By Roby Helm
WOOSTER, OH - Although he is known as The Kentucky Colonel, Steve Francis of Ashland, KY is expanding his "command" across the Ohio River to the Buckeye State. Francis has won the first two events of the Xtreme DirtCar Series Ohio Speedweek with victories at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville on Thursday night and Raceway 7 in Conneaut on Friday night.
For Francis, it is the first time in his XDCS career that he has won two races in a row. The wins were the first of the season for Francis, and has put him in the third spot on the XDCS points list, 13 points behind second-place Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI, and 110 points behind series point leader Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN.
For the first two races of the XDCS Ohio Speedweek, Francis has pocketed $21,500 to bring his season total to $77,925.
Only four-time series champion Bloomquist and two-time and defending series champion Rick Eckert are ahead of Francis on that list. After the first 20 XDCS events of the 2003 season, Bloomquist with six wins has earned $108,800, and Eckert with three wins has earned $85,825.
TOP FIVE XDCS DRIVERS STEADY IN FIRST TWO OHIO SPEEDWEEK EVENTS: Bloomquist, Mars, Francis, Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA, and Eckert have shown why they are in the top five in XDCS points by their performances in the first two events of Ohio Speedweek.
Looking at average finishes behind Francis' two wins, Bloomquist and 1999 series champion Dale McDowell of Rossville, GA both have a third-place average. Bloomquist was fourth at MCS and second at Raceway 7. McDowell was third both nights.
McDowell, who has been either seventh or eighth in XDCS points for most of the season, has now closed to within 27 points of sixth place Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL, and within 91 points of Eckert in fifth.
Eckert is next in the Ohio Speedweek average finish list at 4.5. Eckert finished second at MCS on Thursday night after a lap three tangle dropped him from second to tenth, and he finished seventh at Raceway 7 on Friday night.
Birkhofer has an average finish of sixth in the first two Ohio Speedweek events. He finished eighth after starting 20th at MCS, and charged to a fourth-place finish at Raceway 7 despite making three pit stops to get the right tire combination on his race car. In the first two events of Ohio Speedweek, Birkhofer has probably had to pass the most cars.
Mars has two top ten finishes in the opening two rounds of Ohio Speedweek. The Ice Man finished sixth at MCS, and tenth at Raceway 7.
THE LOCALS PROVIDE TOUGH COMPETITION: The traveling regulars of the XDCS have met with some tough competition at the first two Ohio Speedweek shows, and are expecting even more in the upcoming events at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville on Tuesday night, Sharon Speedway in Hartford on Wednesday night, and KC Raceway in Chillicothe on Friday night.
Scott Peltz of Cadiz, OH was the Ringers Gloves Fast Qualifier on Thursday night at MCS. Bart Hartman of Zanesville, OH had the hometown faithful on their feet at MCS after dueling with Francis for the lead side-by-side for several laps.
Officially, the lead changed hands five times when counting it at the start-finish line, but in between, the lead may have changed hands 25 times. Hartman faded just a tad during the second half of the 50 lapper, but still came home in fifth spot.
The locals really came loaded for bear at Raceway 7. Dick Barton of Ashville, NY started eighth, took the lead from Francis on lap 16 and was pulling away. The victory slipped through Barton's hands on lap 23 when a broken bird cage in the rear suspension of his race car ended his night.
Randle Chupp of Mooresville, NC may not be considered a local driver, but he drives a car based out of Conneaut. Chupp was the Ringers Gloves Fast Qualifier on Friday night. At the end of the main event, four local drivers posted top ten finishes.
Gene Fenno of Corry, PA finished fifth, and Ron Davies of Warren, PA took the sixth spot. Davies also won the third heat race, and the Action Performance Dash to earn the pole position for the main event. David Scott of Garland, PA finished in the eighth position.
Aside from Birkhofer's mad dash in the Conneaut big show, Dan Armbruster of Erie, PA also put on a passing clinic on the 7/16-mile clay oval. Armbruster started 21st, and by lap ten, he was running sixth.
Armbruster made a pit stop just past the halfway point in the race, restarted at the back of the pack, and came home to finish ninth. He earned the Advance Auto Parts Hard Charger of the Race Award.
THE COLONEL MAY FACE A CHUBZILLA ATTACK AT WCS: With Francis looking for his third straight XDCS Ohio Speedweek win on Tuesday night at Wayne County Speedway in the 50-lap $10,000-to-win main event, the Kentucky Colonel may have to draw his sword to fend off "Chubzilla."
