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Kevin Kovac
CONCORD, N.C. (May 12) - Most of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series stars got their first glimpse of Attica Raceway Park last year.
But their first chance to race on the popular one-third-mile clay oval will come this Friday night (May 16) when the barnstorming national tour makes its inaugural visit to the Buckeye State facility for a 50-lap A-Main paying $10,000 to win.
Mother Nature prevented the first attempt by Attica's management to run a WoO LMS event, washing out last July's scheduled mid-week date. All of the Outlaws travelers were already parked at the track when the cancellation was made, though - and to a man they were disappointed to miss an opportunity to tackle a speedway they not only had heard so many good things about, but also appeared to be so inviting.
"The first time I ever saw the place was last year in the rain," said defending WoO LMS champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who enters the Attica program tied for second in the trail points standings and still relishing a $50,000 victory in last month's Circle K Colossal 100 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. "It looked like it could be a real racy track, so I'm looking forward to getting back there."
Yes, Friday's stop is one of the most eagerly anticipated shows on this year's WoO LMS. Attica Raceway Park possesses a well-deserved reputation for producing action-packed competition, and the country's best dirt Late Model drivers want to experience it for themselves.
Traditionally a home for open-wheel racing, the high-banked oval will continue to build the full-fender side of its program with the visit by the WoO LMS.
"We're really excited about the World of Outlaws race," said Rex LeJeune, the operations manager of Attica Raceway Park. "We're working to bring up our weekly Late Model program and having the World of Outlaws come in here will really get the division some attention."
Attica has hosted the UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Sunoco American Late Model Series several times per season for the past decade and is back on the tour's schedule again in 2008. The speedway has also sanctioned its weekly dirt Late Model competition under the UMP DIRTcar Racing banner for the first time this season, helping attract such young Midwestern talents as Tyler Boggs of Warsaw, Ind., and Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., to early-season events.
Boggs and Schlenk are among the regional standouts expected to challenge the invading WoO LMS stars at Attica, which has not hosted a touring dirt Late Model series event other than the Sunoco ALMS since a 2004 Northern Xtreme DirtCar Series (formerly Renegade/STARS DIRTcar Series) show won by Donnie Moran of Dresden, Ohio.
The 40-year-old Francis leads the traveling WoO LMS contingent, which features a 2008 driver roster that is arguably the most talented ever to follow the tour. He's in the early stages of a points battle for the $100,000 tour championship that has the makings of a thriller, with the top-seven drivers separated by a mere 38 points through nine events.
Three-time WoO LMS champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., sits atop the tour's current points standings, with four victories already to his credit. Francis and Rick Eckert of York, Pa., will tow to Attica tied for second (10 points behind Moyer), followed by Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. (-24), Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa. (-34) and the dead-locked Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., and Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. (both -38).
A bit further back in the standings are WoO LMS regulars Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., 2007 Rookie of the Year Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., and John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va.
Friday's field is also expected to include 2008 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contenders Vic Coffey of Leicester, N.Y., Danny Johnson of Phelps, N.Y., and Joe Isabell of Pennellville, N.Y.
Joining Boggs and Schlenk on the list of regional standouts planning to enter Friday's action are 2007 WoO LMS A-Main winner Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich., who captured two Sunoco ALMS features at Attica in 2006; defending Sunoco ALMS champion Brian Ruhlman of Clarklake, Mich.; and 2006 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, W.Va.
Friday night's program will certainly be "a dirt-track race fans dream," said LeJeune. That's because Attica's regular 410 Sprint Car division will run a complete show on the WoO LMS undercard.
Adult general admission for the rare WoO LMS/410 Sprint Car doubleheader is $30 for adults, $15 for students 11-15 and free for kids 10 and under. Pit passes will cost $35.
Pit gates will open on Fri., May 16, at 3:30 p.m., with grandstands gates unlocked at 5 p.m. and racing action heating up at 8 p.m.
The WoO LMS 50-lapper continues the 'Month of Mayhem' at Attica Raceway Park, which concludes on Fri., May 30, when the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series visits the track for the 40-lap Kistler Engines Classic.
For more information log onto www.atticaracewaypark.com or call the track office at 419-680-5606.
Additional info on the WoO LMS can be obtained by visiting www.worldofoutlaws.com.
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