National notebook
Notes: Major step up in class for WoO rookie
WoO rookie candidate Jordan Koehler. (joshjamesartwork.com)
Jordan Koehler’s racing career took a significant jump in 2023. Not an easy one. But he knew that going in.
The Mount Airy, N.C., driver took the big step from regional Crate Late Model racing to a national tour with the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series, driving the No. 114 Longhorn for Koehler Motorsports.
“Everything’s just a lot faster, and the competition’s a lot tougher,” Koehler said of his new venture. “It still is in Crates; it’s just that everybody has good stuff here, so you’re racing with the best in the world.”
Koehler had a handful of Super Late Model starts coming into the 2023 season. And the step up to the premier league with the World of Outlaws has already shown its challenges in the first four races of the year, making one feature, so far.
However, racing against the best drivers in the country has also paired him with one of the best drivers in the country. Koehler is teammates with 21-time WoO winner Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn.
For the 21-year-old, Owens is a textbook of knowledge, especially for the tour's upcoming tripleheader weekend at tracks with familiarity for Owens, Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. (March 16) and Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Ga. (March 17-18).
“When we get to the track, we work together a lot,” Koehler said. “He gives me pointers on what he thinks I need to do and if I’m any good or not any good. He can relate to what I’m feeling, and he can progress us a lot faster than a lot of other people have had the chance to get.”
That guidance paid off for the Rookie of the Year contender in the WoO opener at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., where Koehler made his first series feature lineup. Despite finishing 26th, he said being able to run against that caliber of drivers gives him confidence for what’s to come.
“Everybody probably thought we’d get blown out of the water like I’m sure a lot of them do when they start,” Koehler said. “It helped our whole team a lot, just showing up out of the gate and being good. The first night just making it into the show was a huge deal.
“I think we started like 11th and ended up wrecking, but we ended up running with them for a lot of laps before that happened.”
As Koehler continues through his first season with the World of Outlaws, he’s trying to maintain a balance on and off the track.
When he’s not working on his race car, he’s helping his dad with the family’s business, Ultimate Towing and Recovery. He also started his own trash company, a sponsor you’ll see on cars racing with the World of Outlaws.
“If you look for Capital Waste, you’ll see on Tanner (English’s) car and other cars that are just running with the World of Outlaws,” Koehler said. “I have a great deal of people helping me with that, so I can really get away.” — Mike Warren, WoO PR coordinator
IMPROVEMENTS AT ALABAMA TRACK: Renovations at Penton (Ala.) Motor Speedway are under way under the new ownership Danny Carswell along with Jamie and Amanda Godbee, including a regrading of the pit area shifting the track's entrance to turn four (instead of turn three). The project includes plans to replace the track's lights and speakers. Race dates for 2023 will be announced after the completion of the improvements at the 3/8-mile track, formerly owned by Bill and Debbie Edge and promoted by Calvin Pike the first half of 2022. The track had been closed for nearly five years when Pike reopened it last spring and ran the first half of the season, shutting the gates in August because of low car counts.
ROOKIE CONTENDERS ON NEW TOUR: The Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series presented by Sweet Victory Apparel has announced three potential contenders for the Florida-based tour's Aces Renovation Rookie of the Year Award, which pays $5,000 for the top rookie, $2,000 for second and at least $500 to any rookie with perfect attendance. Contenders so far are Bo Slay of Milton, Fla., Caleb Gay of Dublin, Ga., and teenager Trey Mills of St. Augustine, Fla. Drivers can visit the tour's website at htfseries.com to apply for rookie status. The Hunt the Front series launches April 7-8 at All-Tech Raceway in Ellisville, Fla., with the Southbound Throwdown presented by Earth Tek. The doubleheader includes $5,000- and $20,000-to-win programs.
SOUTHERN CLASH SCHEDULE SET: The Southern Clash Late Model Series has announced a nine-race schedule among five Georgia tracks, including a tour-high five events at Waycross Motor Speedway. Cochran Motor Speedway, Swainsboro Raceway, Senoia Raceway and Sylvania's Screven Motor Speedway also have dates with most events paying $2,500-to-win on the Limited Late Model tour. The tour opens March 17 at Waycross with the Davy Woodard Memorial, a $2,589-to-win event honoring the late driver of the No. 89 and son of late Waycross co-owner Dawson Woodard. The race's fast qualifier will receive $189 and every feature starter will receive at least $289. Davy Woodard operated race teams in multiple divisions and his Woodard Pools was a longtime sponsor of dirt racers. He died two years ago at the age of 60.
ROSS FAMILY LAUNCHES FOUNDATION: The family of a late Oklahoma Dirt Late Model champion has launched the Hayden Ross Motorsports Foundation to provide grants, scholarships, equipment, expertise and educational opportunities to youngsters trying to break into racing. The foundation honors the 20-year-old Sooner Late Model Series champion who died in an October ATV accident "by letting his name help discover the next great motorsports professionals," the family wrote on the foundation's website at teamsixes.org. "We will use this loss to bring great things to the motorsports industry and introduce many people to this world that may not have ever had a chance to experience racing to this extent." The foundation is intended to help individual motorsports programs or scholastic programs targeting those seeking careers in motorsports. Email dustin@teamsixes.org for more information.
TITAN RACE CAR TO SERIES CHAMP: The Arkansas-based Titan Legends Late Model Series will provide a race car to the tour champion from the new title sponsor, the tour announced. Bryan Glaze, owner of Titan Race Cars, will provide a 2023 Titan Race Car complete with cockpit, deck, gauges, front bumper frame, rear bumper, upper and lower control arms and spindles to the tour champ, who is also in line for $2,500 in points fund money plus contingencies. "We felt like really helping to grow the sport and keeping our local late model programs alive," Glaze said in a series release. The tour also recently announced event bonuses including pole award ($100 from Elia's Mexican Grill) and hard charger ($100 from Farmer's Tree Service).
ODDS AND ENDS: In addition to a pair of Coors Light I-5 Silver Bullet Series events, the newly dirt-covered Douglas County Dirt Track in Roseburg, Ore., has added the $3,000-to-win Firecracker 50 for Super Late Models. The Fourth of July event will also pay lap money. ... Offseason improvements at Callaway Raceway in Fulton, Mo., include the completion of a new scoring and announcer tower and track lighting. Limited Late Models are part of the track's April 7 opener with the division on the schedule most Fridays. ... MRP Raceway Park in Williamsburg, Ohio, has seven Super Late Model races on the schedule, including the season-richest $6,000-to-win Dustbuster 40 on July 21. ... Pike County Speedway in Magnolia, Miss., plans a special-event only schedule for 2023 with promoter Brian DeRoche setting Oct. 26-28 dates for the Super Late Model Jambalaya 100. ... Tri-County Speedway in Pollard, Ala., has named James Dixon at technical inspector, Michael Cosey as announcer and Mike Wasner as flagger.
