The Outlaws Are Coming! The Outlaws Are Coming!
World of Outlaw Late Model Series drivers Josh "Kid" Richards #1 and John Blankenship # 23 racing at the Charlotte Speedway Saturday, April 21, 2007
Photo by Lee Smith
May 25, 2007
By Bonnie Nibblett
Delmar, DE…..The Outlaws are coming! The Outlaws are coming! That’s right! The World of Outlaws Late Models Series (WoOLMS) will get ferocious in the ‘First State 50’ on Thurs., May 31, on that prestigious, fast, sleek, half-mile clay oval at Delaware International Speedway. The speedway is located on the Delaware Motorsports Complex grounds in Delmar, DE just one mile north the Mason Dixon state line and just forty-five mins south of Dover, along with a quarter mile drag strip and a three/sixteenth clay circle track with WKA sanction and weekly racing series U.S. 13 Kart Track Club.
The WoOLMS will visit the lower shore track while on tour in the North East area. The winner gets $10,000 for a 50 laps of pure action. This will be the third visit for the outlaws to DIS since the series began minus the 2006 tour. The group consist of some of the best late model drivers in the country that travel to at least 50 confirmed race dates, 41 tracks in 23 states, at tracks all over the United States mid-west, through the southern and up north states.
To the WoOLMS, the DIS half-mile oval is considered to be a larger track then some of the other venues. When the super late models made the 2005 visit, Darrell Lanigan (29) won the $10,000 purse. Lanigan likes a bigger track and DIS is right up his alley. Lanigan hasn’t had quit the season he would like and he is currently ninth in points; so a win would mean a lot. In 2004, the first year, Scott Bloomquist won the money pot. DIS has tight corners, and longer straight-aways which has the late models rolling on three wheels, and maybe two wheels a time or two in the turns.
For local drivers if you make the show, it makes for a very nice pay day as opposed to the weekly Saturday nights racing events. Hopefully, there will be a big crowd of those super lates’ of outlaws to take on some of Delaware’s great drivers. Drivers such as Kenny Pettyjohn, Ricky Elliott, David Hill, and quite a few other greats from the home track.
Current point’s leader has Shannon Babb (18) leading over Clint Smith (44), Steve Francis (15), Josh Richards (1), Rick Eckert (24) and Chub Frank (1*) are tied for fifth, rounding out the top five as of this writing. Babb has picked up three wins and one win apiece goes to all of the top four except for Francis and Eckert. Eckert has raced to DIS before which might give him little advantage too. Rookie Tim Fuller (former modified driver) is leading in rookie points along with already picking up a win in Delaware recently, at Georgetown Speedway; it was not a WoOLMS sanctioned race, but still a win. Look for him to be one to watch. 2006 WoOLMS Champion Tim (T-Mac) McCreadie may show if he can put DIS on his busy schedule from Richard Childress Racing.
With it being so close to Dover weekend, this gig will be an added bonus for fans to visit the circle while in town. There are quite a few drivers in NASCAR that like to go back to their roots and run some good old DIRT track racing as well. Kenny Schrader is one of the NASCAR racers with dirt late model connections and he is expected to compete in the mid-week WoO LMS special announced earlier by World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director, Kevin Kovac. Bobby Labonte is involved with Earl Pearson, Jr., and Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, and Ray Everham plus several others like the DIRT.
Point of interest to note is that during the Delaware Dirt Track Championship that is held in November, and primarily consists of day time racing. The day racing is good, but it does not show case the true ability of the night racing on this nice wet, heavy, tacky, fast track. With it being a night race, you can bet the racing will be packed for of some fast action you don’t see at the November show. You don’t want to miss this! For more on the series visit www.dirtmotorsports.com/LMS or www.worldofoutlaws.com.
In addition to the hot action of super late models, a special division of racing by the Little Lincoln Vintage Stock Car motto is known as “A Blast From The Past.” These guys race cars from the era of 1949 to 1964 American made full size sedans. Not only that, when these guys take to the track they may only race 10-12 laps, but its all laps of pure racing. If you have never scene these guys, consider it an extra bonus to see them too. The Little Lincoln stock cars will be launching their new web site soon, meantime, you can still visit the web for, schedules, points, drivers, and rules at www.littlelincolns.com.
Reserved-seat tickets are now on sale for both the Delaware International Speedway
For more information on the ‘First State 50,’ visit www.delawareracing.com or call the track office at 302-875-1911. Track Hot line is 302-846-3968. Prices are Adult Gen Admission $26, $5 for 7-13 yrs, Free 0-6 yrs, Reserved Adult Admission $30, $9 for 7-13 yrs, Adult Pit Admission $35, $10 for 7-13 yrs.
Saturday, June 2, 2007, the regular weekly show will host visitor the URC Sprints along with the other five weekly classes to include Big Block Modifieds, Super Late Models, two GM crate classes of Modified & Late Model, and the Modified Lites.
You can get exclusive news on the dragways happenings for the last month and coming events by visiting the tracks site at www.delawareracing.com.
The US 13 Kart Club Track resumes Friday night racing on tonight and on June 8, 2007. The track is also holding a benefit race that night for Ralph Moore, (Moore’s Powder Coating) and an avid kart club racer. Moore is presently receiving treatments for cancer and still comes to the track for a bit each race; just not racing is the hard part, for a driver to watch. Come out and support the night and watch some good kart racing of young to older drivers. Many drivers get their start in karts. Check out the web at www.dekarting.net.
Well, the racing season is really just getting ready to go full throttle after such a cold start with April and May’s weather so cool; or let’s hopes it is. Come see the outlaws on Thursday, and come see the mighty fast URC Sprints and a regular night of action on Saturday, June 2. For all your Delaware and surrounding tracks race news visit www.redbud69racing.com. See you at the track!