CONCORD, NC – July 1, 2011 –
HOLIDAY TRIPLEHEADER: It’s arguably the biggest weekend of DIRTcar Late Model racing in the Northwest this season – and it’s shaping up to be a showdown between Oregon’s hottest pair of full-fender drivers.
Trevor Glaser of Tangent, Ore., and Rob Mayea of Bend, Ore., will lead the pack into this weekend’s season-opening holiday tripleheader for the DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Series, which visits Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore., for the two-day Clair Arnold Memorial on Saturday and Sunday (July 2-3) and Cottage Grove (Ore.) Speedway on Monday (July 4).
Rescheduled for Independence Day weekend thanks to rain on its original Memorial Day weekend date, the Clair Arnold Memorial boasts a $500-to-win preliminary feature on Saturday evening and a huge finale on Sunday night paying out a $5,000 first-place check. Cottage Grove’s Fourth of July spectacular will pay $2,000 to win and $150 to start, adding even more cachet to the holiday.
“We’re very proud to open the 2011 DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Series at the Willamette and Cottage Grove speedways,” said Chris Morgan, Director of Western Operations for World Racing Group/DIRTcar. “The tour is visiting two very fine tracks that are working together to provide the racers a lucrative weekend of racing and the fans three straight nights of thrilling DIRTcar Late Model action.”
While a host of tough competitors from the Northwest and several from more southern locations (including Clay Daly of Watsonville, Calif.) are expected to enter this weekend’s action, it’s Glaser and Mayea who figure to garner the lion’s share of the attention. They will continue their ’11 battle for supremacy on the Oregon DIRTcar Late Model circuit – this time with Northwest I-5 Series points on the line.
Glaser is enjoying a spectacular 2011 campaign, with five wins in seven DIRTcar-sanctioned starts putting him at the top of the DIRTcar UMP Northwestern States Late Model points standings. He owns two victories at Willamette (May 14 and June 4) and one at Cottage Grove (May 7).
Mayea, meanwhile, has made only three DIRTcar-sanctioned starts so far this season – all at Willamette – but he’s been almost perfect, winning once (April 30) and placing second twice (both times to Glaser). He ranks fifth in the current DIRTcar UMP Northwestern States Late Model points standings, which pays a $2,000 champion’s prize from a total points fund of $5,860 available to the top 15 finishers.
For more information on this weekend’s DIRTcar Northwest I-5 Late Model Series events, visit Willamette Speedway’s website atwww.trophymotorsports.com and Cottage Grove’s at www.cottagegrovespeedway.com.
WEEKEND IN THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT: Aztec (N.M.) Speedway will be a hotbed of DIRTcar Late Model competition on July 2-3, hosting the Independence Celebration Weekend featuring a two-day DIRTcar Southwestern Regional Challenge event for the Championship Late Model Association DIRTcar Series (CLMA) and the New Mexico Late Models.
The aptly-titled ‘Red, White and Zoom’ weekend includes two complete programs for the full-fender contingent – a $1,500-to-win/$200-to-start A-Main on Sat., July 2, and a grand finale on Sun., July 3, that offers a $2,500 top prize and $300 to start.
“We’re really looking forward to visiting Aztec Speedway for the first time,” said CLMA director Cory Moul. “This weekend will be our second-biggest paying event of the season, so all of our racers are very excited about making the trip to New Mexico to take on drivers from throughout the Four Corners area. We’re especially grateful to Aztec Speedway promoter Mike Tenski for showing his support of the Late Model division by putting up a very strong purse.”
Moul said CLMA points leader Scott Lewis of Henderson, Colo., and his father Steve will lead the tour’s charge to Aztec Speedway, which will bring the CLMA series back for another two-day show over Labor Day weekend on Sept. 3-4.
More info on Aztec Speedway is available by logging on to www.aztecspeedway.com.
