Most enjoyable stop during your racing season and why? I’d have to say either deer creek because how much the fans and track owners love world of outlaw latemodels …..or Sharon for the world of outlaws races

Biggest influence on your career and why? I’d have to say my dad.  He has worked a lot to be able to make this hole deal happen for me.

Ricky Bobby vs. Cole Trickle:  Who wins? Rowdy Burns lol!

Who is your best friend at the races? My Rocket race car.

What is your most memorable race experience? Winning the BRP modified tour race at Expo Speedway in 2007 or driving Dave Schraders back up car to win the Dick Rankin Memorial.

What would you be doing if not racing for a living? Probably a 9-5 somewhere.  If I couldn’t be the driver I don’t think I could be involved.

Must-see TV (programs you watch regularly): Mad House, American Pickers, Pawn Stars, Speed Report, Wind Tunnel

Music that moves you: Katie Perry – California Girls

What is the very first car that you owned? 1990 Chevy 454 pick up

Career number of speeding tickets: 4 I think.

Movies not to be missed: Days of Thunder, Step Brothers, Hot Rod

What web sites do you visit regularly? dirtondirt.com…  It’s all you need.

Biggest superstition: I don’t really have any superstitions.  As long as your prepared you make your own luck.

Bad habit you’d like to kick: Letting other drivers get into my head.

Last supper (one meal to have if you could have just one more):  Steak

You’d be surprised to know that I was: kiddy pedal tractor pulling champion

Three things you won’t leave home without: Cell phone, Oakley sun glasses, Necklace Ash got me

Best vacation getaway: Niagara Falls

Favorite sports team as a kid: Dallas Mavericks

Hero worship (people you look up to for any reason): There are many but my top two are my dad and Tim McCreadie.

Bucket list (three things you hope to do while you’re alive): Win crown jewel late model events, move out of my parents house, get married.

Words to live by (your favorite race motto, or best advice you’ve ever been given): Cat Daddy – “Getcha
some!”

HARTFORD, OH – July 25, 2010 – In a perfect world, Russell King would enter the seventh annual World of Outlaws Late Model Series event at Sharon Speedway this Wednesday night (July 28) brimming with the confidence of a young driver enjoying a breakout season.

But as King, 21, of Bristolville, Ohio, knows all too well, the learning curve in professional dirt Late Model racing is a steep one. So it is that the 2009 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year will head out on his home track’s three-eighths-mile surface for Wednesday night’s 50-lap, $10,000-to-win Ohio-Pennsylvania Speedweek show hoping that some familiar surroundings will help him shake his sophomore struggles on the national tour.

“After you do the whole World of Outlaws schedule for a season you naturally think it’s going to get easier,” said King, the scion of a family with a rich dirt-track racing history in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. “But the reality is that it just gets harder. Just because you have a year of experience doesn’t mean a thing.”

King’s second year as a regular on the grueling WoO LMS, which in 2010 is scheduled to contest 47 races at 40 tracks in 19 states and two Canadian provinces, has been a humbling test of his personal mettle. After making a giant leap in ’09 to follow the series with his family-owned team – a DIRTcar big-block Modified competitor since the age of 15, he had less than two-dozen dirt Late Model starts under his belt when he became an Outlaw traveler – he registered eight top-10 finishes en route to the rookie title and a 10th-place finish in the points standings. King was expecting improved results this season; instead, he’s experienced nothing but frustration, managing just two top-10 finishes while using 14 provisional spots to start A-Mains through 28 events.

A burly, hard-nosed competitor who wears his emotions on his sleeve, King got off to an extremely disappointing start this season – he relied on a provisional to gain entry in 11 of the first 16 A-Mains, including the first four – that sunk his morale.

“It’s been real tough to keep my mood and confidence up with the way we’ve been running,” said King, whose top finish of 2010 is a 10th on May 13 at Delaware International Speedway and June 15 at Can-Am Motorsports Park in Lafargeville, N.Y. “Every day this is what I do. I don’t drive trucks or pour concrete (for his family’s business). I work on race cars – my cars, and the (big-block) Modifieds that my father (Rex Sr.) and brother (Rex Jr., aka ‘Cooter’) run – so when we’re running bad it’s all I think about. I don’t even get that mental break of doing something else during the day to take my mind off it all.

“I’m lucky enough to be able to do this fulltime, but you can get yourself in a bad circle when you’re young and you’re struggling like we’ve been. You run bad and all week you’re in a bad mood and hate yourself, and then you think, ‘I’ve got to get in the shop to get better,’ so you work even harder and when you still don’t get the results it makes you feel even worse.

“It takes a lot to get out of the rut,” he added. “You can really beat yourself up, so I’ve tried to listen to what veteran guys like Chub (Frank) tell me. He’s been in it long enough and says, ‘Don’t let yourself get down too much or over-think the situation. Just keep working and one day it’ll just turn around. Something will go your way.’”

