Concord, NC — Dirt Late Model stars Billy Moyer, Josh Richards and Clint Smith have thrilled thousands of fans across the country with their daring exploits on the track.
Now, with the click of a computer mouse, their supporters can show some true appreciation for all the excitement they’ve provided.
Moyer, Richards and Smith are in a race they can’t win simply with driving talent and technical expertise. If one of them is going to pocket $12,000 as the first-ever Alltel DIRTcar All-Star, the money will reach their bank account courtesy of help from their fans, friends and family members.
Thanks to their victories in dirt Late Model features during the recent Alltel DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., Moyer, Richards and Smith are among a group of 18 drivers battling it out in the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star on-line poll.
A cool $12,000 prize from Alltel Wireless will go to the driver who receives the most votes in the contest, which runs through 11:59 p.m. on March 16. Fans can vote for their favorite driver once a day at www.AlltelAllStar.com.
Each member of the triumphant Volusia trio is counting not only on support from their own core group of fans and friends, but also their division’s expansive fanbase as a whole. Each driver believes that the dirt Late Model class has the most passionate, hard-core fans in short-track racing – and propelling one of their division’s favorite sons to a 12-grand check over 410 Sprint Car, DIRTcar big-block Modified and UMP DIRTcar Modified drivers would certainly prove a little something about full-fender devotees.
“I know there’s a lot of dirt Late Model fans out there,” said Richards, the 19-year-old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va., who earned his ticket to the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star contest by winning the World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener on Feb. 14. “I’m sure they’ll get behind one of us. I’m just hoping it’s me!”
Richards, a low-key, approachable racer known as ‘Kid Rocket,’ has an ever-growing legion of fans to draw upon in his pursuit of Alltel DIRTcar All-Star votes. The WoO LMS Rookie of the Year in 2005 and a serious contender for the 2008 series championship, Richards is especially hopeful that he can attract the computer-savvy youth vote – after all, he’s one of them, a Generation Next member who’s still the youngest regular driver on the WoO LMS.
Senoia, Ga.’s Smith, meanwhile, has long been a household name among the dirt Late Model aficionados of his native Southeast, but he’s also cultivated an impressive national fan following thanks to his performance on the WoO LMS and in other high-profile events. Last year, in fact, ‘Cat Daddy’ scored all four of his WoO LMS victories in Midwestern states and became one of dirt Late Model racing’s most prolific t-shirt sellers.
An entrant in the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star contest after capturing the $10,000-to-win UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model 50 on Feb. 15 at Volusia, the 42-year-old Smith would love to add another $12,000 to his self-owned team’s budget in preparation for the grueling WoO LMS season ahead.
Of course, Moyer needs no introduction to dirt Late Model fans. The 50-year-old from Batesville, Ark., is a true legend of the division, a superstar with a resume that features nearly 700 career wins and dozens of event and series titles, including six UMP DIRTcar Summernationals crowns and three WoO LMS championships.
Moyer earned his Alltel DIRTcar All-Star nod by putting together the best Alltel DIRTcar Nationals of any dirt Late Model driver. He won three of the week’s five A-Mains – UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned events on Feb. 11 and 13, and the WoO LMS finale on Feb. 16 – and the overall Alltel DIRTcar Nationals points title.
The 37th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals concluded on Feb. 16. The two-week event featured the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series, UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models and Open Wheel Modifieds and the All-Star Circuit of Champions. Each race night included two feature events that made a driver eligible to be an Alltel All-Star.
A total of 18 drivers from 13 states won features during the marathon racing meet at the half-mile Volusia oval, making them all eligible for the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star voting.
The winner of the $12,000 Alltel DIRTcar All-Star prize will be announced at the completion of voting on March 16 and honored with a special ceremony at a date to be determined.
Voting daily at www.AlltelAllStar.com for one of the dirt Late Model winners also enters fans in a contest to win a $500 gift card from Alltel Wireless.
For more information on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series or UMP DIRTcar Racing, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com or www.dirtcar.com.
Alltel is owner and operator of the nation’s largest wireless network and has more than 12 million customers. For more information about Alltel, please visit www.alltel.com.
