Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series @ Wythe Raceway on Saturday, May 15

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Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series to make first-ever appearance at Wythe Raceway on Saturday, May 15

RURAL RETREAT, Va. — The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will make its first-ever appearance at Wythe Raceway on Saturday, May 15 for what promises to be a "must-see" event for dirt racing fans. The monster half-mile, located in one of most picturesque settings in all motorsports, annually hosts Carolina Clash Series and Ray Cook "Southern Nationals" events for Super Late Models, but fans have been greatly anticipating the day many top names in dirt late model racing would visit Wythe Raceway.

Headlining the list of Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series drivers expected to be in action is current points leader and defending series champion Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., along with Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn.; Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla. (2005, '06, '07 and '08 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion, driving for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitor Bobby Labonte); Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind.; Chris Wall of Holden, La.; Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga. (driving for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitor Clint Bowyer); Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis.; Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind.; Ray Cook of Brasstown, N.C.; Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn.; Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill.; Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky.; Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill.; Will Vaught of Crane, Mo.; Brad Neat of Dunnville, Ky.; John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va.; Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss.; Tim Isenberg of Marshfield, Wis.; Eric Jacobsen of Seacliffe Beach, Calif.; Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, Ky., Tyler Red**** of Corning, Calif.; Mike Collins of Council Bluff, Iowa, plus many more.

Others that will possibly be present include hometown racers from Rural Retreat – Brandon Umberger, Kenny Peeples Jr., Daniel Baggerly – plus Kenny Compton Jr. of Bland, Va.; Travis Greer of Marion, Va.; along with Chris Madden of Gaffney, S.C.; Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga.; Vic Hill of Morristown, Tenn.; Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, S.C.; Tommy Kerr of Maryville, Tenn.; Brandon Kinzer of Allen, Ky.; Shanon Buckingham of Morristown, Tenn.; Jeff Smith of Dallas, N.C.; Ricky Weeks of Rutherfordton, N.C.; Kerry Jones of Bristol, Tenn.; Chris Ferguson of Mt. Holly, N.C.; Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn.; Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark.; Tim Dohm of Cross Lanes, W.Va.; Rick Rogers of Knoxville, Tenn., Randle Chupp of Troutman, N.C., plus several more.

The Saturday, May 15 racing program will consist of Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Red Buck Cigars time trials, Wiles Driveshafts, AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance and Superflow heat races, Hawk Brake and Performance Rod and Custom last chance B-mains, and the $10,000-to-win ... $700-to-start 50-lap feature. Also in action will be the Super Street, Pro Mini and U-Car divisions.

Adult grandstand general admission $25, youth (ages 6-11) $5, with kids 5-and-under admitted free. Pit passes $35.

The pit gate will open Saturday, May 15 at 12 p.m. (noon) and the grandstands at 3 p.m. Hotlaps are tentatively scheduled to begin around 7 p.m., to be followed by qualifying and then racing action.

A Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series meet-and-greet driver autograph session is scheduled between 5-6 p.m., with the Rockstar Energy Drink models also present giving out free drink samples.

Wythe Raceway is located off I-81 at Exit 60, in Rural Retreat, Va.

For more information, call the track phone (recording only) at (276) 686-4261, visit the track Web site at www.WytheRaceway.com or contact track owner Fred Brown at (276) 620-2015. To learn more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, visit the Web site at www.LucasDirt.com

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TRACK INFORMATION

Track Phone: (276) 686-4261 (recording only)
Promoter: Fred Brown (276) 620-2015
Location: 164 Race Track Road, Rural Retreat, VA 24368
Directions: SW of Wytheville on I-81 to exit 60, then 0.1 mile north on Frontage Road, then 1.5.miles east
Description: Half-mile, high-banked clay oval
Web site: www.WytheRaceway.com

Pit Gate Opens: 12 p.m.
Grandstands Open: 3 p.m.
Driver Autograph Session: 5-6 p.m.
Drivers Meeting: 6:15 p.m.
Hotlaps & Qualifying: 7 p.m.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

HOT LAPS

Super Street
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Pro Mini
U-Car

QUALIFYING

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series – 2 laps

HEAT RACES

Pro Mini (Feature) – 15 laps (or 15 minutes)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series – 10 laps

B-MAINS

U-Car (Feature) – 15 laps (or 15 minutes)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series – 12 laps

***Intermission as needed!!!

FEATURES

Super Street – 20 laps (or 20 minutes)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series – 50 laps

***Note: If support class features run out of time limit, the remainder of their feature race will be run after the LOLMDS main event.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Purse

1. $10,000
2. $5,000
3. $3,000
4. $2,500
5. $2,000
6. $1,500
7. $1,400
8. $1,300
9. $1,200
10. $1,100
11. $1,000
12. $950
13. $900
14. $875
15. $850
16. $825
17. $800
18. $775
19. $750
20. $725
21. $700
22. $700
23. $700
24. $700

Event Tire Rule

American Racer – SD44 or any compound harder
SD44 must punch a minimum of 40
Hoosier – 1300 or any compound harder
1300 must punch a minimum of 40

www.WytheRaceway.com

[derdnik]

This will actually be the race no one must miss. Great racing from start to finish.
See all you great fans there. This is leebo, from SC.

