WAYCROSS, GA (October 9, 2013) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season finale will take place on October 17th, 18th and 19th with the running of the 33rd Annual RED BUCK Dirt Track World Championship – Presented by Borrowed Blue. This event, held at Portsmouth Raceway Park in Portsmouth, OH is promoted by hall of fame promoter Carl Short. The Dirt Track World Championship event has been Carl’s signature event over the years that are filled with great history, thrilling racing action, hall of fame winners and numerous facilities hosting the event in the past 32 years.
Carl Short promoted the first DTWC in 1981 with the event held at the legendary Pennsboro Speedway in Pennsboro, WV. The first event paid an unheard of $30,000 to win at that time and was won in dramatic fashion by the late Jim Dunn from Roseville, OH. Dunn started in the 23rd position on that day and charged through the field and passed Rodney Combs for the lead, with 12 laps to go, and went on to collect his biggest pay check and biggest win of his career that day.
The DTWC event would become a yearly tradition and has become one of the premier crown jewel events for dirt late model racing. Unfortunately Jim Dunn’s career was cut short in 1983 while competing at a NDRA sanctioned event in Paducah, KY. Dunn was involved in a multi-car accident during the feature event that took his life. In honor of Jim Dunn and his legacy of being the very first winner of the DTWC, Carl Short added the Jim Dunn non-qualifiers race to the DTWC event schedule as a tribute to the late Jim Dunn and his family.
Through the years, Carl Short has continued to grow the Dirt Track World Championship into one of the biggest weekends of racing for fans and racers alike. The event that now pays a whopping $50,000 to win is one of the most coveted trophies any racer could want in their trophy case. Carl has promoted the event at seven different facilities over the 33 years of the events existence. Pennsboro Speedway (Pennsboro, WV) was the home of the DTWC event from 1981 through 1997 and in 2001. The DTWC was held at Thunder Ridge Raceway (Prestonsburg, KY) in 1998 then moving to Mineral Wells Motor Speedway (Parkersburg, WV) in 1999, 2000, and 2010. The Bluegrass Speedway (Bardstown, KY) hosted the event in 2002, 2003 and 2004 before moving to KC-Raceway (Chillicothe, OH) in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011. Portsmouth Raceway Park (Portsmouth, OH) hosted their first DTWC in 2012 and will once again this year for the 33rd Annual RED BUCK Dirt Track World Championship – Presented by Borrowed Blue.
In the previous 32 DTWC events, there have been 23 different drivers to visit victory lane and capture this crown jewel event. Dating back to the inaugural running in 1981, there are five drivers that have won the prestigious event more than once. Hall of Famer Freddy Smith of Seymour, TN leads the way with five wins, followed by the late Jack Boggs of Grayson, KY, who won the race three times. Two time winners of the DTWC include Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR; Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL. Some of the sport’s biggest names have won the DTWC at least once over the 32 years of the event including names like: Larry Moore (’87); Donnie Moran (’88); Steve Francis (’99); Darrell Lanigan (’03); Rick Eckert (’04); Chub Frank (’07); Brian Birkhofer (’08); Jimmy Mars (’09); Earl Pearson Jr. (’10); Don O’Neal (’11) and 2012 DTWC winner, Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN. Owens will be trying to become the first driver to win this crown jewel event in back to back years.
Carl Short has partnered with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series the past three years to bring the DTWC and the series together for their season finale. Carl still gets excited to promote this crown jewel event that includes a big open wheel modified show as a support class to the super dirt late models. “I’ve been promoting this event for 32 years now. It still takes a lot of hard work, a lot of traveling to other tracks and a lot of preparation to put on an event of this magnitude”, stated Carl Short. “But it’s still exciting and fun to do this and witness so many great drivers come together and compete at our event. I’ve been lucky to witness some of the best drivers in our sport participate in and win this event. I still enjoy traveling and seeing so many great fans all over the country, as I visit different tracks around the country promoting the DTWC every year”, stated Carl Short.
