Thursday, January 10, 2008

GEORGIA STOCK CAR RACING Jan. 11-18

GEORGIA STOCK CAR RACING Jan. 11-18 ==================== Our website, www.georgiastockcarracing.com, has been improved, and will now display all the full results we receive from every track in Georgia, and longer stories which we’ll highlight in this weekly email newsletter. There’s also a fan forum for dirt and asphalt fans - let us know what you think. ==================== ---- Schedule ---- Jan. 12-13 Lanier Ice Cold Shriner Bowl Daytime shows Sat. and Sun. www.lanierspeedway.com Jan. 12 Peach State Car Show and Swap Meet Jan. 19 Swainsboro 7th annual Trade Show 10:00-3:00 $5 swainsbororaceway@yahoo.com Jan. 19 Peach State’s banquet at the Emerald Point Resort at Lake Lanier Islands. www.peachstspeedway.com Jan. 23-Feb. 2 Golden Isles Super Bowl of Racing: Super late models every night for $10,000 to win. Support classes: Jan. 23-26, Feb. 2 Natl. Late Model Series $3000 to win Jan. 28-30 crate LMs, open-wheel modifieds Jan. 31 open-wheel modifieds Feb. 1 Super street racers Sun., Jan. 27 Brunswick Stew BBQ (no racing) Jan. 24-26 USA Intl. Speedway (FL) Speedfest for asphalt LMs Feb. 4-9 East Bay (FL) Lucas Oil LM Series, $5000-$10,000 to win Feb. 8-9 South Georgia Speedfest, featuring crate LMs. www.racesgmp.com Feb. 10 (Sun.) South Georgia Partsarama Car Show and swap meet. Sellers $20, fans and buyers $10. www.racesgmp.com Feb. 22-24 Green Valley (AL) 11th Annual BAMA BASH $10,000 To Win Super Late Model race. Limited $5000 to win, crates $5000 to win. www.greenvalleyspeedway.com Mar. 22 Douglas Motorsports Park Opening day (tent.) www.dmpspeedway.com ---- TV ---- SPEED TV coverage of Lucas Oil LM Series: Jan. 12 - 7:30 PM Lucas Oil LMs Jan. 12 HBO pay-per-view 8:00 p.m. Chilli Bowl midget nationals ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- The Ice Cold Shriner Bowl at Lanier this weekend (Jan. 12-13) will include qualifying at noon Sat., and Sunday races for Legends, Bandeleros, Thunder Roadsters, Mini Stocks, Open Wheel Modifieds, Sportsman, Trucks (50 Laps), and Pro Late Models (100 Laps, $2000 to win). A Parade of Shriners, including the Shriner clowns, will entertain Sunday’s fans. A portion of the admissions will benefit the Shriner charities. Adm. $20 Sun. www.lanierspeedway.com Bobby Mayse, from Harrison, TN, etched his name into the Ice Bowl history books by claiming the win in the 17th annual Ice Bowl at Talladega Short Track. A record weekend crowd saw 384 cars in five divisions enter the event over the course of the four day weekend. Mayse won the first heat event among the eighty-entrants in the Super Late Model category giving him the pole position for the feature event. Mayse would then lead wire-to-wire in the fifty-lap Super Late Model event. Mayse would go the distance unchallenged and claim his first ever Ice Bowl victory on a beautiful seventy-degree sunny Sunday afternoon. Other Ice Bowl winners included Royce Bray in the Nesmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model series sanctioned event with Hunter Peacock in second and Jordy Nipper third. Close to one-hundred Crate cars were on hand for the event. Richie Williams won the Sportsman portion of the Ice Bowl besting over eighty Sportsman cars for the win over Bruce Williams in second and Shane Criswell third. Richie is the son of veteran dirt racer Ricky Williams, and it was his first win. Sean Jerovetz, who came down from Wisconsin, claimed the IMCA Modified portion of the Ice Bowl over Todd Gray in second and Scotty Brown third. Richard Stephens bested seventy Bomber cars to claim the victory over Michael Blakney in second and Shawn Mitchell third. The Ice Bowl used Raceceiver radios and Raceceiver transponders in all divisions for communications and scoring for the first time. Transponders were rented to drivers for $20 for the weekend. - from Dennis Anton The races were not sanctioned by the Southern All Stars, but SAS Series Director Kelley Carlton’s personal organization directed the Super Late Model parts of the show. Pictures courtesy of Sonia Newton, Talladega Short Track photographer. Racer96babe@aol.com Full results, all classes: www.georgiastockcarracing.com Georgia’s best Legends driver, Casey Roderick, of Lawrenceville, set fast time (59.187) and won his heat race, and then came from