Deep South Speedway
Two-seaters to give fans real taste of WoO action
A first in U.S stock car racing will be unveiled March 13-14 when the World of Outlaws Late Model Series rumbles into Deep South Speedway for a special two-day event weekend on the 4/10-mile Gulf Coast oval.
When the green flag waves in the Friday and Saturday night features, four race fans will have the opportunity of a lifetime and actually start the feature events as passengers in two-seat Dirt Late Model race cars. Don't worry, the two-seat cars will pull off the track before anything crazy can happen, but two fans each night will be strapped into race cars that will start on the tail of the main events.
Track officials, in a cooperative effort with the World Racing Group and Domino’s Pizza, announced Wednesday morning that the never-before-attempted promotion will occur during the WoO action at the track between Mobile, Ala., and Pensacola, Fla. The special fan promotion will be part of a unique charitable effort to help the victims of Tuesday’s shooting tragedy in Geneva and Samson, Ala.
The track will collect donations for the families of Tuesday’s Geneva County tragedy. Donations made Friday will give fans a chance at winning one of two seats in the specially-prepared Dirt Late Models in the night's 40-lap, $7,000-to-win feature, and donations made Saturday will provide fans a shot at two open seats in the cars for the evening’s 60-lap, $12,000-to-win finale.
The winning fans will suit up and experience the start of a WoO feature from a vantage point right in the middle of the action. With an experienced racer steering them around the track, they will be a part of the field during the tour’s famed four-wide parade laps and then actually take the green flag at the start of each main event before pulling off the racing surface as the field exits turn two on the opening lap.
“We wanted to do something thrilling for the race fans that make this sport what it is,” said speedway manager Ozzie Altman. “This week’s tragic events down the road forced us to see what we could do to help out the immediate needs of some folks that are facing life-changing circumstances and grief. As their neighbors we need to help them out, and we can involve all the race fans in the assistance effort as well during an event of the magnitude that we have this weekend at Deep South Speedway.”
Karen Webb, a lead partner in Deep South Speedway’s ownership team, is a graduate of Auburn University, as is U.S. Congressman Bobby Bright, whose district includes the communities of Samson and Geneva. Webb, along with her husband Bill, are accustomed to quick response and aid to communities through their BKW response and recovery business, which the government calls upon for disaster relief.
“Just to be strapped into a real race car as the starting field of American racing legends takes pace laps around the track for opening ceremonies — and then to actually take the green flag with the field — is something that race fans across the nation have never had the opportunity to do,” Altman said. “Bill Webb (of Deep South Speedway) and I have talked about this deal for a lot of years, and we have recently spoken with the officials of the World of Outlaws to make it become a reality.
“The most important issues surrounding the promotion are to make certain that we do not jeopardize the safety of anyone involved, while also not creating any interference with the actual race itself. It is unheard of, but it is also a great method to raise much-needed funds for such a worthy cause and the folks with the World of Outlaws are behind the promotion 100 percent.”