Chub Frank of Sugar Grove, PA has won the previous two XDCS events held at WCS in 2000 and 2001 when the series was known as the Hav-A-Tampa and the UDTRA series.
Frank has been known to give the XDCS fits when he competes against them, as he has eight XDCS career wins, including the series' biggest event. Frank is the defending champion of the Xtreme Shootout where he won the $55,000 top prize last October at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, GA.
The WCS Tuesday schedule has the pit gate opening at 3 p.m., XDCS tech and registration from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., and hot laps scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The grandstand gate opens at 4 p.m. The WCS Pure Stocks and Mod Lites will also be in action on Tuesday night.
For race day and ticket information for the Tuesday night Wayne County Speedway XDCS Ohio Speedweek event call (330) 682-7435, or visit the track web site at www.waynecountyspeedway.com. Wayne County Speedway is located nine miles east of Wooster, OH on U.S. Highway 30, then one mile north on C.R. 84.
The AmeriHost Inn at 2055 E. Lincoln Way (U.S. Highway 30) is the XDCS Official Host Hotel for the WCS event. The AmeriHost Inn is offering XDCS fans and competitors a special discount rate of $60 per night. To make reservations call (330) 262-5008 and ask for the XDCS special discount rate.
The Wooster East AmeriHost Inn features and indoor pool, spa and sauna. Area restaurants are also within walking distance of the hotel.
XDCS OHIO SPEEDWEEK ADDS TO SHARON SPEEDWAY HISTORY: The XDCS will make its first ever visit to historic Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH on Wednesday night. Sharon Speedway has a long Ohio tradition of auto racing dating back to the 1920s, and some of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport have turned a wheel on the track's dirt surface through the years.
The Sharon Speedway Wednesday schedule for the 50-lap $10,000-to-win big show will have the pit gate opening at 3 p.m., and the grandstand gate opening at 4 p.m. XDCS tech and registration will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the drivers meeting at 6:15 p.m., and hot laps scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Holiday Inn Metroplex in Youngstown, OH will be the XDCS Official Host Hotel for the Sharon Speedway event. The Holiday Inn Metroplex will be offering XDCS fans and competitors a special discount rate of $79.99 for XDCS fans and competitors. To make reservations call the Holiday Inn Metroplex at 1-888-447-0606 and ask for the Sharon Speedway discount rate.
The Holiday Inn Metroplex is located at I-80 exit 229 on S.R. 193 Belmont Avenue. The Holiday Inn Metroplex has a restaurant, lounge, and plenty of
truck parking. For more information about the Holiday Inn Metroplex visit
their web site at www.holidayinnmetroplex.com.
Although it has not been finalized nor confirmed, there has been talk that track owner, Winston Cup star, and former World of Outlaw and USAC Champ Dirt Car Champion Dave Blaney may climb aboard an Xtreme DirtCar and compete on Wednesday night.
For Sharon Speedway race day and ticket information call (330) 772-5481, or visit the track web site at www.sharonspeedway.com. Sharon Speedway is located ten miles north of I-80 exit 234 on S.R. 7, then one mile east on S.R. 305.
OHIO SPEEDWEEK FINALE TO BE HIGH-BANKED EXCITEMENT AT KC RACEWAY FOR THE MOPAR EXTREME HEAT 50: The XDCS will return to KC Raceway for the first time since 2001 for the Ohio Speedweek finale on the exciting 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval this Friday night for the $10,000-to-win Mopar Xtreme Heat 50.
Mike Balzano of Parkersburg, WV beat the XDCS regulars at KC in 2001 for his only career series win to date. Track owner/promoter Jim Nier has made many improvements to the track in the past year to make the fans comfortable, but with the action KC Raceway provides, they may only use the edge of their seats.
The KC Raceway Mopar Xtreme Heat 50 will take place in front of the SPEED Channel cameras that will tape the action to air on July 31 at 11 p.m. ET.
The Friday KC schedule has the pit gate opening at 3 p.m., XDCS tech and registration will be from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the grandstand gate opens at 4:30 p.m., and hot laps are scheduled for 6 p.m. Ringers Gloves Qualifying is set for 6:30 p.m., with XDCS Heat Races to follow at 7:30 p.m.
For KC Raceway race day and ticket information call (740) 663-4141, or visit the track web site at www.kc-raceway.com. KC Raceway is located 12 miles south of Chillicothe, OH on U.S. Highway 23, then two miles west on Blain Highway.