King has seen an uptick in his performance recently, qualifying five times through a heat and once through a B-Main (which he won) in the six WoO LMS events run so far in July. He recorded consecutive 11th-place finishes at Wartburg (Tenn.) Speedway, Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway and Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., and during the four-race ‘Wild West Tour’ he turned heads with season-best time-trial efforts of fourth at Deer Creek and second at Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D., where he also nearly won the first heat race of his WoO LMS career.

“It’s better lately – at least I don’t want to hang myself,” cracked King, who recently obtained the services of former Chub Frank and Clint Smith mechanic Brad Baum to enhance his existing crew that includes fulltimer Craig (‘Snowman’) McCrimmon and loyal volunteer Bobby Bachman. “We decided to just stick with our blue front-end (Rocket) car and get on the same page with more guys and we’ve had some better results.

“But even though we’ve qualified better, we’re not running good for 50 laps. We’ve run in the top 10 for most of the race a few times, but we’re falling apart at the end and finishing 11th or worse. We have to figure out how to maintain until the end.”

King would certainly like to put together his best outing of the season on Wednesday at Sharon, the top-notch facility co-owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup veteran and former WoO Sprint Car Series champion Dave Blaney. He brings in a little momentum after authoring several solid runs during his mid-summer break from the WoO LMS, including 10th-place DIRTcar Summer Nationals finishes on July 16 at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park and July 17 at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, and a fifth-place performance in a weekly show on July 18 at Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa.

With his shop less than a 20-minute drive from Sharon, King will have the support of a large group of family and friends. He’s hoping to give them a good show at the track where he won his first big-block Modified feature in 2005.

“I’m excited about it,” said King, whose previous WoO LMS finishes at Sharon are 14th (2009) and 21st (2008). “We were sixth-quick at an All-Star (Late Model Series) show there last month (he didn’t start the feature due to mechanical trouble) and tested there after that, so I feel like we have a general idea about what we need to do. I don’t have to worry about figuring out how to get around the track.

“I’m not saying we’re gonna be an upset winner, but I would like to finish top-five at my home track.”

King will face an all-star cast of characters at Sharon, one of three tracks to host a WoO LMS event every year since the tour’s reincarnation in 2004 under the World Racing Group banner.

The roster of Outlaws regulars includes former champions Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y. (2005 tour winner at Sharon), Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., as well as Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y. (2009 tour winner at Sharon), Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa. (2007), Rick Eckert of York, Pa. (2006), Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., rookie sensation Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., and rookie Jill George of Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Regional talents expected to challenge the WoO LMS regulars include defending O’Reilly All-Star Late Model Series champion Robbie Blair of Titusville, Pa., Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa., who won Sharon’s All-Star event on June 8, Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, Pa., Mike Knight of Ripley, N.Y., and Matt Lux of Franklin, Pa.

Sharon’s Wednesday-night WoO LMS program, which is scheduled for a midweek date after running on Saturday for the past four years, is set to begin with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and time trials at 7 p.m. The FastTrack Touring crate Late Model division will also be part of the evening’s action.

General admission is $27, with kids ages 9-13 admitted for $12 and those 8-and-under free of charge. Pit passes will be $38.

Additional info on the event is available by logging on to www.sharonspeedway.com or calling 330-772-5481 (info) or 330-772-1186 (tickets).

In addition to Wednesday’s show at Sharon, the WoO LMS Ohio-Pennsylvania Speedweek also competes on Tues., July 27, at Central PA Speedway in Clearfield, Pa.; Fri., July 30, at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park; Sat., July 31, at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio; and Sun., Aug. 1, at Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and Chizmark Larson Insurance; in addition to contingency sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pink Carburetors, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis, R2C Performance and Wrisco Aluminum.

BRISTOLVILLE, OH – May 20, 2010 – After a two week break to check over equipment and make necessary repairs, Russ King Racing headed back out on the road. Usually, there is a little more travel involved between races before the World of Outlaws Late Model Series enters into the meat of the summer schedule. This year is no different as the #56 team would travel to North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois and Kentucky over the course of nine days.

Fayetteville, NC – April 30 – The hauler pulled out on Thursday and the team planned to stop for a brief visit with Sis’s aunt and uncle, Tom and Judy, in North Carolina. They spent the night parked in a church parking lot across the street from his house before everyone headed to Fayetteville the next morning.

Fayetteville Motor Speedway drew thirty-six strong entries into the high-banked oval. The team had already decided to focus on the blue nose car in an effort to turn the performance around. Note: while the team’s cars are red in color, the current Rocket chassis designs are referred to as blue or black depending on the date of build and also the suspension mountings. Last year the track surface was slick with very little passing and the setup was based on this information.

Russ qualified twenty-fifth and struggled with a seventh place finish in his heat. The track had become slick already and they changed the carburetor in an attempt to retard the motor a bit. The car felt better in the B-Main and he finished fourth but still needing a provisional for the feature.

In the feature, Russ said the setup was off a little and the car felt as though is rolled over too hard. However he still managed a seventeenth spot when the checkers flew.

The team loaded the cars into the hauler and headed for the next race just after midnight. After stopping for fuel and a Vanilla Cappuccino, Sis’s new best friend, they began the nearly six hour drive to the next event.

