ULMA Media Relations
May 5, 2010

ULMA Drivers Hoping for Dryer Weather This Weekend as Season Resumes!

Wet spring weather has made for a rather slow start to the season for the United Late Model Association and its group of drivers but the season rolls on this weekend with all four affiliated tracks scheduled to return to action. Just three points-earning events have been held this season of a scheduled twelve so far this year of the 73 scheduled points-earning events scheduled for this year. Only Callaway Raceway, Lucas Oil Speedway, and Missouri State Fair Speedway have been able to run programs this year, Central Missouri Speedway is scheduled to open this weekend.

United Late Model Association is extremely pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with the largest hotel chain in the world, the Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) with over 4,000 hotel properties across the U.S. and around the world. Their hotels include Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Intercontinental Hotels, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza Hotels, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. This partnership will provide significant savings whenever you book a hotel stay (not just for races, but for business and vacation travel too), plus, IHG will be contributing funds to help support ULMA for every night booked! Help the drivers this year and take advantage of this great offer! To earn your discount and to assist United Late Model Association, all that you will need to do is to click on the link on our website. Be sure to book your hotel needs through the link at www.ulmaracing.com, the link and information is on the right side of the page. Remember that you can take advantage of this promotion for business, personal and race travel.

Drivers, fans, and promoters will try once again this weekend to compete in, watch, and host racing action. Friday events take place at Callaway Raceway in Fulton, Missouri and Missouri State Fair Speedway (MSFS) in Sedalia, Missouri. The Saturday night lineup consists of Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri and Central Missouri Speedway (CMS) in Warrensburg, Missouri. ULMA membership is available on site at each affiliated track for just $50; simply ask for the track ULMA representative. Affiliated tracks are:

Friday Racing: www.callawayraceways.com
Friday Racing: www.missouristatefairspeedway.com
Saturday Racing: www.lucasoilspeedway.com
Saturday Racing: www.centralmissourispeedway.net

Callaway Raceway pays $500 to win and $50 to start the feature event each week. Bob Test and Darin Walker were among the top five finishers the first week out at Callaway Raceway. Chris Cox, Trace Westling, and Ezekiel Langley also had top ten runs at Callaway. Eight ULMA member drivers were present of 21 cars in attendance. Test recorded a top ten finish at MSFS on the track’s opening night the following week and he followed that up with another top ten at Lucas Oil Speedway the next night. As a result of his early season finishes, Test is the early ULMA point leader, Walker sits second, Jon Binning third, Chris Cox fourth, and Trace Westling fifth; Cox leads the Rookie of the Year standings.

The first week out at MSFS saw a nice mix of ULMA cars competing with super late models on the big half mile with solid finishes recorded by the ULMA contingency of drivers. Look for several strong finishes and point gains by ULMA drivers on the half mile as they get the feel for the track each week. A special $1,000 to win race for ULMA cars, which will be a topless race, will be held at the speedway later in the year during the Missouri State Fair. Twenty-one late models were in attendance on opening night at MSFS with five ULMA member drivers present. Late models compete for $1,000 to win and $150 to start the main event each week at the track.

Lucas Oil Speedway has experienced its fair share of wet weather also with two consecutive rainouts; however, the speedway is gearing up for a big weekend of racing this Saturday night for its second program of the season. A few weeks back, Darin Walker grabbed the first feature win of the year of any ULMA member driver in a CRATE engine car, which shocked many in the crowd and in the pits that night. Both the 602 and 604 CRATE engines are legal to compete under ULMA rules this year. Walker, from Bowling Green, Missouri is one of the fiercest late model competitors in the central Missouri region and is expected to travel around a bit this year as he continues to rack up finishes in his 604 CRATE late model. There were 20 late models on opening night at the speedway and all in attendance were ULMA members. The late model feature winner at Lucas Oil Speedway goes home with $700 each week; the main event pays $100 to start.

Central Missouri Speedway’s first two attempts to start its season were both washed out so the track is hoping that the third time is a charm this Saturday night May 8 for its season opener. Several upgrades have recently been made to the facility and track. This year, the feature winner goes away with $600 for the win and the feature event pays $80 to start. Twenty cars will start the feature event each week at CMS, which should make for some outstanding competition. Passing points will be used at the track this year to determine the main event lineups. The twentieth starting position in the regular weekly feature event for the late models is reserved for the highest in track points who is a ULMA member driver. If all track point ULMA member drivers make the feature event, the highest in overall ULMA points will get the provisional position. In addition, each week, one lucky ULMA member driver will win a mystery prize to be used the following weekend at the speedway. ULMA is proud of this new partnership with CMS for the 2010 season.

Between the four tracks there are 73 possible sanctioned events for drivers to earn ULMA points. For the fourth year in a row driver membership remains at just $50 for the entire season. Drivers will keep their overall 15 best finishes from appearances throughout the season. Once a driver exceeds the 15-events threshold, he or she will beginning discarding finishes as improved finishes are recorded. Drivers are reminded that they must comply with ALL association rules as written when they are competing for ULMA championship points, all cars are subject to inspection at any time with particular attention being addressed to deck height and spoilers … drivers, be ready and in compliance!

Fans, friends, and family members may also help the points fund by becoming ULMA affiliate members for just $10. More information regarding ULMA membership is available on the official Web site along with membership forms. Membership is always available on site at participating ULMA tracks and events during the season. Make checks payable to: United Late Model Association and Mail to: ULMA, P.O. Box 794, Moberly, MO, 65270. Anyone wishing to join the group may send a request to unitedlatemodelassociation@hotmail.com.