FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2010

Josh Richards Ready To Chase World 100 Goal After Successful Week of Racing

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - - Josh Richards has gotten his groove back - just in time for this weekend's 40th running of dirt Late Model racing's most prestigious event, the World 100 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

Fueled by a successful holiday week of competition that saw him win his first-ever big-money 100-lap race and finish no worse than third in three other starts, the 22-year-old from Shinnston, W.Va., is ready to chase the $43,000 top prize on the line in Saturday night's UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned show at NASCAR star Tony Stewart's famed half-mile oval.

"I'm actually really looking forward to going back to Eldora," said Richards, whose previous visit this season to the high-banked track resulted in a sixth-place finish in June's 100-lap Dream XVI. "We took really good notes after the Dream, and I think if we can just get in the World (feature) we'll be a lot better.

"The biggest thing is just getting in the race. You need to start up front to put yourself in the best position possible, but as tough as qualifying and the heat races are, anything can happen. You need to have some luck on your side, so hopefully everything will go our way."

Richards will seek to start the World 100 A-Main for the fifth time in six attempts, dating back to his debut in 2005 when, as a 17-year-old rookie on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, he became the youngest driver ever to qualify for the showcase event. He has a personal-best finish of fourth (2006) and is coming off a sixth-place performance in last year's World 100.

Richards plans to go into battle at Eldora behind the wheel of the same Mark Richards Racing Enterprises/Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket car that he's been running in recent weeks. His two WoO LMS outings in the machine last week were especially solid. He registered his career-milestone 100-lap victory - and a huge $20,000 payday - on Sept. 1 in the Battle At Eastern Door at Mohawk International Raceway in Akwesasne, N.Y., and then, on Sept. 5, pulled off a third-place finish in the 50-lap Oil Region Labor Day Classic at Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, Pa. (Saturday night's first half of the Tri-City doubleheader was rained out and not rescheduled.)

The third-place run at Tri-City - a position Richards earned with a last-lap, last-turn pass of Shane Clanton - was especially important. That dramatic move kept him in the WoO LMS points lead by two markers over Darrell Lanigan, who won the A-Main and was in line to pull into a tie for the points lead if Richards had settled for a fourth-place finish. Just four points events remain in the chase for the $100,000 WoO LMS title, which Richards is bidding to win for the second consecutive year.

Richards also made two Labor Day weekend appearances in the Ernie D's Enterprises Rocket No. 25 and nearly pulled off a pair of wins. He finished second in both of his O'Reilly All-Star Late Model Series starts - on Sept. 2 at West Virginia Motor Speedway in Mineral Wells and Sept. 3 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. Richards led laps 31-38 in the 40-lap A-Main at WVMS - a race that was postponed by rain in May - before losing momentum amid lapped traffic and watching Steve Shaver slip by for the lead coming to the white flag, while at Lernerville he chased race winner Clanton for much of the distance.

Eldora's World 100 weekend activities begin on Thurs., Sept. 9, with technical inspection. Practice and time trials are scheduled for Fri., Sept. 10, with heat races, last-chance events and the World 100 headliner set for Saturday night (Sept. 11).

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