DIRT LATE MODEL NOTEBOOK

Compiled by Jarrod Lehman

Updated: February 17, 2003

DIRT LATE MODEL NEWS:

UMP Late Model driver JEFF ALSIP will be competing at Florence Speedway, Union County Speedway, Eldora Speedway and selected Battle of the Bluegrass Series events in 2003. Alsip will pilot a MasterSbilt chassis with a Cornett powerplant. Some of the sponsors riding along on his car for the 2003 campaign include Limited Motors of Florence, Gotta-Go of Florence and Chris Alsip Masonry of nearby Walton.

RODNEY WING will be fielding his own team this year with sponsorship support from B & K Underground

RANDLE CHUPP starts a new job this week as Shop Foreman for NASCAR Busch Series team Amick Racing and team driver Lyndon Amick. Chupp will serve the same role as he did with Jeff Green. Chupp has weekends off and will run for McLaughlin Racing’s dirt Late Model, the Biscotti Restaurant & Winery #114.

JEFF TAYLOR is reportedly running Mastersbilt Race Cars this year and has sponsorship from Reed’s, Inc., JFR Graphics and Rockhard Powder Coating. Taylor is running a Kuntz & Company Power racing engine.

DON O’NEAL served as Ken Schrader’s dirt Late Model technical assistant during East Bay Raceway’s recent ‘Winternationals’.

DUAYNE HOMMEL has two new Warrior Race Cars to use in defending his SAS title.

JIMMY MARS will compete next in the Xtreme DirtCar Series event at Thunder Valley Speedway in Glenmora, LA on March 15. In his previous two appearances at the Bayou speedplant, Jimmy finished 10th in 2000 and 11th in last year’s event.

DAVID SMITH is fielding his own team this season.

ALLAN BAKER will be in a 2003 CJ Rayburn leaf car. Baker will compete at Wayne County and Lakeville speedways. New sponsors include DN Products, Rohr’s Accounting & Tax Service and Derrickson Communications. Baker’s new website is at: http://www.bakermotorsports.rocks.it/

JEFF CHOQUETTE, the 16-year-old from West Palm Beach, FL who turned heads at East Bay’s ‘Winternationals’, drives a Rocket Chassis. The high school sophomore was the 2002 Thundercross (FL) Motorsports Complex’ ’02 Late Model track champion. Choquette plans to compete at Thundercross and East Bay this season with selected Southern All Stars events thrown in.

MIKE BOLAND will be racing GRT Race Cars primarily this season and will hit the road more often.

We are getting reports that SCOTT BLOOMQUIST will not run the entire UMP SUMMER NATIONALS this season but may compete in selected weekend events.

MARK BILLET recently announced that his team has secured sponsorship with Hooters Restaurants of York and Mechanicsburg Pa. Billet Racing also has a new website at: http://www.billetracing22.com

JAY BLAIR will chase the SUPR championship in 2003.

SANCTION NEWS:

UMP will sanction the May 7-11 “Indiana Late Model Speedweek”.

The first Southern All Stars (SAS) Dirt Racing Series event will be on Saturday & Sunday afternoon February 22nd & 23rd at the Green Valley Speedway in Gadsden, AL., and the Annual Bama Bash that will pay $10,000 to the winner. For more information contact the Southern All Stars at (256)539-4484 or www.southern-allstars.com.

Southern All Stars have announced several new sponsorship programs for 2003. Brown Engineering of Aberdeen, MS., will add $5,000 bonus to the series champion provided he is running a Brown Engineering spec motor during the 2003 season. Also a new Engine Builder of the Year Program, Engine Builder Challenge were as each engine builder will pay each winner a $100 bonus providing they use their engine. Oval Craft Bounty sponsored by Oval Craft Racing Products will pay $50 to a race winner provide they are running their seat and decal and they will provide the 2003 champion a complete line of their parts for one car and give seats away from second through 4th as well as the rookie of the year.

