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Kevin Kovac
ZANESVILLE, Ohio (July 23) - The Million Dollar Man is waiting for the Outlaws.
When the World of Outlaws Late Model Series makes a first-ever visit to Muskingum County Speedway on Thursday night (July 24) to kick off Alltel Ohio Speedweek, dirt-track legend Donnie Moran will enjoy a true hometrack advantage.
Well, at least that will be the case in everyone's mind but his.
"Just because it's a family-owned racetrack doesn't mean a thing," said Moran, a 45-year-old veteran whose Dresden, Ohio, home sits within walking distance of Muskingum County Speedway. "The Outlaws have a bunch of guys who can win anytime, any place, anywhere, so it doesn't matter how much experience I have at Muskingum."
The three-eighths-mile oval has been owned by Moran's father, Ronnie Moran, since 1980. The elder Moran leased the facility to several different promoters during the '80s, but he's operated it himself since 1992 when he shortened the track from a half-mile to its present length and reopened it following a short period of dormancy.
Not surprisingly, Donnie Moran has come to know Muskingum County Speedway unlike any other track. He's "made that walk up the hill" from his house to the track countless times over the years, and he's been winning traveling series events there since 1985, when he captured a feature with the defunct All-Star Circuit of Champions Series. In all, he's won 11 touring programs at the track, including races with the UDTRA/Xtreme DirtCar Series, STARS/Renegade Series and Mid-Atlantic Championship Series (MACS).
Moran, who also holds his dirt Late Model driving school at the track, scored his last victory at Muskingum County just days ago, on July 19 when he tuned up for the WoO LMS invasion by winning a regular 20-lap feature.
"I'd like to say that win on Saturday night means I'm ready for the Outlaw show," said Moran, who fields his own MasterSbilt cars. "But when you run against the kind of competition that follows the World of Outlaws, you're never ready."
Of course, Moran, who this season has backed off his normal busy traveling schedule to focus on well-paying events closer to home, is anxious to take on the WoO LMS regulars in his backyard. The 40-lap, $7,000-to-win A-Main will be one of the biggest, most talent-laden races in Muskingum County's history.
"We're looking forward to it," said Moran, whose three career WoO LMS wins include one in last year's Vault Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., and two during the first incarnation of the tour (1988-1989). "Muskingum is a track where you'll see plenty of two-, three- and even four-wide racing, with some guys hanging their right-rears over the outside edge and some guys hugging up to the bottom. It makes for a great show.
"There's a lot of interest around here about the Outlaws coming to town. I hope it's the start of a long-running tradition at Muskingum."
Among the WoO LMS regulars whom Moran will battle are defending champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and Rick Eckert of York, Pa. Both drivers have won touring-series events at Muskingum County in the past - Francis in 2003 (UDTRA/Xtreme) and 1997 (STARS/Renegade), and Eckert in 2001 (UDTRA/Xtreme).
Moran singled out WoO LMS points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and 20-year-old Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., as being high on his list of Outlaws drivers to watch on Thursday night. Lanigan is on a run of 16 top-five finishes in his last 17 A-Mains, while Richards sits second in the points standings and is tied with Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., for the tour's 2008 win lead with four victories to his credit.
Other WoO LMS regulars headed for Muskingum County after spending nearly two weeks (July 9-21) running the 'Wild West Tour' are 2007 Rookie of the Year Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., who captured back-to-back tour wins last week in Williston, N.D., and Gillette, Wyo.; Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., who is coming off his first victory of the season in the 'Wild West Tour' finale on July 21 in Albion, Neb.; Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa.; 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., Danny Johnson of Phelps, N.Y., and Joe Isabell of Pennellville, N.Y.
The Muskingum County field is also expected to include a host of other well-known national and regional names, including 2006 WoO LMS champion Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y.; Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series titlist Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla.; Bart Hartman of Zanesville, Ohio, who won STARS/Renegade Series events at Muskingum County in the past; Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va., another former STARS/Renegade winner at MCS; and Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., who won back-to-back WoO LMS A-Mains during the 'Wild West Tour.'
MCS's pits gates are scheduled to open at 3 p.m. and the spectator gates at 4 p.m. on Thursday. Racing is set to begin at 7 p.m.
General admission is $23, with kids 6-11 admitted for $5 and children 5-and-under free of charge. Reserved seats are an additional $5, and pit passes will be $40.
For more information, visit www.mcspeedway.20m.com or call 740-754-9199 (track) or 740-763-3991 (office).
Alltel Ohio Speedweek will also pay visits on July 25 to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio; July 26 to Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio; and July 27 to Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa.
The top five finishers each night of Alltel Ohio Speedway will qualify to become the Alltel Ohio Speedweek All-Star, making a possible 20 different drivers eligible for the title. Voting will begin online at AlltelAllStar.com after the final Alltel Ohio Speedweek event July 27 from Eriez Speedway, and fans each night will receive hero cards and posters.
Additional info on the WoO LMS is available by logging on to www.worldofoutlaws.com.
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