Texas Motor Speedway
Litton faces challenges from Hebert, Bagley
The Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track hosts the SUPR opener. (Getty Images)
Rob Litton of Alexandria, La., will look to this weekend’s Port-A-Cool Texas World Dirt Track Championship at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track to begin his quest for his fifth championship in the P&W Sales Southern United Professional Racing tour. | Baker faces challenges in 2014
Litton, SUPR’s only four-time champ riding a streak of back-to-back titles, heads to the Fort Worth oval for the sixth straight year for SUPR’s season opener. While modified action is scheduled for Friday, SUPR Late Models run a complete program begin at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Looking for his first victory at TMS since 2009, Litton and SUPR competitors will be gunning for one of the largest purses on the SUPR schedule with $3,500 going to the winner.
“Texas is just one of the tracks that suit our driving style,” Litton said. “We always seem to be competitive there. Last year we were close and kind of felt like we gave it away, but we’re definitely coming back looking for win No. 3.
”It’s a little early to start thinking about another (SUPR) championship. Right now, we just want to win our third at Texas Motor Speedway.”
Litton’s strongest competition this weekend may come from Shane Hebert of Lafayette, La., last year’s SUPR runner-up winner of 2013’s Port-A-Cool Texas World Dirt Track Championship. Hebert started 14th last year and surged through the field before wrestling away the lead away from Jeremy Payne on the 38th of 40 laps.
”The prestige of Texas Motor Speedway is the cool thing about it,“ Hebert said. ”So many cars there and so many people watching it, it’s the first race of the year and everybody is amped up ready to race. I like to go fast and Texas Motor Speedway is big and fast and it suits my style. Hopefully we can repeat and take that (winner’s) cowboy hat back to Lafayette.
“(Litton) is definitely going to be our toughest competition. He’s always consistent. Not just at Texas, but every track we go to in the series. He’s not the four-time champion for nothing. He knows how to get it done.”
Also putting pressure on Litton will be Longview’s Morgan Bagley, the 2011 SUPR Series champion and current World of Outlaws Late Model Series competitor. Bagley will race alongside teammate Zack McMillan while taking a break from his busy WoO schedule.
“We try to be one of the best and to be one of the best, you got to race against the best,” Bagley said. “Any time we get to come back home to race at Texas Motor Speedway in front of our hometown fans, it’s always nice.”
Gates open at 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday with on-track action beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday. Friday’s grandstand tickets $10 for adults and $5 for children 12-and-under; Saturday’s tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children. Event parking is free throughout the weekend. For more details, visit texasmotorspeedway.com or call (817) 215-8500.