WOOSTER, OH - Although he is known as The Kentucky Colonel, Steve Francis of Ashland, KY is expanding his "command" across the Ohio River to the Buckeye State. Francis has won the first two events of the Xtreme DirtCar Series Ohio Speedweek with victories at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville on Thursday night and Raceway 7 in Conneaut on Friday night.
For Francis, it is the first time in his XDCS career that he has won two races in a row. The wins were the first of the season for Francis, and has put him in the third spot on the XDCS points list, 13 points behind second-place Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI, and 110 points behind series point leader Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN.
For the first two races of the XDCS Ohio Speedweek, Francis has pocketed $21,500 to bring his season total to $77,925.
Only four-time series champion Bloomquist and two-time and defending series champion Rick Eckert are ahead of Francis on that list. After the first 20 XDCS events of the 2003 season, Bloomquist with six wins has earned $108,800, and Eckert with three wins has earned $85,825.
TOP FIVE XDCS DRIVERS STEADY IN FIRST TWO OHIO SPEEDWEEK EVENTS: Bloomquist, Mars, Francis, Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA, and Eckert have shown why they are in the top five in XDCS points by their performances in the first two events of Ohio Speedweek.
Looking at average finishes behind Francis' two wins, Bloomquist and 1999 series champion Dale McDowell of Rossville, GA both have a third-place average. Bloomquist was fourth at MCS and second at Raceway 7. McDowell was third both nights.
McDowell, who has been either seventh or eighth in XDCS points for most of the season, has now closed to within 27 points of sixth place Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL, and within 91 points of Eckert in fifth.
Eckert is next in the Ohio Speedweek average finish list at 4.5. Eckert finished second at MCS on Thursday night after a lap three tangle dropped him from second to tenth, and he finished seventh at Raceway 7 on Friday night.
Birkhofer has an average finish of sixth in the first two Ohio Speedweek events. He finished eighth after starting 20th at MCS, and charged to a fourth-place finish at Raceway 7 despite making three pit stops to get the right tire combination on his race car. In the first two events of Ohio Speedweek, Birkhofer has probably had to pass the most cars.
Mars has two top ten finishes in the opening two rounds of Ohio Speedweek. The Ice Man finished sixth at MCS, and tenth at Raceway 7.
THE LOCALS PROVIDE TOUGH COMPETITION: The traveling regulars of the XDCS have met with some tough competition at the first two Ohio Speedweek shows, and are expecting even more in the upcoming events at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville on Tuesday night, Sharon Speedway in Hartford on Wednesday night, and KC Raceway in Chillicothe on Friday night.
Scott Peltz of Cadiz, OH was the Ringers Gloves Fast Qualifier on Thursday night at MCS. Bart Hartman of Zanesville, OH had the hometown faithful on their feet at MCS after dueling with Francis for the lead side-by-side for several laps.
Officially, the lead changed hands five times when counting it at the start-finish line, but in between, the lead may have changed hands 25 times. Hartman faded just a tad during the second half of the 50 lapper, but still came home in fifth spot.
The locals really came loaded for bear at Raceway 7. Dick Barton of Ashville, NY started eighth, took the lead from Francis on lap 16 and was pulling away. The victory slipped through Barton's hands on lap 23 when a broken bird cage in the rear suspension of his race car ended his night.
Randle Chupp of Mooresville, NC may not be considered a local driver, but he drives a car based out of Conneaut. Chupp was the Ringers Gloves Fast Qualifier on Friday night. At the end of the main event, four local drivers posted top ten finishes.
Gene Fenno of Corry, PA finished fifth, and Ron Davies of Warren, PA took the sixth spot. Davies also won the third heat race, and the Action Performance Dash to earn the pole position for the main event. David Scott of Garland, PA finished in the eighth position.
Aside from Birkhofer's mad dash in the Conneaut big show, Dan Armbruster of Erie, PA also put on a passing clinic on the 7/16-mile clay oval. Armbruster started 21st, and by lap ten, he was running sixth.
Armbruster made a pit stop just past the halfway point in the race, restarted at the back of the pack, and came home to finish ninth. He earned the Advance Auto Parts Hard Charger of the Race Award.
THE COLONEL MAY FACE A CHUBZILLA ATTACK AT WCS: With Francis looking for his third straight XDCS Ohio Speedweek win on Tuesday night at Wayne County Speedway in the 50-lap $10,000-to-win main event, the Kentucky Colonel may have to draw his sword to fend off "Chubzilla."
