FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2010

Richards Puts Together Solid Runs on Back-to-Back Nights at Tracks 13 Hours Apart

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - Sept. 20, 2010 - Josh Richards authored a pair of solid performances on back-to-back nights last weekend driving for different teams in different dirt Late Model series - at tracks over 13 hours apart.

The 22 year old from Shinnston, W.Va. kicked off his weekend by guiding the Ernie D's Enterprises Rocket No. 25 to a third place finish in a 50 lap Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event on Friday night (Sept. 17) at Winchester (Va.) Speedway. Twenty four hours later he was in the Midwest steering his familiar Mark Richards Racing Enterprises/Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket to a sixth place finish in the 55 lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series Pepsi Nationals at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo.

Richards bridged the 840 mile gap between the two tracks by taking a Saturday morning flight from Washington, D.C. to St. Louis where he met his father Mark's race team for a critical late season WoO LMS event. The national tour's defending champion entered Saturday's action leading the points standings by just two markers over Darrell Lanigan.

While Richards timed fifth fastest and won a heat race at the one third mile, high banked I-55 oval, he started and finished sixth in the 55 lap A-Main and fell two points behind Lanigan, who finished fourth, in the razor close WoO LMS points standings. Richards climbed as high as fourth 21 laps into the headliner but slipped to sixth shortly after a lap 38 restart and wasn't able to find a way past Clint Smith for fifth on the final circuit.

"We were okay," said Richards. "I felt like we should've gotten at least a fourth or fifth (place finish), but I think I wore my tires out a little bit when I got up there (to fourth) and ran so hard to try and catch the leaders. I kind of lost a little grip after that, and then we got shuffled around a little bit and I got lost on the track.

"I ran Clint back down at the end and would have liked to pass him (finishing fifth would have left Richards in a tie for the points lead), but I just ran out of time."

Richards now finds himself looking toward a dramatic showdown for the $100,000 points title with Lanigan at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C., which hosts the final three events on the 2010 WoO LMS schedule. The tour visits the four-tenths mile oval for the World of Outlaws Late Model Showdown on Oct. 13 and the season ending World Finals on Nov. 4-6.

"I feel good about our chances," said Richards, who entered last year's World Finals trailing Steve Francis by four points in the WoO LMS standings but rallied to capture the title by a 14 point margin. "We want to win (the championship) real bad, but we're gonna try to relax and go in there to Charlotte and win the races. Darrell's been really strong all year and we just have to try to beat him now at Charlotte."

Richards was in contention to win Friday night's Gunter's Honey 50 at Winchester, dueling with eventual winner Jonathan Davenport and runner up Earl Pearson Jr. before settling for third.

"I felt like we were good enough to win the race," said Richards. "We had a really good car. When we had a longer 15 to 20 lap run I'd be all over them for the lead, but I just couldn't quite get clear of them because they were running two wide for the lead and I was committed to the very top."

Richards will return to the seat of Ernie Davis' Roush Yates powered No. 25 Ford this weekend for another visit to Winchester Speedway, where he'll compete in the dirt Late Model portion of the annual Winchester 200. The event includes time trials and heat races on Fri., Sept. 24 followed by twin 25 lap features on Sat., Sept. 25, that send the top-12 finishers in each of the races to the 50 lap, $10,000 to win finale.

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