the back to win the first Winter Flury race at Atlanta Motor Speedway’s infield road course Saturday. Roderick will be 16 Aug. 8, and will be testing and practicing an asphalt late model and an ARCA car, loaned by Jack Roush’s organization, this spring and summer. If all goes well, he hopes to debut in the ARCA car at Salem’s high banks after his birthday. He won 18 Legends features last year, including: 2007 Asphalt National Pro Champion 2007 INEX Pro Champion 2007 Atlanta Motor Speedway Champion 2007 Lanier Speedway Champion At Sunday’s AMS banquet, Roderick was again voted Most Popular Driver by the fans. Mason Massey, featured in our last issue, was named Most Improved Driver. www.caseyroderick.com Modoc Speedway, in SC near Augusta, opens with the Winter Shootout Feb. 22-23, including a 50-lap $4000 to win crate LM race and a $1000 to win hobby class feature. Crews can win $200 in a pit stop challenge. www.modocspeedway.com Former track manager Brad York will lease and operate Lavonia Speedway in 2008, and has scheduled $5000 to win Southern All Star shows Mar. 22 and Sept. 20. www.lavoniaspeedway.com Racing returned to the Rockingham (NC) Speedway for the first time since Andy Hillenberg bought it, with a Legends race on the infield road course. Devin Jones, age 13, won Sunday’s Bandolero div. Added to the Atlanta Motor Speedway schedule on Mar. 14-16 is the Great American Auction, with auto dealers filling the infield with new and used bargains. Buyers can drive their new cars on the AMS high banks. www.allcarswillsell.com The schedule for Ray Cook’s 2008 O'Reilly Southern Nationals Series July 14-26) has three GA stops, including the first Super Late Model show at Hartwell in a while. (Hartwell is also on the Carolina Clash Series schedule May 31.) < Thursday, July 17 Hartwell Speedway - Hartwell, GA $3,500 to win, $450 to start Previous Winners: Holding First Series Event in 2008 < Friday, July 18 Gordon Park Speedway - Augusta, GA $3,500 to win, $450 to start Previous Winners: Holding First Series Event in 2008 < Saturday, July 19 Screven Motor Speedway - Sylvania, GA $5,300 to win, $530 to start Previous Winners: Henry Carter ('06), Jimmy Sharpe ('07) Cook has increased the purses, with the $3,500 to win shows paying a total of $17,685 and the $5,300 to win shows paying $22,855. www.southernnationalsseries.com Some race fans have jumped in to aid Debbie Roberts, the scorer at Hartwell, whose house burned just before Christmas. Debbie Roberts, 886 Wilhite Rd., Jefferson, GA 30549 Another racer struck by a fire at his shop was Tracy Pannell, who lost his race car, truck, and Christmas presents. Pannell Family, 1082 Joneswoods Rd., Good Hope, GA 30641 Travelers Rest Speedway (in SC, near Toccoa) opens with a practice Thurs., Feb. 21, heat races and qualifying for local divs. Fri., and a Southern All Stars East $4,000 to win show Sat. 2008 rules at: www.trackforums.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=66 www.trspeedway.net Ohio racer Wayne Chinn had three ‘07 wins, and a top five at the World 100. He’s made that into a neato video, including all of his sponsors. http://www.thedrc.net/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrQjx5N0hfE The New Years 100 at Swainsboro was rained out. Their 7th Annual Trade Sho is Saturday, Jan. 19, 10AM - 3PM, $5 Admission. For more info e-mail swainsbororaceway@yahoo.com 478-252-1300 GEORGIA MINI SPRINTS ‘08 SCHEDULE: MAR. 8th Practice Central Alabama Motor Speedway, Clanton MAR. 15th Practice Hollis Dirt Track, Hollis AL APRIL 12th Central Alabama Motor Speedway, Clanton APRIL 26th Hollis Dirt Track MAY 10th Talladega O’Reilly Super Series Talladega Short Track MAY 17th Moulton Speedway O’Reilly Super Series Moulton AL JUNE 7th Winder-Barrow Speedway Winder GA JUNE 26th Chattahoocee Vally Speedway Dothan AL JULY 5th  Moulton Speedway O’Reilly Super Series JULY 26th Chattahoocee Vally Speedway AUG. 2nd Winder-Barrow Speedway AUG. 23rd Talladega Short Track O’Reilly Super Series SEPT. 6th Central Alabama Motor Speedway www.georgiaminisprints.com Winder-Barrow Speedway drivers meeting will be Sunday. January 20th, 2:00 at the track. Film just in from Cruise with the Champions: http://www.jibjab.com/starring_you/receipt/1646505 South Georgia opens the season with the first Speedfest Feb. 8-9, with a