National notebook
Notes: Highland kicking off Tri-State Challenge
Highland Speedway hosts its first Tri-State Challenge event on Thursday. (DirtonDirt.com)
With Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway under floodwaters much of May, for a while it appeared the Northern Allstars Late Model Series-sanctioned Tri-State Challenge might be reduced to two races. Instead all three $5,000-to-win races are set to roll this weekend, and a fourth non-minitour event has been added because of a recent rainout.
Northern Allstars drivers will kick the weekend off Thursday at Highland (Ill.) Speedway before moving to Paducah on Friday. Saturday's Tri-State Challenge finale is scheduled for I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., while Shepp's Speedway in Alexander, Ill., tags the weekend with a $2,000-to-win event, a makeup of a May 22 rainout on the series.
Highland joins the 9-year-old weekend minitour (previously called the Tri-Track Challenge) for the first time, while Paducah has been part of the action since 2006. I-55 Raceway has been on the schedule every year although 2008's race was rained out.
Paducah's event will be its first since April 8. Rainouts and later rising water that covered most of the western Kentucky facility halted action, but workers have whipped the track back into shape. — From staff reports
Tri-State Challenge history
June 1, UMP, Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track (Shannon Babb)
CORUM TO PROMOTE JUNE 18 EVENT AT SMOKY MOUNTAIN: Chirs Corum, recently fired as promoter of 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn., has agreed to a one-race deal with the owners of Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn., to promote the June 18 Southern All Star Series event. Smoky Mountain halted operations indefinitely May 10 but will keep its original SAS date with Corum running the show. “We have not talked about anything beyond (June 18) as far as me running the track on a regular basis," Corum said. "After that race it will be up to them to decide how they want to proceed from there.” The June 18 event pays $5,000 to the winner and is the second series visit to the track in 2011. Jimmy Owens won the April 16 SAS event in Maryville. — Richard Allen
SUPERIOR LOST, BUT WoO PLANS TO ADD RACES: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series event at Amsoil Speedway in Superior, Wis., has been removed from the series schedule, according to track and series promoters. The July 14 event conflicted with July 12-17 Head of the Lakes Fair, which caused unavoidable logistical issues. The series hopes to have Amsoil Speedway back in 2012. The Superior event is among a handful of dates recently cancelled or postponed on the series, but WoO officials are expected to announce replacement and makeup dates soon, with three new dates likely and perhaps as many as five. — Kevin Mudrak
OTHER SERIES SCHEDULE CHANGES: The STARS Volunteer Racing Series and Midwest Dirt Racing League has cancelled its remaining races at Lake Cumberland Speedway. The track plans to host unsanctioned $3,000-to-win events on two of the dates, June 25 and Aug. 20. ... The next VRS event at Boyd's Speedway has been pushed back a week to June 24. ... The O'Reilly All Star Late Model Series event rained out at Millstream Speedway on May 15 has been rescheduled for June 26 at the Findlay, Ohio, oval. ... The O'Reilly SUPR tour added a $2,000-to-win event at 171 Speedway in Leesville, La., on July 1. ... NASRA has set its three remaining dates: July 2 at Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, Ky.; Aug. 5 at Moler Raceway Park in Williamsburg, Ohio; and Sept. 4 at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway. — From series reports
EAMS DROPS TUESDAY NIGHT PROGRAMS: After running a Tuesday Night Thunder Summer Series in recent years, East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City has dropped the midweek program, the track announced. The burden of drivers competing two nights a week was too much with the economic conditions, the track said. The track will continue with a single Tuesday night event, the July 19 Schaeffer Oil Southern Nationals Series race paying $3,500 to the winner for Super Late Models. — From track reports
SOUTHERN OHIO SPEEDWAY OPENING DELAYED: Southern Ohio Speedway in Wheelersburg, reopening for the first time since 2003, has again pushed back its first dates. Practice is scheduled for June 25 with the grand opening on July 4 for the $5,000-to-win Southern 50, an event on the STARS Midwest Dirt Racing League. The reopening was delayed because time was needed to raise the banking in turns three and four to return the track closer to its original configuration, the track reported. Plans are also in the works to install a guardrail in turns three and four to expand the outside pit area, making room for big rigs to park outside the track. — From track reports
CRATE LATE MODEL NOTES: Winky McGee of Pilot Mountain, Va., has already racked up 10 victories this season. He's second in Fastrak weekly points behind David Smith of Inman, S.C. ... The NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Tour embark on a southern Georgia doubleheader on June 3-4 with events at Oglethorpe Speedway Park near Savannah and Screven Motor Speedway near Sylvania. ... Lamar Furr of Hollandale, Miss., broke Duke Palasini’s three-race win streak Saturday in NeSmith Chevrolet weekly action at Greenville (Miss.) Speedway. — From series reports
ODDS AND ENDS: North Georgia Speedway will reopen June 4 under new promoter Mark Wooten, according to the series website. The Super Late Model feature pays $2,000 to the winner on a five-division card for the event at the Chatsworth, Ga., third-mile oval. ... Following its Southern All Star event over Memorial Day weekend, Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, Miss., has back-to-back $5,000-to-win events with its June 4 event. The eighth annual Governor's Cup is on the PRO Dirt Car Series. ... Tennessee National Raceway in Hohenwald, Tenn., has added Super Late Models to the June 3 program, and the fan who guesses closest to the fast time in the division will receive $100.
