By Roby Helm
MOORESVILLE, NC - The Xtreme DirtCar Series returns to two Carolina race tracks on April 11-12 for a pair of 50-lap $10,000-to-win events. The series returns to Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, NC for the first time since 1993 on April 11, and then travels to Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC on April 12 for the first time after a year's absence.
Defending and two-time Xtreme DirtCar Series Champion Rick Eckert of York, PA heads the entry list, and rolls into the Carolinas as the XDCS point leader with two wins in the first three events of the 2003 season.
Eckert has said it is too early in the season to be thinking about a three-peat because he knows the top drivers in the country will be looking to knock him off the top of the points list.
Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI won the second race of the season, and is second in the XDCS point standings, just four points behind Eckert. Earl Pearson of Jacksonville, FL is third in points only ten points out of first place. Donnie Moran of Dresden, OH and Steve Francis of Ashland, KY are tied for fourth spot in the XDCS points chase, 38 points behind Eckert.
The second five in the XDCS top ten has Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA in sixth spot, followed by Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN, Randle Chupp of Mooresville, NC, Terry English of Benton, KY, and Rob Blair of Titusville, PA. There are several drivers just outside the top ten in points looking to take over one of those spots to get into the XDCS Winner's Circle Program.
Top ten drivers in XDCS points get a $600 bonus at each XDCS event. The 1999 XDCS Champion Dale McDowell of Rossville, GA is 11th in points, just three points out of 10th. Other top drivers looking for a top ten spot are Randy Korte of Highland, IL, Matt Miller of Waterville, OH, Rick Aukland of Zanesville, OH, and Dan Schlieper of Pewaukee, WI.
Four-time XDCS Champion Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN is 16th in the XDCS points chase, but is only 40 points outside the top ten. Bloomquist is one of two drivers that have won XDCS events at both Carolina and Cherokee Speedways when the series was known as the Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Racing Series from 1990 to 2000, and the UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series from 2001 to 2002.
The legendary Flintstone Flyer Mike Duvall of Cowpens, SC also has XDCS victories at Carolina and Cherokee on his Hall of Fame resume. Duvall won a HAT event at Carolina Speedway in 1991. South Carolina's Ed Gibbons took the HAT Carolina win in 1992, and Bloomquist took the HAT Carolina win in 1993, the fourth of his career leading 89 wins.
At Cherokee Speedway, Bloomquist has six HAT/UDTRA wins. His first Cherokee win came the night after his 1993 Carolina win. Bloomquist also has wins in 1994, two in 1996, one in 1998 and one in 2001.
The 1996 XDCS Champion Freddy Smith of Knoxville, TN has three Cherokee Speedway HAT/UDTRA wins. The Southern Gentleman, a native of nearby Kings Mountain, NC, posted Cherokee victories in 1994, 1995, and 1997. Local favorite Ricky Weeks of Rutherfordton, NC has two HAT wins at Cherokee Speedway in 1990 and 1993.
Duvall took the Cherokee HAT win in 1991, with Jack Pennington of Winston, GA winning at Cherokee in 1992. Moran posted a 1995 Cherokee win, and Eckert won the last UDTRA race at Cherokee in 2001.
Miller leads the Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year point standings over Troy Kuyoth of Stratford, WI and Bobby Wolter Jr. of Lexington, KY. The 2003 Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year will receive $10,000.
Other top Carolina drivers expected for the two events include Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, SC, David Smith of Inman, SC, Chris Madden of Laurens, SC, and Jeff Smith of Dallas, NC.
A live webcast presented by Autobet.US of both events will be available on the XDCS web site at www.xtremedirtcars.com. Just go to the Webcast Registration page from the Home Page. The webcast is scheduled to begin each night at 9:30 p.m. ET. The Carolina Speedway XDCS event will taped by the SPEED Channel television network, and will air on May 8 at 9 p.m. ET.
For Carolina Speedway ticket information call 1-866-860-2855. Carolina Speedway is located nine miles south of Gastonia, NC on State Road 274. For Cherokee Speedway ticket information call (864) 489-1969. Cherokee Speedway is located just south of I-85 at exit 96 on State Road 18.
