Bristol Motor Speedway
Notebook: Charity draws dirt racers to asphalt
From staff and series reports
Dick Barton is helping organize the Racing for Kids fund-raiser. (Todd Battin)
The top Dirt Late Model racers from northwest Pennsylvania and western New York have battled plenty of laps on dirt tracks. Coming Sept. 17, a dozen of them will face off on asphalt in a special event to raise money for the Erie, Pa.-based Racing for Kids charity.
Racer Dick Barton and long-time supporter Randy Anderson are organizing the event at Lake Erie Speedway in North East, Pa., that is expected to feature 11 other drivers: Chad Ruhlman, Chub Frank, Rob Blair, Ron Davies, Bob Close, Todd Andrews, Dutch Davies, Dave Hess Jr., Rich Gardner, Chris Hackett and David Scott. The drivers will pilot either legends cars or asphalt E-mods.
The Wednesday event will begin with a golf tournament at the Peek'n Peak Golf Course in Findley Lake, N.Y., with some of the drivers participating. In the evening, the racing at Lake Erie Speedway will include an autograph session, an auction, the special race for dirt racers and Lake Erie's regular asphalt Late Model division.
Admission to the track will be free while donations to Racing for Kids will be raised through the auction and with drivers collecting with their helmets in the grandstands. Plans are also in the works to commission a poster of the 12 dirt racers, with proceeds from poster sales going to the charity. Racing for Kids plans to visit nine area tracks this summer at major Dirt Late Model events to distribute free tickets to the Lake Erie event and sell the posters. — Todd Turner
FULLER CUTS TRAVELING COSTS: World of Outlaws regular Tim Fuller of Edwards, N.Y., cut traveling costs after Florida Speedweeks by leaving his hauler and race cars at the shop of fellow WoO driver Clint Smith in Senoia, Ga. “With the high price of fuel and way the weather is up here, we figured it’s worthwhile to leave the cars and the hauler at Clint’s for a month,” Fuller said. “We’re saving a bunch of money on fuel, plus we don’t have to winterize the camper, we won’t get it covered with salt and sand from driving it on the roads up here, and we’re just plain saving a lot of wear-and-tear on it.” Fuller, who saved about 2,700 miles in highway travel, will fly down and drive the hauler to the March 28-29 WoO event at Pike County Speedway in Magnolia, Miss. — Kevin Kovac
IRS ADDS EVENTS AT WAYNE COUNTY: The second-year Independent Racing Series has added May 3 and May 26 events at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio. The second event gives IRS competitors a four-race Ohio weekend from May 23-26 with events at Raceway 7 in Conneaut, Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Cannonball Speedway in St. Clairsville and Wayne County. The series also has a four-race stretch set for July 3-6 in Ohio at K-C Raceway near Chillicothe, Hilltop Speedway in Millersburg, Moler Raceway Park near Cincinnati and Midway Speedway in Crooksville. — Chris Tilley
MACS ANNOUNCES ROOKIE CONTENDERS: Seven drivers have announced plans to run for Rookie of the Year honors on the Mid-Atlantic Championship Series, a $2,500-to-win title sponsored by AlturnaMats. The candidates: Michael Altobelli Jr., 23, of Saxton, Pa., the Hesston (Pa.) Speedway Limited Late Model champion in 2007; Thomas Baker, 27, of Massillon, Ohio, who has two victories in 11 years of Late Model racing; Ron Delano Jr., 45, of Stoyston, Pa., a six-time winner in Super Late Model racing; Coleby Frye, 22, Dover, Pa., Selinsgrove (Pa.) Speedway's top rookie in 2007; Russell King, 18, of Bristolville, Ohio, a second-generation big-block modified driver; Donald Lingo Jr., 23, of Millsboro, Del., a two-time champ at Delaware International Speedway; and Tony Lombardi, 41, of Warren, Ohio, who has a single career Late Model victory. — Jason Shank
