<b>UDTRA NOTEBOOK: FORMAT CHANGE ANNOUNCED FOR 2003 UDTRA MASTERS 100 AT CEDAR LAKE SPEEDWAY, UDTRA PRI MEETINGS SET</b>
By Roby Helm
WOODSTOCK, GA - United Dirt Track Racing Association and Cedar Lake Speedway officials have announced a unique one-of-a-kind format change for the 5th Annual Masters 100 at the 1/3-mile clay oval in New Richmond, WI on June 20-21, 2003. The Masters 100 will be a non-points UDTRA All-Star event with a purse over $100,000 and a three-segment format.
The third segment will see 12 drivers battling for 20 laps, and $59,000 in prize money. The third segment will pay $20,000-to-win and $2,000-to-start. SPEED Channel will tape all three segments of the Masters 100, and the double-file restart rule will be in effect for all three segments.
The first segment will start 26 cars in a 40-lap event with the top 18 finishers transferring to the second segment. Drivers not transferring to the second segment will earn $1,200. The 40-lap 18-car second segment will transfer the top 12 finishers to the third segment. Drivers not transferring to the third segment will earn $1,300.
“We are excited to be the host of this once-in-a-lifetime inaugural race,” Robert Kaufman of Cedar Lake Speedway said. “This racing format will set the new standard of racing for the entire industry and will be an event that all drivers and fans alike won’t want to miss! For fans, you will see the history-making inaugural race event with the top 12 drivers in America giving it all they have for 20 short, down and dirty laps.”
UDTRA officials will allow Wissota competitors to participate in the Masters 100. On June 20, Wissota heat races will open the program, with the Wissota heat race winners becoming eligible to make a qualifying run with the UDTRA cars for the Masters 100. Heat races and consolation races will follow UDTRA Masters 100 qualifying.
There will be a dash on June 20 where the top two finishers in each heat race will start straight up to determine the starting line-up for the first of the three segments on June 21. Starting positions 25 and 26 segment will go to the top two fastest qualifiers that failed to transfer.
UDTRA and Cedar Lake Speedway officials will invert the second and third segments. A race fan will have the have the opportunity to win the honor of spinning a wheel for the second and third segments that will have spaces marked 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and Field to determine the inversion. There will be a 10-minute intermission between each segment for competitors to make adjustments.
"This event is something that we all feel has been needed for years, and that is to give the fans and competitors an All-Star Weekend," UDTRA Director of Events Scott French said. "This is something every other major sport has, and dirt late model racing needs. We'll have the 12 best drivers in the country racing 20 laps for $20,000, something that has never been done in our sport."
For ticket and additional information call Cedar Lake Speedway at 1-866-4 CLS FUN (1-866-425-7386) or visit their web site at www.cedarlakespeedway.com.
UDTRA PRI MEETINGS SET: UDTRA officials have announced a pair of meetings for competitors and promoters during the PRI in Indianapolis, IN on December 5-7.
There will be a meeting for UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series competitors to discuss 2003 rules on December 5 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the UDTRA Banquet Room at the Radisson City Centre Indianapolis Hotel at 31 West Ohio Street.
UDTRA officials will also host a meeting for track promoters on December 7 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Courtyard By Marriott on 501 W. Washington St. The meeting will be a workshop to discuss the 2003 schedule and to discuss promotional ideas for 2003 UDTRA events.
UDTRA officials will present a working schedule to the 2002 top ten drivers for consultation before finalizing and releasing the 2003 UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series schedule on January 15, 2003.
EAST BAY WINTERNATIONALS TO OPEN 2003 SEASON: The 2003 UDTRA Pro DirtCar Season will open at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL for the Annual East Bay Winternationals on February 4, 6, and 8. The February 4 event will pay $5,000-to-win, the February 6 event will pay $7,000-to-win.
The UDTRA East Bay Winternationals finale on February 8 will pay $15,000-to-win and will be taped by SPEED Channel. The 1997 UDTRA Champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR, Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI, and Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN won UDTRA East Bay Raceway Park events in 2002.
For ticket and additional information contact East Bay Raceway Park at (813) 677-7223, or visit their web site at www.eastbayracewaypark.com.
NEXT SPEED CHANNEL UDTRA BROADCAST ON DECEMBER 19: The next UDTRA broadcast on the SPEED Channel will be on December 19 at 11 p.m. ET. The program will be the 2002 UDTRA Season In Review highlighting the second straight UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series championship for Rick Eckert of York, PA.
Also featured will be the 1999 UDTRA Champion Dale McDowell of Rossville, GA, Steve Francis of Ashland, KY, Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI, and Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL, the drivers that finished second through fifth respectively in the 2002 Pro DirtCar Series point standings. The program is scheduled to re-air on December 23 at 3 p.m. ET.