Swainsboro, GA – May 1 – Swainsboro Raceway is located in the SE corner of the state and the humid 88 degree weather was somewhat uncomfortable, but still normal for the area. When the team arrived it was nearly 6:00 AM and everyone took a much needed sleep break before awaking about noon. They unloaded the cars before lunching on turkey sandwiches.

Continuing to look for answers, they moved the motor to the left a bit searching to find a comfortable feel for Russ. The battery was also shifted to the left side to aid in the weight transfer. After removing the transmission, Russ and Chub Frank completely went over the pieces as something just did not feel right in Fayetteville.

Russ qualified seventeenth out of the twenty-nine cars on hand. A sixth place finish in his heat was good enough to secure a starting spot in the A-Main. After driving to a finish of eleventh in the feature, Russ said, “We aren’t great yet, but we definitely made huge improvements in both the way the car feels and the way I drive it.”  “Baby steps,” commented Russ after qualifying through a heat for just the second time this season.

Leaving the Peach State, the King late model was still twelfth in WoO LMS points just ninety-two points behind Shane Clanton. It was well over a twelve hour drive back home to Bristolville.

Lincoln, IL – May 7 – With rain threatening the entire Midwest, the team headed for Indianapolis on Thursday. They thought this would be a midway point for the next race should Lincoln cancel due to inclement weather. With diesel fuel running around $3.25 per gallon, every factor needs to be considered. They met up with the teams of Tim Fuller and Chub Frank and spent the evening at a Flying J before convoying on to Lincoln the next morning. They encountered the severe winds that were attached to the storm front and wheeling the rig was likened to carrying a piece of plywood in a wind storm. After a total travel time of ten hours, the team pulled into the tight quarter-mile semi-banked track in central Illinois.

With thirty-nine late models in the pits, Russ qualified twenty-fifth with a time of 13.597. The bad luck demon once again reared its ugly head during the first lap of the heat race. Steve Sheppard spun in the middle of the track collecting Russ and two other cars. The #56 came back the pits on the back of the wrecker. A quick observation indicated they need to get the back-up car out in a hurry.

The B-Main took to the track before the car was ready relegating the team to take a provisional for the feature. Russ managed to gain two spots in the feature with the back-up car, coming home twenty-first.

Bardstown, KY – May 8 – Bluegrass Speedway is a beautifully manicured facility with plenty of grandstand seating and acres of grassy parking areas. The half-mile high-banked track was just over a five hour haul from Lincoln.

Obviously tired and frustrated, the team pulled both cars out to inspect last night’s damage and determine the best course of action. After consulting with fellow racer, Chub Frank, and Mark Richards, of Rocket Chassis, they decided to repair Russ’ favorite blue nose car. Everyone pitched in as the cross member had to be cut out and the tube chassis had to be jacked into place with the Porta-Power hydraulic system. After carefully measuring the dimensions, a new bar was welded into place and all damaged front end parts were replaced.

While Russ, crew chief Craig and Chub’s crew chief, Brandyn, were completing the front end repairs, Bobby Bachman was working on the rear end of the racer. Their hard efforts were rewarded when the car was sitting on four wheels in time for the night’s race activities.

Russ stormed the track with the first group of qualifiers and clicked off a 14.763 lap which held up to be fifth quick of the forty cars taking times. He finished third in his heat securing a ninth starting spot in the A-Main. The steering was off a little due to the major repairs but Russ still brought home an encouraging thirteenth place finish in the fifty lap main event.

Early Summer Review:

Certainly the team was still battling the sophomore jinx and bad luck bugs during this group of four races. The wreck at Lincoln tested the team’s mettle for sure but they proved to be up to the challenge. This was a test of determination and endurance and certainly will not be the last difficult situation they will face during the 2010 season.

Driving straight through to Ohio from Kentucky, would get them home at 7:00 AM on Mother’s Day. There was no time for rest as the modified teams were racing that evening and then both late models would need a thorough inspection before heading back on the road on Wednesday, just three days later.

Up Next:

The team will be heading east for races at Delaware International Speedway in Delmar, DE and Hagerstown, MD over the May 13-15 weekend.

Note:

Be sure to visit Russ King Racing’s website for updates throughout the season. http://www.russkingracing.com/
We need to send special thanks out to Rhett Butler for re-designing the website and all of his help.

Thank You:

King Bros Racing #56 team would like to thank their 2010 marketing partners A-1 Racing Products, Port City racing Mike Schimmley Kontracting, King Bros Ready-Mix, and Keizer Aluminum Wheels.

For additional information or to inquire about motorsport’s marketing opportunities with King Motor Sports, please contact Sis King (330)727-0565. http://www.kingbrosracing.com/

One flip of the calendar, however, has produced a dramatic change in the up-and-coming driver’s mental outlook.

Coming off a 2009 season that saw him obtain a serious full-fender education while marching to World of Outlaws Late Model Series Rookie of the Year honors, King is a new (young) man entering the 39th annual mid-winter racing extravaganza at the half-mile oval outside Daytona Beach.

