After several months of covering all of the intricate details, the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, will officially drop the green flag on their Dart Machinery LTD North-South Shootout Series this Saturday night, July 16th, at the always challenging Madera Speedway: the fastest one third mile in west. The conclusion of the series will be held August 13th at the Toyota Speedway At Irwindale, the fastest half mile oval in the southwest.
This highly lucrative two race shootout pits the talents of teams from the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series, currently racing in southern California, Arizona and Nevada against their racing counterparts from northern California, Idaho and Washington.
This special two race series has already generated a lot of attention. That's because the Dart Machinery LTD North-South Shootout is a very lucrative racing proposition. The July 16th inaugural event, at the Madera Speedway, is a 75 lap event featuring a full field of 22 cars racing for a combined purse or $10,000, with $1,500 going to the driver who parks his race car in the Sunoco Race Fuels victory lane. Any driver in the field is guaranteed at least $300 for just starting the 75 lap feature. By the way, when the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series advertises a 75 lap race, they mean 75 green flag laps.
In addition to the highly lucrative purse available from these two races, the drivers who scores the highest amount of points in the Dart Machinery LTD North-South Shootout will receive a set of small block heads from Dart Machinery for either a Ford or Chevrolet engine. The points champion will receive his choice of either a set of PRO-1 or Iron Eagle Heads, steel or aluminum. The value of this special prize is approximately $1,000.
In recent weeks Greg Scheidecker, Promoter for the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series, was busy doing what he does best: promoting his series. Scheidecker observed that the north teams may have a slight home turf advantage at the July 16th race at the Madera Speedway because so many of these teams have raced there in the past. "We're going to the north and most of our drivers has never run on that race track. Right now, I'd day that a lot the favoritism might be leaning towards the north teams," he said.
One has to believe that, when Scheidecker made that statement, he may have been thinking of driver Scott Winters. Originally from Redding-California, Winters has on occasion visited the Lucas Oil Modified Series over the years and everyone in the pit area was well aware of his presence especially the night he returned to northern California with the winner's check and trophy.
Winters is always a threat to win any modified race he decides to enter. He has backed that up with modified division track championships at the northern California based All American Speedway and the Stockton 99 Speedway. Oh by the way, Winters also has two track titles at the Madera Speedway. Make no doubt about it, he will be a force to be reckoned with July 16th when the Dart Machinery LTD North-South Shootout begins at Madera.
The same can also be said about Nampa-Idaho's Shelby Stroebel. Whenever his racing schedule and budget allowed it, Stroebel visited the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series and his presence was also highly noticed on the track. Stroebel is enjoying a highly productive 2011 racing season especially at his Idaho home track, Meridian Speedway, where he's currently leading the modified points standings by a huge, 200 points plus, margin and appears to be lined up to win the track championship.
However, there's another championship that Stroebel is focused on this year. It's the ASA Racing National Points Championship. As of July 2nd, Stroebel was leading the ASA Western Division points standings.
Nampa-Idaho seems to be a city that is home to a lot of modified racing talent many, of whom, are having a very productive 2011 racing season. One of them is Jentry Pisca an up and coming modified racer with a lot of talent and potential. Pisca is currently third in the modified rankings at the Meridian Speedway. He's also ranked 12th in the ASA National Points for the Western Division. By the way, that's 12th out of a registered 79 drivers in the division.
While the north will be presenting their modified racing big guns at the Madera Speedway Saturday night, so will the southern teams. The south contingent will be led by Riverside-California's Jim Mardis, the reigning Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series' champion. Mardis served notice last January that he intended to win back to back series titles. He's currently backing that up by leading the current points standings. With a win already under his belt this year Mardis goes into Saturday night with a sixteen point advantage over Tim Morse. Mardis has already said his team will be well prepared for Madera this weekend complete with a "bullet" under the hood built by Arce Racing Engines.
Tim Morse will also be arriving at Madera with an "Arce Bullet" while seeking his first series win of the season. The Burbank-California driver has already logged a highly consistent three top five finishes, and a top ten, in four starts. He'll be looking to eradicate some of Mardis' points lead as well while showing the northern teams that he has the talent to race against anyone who lines up next to him.
While the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series is fully loaded with open wheel racing veterans, it also has some young drivers who are establishing their careers and bright futures. Two of those young, up and coming, drivers are Austin Barnes and Dylan Kwasniewski both, of whom, have already won series' races this year.