The 33rd Annual RED BUCK Dirt Track World Championship – Presented by Borrowed Blue will once again be filmed by the Lucas Oil Production Studios. The event will air on FOX Sports 1 and on the MAVTV American Real Networks in 2013. “We really feel partnering with the Lucas Oil Series has helped to grow the event even more with the TV coverage they bring to this event. I’m looking forward to this year’s event and enjoy working with the great staff at Portsmouth Raceway Park”, stated Carl Short, promoter of the DTWC.
Activities for the 33rd Annual RED BUCK Dirt Track World Championship will get underway on Thursday, October 17th with Modified Qualifying, Heat Races and Consolation races. On Friday, October 18th the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will take to the track for Hot-Laps, RED BUCK Time Trials and Heat Races. Then on Saturday, October 19th the schedule will include the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series B-Mains, the $3,000 to win Modified Feature, the $50,000 to win/$2,000 to start DTWC 100-lap feature event and the $3,000 to win Jim Dunn Memorial Non-Qualifiers race.
To purchase tickets for this event visit www.dirttrackworldchampionship.net/tickets.htm or call 740-858-6661. To learn more about the event go to www.dirttrackworldchampionship.net or visit the track website at www.portsraceway.com. If you have any questions, contact the DTWC office at (740) 858-6661 or you can email Carl Short at carlshort2007@gmail.com or call at (865) 945-3423 or (865) 712-9303.
For the latest breaking news about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series including the 2013 tour schedule, TV schedule, drivers, sponsors and all the information about the series visit the official website at: www.lucasdirt.com.
Follow the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series on the social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lucasdirt and https://twitter.com/lucasdirt.
Track Information
Portsmouth Raceway Park
Track Phone #: (740) 354-3278 or Office – (740) 858-6661
Promoters: Donna Rayburn – (740) 259-3408 / (740) 821-1161 Chuck Greenslate – (606) 922-4881
Location: 25648 State Route 73, West Portsmouth, OH 45663
Website: www.portsraceway.com
Event Purse
Dirt Track World Championship Purse:
1. $50,000, 2. $15,000, 3. $10,000, 4. $7,000, 5. $5,000, 6. $3,500, 7. $3,200, 8. $3,000,
9. $2,800, 10. $2,500, 11. $2,450, 12. $2,400, 13. $2,350, 14. $2,300, 15. $2,250, 16. $2,200,
17. $2,150, 18. $2,100, 19. $2,075, 20. $2,060, 21. $2,050, 22. $2,040,
23. $2,030, 24. $2,020, 25. $2,010, 26. $2,000.
Jim Dunn Memorial Non Qualifiers Race:
1. $3,000, 2. $1,500, 3. $1,250, 4. $1,000, 5. $900, 6. $800, 7. $750, 8. $700, 9. $650, 10. $600, 11. 500, 12. $400, 13. $350, 14. $300, 15. $250, 16. $200, 17. $200, 18. $200, 19. $200, 20. $200, 21. $200, 22. $200, 23. $200, 24. $200, 25. $200,26. $200.
Tire Rule
Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib 1300, 1425 (no white dots)
Right Rear – Hoosier 01, 04, 06, LM40
Previous Dirt Track World Championship Winners
1981 – Jim Dunn
1982 – Charlie Swartz
1983 – Freddy Smith
1984 – Jack Boggs
1985 – Freddy Smith
1986 – Billy Moyer
1987 – Larry Moore
1988 – Donnie Moran
1989 – John Mason
1990 – Jack Boggs
1991 – Freddy Smith
1992 – Ronnie Johnson
1993 – Freddy Smith
1994 – Ronnie Johnson
1995 – Jack Boggs
1996 – Billy Moyer
1997 – Marshall Green
1998 – Freddy Smith
1999 – Steve Francis
2000 – Wendell Wallace
2001 – Bart Hartman
2002 – Shannon Babb
2003 – Darrell Lanigan
2004 – Rick Eckert
2005 – Scott Bloomquist
2006 – Shannon Babb
2007 – Chub Frank
2008 – Brian Birkhofer
2009 – Jimmy Mars
2010 – Earl Pearson Jr.
2011 – Don O’Neal
2012 – Jimmy Owens