<b>UDTRA NOTEBOOK: SCHRADER TO COMPETE AT EAST BAY, SPEED TO AIR SEASON IN REVIEW, OGLE RECEIVES ANOTHER ROOKIE AWARD</b>
By Roby Helm
WOODSTOCK, GA - Winston Cup star Ken Schrader of Fenton, MO has announced his plans to compete with the United Dirt Track Racing Association Pro DirtCar Series on February 4, 2003 at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL. Schrader will drive his own Rayburn-chassis machine in the $5,000-to-win main event.
"I went over to East Bay from Daytona one night last year to watch the Late Model races and I liked what I saw," Schrader said. "Those guys were really hauling a - -, and it looked like a lot of fun! East Bay has the kind of surface I like and you can get a hold of something there. On my dirt deal, I'll take a track that is heavy with some holes any day over one that is dry and slick. I get enough of that in my NASCAR racing."
Schrader is no stranger to UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series competition having competed with the series numerous times in the past few years.
"When a racer of the stature of a Ken Schrader comes to compete on the short track level, that is a positive for the sport," UDTRA President Mike Swims said. "All of our traveling regulars with the UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series enjoy having Ken drop in from time-to-time and racing with them. Ken is not just a Winston Cup novelty act when he comes to a dirt track, he is a competitor with the talent and equipment that is capable of winning any race on a dirt track."
The February 4, 2003 date that will feature Schrader's appearance will be the first of three shows for the UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series at East Bay Raceway Park during the 27th Annual Winternationals.
America's Favorite Show On Dirt will return to the 1/3-mile clay oval on February 6, 2003 for a $7,000-to-win main event. The East Bay Raceway Park Winternationals finale will be on February 8, 2003 with a 75-lap $15,000-to-win main event to be taped by SPEED Channel that will air later in the spring of 2003.
Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN is the defending and two-time UDTRA East Bay Winternationals Champion. Steve Shaver of Parkersburg, WV is another two-time UDTRA East Bay Winternationals Champion, and Skip Arp of Georgetown, TN also has a UDTRA East Bay Winternationals title on his resume.
Other former UDTRA East Bay Raceway Park race winners include 1997 UDTRA Champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR with two victories, defending and two-time UDTRA Champion Rick Eckert of York, PA, Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI, Davey Johnson of Greensburg, PA, and Dan Schlieper of Pewaukee, WI.
For more information regarding the Winternationals call East Bay Raceway Park toll-free at 1-877-457-5611, or visit their web site at www.eastbayracewaypark.com.
UDTRA SEASON-IN-REVIEW TO AIR TWICE IN DECEMBER: The final broadcast offering for the UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series for this season on SPEED Channel will feature the 2002 Season In Review that will air on December 19 at 11 p.m. ET. The program will re-air on SPEED Channel on December 23 at 3 p.m. ET.
SPEED Channel will air 13 UDTRA Pro Dirt Car Series events during the 2003 season. The 2003 UDTRA SPEED Channel schedule is expected to be released sometime in February 2003.
CEDAR LAKE MASTERS UPDATE: Officials from Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI and UDTRA have released more information concerning the 5th Annual Masters 100 at CLS on June 20-21, 2003.
The event will not be an invitational event and will be open to all competitors. The event will have UDTRA qualifying and heat races on June 20, 2003, along with a special dash race to determine the starting line-up for the first of three segments that will take place on June 21, 2003.
"The first and second-place finishers from the six heat races will start straight up and race for 12 laps," UDTRA Director of Events Scott French said. "They way they finish is the way they will line up to start the first of three segments the next night. Cedar Lake officials are currently trying to secure sponsorship for the dash before announcing any monetary payouts for the dash."
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. Drivers that transfer to the second segment will earn anywhere between $600 and $350.
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, and drivers transferring to the third segment will earn anywhere between $600 and $450.
OGLE TAKES ANOTHER ROOKIE HONOR: UDTRA 2002 Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, TN was named the 2002 NATIONAL DIRT LATE MODEL DRIVERS POLL Rookie of the Year for series drivers during the 4th Quarter balloting for the National Driver of the Year.
Members of the voting board were asked to select one driver for the Rookie of the Year honor and Ogle won by a comfortable margin in a points system established for the voting process as a sidebar to the 4th Quarter voting for the national rankings. Ogle won with 300 total points over runner-up Jim Bernheisel who scored 225 markers.
Other series rookie drivers receiving votes were UDTRA 2003 Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year Runner-Up Shane Tankersley of Morganton, GA, Mike Johnson, Doug Drown, Justin Feger, Victor Lee, Mike Karhoff, Joey Mack and Terrance Nowell.
Ogle, a UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series regular, was recently awarded a $10,000 check for earning the Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year honors, and $6,000 out of the UDTRA point fund for ninth-place in the overall point standings. Ogle drove the #201 Calhoun's Restaurant GRT/Clements Monte Carlo owned By Bill Reed Racing to one top five and two top tens during the 2002 UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series season.
