Evansville, IN — TOP OPERATORS: UMP DIRTcar Racing’s 2007 Promoters of the Year are ready to roll out another exciting season of down-home, grassroots racing.
Terry and Pam Henricks, the husband-and-wife team who operate the successful Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, have their first UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned action of 2008 set to go this Saturday night (April 26), with Sportsman and Factory Stocks (called Bombers at Oakshade) headlining the Bill Reckner Memorial card. The track’s marquee UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model division debuts for ‘08 on Sat., May 3, to round out the weekly three-class program.
As has become customary, fans attending a Saturday-night show at Oakshade, a semi-banked, three-eighths-mile clay oval just west of Toledo , can expect to see arguably the biggest field of cars on the 100-plus-track UMP DIRTcar Racing circuit for a very family-friendly price.
“We have really, really tough competition in all our divisions,” said Pam Henricks, whose family built the track in 1976. “We average 50 Late Models, 30 Sportsman and 70 Bombers, so it’s hard racing all night. Our heats can be like features, because nobody can hold back if they want to qualify.”
General admission to Oakshade Raceway is just $12 for adults, $5 for children 6-11 and free for kids under the age of five. Pit passes are $20.
And those prices are for every event at Oakshade, including specials like the 11th annual ‘Birthday Race’ for Super Late Models on July 12 that will once again serve as the finale of the grueling UMP DIRTcar Summernationals. Not surprisingly, the $10,000-to-win, 60-lap ‘Birthday Race’– the biggest show of the year at Oakshade – traditionally draws a standing-room-only crowd, with many fans adding to the festive atmosphere by camping in the parking lot.
“Jon Green, my step-dad (and part of the management team at Oakshade), has always felt that we’re giving back to the people when we give them a special race,” said Henricks, “so we don’t raise the admission price.”
For their efforts in making Oakshade a UMP DIRTcar Racing success story, Henricks and her husband, who are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary this year, were honored with the 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Promoters of the Year Award during the organization’s awards banquet on Jan. 12 in Springfield, Ill. They were overwhelmed when their names were called out to the banquet gathering.
“It’s just awesome – there’s no words to describe how we feel,” Pam Henricks said after accepting the award. “We didn’t expect to win. We’ve been coming to the banquet a long time and never thought we’d get the award.”
Henricks makes it clear that the weekly racing at Oakshade is “not just Terry and I,” but a true collaborative effort. The operation of the track, which opened in June 1976, is a family affair.
“It takes all of us to do it,” said Henricks. “Terry takes care of the track and does the watering. I do the lineups. My daughter’s doing the pits. My mom’s doing the concessions (which are known to offer some of the most delectable food in short-track racing).
“We all love it. Racing is our life.”
The 2008 Oakshade Raceway schedule is dotted with special Super Late Model events, including the traditional ‘Birthday Race’; the 19th annual ‘Barney Oldfield Race’ on June 14 that pays $4,400 to win; and four visits from the UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned Sunoco American Late Model Series (a $3,000-to-win program on June 21, plus $2,000-to-win shows on May 24, Aug. 2 and Aug. 30).
For more information on Oakshade Raceway, visit the track’s redesigned website at www.oakshaderaceway.com.
SHAKE IT UP: The UMP DIRTcar Racing office in Evansville , Ind. , got ‘rattled’ a bit on April 18.
The epicenter of the 5.2 magnitude earthquake that shook the Midwest in the early-morning hours of April 18 was just 66 miles from Evansville , or about six miles from West Salem , Ill. The temblor was clearly felt by UMP DIRTcar officials, including Jim Magill, who said he was awoken from a dead sleep while in Paducah , Ky. , when the tremors hit. After-shocks have continued to be felt around Evansville for much of the past week.
The UMP DIRTcar Racing headquarters was not damaged in the earthquake, and there were no reports of damage to any UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned tracks in the region.
OFF AND RUNNING: The 2008 Sunoco American Late Model Series campaign kicked off on April 19 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, with a familiar face capturing the 25-lap feature – defending ALMS champion Brian Ruhlman of Clarklake, Mich.
The headline event was marred by an injury to veteran ALMS driver Hillard Miller, 52, of Defiance , Ohio . He is now home recovering from serious facial injuries – including broken bones around his right eye, a broken nose, broken teeth and a bitten tongue – that he suffered when an unidentified piece of debris slammed into his helmet while he was racing. He was taken to a nearby hospital after the incident, then airlifted to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne , Ind. , for further treatment before being released the following afternoon.
UMP DIRTcar RACING THIS WEEKEND:
* The ‘NASCAR Night of Stars’ at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway this Friday (April 25) will feature appearances by track co-owners Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ken Schrader as well as Kenny Wallace. The three NASCAR drivers will fly up from Talladega SuperSpeedway late Friday afternoon following the conclusion of NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying.
Assuming an on-time arrival from Talladega , Wallace plans to compete in the UMP DIRTcar Modified division during Friday’s program, which will be headlined by UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models.
There will be a limited autograph session with Earnhardt and Schrader, and Wallace will also participate if his evening of Modified racing does not conflict. The first several hundred fans through the track gates when they open at 3 p.m. will receive ‘autograph line passes’ enabling them to line up for signatures when called.