King, 20, of Bristolville, Ohio, simply has a much better vibe about the dirt Late Model portion of the 2010 DIRTcar Nationals, which features the season-opening WoO LMS events on Feb. 11 and 13 as well as UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned programs on Feb. 8, 9, 10 and 12.

“When we went to Volusia last year I didn’t really have any confidence at all,” said King, a DIRTcar big-block Modified transplant who had barely two dozen career dirt Late Model starts to his credit when he unloaded for the 2009 DCN. “It was a whole new experience for me. I didn’t know many guys, and we didn’t really know what we doing with a Late Model. We were just trying to find our way.”

King certainly isn’t returning to Volusia with everything figured out, but going through a season full of hard knocks on the grueling, hyper-competitive Outlaw trail has him in a different place. Though the tough-as-nails kid would have liked to put up a better performance record on the 40-event ’09 WoO LMS schedule (he had eight top-10s and a best finish of ninth), he understands that the campaign was all about learning the ropes.

And make no mistake – King absorbed all the lessons like an eager student. In fact, he chuckles when asked to compare the depth of his knowledge today to one year ago.

“It’s not even in the same ballpark,” said King, who earned the $10,000 Rookie of the Year award over Jordan Bland of Campbellsville, Ky., by a margin of 148 points (3,604-3,456) in a battle determined by the drivers’ best 30 finishes. “Knowing what we know now, I don’t even know how we attempted to race (as a WoO LMS regular) last year. It’s like anything else – you have to do it to learn what it really takes.”

King has enjoyed a very productive off-season preparing his family-owned equipment, assuring he’ll be in a much stronger position when the first green flag drops at Volusia. With his work in the shop assisted by the hiring of Craig (‘Snowman’) McCrimmon as a fulltime mechanic (last year King’s primary crewman for most of the season was veteran wrench Bobby Bachman, a dedicated volunteer who often had to arrange travel to races around his work schedule), he has black- and blue-front end Rocket cars re-skinned and ready to roll with fresh powerplants and his trailer stocked with spare parts.

Buoyed by the most active campaign of his short career, King can’t wait to leave freezing Northeastern Ohio for the Sunshine State. He will arrive in Florida several days before the start of competition at Volusia in order to participate in a test session with several other Outlaw regulars at Ocala Speedway, which will host its first-ever WoO LMS event on March 19.

“I’m really looking forward to that test,” said King, who validated his WoO LMS education when he broke through for his first career dirt Late Model feature victory (worth $12,000) on Oct. 3, 2009, at McKean County Raceway in East Smethport, Pa. “Last year I would’ve just been out there testing to make laps, but this year I know guys like Chub (Frank) and (Tim) Fuller so I feel like I will understand more about what they’re talking about (during the practice) and can compare it to what my car feels like.”

King hopes the test will help him get off to a great WoO LMS start at Volusia, a track that happens to hold a special place in his heart. He made the first start of his racing career there, entering the DIRTcar big-block Modified action during the 2004 DIRTcar Nationals just one month shy of his 15th birthday.

“Volusia is where I learned how to put a car in high gear and go,” said King, whose 44-year-old father, Rex Sr., and 18-year-old brother, Rex Jr. (aka ‘Cooter’), will also travel south with their DIRTcar big-block Modifieds to compete in the DCN. “I’ll always have good memories of Volusia.”

King experienced some frustration last year at Volusia, failing to qualify for a dirt Late Model A-Main during the DCN. The two 50-lap, $10,000-to-win WoO LMS events that highlight the week were especially heartbreaking to the upstart – he missed transferring on Thursday night by just two spots in a B-Main, and on Saturday night he was headed to victory in a B-Main when his car’s engine expired in a cloud of steam.

“We had finally gotten our act together at the end of the week last year and then we blew up,” said King, who turns 21 on March 18. “Hopefully we can run like we did that last night from the start this year and not run into any bad luck. We started (the WoO LMS) behind last year – not only in the points, but with our motor program – so it would be nice to get through Volusia in good shape.”

King has the right focus for the task at hand. With all indications pointing to the 2010 season boasting one of the most competitive, talent-laden fulltime driver rosters in WoO LMS history, he knows he can give nothing less than his best if he expects to improve upon his 10th-place finish in the 2009 points standings.

“I gotta take this thing real seriously,” said King, whose racing effort is funded primarily through his family’s business, King Bros. Concrete. “My family is still behind this whole deal, but I know they can’t fund it forever. They’re giving me a chance to do what I love to do, but it’s up to me to make this deal successful. You hope you can turn some heads so hopefully somebody will take notice and pick you up or back you.

“I feel like we can do it,” he continued, looking toward the ’10 campaign. “I felt more comfortable toward the end of last year – we were working with Chub and Fuller, and we had some good runs (top 10s in four out of five races) at Tri-City. So as a realistic goal, I’m looking at a top-seven (finish) in the points and maybe a win if we hit it right at the right track.

