Kevin Kovac's Take Five
Take Five: Rising diesel activates payout bump
In a new feature appearing regularly on DirtonDirt, senior writer Kevin Kovac will offer readers five things worth mentioning from around the Dirt Late Model landscape (index to previous Take Fives):
No. 1: With the cost of diesel fuel continuing to rise, a stipulation included in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Winners Circle program for such a situation has been triggered for this weekend’s Saturday-Sunday doubleheader at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway and Atomic Speedway in Alma, Ohio. As a baseline, the top 15 drivers in the national tour’s points (provided they maintain perfect attendance) receive $700 in appearance money per venue the series visits; the top four from last year’s standings get an extra $300, and past champions another $100 per track. But the showup per diem increases by $100 when the national average for diesel fuel (according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration) is above $4 per gallon as of the Tuesday prior to an event, and $200 when the diesel price average tops $5. Diesel’s per-gallon average price in the U.S. was still just under $4 throughout Lucas Oil’s three weeks of Georgia-Florida Speedweeks action (Feb. 24-March 7); as of the beginning of this week, however, it’s exploded to a $5.37 national average (up $1.80 from a year ago), giving each of the top 15 drivers $200 extra in their Winners Circle checks for this weekend’s two events.
No. 2: Lucas Oil Series director Rick Schwallie confirmed that the Winners Circle incentive program is now in effect. He noted that the increase costs the tour an extra $3,000 in appearance money per venue, plus the higher diesel price means the tour is seeing the transportation costs for its operations trucks rise as well.
No. 3: World of Outlaws Late Model Series director Steve Francis, whose circuit travels this weekend to East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City and Senoia (Ga.) Raceway, said the World Racing Group-owned tour does not have an increase in appearance money for rising diesel costs built into its incentive program. He detailed that the top six in the points standings receive $1,000 and the next eight get $800 per venue.
No. 4: In the wake of his post-Speedweeks departure from JRR Motorsports, veteran crew chief Randall Edwards has landed with Loenbro Motorsports and 22-year-old driver Michael Leach of Sun River, Mont. The team announced Thursday that Edwards, 50, had signed on as Leach’s crew chief and he was already working on the Loenbro cars at their shop in Longhorn Chassis headquarters in China Grove, N.C. Leach isn't planning to race this weekend but expects to be back in action on April 2 in a Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals event at I-75 Raceway in Sweetwater, Tenn.
No. 5: Notable entrant alert: Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville, Ark., will be back behind the wheel for the first time since last August’s Topless 100 during this weekend’s Comp Cams Super Dirt Series-Nutrien Ag Solutions Revival Super Dirt Series doubleheader at Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, Okla. The 38-year-old, who won the 2023 Comp Cams title, will pilot a Henderson Motorsports Longhorn Chassis in an event that will also include his 68-year-old Hall of Fame father, Billy Moyer Sr., who is the defending Comp Cams titlist.
