BOISE, Idaho — The CarbonX Rocky Mountain Challenge Series is set for its seventh season of competition and the future looks very bright for the series with its trademark 20-car invert. Two-time champions Dave Minegar and Zan Sharp renew their rivalry while new faces will get introduced to the brand of racing that has won legions of fans throughout the region.
CarbonX returns for its third season as primary sponsor of the Late Model Stock Car touring series know for producing some of the best short track racing around. "I am thrilled to have CarbonX back with us," stated Mike Minegar, President of the RMCS. "CarbonX has been a great partner and they produce the world's finest protective and fire resistant clothing and this series is a great vehicle to promote their message."
After missing half of last season due to a violent crash, two-time series champion Dave Minegar is back ready to challenge for a third series title. "I missed being in the car last season but the time off was a great motivator," Minegar offered. "I am really excited about the season and look forward to putting the BodyBuilding.Com Chevrolet in victory lane."
Others returning to the series either full or part time in 2010 are two-time champion Zan Sharp, Russell Butler, John Wong, Lyn Hardy, Thane Alderman, Mike Marston, Steve Jones, and Bruce Quale among others. 2009 series champion John Dillon is undecided as to his 2010 plans at this time but odds are we will see the champ during the season.
Turning his first laps in the series this season will be NASCAR West standout Brett Thompson from Jerome, ID. Thompson is building a second team to compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series so he will scale back his driving in that series planning on making only five starts. But he still wants to compete and the RMCS schedule fits nicely. "I love racing for points," Thompson said. "The RMCS is a great series and I have always had a lot of fun attending the events helping other guys. I am going to run five West races and three Camping World Truck races this year so I can focus on building up the team but I look forward to running the complete RMCS schedule since all the races are close to home."
A-1 Heating & Air Conditioning is back with the Rookie-of-the-Year program which will pay $100 to the top finishing rookie in each event. Welcome news for both Kenny Vanderham and Lonnie Lowder who will lead a talented rookie class this season. With strong support from Century Boatland, Sharp Powder Coating, NAPA Auto Parts, Joes Racing Products, and Hoosier Racing Tires, the series has big plans for the season.
The series schedule will consist of ten races at four different race tracks in the region. The season opens at Magic Valley Speedway in Twin Falls, ID on Saturday, April 24 with two more stops at the tricky 1/3-mile oval on June 12th and the annual season finale September 18.
Rocky Mountain Raceways outside SLC, UT will host the series on four occasions with the first stop Saturday, May 8 and the annual Memorial Day Classic May 31st. The series will heat up the summer with stops at the ultra-fast 3/8-mile banked oval on July 17th and August 21st.
A brand new racing surface complete with banking will greet competitors when they visit Meridian(ID) Speedway's 1/4-mile on June 26th and again on September 4th. For the third year in a row, the RMCS will headline the Idaho 200 weekend at Stateline Stadium Speedway in north Idaho July 31-August 1. "We are thrilled with our schedule and have been blessed to work with great sponsors and track operators who believe in our product," Minegar stated.
The RMCS utilizes a racing format not found in ANY other regional touring series around the country. The top 20 qualifiers are inverted for every race putting fast time in the 20th starting position. This format ensures race fans see what they paid for and that is passing. Each driver is awarded three points per position gained in the event. Points are also awarded for qualifying and heat race finishes. Through the history of the series, the winning driver has averaged a 15th place starting position. To ensure competition, the RMCS pays it purse based on total point accumulation for the event and provides several special performance awards for each event.
The CarbonX Rocky Mountain Challenge Series is a regional touring series that allows all competitors to race and gain experience on different types of racetracks. It is a high-quality professional racing series that offers maximum opportunity at an affordable price serving the intermountain West. The motto of the series is to “Race Hard and Have Fun!” For all the latest news and information regarding the CarbonX Rocky Mountain Challenge Series log on to our website at www.rmcsracing.com . Click this link to watch an interview with RMCS President Mike Minegar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC6Xf8cRr6w
