WARTBURG, TN - June 30, 2010 - Wartburg Speedway is completely uncharted territory for every single regular on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.
But does that mean a driver with intimate knowledge of the tricky quarter-mile oval – a driver like Anthony White of Clinton, Tenn. – has an edge when the national tour makes its highly-anticipated first-ever stop at Wartburg this Friday night (July 2) for the $10,000-to-win ‘Invasion 50’ presented by All-State Trailers of Knoxville, Tenn.?
It’s a good question, albeit one that White, 38, finds difficult to answer.
“I guess I should have a little advantage,” said White, who began his racing career 20 years ago in the Street Stock division at Wartburg. “I’ve been running there a long time, so as far as knowing what to do (for setup) and how to drive the place, that’s not a problem for me.
“But all of these (Outlaw) guys run more races than I do and probably have a lot more resources than I’ve ever had, and I’m sure they’ve seen something similar (to Wartburg) somewhere else. It won’t take them long to figure a new place out.”
White paused for a moment. Considering his chances in the biggest dirt Late Model event ever contested at Wartburg Speedway, he added, “I was telling somebody earlier today – hell, it would be the race of my career if could win against these guys.”
A hard-nosed racer affectionately known as the ‘Dirty White Boy,’ White will likely be the driver with the most Wartburg experience in Friday night’s star-studded field. He’s rung up some prolific victory totals at the track in recent years and is in the midst of another big season, dominating Wartburg’s headline Limited Late Model division to the tune of six wins in eight starts so far in 2010.
White’s nearly flawless effort at Wartburg this season is highlighted by a $3,000 triumph in Southern Regional Racing Series event on May 8 – a race that saw him defeat open-motor cars with a crate engine bolted under the hood of his family-owned, homebuilt No. 2 machine. Friday’s WoO LMS program will mark his first appearance of ’10 with a big open motor providing his car’s power.
“Vic Hill is letting us borrow an open motor for the Outlaw show,” White said of the well-known Tennessee engine builder. “We haven’t been doing much open-motor racing lately. We’ve been pretty busy with the business (a construction-supply firm called Stone Plus), so we’ve mostly been doing crate and steel-block stuff close to the house. We’re looking forward to putting an open motor back in and seeing what we can do.”
White has just a single WoO LMS A-Main start to his credit, finishing 22nd in a 100-lap event on Oct. 13, 2007, at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. But he’s proven his mettle in open-motor action over the years, with his resume topped by a 2006 Southern Nationals series championship.
Can White summon the speed to defend his egg-shaped hometrack against the World of Outlaws invaders, including former champions (and first-time Wartburg visitors) Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.?
“Realistically, it would be a great night for us if we can get at least a top five (finish),” said White, a two-time Late Model champ at Wartburg (2003 and 2007) and father of two daughters (ages 12 and nine) and a seven-year-old son. “I know my chances of winning are pretty slim – these guys are just better equipped than me. But I’ll give it 110 percent, and if everything falls our way maybe we can be there at the end.
“Hopefully we’ll give everybody a good show and they’ll know we were there.”
Friday’s field will also feature WoO LMS standouts such as Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., who is coming off a $30,000 victory in the Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com on June 26 at Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway, Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., Rick Eckert of York, Pa., Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio, rookie sensation Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., and Jill George of Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Wartburg’s gates are scheduled to open at 3:30 p.m. on Fri., July 2, with practice set to get underway at 7 p.m. DIRTcar UMP Modifieds and Wartburg’s Street Stocks will also be part of the program, which features a huge fireworks display to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday.
General admission ticket prices are $25 for adults, $10 for children ages 7-12 and free for kids 6-and-under. Admission to the track’s popular tiered drive-in parking area is $30 for adults, $20 for children 7-12 and free for youngsters 6-and-under, and pit passes are $35 (kids 6-and-under are admitted free to the pits).
“The interest for this World of Outlaws event is just unbelievable,” said Wartburg owner Scott Green, who has spent the last 10 years promoting the three-decade-old facility. “We’re encouraging everyone to get to the track as early as they can because we’re expecting a great crowd.”
More details on Wartburg Speedway’s historic WoO LMS show can be obtained by logging on to www.wartburgspeedway.net or calling 423-346-6750.
Wartburg Speedway kicks off a Volunteer State doubleheader for the WoO LMS, which moves on to Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway for a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event on Sat., July 3.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and Chizmark Larson Insurance; in addition to contingency sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pink Carburetors, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis, R2C Performance and Wrisco Aluminum.
