jdearing
09-27-2005, 04:47 PM
By Michelle Petroff
CASEYVILLE, IL (September 27, 2005) – Seven prominent dirt late model teams from the Petroff Towing stable will compete in this weekend’s “2nd Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals” at the famed Knoxville (IA) Raceway. Over $220,000 in loot is available in the three-day racing extravaganza that will kick off with two nights of preliminary competition on September 29th and 30th before the alphabet soup events and 100-lap A-Main on Saturday, October 1st. The late model event uses the same qualifying system of points as the crown jewel “Knoxville Nationals” sprint car event.
Petroff Towing teams scheduled to compete in this year’s event include:
Justin Allgaier (19, Riverton, IL) – Teen racing sensation Justin Allgaier will change gears from recent NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition to return to dirt racing for the Knoxville Nationals. The young racing dynamo has had a very strong season both in pavement divisions including the ARCA RE/MAX Series and NCTS and in limited dirt competition. Last month, Allgaier became the youngest competitor to ever hold a track record at the Illinois State Fairgrounds’ one-mile dirt oval when he broke the 10 year ARCA RE/MAX record previously held by Bob Hill. He competed in the inaugural Knoxville Nationals event in 2004 and was the youngest competitor to make the A-Main and the highest finishing non-Xtreme DirtCar Series competitor with a solid seventh place run.
Shannon Babb (31, Moweaqua, IL) - Shannon Babb, one of the undisputed hottest shoes in the nation, will make his first appearance at Knoxville Raceway this weekend. Babb, the inaugural 2004 NARA (Lucas Oil DirtCar Series) Champion, has amassed twenty-one feature wins in 2005 including a record-setting 15 U.M.P. Summernationals’ events en route to his UMP Summernationals’ Championship and, most recently, the $15,000 “Kevin Roderick Memorial”.
Dennis Erb (32, Carpentersville, IL) - Erb, second runner-up to the 2005 Summernationals’ crown, had a strong run in the alphabet soup events of the inaugural Nationals before a motor expired in the closing laps as he paced the field in the B-Main. With nine feature wins in 2005, Erb’s #28 machine will be one to watch if plans allow him to return to Knoxville.
Billy Moyer (47, Batesville, AR) - Iowa-native Moyer is the only driver to win four different sanctioned late model events at the premier track of the open-wheel world – Knoxville Raceway. Moyer currently leads the World of Outlaws’ Late Model Series’ Championship points and has 10 feature wins in 2005 including numerous WoO wins, the I-55 “Pepsi Nationals” and the “Topless 100”. “Mr. Smooth” is the only winner of dirt late model racing’s most prestigious event – the World 100. This year will mark his first attempt at the “Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals” but if history counts for anything, his performances at the track speak volumes.
Terry Phillips (39, Springfield, MO) - Terry Phillips, son of the late racing legend Larry Phillips, recently claimed his third Stacker 2® Mid America Racing Series (MARS) championship and is only one of two drivers (the other being fellow 3-time titlist and Petroff Towing driver Bill Frye) to ever earn the series’ crown. Phillips competed in the inaugural Nationals event but was plagued by a series of unfortunate events so he will return in 2005 to attempt to tame one of the fiercest tracks in the nation.
Patrick Sheltra (19, Indiantown, FL) - “Mr. Showtime”, like Allgaier, is another rising talent splitting time between dirt short tracks and asphalt speedways. The Floridian will return to Knoxville after a strong run in the 2004 event. Sheltra has notched one win and thirteen top-10 finishes in the 2005 season which included the majority of the demanding 26-event UMP Summernationals’ tour.
Brian Shirley (24, Chatham, IL) - Shirley, a former AMA motorcycle champion turned dirt late model ace, was the 2004 Northern Allstars’ Late Model Series Rookie of the Year and Champion as well as a former UMP National Rookie of the Year but has really come on to the national scene strong in 2005. The native Illinoisan is only in his fourth year of late model competition but has netted seven feature wins (including 3 clean sweeps) and his biggest career win to date at Oakshade Raceway’s “Birthday Race” Summernationals’ finale during his 2005 season. Shirley’s consistent performances on the Summernationals’ trail earned him fourth place championship honors in his first attempt at the racing bonanza. He’s preparing for a dramatic Knoxville debut after coming off a string of strong performances including the World of Outlaws’ events at I-55 Raceway, Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway and the “Kevin Roderick Memorial” - all of which he led before settling in for top-10 finishes.
Petroff Towing, Inc. is headquartered in Caseyville, IL, and is recognized as one of North America’s premier heavy-duty towing and recovery specialists. The family-owned business operates four locations in the St. Louis metropolitan area and services local customers and emergency response teams as well as commercial fleets across the continental United States and Canada. For thirty years, Petroff Towing has remained committed to excellence and maintaining the highest standards of quality and customer care.
Additional information on the various Petroff Towing-backed teams participating in the “2nd Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals” can be found online at http://www.petrofftowing.com, http://www.allgaiermotorsports.com, http://www.shannonbabb18.com, http://www.denniserb.com, http://www.billymoyer.com, http://www.terryphillipsracing.com, http://www.patricksheltra.com and http://www.brianshirley.com. Tickets and event information is available online at http://www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Radio broadcasts will also be available online for those who are unable to attend the event via http://www.americandirtnetwork.com.
