Concord,NC — DIRTcar Download is your source for everything in DIRTcar Racing. Throughout the season, you’ll find weekly news, notes and track and driver spotlights from across DIRTcar Racing’s regions.
DIRTcar Western Region:
Maria, Maria: The time has come for the best Late Model drivers in the western United States to do battle once again, this time at the high-banked, quarter-mile Santa Maria Speedway. Aside from the already stiff competition at a DIRTcar Western AllStars Late Model Series event, another formidable opponent will make an appearance at Santa Maria Speedway for this weekend’s $2,000-to-win A-Main.
NHRA Funny Car star Ron Capps will take to Santa Maria Speedway behind the wheel of a dirt Late Model. Although Capps is most well known for his straight-line performances, he’s been known to venture onto the dirt, competing a few times in the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals as well as the Prelude to the Dream at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway.
“We’ve been extremely pleased with our turnouts this year,” said DIRTcar Western Region Director Chris Morgan, who oversees the operation of the Western Allstars. “We’ve been at or near record crowds and we are looking forward to the same at Santa Maria Speedway.
“Santa Maria has always been an excellent place for Late Model racing, we’ve always had a great car count there,” commented Morgan. “We’re also thrilled that Ron Capps knows where to find the best Late Model racing on the West Coast and has chosen to join us at Santa Maria.”
DIRTcar Western AllStars standout Bobby Hogge IV owns the track record at Santa Maria with a blistering lap of 13.720 seconds set back in 2004. Hogge, who will be in attendance Saturday, sits second in the points standings behind current point leader Jeff Decker of Morgan Hill, Calif.
Front gates are set to open at 3 pm with qualifying at 5 pm and racing action at 6 pm. Tickets are $16 at the gates for adults with Seniors and Military personnel receiving a $2 discount. Kids 6-12 are $6 every night at Santa Maria Speedway with those under 5 getting in free.
Tangle in Tucson: The DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned Southwest Dirt Racing Association will again venture to USA Raceway Park in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday, May 9. Lonnie Parker Jr. looks to make it four-of-five in feature wins this season; only Anthony Madrid has succeeded in slowing down the El Mirage, Ariz., driver in 2009.
To say that Parker has been dominant so far this year at USA Raceway Park would be quite an understatement as he owns both SDWRA wins at the three-eighths-mile facility this season during SWDRA competition. Madrid garnered a win away from Parker at Manzanita Speedway on March 14, solidifying his top-five position in SWDRA points. Both are looking to capture the $1,000-to-win event on Saturday.
Ticket prices for Saturday’s race at USA Raceway Park are as follows: Adult – $12, Military – $10, Students – $10 and Seniors – $10.
USA Raceway is located east of Tucson off I-10 exit 268, then 1.6 miles south on Craycroft Road, which turns into Los Reales. For more information please, contact the track at 520-574-8515 or visit www.usaraceway.net
DIRTcar NorthEast:
Driver Spotlight – Dave Mannise: Since 2005 Dave Mannise has been a regular face around DIRTcar country in the DIRTcar Stock Car division. The start of 2009 has been no different from the driver out of Fulton, N.Y. Mannise has captured only one win so far this season at Cayuga County Fair Speedway in Weedsport, N.Y., but his consistency is definitely paying off.
The alltime leading feature winner for Street Stocks under the DIRTcar sanction, Mannise is the owner of over 40 wins since 2005. He has competed in a total of nine races so far this season, accumulating 520 points to lead the UMP DIRTcar Stock Car division national points standings through May 6. Mannise’s closest competitor in the standings is ‘Shady’ Grady Christian of Altoona, Fla., who lies only 12.5 points back and has two less races in the books.
With the battle being this close at this stage, it’s a sure bet that racing in the UMP Stock Car division will only get more tense as the season continues.
3 Times the Fun in May: Although Cayuga County Fair Speedway will take this weekend off in order to celebrate Mother’s Day, that doesn’t mean the racing action won’t be hot at “The Port” in the month of May.
Three exciting weekends of racing kick off next weekend with a double-points shootout for all division on May 17. A full show of DIRTcar Modified, Sportsman Modified, Street Stock and BattleKarz plus Mod Lite racing fills out Honest Abe Lincoln Night by Xtreme on May 17, with $5 admission offered until 5 p.m. The 18th Hall of Fame Classic is on tap for May 24 as part of a Memorial Day weekend that will host Northeast Modified Hall of Fame Inductions for New Jersey veteran Ken Brenn Jr. and “Canada Joe” Plazek, along with stock car pioneer Mike Klapak, who will be honored posthumously.
On May 31, $20 gets a cardload of fans into the track until 5 p.m. PureStox join the four-star program of Big-Blocks, Sportsman, Street Stocks and BattleKarz with the first green flag falling at 6 pm. For more information on an exciting month of May at Cayugacounty Fair Speedway visit them online at: http://www.cayugacountyfairspeedway.com
UMP DIRTcar:
Factory Stock Friday: Hartford Motor Speedway will fling itself into racing action in the month of May with its Spring Fling for UMP DIRTcar Factory Stocks on Fri., May 8. Action kicks off at the track with Hot Laps at 7 p.m. and racing at 8 p.m.
Hartford Motor Speedway is used to seeing some of the best in DIRTcar Late Model competition as Jayme Zidar and Brian Ruhlman both make laps at the massive half-mile facility. This week will feature the Pure Stock special which earns drivers in that division regional and national UMP Factory Stock points.
Winston Sportsman Special: Adding to the DIRTcar racing action you can find in Michigan this weekend, Winston Speedway is hosting the Kenny Blondeel Memorial, which has a unheard of 55-lap, $500-to-win UMP DIRTcar Sportsman feature on tap. Not only that, but fans can also enjoy a full slate of UMP DIRTcar Racing action with DIRTcar Late Models, UMP DIRTcar Modifieds, UMP Factory Stocks and UMP Sport Compact 4 cylinders with Bombers and Warriors racing on the card.
Mothers can enjoy all this racing action for FREE with a child as part of a special Mother’s Day Promotion.
Ask Anna:
Each week, Membership Coordinator Anna Walker will answer a question submitted by a member. If you have a question that you would like Anna to answer, email the question to her at awalker@dirtcar.com with the subject line “Ask Anna.”
Question: How do I get access to DIRTcarMembers.com if I am already a member and have received my membership card?
Answer: Simple! For all of you members out there who have already received your 2009 DIRTcar Membership License and packet, it is very easy for you to get a username and password for the website. All you have to do is email me at, awalker@dirtcar.com, and I will assign you login information. Your email address will be your username, and I will give you a temporary password that you can reset once you have logged in. After that, you will gain access to all of the great benefits and information available at your fingertips!
For all the latest DIRTcar Racing news and information, visit DIRTcar.com. If you’re a member or would like to become a member, visit DIRTcarMembers.com.
