GRAND FORKS, ND – July 7, 2010 – There’s just one question that needs to be answered when the World of Outlaws Late Model Series makes its annual visit to River Cities Speedway on Friday night (July 9).
What kind of wild moment will make the $10,000-to-win, 50-lap A-Main a thriller this year?
No stalwart track on the renowned national tour has consistently produced more memorable action over the past three years than River Cities, a high-banked, blazing-fast quarter-mile oval just south of the Canadian border. Fans have left the track’s spacious grandstands buzzing about what they witnessed and anxious to return for another installment of Outlaw competition.
“River Cities Speedway has become one of the can’t-miss stops for fans of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series,” said tour director Tim Christman. “Ask anyone who follows the series – for three years in a row our event at River Cities has ended up being one of the most exciting races of the entire tour. The track is a perfect size for close, intense racing and that’s why we’re always excited for our trip there.”
A look back at the last three WoO LMS shows at River Cities reveals the type of racing spectators can expect on Friday night.
* In 2007, Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., put on a spectacular display of traffic driving to win his milestone first-ever WoO LMS A-Main early in his rookie season on the tour. He slipped by Eddie Carrier Jr. for the lead while negotiating a flurry of lapped cars with just four laps remaining and held on to win the 50-lap event – a race that also saw Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., make an unforgettable charge from the 24th starting spot to finish a fast-closing third.
* In 2008, Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., became the second straight driver to reach Victory Lane for the first time on the WoO LMS at River Cities with a razor-thin triumph over Babb that ranks as one of the best races in series history. After dueling at the front of the pack for virtually the entire 50-lap distance, the two Midwesterners split a lapped car exiting turn four with the checkered flag waving. Babb ran out of racing room on the outside and crossed the finish line with his car’s right side riding the wall, a scant 0.121 of a second behind Smith.
* Last year River Cities’ big WoO LMS moment came just after the midway point of the A-Main. Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., and Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., were battling for the lead on lap 31 when the slower Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., slid sideways in front of them rounding turn four and bounced into the infield, sending up a huge dust cloud from which Richards and Francis slowly emerged with damage evident to the hoods of their cars. With the caution flag thrown for the dangerous situation caused by Frank’s spin, Richards and Francis maintained their positions at the front of the field for the ensuing restart and Richards stayed there to the finish for one of his series-leading eight victories in 2009.
Fuller, Smith and Richards will be joined by 2006 River Cities WoO LMS winner Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. – the only driver who’s been victorious in dominant fashion at the track – in Friday’s field. But while they will lead the charge to the North Dakota facility, each enters the event with varying degrees of momentum – Fuller is unsure how hard he’ll be able to race after undergoing an emergency appendectomy on Monday afternoon; Smith is looking to break out of a slump that contributed to his recent decision to discontinue following the WoO LMS as a regular; Richards is the tour’s points leader and winningest driver this season heading into the four-race ‘Wild West Tour’ that includes River Cities; and Lanigan sits third in the points standings but is struggling to shed the flat-tire bad luck that has plagued him in 2010.
WoO LMS travelers who will be looking for their first career win at River Cities include 2007 tour titlist Steve Francis; Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who will compete at the track for the first time since his 2006 WoO LMS championship season; Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., who has won two of last three WoO LMS A-Mains (including $30,000-plus Firecracker 100 on June 26 at Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway); Rick Eckert of York, Pa.; Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.; Chub Frank; Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio; rookie sensation Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del.; Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., and Jill George of Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Other drivers expected to compete on Friday are Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., and a host of River Cities regulars, including 2010 feature winners Brad Seng of Grand Forks, N.D., Mike Balcaen of Winnipeg, Man., Ricky Weiss of Headingley, Man., Jeff Provinzino of Hibbing, Minn., Steve Anderson of Grand Forks, N.D., Tom Corcoran of E. Grand Forks, Minn., and James Sangrait Jr. of Park River, N.D.
Hot laps are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. and racing at 7:30 p.m. on Fri., July 9, at River Cities Speedway, which also has its weekly NOSA Sprint Cars on the program.
Reserved seats are $28 in advance and $30 on race day, and general admission is $25 with kids 12-and-under admitted for $15.