Chub Frank of Sugar Grove, PA has won the previous two XDCS events held at WCS in 2000 and 2001 when the series was known as the Hav-A-Tampa and the UDTRA series.
Frank has been known to give the XDCS fits when he competes against them, as he has eight XDCS career wins, including the series' biggest event. Frank is the defending champion of the Xtreme Shootout where he won the $55,000 top prize last October at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, GA.
The WCS Tuesday schedule has the pit gate opening at 3 p.m., XDCS tech and registration from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., and hot laps scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The grandstand gate opens at 4 p.m. The WCS Pure Stocks and Mod Lites will also be in action on Tuesday night.
For race day and ticket information for the Tuesday night Wayne County Speedway XDCS Ohio Speedweek event call (330) 682-7435, or visit the track web site at www.waynecountyspeedway.com. Wayne County Speedway is located nine miles east of Wooster, OH on U.S. Highway 30, then one mile north on C.R. 84.
The AmeriHost Inn at 2055 E. Lincoln Way (U.S. Highway 30) is the XDCS Official Host Hotel for the WCS event. The AmeriHost Inn is offering XDCS fans and competitors a special discount rate of $60 per night. To make reservations call (330) 262-5008 and ask for the XDCS special discount rate.
The Wooster East AmeriHost Inn features and indoor pool, spa and sauna. Area restaurants are also within walking distance of the hotel.
XDCS OHIO SPEEDWEEK ADDS TO SHARON SPEEDWAY HISTORY: The XDCS will make its first ever visit to historic Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH on Wednesday night. Sharon Speedway has a long Ohio tradition of auto racing dating back to the 1920s, and some of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport have turned a wheel on the track's dirt surface through the years.
The Sharon Speedway Wednesday schedule for the 50-lap $10,000-to-win big show will have the pit gate opening at 3 p.m., and the grandstand gate opening at 4 p.m. XDCS tech and registration will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the drivers meeting at 6:15 p.m., and hot laps scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Holiday Inn Metroplex in Youngstown, OH will be the XDCS Official Host Hotel for the Sharon Speedway event. The Holiday Inn Metroplex will be offering XDCS fans and competitors a special discount rate of $79.99 for XDCS fans and competitors. To make reservations call the Holiday Inn Metroplex at 1-888-447-0606 and ask for the Sharon Speedway discount rate.
The Holiday Inn Metroplex is located at I-80 exit 229 on S.R. 193 Belmont Avenue. The Holiday Inn Metroplex has a restaurant, lounge, and plenty of
truck parking. For more information about the Holiday Inn Metroplex visit
their web site at www.holidayinnmetroplex.com.
Although it has not been finalized nor confirmed, there has been talk that track owner, Winston Cup star, and former World of Outlaw and USAC Champ Dirt Car Champion Dave Blaney may climb aboard an Xtreme DirtCar and compete on Wednesday night.
For Sharon Speedway race day and ticket information call (330) 772-5481, or visit the track web site at www.sharonspeedway.com. Sharon Speedway is located ten miles north of I-80 exit 234 on S.R. 7, then one mile east on S.R. 305.
OHIO SPEEDWEEK FINALE TO BE HIGH-BANKED EXCITEMENT AT KC RACEWAY FOR THE MOPAR EXTREME HEAT 50: The XDCS will return to KC Raceway for the first time since 2001 for the Ohio Speedweek finale on the exciting 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval this Friday night for the $10,000-to-win Mopar Xtreme Heat 50.
Mike Balzano of Parkersburg, WV beat the XDCS regulars at KC in 2001 for his only career series win to date. Track owner/promoter Jim Nier has made many improvements to the track in the past year to make the fans comfortable, but with the action KC Raceway provides, they may only use the edge of their seats.
The KC Raceway Mopar Xtreme Heat 50 will take place in front of the SPEED Channel cameras that will tape the action to air on July 31 at 11 p.m. ET.
The Friday KC schedule has the pit gate opening at 3 p.m., XDCS tech and registration will be from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the grandstand gate opens at 4:30 p.m., and hot laps are scheduled for 6 p.m. Ringers Gloves Qualifying is set for 6:30 p.m., with XDCS Heat Races to follow at 7:30 p.m.
For KC Raceway race day and ticket information call (740) 663-4141, or visit the track web site at www.kc-raceway.com. KC Raceway is located 12 miles south of Chillicothe, OH on U.S. Highway 23, then two miles west on Blain Highway.