From Escondido-California, Austin Barnes already has multiple championships that began with Kart racing at an early age. He's now regarded, by this modified racing colleagues, as being one of the most improved drivers in the series and a genuine threat to win round one of the Dart Machinery LTD North-South Shootout.
The same thing applies to Las Vegas-Nevada's Dylan Kwasniewski who won the series' first race of the 2011 season. Kwasniewski is 11th in the points standings but that's only because he's been running a part time schedule with the Lucas Oil Modifieds. He's been spending time as a racing rookie in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West where he's currently ninth in that points standings with four top five finishes. However, with the West Series not racing this weekend, expect Kwasniewski to be on hand at Madera seeking his next modified win.
The teams from the Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series just received some more good news in recent days regarding their bonus pay outs. Recognizing that the overall state of the national economy has brought increases in travel expenses, Lucas Oil officials recently raised the levels for their winner's circle and tow money programs just for the Madera race. Drivers on the winner's circle program, for positions one through ten, will receive $300. Drivers, in points positions 11 through 20, are eligible for the series' tow money program and will now receive $250 in bonus money.
The north teams will also benefit from a tow money program for the August 13th Shootout finale. Officials this week announced that the top ten north drivers, after the Madera race, will receive $150 to help with travel expenses to the Toyota Speedway At Irwindale.
For the North-South Shootout to become a reality it required a rock solid foundation. That was provided by Dart Machinery LTD. This company is the great American dream of founder Richard Maskin who opened his new business back in 1981. Version one of Dart Machinery began in a two car garage, located in Oak Park-Michigan, with one desk and a telephone in it.
Maskin had a strong background in drag racing and quickly became regarded as a mechanical mastermind for his ability to create high performance parts that could power drivers to the winner's circle. The company really took off when Maskin began to produce complete cylinder heads from scratch. This innovation soon led to a product line of aluminum and cast iron engine blocks that, for many years, has met the specialized needs of race teams as well as the needs of classic car collectors. That two car garage operation is now a massive technology and administrative center in Troy-Michigan where Dart's race winning components are produced and distributed.
Also needed to make the Dart Machinery LTD North-South Shootout a reality were some modifications to the Lucas Oil Modified Series rule book to accommodate the teams from the north. After several meetings, series officials devised two listings of rules. The first list changes the Lucas Oil-Rockstar Modified Series rule book thereby making it feasible for the two series to compete with each other. The second list are stipulations from the series' rule book that won't be changed and will require a concession from the northern modified teams.
LUCAS OIL MODIFIED SERIES RULE CHANGES:
SECTION 2-A1. Frames and weight. 58% left side, (same as All American rules).
SECTION 2-A3. Aluminum heads. 2,550 pounds with 58% left side, (same as All American rules).
SECTION 3-G. Coil over rear shocks. 2,550 pounds with 58% left side, (same as All American rules).
SECTION 6 A-B. Exhaust system. 92 DBA.
SECTION 12-B. Fuel cell. 9 1/2 inch. 25 pounds added to total weight, (2,225 pounds if lower).
LUCAS OIL MODIFIED SERIES RULES THAT WON'T CHANGE.
SECTION 1-D. Rear spoiler. 4 inches tall, clear plastic, 240 square inches.
SECTION 2-E. Width. 78 inches from front and rear, outside of tire.
SECTION 8-B. Rear end. No open or unlocked rear ends.
SECTION 1O-A. Tires. Hoosier 700. You may practice on your Goodyear tires.
SECTION 16-A-3. Safety. Neck restraints required.
The stage is now set for round one of the Dart Machinery LTD North-South Shootout at the Madera Speedway this Saturday night. Who's going to park their modified racer in the Sunoco Race Fuels victory lane, and who's going to win the overall points title for the two race series, is almost impossible to predict. The talent pool here is just too deep to even try to make predictions. But there's an element here that is certain: any racing fans who travels to the Madera Speedway to see this highly anticipated show is definitely going to be a winner.
The Lucas Oil Modified Racing Series, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, is supported by a highly potent marketing concept known as "Team Lucas." Team members include Lucas Oil Products Inc, Magnaflow Exhaust Products, E3 Spark Plugs, General Tire, K&N Performance Filters, GEICO, CANIDAE All Natural Pet Food, MAV TV, Dart Machinery LTD, Rockstar Energy Drink and Master Craft Safety Equipment.
The series is also strongly supported by a group of associate sponsors featuring Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tire West, Budweiser, Blue Water Resort and Casino, Sunoco Race Fuels, Frank's Radio, Racing Plus, Roush Yates Performance Parts and J E Pistons.