[slick01]

This will actually be the race no one must miss. Great racing from start to finish.
See all you great fans there. This is leebo, from SC.

You and gorj save us a spot, leebo. Us and WTB17 will be rolling in from Williams Grove Saturday.

[Harper00HFan]

Harper will make the trip gotta love Wythe what a hidden jewel.

[seifertfan2]

Cant wait, it will be my 1st time there. Ive got a group of about 10 coming up, I hope the weather holds out.

[Governor]

You and gorj save us a spot, leebo. Us and WTB17 will be rolling in from Williams Grove Saturday.

See y'all Saturday!

[slick01]

See y'all Saturday!

Going to be an awesome weekend! Safe travels to y'all!

[derdnik]

Will there be 3 of you? Will be great seeing all of you. Have a safe trip, and be careful. " leebo

[TowerView]

Wythe Raceway Ready to Host Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for the First Time on May 15

Fred Brown has poured his heart and soul into Wythe Raceway for the past 41 years and on Saturday Night, May 15th the man who built and promotes the Virginia facility will host the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for the very first time.

Not since the Xtreme DirtCar Series ventured to Wythe in 2004 with Jimmy Mars coming home the winner has the track hosted a national touring series and telling by Brown’s enthusiasm for this Saturday’s event he feels this could be the biggest race ever at the track which opened on August 15, 1970.

“We are extremely fortunate to be able to host an event of this magnitude, all indications are that it will be a standing room only crowd, by far the biggest in the 41 years of racing at Wythe Raceway,” said Brown who prior to building Wythe he enjoyed racing on area dirt tracks in the 60’s and raced motorcycles in off-road events for years and even competed ten times in the BAJA 1000, a well-known off-road race that takes place on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula each fall.

“I spoke with Ritchie Lewis (LOLMD Series Director) last year and we were impressed with quality of the Lucas races and particularly the professionalism of the Lucas staff and drivers. The ability to produce a racing event that our fans wanted to see and the drivers that would be coming to compete at Wythe Raceway made the decision very easy and after talking to our local fans we heard over and over, “you need to get the Lucas cars here,” said Brown.

Wythe Raceway was on the dirt late model racing national radar from 1979-1983 when the track hosted six National Dirt Racing Association (NDRA) National Touring events. Each of the six events by the bell-weather tour was won by Hall of Famers, including Buck Simmons (twice a winner at Wythe), Freddy Smith, Mike Duvall, Rodney Combs and the series last appearance there in 1983, Larry Moore was the victor.

The visit to Wythe will be the 54th different track the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has been to and a tight point’s race will take center stage on a track that Brown promises will not be a follow the leader event. “The drivers will experience a very fast, smooth, multi-grooved track that allows passing, they do not have to follow the leader at Wythe,” says Brown whose words are music to the ears of not only the drivers, but the fans.

“First time fans will be pleasantly surprised with the unsurpassed view of the racing action with the scenic mountain vista in the background and fans will also enjoy one of the cleanest and nicest restroom facilities anywhere,” said Brown who stresses that he will do everything humanly possible to make sure the Lucas Oil Series event goes off without a hitch.

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is in the midst of a close point’s race as defending series champion, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN leads by just five points over Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN, who was the runner-up in the last year’s championship point’s standings to Bloomquist. Owens has raced at Wythe and won back in 2007 with a victory in a Tennessee Thunder event. Bloomquist has never entered an event at Wythe in his career.

For more information you can visit www.wytheraceway.com and www.lucasdirt.com.

[MRM]

I can't believe Bloomquist has never raced there before.

[b1eagle]

No but he has tested and he loves the place. He said it would be a motor getter with the speed and the high banks

I can't believe Bloomquist has never raced there before.

[Magnum P.I.]

It is hard to believe Scott Bloomquist has never raced at Wythe Raceway before. Me and a coupla buddies were at the Xtreme Dirt race a few years ago and it was a good race, but this Lucas Oil race I believe is gonna be awesome.