Has anyone heard of any new drivers who may be going to LOLMDS?

[Barbecueboy]

You're overthinking this. The only national level sponsors in dirt racing are teams with NASCAR ownership, save for Richards/Sheppard.

And Pearson Jr.

[Josh Bayko]

And Pearson Jr.

Yeah, I forgot him.

[zyoung25]

Heard the other day Steve Francis has took the big valvoline sponsorship from Richards and shepherd and will field his own cars and run Lucas next year. And there is a newer s and s hauler out on 60 by his shop and it's not tims his is a 5150

Don't know about the sponsorship, the hauler is the one Madden had last year that he was leasing off of Lanigan until his new one got done. He will still be with Tim.

[Centeroff]

Everyone one here would love to see the blue rocket and the zero battle for a points championship week in and week out. If Josh left WOO or Scott left Lucas it would hurt both series deep to the bone. Why do you think Lucas loves Scott and WOO loves Josh? If it don't make dollars it sure don't make sense! After watching how good the 1 has been lately, I'm not sure any driver in the country can outrun Josh week in and week out. Richards is a wheelman and those XR1 chassis are flat out rolling. I know the speed gets a little better every year but these guys have some work if they wanna catch those rockethorns.. Didn't give them the credit they deserve until I watched Richards at the Pittsburgher and BShep back it up at Portsmouth. Imo, they are the best chassis on the market.

[Snake X3]

As a fan, I would love to see Richards and Clanton follow Lucas and a couple of the Lucas guys go over to WoO. This is only so there would be an end to the debate over which driver is the best in the country in a given season. I'm sorry, but I just can't tab Josh as "Driver of the Year" when he can't race in the most of the biggest events and runs against weaker competition on a weekly basis.

As someone that wishes to see DLM grow, I'd like to see the bigger paying events and competition more equal. When WoO's season finale pays no more than a regular show and very few of the big races being sanctioned by WoO, it just takes away from the status of the series. If the two series were more equal in terms of prestige and competition it would be a boon for the sport.

One idea I have been thinking about to get around the issue of the best drivers running different series would be (for lack of a better term) a Crown Jewel Cup. Lucas does something like this for their series, but in order for it to mean something it would require either dual sanctioning of the Crown Jewel events or WoO and Lucas to agree not to schedule against each other for the biggest events. Seems like Lucas guys are always there for the biggest WoO events, but Clanton and Richards rarely make the biggest Lucas events....which is pretty sad. Perhaps one way to deal with that is to give provisional for the top 3 in each series for Crown Jewel events. I hate provisional, but if that is what it takes to get the best of the best at the biggest races so there is a higher number of events that have all the top drivers racing, so be it.

[onlyfacts]

As a fan, I would love to see Richards and Clanton follow Lucas and a couple of the Lucas guys go over to WoO. This is only so there would be an end to the debate over which driver is the best in the country in a given season. I'm sorry, but I just can't tab Josh as "Driver of the Year" when he can't race in the most of the biggest events and runs against weaker competition on a weekly basis. As someone that wishes to see DLM grow, I'd like to see the bigger paying events and competition more equal. When WoO's season finale pays no more than a regular show and very few of the big races being sanctioned by WoO, it just takes away from the status of the series. If the two series were more equal in terms of prestige and competition it would be a boon for the sport. One idea I have been thinking about to get around the issue of the best drivers running different series would be (for lack of a better term) a Crown Jewel Cup. Lucas does something like this for their series, but in order for it to mean something it would require either dual sanctioning of the Crown Jewel events or WoO and Lucas to agree not to schedule against each other for the biggest events. Seems like Lucas guys are always there for the biggest WoO events, but Clanton and Richards rarely make the biggest Lucas events....which is pretty sad. Perhaps one way to deal with that is to give provisional for the top 3 in each series for Crown Jewel events. I hate provisional, but if that is what it takes to get the best of the best at the biggest races so there is a higher number of events that have all the top drivers racing, so be it.

Not going to argue with you just going to state the facts... Richards raced Bloomquist 13 times with Lucas and won 6 of the 13. 12 of those 13 were top 3 finishes only one time wasn't a top 3 that was at Knoxville when he had just passed Bloomquist for 2nd when he ran out of fuel with 3 laps to go. Out of those 13 races Bloomquist finished in front of Richards 3 times one of the three was when he ran out of fuel. Out of those 13 Lucas races that Richards raced Bloomquist Won 1. And on the WOO events that Bloomquist raced it was pretty much the same.. Please explain what Lucas Crown Jewel Events that Richards didn't make not just this year but ever.... Between Bloomquist and Richards this year the only one that missed making a Crown Jewel race was Bloomquist at the Dream.. .oh by the way you may want check out the story that DOD did last week on Crown Jewel winners history under 30 years old .... Richards and Bloomquist has the same amount at age 28 which is Richards age. Moyer had none at age 28. Hard to compare a drivers career to someone that is almost a whole generation older. Let's compare Bloomquist career of what it was at age 28 to Richards at age 28.

[klemmabyna]

Klemmabyna, you think Richards is better than zero?? Yea right, at what?? Just another silver spoon that got a chance. He can't find a way to win the big races so I'd say your betting on a dead horse. If your gonna call someone a (masterbaiter) atleast learn how to spell it dumbas$!! You guys kill me. You do your homework on a guy and still fuk it up. Is oldfan your dad?? I love when uneducated people try to make a point but all they make is the point of how stupid grown men can make themselves look. Hey Einstein, better luck next time ya idiot!!