CASEYVILLE, IL (September 27, 2005) – Seven prominent dirt late model teams from the Petroff Towing stable will compete in this weekend’s “2nd Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals” at the famed Knoxville (IA) Raceway. Over $220,000 in loot is available in the three-day racing extravaganza that will kick off with two nights of preliminary competition on September 29th and 30th before the alphabet soup events and 100-lap A-Main on Saturday, October 1st. The late model event uses the same qualifying system of points as the crown jewel “Knoxville Nationals” sprint car event.
Petroff Towing teams scheduled to compete in this year’s event include:
Justin Allgaier (19, Riverton, IL) – Teen racing sensation Justin Allgaier will change gears from recent NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition to return to dirt racing for the Knoxville Nationals. The young racing dynamo has had a very strong season both in pavement divisions including the ARCA RE/MAX Series and NCTS and in limited dirt competition. Last month, Allgaier became the youngest competitor to ever hold a track record at the Illinois State Fairgrounds’ one-mile dirt oval when he broke the 10 year ARCA RE/MAX record previously held by Bob Hill. He competed in the inaugural Knoxville Nationals event in 2004 and was the youngest competitor to make the A-Main and the highest finishing non-Xtreme DirtCar Series competitor with a solid seventh place run.
Shannon Babb (31, Moweaqua, IL) - Shannon Babb, one of the undisputed hottest shoes in the nation, will make his first appearance at Knoxville Raceway this weekend. Babb, the inaugural 2004 NARA (Lucas Oil DirtCar Series) Champion, has amassed twenty-one feature wins in 2005 including a record-setting 15 U.M.P. Summernationals’ events en route to his UMP Summernationals’ Championship and, most recently, the $15,000 “Kevin Roderick Memorial”.
Dennis Erb (32, Carpentersville, IL) - Erb, second runner-up to the 2005 Summernationals’ crown, had a strong run in the alphabet soup events of the inaugural Nationals before a motor expired in the closing laps as he paced the field in the B-Main. With nine feature wins in 2005, Erb’s #28 machine will be one to watch if plans allow him to return to Knoxville.
Billy Moyer (47, Batesville, AR) - Iowa-native Moyer is the only driver to win four different sanctioned late model events at the premier track of the open-wheel world – Knoxville Raceway. Moyer currently leads the World of Outlaws’ Late Model Series’ Championship points and has 10 feature wins in 2005 including numerous WoO wins, the I-55 “Pepsi Nationals” and the “Topless 100”. “Mr. Smooth” is the only winner of dirt late model racing’s most prestigious event – the World 100. This year will mark his first attempt at the “Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals” but if history counts for anything, his performances at the track speak volumes.
Terry Phillips (39, Springfield, MO) - Terry Phillips, son of the late racing legend Larry Phillips, recently claimed his third Stacker 2® Mid America Racing Series (MARS) championship and is only one of two drivers (the other being fellow 3-time titlist and Petroff Towing driver Bill Frye) to ever earn the series’ crown. Phillips competed in the inaugural Nationals event but was plagued by a series of unfortunate events so he will return in 2005 to attempt to tame one of the fiercest tracks in the nation.
Patrick Sheltra (19, Indiantown, FL) - “Mr. Showtime”, like Allgaier, is another rising talent splitting time between dirt short tracks and asphalt speedways. The Floridian will return to Knoxville after a strong run in the 2004 event. Sheltra has notched one win and thirteen top-10 finishes in the 2005 season which included the majority of the demanding 26-event UMP Summernationals’ tour.
Brian Shirley (24, Chatham, IL) - Shirley, a former AMA motorcycle champion turned dirt late model ace, was the 2004 Northern Allstars’ Late Model Series Rookie of the Year and Champion as well as a former UMP National Rookie of the Year but has really come on to the national scene strong in 2005. The native Illinoisan is only in his fourth year of late model competition but has netted seven feature wins (including 3 clean sweeps) and his biggest career win to date at Oakshade Raceway’s “Birthday Race” Summernationals’ finale during his 2005 season. Shirley’s consistent performances on the Summernationals’ trail earned him fourth place championship honors in his first attempt at the racing bonanza. He’s preparing for a dramatic Knoxville debut after coming off a string of strong performances including the World of Outlaws’ events at I-55 Raceway, Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway and the “Kevin Roderick Memorial” - all of which he led before settling in for top-10 finishes.
Petroff Towing, Inc. is headquartered in Caseyville, IL, and is recognized as one of North America’s premier heavy-duty towing and recovery specialists. The family-owned business operates four locations in the St. Louis metropolitan area and services local customers and emergency response teams as well as commercial fleets across the continental United States and Canada. For thirty years, Petroff Towing has remained committed to excellence and maintaining the highest standards of quality and customer care.
Additional information on the various Petroff Towing-backed teams participating in the “2nd Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals” can be found online at http://www.petrofftowing.com, http://www.allgaiermotorsports.com, http://www.shannonbabb18.com, http://www.denniserb.com, http://www.billymoyer.com, http://www.terryphillipsracing.com, http://www.patricksheltra.com and http://www.brianshirley.com. Tickets and event information is available online at http://www.knoxvilleraceway.com. Radio broadcasts will also be available online for those who are unable to attend the event via http://www.americandirtnetwork.com.