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Bob Burbach
MARYSVILLE, Calif. (April 24) - It looks like several local stock car stars just cannot let this one go. Paul and Kathy Hawes will present the Western All Stars Super Late Models this Saturday night at Marysville Raceway Park. It is, by far, promoter Hawes' biggest step into big time racing since he took over the reigns last year. Some 25,000 will be up for grabs in the ambitious program. Yuba City's Jerry Bartlett is one of a host of local racers who is going to try his best against the best.
Bartlett said today that he was going to stay home and not travel to Petaluma as he had originally planned. "I might as well see where I stand", he said earlier today. "I'm going to give up the point championship at Petaluma to join the big show." He added. " The only way I'm going to know where our program is…is to test it against the best." Former Late model champion Leroy Perry of Marysville will also throw his hat in the ring as will others.
Promoter Paul Hawes put it this way, "For the first time ever the dirt Late Models of the Western All-Stars will grace our track and northern California as a whole. These people are a who's who of west coast dirt racing at a highly professional level. It's been over 20 years since such a stellar line up of dirt late models has raced at Marysville."
"This isn't all about the out of town Big Dogs either. Local racers Richard Papenhausen (Chico), Leroy Perry (Marysville), Willie Horn (Marysville), Will Wilbur (Marysville), Matt Michelli (Live Oak)and Jerry Bartlett (Yuba City) are all scheduled to dust off their late models and enter the fray."
Promoter Hawes touched on what it takes to put a modern Late Model on the track, "To give you a little background, today's late model is really a (built from the) ground up racecar. Rolling chassis cost $15,000 or so and a good all aluminum 500 (cubic) inch motor is $40,000.00 plus. The bodies are all about down force and the suspensions are all about grabbing the track and putting that 800-horse power to the ground. There are numerous Chevy's, but this is a class in which Fords excel. Also on the card are our Street Stock Cars to give some perspective and showcase their talents in front of a different crowd."
The Western All Stars will bring all of their top stars to the event headed by Salinas California's Bobby Hogge IV. Hogge leads the point standings headed into Saturday's fray, but some 30 other teams will challenge along with the local entrants. Hogge won last week in southern California.
The $3000.00 to win ($500 to start) feature is bringing teams from all over the western United States. It is Marysville's biggest event in decades. Nationally recognized hot shoes in Late Model racing will be all over MRP on Saturday.
Late Model Stock Car racing is where many of today's NASCAR stars started AND return to whenever they can. Last week Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace and Clint Bowyer raced in a Late Model show at Paducah Kentucky.
"It keeps you sharp.", Edwards said of his Late Model run.
Gates open at 5 PM with practice at 6 PM with qualifying at 6.30. The first race will be scheduled after qualifying is completed. Get there early, it will be an event to remember.
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