Additional info on River Cities Speedway is available by logging on to www.rivercitiesspeedway.com or calling 701-780-0999 or 218-773-3002 (tickets).
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.
What kind of wild moment will make the $10,000-to-win, 50-lap A-Main a thriller this year?
No stalwart track on the renowned national tour has consistently produced more memorable action over the past three years than River Cities, a high-banked, blazing-fast quarter-mile oval just south of the Canadian border. Fans have left the track’s spacious grandstands buzzing about what they witnessed and anxious to return for another installment of Outlaw competition.
“River Cities Speedway has become one of the can’t-miss stops for fans of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series,” said tour director Tim Christman. “Ask anyone who follows the series – for three years in a row our event at River Cities has ended up being one of the most exciting races of the entire tour. The track is a perfect size for close, intense racing and that’s why we’re always excited for our trip there.”
A look back at the last three WoO LMS shows at River Cities reveals the type of racing spectators can expect on Friday night.
* In 2007, Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., put on a spectacular display of traffic driving to win his milestone first-ever WoO LMS A-Main early in his rookie season on the tour. He slipped by Eddie Carrier Jr. for the lead while negotiating a flurry of lapped cars with just four laps remaining and held on to win the 50-lap event – a race that also saw Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., make an unforgettable charge from the 24th starting spot to finish a fast-closing third.
* In 2008, Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., became the second straight driver to reach Victory Lane for the first time on the WoO LMS at River Cities with a razor-thin triumph over Babb that ranks as one of the best races in series history. After dueling at the front of the pack for virtually the entire 50-lap distance, the two Midwesterners split a lapped car exiting turn four with the checkered flag waving. Babb ran out of racing room on the outside and crossed the finish line with his car’s right side riding the wall, a scant 0.121 of a second behind Smith.
* Last year River Cities’ big WoO LMS moment came just after the midway point of the A-Main. Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., and Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., were battling for the lead on lap 31 when the slower Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., slid sideways in front of them rounding turn four and bounced into the infield, sending up a huge dust cloud from which Richards and Francis slowly emerged with damage evident to the hoods of their cars. With the caution flag thrown for the dangerous situation caused by Frank’s spin, Richards and Francis maintained their positions at the front of the field for the ensuing restart and Richards stayed there to the finish for one of his series-leading eight victories in 2009.
Fuller, Smith and Richards will be joined by 2006 River Cities WoO LMS winner Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. – the only driver who’s been victorious in dominant fashion at the track – in Friday’s field. But while they will lead the charge to the North Dakota facility, each enters the event with varying degrees of momentum – Fuller is unsure how hard he’ll be able to race after undergoing an emergency appendectomy on Monday afternoon; Smith is looking to break out of a slump that contributed to his recent decision to discontinue following the WoO LMS as a regular; Richards is the tour’s points leader and winningest driver this season heading into the four-race ‘Wild West Tour’ that includes River Cities; and Lanigan sits third in the points standings but is struggling to shed the flat-tire bad luck that has plagued him in 2010.
WoO LMS travelers who will be looking for their first career win at River Cities include 2007 tour titlist Steve Francis; Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who will compete at the track for the first time since his 2006 WoO LMS championship season; Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., who has won two of last three WoO LMS A-Mains (including $30,000-plus Firecracker 100 on June 26 at Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway); Rick Eckert of York, Pa.; Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.; Chub Frank; Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio; rookie sensation Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del.; Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., and Jill George of Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Other drivers expected to compete on Friday are Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., and a host of River Cities regulars, including 2010 feature winners Brad Seng of Grand Forks, N.D., Mike Balcaen of Winnipeg, Man., Ricky Weiss of Headingley, Man., Jeff Provinzino of Hibbing, Minn., Steve Anderson of Grand Forks, N.D., Tom Corcoran of E. Grand Forks, Minn., and James Sangrait Jr. of Park River, N.D.
Hot laps are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. and racing at 7:30 p.m. on Fri., July 9, at River Cities Speedway, which also has its weekly NOSA Sprint Cars on the program.
Reserved seats are $28 in advance and $30 on race day, and general admission is $25 with kids 12-and-under admitted for $15.
Additional info on River Cities Speedway is available by logging on to www.rivercitiesspeedway.com or calling 701-780-0999 or 218-773-3002 (tickets).
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.