“It’s gonna be hard, but if we stay focused I think we can do it.”

The DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH begin on Feb. 2 and run nightly through Feb. 13. Joining the dirt Late Models on the schedule are the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series (Feb. 5-7); the Super DIRTcar Series for big-block Modifieds (Feb. 10-13); the All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series (Feb. 3-4); and the UMP DIRTcar Modifieds (Feb. 2-9).

For tickets to the 39th Annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, visit www.DIRTcarNationals.com or call Volusia Speedway Park at 386-985-4402. A ticket package for all six nights of dirt Late Model racing is available for $175.

In addition, for the first time in DIRTcar Nationals history, all fans will have the chance to see the competitors and their teams up close during each race nightt. A FREE Fan Pit Pass is available to every ticket-buying fan who comes through the main gates every night; fans can show their grandstand ticket and sign in to the pits at a table near the pit entrance.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master, Wrisco Aluminum and Bill Pink Carburetors; Crane Cams Engine Builder’s Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.

Bobby Bachman will return to lead the team as crew chief and Craig “Snowman” McCrimmon has been brought in as a full-time mechanic. Russ’ mom, Sis, will return to handle the duties of driving the rig and feeding the crew while on tour. Of course Rex Sr., Russ’ dad, and brother Rex Jr. “Cooter” and girlfriend Ashley Jackson will again lend support at the shop and at select events closer to home.

King Bros Ready-Mix Concrete, Mike Schimmley Kontracting will return as sponsors with additional support from product sponsors, Schaeffer Oil, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Rocket Chassis, A-1 Performance, Integra Racing Shocks, Team Simpson, Ringers Gloves, Dano Bad Ass Paint, Mahan Welding and Fab, Cizmar Racing, and Hoosier Racing Tire Mid-Atlantic.

Russ offered, “My family is still behind this whole deal, but I know they can’t fund it forever. They’re giving me a chance to do what I love to do, but it’s up to me to make this deal successful. You hope you can turn some heads so hopefully somebody will take notice and pick you up or back you.” He will be striving for a great start to the 2010 season in the hope that a business will recognize the opportunity and come aboard as a marketing partner.

The KMS team will be heading south on January 31 for a test session at Ocala (FL) Speedway as the WoO Late Model Tour is scheduled to race there on March 19. After the test session, they will head for Volusia Speedway Park for six nights of racing. The WoO LMS will host two nights’ events and the UMP DIRT-car Series will sanction the other four.

After nearly eleven months of racing and following/chasing the WoO Late Model Tour across the country, the season was now over. Russ won the RoY title by a 148 point margin. The tenth spot in the WoO Championship points race was secured by a 199 point margin. With only twenty some late model races under his belt at the start of the season it is certainly an accomplishment to be proud of.

Russ made several trips to the main stage to receive his Rookie of the Year and Tenth Place awards along with presentations from Integra Shocks and Rocket Chassis. There is no easy way to describe the emotions of this night or the season in general. Russ probably summed it up quite well stating, “I’m simply living the dream! I can’t thank my family and crew, especially volunteer crew chief Bobby Bachman enough. There were a lot of people who made sacrifices behind the scenes and I appreciate each and every one of those efforts.”

He added, “Chub Frank and Tim Fuller were a tremendous help throughout the grind of the tour. And the WoO officials did everything possible to make our first year a smooth one.”

They were confident because of the consistency of their finishes since mid-season and also because of the recent win at McKean County Speedway. But they were also concerned because, as Russ said, “The other drivers aren’t going to be throwing in the towel just yet.”

They felt a sense of relief knowing this would be the last long trip away from home for the 2009 racing season. Yet they felt a sense of anxiety with the realization there would be no more racing until the 2010 season begins.

Concord, NC – November 4 – When the hauler pulled into The Dirt Track at Charlotte early Wednesday, there was a long line of teams waiting for the gates to open. Eighty-two of the best teams from around the country were on hand to try their hand at collecting some of The Showdown and Final’s purse booty.

First up on the racing schedule was the Topless Showdown. One of the first tasks on the list was to remove the roof, ergo topless. Although this was a show points only race, it was still a matter of setting the tone for the balance of the weekend. Each participating Outlaw team would receive the same seventy-five point value for the first night only.

Russ was one of two rookie contenders to make it into the Topless Showdown feature. However, rough track conditions delayed the feature until Thursday night. Russ advanced five spots from his starting position to finish twenty-third. The equipment was completely intact and that was important too.

The Finals – Qualifying Night – There would be two rounds of qualifying, one set for Friday’s race and the second round for Saturday’s feature. Russ managed the thirty-second and thirty-fifth spots in his two rounds. He was comfortably in the top half but there were a lot of great teams in the house.

The Finals – Friday – Final’s Race One – Russ was able to use a provisional starting position taking the twenty-sixth starting slot. He drove up to eighteenth spot before the checkers flew. This was the race that cemented his grasp of the Rookie of the Year title and also the tenth position in the overall points chase.

