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Kevin Kovac
GILLETTE, Wyo. (July 15) - The first-ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series event at Gillette Thunder Speedway on Wednesday night (July 16) presents an interesting opportunity for Henderson, Colo.'s Kelly Boen.
Boen, 44, will have some extra incentive when he takes to the one-third-mile track for the 50-lap A-Main that pays $10,000 to win. He'll be performing in front of relatives he doesn't get to see very often.
"I have an uncle and a great-uncle who live in Gillette," said Boen, a standout racer who makes selected appearances on the WoO LMS each season. "I'm excited to go run there so they'll have a chance to see me race."
Boen, 44, last competed at his uncles' hometown facility last year in a Colorado Late Model Association event. He finished second in the feature to Eddie Kirchoff, a Gillette resident whose father, Ed, operates the track.
That single visit gives Boen more experience at Gillette Thunder Speedway than any of the invading WoO LMS drivers, who will all lay eyes on the track for the first time on Wednesday night. He doesn't expect his limited knowledge of the track to give him any special advantage, however.
"Not against these World of Outlaws guys," said Boen. "They've seen so many tracks, it won't take them long at all to figure out a new one."
In fact, Boen suggested that Gillette is much like a track that the WoO LMS travelers already visited one week ago at the start of their 'Wild West Tour.'
"I think it's a little similar to Deer Creek (Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., which hosted the WoO LMS on July 9)," Boen said of Gillette Thunder Speedway. "It's a pretty racy track."
The event at Gillette Thunder, which is located about 335 miles due north of Boen's home outside Denver, will continue Boen's busy stretch of racing with the WoO LMS - and with his relatives in attendance. He joined the 'Wild West Tour' last Friday night (July 11) at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., and entered the ensuing shows on Saturday at Estevan (Sask.) Motor Speedway and Sunday at Williston Basin Speedway in Williston, N.D.
Boen had the 'Wild West Tour' red-circled on his calendar as soon as the WoO LMS scheduled was released. That's because he not only has family members in Gillette, but also in North Dakota.
"My grandmother lives about 35 minutes from Estevan in Columbus (N.D.)," said Boen, who was born in Powers Lake, N.D., just south of the Canadian border in the western portion of the state. "I have second-cousins in the Fargo area (near River Cities Speedway) and I have cousins in Williston too, so running this 'Wild West Tour' is like a family reunion for me."
Boen has had his own cheering section at each of his stops on the WoO LMS swing. His 89-year-old even came out to attend Sunday night's program at Williston Basin Speedway - just the second time she had ever seen her grandson in action during his racing career. The only other event she had attended to watch Boen was nearly a decade ago when he ran an open-wheel Modified at Williston Basin.
Boen entered the stretch of racing with one thought on his mind: "I hope I'm competitive and don't disappoint all my relatives who come to see me."
The veteran racer certainly produced for his kin at River Cities, placing fourth in the 50-lap A-Main to record a career-best finish on the WoO LMS. An opening-lap accident knocked him out of Estevan's feature before he could even warm his tires, but he repaired his car and finished 11th on Sunday at Willison Basin.
Boen will arrive at Gillette after spending two days at his grandmother's home in North Dakota. He had plans to do some work on the roof of her house and enjoy a barbeque with family.
Boen will place plenty of competition on Wednesday night at Gillette Thunder Speedway, which will host the most talented field of dirt Late Model drivers in its history.
Leading the WoO LMS charge will be points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who is riding an amazing streak of 14 consecutive top-five finishes. He holds a 48-point edge over 20-year-old Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., whose four wins this season are tied for the series lead.
Other WoO LMS regulars with Gillette Thunder in their crosshairs for the first time include 2007 Rookie of the Year Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., who is coming off his first win of the season on Sunday night at Williston Basin; defending champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.; Rick Eckert of York, Pa.; Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa.; Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga.; Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill.; Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.; John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va.; and 2008 Rookie of the Year contenders Vic Coffey of Leicester, N.Y., and Joe Isabell of Pennellville, N.Y.
Several drivers who have been following the 'Wild West Tour' are also expected, including Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., Gary Webb of Bluegrass, Iowa, 19-year-old Ricky Wright of Winnipeg, Manitoba, 25-year-old Dustin Hapka of Grand Forks, N.D., and Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kan., who has been running WoO LMS regular Clint Smith's backup car.
Gillette Thunder Speedway's gates are scheduled to open at 4 p.m. MT on Wednesday, with on-track action set to begin at 7 p.m.
Pre-sale tickets are $30 and $15 for kids 10-and-under and can be purchased at Pat's Hallmark in Gillette. At the gate on race day, both spectator tickets and pit passes will be $35.
For more information on Wednesday night's WoO LMS show at Gillette Thunder Speedway, visit www.gillettespeedway.com or call 307-682-7290.
Additional info on the WoO LMS is available by logging on to www.worldofoutlaws.com.
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