By Roby Helm
WOODSTOCK, GA - United Dirt Track Racing Association and Cedar Lake Speedway officials have announced a unique one-of-a-kind format change for the 5th Annual Masters 100 at the 1/3-mile clay oval in New Richmond, WI on June 20-21, 2003. The Masters 100 will be a non-points UDTRA All-Star event with a purse over $100,000 and a three-segment format.
The third segment will see 12 drivers battling for 20 laps, and $59,000 in prize money. The third segment will pay $20,000-to-win and $2,000-to-start. SPEED Channel will tape all three segments of the Masters 100, and the double-file restart rule will be in effect for all three segments.
The first segment will start 26 cars in a 40-lap event with the top 18 finishers transferring to the second segment. Drivers not transferring to the second segment will earn $1,200. The 40-lap 18-car second segment will transfer the top 12 finishers to the third segment. Drivers not transferring to the third segment will earn $1,300.
“We are excited to be the host of this once-in-a-lifetime inaugural race,” Robert Kaufman of Cedar Lake Speedway said. “This racing format will set the new standard of racing for the entire industry and will be an event that all drivers and fans alike won’t want to miss! For fans, you will see the history-making inaugural race event with the top 12 drivers in America giving it all they have for 20 short, down and dirty laps.”
UDTRA officials will allow Wissota competitors to participate in the Masters 100. On June 20, Wissota heat races will open the program, with the Wissota heat race winners becoming eligible to make a qualifying run with the UDTRA cars for the Masters 100. Heat races and consolation races will follow UDTRA Masters 100 qualifying.
There will be a dash on June 20 where the top two finishers in each heat race will start straight up to determine the starting line-up for the first of the three segments on June 21. Starting positions 25 and 26 segment will go to the top two fastest qualifiers that failed to transfer.
UDTRA and Cedar Lake Speedway officials will invert the second and third segments. A race fan will have the have the opportunity to win the honor of spinning a wheel for the second and third segments that will have spaces marked 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and Field to determine the inversion. There will be a 10-minute intermission between each segment for competitors to make adjustments.
"This event is something that we all feel has been needed for years, and that is to give the fans and competitors an All-Star Weekend," UDTRA Director of Events Scott French said. "This is something every other major sport has, and dirt late model racing needs. We'll have the 12 best drivers in the country racing 20 laps for $20,000, something that has never been done in our sport."
For ticket and additional information call Cedar Lake Speedway at 1-866-4 CLS FUN (1-866-425-7386) or visit their web site at www.cedarlakespeedway.com.
UDTRA PRI MEETINGS SET: UDTRA officials have announced a pair of meetings for competitors and promoters during the PRI in Indianapolis, IN on December 5-7.
There will be a meeting for UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series competitors to discuss 2003 rules on December 5 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the UDTRA Banquet Room at the Radisson City Centre Indianapolis Hotel at 31 West Ohio Street.
UDTRA officials will also host a meeting for track promoters on December 7 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Courtyard By Marriott on 501 W. Washington St. The meeting will be a workshop to discuss the 2003 schedule and to discuss promotional ideas for 2003 UDTRA events.
UDTRA officials will present a working schedule to the 2002 top ten drivers for consultation before finalizing and releasing the 2003 UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series schedule on January 15, 2003.
EAST BAY WINTERNATIONALS TO OPEN 2003 SEASON: The 2003 UDTRA Pro DirtCar Season will open at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL for the Annual East Bay Winternationals on February 4, 6, and 8. The February 4 event will pay $5,000-to-win, the February 6 event will pay $7,000-to-win.
The UDTRA East Bay Winternationals finale on February 8 will pay $15,000-to-win and will be taped by SPEED Channel. The 1997 UDTRA Champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR, Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI, and Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN won UDTRA East Bay Raceway Park events in 2002.
For ticket and additional information contact East Bay Raceway Park at (813) 677-7223, or visit their web site at www.eastbayracewaypark.com.
NEXT SPEED CHANNEL UDTRA BROADCAST ON DECEMBER 19: The next UDTRA broadcast on the SPEED Channel will be on December 19 at 11 p.m. ET. The program will be the 2002 UDTRA Season In Review highlighting the second straight UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series championship for Rick Eckert of York, PA.
Also featured will be the 1999 UDTRA Champion Dale McDowell of Rossville, GA, Steve Francis of Ashland, KY, Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI, and Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL, the drivers that finished second through fifth respectively in the 2002 Pro DirtCar Series point standings. The program is scheduled to re-air on December 23 at 3 p.m. ET.