The Finals – Saturday – Final’s Race Two – Three of the rookie contenders made the Saturday feature, but the battle was already over. Russ finished twentieth, on this, the final night of racing.

Wrap Up:
After nearly eleven months of racing and following/chasing the WoO Late Model Tour across the country, the season was now over. The RoY title was won by a 131 point margin. The tenth spot in the WoO Championship points race was secured by a 199 point margin. With only twenty some late model races under his belt at the start of the season it is certainly an accomplishment to be proud of.

The WoO Late Model Awards Banquet – The Great Wolf Lodge hosted the series banquet on Sunday night. It was a night to relax and spend time with friends, both old and new. Some racing stories were re-hashed and rumors about the 2010 season were discussed.

Russ made several trips to the main stage to receive his Rookie of the Year and Tenth Place awards along with presentations from Integra Shocks and Rocket Chassis. There is no easy way to describe the emotions of this night or the season in general. Russ probably summed it up quite well stating, “I’m simply living the dream! I can’t thank my family and crew, especially volunteer crew chief Bobby Bachman enough.”

He added, “Chub Frank and Tim Fuller were a tremendous help throughout the grind of the tour. And the WoO officials did everything possible to make our first year a smooth one.”

Unfortunately it was a sad night also as Raye Vest, owner of Rick Eckert’s team, had passed away on Wednesday.  The King Motor Sport’s team joins the entire racing community in extending their heartfelt sympathy to the Vest family and #24 race team.  

Up Next:
Tentative plans call for another season on tour with The Outlaws. The crew has already started dismantling the race cars in preparation for the upcoming season. As usual, every part will be inspected and either rebuilt or replaced. Although it’s termed the “off season”, it will be far from a vacation.

It’s all business outside of the shop too as prospective sponsors are being contacted to discuss marketing options with Russ King for 2010. The winter racing in Georgia and Florida is just around the corner!

Thank You:
King Motor Sport’s #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

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

Crew chief Bobby Bachman was back from his Hawaii trip and teamed up once again with Russ and Nick on this trip.

SPRING VALLEY, MN – July 8 – A steady morning rain greeted the teams when they arrived at Deer Creek Speedway a day early. That evening the track prepared a cook-out featuring giant smoked pork chops just to welcome the WoO racers. This facility is a state of the art complex sitting on over sixty acres in the central Midwest. The three-eighths mile high-banked clay oval includes VIP suites and decks with a total seating capacity of eight thousand. Sis was intrigued by the huge amount of new equipment on hand for track maintenance.

Forty-four cars were in the pits and Russ’s qualifying lap of 14.782 was twenty-second quick. He started seventh in his heat race advancing one spot at the finish. A third place finish in the B-Main secured the twenty-first starting spot in the A-Main. Russ picked up five positions in the fifty lap main event, finishing sixteenth.

The first canceled race provided a one-day break in the schedule and Chub Frank convinced several teams they should journey to the Mall of America. Reaching four stories into the sky and housing an indoor amusement park along with over five hundred stores, it was a worthwhile site to see. Several of the drivers headed for a kart racing track just to keep their reaction time in shape. At least that was what they said!

GRAND FORKS, ND – July 10 – River Cities Speedway claims to be a four-tenths mile dirt and yellow clay track. Many drivers insist it is more like a quarter mile bullring. Russ seemed to take a liking to the track as he qualified sixteenth of the thirty-five racers who signed in.

He started and finished fourth in his heat thereby gaining an automatic transfer spot into the feature. After starting sixteenth, Russ drove hard to finish ninth also gaining the Rookie of the Race award. This was his best WoO finish to date.

The races were followed by a well attended autograph session. Then there was a late night picnic get-together with folks from the Chub Frank, Tim Fuller, Brent Robinson, Dustin Hapka and Clint Smith teams along with WoO announcer Rick Eshelman and his wife Sandy. Everyone shared some stories and laughs before turning in.

The second cancellation, the Canadian race, allowed time for the King team to take in the historic town of Deadwood. Here they also met up with, fellow rookie, Dustin Hapka’s family for a relaxing dinner and some sightseeing. Noted for the demise of Wild Bill Hickok, the streets are lined with western style saloons and casinos.

GILLETTE, WY – July 14 – When the team pulled into Gillette Thunder Speedway, they were greeted by wind gusts approaching forty miles per hour. The resulting dust storm had many pulling their t-shirts over their heads to filter out the grit. Fortunately, the winds subsided by race time.

Russ took to the high banked one-third mile oval quickly and qualified seventeenth of the thirty-seven drivers. Disappointed in his fifth place finish in his heat, he went on to win the B-Main event which was followed by a thirteenth, and Rookie of the Race, in the feature.

The WoO tour originally had a single built-in break scheduled at this point. A tradition has developed as many teams enjoy heading for Mount Rushmore. The first stop was Sturgis, SD which is likely best known for hosting the largest motorcycle gathering in the country. Here everyone headed for refreshments at the Knuckle Saloon, followed by a quick volleyball tourney.

