Bristol Motor Speedway
Notes: Case of stolen Golden Isles safe solved
Golden Isles owner Frankie Lloyd
The mysterious case of the stolen safe that spiced January's Super Bowl of Racing V at Golden Isles Speedway has been solved, according to the Brunswick (Ga.) News. Glynn County police arrested two men in connection with the missing 800-pound safe and were looking for an accomplice, the newspaper reported.
While the safe was found, the estimated $50,000-$70,000 in cash and checks in the safe is still missing, speedway marketing director Dan Nicholson told reporters. The two men arrested — their names weren't released by police — told police they gambled $46,000 away.
Although track owner Frankie Lloyd committed to paying the full purses for the Jan. 28-31 Southern All Star action, the track barely broke even after the theft of the six-foot tall safe, which went missing early Friday morning during the four-race stretch. "Let me tell you, it's slim pickings out here right now," Nicholson told the newspaper. "Basically, they took our profits."
It wasn't clear if anyone will get Lloyd's $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. — The Brunswick News
SUPR MAKES A FEW FIRST-TIME VISITS in 2009: The Louisiana-based O'Reilly Southern United Professional Racing tour includes at least two first-time tracks on its 31-race schedule, two tracks with dramatically different surfaces. SUPR drivers on the 20th anniversary tour will race April 11 on the gumbo clay at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark., then run its first-ever paved oval event on the concrete at Monroe (La.) Motor Speedway on April 18. SUPR opens the season Feb. 28 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and runs other events in Louisiana (Fast Trax Speedway ArkLaTex Speedway, Baton Rouge Raceway, Champion Park Speedway), Mississippi (Pike County Speedway, Greenville Speedway), Texas (Devil's Bowl Speedway, Lone Star Speedway, Houston Raceway Park), Arkansas (Batesville Speedway and Riverside) and Alabama's Deep South Speedway. The Jambalaya 100 returns to the SUPR fold in 2009, wrapping up the season with a $5,000-to-win event at Pike County in Magnolia, Miss. — Steve Molnar
SAS EAST TO VISIT 11 TRACKS: Using Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, S.C., has a home base, the O'Reilly Southern All Star East tour plan to visit nearly a dozen tracks in the Carolinas and northeast Georgia during the 2009 season. The fifth series season is scheduled to open Feb. 28 at Travelers Rest (S.C.) Speedway. Among first-time tracks are Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Tri-County Racetrack in Brasstown, N.C. Besides defending series champion Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga., among potential series regulars are G.R. Smith, Monk Gulledge and Zack Cox, who plans to run for the rookie title. "You never really know who is going to give it a shot until you get into the season a little, but we have definitely heard a lot of buzz this year," said series director Kelley Carlton. — From series reports
CAROLINA CLASH PLANS RICHEST RACE: With its 10th anniversary schedule, the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series plans to cap the season with the $10,000-to-win fourth annual Carolina Clash Bash on Oct. 24. The venue for he biggest winning payoff in series history? That's still to be determined. But the 21-race schedule hits many long-time series tracks, including Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Va., and Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, N.C., which hosts the series-opening Skyler Trull Memorial on March 14. The series will once again employ its version of the NASCAR Chase with the final seven races comprising the Countdown to the Cup Championship. — From series reports
TENNESSEE THUNDER SETS 19-RACE SCHEDULE: Reverting to its Tennessee Thunder DirtCar Series name following the loss of Advance Auto Parts sponsorship, the TTDCS recently announced a 19-race schedule, including seven events co-sanctioned with the Southern Regional Racing Series. While Hoosier Tire will remain the official series tire, TTDCS will also allow American Racer tires in 2009. Details on the tire rules will be announced. The season opener is scheduled for March 20 at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. Mountain Raceway Park in Maryville, Tenn., hosts a series-high six events, including the Oct. 18 season finale. — From series reports
ODDS AND ENDS: Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, Ky., honored as the 2008 Battle of the Bluegrass Track of the Year, is prominent on the 2009 series schedule by hosting four events on the Kentucky-based tour. The BoB season opens April 25 at Bardstown. ... Eddie Provence of Hensley, Ark., who has raced modified in recent years, plans his return to Super Late Models for 2009. The 21-year veteran sustained a 2005 injury in a wreck at North Alabama Speedway in his last Super Late Model start. ... Anthony Burroughs of Athens, Ala., has combined his team with DHL Motorsports to form BHL Motorsports for 2009. ... The O'Reilly Southern Nationals added sponsorship from Red Man tobacco for 2009.
