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LATEMODELRACER >> DRIVER PRESS RELEASES >> Richards Caps Solid Speedweek Effort with Win at Eriez
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Message started by LMR on 08/03/10 at 12:33pm

Title: Richards Caps Solid Speedweek Effort with Win at Eriez
Post by LMR on 08/03/10 at 12:33pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 3, 2010

Richards Caps Solid Ohio-Pennsylvania Speedweek Effort with Dominating Victory at Eriez Speedway

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - Aug. 3, 2010 - Josh Richards can call the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Ohio-Pennsylvania Speedweek a success.

While the competitive 22 year old defending series champion wasn't overjoyed with his results during the busy five race swing, he certainly was satisfied with them. He qualified well every night and rang up a top five finish in each A-Main, including a resounding blow out victory in the 50 lap finale on Sunday night at Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa.

And Shinnston, West Virginia's Richards even extended his WoO LMS points lead during the Speedweek, pushing his edge from 18 points (over Tim McCreadie) entering the stretch of competition to 28 points (over Darrell Lanigan) after it.

"Overall it wasn't as good a trip as Darrell's," said Richards, pointing to the red hot Lanigan's three victories and two third place finishes that helped him shave 18 points off his deficit to Richards in the series standings. "But you can't really ask for much more. We time trialed real well (topped by fast times on July 27 at Central PA Speedway in Clearfield, Penn., and July 29 at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio), got in the (A-Main) redraw every night (he won heats at Central PA, Sharon and on July 31 at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio), finished top five consistently and we won a race.

"All the guys did a great job - my dad, Matt (Barnes), Jimmy (Fry) and Jim Thomas, who came with us for this trip. We just have to keep racing like this and keep doing what we're doing and hopefully everything will fall into place."

Winless on the WoO LMS since June 24 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., entering the Ohio-Pennsylvania Speedweek, Richards knocked on the door to Victory Lane with his Mark Richards Racing Enterprises/Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket car in the swing's first four nights of action. He finished fifth in the Fear The Bear 40 at Central PA (after starting fourth); third at Sharon (after starting sixth and losing second place when he slid high while making a bid for the lead on lap 43 of the 50 lapper); second on July 30 at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park (after leading laps 12 through 46 but being unable to repel Rick Eckert's come from behind charge in the 50 lap A-Main); and fifth at Muskingum County (after starting eighth).

Then came Sunday's event at Eriez, a one third mile track that was the site of Richards' first WoO LMS victory on a small bullring in 2007. The young sensation had no peer in the evening's headliner, a caution free feature he controlled after overtaking Gregg Satterlee for the lead on lap 11. Richards expertly handled lapped traffic to pull away to a final winning margin of 8.039 seconds - about a half lap - over western Pennsylvania veteran Ron Davies.

"It was an awesome night," said Richards, who recorded his series leading sixth triumph of 2010. "The car was just phenomenal."

The $10,675 score gave Richards 26 career WoO LMS wins, moving him within two checkered flags of tying Steve Francis as the national tour's winningest driver. He's also within three victories of matching Scott Bloomquist's single season WoO LMS win record established in 2004.

Richards said collecting more victories is his primary goal for the remaining 14 events on this season's WoO LMS schedule. He's not dwelling on the tight race for the $100,000 points title that's developing between himself, Lanigan and McCreadie.

"I don't even really look at the points much," said Richards. "Our goal is to go out there and win the race. Like at Sharon (last Thursday night) - I was right behind McCreadie and could have just sat there and run second, but I slipped up out of the groove trying to go for the win and ended up third. That little stuff costs you a few points, but our goal is to go out and win races. That put us in position to win the championship last year and I think if we do that again, we'll be OK."

Next up the WoO LMS visits Shawano (Wis.) Speedway for a 50 lap, $10,000 to win event on Wed., Aug. 4, and then moves on to Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., on Aug. 5-7 for the 23rd annual USA Nationals, a $50,000 to win 100 lapper that gives Richards another opportunity to chase his first career win in a crown jewel dirt Late Model event.

Richards heads into the month of August with nine feature wins under his belt, including a triumph in a Three State Flyers Series event on July 24 at Winchester (Va.) Speedway that he earned behind the wheel of the Ernie Davis owned No. 25 during a mid-summer break from WoO LMS action.

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com and follow him on Twitter at @Josh_Richards1.

Josh Richards' No. 1 team carries support from Rocket Chassis, Cornett Racing Engines, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ernie D's Enterprises, ACE Metal Works, Petroff Towing, Tony Stewart Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Integra Shocks, Slavic Custom Decals, Valvoline, AEM, AFCO, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Bearing Company, Autolite, Banshee Graphics, Barnes Systems, Beyea Performance, Brinn Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Braswell Carburetion, Butlerbuilt Seat Systems, CV Products, Dohm Cycles, Dyer's Top Rods, Fram Filters, Frankland Rearends, Howe Racing, Kwik Change Product, LSI, Mason Racin', MSD Ignition, Outerwears, Performance Bodies, Performance Friction Brakes, Performance Rod & Custom, Ringers Gloves, Scott Performance Wire, Simpson Race Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Tel Tech, TWM Racing Products, Trick Carbon Fiber Driveshafts, Jones Racing Products, TurboStart Racing Batteries, US Brake, Weld Racing Wheels, Wehr's Machine, Wilwood and Wrisco Aluminum.

Honey Elizabeth Rentz
Rising Star Management Group
hrentz@risingstarmg.com