WAYCROSS, GA (April 13, 2011) – A talented group of drivers have announced that they will be campaigning for the 2011 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Quarter Masters sponsored “Rookie of the Year” title. Sweet Manufacturing has also come on board as an associate sponsor of the Rookie of The Year Program for 2011. The four drivers are Tyler Reddick of Corning, CA; Frank Heckenast Jr. of Frankfort, IL; Jared Landers of Batesville, AR; and Bub McCool of Vicksburg, MS.

Tyler Reddick, the 15-year-old sensation became the youngest driver to win an event in the history of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series when he captured his victory during the DART Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL this past February. Reddick had perfect attendance on the series tour last year, but he never declared for rookie honors. This year Reddick will be driving a Team Zero by Bloomquist Race Car entry powered by a Gaerte Racing Engine. His sponsors include: Broken Bow Records, America’s Incredible Pizza, Wiles Driveshafts, Hoosier Tires, R2C, Jason Aldean My Kinda Party, and Base Racing Fuels and Oils.

Frank Heckenast Jr., 22, is a second-generation racer who will be tackling the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tour for the very first time. Heckenast will have the experienced crew chief, Austin Hargrove, who has come over to this race team after several seasons with Ohio driver, Bart Hartman, a former runner-up in the series point’s standings. Heckenast will pilot a Rocket Chassis with both Dargie and Pro Power Engines at his usage under the hood. His sponsors include: Pic-A-Part Used Auto and Truck Parts, Speedway Auto Parts, Port City Racing, Tom’s Concrete, VP Racing Fuels, Montgomery Machine, Inc., and SDF Land Development.

Jared Landers, 29, broke into the dirt late model racing scene last year in a big way when he captured the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned COMP Cams Topless 100 at his home track, Batesville Motor Speedway in Batesville, AR. It was Landers’ first-ever super late model victory. This year, Landers has joined with Clint Bowyer Racing and his father, Lance, in his assault on the 2011 Quarter Master Rookie of the Year crown. Landers will be behind the wheel of a Rocket Chassis entry with power from Earnhardt-Childress Racing. His sponsors include; Crawford Supply, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, Chevrolet, Cometic Gasket, Mark Martin Chevrolet and Boater Sports.

Bub McCool, 33, will be joining the other three drivers in competition for the $10,000 cash prize for the Rookie of the Year crown. McCool currently leads the 2011 Quarter Master standings heading in to the series’ next two events in Pennsylvania on April 29th and 30th. McCool drives a Moyer Victory Circle entry powered by Jay Dickens Racing Engines and he is sponsored by: McCool Logging, Henderson Motorsports, Southern Belle, New Vision Graphics, DixieDirtTV.com, Jimmy Smith Race Tires, and Wiles Driveshafts.

This years Quarter Master Rookie of the Year Champion will receive a $10,000 cash award at the series year end banquet along with several product awards from Quarter Master, Dominator Race Products, Dyers Top Rods, Fast Shafts, Hyperco, Performance Bodies, Sweet Mfg and Wrisco Aluminum. The Rookie of the Year runner-up will receive a $5,000 cash award plus product awards from Fast Shafts, Hyperco and Performance Bodies.

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be back in action on Friday Night, April 29th at Bedford Speedway in Bedford, PA for the Bedford Valley Petroleum-sponsored $10,000 to win event. On Saturday Night, April 30th the series will make it’s first ever appearance at the Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex in Markleysburg, PA for the “King of the Knob” $10,000 to win event. It will be the richest paying race in the track’s history. The rain date for either event will be Sunday, May 1st.

For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series please log on to www.lucasdirt.com, call the series office at (951)532-2503.

Previous Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Rookie of the Year Winners
2005 – Scott James (Lawrenceburg, IN)
2006 – Steve Casebolt (Richmond, IN)
2007 – Justin Rattliff (Campbellsville, KY)
2008 – Terry Casey (New London, WI)
2009 – John Blankenship (Williamson, WV)
2010 – Chris Wall (Springfield, LA)

Current Quarter Master Rookie of the Year Points Standings
Bub McCool (Vicksburg, MS) – 530
Jared Landers (Batesville, AR) – 490
Tyler Reddick (Corning, CA) – 480
Frank Heckenast Jr. (Frankfort, IL) – 470

