Bristol Motor Speedway
Notebook: Cedar Lake adds $12,000 event
From track, series and special reports
Cedar Lake Speedway has a new major Dirt Late Model event and a new season-ending special. The inaugural Badger State Nationals, scheduled for Sept. 25-27 at the New Richmond, Wis., track, will now close the historic track's season and give the racers a fourth major Late Model weekend at the 3/8-mile oval. The weekend will be highlighted by a $12,000-to-win Late Model feature.
Chris Stepan of FYE Motorsports Promotions of St. Cloud, Minn., has leased Cedar Lake to bring another big-purse event to the upper Midwest. ”Partnering with Cedar Lake was a no-brainer for this race because CLS has an unmatched, state-of-the-art facility, which should allow the fans to enjoy this event even that much more,” he said. Added Cedar Lake co-owner Bob Kaufman: “We are thrilled to partner with FYE Motorsports on this event and are confident that the Badger State Nationals will prove to be one show you surely don’t want to miss!”
The Late Model program will include complete programs on Thursday and Friday nights with the top five finishers from each night's feature earning starting spots that will make up the first five rows of Saturday night's finale. The remainder of the finale's lineup will be made up of the top two drivers in combined points not already in the show along with other drivers transferring from Saturday qualifying and last-chance races. The 50-lap Late Model feature pays $12,000 to the winner and at least $1,000 to each starter.
Late Model entry fee is $250 for the weekend. Tires are limited to Goodyear G50s or WISSOTA Hoosier D-55s on all 4 corners. Modifieds, street stocks and legend cars are also in action during the weekend. — Chris Stepan
ELDORA ESTABLISHES THREE-COMPOUND TIRE RULE: Eldora Speedway, host of two of Dirt Late Model racing's biggest annual races in the Dream and World 100, announced April 14 a three-compound rule for all Late Model events at the half-mile oval in Rossburg, Ohio. The UMP DirtCar Series, which sanctions Late Model racing at Eldora, doubled its legal tire compounds from two to four for 2008, but Eldora decided against allowing the softest of the four, Hoosier's LM-10. Eldora's three legal tires will be Hoosier's LM-20, LM-30 and LM-40. “In the past, teams had no in-between tire and would run the 20s with a shorter track life when the 40s wouldn’t be competitive,” UMP series director Sam Driggers said. “The addition of the 30 compound will now narrow that gap.” The three-tire rule will also govern all races on the UMP-sanctioned Sunoco American Late Model Series, which opens April 19 at Eldora. — Larry Boos
MLRA MAINTAINS LUCKY STARS BONUS: Thanks to the returning sponsorship of Midwest Walnut, the O'Reilly Midwest LateModel Racing Association again features the $1,000 Lucky Stars bonus at each series event. At each event, a number between 11 and 22 (or 24, depending on how many cars start the race) will be drawn, and the driver finishing in that position will receive a $1,000 bonus. Drivers must be paid MLRA members to receive the bonus. — From staff reports
PEORIA HOSTING DON BOHLANDER 100: Peoria (Ill.) Speedway's opens April 19 with the $4,000-to-win Don Bohlander 100, an unsanctioned special event. The race will be a benefit to raise money for Parkinson's Disease. Bohlander, a seven-time Illinois State Champion and winner of more than 350 features, developed the disease in his late 60s. “Our thanks go out to everyone for their time, donations and support,” his wife Valerie Bohlander said. “We look forward to seeing everyone on race night.” The track plans to raise money through sponsorships on race shirts, lap sponsors and a silent auction. — From track reports and the Pekin (Ill.) Daily Times
MILLER SPLITTING TIME BETWEEN McCULLOUGH, MORING RIDES: Former Eldora Speedway Dream winner Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio, made his first start in a Stephen McCullough-backed ride April 12 at K-C Raceway in Alma, Ohio. The team is racing out of the DSI Racing shops that formerly fielded Miller's full-time ride. This year, Miller is running part time for McCullough and part time for Illinois-based Moring Motorsports. Miller's runs with McCullough will include familiar crew chief Scott Smith as the team races within five hours of DSI's Arlington, Ohio, home base. "We had a lot of success together over the years,” Miller said, “so hopefully we can enjoy some wins together again.” — Wayne Castleberry
RUMBLE SERIES UNVEILS SERIES REGULARS: The first-year Rumble Dirt Series for WISSOTA Late Models announced 12 series regulars who will attend each event on the Terry Voeltz-promoted four. The 12 drivers: Matt Aukland of Fargo, N.D. (2007 NLRA champion); Mike Balcaen of Winnipeg, Manitoba (two-time NLRA champion); Joel Cryderman of Thunder Bay, Ontario (four-time Dacotah Rumble winner); A.J. Diemel of Navarino, Wis. (2007 WISSOTA 100 winner); Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis. (multiple WISSOTA champion); Zach Johnson of Lowry, Minn. (2007 WISSOTA champion); Steve Laursen of Cumberland, Wis. (three-time AMSOIL Series champion); Lance Matthees of Winona, Minn. (2007 Fall Classic winner); Tom Nesbitt of Thunder Bay, Ontario (long-time touring veteran); Kyle Peterlin of Hibbing, Minn. (2007 WISSOTA rookie of the year); Jeff Provinzino of Hibbing, Minn. (2007 Stampede winner); and Jeff Wildung of Nassau, Minn. (2007 Dart Challenge champion). — From series reports
SHOW-ME SERIES GIVES SPRINGFIELD BOOST: After a January tornado caused more than $10,000 in unplanned expenses for Springfield (Mo.) Raceway, the Race Brothers Show-Me Racin' Series has agreed to run its April 19 event for the track's normal weekly purse. “We’d like to help them get back on their feet,” said series founder Ken Essary. The winter storm blew away the track's concession stand, bathrooms and ticket booth, as well as damaging fences around the track. The buildings weren't insured and the track has faced zoning hurdles in erecting new permanent structures. “We would like to thank Kenny Essary, the drivers, and everyone involved with the Show-Me Series,” said track owner Jerry Hoffman. — From series reports
DATE CHANGE FOR SEITZ MEMORIAL: The WISSOTA-sanctioned John Seitz Memorial at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., has been moved a day earlier to Sept. 4-5 (Thursday and Friday). The race pays $9,200 to the winner. — Rob Fogle
