Friday, April 24, 2009

Lanier National Speedway announces MAJOR change to Late Model Racing

BRASELTON GA - Terry Roberts, GM of Lanier National Speedway announced today that Pro Late Model racing at Lanier National Speedway will no longer be a NASCAR sanctioned points race at LNS. This announcement comes just one day before the season opening Late Model race on Saturday April 25th 2009. This move is in response to the NASCAR minimum age requirement of 16 to run in an event sanctioned by NASCAR. This move by Lanier National Speedway will allow younger drivers already participating in the Pro Late Model series to participate on a weekly basis at LNS and challenge for the $25,000 in bonus money that is on the line this year at LNS. “We have such fantastic young talent around this area in motorsports,” said Terry Roberts. “Our kids here start young in Quarter Midget, then Bandelero’s, then Legends and after they have worked so hard to move up, they have to go somewhere else to race on a weekly basis. We feel as a race facility our first responsibility is to the fans and to our teams. This move will allow some of the hottest young talent in the country to continue to race at Lanier National Speedway on a weekly basis.” Roberts also added, “Over the years many drivers who are now at the Sprint Cup level of racing have competed here at Lanier only to have to leave us and race elsewhere because of the age rule. David Ragan, Joey Lagano and Reed Sorenson just to name a few, all moved on to other tracks in order to be able to race ay a younger age. We want to make sure our current group of talented young drivers get to stay and race here at their home tack until they move on to the big time. We feel like our fans and our race teams deserve the best race experience we can give them. NASCAR has been great in helping us work with this rule and helping us determine a way to make it all work out for everyone.” In addition to this move, Lanier National Speedway will now feature the NASCAR Super Truck division as our weekly featured points division each week. This will help build the truck class of racing that has become so popular in recent years. As well as running Late Models each week, LNS will feature the Super Truck class as our featured NASCAR point’s event at the speedway each week. Super Truck race teams will have the chance to compete weekly for a NASCAR National Points Championship and several thousand dollars in prize money. “We think the decision to move the late model racers out of the NASCAR point’s area and run independent is a great move” said Mike Grindle, owner of the Jim Waters Motors Pro Late Model Race Team. “This will allow Dalton and our team to continue to run at LNS and gain more and more experience and grow in the sport.” Saturday night at Lanier National Speedway the 2009 Pro Late Model season will open with twin 25’s in the Pro Late Model Class. The best late model racers in the southeast will begin the run for the $25,000 in prize money available for the 2009 season. Lanier National Speedway is located on Hwy 53 in Braselton GA and is the only NASCAR Hometrack in the state. Grandstands and trackside parking will open at 5:00pm. Qualifying will be at 6:00 and local racing starts at 7:00pm each Saturday Night. For more information, log on at www.lanierspeedway.com For questions and media inquiries email: Scott Pinner, Media Relations at: spinner@lanierspeedway.com

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