For more information visit www.paducahinternationalraceway.com or www.paducahracing.com or call 270-898-7469.
* Fairbury ( Ill. ) American Legion Speedway – the UMP DIRTcar Racing ‘Track of the Year’ in both 2006 and 2007 – opens for its 62nd year of racing this Saturday (April 26) with a regular night of racing featuring the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models, Modifieds, Sportsman and Hornets.
* The Northern Allstars Late Model Series visits Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell , Ind. , this Saturday (April 26) for a $2,000-to-win A-Main.
* UMP DIRTcar specials for open-wheel Modifieds are set for Friday at Moler Raceway Park in Williamsburg, Ohio ($1,000 to win); Friday at Callaway Raceway in Fulton, Mo. ($1,000 to win); Saturday at Thunderbird Race Park in Muskegon, Mich. ($1,200 to win); and Saturday at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway ($750 to win).
UMP DIRTcar RACING INFO: Log on to www.dirtcar.com for more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing.
ATTENTION: Any UMP DIRTcar track or race team with news that could be used in the ‘UMP DIRTcar Racing Weekly Update’ release can e-mail the info to Kevin Kovac at kkovac@dirtcar.com.
UMP DIRTcar Racing National Points Standings (as of April 20):
Super Late Models (driver/races/points):
1. Dennis Erb Jr. 6 440
2. Mike Hammerle 10 422
3. Billy Moyer 4 375
4. Jason McBride 7 359
5. Steve Francis 4 355
6. Rusty Schlenk 6 347
7. Rusty Griffaw 6 328
8. Rob Underwood 5 324
9. Wes Steidinger 5 320
10. Michael Kloos 7 303
11. Brad Looney 4 280
12. Ryan Unzicker 5 278
13. Wayne Shugart 5 271
14. Jeff Phipps 5 259
15. Tony Albright 5 254
16. Richard Ferry 4 252
17. Jason Davis 5 250
18. Ivedent Lloyd 4 249
19. Earl Pearson Jr. 3 244
20. Joe Kump 5 242
Modifieds (driver/races/points):
1. Tim Hancock 10 676
2. Kent Robinson 9 659
3. Randle Sweeney 9 658
4. Gary Cook Jr. 7 500
5. Chad Evans 8 477
6. Denny Schwartz 8 460
7. Jon Henry 8 447
8. Hank Schlindwien 8 416
9. George Gilbert 6 413
10. Mike Spatola 7 411
11. Sal Hebert 7 406
12. Clayton Miller 6 388
13. Jeff Matthews 5 380
14. Jamie Carter 7 361
15. Jason Taylor 6 352
16. Jeff Leka 6 347
17. Dave Hess Jr. 4 339
18. Kevin Battarbee 6 334
19. Kevin Hastings 5 327
20. Matt Bex 5 325
Pro Late Models (driver/races/points):
1. Duane Hodges 5 322
2. Levi Ashby 6 311
3. Jason Jones 6 289
4. Josh Harris 4 241
5. Caleb Ashby 4 225
6. Carnell Parker 3 220
7. Tait Davenport 3 216
8. Phil Gregory 4 204
9. Darrell Hartman 4 195
10. Mike Watson 4 191
Sportsman (driver/races/points):
1. Troy Clark 6 334
2. Paige Doyle 7 323
3. Shane Daugherty 5 310
4. Bruce Westerman 5 295
5. Patrick Vareika 5 282
6. Anthony Jackson 4 280
7. Danny Vogel Jr. 4 245
8. Bobby Richardson 5 240
9. Steve Branton 5 231
10. Jimmie Davenport 4 228
Limited Modifieds (driver/races/points):
1. Brandon Buhler 5 350
2. Bryan Barrett 5 265
3. Will Duncan 4 264
4. Evan Delahoussaye 4 260
5. Jonathan Clayton 4 250
6. John Paul Talkington 4 233
7. Lee Fincher 4 212
8. Ray Allen Kulhanek 3 210
9. David Jackson 4 203
10. Ray Breeland 4 198
Street Stocks (driver/races/points):
1. Travis Myers 8 530
2. Aaron Penton 8 439
3. Brad Taylor 8 409
4. Randy Arnold 8 396
5. Jon Wix 5 350
6. Josh Taylor 5 298
7. Grady Christian 4 291
8. Steve n Chapman 4 273
9. Doug Nastasi 5 269
10. David Cline 4 260
Factory Stocks (driver/races/points):
1. Mickey Hines 3 217
2. Bodi Henry 3 207
3. Cody Vanosdol 3 202
4. Mark Bruce 3 193
5. William Burton 3 181
6. Scott Erickson 2 152
7. Willie Sallee 3 146
8. Seth Hull 3 141
9. Jeremmy Owens 3 138
10. Josh Phelps 3 138
4-Cylinders (driver/races/points):
1. Travis Staats 5 355
2. Jeff Rittenberry 5 350
3. Charlie Staats 5 324
4. Michael Perrigo 5 308
5. Tommy Saunders 5 305
6. Brandon Kuck 5 298
7. Michael Rittenberry 5 297
8. Daniel Stephens 5 295
9. Patrick Carpenters 5 280
10. James Lovelady 5 275