NETWORK AIR DATE AIR TIME VENUE EVENT NAME LOCATION EVENT DATE
VERSUS 4/16/11 5:00 PM East Bay Raceway Park 35th Annual DART Winternationals Presented by Magnaflow (Fri) Tampa, FL 2/11/11
MavTV 6/2/11 9:00PM East Bay Raceway Park 35th Annual DART Winternationals Presented by Magnaflow (Fri) Tampa, FL 2/11/11
SPEED 6/12/11 12:00 PM Batesville Motor Speedway Bad Boy 98 Batesville, AR 5/21/11
CBS 6/19/11 4:00 PM Lucas Oil Speedway 19th Annual DART Show-Me 100 Wheatland, MO 5/28/11
SPEED 7/31/11 1:00 PM Magnolia Motor Speedway Clash at the Mag Columbus, MS 7/9/11
SPEED 8/7/11 1:00 PM Tri-City Speedway Budweiser Battle at the Beach Pontoon Beach, IL 7/15/11
VERSUS 8/27/11 2:30 PM Batesville Motor Speedway Bad Boy 98 Batesville, AR 5/21/11
SPEED 9/4/11 11:00 AM Florence Speedway 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil Florence, KY 8/13/11
MavTV 9/8/11 9:00PM Batesville Motor Speedway Bad Boy 98 Batesville, AR 5/21/11
SPEED 9/17/11 2:00 PM Lawrenceburg Speedway Lawrenceburg, IN 8/26/11
SPEED 10/2/11 1:00 PM Portsmouth Raceway Park River Days Rumble Portsmouth, OH 9/3/11
SPEED 10/9/11 1:00 PM Virginia Motor Speedway ASi Racewear USA 100 Saluda, VA 9/17/11
SPEED 10/23/11 6:00 PM Brownstown Speedway 32nd Annual Jackson 100 Brownstown, IN 9/24/11
SPEED 10/30/11 3:00 PM Dixie Speedway Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout Woodstock, GA 10/8/11
VERSUS 12/18/11 6:00 PM Florence Speedway 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil Florence, KY 8/13/11
MavTV 12/29/11 9:00PM Florence Speedway 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil Florence, KY 8/13/11
SPEED TBA TBA Lucas Oil Speedway Diamond Nationals Wheatland, MO 7/16/11
SPEED TBA TBA Knoxville Raceway 8th Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Knoxville, IA 10/1/11
MavTV TBA TBA Dixie Speedway Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout Woodstock, GA 10/8/11
VERSUS TBA TBA Dixie Speedway Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout Woodstock, GA 10/8/11

2011 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Sponsors

ApplianceZone.com- “The Official Appliance Parts Retailer” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

ASI Racewear – “The Official Merchandise Vendor” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Canidae Pet Foods – “The Official Pet Foods” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

DART Machinery – “The Official Engine Components” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

E3 Spark Plugs – “The Official Spark Plug” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Geico Power Sports – “The Official Insurance” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

General Tire – “The Official Tire” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Hoosier Tire – “The Official Race Tire” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

K&N Filters – “The Official Filter” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Lucas Oil Products – “The Official Oil” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Magnaflow Exhaust – “The Official Exhaust” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

MavTV – “The Official Men’s Network” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

R&L Carrier – “The Official Carrier” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Rockstar Energy Drink – “The Official Drink” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Speedco – “The Official Truck Lube and Tire Center” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

Sunoco Race Fuels – “The Official Fuel” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

2011 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Supporters Include:

Allstar Performance, American Racer, Banshee Graphics, Bloomquist Race Cars, COMP Cams, Cornett Racing Engines, Cruise with the Champions, DirtonDirt.com, Dominator Race Products, Dyers Top Rods, ECR Race Engines, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Gaerte Engines, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hypercoil, Janowski Insurance, Jay Dickens Racing Engines, JRi Shocks, Keyser MFG, Longhorn Chassis, MasterSbilt Chassis, Öhlins, Outerwears, PBM/Erson Cams, Performance Bodies, Pierce Racecars, Pro Power Racing, Quarter Master, Race Engine Design, Red Buck Cigars, Rhyne Race Engines, Rick Schwallie Photography, Rocket Chassis, Roush Yates Engines, Safety Solutions, Sweet Manufactuing, Vic Hill Race Engines, Warrior Race Cars, Weld Racing Wheels, Wiles Drive Shafts, Wrisco, WD Enterprises, 5150 Race Trailers.

James Essex, Public Relations Coordinator, jessex@lucasdirt.com