Bristol Motor Speedway
Notebook: UMP summer slate includes 27 events
From staff, series and other reports
It's time to start setting the GPS unit for this year's United Midwestern Promoters Summernationals. UMP revealed the grueling schedule for the month-long tour with 27 Dirt Late Model races in six states from June 12-July 12. Winning purses range from $6,000 to $10,000 for the test of man and machine topped last year by Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., who pocketed $25,000 for the championship.
The tour kicks off with a $7,500-to-win event June 12 at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in Calvert City, Ky., and wraps up July 12 with the traditional series-ender at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, a $10,000-to-win event.
In between, the bulk of the tour weaves through 14 tracks in Illinois, including Belle-Clair Speedway near Belleville, Ill., which hosts the Summernationals for the first time.
Four Indiana tracks are hosting events, including Brownstown Speedway for the first time since 2001. Three Missouri tracks are on the schedule with Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo., as a newcomer and State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Mo., hosting just its second event and first since 1992. Kentucky hosts two events while StormPay.com Speedway in Clarksville, Tenn., and Oakshade in Ohio host the only two events in their states.
The tour runs daily except Mondays and two open dates may be filled in the final week of the series, increasing the race total to 29. — From staff reports
UMP honors Erb, others at banquet
Dennis Erb Jr. basked in the glory of his history-making 2007 season at Jan. 12's 24th annual UMP banquet in Springfield, Ill. As a reward for a campaign that saw him become the first driver to sweep the UMP Summernationals and weekly points titles, the 36-year-old driver from Carpentersville, Ill., pocketed a total of $46,240 in points-fund checks.
The normally reserved Erb thanked all his supporters before showing� a bit of emotion when talking about his late father, who raced when the younger Erb broke into Late Models. “Most of all, I want to thank one person who’s no longer with me, and that’s my father, who got me started in this,” Erb said. “I know he’s not here, but he’s up there looking down and I know he would be proud.”
Among regional Late Model champions honored earning $5,000 apiece were Wes Steidinger (North), Kevin Cole (South) and Brian Ruhlman (East). Pocketing $1,000 apiece as state champions were Jeff Decker (California), Andrew Reaume (Canada), Steidinger (Illinois), Jason Feger (Indiana), Cole (Kentucky), Alan Vochaska (Michigan), Dustin Mooneyham (Missouri), Rick DeLong (Ohio) and Rusty Griffaw (Tennessee).
In other awards, Erb’s crew chief Heather Lyne and Steidinger’s head wrench Terry Aaron shared the Late Model Crew Chief of the Year award. Rookie Scott Bull of Fairbury, Ill., was named Sportsman of the Year and Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway was named Track of the Year for the second consecutive season. Terry and Pam Henricks of Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, were honored as Promoters of the Year.
Eldora Speedway’s Larry Boos, meanwhile, received the third annual Bob Memmer Achievement Award, which honors the memory of UMP UMP's late founder. The prestigious plaque was presented to Boos by legendary former Eldora owner Earl Baltes, the winner of the inaugural Memmer trophy and the honoree's former boss.
C.J. Rayburn Race Cars was honored as the Chassis Builder of the Year and Pro Power Engines was the top engine builder. — Kevin Kovac
WoO drivers do a little indoor racing
World of Outlaws Late Model Series regulars Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., and Rick Eckert of York, Pa., are once again spending part of their off-seasons running open-wheel cars at indoor events. Richards raced last weekend at the 22nd annual Dodge Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla., while Eckert plans to compete Jan. 19 in the sixth annual Gambler’s Classic in Atlantic City, N.J., an event for three-quarter midgets.
Driving a Tony Stewart-backed midget, Richards fell short of his first A-Main start in the famed mid-winter dirt-track event inside the Tulsa Expo Center after a flip in a preliminary event set him back. “The track was just wide-open for the first few heats,” Richards said of the specially-built quarter-mile clay oval. “I went in the corner so fast, when I tried to roll the top it just went over. I went over quite a few times, actually.”
The 19-year-old escaped with only some bumps and bruises, but he ultimately finished ninth in the first B-Main, five spots shy of the main event.
Eckert is competing in Atlantic City as part of a unique all-star partnership arrangement with NASCAR veteran Kenny Schrader. Schrader will compete in Friday night's prelims, but Eckert will sub in Saturday's action for Schrader, who had another commitment.
“I had a good time running (the indoor race) the last two years,” said Eckert, who will chase a first prize of $5,000 in the event. “It’s a chance to have some fun in the middle of the winter.”
It's a busy winter for Eckert, who plans to start his Dirt Late Model season on Jan. 23 at Golden Isles Speedway near Brunswick, Ga. “We’ve built one new (GRT) car and refreshed our other one, and we have three brand-new Custom motors in the shop and another one coming. I feel like we’re in as good shape as I’ve ever been to start a season, but we still have some work to do," Eckert said. “We’re supposed to get our tires in on Thursday, so we’ll be busy once we have them.”
Coming off an uncharacteristic winless WoO season in 2007, Eckert is primed to get back on his usual winning track. “Last year is history,” he said. “We’re starting with a clean slate now.” — Kevin Kovac
MasterSbilt plans Race Camp Academy
Youngsters interested in learning more about auto racing and the workings of a race team can take the opportunity to attend the new Race Camp Academy at the MasterSbilt Race Cars shop in Crothersville, Ind. Keith and Tader Masters are launching the motorsports education program for 14- to 20-year-olds to get a taste of working on race cars in an era when backyard mechanics are uncommon.
Groups of eight campers, staying in dorms at MasterSbilt, will attend two-week sessions will split up and be serve as crew members for two race teams. Campers will also attend classroom sessions, lectures from speakers in the racing industry and field trips to racing businesses.
“We want this camp to benefit the entire racing world," Keith Masters said. "It’s something that we are going to use to build the crew members, owners, and racing industry leaders of tomorrow."
Details for the Race Camp Academy will be announced later. For more information, visit the MasterSbilt website. — Jonathan Masters
Florida Speedweeks warning
Teams heading to February's Florida Speedweeks should be alert of strict Florida Department of Transportation rules that have caused some problems recently. The state has a new over length permit that is required for any truck and trailer combination longer then 65 feet. The $20 permit is available online on the Florida DOT website. Violators face a $1,000 fine. To identify the load simply enter "Enclosed Trailer" and check Straight Truck with Trailer.
Odds and ends
Alltell Wireless has been named the title sponsor of the 37th annual DirtCar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla. The Feb. 5-16 event features the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series and UMP DirtCars. The Dirt Late Models run from Feb. 11-16. ... Driver Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind., has added Indianapolis-based Fatheadz Sunglasses as a sponsor on his No. c9. Casebolt and crew chief Steve Burton plan to start their season Feb. 4-9 at East Bay Raceway Park in starting their pursuit of the 2008 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship.