Prior to joining the UDTRA series in 2002, Ogle had won 13 Track Championships at various East Tennessee tracks, and he has also competed with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as well as the ARCA Series.
By Roby Helm
WOODSTOCK, GA - Winston Cup star Ken Schrader of Fenton, MO has announced his plans to compete with the United Dirt Track Racing Association Pro DirtCar Series on February 4, 2003 at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL. Schrader will drive his own Rayburn-chassis machine in the $5,000-to-win main event.
"I went over to East Bay from Daytona one night last year to watch the Late Model races and I liked what I saw," Schrader said. "Those guys were really hauling a - -, and it looked like a lot of fun! East Bay has the kind of surface I like and you can get a hold of something there. On my dirt deal, I'll take a track that is heavy with some holes any day over one that is dry and slick. I get enough of that in my NASCAR racing."
Schrader is no stranger to UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series competition having competed with the series numerous times in the past few years.
"When a racer of the stature of a Ken Schrader comes to compete on the short track level, that is a positive for the sport," UDTRA President Mike Swims said. "All of our traveling regulars with the UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series enjoy having Ken drop in from time-to-time and racing with them. Ken is not just a Winston Cup novelty act when he comes to a dirt track, he is a competitor with the talent and equipment that is capable of winning any race on a dirt track."
The February 4, 2003 date that will feature Schrader's appearance will be the first of three shows for the UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series at East Bay Raceway Park during the 27th Annual Winternationals.
America's Favorite Show On Dirt will return to the 1/3-mile clay oval on February 6, 2003 for a $7,000-to-win main event. The East Bay Raceway Park Winternationals finale will be on February 8, 2003 with a 75-lap $15,000-to-win main event to be taped by SPEED Channel that will air later in the spring of 2003.
Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN is the defending and two-time UDTRA East Bay Winternationals Champion. Steve Shaver of Parkersburg, WV is another two-time UDTRA East Bay Winternationals Champion, and Skip Arp of Georgetown, TN also has a UDTRA East Bay Winternationals title on his resume.
Other former UDTRA East Bay Raceway Park race winners include 1997 UDTRA Champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR with two victories, defending and two-time UDTRA Champion Rick Eckert of York, PA, Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI, Davey Johnson of Greensburg, PA, and Dan Schlieper of Pewaukee, WI.
For more information regarding the Winternationals call East Bay Raceway Park toll-free at 1-877-457-5611, or visit their web site at www.eastbayracewaypark.com.
UDTRA SEASON-IN-REVIEW TO AIR TWICE IN DECEMBER: The final broadcast offering for the UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series for this season on SPEED Channel will feature the 2002 Season In Review that will air on December 19 at 11 p.m. ET. The program will re-air on SPEED Channel on December 23 at 3 p.m. ET.
SPEED Channel will air 13 UDTRA Pro Dirt Car Series events during the 2003 season. The 2003 UDTRA SPEED Channel schedule is expected to be released sometime in February 2003.
CEDAR LAKE MASTERS UPDATE: Officials from Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, WI and UDTRA have released more information concerning the 5th Annual Masters 100 at CLS on June 20-21, 2003.
The event will not be an invitational event and will be open to all competitors. The event will have UDTRA qualifying and heat races on June 20, 2003, along with a special dash race to determine the starting line-up for the first of three segments that will take place on June 21, 2003.
"The first and second-place finishers from the six heat races will start straight up and race for 12 laps," UDTRA Director of Events Scott French said. "They way they finish is the way they will line up to start the first of three segments the next night. Cedar Lake officials are currently trying to secure sponsorship for the dash before announcing any monetary payouts for the dash."
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. Drivers that transfer to the second segment will earn anywhere between $600 and $350.
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, and drivers transferring to the third segment will earn anywhere between $600 and $450.
OGLE TAKES ANOTHER ROOKIE HONOR: UDTRA 2002 Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, TN was named the 2002 NATIONAL DIRT LATE MODEL DRIVERS POLL Rookie of the Year for series drivers during the 4th Quarter balloting for the National Driver of the Year.
Members of the voting board were asked to select one driver for the Rookie of the Year honor and Ogle won by a comfortable margin in a points system established for the voting process as a sidebar to the 4th Quarter voting for the national rankings. Ogle won with 300 total points over runner-up Jim Bernheisel who scored 225 markers.
Other series rookie drivers receiving votes were UDTRA 2003 Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year Runner-Up Shane Tankersley of Morganton, GA, Mike Johnson, Doug Drown, Justin Feger, Victor Lee, Mike Karhoff, Joey Mack and Terrance Nowell.
Ogle, a UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series regular, was recently awarded a $10,000 check for earning the Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year honors, and $6,000 out of the UDTRA point fund for ninth-place in the overall point standings. Ogle drove the #201 Calhoun's Restaurant GRT/Clements Monte Carlo owned By Bill Reed Racing to one top five and two top tens during the 2002 UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series season.
Prior to joining the UDTRA series in 2002, Ogle had won 13 Track Championships at various East Tennessee tracks, and he has also competed with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as well as the ARCA Series.
