CORONA, California -After racing in the south the past two weekends the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is ready to unleash their 800 horsepower machines this Friday and Saturday, July 20th and 21st in the Midwest as the premier touring dirt late model series pays a visit to the Kevin and Tammy Gundaker promoted Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, IL on Friday Night and a return engagement this year to "The Diamond of Dirt Tracks" the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO on Saturday Night. Both events will pay $10,000 to win and $700 to start with the cameras of SPEED Channel on hand to tape the "Miller Lite 50" on Friday Night at Tri-City. The event will be shown on a date and time to be announced in the future. Also on Thursday Night, July 19th there will be a special open practice from 6-10 pm at Tri-City Speedway.
It will be the series' third ever visit to the Tri-City Speedway located just across the Mississippi River near St. Louis. In the two previous visits to the track two-time and defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion and reigning "World 100" winner, Earl Pearson, Jr. of Jacksonville, FL took the victory and last year it was the "Moweaqua Missile" Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL ending up in the Lucas Oil victory lane afterwards. Look for both of these drivers to take on several of the best dirt late model chauffeurs in the country on the new 3/8ths mile track that will be new to several of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regulars. The past two years the series has visited Tri-City they have raced on the ½ mile track. That track is gone along with the ¼ mile track that was utilized for weekly shows.
Beginning in October of last year the Gundaker family built the new 3/8ths mile track from scratch. After a lot of hard work from late fall through the winter months went into building and preparing the new track for racing in 2007. The track has been drawing rave reviews from competitors and fans alike. One driver looking forward to racing on the new surface will be Bloomington, IL driver, Billy Drake who comes into the race off of his first career Lucas Oil last Friday Night at North Alabama Speedway in Tuscumbia, AL and currently sits seventh in the series championship points standings. "I have heard a lot of great things about the new track, I never raced on the half-mile, but I did win a race on the quarter-mile they used to have, I am really looking forward to coming down there this Friday Night with the Lucas Oil Series."
On Saturday Night the series visits its "Home Track" the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO. It will be the second appearance of the season for the series after sanctioning the successful "Diamond Nationals" back in May. In the two previous visits by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series to the beautiful facility it has been the Brian Birkhofer show. The Muscatine, IA pilot is expected to be hand to try and make it three wins in a row. "I really love running here," proclaimed Birkhofer after winning the $25,000 "Diamond Nationals" back in May after triumphing last July in the series' first ever visit to the track
After the Deep South events in Alabama and Mississippi this past weekend the race for the 2007 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship has a familiar face on top of the point's leader board. Earl Pearson, Jr. with his third place finish this past Saturday Night at Columbus, MS regained the points lead which has been going back and forth between Pearson, Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN and Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN. Over the last month those three have been leading the points at one time or another after each and every event is run.
Pearson comes into this weekend with a 75 point margin over James with Casebolt only five points behind James. Terry English of Benton, KY is fourth followed by leading COMP Cams Rookie of the Year candidate, Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, KY.
The rest of the top ten who are expected at Tri-City and Lucas Oil Speedway this weekend are Donnie Moran of Dresden, OH, Billy Drake of Bloomington, IL, Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, WI, Damon Eller of Crumpler, NC and Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY.
Other drivers currently residing in the top twenty of the points standings expected to be on hand include Freddy Smith of Seymour, TN, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN, Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN and Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR.
The tire rule at Tri-City Speedway will be the Hoosier LM20 and LM40 and the American Racer SD44 and MD56. The regular series tire rule will be in effect at Lucas Oil Speedway with the allowance of the Hoosier LM20, 1300, 1350, LM40 and 1600 and the American Racer SD44, SD48 and MD56.
There will be complete show both nights with LifeLong Locks Time Trials along with the Hawk Brake and Quarter Master sponsored heat races. The number of heat races will be based on the number of entries. The Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno and Penske Shocks B-Mains will be run followed by the main events each night.
For more information on Tri-City Speedway you can visit the track's website at www.tricityspeedway.net or call 1-800-617-9077. Lucas Oil Speedway is located on the World Wide Web at www.LucasOilSpeedway.com or you can call (417) 282-5984 for further information.