The Carolina Clash Season opens March 28, a Friday night, with a 50 lap battle on the Half Mile Clay oval at Thunder Valley Speedway in Lawndale, N.C. This show will pay the winner $3,500.

RACE TRACK NEWS:

Brownstown Speedway starts off the year on March 9th with the reemergence of the Car Show at the Brownstown Dairy Queen from Noon to 4PM. All classes are welcome, and trophies will be given to the Best Appearing Car in each division. Open Practice will be held on March 15th for Late Models, Modifieds, Bombers, and Super Stocks . Season Opener will be March 22nd for all four divisions.

The 3rd Annual Bama Bash is set for Green Valley Speedway in Glencoe, Alabama on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 21, 22, 23 with the running of the 4th Annual Bama Bash, featuring the Southern All Star Super Late Models, in a 75 lap, $10,000 to win event.

Delta Bowl (MS) Speedway is a brand new, state-of-the-art, 1/3 mile dirt track located on Highway 3 just south of Tunica, Mississippi. The inaugural season for the new facility kicks off on March 15, 2003 and will feature several special events including appearances by the World of Outlaws, the All-Star Circuit of Champions, the Xtreme Dirt Car Series, and the Mid America Racing Series. For more information visit www.deltabowl.com or contact Dale Brewer at 901-604-6401.

The $3,000 to win LM "WinterFest" at Winchester (TN) Speedway has officially been postponed at (at 6:50 PM) untill Sunday, March 9th. Same time, purse and events as originally scheduled but now moved back three weeks. The owner at Winchester (Tim Smith) has done everything possible to get the show in this weekend but it is not going to happen. We apologize for any inconvenience this postpoement may cause and sincerely hope those racers and fans that were planning on being with us will be able to do so on the 9th of March.

Selinsgrove (PA) Speedway's annual motorsports show at the Susquehanna Valley Mall, Hummels Wharf, opens this Sun., Feb. 16 and runs through Sat., Feb. 22. Race cars representing the speedway's sprint car, late model, pro stock, roadrunner, go kart and micro sprint car divisions will be on display for race fans to view before the 2003 season begins in March. A driver autograph session is scheduled at the mall's center court on Saturday night from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. Selinsgrove Speedway's 2003 season opener is slated for Sat., March 22. For more information, visit the speedway's official website at www.selinsgrovespeedway.com.

INDUSTRY NEWS:

Race Art Custom Helmets has a new website at: www.raceartcustomhelmets.com.

Magnum Chassis has moved to their new location at: 3210 Pike St. Harrisburg, PA 17111. New Phone- 717-516-6066.

The Muscatine (IA) Mall Car Show will be held March 15 & 16. For info contact Becky Marks at 563-264-2323.

MEDIA NEWS:

RACEVIBE has been redesigned and revamped for the 2003 season with frequent news updates and photos at: www.racevibe.com.

VA DIRT LUVRS website has been revamped at: http://www.vadirtluvrs.net/home.htm

Delta Dirt, a show devoted mostly to dirt track racing, will debut at 11:00 A.M. February 16 on FM 96.1. The show will be hosted by Dale Brewer, and each week a driver will sit in as a guest host. For the inaugural show, Ben Shelton of www.MidSouthRacing.com will be the guest host, and they will discuss the upcoming, dirt racing season, and wrap the show up with predictions for the Daytona 500. The show will run through November, and will typically air before NASCAR races.

WVLC 99.9 “The Big Dawg”, the home of motorsports information on the radio in Central Kentucky, will host “The Big Dawg” Highway 80 Auto Auction Performance Vehicle Show on Saturday and Sunday, March 8 and 9 at the Highway 80 Auto Auction building located just north of Russell Springs, KY on Highway 127. If you want to register your car or you are a race track or vendor and would be interested in buying a booth for the show, please call 270-789-4998 for more information. WVLC 99.9 FM out of Campbellsville, KY is Central Kentucky’s home for all NASCAR Winston Cup race broadcast and also the home of the Miller Lite Motorsports Reports that airs on Tuesday night at 8:00. The Miller Lite show will begin the 2003 race season on March 25 and will be 90 minutes in 2003 and also will able to be heard all season long on the internet at www.wvlc.com.