Everyone one here would love to see the blue rocket and the zero battle for a points championship week in and week out. If Josh left WOO or Scott left Lucas it would hurt both series deep to the bone. Why do you think Lucas loves Scott and WOO loves Josh? If it don't make dollars it sure don't make sense! After watching how good the 1 has been lately, I'm not sure any driver in the country can outrun Josh week in and week out. Richards is a wheelman and those XR1 chassis are flat out rolling. I know the speed gets a little better every year but these guys have some work if they wanna catch those rockethorns.. Didn't give them the credit they deserve until I watched Richards at the Pittsburgher and BShep back it up at Portsmouth. Imo, they are the best chassis on the market.

glad to see you have become enlightened.

[Snake X3]

Not going to argue with you just going to state the facts...

[NormP]

What kind of odds do you have on this happening? Are you an out of work comedian?

It's not any more far-fetched than some of the other rumors that float around here. Considering how long Francis had the Valvoline sponsorship before, and his hometown connection to it, it's not a completely crazy thought. It's just a matter of how Valvoline and Optima would affect each other if he keeps the Optima sponsorship. I can't imagine either one would want to play second fiddle.

[W2Racing09]

It's not any more far-fetched than some of the other rumors that float around here. Considering how long Francis had the Valvoline sponsorship before, and his hometown connection to it, it's not a completely crazy thought. It's just a matter of how Valvoline and Optima would affect each other if he keeps the Optima sponsorship. I can't imagine either one would want to play second fiddle.

Not to mention the performance side of things, I would think they would want to be on two of the winning-est cars in DLM competition in the country, not one of the winning-est cars in DLM B-Main competition in the country.

[NormP]

Your perception of who is more competitive might not mean anything to someone at Valvoline that has the say-so in whose car the sticker goes on. To quote Josh Bayko, you're over-thinking this. And as usual, letting your worship of Mark Richards override your objectivity.

[NormP]

Please explain what Lucas Crown Jewel Events that Richards didn't make not just this year but ever.... Between Bloomquist and Richards this year the only one that missed making a Crown Jewel race was Bloomquist at the Dream.. .

Well I'm not a huge fan of Bloomquist, but you're missing some facts. We have only to go back approximately 2.5 months to find a Crown Jewel race that Little Richards missed at Florence Speedway. And it was a Lucas one as you requested.

[Josh Bayko]

It's not any more far-fetched than some of the other rumors that float around here. Considering how long Francis had the Valvoline sponsorship before, and his hometown connection to it, it's not a completely crazy thought. It's just a matter of how Valvoline and Optima would affect each other if he keeps the Optima sponsorship. I can't imagine either one would want to play second fiddle.

It's also entirely possible, likely even, that Valvoline will be on all three cars next season (Richards, Sheppard, Francis). I mean, they're a multi-billion dollar company.

[zyoung25]

Valvoline was also helping out the Conleys this past season, to what extent, I'm not sure. They always mentioned them in the races they won, so it must be enough for them to remember.

[dirtdobber45]

You're overthinking this. The only national level sponsors in dirt racing are teams with NASCAR ownership, save for Richards/Sheppard.

Who cares about national sponsorship(they all do but)? Id say Reece Baird and a few others like having their names flash across the tv screen just like Valvoline and Lucas does.

[Centeroff]

Onlyfacts, you can't compare apples to oranges. Bloomquist had two world 100s under his belt at age 28. Josh can never close the deal on the big one. Josh wasn't gonna outrun Scott at Knoxville. Scott would lose a spot or two and then run the leader down 4 seconds. Scott had around 150 wins at the age of 29. Scott won numerous 10k races in the 80s and that would be 30k today. Scott won like 40 races or something around 1990 and has an over 70% win ratio the first time he ever ran a new track. Do you believe anybody in the sport has better resources that Richards? Absolutely not. Scott had one car back in those days and maybe 1 engine and a lapped out backup. If bloomer was so dam hard headed he could have sat in any seat in the business. Josh is tough and Scotts better days are behind him. The man is 53 years old. There is only one goat and he wears long hair and drives a black car

[dirtdobber45]

There is only one goat and he wears long hair and drives a black car

Thanx c-off for the compliment.... j/k...lol

[dirtdobber45]

Wasnt the first globe he won with a broke arm?

[calverton]

Onlyfacts, you can't compare apples to oranges. Bloomquist had two world 100s under his belt at age 28. Josh can never close the deal on the big one. Josh wasn't gonna outrun Scott at Knoxville. Scott would lose a spot or two and then run the leader down 4 seconds. Scott had around 150 wins at the age of 29. Scott won numerous 10k races in the 80s and that would be 30k today. Scott won like 40 races or something around 1990 and has an over 70% win ratio the first time he ever ran a new track. Do you believe anybody in the sport has better resources that Richards? Absolutely not. Scott had one car back in those days and maybe 1 engine and a lapped out backup. If bloomer was so dam hard headed he could have sat in any seat in the business. Josh is tough and Scotts better days are behind him. The man is 53 years old. There is only one goat and he wears long hair and drives a black car

please wipe your chin

[SLIDING SIDEWAYS]

Onlyfacts, you can't compare apples to oranges. Bloomquist had two world 100s under his belt at age 28. Josh can never close the deal on the big one. Josh wasn't gonna outrun Scott at Knoxville. Scott would lose a spot or two and then run the leader down 4 seconds. Scott had around 150 wins at the age of 29. Scott won numerous 10k races in the 80s and that would be 30k today. Scott won like 40 races or something around 1990 and has an over 70% win ratio the first time he ever ran a new track. Do you believe anybody in the sport has better resources that Richards? Absolutely not. Scott had one car back in those days and maybe 1 engine and a lapped out backup. If bloomer was so dam hard headed he could have sat in any seat in the business. Josh is tough and Scotts better days are behind him. The man is 53 years old. There is only one goat and he wears long hair and drives a black car

And theres only 1 CHODE named centeroff