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James Essex
CORONA, Calif. (July 10) - After an eventful Fourth of July holiday weekend of racing where there were three different winners in three events; the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series heads to the Deep South with events scheduled for Friday Night, July 11th at North Alabama Speedway in Tuscumbia, AL and a Saturday Night, July 12th visit to Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS.
The $7,000 to win "Heart of Dixie 40" will take place on Friday Night at the Jeff Greer promoted North Alabama Speedway. It will be the third visit in three seasons for the LOLMDS to the facility, with past winners being Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN taking the victory back in 2006 and last year LOLMDS regular Billy Drake of Bloomington, IL dominating the last half of the event, getting his first career series win.
The following night, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series heads to the track billed as "The Baddest Bullring in the South" for the $10,000 to win "James Nickoles Memorial Race" at the Columbus Speedway. The Johnny Stokes promoted track will also be hosting the LOLMDS for the third time ever. The event will be taped before the cameras of SPEED Channel and be shown on a later date (TBD). Chris Wall of Holden, LA won on the inaugural visit by the LOLMDS back in 2006, and Scott Bloomquist, the all-time winningest driver in Lucas Oil Series history (15 wins) grabbed the first place money a year ago.
With 24 events in the record books for 2008, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series continues to be the most competitive of any touring series as 16 different winners have graced victory lane in '08. There have been 490 drivers race with the series at least once this season, beginning back in February at East Bay Raceway Park and will conclude the first of October at Rome and Dixie Speedways in Georgia.
The LOLMDS $2.9 million dollar tour has seen three 3-time winners this year as the trio of Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, WI, Terry Casey of New London, WI and Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR all plan on being in action this weekend at both North Alabama and Columbus. Lucas Oil Series regulars Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL and Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN have won two events, each, with Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN, Matt Miller of Waterville, OH, Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN, Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC, Brady Smith of Solon Springs, WI, Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, GA, Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA, Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, WV, Joe Armes of Petros, TN, Tim McCreadie of Watertown, NY and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL among the lengthy list of winners in 2008.
Pearson, the 3-time and reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion has the Lucas Oil Championship Points lead coming into this weekend's racing action at North Alabama and Columbus. Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN; the 2007 Eldora Dirt Late Model Dream Winner is second in the championship points standings followed by Bart Hartman of Zanesville, OH, Dan Schlieper and last year's LOLMDS Rookie of the Year, Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, KY, who fell ill before the event at Tazewell of Sunday Night and was unable to compete.
Completing the top ten in the current series standings are; Billy Drake, Scott James, Terry Casey, Freddy Smith and Bradford, OH's Wayne Chinn. Casey still leads Chinn in the Quarter Master LOLMDS "Rookie of the Year" battle.
The tire rule will be the same at both tracks: Hoosier 1300, LM20, 1350, 1600 and LM40 and the American Racer Tires SD44, SD48 and MD56.
For more information on the weekend's Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events, log onto www.northalabamaspeedway.com and www.columbusspeedway.net.
The latest information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series can be found at www.lucasdirt.com or by calling the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings
1) Earl Pearson Jr (Jacksonville, FL) 3880
2) Steve Casebolt (Richmond, IN) 3645
3) Bart Hartman (Zanesville, OH) 3535
4) Dan Schlieper (Sullivan, WI) 3400
5) Justin Rattliff (Campbellsville, KY) 3270
6) Billy Drake (Bloomington, IL) 3255
7) Scott James (Lawrenceburg, IN) 3145
8) Terry Casey (New London, WI) 3070
9) Freddy Smith (Seymour, TN) 2585
10) Wayne Chinn (Bradford, OH) 2585
Current Quarter Master Rookie of the Year Points Standings
1) Terry Casey (New London, WI) 3070
2) Wayne Chinn (Bradford, OH) 2585
3) John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) 745
4) Tony Knowles (Tyrone, GA) 425
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