‘PAP’ DOES IT: Richard Papenhausen of Chico, Calif., was the star of last Saturday night’s DIRTcar Western All-Stars Late Model Series event at Antioch (Calif.) Speedway, winning his first tour feature of the season and the second of his career.
Papenhausen, whose previous Western All-Stars triumph came on May 31, 2008, at American Valley Speedway in Quincy, Calif., ran the high side of the Antioch bullring to grab the lead from 2008 tour champion Chris Shannon of Merced, Calif., on lap 11 of the 30-lap A-Main and never looked back. He passed Shannon and ’09 WAS titlist Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas, Calif., in one deft move, providing added punch to his $2,000 victory.
Hogge finally disposed of Shannon for second with five laps remaining and was able to close the gap on Papenhausen, but he ran out of time and settled for runner-up money. Shannon fell to third at the finish.
Hogge remained atop the Western All-Stars points standings through four events, leaving Antioch with a 19-point edge (612-595) over Shannon. Papenhausen sits third in the rankings, 25 points behind Hogge as he chases his first career tour championship.
The next DIRTcar Western All-Stars Late Model Series event will be truly unique. On July 16, the tour’s followers will test an asphalt surface for the first time ever with a special visit to Madera (Calif.) Speedway.
LEADING THE WAY: Troy Foulger of Martinez, Calif., experienced a pair of subpar DIRTcar West UMP Modified outings on his home turf last weekend – 13th place on June 25 at Antioch and ninth on June 26 at Merced (Calif.) Speedway – but he remained in control of the division’s DIRTcar UMP Northwestern States points standings.
Foulger, 21, is winless in 16 starts this season, but he has four runner-up finishes and until last weekend hadn’t placed worse than eighth. He leads the States standings by 149 points (914-765) over Shannon, who is staying busy running his DIRTcar West UMP Modified as well as his Late Model.
For more information on DIRTcar’s Western Region, contact Chris Morgan, Director of Western Operations for World Racing Group/DIRTcar, at 805-637-1426 or cmorgan@DIRTcar.com.
Additional info on all of the series, sanctioning and member tracks of DIRTcar Racing is available at www.DIRTcar.com.
DIRTcar UMP Northwestern States Points Standings (After Week 22 – races through June 26):
Late Models (Rank/Driver/Races/Points):
1. Trevor Glaser 7 412
2. Bobby Hogge IV 4 261
3. Richard Papenhausen 4 247
4. Chris Shannon 4 239
5. Rob Mayea 3 218
6. Mark Carrell 3 189
7. Clarke Guglielmoni 4 186
8. Tory Swaygim 3 178
9. Paul Gugliemoni 4 175
10. Bud Walberg 4 152
11. Brian Cronk 3 145
12. Rick Wyatt 3 136
13. Clay Daly 2 135
14. Mike Miller 3 132
15. Anthony Rested 3 131
15. Blaine Taylor 3 131
DIRTcar West UMP Modifieds (Rank/Driver/Races/Points):
1. Troy Foulger 16 914
2. Chris Shannon 13 765
3. Bobby Hogge IV 10 579
4. Scott Busby 9 514
5. Ryan McDaniel 5 323
6. Andrew Krumm 7 322
7. Kellen Chadwick 5 315
8. Nick Decarlo 6 306
9. Randy McDaniel 6 303
10. George Lefler Sr. 7 293
11. Mike Salazar 7 291
12. Bob Williamson 6 285
13. Chester Kniss 7 278
13. Mike Shepherd 5 278
15. Keith Brown Sr. 8 276
DIRTcar Western All-Stars Late Model Series Points Standings (as of June 25 – 4 events completed):
1. Bobby Hogge IV 612
2. Chris Shannon 595
3. Richard Papenhausen 587
4. Clarke Guiglielmoni 543
5. Paul Guiglielmoni 521
6. Matt Michelli 458
7. Jeff Decker 420
8. Dennis Souza 388
9. Anthony Restad 342
10. Ken Michelli 336
