2011 slm power rankings heading into & pre-florida

[Steve Hixson]

2011 SLM POWER RANKINGS HEADING INTO & PRE-FLORIDA
Heading into and opening up the 2011 Super Late Model Power RANKINGS is as always the HORNET's NEST in Talladega, Alabama. The annual running of the ICE BOWL draws a "who's who" of the Southern RANKINGS region. Recently local (T.S.T) racer Randall Walker claimed the ICE BOWL hardware, which gave him his only rankable Top-5 finish of 2010, landing him 48th in the Southern RANKINGS at the conclusion of 2010. Ray Cook won the 2009 edition of the January Classic en-route to his best season ever, claiming Green Valley Speedway's BAMA BASH and Boyd's Speedway's 2009 season opener before saddling up for the long LUCAS OIL tour. As always look for Ronnie Johnson or other Tennessee (dry slick) talent latent racers (like 2006 winner Bobby Mayse) are expected to be hard to beat. One thing; most will miss the cattle-call for the "Hooligan" races from VOICEMAN Perry Holman, as this will be the first IB since his untimely death last year.


Post-Talladega, Chattanooga/Ringgold dirt track is hosting the $3,000 to-WIN unsanctioned CABIN FEVER 40. Again this is RJ's backyard and I don't expect anyone minus a Shane Clanton or the TAR-HEEL TIGER himself to come take it from him. Johnson could... like Cook a few years ago, take a pair of quick PAY-DIRTs, if his 2010 season continues to flow into the new year. Heading to South Georgia come February, Screven (GA) Motor Speedway has thrown it's hat into the mix with a Thursday night $10,000 to-WIN unsanctioned show the night before the SUPERBOWL of RACING's events in Brunswick. Rookie SLM racer Austin Hubbard won a March WoOLMs event at Screven in 2010 but local ace Chelsey Dixon of Swainsboro could be holding all the cards like he did in the June S.A.S event. Some LODs and WoOLM series competitors might be sitting this pair of South Georgia events out, in preparation of SPEEDWEEKS/WINTERNATIONALS that kicks off their respective tours.


East Bay (Raceway Park) always starts first.... Monday - Wednesday's $5,000 to-WIN events serve as a PAY-DIRT test n' tune for the Thursday - Saturday $10,000 to-WIN events, that are usually captured by SPEEDTV camera's. The 2010 National RANKINGS champion Scott Bloomquist and the 4-time (L.O.D) series champ Earl Pearson Jr. were dominant at THE CLAY BY THE BAY, but honestly it's anybodys ball game as Mike Marlar, Matt Miller and Steve Shaver have all discovered in recent years. On the other coast.... DAYTONA!!! Volusia County corrals the cars n' stars with WoOLM/UMP week long of events preceeding the "500". Josh Richards is the man (I still call him KID-ROCKET) at VCS as only Brady Smith, Steve Francis and Billy Moyer have been able to get victories in recent memory. Darrell Lanigan, Shannon Babb and Dan Schleiper have recently catered into UMP victories during the mid-week events so expect them to be within striking distance.


As for dark horses this winter.... don't count out Barry Wright's right hand wheel-man Jonathan Davenport. SUPERMAN will be expected to be surfin the waters of both Florida coasts as well as the South Georgia in late January. Casey Roberts could unearth some PAY-DIRT within the South GA region, as could former back-to-back S.A.S champion Ivadent Lloyd Jr. Dennis Erb Jr is always tough at East Bay, as is BEEP BEEP the JEEP JEEP Van Wormer. Word is the GEORGIA GIANT Shane Clanton will be stompin into Alabama, seeking fortune in Talladega, as well as Green Valley this season piloting a new MARSHAL chassis. Well have to wait n' see if rumors become fact as to if he's jumpin WoOLMs ship, for the LOD.

Lucas Oil DirtCar series
1. 0 Scott Bloomquist
2. 20 Jimmy Owens
3. 44 Earl Pearson, Jr.
4. 71 Don O'Neal
5. 53 Ray Cook
6. 17m Dale McDowell
7. 71w Chris Wall
8. c9 Steve Casebolt
9. 23 John Blankenship
10. s9 Dan Schlieper
.............................

World of Outlaw Late Model series
1. 1 Josh Richards
2. 29 Darrell Lanigan
3. 39 Tim McCreadie
4. 15 Steve Francis
5. 24 Rick Eckert
6. 25 Shane Clanton
7. 19 Austin Hubbard
8. 32 Tim Fuller
9. 44 Clint Smith
10. 1* Chub Frank

.............................

UN-Sanctioned racers
1. 21 Billy Moyer
2. 49 Jonathan Davenport
3. 15 Brian Birkhofer
4. 18 Shannon Babb
5. 28 Jimmy Mars
6. 5 Ronnie Johnson
7. 1 Will Vaught
8. 2 Brady Smith
9. 44 Chris Madden
10. 75 Bart Hartman

[HighMaintenance2007]

O'Reilly All Star Late Model Series Endorses Inaugural Winter Freeze $10,000 to win@

Screven Motor Speedway@ Sylvania Ga Feb 3rd along w $10,000 to win

All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint cars with hints of

WoO & 'The Pa Posse' Sprint Stars headed South for a possible head to head battle

on their way to Fla racing.

dmg