MOORESVILLE, NC - The Xtreme DirtCar Series returns to two Carolina race tracks on April 11-12 for a pair of 50-lap $10,000-to-win events. The series returns to Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, NC for the first time since 1993 on April 11, and then travels to Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC on April 12 for the first time after a year's absence.
Defending and two-time Xtreme DirtCar Series Champion Rick Eckert of York, PA heads the entry list, and rolls into the Carolinas as the XDCS point leader with two wins in the first three events of the 2003 season.
Eckert has said it is too early in the season to be thinking about a three-peat because he knows the top drivers in the country will be looking to knock him off the top of the points list.
Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI won the second race of the season, and is second in the XDCS point standings, just four points behind Eckert. Earl Pearson of Jacksonville, FL is third in points only ten points out of first place. Donnie Moran of Dresden, OH and Steve Francis of Ashland, KY are tied for fourth spot in the XDCS points chase, 38 points behind Eckert.
The second five in the XDCS top ten has Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA in sixth spot, followed by Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN, Randle Chupp of Mooresville, NC, Terry English of Benton, KY, and Rob Blair of Titusville, PA. There are several drivers just outside the top ten in points looking to take over one of those spots to get into the XDCS Winner's Circle Program.
Top ten drivers in XDCS points get a $600 bonus at each XDCS event. The 1999 XDCS Champion Dale McDowell of Rossville, GA is 11th in points, just three points out of 10th. Other top drivers looking for a top ten spot are Randy Korte of Highland, IL, Matt Miller of Waterville, OH, Rick Aukland of Zanesville, OH, and Dan Schlieper of Pewaukee, WI.
Four-time XDCS Champion Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN is 16th in the XDCS points chase, but is only 40 points outside the top ten. Bloomquist is one of two drivers that have won XDCS events at both Carolina and Cherokee Speedways when the series was known as the Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Racing Series from 1990 to 2000, and the UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series from 2001 to 2002.
The legendary Flintstone Flyer Mike Duvall of Cowpens, SC also has XDCS victories at Carolina and Cherokee on his Hall of Fame resume. Duvall won a HAT event at Carolina Speedway in 1991. South Carolina's Ed Gibbons took the HAT Carolina win in 1992, and Bloomquist took the HAT Carolina win in 1993, the fourth of his career leading 89 wins.
At Cherokee Speedway, Bloomquist has six HAT/UDTRA wins. His first Cherokee win came the night after his 1993 Carolina win. Bloomquist also has wins in 1994, two in 1996, one in 1998 and one in 2001.
The 1996 XDCS Champion Freddy Smith of Knoxville, TN has three Cherokee Speedway HAT/UDTRA wins. The Southern Gentleman, a native of nearby Kings Mountain, NC, posted Cherokee victories in 1994, 1995, and 1997. Local favorite Ricky Weeks of Rutherfordton, NC has two HAT wins at Cherokee Speedway in 1990 and 1993.
Duvall took the Cherokee HAT win in 1991, with Jack Pennington of Winston, GA winning at Cherokee in 1992. Moran posted a 1995 Cherokee win, and Eckert won the last UDTRA race at Cherokee in 2001.
Miller leads the Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year point standings over Troy Kuyoth of Stratford, WI and Bobby Wolter Jr. of Lexington, KY. The 2003 Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year will receive $10,000.
Other top Carolina drivers expected for the two events include Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, SC, David Smith of Inman, SC, Chris Madden of Laurens, SC, and Jeff Smith of Dallas, NC.
A live webcast presented by Autobet.US of both events will be available on the XDCS web site at www.xtremedirtcars.com. Just go to the Webcast Registration page from the Home Page. The webcast is scheduled to begin each night at 9:30 p.m. ET. The Carolina Speedway XDCS event will taped by the SPEED Channel television network, and will air on May 8 at 9 p.m. ET.
For Carolina Speedway ticket information call 1-866-860-2855. Carolina Speedway is located nine miles south of Gastonia, NC on State Road 274. For Cherokee Speedway ticket information call (864) 489-1969. Cherokee Speedway is located just south of I-85 at exit 96 on State Road 18.