But does that mean a driver with intimate knowledge of the tricky quarter-mile oval – a driver like Anthony White of Clinton, Tenn. – has an edge when the national tour makes its highly-anticipated first-ever stop at Wartburg this Friday night (July 2) for the $10,000-to-win ‘Invasion 50’ presented by All-State Trailers of Knoxville, Tenn.?
It’s a good question, albeit one that White, 38, finds difficult to answer.
“I guess I should have a little advantage,” said White, who began his racing career 20 years ago in the Street Stock division at Wartburg. “I’ve been running there a long time, so as far as knowing what to do (for setup) and how to drive the place, that’s not a problem for me.
“But all of these (Outlaw) guys run more races than I do and probably have a lot more resources than I’ve ever had, and I’m sure they’ve seen something similar (to Wartburg) somewhere else. It won’t take them long to figure a new place out.”
White paused for a moment. Considering his chances in the biggest dirt Late Model event ever contested at Wartburg Speedway, he added, “I was telling somebody earlier today – hell, it would be the race of my career if could win against these guys.”
A hard-nosed racer affectionately known as the ‘Dirty White Boy,’ White will likely be the driver with the most Wartburg experience in Friday night’s star-studded field. He’s rung up some prolific victory totals at the track in recent years and is in the midst of another big season, dominating Wartburg’s headline Limited Late Model division to the tune of six wins in eight starts so far in 2010.
White’s nearly flawless effort at Wartburg this season is highlighted by a $3,000 triumph in Southern Regional Racing Series event on May 8 – a race that saw him defeat open-motor cars with a crate engine bolted under the hood of his family-owned, homebuilt No. 2 machine. Friday’s WoO LMS program will mark his first appearance of ’10 with a big open motor providing his car’s power.
“Vic Hill is letting us borrow an open motor for the Outlaw show,” White said of the well-known Tennessee engine builder. “We haven’t been doing much open-motor racing lately. We’ve been pretty busy with the business (a construction-supply firm called Stone Plus), so we’ve mostly been doing crate and steel-block stuff close to the house. We’re looking forward to putting an open motor back in and seeing what we can do.”
White has just a single WoO LMS A-Main start to his credit, finishing 22nd in a 100-lap event on Oct. 13, 2007, at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. But he’s proven his mettle in open-motor action over the years, with his resume topped by a 2006 Southern Nationals series championship.
Can White summon the speed to defend his egg-shaped hometrack against the World of Outlaws invaders, including former champions (and first-time Wartburg visitors) Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.?
“Realistically, it would be a great night for us if we can get at least a top five (finish),” said White, a two-time Late Model champ at Wartburg (2003 and 2007) and father of two daughters (ages 12 and nine) and a seven-year-old son. “I know my chances of winning are pretty slim – these guys are just better equipped than me. But I’ll give it 110 percent, and if everything falls our way maybe we can be there at the end.
“Hopefully we’ll give everybody a good show and they’ll know we were there.”
Friday’s field will also feature WoO LMS standouts such as Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., who is coming off a $30,000 victory in the Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com on June 26 at Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway, Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., Rick Eckert of York, Pa., Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio, rookie sensation Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., and Jill George of Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Wartburg’s gates are scheduled to open at 3:30 p.m. on Fri., July 2, with practice set to get underway at 7 p.m. DIRTcar UMP Modifieds and Wartburg’s Street Stocks will also be part of the program, which features a huge fireworks display to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday.
General admission ticket prices are $25 for adults, $10 for children ages 7-12 and free for kids 6-and-under. Admission to the track’s popular tiered drive-in parking area is $30 for adults, $20 for children 7-12 and free for youngsters 6-and-under, and pit passes are $35 (kids 6-and-under are admitted free to the pits).
“The interest for this World of Outlaws event is just unbelievable,” said Wartburg owner Scott Green, who has spent the last 10 years promoting the three-decade-old facility. “We’re encouraging everyone to get to the track as early as they can because we’re expecting a great crowd.”
More details on Wartburg Speedway’s historic WoO LMS show can be obtained by logging on to www.wartburgspeedway.net or calling 423-346-6750.
Wartburg Speedway kicks off a Volunteer State doubleheader for the WoO LMS, which moves on to Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway for a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event on Sat., July 3.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and Chizmark Larson Insurance; in addition to contingency sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pink Carburetors, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis, R2C Performance and Wrisco Aluminum.
