BRISTOLVILLE, OH – Mother nature held the best hand over the second half of the race season as six races were impacted by rain after the Wild West Tour. The events at Muskingum (OH) and Eriez (PA) were re-scheduled while Fayetteville (SC), I-55(MO) and LaSalle (IL) were dropped from the World of Outlaws schedule. The “topless” race at Concord, NC originally scheduled for October 14 has been moved to November 3, one day before The WoO Finals.
The change of pace from what had been a hectic summer included a rewarding first late model win for Russ at McKean County Speedway. While he has amassed numerous feature wins in the King Motorsports big-block modified, including a BRP Modified Series Championship, the late model A-Main win was a first.
EAST SMETHPORT, PA – September 25-26 – October 2-3 – The fairgrounds track at McKean County Speedway stretched into a two weekend affair. Rain disrupted the ULMS late model series event after the preliminaries were held the last weekend in September. In a special event, Russ made it to the semi-final round of a “King of the Hill” match race.
When racing resumed the following weekend, Russ went on to grab the 4th annual Priority Care RaceFAN 50 feature win, pocketing the $12,000 winner’s share of the purse. Russ laughed, saying, “Considering I just got a $9,000 motor bill one week ago, I was pretty pumped (to win),”
While it was not a WoO Series win, the competition was formidable for sure. Congrats to Russ and the entire team for this accomplishment.
FRANKLIN, PA – September 5-6 – The Oil Region Classic was held again at Tri-City Speedway. We will catch up with detailed results from this race and several more from mid-season after the finals. Russ picked up a pair of tenth place finishes during the two day show.
Another accolade came to the #56 late model team as crew chief Bobby Bachman received the Integra Crew Chief of the Race Award for his part in leading the team’s performance during the Saturday portion of the event. Bobby was both excited and appreciative of the recognition. “I just can’t put into words how much receiving the award means to me,” said Bobby.
Wrap Up:
The middle of the summer was the beginning of a hot streak for Russ. He has notched a Top Ten finish in four of the last five WoO Late Model Tour events. His eight Top Ten finishes lead the Rookie of the Year candidates. He has also received the Rookie of the Race award in fifteen of the thirty-one races to date. Russ holds onto a nearly insurmountable point lead of 148 over second place driver Jordan Bland.
Equally important is the stronghold he maintains on the tenth position in the overall Championship Points race. By entering the Topless Showdown he is guaranteed that spot and a share of the tour’s nearly $400,000 point fund. Russ offered, “Winning the Rookie deal and finishing tenth in the points means over $30,000 to us. After driving around all season to do this, you want to go home with something substantial like that.”
Up Next:
The King Motorsport’s late model team will be heading to Concord, NC Wednesday in preparation for the final three events all at The Dirt Track at Charlotte (November 4-5-6). The competition will be extremely strong as most series have completed their seasons and those teams are a sure bet to show up for the WoO Finals.
Thursday night will be a “topless” show where the roof is removed creating a convertible atmosphere for the driver. Friday and Saturday are full regular WoO shows with separate A-Mains each night. Sunday night the WoO Late Model Series will hold their annual banquet at The Great Wolf Lodge near the speedway.
Thank You:
King Bros Racing #56 team would like to thank their 2009 marketing partners A-1 Racing Products, Mike Schimmley Kontracting, King Bros Ready-Mix, and Keizer Aluminum Wheels.
For additional information or to inquire about motorsport’s marketing opportunities with King Bros Racing, please contact Sis King (330)727-0565. http://www.kingbrosracing.com/
Prepared by Joe Secka – JMS ProPhoto – www.jmsprophoto.com
