World of Outlaws Late Model Series Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Awards Will Be Determined At World F

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CONCORD, NC – Oct. 20, 2010 – The tight battle for the 2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series points championship won’t be the only mathematical drama that plays out during the World Finals on Nov. 4-6 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

While Josh Richards and Darrell Lanigan will fight it out on the track in search of the $100,000 World of Outlaws title, a separate season-long contest among the national tour’s regulars will come to a conclusion in the pit area. The winners of the inaugural Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Awards will be determined during the four-tenths-mile oval’s blockbuster weekend, which also features the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and the Super DIRTcar Series for big-block Modifieds.

The unique competition – named in honor of late team owner Raye Vest and sponsored by McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning in Omaha, Neb. – rewards the WoO LMS travelers who end the season with the best and worst averages in the nightly pill draws for time-trial positions. Each driver will receive $500 for their good – and bad – luck in a pre-race pursuit that was a favorite of Vest, who spent 15 years fielding cars for WoO LMS star Rick Eckert of York, Pa., until passing away in November 2009 at the age of 76 from health problems he had been battling for several years.

“Raye always loved the pill draw – that was his thing,” said Eckert, who ran all 237 WoO LMS events contested from 2004-2009 in equipment owned by Vest. “When he was at a race he’d go to the (series) trailer and when he came out you would immediately know if he drew a good or bad number just by looking at his face. And if he didn’t make it to a race, he’d call me before the night started and the first thing he’d say was, ‘What number did you draw?’”

In a nod to Vest, WoO LMS announcer Rick Eshelman adorned the canister used for this year’s qualifying pill draws with a Raye Vest Memorial decal and painted it in Vest’s familiar orange and black colors. John McCarthy Sr., a longtime sponsor of three-time WoO LMS champion Billy Moyer and other dirt Late Model events through his McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning business, signed on to provide a financial reward for the series regulars who picked the best and worst numbers from that can over the course of the season.

“I can’t think of doing anything better than this to remember Raye Vest,” said McCarthy, who knew Vest well from their years attending races. “Every time there’s a pill draw, we think of one of the sponsorship giants in our sport.

“I know how much Raye loved the pill draw. I used to give him a hard time whenever he had a bad draw. My wife always said I was too hard on him, but we had a good time with it. He’d be just as hard on me if Moyer got a bad draw.”

McCarthy greatly respected Vest, prompting his interest in being involved with an award to memorialize the veteran car owner.

“There was never a kinder or gentler man in racing,” said McCarthy. “It was always about racing with him. He loved the sport and the people and we all miss him.”
Watertown, N.Y., drivers – and former DIRTcar big-block Modified regulars – Tim Fuller and Tim McCreadie head into the World Finals in the driver’s seat for the $500 Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Awards. Fuller owns the best (lowest) pill-draw average at 28.2, while McCreadie has the worst (highest) average at 45.6.

Both drivers have fairly solid edges over the next closest drivers – Fuller leads Richards by 2.8, while McCreadie is 3.1 better than Russell King – so it will likely take very high number draws for Fuller and very low number picks for McCreadie to see them overtaken for the cash, which will be distributed during the WoO LMS Awards Banquet on Nov. 7 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, N.C.

The final pill-draw averages will be determined on Thurs., Nov. 4, when drivers will participate in two separate draws on qualifying night. Two rounds of time trials will be conducted – one to set up the heat races on Fri., Nov. 5, and the other to align the heats on Sat., Nov. 6. A 50-lap A-Main paying $10,000 to win will headline the Friday and Saturday programs.

Tickets for the World Finals can be obtained by logging on to www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or calling 1-800-455-FANS. Three-day packages are available for the bargain price of $69.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Award Standings (average pill-draw numbers for series regulars through 42 of 44 events):
1. Tim Fuller 28.2
2. Josh Richards 31.0
3. Steve Francis 32.3
4. Austin Hubbard 34.1
5. Darrell Lanigan 34.5
6. Chub Frank 36.9
7. Rick Eckert 37.9
8. Clint Smith 38.6
9. Jill George 39.6
10. Shane Clanton 41.3
11. Russell King 42.5
12. Tim McCreadie 45.6

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, R2C Performance and Wrisco Aluminum.
 




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