Bristol Motor Speedway
Notebook: Hagerstown opener delayed again
From staff, track and series reports
Weather has halted Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway's opener for the sixth straight year. On Thursday, the track announced the postponement of its Feb. 23 opener, moving the race back to March 1 because of cold weather and a dismal forecast.
Each of the last five years, the opener has been postponed because of weather at least one week. Not since John Mason of Millersburg, Ohio, won the 2002 Late Model opener has the race been run on its originally scheduled date.
Gary Stuhler has won three of the last five opening events while Jeremy Miller (2005) and Frankie Plessinger (2006) also have captured lidlifters. The Late Models are going for a $2,000-to-win purse in running along with big-block modifieds. — From track reports
WISSOTA ADDING THIRD 100: The WISSOTA Promoters Association plans to add a third season-ending WISSOTA 100 with a Sept. 10-13 event at Gillette (Wyo.) Speedway. In previous years, WISSOTA 100s have been held with Eastern and Western versions, but a third event was added for 2008, according to WISSOTA's publication, All the Dirt. "We've recognized for some time that it was very difficult for the hundreds of drivers from the western region of WISSOTA to participate in a WISSOTA 100," WISSOTA president Terry Voeltz said. "Even with the Western 100 in South Dakota the last several years, it just wasn't realistic to expect the drivers from the far west to drive 600-700 miles or more to race." — All the Dirt
NASCAR SANCTIONING CEDAR LAKE, JUNCTION: Two Late Model tracks, Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., and Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., are getting NASCAR short-track sanctioning in 2008. Cedar Lake, the lone track sanctioned by the upstart Dirt Track Racing Association, will co-sanction its weekly DTRA events with NASCAR. “We’re excited about being part of NASCAR," said Cedar Lake owner Bob Kaufman. "For us, we see a huge benefit to being able to market the NASCAR name. We’re 25 minutes away from three million people. There are a ton of race fans in this region and we’re really excited about the opportunity to give the NASCAR fans something to latch on to." Cedar Lake will continue its Goodyear tire rule for Late Models. Junction has five other divisions besides Late Models. “Being part of NASCR is going to give our facility more recognition,” said track manager Barb Nunnenkamp. “And the drivers are really going to enjoy what it brings them.” — From NASCAR and track reports
IMCA LATE MODELS GET NEW SPONSOR: A long-time supporter of the IMCA Late Model division will play an even bigger sponsorship role for the full-bodied class beginning this season. J&J Steel is the new title sponsor of the division and will pay the $20,000-plus point fund to top 20 drivers in final national standings. The 2008 national champion earns a $5,500 share of that payout. Owned by veteran driver and former track promoter Johnny Johnson, the West Burlington chassis, race car parts and accessories retailer will continue its support of Deery Brothers Summer Series competitors as well, awarding $100 product certificates to the driver advancing the most positions in each series feature. In another IMCA contingency program, Smiley's Racing Products of Mesquite, Texas, will provide $100 gift cards to each state champion in the Late Model division. — Bill Martin
ODDS AND ENDS: Superior (Wis.) Speedway and River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., are returning to WISSOTA sanctioning in 2008 after two seasons with DTRA. In other DTRA news, veteran promoter Terry Blacklance of Fast Racing Promotions has purchased DTRA and will operation the WISSOTA rival organization. ... The Missouri-based United Late Model Racing Association announced it will run two 2008 events at State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Mo. The Bob Ramey Memorial is scheduled for May 4 and pays $750 to win. The second event is set for Aug. 14. ULMA runs weekly at four Missouri tracks; Callaway Raceway in Fulton; Central Missouri Speedway in Warrensburg; L.A. Raceway in LaMonte; and Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland. ... James "Jim" Gentry, a long-time racing supporter and Wayne County (Ohio) Speedway Hall of Famer, died Feb. 7 at age 82 in Wooster, Ohio. Gentry was a car owner for his son Jim and supporter of his grandson J.R. Gentry's racing career. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2006.
