RIVERSIDE, Ohio -- Dan Schlieper, of Pewaukee, WI, was named the winner of the 3rd Quarter National Dirt Late Model Drivers’ Poll covering the period from July 1, 2003 through September 28, 2003, by voting members of the National Dirt Late Model Drivers’ Poll, an off-shoot of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. Schlieper won top honors after setting the dirt Late Model world on fire beginning the first part of August. Since that time Schlieper has won four Xtreme Dirt Car Series races along with the unsanctioned NORTH-SOUTH 100 at Florence Speedway worth a $50,000 payday and the prestigious 33rd Annual WORLD 100 at Eldora Speedway, good for a $36,000 payday. Schlieper’s dominating success has come aboard his CJ Rayburn/Pro Power Engines #9 sponsored by Miller Brothers Coal, Hawkeye Trucking, Uncle Buck’s, Carrera Shocks, Five Star Stock Car Bodies and Hoosier Tires.
Schlieper won the balloting over Scott Bloomquist, Don O’Neal, Shannon Babb, Terry Phillips, Chub Frank, Brian Birkhofer, Duayne Hommel, Darrel Lanigan, Steve Francis, Bill Frye, Rick Eckert, Mike Marlar, Mike Balzano, Keith Berner and Kyle Berck. 47 drivers received votes.
The National Dirt Late Model Drivers Poll, an offshoot of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame (NDLMHOF), was formed over the winter of 2001. 2003 is the second year for the quarterly voting poll. The voting board is made up of primarily Motorsports media members as well as representatives from the manufacturing, sanctioning and promoting branches of the industry. Voting members were requested to list their top fifteen choices of the top drivers based on performances from July 1, 2003 through September 28, 2003. A points system was utilized to determine the top vote getters.
Official sponsors signed to the NDLMHOF include Arizona Sport Shirts, Hoosier Tire Midwest, DIRT LATE MODEL Magazine, CJ Rayburn Race Cars, Dirt America Online, Fisher Race Engines, Florence Speedway, Dirt-Racers, OnTheEdge Graphics, Mastersbilt Race Cars, Rocket Chassis, GRT Race Cars, J&J Steel and Dirtwearmall.com. Parties interested in becoming an official sponsor of the NDLMHOF should contact Holder.
