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JR Racing
SHINNSTON, Va. (February 18) - Josh Richards has proven that he's ready to make some serious noise on the dirt Late Model scene in 2008.
After completing a solid three-week stretch of racing in the Southeast that was highlighted by a victory in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener, the young star known as 'Kid Rocket' seems to already be firing on all cylinders.
"All in all, it was a real good trip for us," Josh said upon finishing his extended season-starting excursion to Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, Ga., East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., and Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla. "We got a win, a couple seconds, a few more top-fives.
"Considering the competition that we ran against in all these races, we're real happy with the results we had."
Of course, the most memorable moment of Josh's winter racing odyssey was his triumph in the 50-lap WoO LMS lidlifter on Feb. 14 at the half-mile Volusia oval. In a very competitive race, he fought his way to the front from the third starting spot to assume command on lap 31 when Shane Clanton slowed with mechanical trouble. He then outran Billy Moyer - the hottest driver of Florida Speedweeks 2008 - following a late restart to capture the WoO LMS season opener for the second consecutive year in his Mark Richards Racing-owned Seubert Calf Ranches/Ace Metal Works/TSR-Tony Stewart Racing/Petroff Towing/MCB Motorsports/Ernie's Auto & Hauling Rocket Chassis No. 1.
Two nights later, on Feb. 16, Josh backed up his seventh career WoO LMS win with a hard-earned third-place finish in the 50-lap A-Main that closed out the 37th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia. He swapped the lead several times early in the distance with eventual winner Moyer before settling for third place - and a share of the tour points lead with Moyer.
"To come out of (Volusia) on top of the points is a great way for us to start the year," said Josh. "You don't want to start off with a bunch of problems and get behind in the points right off the bat, and we avoided that. It was a great morale boost for the whole team."
The 19-year-old standout from Shinnston, W.Va., was one of the steadiest drivers on the challenging Golden Isles-to-East Bay-to-Volusia circuit, which stretched from Jan. 23 to Feb. 16. A total of 18 feature events were run - seven at Golden Isles from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2, six at East Bay from Feb. 4-9 and five at Volusia from Feb. 11-16 - and Josh qualified for 16 of them; he missed the cut for the openers at Golden Isles and East Bay, leaving him behind only Moyer and Steve Francis in feature starts (both made 17 races).
Overall, Josh registered seven top-five finishes. That included the win at Volusia; runner-up placings at Golden Isles (Jan. 29) and Volusia (Feb. 13); a third at Volusia (Feb. 16); two fourths at East Bay (Feb. 6 and 7); and a fifth at East Bay (Feb. 9). He also won seven preliminary events.
Josh entered the Golden Isles and Volusia events with his familiar Rocket Chassis House Car, and he ran the Ernie Davis-owned Rocket No. 25 in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 'Winternationals' at East Bay. He felt that a few incorrect tire-compound choices he made at East Bay were all that prevented him from seriously contending for victory with the Davis car as well.
Nearly a month spent on the road definitely wore Josh out, but it won't take him long to recharge for a busy season ahead.
"I'm ready to go home, relax a little bit, and get ready to go again," said Josh. "We're basically busy every weekend from now until November, and that's a good thing. I'm going to race more than I ever have before this year and I'm pumped up about it."
Weather permiting, Josh will be back in action behind the wheel of the Davis No. 25 this Saturday afternoon (Feb. 23) in the Northeast's dirt Late Model season opener at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway. His tentative March schedule with Davis currently includes visits to Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., on March 1, Hagerstown on March 8, Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway on March 13-15, and Hagerstown on March 22, before he returns to his blue No. 1 for the next WoO LMS event on March 28-29 at Pike County Speedway in Magnolia, Miss.
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