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Dustin Jarrett
CORONA, Calif. (April 23) - After taking this past weekend off the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt series returns to action on Friday Night, April 25th with a first ever visit to Bedford Speedway in Bedford, PA and the first of two visits this year to the Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD on Saturday Night, April 26th.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will make the first stop of the weekend at Bedford (PA) Speedway for the First Annual "Paul Beamer Memorial Race" paying $7,000 to win. The event at the Bedford County Fairgrounds is sponsored by Bedford Valley Petroleum. The track ran its first race of the season this past Friday Night with Lewistown, PA driver Nick Dickson scoring the win. The track drew rave reviews after 600 tri-axle loads of red clay were added around the entire race track last fall as last week's racing produced some exciting racing at the venerable venue which first held a race in 1936.
Among the local talent set to challenge the LOLMDS at Bedford this Friday will be four-time and defending track champion, Jack Pencil of Bedford, PA, another four-time points champ, Scott Haus of Hamburg, PA, three-time Bedford Late Model titlist, Scott Rhodes of Somerset, PA, and a driver who like Haus won four consecutive track titles on a track he cut his teeth at, traveling star Rick Eckert of York, PA who won Bedford Speedway Late Model Championships from 1989-1992.
On Saturday Night, the historic Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD will host the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for the third time in three years. The 27th Annual "Stanley Schetrompf Memorial" will pay $10,000 to the winner. The two previous winners of the Lucas Oil Series events at Hagerstown will be on hand including '06 winner Chub Frank of Bear Lake, PA and LOLMDS Regular competitor Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN who won a thrilling event last year after starting in 16th.
This past weekend Hagerstown Speedway hosted a $3,000 to win event and Greencastle, PA legend Gary Stuhler picked up another win on the half-mile track as he entered victory lane for the 124th time in his career at Hagerstown, the all-time record for the facility. Stuhler who plans to enter both LOLMDS events this weekend will be joined at Hagerstown by eight-time track champion Nathan Durboraw of Hagerstown, MD, five-time titlist Roy Deese Jr. of Laurel, MD and several more of the Hagerstown and East Coast drivers who plan to make the trip to the Frank Plessinger promoted facility this Saturday Night.
Off to an excellent start this season the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has seen seven different winners in the first 11 races in 2008. The series in the midst of a 44 race schedule in 17 states this season has had 200 different drivers enter at least one event in '08. Three-time and reigning LOLMDS National Champion Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL coming off of a fifth place finish at K-C Raceway in his Bobby Labonte Racing #44 is the current series points after last weekend's show. Pearson leads Terry Casey of New London, WI by the just five points heading to Bedford and Hagerstown. Casey the driver of the Arnie Ranta Motorsports #42, who is tied with Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR for the most series wins this year (3 apiece) holds a 45-point margin over third place driver Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN. Bart Hartman of Zanesville, OH who is in his first season traveling with the Lucas Oil Series is fourth in points followed by last year's series "Rookie of the Year' Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, KY.
The rest of the top ten in the current national standings and who will be making the trip East next weekend are Donnie Moran of Dresden, OH, Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, WI, Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN, Billy Drake of Bloomington, IL and Wayne Chinn of Bradford, OH.
Casey and Chinn are the top two Quarter Master "Rookie of the Year" contenders at the present time with third place K-C runner, John Blankenship of Williamson, WV in third.
For more information on the next two tracks on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series schedule you can visit www.bedfordspeedway.com and www.hagerstownspeedway.com where you can find a wealth of information and history on both facilities.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tire rule for the Bedford and Hagerstown races will be Hoosier 1300 that must punch 40 and then anything harder. American Racer SD44 that must punch 40 and then anything harder. For more information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series you can go to www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Payoff:
Bedford: $7000, $3500, $2000, $1500, $1400, $1300, $1200, $1100, $1000, $950, $900, $850, $800, $750, $700, $650, $625, $600, $575, $550, $525, $500, $500, $500
Hagerstown: $10,000, $5000, $3000, $2500, $2000, $1500, $1400, $1300, $1200, $1100, $1000, $950, $900, $875, $850, $825, $800, $775, $750, $725, $700, $700, $700, $700
Previous Stanley Schetrompf Memorial Race Winners
1982 - Jeff Robinson
1983 - Sam Nalley
1984 - Larry Moore
1985 - Rodney Franklin
1986 - Jeff Purvis
1987 - Rodney Franklin
1988 - Rodney Franklin
1989 - Gary Stuhler
1990 - Bob Wearing Jr.
1991 - Donnie Moran
1992 - Freddy Smith
1993 - Gary Stuhler
1994 - Gary Stuhler
1995 - Gary Stuhler
1996 - Gary Stuhler
1997 - Gary Stuhler
1998 - Steve Francis
1999 - Donnie Moran
2000 - Mike Balzano
2001 - Davey Johnson
2002 - Rick Aukland
2003 - Brian Birkhofer
2004 - Rick Eckert
2005 - Tim McCreadie
2006 - Chub Frank
2007 - Scott James
Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings
1) Earl Pearson Jr (Jacksonville, FL) - 1210
2) Terry Casey (New London, WI) - 1205
3) Steve Casebolt (Richmond, IN) - 1160
4) Bart Hartman (Zanesville, OH) - 1120
5) Justin Rattliff (Campbellsville, KY) - 1115
6) Donnie Moran (Dresden, OH) - 1065
7) Dan Schlieper (Sullivan, WI) - 1010
8) Scott James (Lawrenceburg, IN) - 995
9) Billy Drake (Bloomington, IL) - 925
10)Wayne Chinn (Bradford, OH) - 865
11)Don O'Neal (Martinsville, IN) - 820
12)John Mason (Millersburg, OH) - 725
13)Freddy Smith (Seymour, TN) - 720
14)Damon Eller (Crumpler, NC) - 635
15)Scott Bloomquist (Mooresburg, TN) - 630
Current Quarter Master "Rookie of the Year" Points Standings
1) Terry Casey (New London, WI) - 1205
2) Wayne Chinn (Bradford, OH) - 865
3) John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) - 360
4) Eric Jacobsen (Sea Cliff Beach, CA) -75
5) Tony Knowles (Tyrone, GA) - 75
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