FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14, 2010

Top 10 in Prestigious World 100 at Eldora Speedway for Josh Richards

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - Sept. 13, 2010 - Josh Richards fell short of adding his name to the star studded winners' list of the prestigious World 100 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, but the 22-year-old from Shinnston, W.Va., didn't hang his head on Saturday night after a 10th place finish in dirt Late Model racing's marquee event. He remained positive about a weekend that began with him registering the second fastest lap in Friday night's 137 car time-trial session and ended with him simply missing the optimum setup for the 100 lap UMP DIRTcar sanctioned grind.

"We kind of threw a Hail Mary at it (for the feature) and it didn't work out like we hoped," Richards said of his Mark Richards Racing Enterprises/Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket No. 1. "We committed ourselves to running the top of the racetrack and we were okay at first, but once that top burnt off we were pretty much done. We were way too free to run the bottom like those guys up front did.

"I think we would've had a shot at it if we would've done some things differently, but you can say that about any race. It is what it is, so we'll just take what we got. At least we made the race for the fifth time in six tries."

Richards rolled the dice for the World 100 A-Main after being saddled with the 20th starting spot in the 28-car field. He relied on a fast-time provisional - which he earned by timing second behind only Austin Dillon in Friday's qualifying rounds - after failing to transfer through one of Saturday's six 15-lap heat races.

A 36-car qualifying invert left him with a sixth-place starting in the second heat, which was contested on a half-mile oval that was still drying out from afternoon showers that caused a one hour, 45 minute delay in the start of the evening's program. With a narrow useable groove and only the top-three finishers transferring, Richards knew his chances of reaching one of the coveted spots were effectively dashed on the first circuit of the prelim.

"I got pushed up into the slime (on the outside of the track) at the start," Richards said of his heat-race effort. "Once I got my right-front into the slime four or five cars got by me. I just kind of rolled around there after that trying to save my equipment because I knew we could use the provisional."

Richards was able to move forward and crack the top 10 just a quarter of the way through the World 100, but his charge stalled after he got as high as seventh. He spent much of the race's final quarter battling for position with fellow World of Outlaws Late Model Series travelers Darrell Lanigan, Shane Clanton and Rick Eckert.

"I lost two spots on the last lap when I jumped the cushion (in turns one and two) trying to get by Lanigan (for seventh)," said Richards, who recorded his third top-10 finish in five career World 100 A-Main starts. "I was just going for it, trying to make something happen, and I got a little too high. I saw Clanton and Eckert go by me."

Richards will return to action on the WoO LMS this weekend, competing in the Pepsi Nationals on Saturday night (Sept. 18) at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo. He leads the tour's points standings by two markers over Lanigan entering the event, one of four points races remaining on the 2010 WoO LMS schedule.

Richards also plans to climb behind the wheel of the Ernie D's Enterprises Rocket No. 25 for a Lucas Oil Late Model Series event on Friday night (Sept. 17) at Winchester (Va.) Speedway. He'll take a Saturday morning flight to St. Louis to meet up with his race team, which will head for the Show-Me State on Friday.

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