February 25th & 26th: The Pelican 100 - $10,000 to win Dirt Late Models!!!

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Pits are now open for rig parking and the weather for Friday and Saturday is nearly perfect! McCool, Wallace, Merchant and more expected at this one! Practice THIS THURSDAY, RACE THIS WEEKEND!!! $5000 for 2nd, $2500 for 3rd, $36,000 total purse, $800 to start! Childress Rentals of Haughton, Louisiana and P&W Sales of Kilgore, Texas present the Pelican 100, $10,000 to win Dirt Late Model race at Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian, Louisiana on February 25th and 26th. That's in the extreme northwest corner of the state where Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana all meet on the map.


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They had this on display at the ArkLaTex Racer's auction:

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If you have some bad luck and don't transfer out of Saturday's B to the $800 to start, $10,000 to win Late Model A-main, you can still get drawn into the A main.

In addition, another non-qualifier will draw a free race car wrap thanks to X-treme Graphics by J-Rod out of Baton Rouge. Check 'em out at http://www.xtremebyjrod.com !

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Assuming Mother Nature cooperates next month, just FOUR WEEKS from tonight, we should be doing 100 laps of Super Late Model racing for the first time in the 8-year history of Ark-La-Tex Speedway!

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Ark-La-Tex practice this Sunday, Feb 13th at 2PM. Admission is free with a $25 per car charge in effect. Early forecast say sunny and 67 degrees!

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You can't have a show like Pelican 100 without great sponsors and we've been blessed with several good ones! I'll be making a post about each one here shortly....



Childress Fishing and Rentals, Haughton, LA

This is an oilfield business owned by Raymond Childress. They offer 'intervention' services-- they intervene when something goes wrong with a gas or oil well. In layman's terms, sometimes the 'wrong' happens in the drilling process but more likely it happens during the process of getting the oil or gas well 'on-line'. That's when parts and pieces -- some of them quite large and heavy -- can be broke off or dropped into a well. Childress Fishing and Rentals rents equipment designed to 'fish it out' and sends a consultant out to the field location to help get the well flowing and producing again.

Raymond has been a dirt track fan since he was a boy in the 60s. He started out going to dirt tracks in Marthaville, Louisiana and the original Many track. He attended the first ever Boothill Speedway race back in 1973. Since they never had the money back in them days to go racing, he became a team owner when his business started having some success. He owns the #R5 and F5 Victory Circle Late Models that BJ Robinson and Josh Danzy drive. Ark-La-Tex Speedway is proud to have Childress Fishing and Rentals on board as title sponsor of the Pelican 100.

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You can't have a show like the Pelican 100 without great sponsors!



P&W Sales, Kilgore, Texas

Like the logo says, P&W is an oilfield manufacturers representative. Founded in Kilgore, P&W has added a second location in Fort Worth and will soon open one in San Antonio. D. W. 'Wayman' McMillan now runs the company that was started by his grandfather Dennis Pike. They sell drilling tools, flow-back, pumps, valves and fittings directly to drilling operations and to other similar stores around the country. You van visit their website at www.P-Wsales.com

Wayman was a drag racer up until 1995 when he returned to a dirt track one night and 'got the bug' as they say. East Texas racing legend Doug Ingalls built Wayman's first car -- a Limited Late Model -- and with Doug's help, McMillan went racing at Lone Star Speedway. Later on, Wayman went Super Late Model racing and last year added a second car and driver to his team. Morgan Bagley will drive the P&W Sales #14M. Ark-La-Tex Speedway is proud to have P&W sales as a title co-sponsor of the Pelican 100.

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You can't have a show like the Pelican 100 without great sponsors!



Smith's Towing, Minden, LA

Smith's Towing is owned and operated by Barry Smith and his brother Jerry Smith operates Smith's Transmissions, both in Minden. You would be hard pressed to find someone more dedicated in their support of Dirt Late Model racing than what Barry Smith is. It runs in his blood. Barry's father Gerald Smith together with GW Lary built Bayou Speedway in Minden. For a while, the two brothers were involved in Mini Sprint racing. Barry crewed while Jerry drove to the Texas Mini Sprint Association championship in 1993 and he also won the Hoosier Fall Nationals Championship in Caney, Kansas.

