BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Jan. 15, 2009 — No one was surprised when veteran superstar Billy Moyer captured the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener during that year’s Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park.
But everyone certainly had to look twice when the record books revealed that the legendary driver from Batesville, Ark., had ended an eight-year absence from Victory Lane at the half-mile oval near Daytona Beach, Fla.
Yes, Moyer’s $10,000 WoO LMS triumph on Feb. 17, 2005, was his first at VSP since he won two UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned events during the 1997 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH. In only 19 days, Moyer will once again take aim at the stout field of Dirt Late Models that will descend on the high-speed track only 15 miles inland on State Road 40 from Ormond Beach.
Moyer put his long Volusia checkered-flag drought behind him in impressive fashion, rolling to a convincing victory in the 50-lap A-Main over Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., Scott James of Greendale, Ind., Rick Eckert of York, Pa., and Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. The next night he backed up his performance with another $10,000 win, taking the 50-lap finale of the four-night UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned meet.
Make no mistake: after a subpar 2004 season that saw him win just once on the WoO LMS and finish a disappointing eighth in the championship standings, Moyer unloaded his familiar No. 21 for action in the 2005 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH with a renewed focus. Then 47 years old, Moyer had spent the off-season not only gearing up his race team but also getting himself in better shape, dropping pounds off his frame with a regular workout program that he kept up with at Volusia by doing pushups in his motorhome every day.
The hard work paid off. Moyer carried the momentum he gained at Volusia for the remainder of the season, rolling to five WoO LMS A-Main victories and claiming the tour’s points championship for the third time in his career (first of the World Racing Group era that began in 2004).
In fact, Moyer clinched the 2005 title in dramatic fashion during the season-ending ‘Gator 100’ held at Volusia, passing Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., on the final lap to finish second and pull into a points-race tie with Francis. The title went to Moyer thanks to the second WoO LMS tie-breaker — second-place finishes (5-2 in favor of Moyer).
Moyer won’t be looking to snap any Volusia winless slide during this year’s Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, which features our UMP DIRTcar programs (Feb. 9, 10, 11 and 13) and two WoO LMS cards (Feb. 12 and 14). He won three (two UMP DIRTcar, one WoO LMS) of the five Super Late Model A-Mains contested during last year’s mid-winter racing extravaganza.
To see who emerges as a star in the 38th running of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, make sure to reserve your favorite seats in advance. With infield trailer heights limited to 9 feet, 6 inches, there are no bad seats in the grandstands at Volusia Speedway Park.
Take advantage of special ‘Super Ticket’ deals that offer seats for all the events contested by each headline division, including the six-night dirt Late Model meet; the six Sprint Car events (All-Star Circuit of Champions on Feb. 3-5, World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series on Feb. 6-8); eight nights of UMP DIRTcar Modified action (Feb. 3-10); and four Advance Auto Parts DIRTcar big-block Modified dates (Feb. 11-14).
To reserve your seats, follow the ticket links at http://www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com, http://www.dirtcarnationals.com or call the Volusia Speedway Park office at 386-985-4402.
More information on the WoO LMS and UMP DIRTcar Racing is available by logging on to www.worldofoutlaws.com and www.dirtcar.com.