crate LM feature, at 5:00 Sat. Sunday, Feb. 10, they’ll have a Partsarama Car Show and swap meet. Sellers $20, fans and buyers $10. www.racesgmp.com Georgia’s NASCAR connection: David Ragan, of Unadilla, led all Cup drivers with 22 wrecks and spins in 36 races, according to USA Today, but still managed to finish 32 of the races. Ragan was runner-up for Rookie of the Year, behind Juan Pablo Montoya, who had 11 crashes and spins. Reed Sorenson, of Peachtree City, had 13 crashes and spins. Tyrone's Joey Clanton will be racing a Roush Fenway Ford full time in the Craftsman Truck Series in ‘08. Clanton, age 35, ran 16 of the 25 truck races and had five top-10 finishes om 2007. Atlanta’s Coca-Cola will be the official soft-drink of NASCAR for the next ten years, and has replaced Pepsi at the tracks owned by Intl. Speedway Corp., including Daytona. Fastrak’s National Points Banquet is Jan. 26 at the Nashville Airport Marriott. $35 for chicken or salmon. They’ll have meetings for sponsors, regional directors, tracks, tech, and teams Jan. 23-25. Dennis Huth, president of Racing Speed Associates which owns the American Speed Association, has announced a new insurance program which covers drivers and racing teams from the time they leave home heading for the track until they return home. The coverage, up to $500,000 in excess medical coverage, is provided by WSIB Motorsports Insurance. www.ASA-Racing.com From Chris Townley and Allen Hastings at Peach State: Our next event will be the Car Show and Swap Meet January 12th.  The following weekend we will have the 2007 Peach State / GAS Awards Banquet at Emerald Point Hotel and Resort at Lake Lanier Islands. The track’s open practice will be Sat., Mar. 1. Peach State, in Jefferson, will kick off its 2008 racing season Sat., March 8th when the National Vintage Racing Series (NVRA) makes its first visit of 2008 the fast 1/2 mile oval. The NVRA is an  organization of owners and drivers of 1929-1968 vintage circle track stock cars. Entering its twelfth year, the NVRA "Vintage Thunder" Racing Series is the largest touring vintage stockcar racing series in the United States . Some of our race cars are restored originals that ran on tracks in the southeast in the '50s, '60s and '70s while others are replicas of stockcars from that era.   The NVRA averages from 30 to 35 cars per race with members coming from NC, SC, FL, AL, TN, KY, GA, and one long-time loyal member who tows from Delaware to race with the NVRA. The "Vintage Thunder" racing series is just that, "a racing series", not a group of old race cars parading around the track. Race fans witness an authentic presentation of stock car racing the way it use to be "back in the day." The NVRA races five classes of vintage stockcars: Limited Sportsman (1930-1957 bodies on factory frames and powered by flathead V-8 or inline six engines); Modified Sportsman (1930-54 bodies on factory frames and OHV V-8 engines); Late Model Sportsman (1949 - 1968 bodies on OEM chassis with OHV V-8's) Late Model Modified (1949 - 1968 bodies on modified frames with OHV V-8's); and our fastest division, Modified Open (1929-1968 bodies on racing chassis), many with over 600-HP engines. In addition to the vintage racers, the Peach State Super Truck, Outlaw Late Model (formerly Iceman), Sportsman and Mini-Stock classes will also compete. Chris Ragle (704-706-3666) and Pro Photo Productions has a $20 DVD of Peach State’s World Crown 250 lapper for sale, and has a nice long sample, including the “big one” from two angles at http://prophotoproductions.com/peach/worldcrownintro.wmv www.peachstspeedway.com or call 706-387-7490. The ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour will televise at least 10 of 18 events during the inaugural season in 2008.  Those broadcasts will be done by Carolinas Production Group Inc., which is owned and headed up by veteran broadcaster Rick Benjamin.    “We are going to televise what looks to be about 10 or 11 races for the Tour next season as part of the first year of a multi-year agreement,” said Benjamin, who was one of the lead broadcasters for the now-defunct ASA National Tour on TNN for several years.  “We are going to be tape-delaying one-hour broadcasts of the events starting in March and going through November. “We are syndicating the shows to sports channels regionally.  