Barry's first Late Model crew job was with Minden racer Jeff Chanler in the late 90s. He's helped sponsor other Late Model racers like Alan Tippen, Ray Moore, Kyle Cummings and is now helping Jeff's younger brother Wesley Chanler get started in the class. Smith's Towing once paid an entire $5000 to win purse at a Monticello, Arkansas Late Model race. Barry would like to remind area fans and businesses that "It's amazing how little it takes to get your name on the side of a Late Model." The racers are looking for anything that'll help them get down the road. "So help one out if you see a chance." Barry's easy to find in the pits. Just follow your nose right to his bar-b-que grill! He's always cooking up something good. You'll find Barry crewing for Ronny Adams and the C. Wright Machine #1A this weekend. Ark-La-Tex Speedway is proud to have Smith's Towing on board as a sponsor for the Pelican 100.

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Tip of the hat to the Vivian, Louisana Walmart! They've been displaying a big Pelican 100 banner all week and they have given the track eight $25 gift cards to give away!

To find the Walmarts closest to Ark-La-Tex Speedway, Click here

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You can't have a show like the Pelican 100 without great sponsors!



Troy's Auto Salvage, Minden, LA

Troy Berdan moved from Michigan to Louisiana and started Troy's Auto Salvage in Minden six years ago. It was a life-long dream of his to own his own business. 20 years ago, Berdan was racing on the asphalt tracks of Michigan in a variety of classes. He was in several of the same shows that the legendary short track star Butch Miller was in. Outside of a race or two, Troy was strictly asphalt until moving south.

Troy worked with local Hot Stock racer Jeffrey Beshea and eventually started racing again -- this time on dirt. He spent 2 and half years in a Hot Stock and was the area's dominant car for the last year of that so, Berdan took the next step: Super Late Model racing. Look for him in the #02 car. Troy says grass roots racing and his business are made for each other. He helps out racers and racing and the racers end up doing a lot of business at Troy's Auto. Ark-La-Tex Speedway is proud to have Troy's Auto Salvage as sponsor of the Pelican 100.

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You can't have a show like the Pelican 100 without great sponsors!



Ed Rinehart, Porter, TX

Who hasn't Texas businessman Ed Rinehart helped out in racing? From promoting and sponsoring races from the Rio Grande to Batesville, Arkansas to sponsoring some of the best midsouth drivers that ever strapped in a race car, Mr. Rinehart has been there for a lot it. The list of Late Model racers he's sponsored over the years is like a who's who of the sport. Dale McDowell, Bill Frye, Doug Ingalls, Mike Bowers, Robbie Starnes, Lawrence Mikulnacek and so on.

The Rinehart Trucking Shootout Modified shows of years' past are still talked about in legendary terms around Boothill Speedway. Ed is currently sponsoring John Whittington in Modifieds and that team just scored a win in the USMTS race at Royal Purple Raceway this past Saturday so congratulations to the Rinehart #5W Pierce Chassis on that victory. Ark-La-Tex Speedway is proud to have Ed Rinehart as sponsor of the inaugural Pelican 100.

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Pits are open now at Ark-La-Tex Speedway for rig parking. Practice tonight for the Pelican 100, qualifying Friday at 7PM and the grand finale night including the $10,000 to win, 100-lap Late Model race on Saturday starts at 6PM! Most of the weekend schedule & format are posted on the front page at www.ArkLaTexSpeedway.net ! Pelican 100 race time forecast for Saturday night: fair, 70 degrees and light winds! Can't beat that in Feb! Don't miss this!

This is COOL!



Another awesome creation from Linn Lindsey & Trickwild Graphics!

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Billy Moyer won't be able to be in attendance as he is attending the funeral of long-time friend and sponsor, Johnny Johnson in Iowa.

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Billy Moyer, Jr., Bub McCool, David Breazell, Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, Jack Sullivan, Wendell Wallace, Ray Moore, Kenny Merchant and many more!!!

One way to get updates live from the track today and tomorrow is to follow HooksRPM on Twitter. www.Twitter.com/HooksRPM

Or to have the updates texted directly to your phone:

Text Follow HooksRPM - to - 40404

The BEST way is to come buy a ticket and watch it LIVE if you can! Sure is going to be a pretty day tomorrow...