For the latest information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series you may visit the series on line at www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Next Scheduled Events:
Friday Night, July 20th-Tri-City Speedway-Pontoon Beach, IL ($10,000 to Win)
Saturday Night, July 21st-Lucas Oil Speedway-Wheatland, MO ($10,000 to Win)
2007 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Results with Event Winners
East Bay Raceway Park-(Rick Aukland)
East Bay Raceway Park-(Earl Pearson, Jr.)
East Bay Raceway Park-(Tim Dohm)
East Bay Raceway Park-(Shannon Babb)
East Bay Raceway Park-(Steve Shaver)
East Bay Raceway Park-(Scott Bloomquist)
Brownstown Speedway-(Billy Moyer)
Hagerstown Speedway-(Scott James)
Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway-(Shannon Babb)
Lucas Oil Speedway-(Brian Birkhofer)
Farley Speedway-(Earl Pearson, Jr.)
La Salle Speedway-(Justin Rattliff)
Florence Speedway-(Steve Casebolt)
Duck River Speedway-(Scott James)
North Georgia Speedway-(Jimmy Owens)
Talladega Short Track-(Jimmy Owens)
Fayetteville Motor Speedway-(Jeff Smith)
Virginia Motor Speedway-(Earl Pearson, Jr.)
Portsmouth Raceway Park (Steve Francis)
Muskingum County Speedway (Steve Casebolt)
Tazewell Speedway (Jimmy Owens)
Volunteer Speedway (Scott Bloomquist)
North Alabama Speedway (Billy Drake)
Columbus Speedway (Scott Bloomquist)
Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings (After July 14, 2007)
1) Earl Pearson, Jr. (Jacksonville, FL)-3630
2) Scott James (Lawrenceburg, IN)-3555
3) Steve Casebolt (Richmond, IN)3550
4) Terry English (Benton, KY)-3165
5) Justin Rattliff (Campbellsville, KY)-3100
6) Donnie Moran (Dresden, OH)-3065
7) Billy Drake (Bloomington, IL)-2930
8) Dan Schlieper (Sullivan, WI)-2865
9) Damon Eller (Crumpler, NC)-2575
10)Brad Neat (Dunnville, KY)-2395
Current COMP Cams Rookie of the Year Points Standings (After July 14, 2007)
1) Justin Rattliff (Campbellsville, KY)-3100
2) Damon Eller (Crumpler, NC)-2575
3) Brad Neat (Dunnville, KY)-2395
4) Garrett Durrett (Simsboro, LA)-995
5) Ricky Arms (Moss, TN)-520
6) Mike Mataragas (De Kalb, IL)-355 2007 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Sponsors
Lucas Oil Products - "The Official Oil" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
K&N Filters - "The Official Filter" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series General Tire- "The Official Tire" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Dixie Chopper- "The Official Mower" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series R&L Carrier- "The Official Carrier" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Sunoco Race Fuels - "The Official Fuel" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Arizona Sport Shirts - "The Official Merchandise Vendor" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Hoosier Tire - "The Official Race Tire" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
2007 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Supporters Include: AFCO, Allstar Performance, American Racer Tires, Banshee Graphics, Bloomquist Race Cars, Comp Cams, Cornett Racing Engines, Cruise with the Champions, DART, Design 500, Edelbrock, Erson Cams, Grover Racing Engines, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Brake, Hyperco, Integra Shocks, Jay Dickens Racing Engines, King of the Road, Larry Wallace Racing Engines, LifeLong Locks, Malcuit Racing Engines, Mason Racin', MasterSbilt Race Cars, Ohlins, On the Edge Graphics, Penske Shocks, Performance Bodies, PBM Performance Products, PPM Racing Products, Performance Rod and Custom, Pro Power Racing Engines, Quarter Master, C.J. Rayburn Race Cars, Rick Schwallie Photography, Rocket Chassis, Tex Racing, Vic Hill Racing Engines, WD Enterprises