We expect it to be in 20- to 30-million households from Washington DC to Florida over to Texas.  It will be all over the Southeast.  There is a big hunger for this type of thing on those regional sports stations,” said Benjamin. Series’ officials want to make sure competitors know is that the ASA Southeast Tour will be open to a number of different engine/weight combinations, including crate, spec and built engines that utilize both two-barrel and four-barrel carburetors.  www.asasoutheastasphalttour.com The former Suicide Circle Speedway forum is now http://www.southernracefans.com Toccoa -  The First half 2008 season Schedule has been posted, including: Saturday March 15 -    Grand Opening March 22- Regular show March 29- Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series $5,000 to win Super Late Model After winning the 35th annual Shrine 100 Super late model race at Carolina Speedway, John Pursley donated the entire $3000 purse back to the Shriners. Track for sale: Turn Key 3/8 mile Dirt track in Arkansas $245,000. 64 Speedway, AKA FASTEST TRACK IN THE SOUTH, where 360 Sprints have been clocked at over 125 MPH. 3/8-Mile Medium Banked Dirt Oval, Sitting on 40 Acres. ebay# 170180206956 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tab%3DWatching Gordon Park will open the 2008 season March 28-29. There will be a $2000 to win Crate Late Model Race on Friday March 28, and the Carolina Clash on Saturday, March 29. During the off-season new clay has been put down on the track and the track has been re-shaped. The National Late Model Series will be at Gordon Park on May 10, and the Ray Cook Series Super Late Models will be at Gordon Park on July 18. Open Wheel Sprint Cars will come to Gordon Park this year but a date has not been confirmed. The O’Reilly Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series will increase the overall 2008 Point Fund by $10,000. The new point payouts are as follows: 10th - $1000, 9th - $1250, 8th - $1500, 7th - $1750, 6th - $2000, 5th - $2500, 4th - $3000, 3rd - $3500, 2nd - $5500 and 1st - $10,000. The Series will salute their 2007 National Champion Ivedent Lloyd, of Ocala, FL, the top 10 in points, and Cleveland Speedway Driving School Rookie of the Year Stacy Holmes of Munford, AlL, Saturday (Jan. 12). Mississippi legend and former OSAS Champion Jerry Inmon will be inducted into the Southern All Stars Hall of Fame at the ceremony, which will be held at the Cleveland Country Club in Cleveland, Tennessee. For ticket information call the OSAS Office at (256) 539-4484. The event is open to the public. Dress is business casual. The O’Reilly Southern All Stars will kick of their 2008 season with a trio of events which are a part of the Super Bowl of Racing IV at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, Georgia. The Alabama based traveling series will sanction the events on Jan. 30-31-Feb. 1. Each of the ten nights of The Super Bowl of Racing IV will pay $10,000 to the winner. Expect the biggest names in the business to be on hand for this must-see event. For more information about The Super Bowl of Racing IV and Golden Isles Speedway visit the speedway’s home on the World Wide Web at www.goldenislesspeedway.com Full schedule at www.georgiastockcarracing.com The third annual Colossal 100 will be April 18 - 19, at Lowe's Motor Speedway dirt track. Posted awards of $200,000 will pay $50,000 to the champion, and $2,000 to start the 36 car field. The track’s Roger Slack has been nominated by 4m.net All Star Leebo as Promoter of the Century for lowering advance tickets from $49 to $39 for two nights. The 10th annual South Georgia Chapter Reunion of the GA Automoble Racing Hall of Fame will be Sunday (Jan. 13) in Tifton. Lunch is a pot luck dinner at 1:00 p.m. They’ll have vintage cars, amazing race car drivers, and a benefit auction. Info at 229-382-0435. Waycross opens 2008 Feb. 21 with a practice night, and has a $5000 to win Natl. Late Model Series show Feb. 22-23. NLMS returns May 23-24 and Sept. 19-20. From March thru Oct., Waycross will race twice a month. www.wayxspeedway.com ---- ---- ---- ---- Get GEORGIA STOCK CAR RACING NEWS via email weekly: email -- subscribe -- to ddrrtt@earthlink.net email -- unsubscribe -- for the opposite ---- ---- ---- ----

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