Bristol Motor Speedway
Notes: Speed sets dates for 14 Lucas Oil telecasts
From series, track and staff reports
Ladies and gentleman, start your TiVos. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has announced the off-season schedule for 14 Speed cable network telecasts of races from the 2008 season. The events, produced by Newave Video Productions, are scheduled for selected Saturdays beginning Dec. 6.
Besides the 14 scheduled events, hour-long telecasts of the Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout from Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga., and a Best of the 2008 Season recap show will be telecast next spring, with times to be announced.
The Speed network is available through cable television providers nationwide, on Dish Network (Channel 150) and DirecTV (Channel 607). — James Essex
SUPER BOWL OF RACING V DETAILS ANNOUNCED: Golden Isles Speedway near Brunswick, Ga., has announced the purse details for the Jan. 28-31 Super Bowl of Racing V, one of the first major events of the 2009 season. After a Jan. 27 practice, the unsanctioned Jan. 28 opener will pay $5,000 to the winner with the unsanctioned Jan. 29 event paying $7,500. The O'Reilly Southern All Star Series sanctions the final two events with a $10,000-to-win feature on Jan. 30 and a $12,000-to-win feature on Jan. 31. The track that struggled through a tire-rule fiasco in 2008 announced all the events would allow any Hoosier Dirt Late Model tire. For more information, check the track website. www.goldenislesspeedway.com — From track reports
DIXIE HOSTING BILL ELLIOTT 50 ON OCT. 25: Former NASCAR champion Bill Elliott of Dawsonville, Ga., is returning to the racetrack where his illustrious career began to host the Bill Elliott 50 Red Dirt Dash for Late Models on Oct. 25. Among those joining Elliott at Dixie Speedway’s 3/8-mile oval in Woodstock, Ga. are NASCAR stars Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Ken Schrader and others who will also be competing across town at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “Dixie Speedway is a special place for me because it is where I won my first race,” Elliott said. “To be able to go back and bring along some of my counterparts in NASCAR to show my appreciation to the race fans has been a goal of mine for years.” Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for cancer research and care in honor or late track co-owner Mike Swims. “Mike Swims was a big part of this sport and he is sorely missed,” Elliott said. “Donating the proceeds to a charitable cause in his honor means a lot to both the Elliott and Swims families.” — From track reports
KANKAKEE COUNTY SPEEDWAY SETS SPECIAL EVENTS: Kankakee County Speedway in Kankakee, Ill., reopening under JBD Race Promotions after being shuttered in 2008, has announced several 2009 special events at the quarter-mile track that plans to host UMP-sanctioned Late Models at Friday's weekly events. Highlighting the schedule is a $10,000-to-win UMP DIRTCar Summernationals event that will opener the tour on June 12. Other Late Model specials on tap are a $2,000-to-win Northern Allstars event on April 10, the grand reopening $5,000-to-win special on April 24 and a $5,000-to-win special for the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Late Models Series (formerly the Independent Racing Series) on Aug. 14. — From track reports
WEST PLAINS FOR SALE, BUT SHOW-ME 100 STILL ON: While Don and Billie Gibson have announced that West Plains (Mo.) Motor Speedway is for sale, the owners assure they plan to open the track in 2009 and run the usual special events at the 3/8-mile oval, including the Dirt Late Model crown jewel Show-Me 100. The Gibsons have operated the track for 16 years but Don Gibson's failing health have the owners planning for retirement. The facility includes 80 acres, seating for 10,000 fans, three concession stands, a 4,800-square-foot building for technical inspection or vending and a campground area with bathhouse. Those interested in the track can call Billie Gibson at (870) 994-7447. — Ben Shelton
ARIZONA SPECIALS COMING UP: November has a couple of big weekends coming up for Arizona Late Model drivers at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix and USA Race Park in Tucson. On Nov. 14-15, Manzanita hosts the Barnett Harley-Davidson Nationals with a $1,500-to-win feature on Friday and a $6,000-to-win feature on Saturday. On Nov. 22-23, USA Race Park hosts the Bill Cheesbourgh Memorial with a $2,000-to-win feature on Friday and a $3,000-to-win feature on Saturday. Arizona also traditionally hosts racing in January, but Wild West Shootout dates at Central Arizona Raceway haven't been announced. — M.J. Anderson
NCRA TITLE BATTLE GOES DOWN TO FINAL RACE: Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colo., will try to close out his fourth consecutive championship on the O'Reilly National Championship Racing Association on Oct. 26 at Enid (Okla.) Speedway Park. Boen leads 2002 NCRA champion Kyle Berck of Marquette, Neb., by five points heading in the 43rd annual Enid Winter Nationals event. Berck won the last series visit at Enid on July 5. — From series reports
ROGERS GLAD TO WRAP UP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP: After narrowly missing last year's championship, Rick Rogers of Knoxville, Tenn., clinched the 2008 Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series title at the Oct. 19 series finale in Maryville, Tenn., in the Buddy Rogers Memorial, a race honoring his father who died last month. "We’ve been building our program for this," said Rogers, who had two series victories and five top-five finishes in 18 starts. "We should have won it last year. We worked even harder this year and it paid off." Before the event, Rogers drove a replica of his father's last race car around the track during the national anthem. “I almost didn’t get through that,” Rogers said. “It was pretty tough. We had a lot of people work on the car to get it ready so we could bring it out here.” — Michael Moats
DRIVERS, FANS CAN TEE OFF BEFORE SAS FINALE: The Joe Lee Johnson-Gobbler Golf Classic is scheduled for Nov. 14 preceding Nov. 14-15 action at Cleveland (Tenn.) Speedway, a weekend highlighted by the O'Reilly Southern All Star finale. The four-player select shot tournament will tee off 10 a.m. Nov. 14 at the Chatata Valley Golf & Country Club in Cleveland. Prizes are available for longest drive and closest-to-the-pin awards along with other door prizes. Proceeds are going to the family of Georgia racer Mike Head, whose daughter Tammy recently died. Entries are $25 per player. For more information, call Jimmy "Pup" Thomas (865) 806-44459 or Brad Pickens (423) 240-0687. — Steve Hixson
FUNDRAISER SCHEDULED FOR LERNERVILLE FLAGMAN: Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., has organized a fundraiser for assistant flagman Michael "Moose" Polena, who suffered serious knee injuries in an on-track accident recently at Challenger Raceway. The "Moose Hunt" benefit will help Polena with medical and living expenses during his recovery. The benefit is scheduled for 1-6 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Saxonburg (Pa.) Volunteer Fire Department. The benefit will include a spaghetti dinner, auction and prizes. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children. Those wishing to donate items for raffle can contact Helen Bauman at (724) 353-5957 or Lernerville Speedway at (724) 353-1511. — Eric Westendorf
ODDS AND ENDS: The National Late Model Series has shuffled its November schedule. The final three races of the season are Nov. 8 at East Bay Raceway Park near Tampa, Fla.; Nov. 15 at Golden Isles Speedway near Brunswick, Ga.; and Nov. 28-29 at Cochran (Ga.) Motor Speedway. ... Avenger Motor Speedway (formerly Butler County Motorsports Park) in Greenville, Ala., will host an Oct. 25 tuneup event for its Nov. 8 NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series event.