From there it was off to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. Both sites are absolutely amazing and represent important eras in our country’s history. Everyone was taken in by the enormity of the task involved in carving out the mountain side.

HURON, SD – July 16 – The Dakota State Fair Speedway hosted the final event of this tour. Twenty-nine cars signed in and Russ’ qualifying lap was sixteenth quick. He finished fourth in his heat, from a sixth starting spot, to nab a transfer into the A-Main where he would start tenth.

The track rubbered up and proved to be fairly abrasive as several drivers experienced blown tires. Russ used a conservative driving approach and held on for another Top Ten finish.

Although this trip was limited to only four races, the distance traveled and number of days away from home seemed to wear everyone down. Immediately after the racing was complete, they packed up the cars and gear and headed home. Bristolville was nineteen hours away but they were determined to get back in time to see Rex and Cooter race their modifieds at Sharon on Saturday night.

Wrap Up:
The Wild West Tour consumed a little over 3500 road miles and fifty-five hours of drive time. This is without even counting the side trips to Mount Rushmore and the Mall of America.

Russ maintains the Rookie of the Year point lead he took over in New York and extended it a bit out to fifty-seven points. This is a very slim lead and the rest of the ROY candidates will be looking to move to the front before the last race of the year in Concord, NC.

Up Next:
This will be a quick turnaround for the King Motor Sport’s late model team. After heading home from the Wild West Tour, they will spend a few days where the cars will undergo the ritual of disassembly, cleaning, and inspection of all critical parts. This process is essential in limiting breakdowns while on tour.

If there is such a thing, the next go round can be called a “home tour.” The ALLTEL Ohio Late Model Speedweeks will begin four consecutive days of racing at Muskingum Speedway in Zanesville, OH. Completing this mini-tour will be shows at Attica Raceway Park, Sharon Speedway and Eriez Speedway. This is a great opportunity for KMS fans to catch Russ in action close to home.

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

Regular crew chief, Bobby Bachman, would not be with the team on this trip as he and his wife were visiting family in Hawaii. Modified crew member, Mark Bates, was helping out at the races in Canada and Nick Emerson took over for the New York and Pennsylvania races.

BRANTFORD, ONT – June 18 – Forty-two teams signed in at Ohsweken Speedway with a strong group of them being either local or regional teams. Russ qualified twenty-sixth and started seventh in his heat race. A sixth place heat race finish meant he would need to qualify for the feature through the B-Main. He started fourth and went on to win the heat and was set to start seventeenth in the feature.

Unfortunately, they discovered a broken fitting on the fuel cell when re-fueling for the main event. With time running out, they quickly pulled the back-up car out of the hauler and a few quick changes before heading out onto the track. The change in cars meant Russ would have to drop to the tail of the field. He was up to the task and charged to a tenth place finish, his second Top 10 with the Outlaws.

DRUMMONDVILLE, QUE – June 20 – Friday was a day off from racing, but not from travel. It was a little over an eight hour haul to Autodrome Drummond in Quebec Province. The area had been catching the rain that was pelting much of the entire East coast for several days but a clearing allowed the racers to head out onto the track. The hot lap session soon turned into a “wet lap” session and finally a cancellation due to persistent rain and a dire forecast.

This race will not be made up this year but the track officials said they will be scheduling the series in 2010. The team did mention they enjoyed the Putine French fries with gravy and cheese curds on top. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?

LONG SAULT, ONT – June 21 – Struggling to find the right set-up at Cornwall Motor Speedway, Russ qualified twenty-fourth of the twenty-nine teams in the pits. He started next to last in his heat but drove to a sixth place finish which netted him an automatic transfer into the feature.

Russ started eighteenth and finished in the same position. It was not a bad night considering this was another first-time visit to a track. Of course, this is the case at nearly all tracks on the WoO Tour and the team looks forward to  next year when they have notes to work from.

On the plus side, while in Canada, he had advanced two positions in the WoO Championship Points race and was now up to the eleventh position.

LAFARGEVILLE, NY – June 22 – Race, travel, race again and then travel some more is the routine for touring series teams. They were now back in the USA and Russ promptly qualified thirteenth of the thirty-one racers at Can-Am Speedway. Can-Am is a slick surface, so the qualifying time was a plus for the team. A sixth place finish in his heat secured another automatic transfer into the A-Main. He started sixteenth but lost four positions and finished twentieth after missing the optimum selection on tires.

CANANDAIGUA, NY – June 23 – Thirty-three cars checked into Canandaigua Speedway and Russ’ time of 18.641 was seventeenth quick. He started sixth in the heat but fell back to finish eighth forcing a B-Main transfer attempt. Slotted into the fifth hole at the dropping of the green flag, he advanced to finish second gaining a transfer into the feature.

In the A-Main, Russ finished eighteenth, up two positions from his twentieth starting spot.

The feature win went to NY driver Tim McCreadie in just his fourth start since returning to racing. Tim had suffered a fractured a vertebrae in a wild crash January 15 at the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, OK. Tim’s dad, the legendary “Bare Foot Bob” McCreadie was on hand to see his son’s win. Welcome back and congratulations to Tim!

