars back into action this Saturday night (May 9) at Santa Maria (Calif.) Speedway, it will carry the generous helping of momentum it gained during its two spectacular season-opening events.
The DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series got rolling on March 28 by sanctioning the ‘Gary Jacob Memorial' at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. Three weekends later, on April 18, the tour made a memorable return to Chowchilla (Calif.) Speedway.
Both shows were run before near-capacity crowds and featured strong, talent-laden fields of cars. The Western Allstars' alltime winningest driver, Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas, Calif., captured the lidlifter at Kings, while the Chowchilla 30-lapper produced a victor – young Kellen Chadwick of Oakley, Calif. – whose flag-to-flag triumph ranks as one of the biggest feel-good stories of the 2009 dirt Late Model campaign.
“We're thrilled with the start of the 2009 DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series,” said DIRTcar Racing Western Region Director Chris Morgan, who oversees the operation of the Western Allstars. “We're two-for-two racing in front of near sell-out crowds, which tells us that the West Coast's fans are hungry for some great dirt Late Model racing and the Western Allstars are providing it.
“The support we've been getting from the fans and racers and the positive feedback we've been getting from track promoters gives us plenty of momentum. We're hoping to carry that momentum to Santa Maria (on May 9) and for the rest of the season.”
Adding excitement to the early WAS returns was the Chowchilla victory by Chadwick, a 24-year-old who appeared on his way to future dirt Late Model stardom until he was seriously injured in a DIRTcar Modified accident on Feb. 20, 2008, at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, Ariz. He was air-lifted from the track with life-threatening injuries, including a cut artery to his brain, two broken vertebra in his neck and three broken vertebra in his back.
The racing community rallied in support of Chadwick, who underwent surgery for his brain injury and was fitted with a ‘halo' device to immobilize his head and neck. Everyone was just hoping that he would survive without paralysis, but Chadwick did more than that. After a long, hard recovery, he got back behind the wheel of a race car to continue his budding career.
Chadwick's comeback was complete when he made the Chowchilla WAS event his first dirt Late Model victory since returning from the accident. Driving a black, unsponsored No. 83, he scored an emotional victory, bringing him back to the form he flashed in winning three of four races during one stretch of the 2007 WAS season.
More memorable DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series stories are sure to be authored beginning this Saturday night at Santa Maria Speedway, which hosts a 30-lap headliner. Visit www.santamariaspeedway.com for more event information.
Additional info on all of the series, sanctioning and member tracks of DIRTcar Racing is available at www.DIRTcar.com.
When the West Coast's premier full-fender tour roars back into action this Saturday night (May 9) at Santa Maria (Calif.) Speedway, it will carry the generous helping of momentum it gained during its two spectacular season-opening events.
The DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series got rolling on March 28 by sanctioning the ‘Gary Jacob Memorial' at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. Three weekends later, on April 18, the tour made a memorable return to Chowchilla (Calif.) Speedway.
Both shows were run before near-capacity crowds and featured strong, talent-laden fields of cars. The Western Allstars' alltime winningest driver, Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas, Calif., captured the lidlifter at Kings, while the Chowchilla 30-lapper produced a victor – young Kellen Chadwick of Oakley, Calif. – whose flag-to-flag triumph ranks as one of the biggest feel-good stories of the 2009 dirt Late Model campaign.
“We're thrilled with the start of the 2009 DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series,” said DIRTcar Racing Western Region Director Chris Morgan, who oversees the operation of the Western Allstars. “We're two-for-two racing in front of near sell-out crowds, which tells us that the West Coast's fans are hungry for some great dirt Late Model racing and the Western Allstars are providing it.
“The support we've been getting from the fans and racers and the positive feedback we've been getting from track promoters gives us plenty of momentum. We're hoping to carry that momentum to Santa Maria (on May 9) and for the rest of the season.”
Adding excitement to the early WAS returns was the Chowchilla victory by Chadwick, a 24-year-old who appeared on his way to future dirt Late Model stardom until he was seriously injured in a DIRTcar Modified accident on Feb. 20, 2008, at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, Ariz. He was air-lifted from the track with life-threatening injuries, including a cut artery to his brain, two broken vertebra in his neck and three broken vertebra in his back.
The racing community rallied in support of Chadwick, who underwent surgery for his brain injury and was fitted with a ‘halo' device to immobilize his head and neck. Everyone was just hoping that he would survive without paralysis, but Chadwick did more than that. After a long, hard recovery, he got back behind the wheel of a race car to continue his budding career.
Chadwick's comeback was complete when he made the Chowchilla WAS event his first dirt Late Model victory since returning from the accident. Driving a black, unsponsored No. 83, he scored an emotional victory, bringing him back to the form he flashed in winning three of four races during one stretch of the 2007 WAS season.
More memorable DIRTcar Western Allstars Late Model Series stories are sure to be authored beginning this Saturday night at Santa Maria Speedway, which hosts a 30-lap headliner. Visit www.santamariaspeedway.com for more event information.
Additional info on all of the series, sanctioning and member tracks of DIRTcar Racing is available at www.DIRTcar.com.