The DSP (Drunks Saving Pennsboro) website has been updated at: http://thedsp.tripod.com/dsp/

CHUB FRANK’S WEEK AT VOLUSIA RACEWAY PARK

Bear Lake, PA --- Each season race teams have their own share of bad luck and for defending Renegade Dirt Car Racing Series champion Chub Frank, his week competing at Volusia Raceway Park in Florida appeared to use up his 2003 quota of “bad luck” as the famed driver failed to win a feature event and was plagued by bad luck gremlins all week in his Corry Rubber/Corry Laser/Nystrom's Auto Sales/Draime Racing Engines/Rocket Chassis/Pierotti Motorsports/Farr MotorSports Chevrolet Monte Carlo #1*.

On Monday February 10 Frank’s bad luck began when crew chief Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs, Jr., received word from home of the passing of his grandfather. Briggs flew home early Tuesday morning. During Monday night’s Volusia action Frank broke in his heat race and was forced to unload his back-up car, which happened to be the one that scored the $55,000 victory last October at the UDTRA (Xtreme) HARDEES SHOOT-OUT in Dixie, GA. Frank’s crew was down to crew member Bruce Repine and noted Western PA racer Alex Ferree who volunteered to help the crew while on his vacation.

On Tuesday evening Frank started fifth in his heat race and finished fourth, putting him on the pole of the third B Main where he finished second. Starting 24^th in the main event, Frank was up to tenth when his car broke rear-end gears, forcing him pitside.

Wednesday evening Frank started fifth in the fifth heat and placed fourth. He won the third B Main from the pole and started the feature in 21^st but dropped out after running 11^th.

On Thursday February 13^th Frank started fifth in the fourth heat and finished fourth. Starting on the pole of the second B Main Frank took the checkers which put him 19^th on the starting grid where he finished in sixth after a race-long battle with Thomas Ware.

On Friday evening Frank spent Valentine’s Day by starting seventh in the third heat with a fifth place finish. Starting fifith in the second B Main Frank brought his Rocket Chassis across the finish line second and finished the evening with a 12^th place in the main event.

Frank’s misfortunes continued Saturday evening when another set of spur gears broke in the rear-end.

Chub Frank’s next race will be the March 29 Xtreme Dirt Car Series sanctioned event at Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN.

For additional information on Chub Frank visit his website at: www.chubfrank.com.

By the middle of last week Matt Miller had successfully made it to the Monday and Tuesday features at East Bay; however, the remainder of the week was not equally fated.

Despite a commendable outing on Wednesday, February 5, Matt was unable to qualify for East Bay’s third feature due to an ill-handled racecar and lack of forward bite with the DSI Rocket. After a few changes were made to the #7 on Thursday, the DSI team qualified third for the televised Xtreme Dirtcar event. That night, Matt ran inside the leader by lap six, and was in the midst of a four-car battle for the lead by lap ten. Throughout the race, the #7 held its ground and respectably finished 10^th.

Unfortunately, Matt qualified 54^th on Friday and failed to make the Renegade feature, but by Saturday the team had again turned things around. The final day of racing for the East Bay Winternationals was a 100-lap, $12,000 to win Xtreme Dirtcar Series event. Claiming the Lucas Oil Rookie of the Race title, Matt qualified 10^th and finished 18^th in the night’s feature. Upon leaving East Bay, he was 13^th in points for the Xtreme Dirtcar Series and leading the Lucas Oil Xtreme Rookie of the Year standings.

This week, Matt Miller and DSI Motorsports hit the dirt in Volusia in their Stephen McCullough Industries/Lo Temp Brazing/McDonald Refrigeration/Banshee Graphics/Whaley & Son Collision/Interstate48.com/Jones Racing Products/Russell Baker Racing Engines/Rocket Chassis latemodel for the second week of Florida’s Speedweeks.