MINERSVILLE. PA – June 24 – Big Diamond Raceway lured forty-six late models on a beautiful night for racing. Russ managed only the thirty-second best time as the local drivers were extremely quick on this evening. He raced from an eighth starting spot up to finish sixth in his heat on a night when only four drivers were given automatic transfers into the A-Main. The competition was going to be fierce and they would not be conceding anything.

This was a prime example of a facility where the local drivers who race their track every week just have everything figured out a little better than the touring teams. Russ needed to qualify through the B-Mains along with WoO regulars Rick Eckert, Chub Frank, Clint Smith, Shane Clanton, Brady Smith, and NASCAR driver, Ken Schrader. It was going to be an interesting night for sure.

Russ finished second to Ken Schrader in his B-Main after starting fourth thereby gaining one of the coveted feature starting spots. He was slotted for the twentieth starting position in the feature for his efforts. Russ was able to move up four spots to finish sixteenth. More importantly, he picked up another position in the WoO Points Championship race and is also became the leading Rookie of the Year candidate.

Russ, said, “If holding onto this spot is as difficult as it was getting here, I have a real tough fight on my hands. This group of rookies is just not giving up at all. Then we have all of the WoO regulars to contend and the Big Diamond regulars were extremely strong this evening. Wow, what a night!”

SARVER, PA – June 25 – The field was pretty much set for Lernerville Speedway’s Showdown at Sarvertown back on May 5. Rain had curtailed that program and the remaining B-Main and feature were re-scheduled for this night. Russ had already earned the sixteenth starting position by virtue of his fourth place heat race finish back in May.

Teams had to consider the possibility of a shortened event as lightening could be seen in the distance. A light rain fell during the first twenty laps but the threat subsided and the entire distance went into the books.

Russ was the only Rookie of the Year candidate to qualify through a heat race and he went on to finish fourteenth in the main event.

WoO Championship points from this race were transitioned into the current list which now showed Russ solidly in the tenth spot in the standings and also at the top of the ROY list.

An open practice for competitors followed the feature but thunderstorms took charge forty minutes into the session.

SARVER, PA – June 26-27 – The Firecracker 100 is rapidly becoming one of the premier dirt late model racing events in the country. Fans begin filing into Lernerville Speedway several days in advance just to set up their campsites. SPEED TV was on hand to tape the action with telecast scheduled for July 25. Joining the World of Outlaws teams were some of the top independent teams in the country as they began setting up shop in the pits on Thursday. Sixty-one racers were in place to see who would take home the $30,000 winner’s purse.

Russ’ time of 18.571 was thirty-third quick in the large field. His qualifying effort set him into the sixth spot of the third heat which included independent stars Brian Birkhofer, Scott Bloomquist and Jimmy Owens. With only the top three transferring to the A-Main, this was looking to be very difficult.

Russ held on for a sixth in the heat which was good enough to bypass the C-Main and he started eighth in the first of two B-Mains. He was charging to the front but got tangled up with Ron Davies about midway through the race. Fortunately, his position in the Championship Points qualified him for a WoO provisional in the feature along with Shane Clanton.

One hundred laps is a test of speed and endurance for dirt late models and The Firecracker 100 would prove to be just that. Flat tires and a few part failures to go along with several racing incidents tested the grit of all twenty-eight starters. Russ held his own but was forced out with six laps to go when a pulley broke on the oil pump. His performance was still good enough for a sixteenth finish spot and the Rookie of the Race award.

Friday night the King Motor Sport’s crew of Nick Emerson and Shane Winans participated in the Crew Chief Challenge and made it into the quarter-final round before being eliminated. Saturday afternoon Russ participated in the driver/fan horseshoe competition. They had a great time but were eliminated by eventual winners, Team Chub Frank, in the first round.

Wrap Up:
The King Motor Sports #56 team traveled over 1800 miles on this trip with more than thirty-five hours being spent on the road. Pulling into Lernerville Speedway, a track they have raced at on occasion, was almost like being at home. Arriving home in Bristolville Saturday night was better yet!

After taking over the rookie points lead at Big Diamond, the Lernerville finish added a cushion of fifty-three points over second place ROY candidate Kentuckian Jordan Bland. The 2009 competition is certainly shaping up looks to be a tough battle right to the end.

Up Next:
A week at home will be welcome indeed after being on the road for eleven days during the Great Northern Tour. It will be a great time to sleep in their own beds but not really a time for rest. This will very busy time as the team prepares the cars for the next series of races with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.

Just after the Fourth of July holiday, Sis will be taking the hauler on the road for the Wild West Tour. They are scheduled to race twice in Minnesota, once in Wyoming, South Dakota and North Dakota along with another trip north of the border into Saskatchewan, CAN.  Six races in nine days, it’s another tough grind coming up.

Thank You:
King Bros Racing #56 team would like to thank their 2009 marketing partners A-1 Racing Products, 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