The first night of United Midwest Promotions (UMP) racing was Monday, February 10 at Volusia Speedway. Matt made it into and won the nights fifth heat race, and battled his way to sixth place in the evening’s feature. Tuesday, Matt made it to the pole outside Steve Francis, but when a bracket broke off of their rear suspension the #7 was pushed back to 26^th place. Unfortunately Wednesday’s round of racing was just as grim. Fighting with a tight car through the heats, Matt was forced to battle it out in the B-Main for a starting position in the feature; he finished fourth and suffered his first shut-out of the week. The team found a bit of luck on Thursday and again found it’s way to the feature. Though the #7 started near the back of the pack, Matt was able to climb his way to 11^th place before it was all over.

“We’ve had a good car all week, but it’s hard to gain momentum when we’re battling the likes of Wendall Wallace and Steve Francis. We still have a few days of racing and I’m confident in our ability to be successful,” Matt stated Thursday evening.

Valentine’s Day, February 14 was filled with anything but love notes and chocolate for Matt Miller and DSI Motorsports. After struggling through hot laps, the #7 had a disappointing qualifier time and was unable to make the evenings UMP feature event. After a heart-breaking Friday, the team spent the early hours of Saturday making necessary changes to their car. Matt qualified 14^th and started fourth in the second heat race. Starting on the pole of the B-Main, he finished second and started 22^nd. Though he was able to push up to 12^th, by the end of the race Matt had fallen back to finish 21^st in the $10,000 to win feature.

For additional information on Matt Miller and DSI Motorsports racing, check out www.mattmiller7.com. Information is also available directly from the Renegade, Xtreme Dirtcar, and UMP Series’ at their respective Websites: www.renegadedirtcar.com, www.xtremedirtcars.com, and www.umpracing.com.

In a week of racing at Volusia Speedway, Brandon Kinzer Motorsports was plagued with problems.

Though racing began on Monday, February 10 in Volusia, Florida, Kinzer’s #18 spent the majority of the first two days dealing with an array of brake system malfunctions. Brake problems caused the left front wheel to lock up, making it impossible to steer or drive the ½ mile track Monday or Tuesday. After pulling out the backup car, the Kinzer team was able to finally put things into action on Wednesday, February 12. The evening started slowly, but Brandon found and kept the lead in his B-Main to make it to the feature. Despite starting at the back of the pack, he was able to fight his way towards the front and finish 13^th.

Thursday was another tough day for the #18. With a less than glorifying qualifier time, Brandon was unable to take his team past the heats. Spirits looked brighter on Friday as Brandon again battled his way into the Valentine’s Day feature by finishing fourth in heat number five. Doing the best he could on a rubbered-over track, Kinzer fought to stay with the lead lap throughout the $5,000 to win UMP event; he finished 21^st.

Following the trend of the week, with success came disappointment, as Brandon was again unable to make the feature Saturday night. “We just couldn’t seem to get things going down here in Volusia. The positive side is that we were able to learn a great deal about the car and how we can apply this new knowledge throughout the 2003 season. I’m confident that we’ll have everything worked out by the time we head to the Southern All-Stars event in Green Valley, Alabama on February 21,” stated Kinzer.

For additional information on Brandon Kinzer Motorsports, check out www.brandonkinzer.com.

June 11 UMP Challenge of Champions Late Models and Wing Sprints with NASCAR stars with Ken Schrader - $10,000 to win

July 5 UMP Summer Nationals Late Models, Modified and Allied Sportsmen - $10,000 to win

July 30 UMP Challenge of Champions Late Models and Winged Sprints - M&M Night - $10,000 to win

April 11 UMP Late Models, Modified and Allied Sportsman and Pure Stock – Kids Night – 12 & under free

April 18 UMP Late Models, Modified and Allied Sportsman and Pure Stock – 55th Birthday Party

May 2 UMP Late Models, Modified and Allied Sportsman and Pure Stock – Nickel Night – Walton’s Catering

June 6 UMP Late Models, Modified and Allied Sportsman and Pure Stock – Kids Night – Bicycle Races