Racerchaser
01-09-2007, 11:48 AM
by Kevin Kovac
CONCORD, N.C. -- Three 360 OTC World of Outlaws Late Model Series driving stars will quench their thirsts for competition this weekend by entering high-profile racing events held indoors.
Reigning 360 OTC WoO LMS champion Tim McCreadie and 2005 tour Rookie of the Year Josh Richards are headed to Tulsa, Okla., for the wildly popular Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, while the trail’s winningest driver in ’06, Rick Eckert, will travel to the Jersey Shore to run a 600cc Micro-Sprint in the ‘Gambler’s Classic’ Atlantic City Indoor Race.
Considering his status as defending race winner, McCreadie will be in the spotlight when he arrives in the Sooner State for the 21st annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, a unique event contested Jan. 9-13 on a quarter-mile clay oval erected inside the sprawling Tulsa Exposition Center.
McCreadie, 32, of Watertown, N.Y., shocked the open-wheel establishment one year ago, becoming the first dirt Late Model regular to capture the ‘Golden Driller’ trophy that goes to the victor of the 50-lap Chili Bowl A-Main. He emerged triumphant in just his second appearance in the event.
Can McCreadie do it again? He doesn’t see why not.
“I’m running the same exact car I did last year, so I already know it can get the job done,” said McCreadie, who is reuniting with Midget team owner Steve Smith (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#), a native of Australia, to shoot for a repeat. “But you never know what can happen. With so much talent in one place, it’s one of the toughest races of the year.”
Indeed, McCreadie will be among a field of 281 drivers from 28 states, Australia and Canada. He will compete in Thursday night’s preliminary action in hopes of positioning himself well for the Saturday-night finals.
Richards, 18, of Shinnston, W.Va., will buckle up in a Midget for his second consecutive Chili Bowl appearance, but he’s changed teams for ’07. Last year the son of Rocket Chassis co-owner Mark Richards ran a Venture Racing Midget as a teammate to NASCAR Nextel Cup (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#) champion Tony Stewart (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#) and open-wheel stars Jason Leffler, Sammy Swindell and Kevin Swindell; this time he’ll drive a machine straight from the Tony Stewart Racing (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#) stable and count Stewart and USAC stars Levi Jones and Tracy Hines as teammates.
“I feel pretty good about it,” said Richards, who collaborated with Stewart in 2006 when the motorsports (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#) superstar entered selected dirt Late Model events in a Rocket Chassis car. “I already know what to expect after going out there last year. We’ll be in some good equipment and we hope to put it to good use.”
Richards, who will compete in Friday night’s preliminary program, missed transferring to last year’s Chili Bowl feature event by just one position in a B-Main. He placed 11th in preliminary A-Main earlier in the week.
Eckert, 41, of York, Pa., is a past participant in the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, but this year he’ll stay closer to home and enter the Atlantic City Indoor Race. Set for Jan. 12-13 on a one-eighth-mile, concrete-surface oval inside the seaside resort’s famed Boardwalk Hall, the event pits 600cc Micro-Sprints and Three-Quarter Midgets in a battle for ‘Gambler’s Classic’ honors.
Eckert, who since 2004 has won more 360 OTC WoO LMS features than any other driver, will drive a 600cc Micro-Sprint that’s painted orange and carries a No. 24 to mirror his familiar Raye Vest-owned dirt Late Model. The machine is owned by his brother-in-law Joe Darrah, whose 17-year-old son, Cody, a budding central Pennsylvania (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#) Sprint Car (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#) racer, will also steer a 600cc Micro-Sprint in Atlantic City.
Last year Eckert made his first A.C. Indoor Race start with his teenage nephew Cody Darrah as a teammate. Eckert won a B-Main and finished seventh in the 40-lap ‘Gambler’s Classic,’ while Darrah impressed with a victory in one of the Triple 20-lap qualifiers and a 13th-place finish in the A-Main.
The opportunity to race with his nephew is one reason Eckert is looking forward to the big show in Atlantic City.
“I don’t get many chances to see him race because of my schedule,” Eckert said of Darrah. “It’s fun to spend a weekend with him.”
Eckert is confident that he’ll be able to improve his ’06 results in the event, which will attract a field of more than 85 combined 600 Micro-Sprints/TQ Midgets. Many well-known short-track racers will join Eckert as competitors in the event, including DIRT Modified star/360 OTC WoO LMS racer Billy Decker of Unadilla, N.Y.; New York DIRT Modified standout Jeff Heotzler, who captured the 2005 ‘Gambler’s Classic’; and Sprint star Doug Esh of Lancaster, Pa., who won the 2006 WoO National Open at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa.
“We learned a lot running the race last year,” said Eckert. “We’re still running a dirt car on a concrete surface, but we’ve made some changes that will hopefully make us better this year.”
Eckert’s racing weekend will begin with time trials and the Triple 20-lap qualifying events on Fri., Jan. 12. The finals are scheduled for Saturday night.
Eckert will also spend a few afternoon hours during the weekend attending the Motorsports 2007 Presented by VP Racing Fuels show that runs from Jan. 12-14 at the nearby Atlantic City Convention Center. He is scheduled to sign autographs at the show on Sat., Jan. 13, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway booth to help promote the track’s first-ever 360 OTC WoO LMS event on Fri., April 13.
For more information on the indoor events, visit www.chilibowl.com or www.aarn.com to learn more about the Atlantic City ‘Gambler’s Classic.’
Following their weekend exploits, McCreadie, Eckert and Richards will continue preparing for the 2007 season opener for the 360 OTC World of Outlaws Late Model Series that’s set for Feb. 15 and 17 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.
More information on the 360 OTC WoO LMS is available at www.dirtmotorsports.com/LMS.
CONCORD, N.C. -- Three 360 OTC World of Outlaws Late Model Series driving stars will quench their thirsts for competition this weekend by entering high-profile racing events held indoors.
Reigning 360 OTC WoO LMS champion Tim McCreadie and 2005 tour Rookie of the Year Josh Richards are headed to Tulsa, Okla., for the wildly popular Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, while the trail’s winningest driver in ’06, Rick Eckert, will travel to the Jersey Shore to run a 600cc Micro-Sprint in the ‘Gambler’s Classic’ Atlantic City Indoor Race.
Considering his status as defending race winner, McCreadie will be in the spotlight when he arrives in the Sooner State for the 21st annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, a unique event contested Jan. 9-13 on a quarter-mile clay oval erected inside the sprawling Tulsa Exposition Center.
McCreadie, 32, of Watertown, N.Y., shocked the open-wheel establishment one year ago, becoming the first dirt Late Model regular to capture the ‘Golden Driller’ trophy that goes to the victor of the 50-lap Chili Bowl A-Main. He emerged triumphant in just his second appearance in the event.
Can McCreadie do it again? He doesn’t see why not.
“I’m running the same exact car I did last year, so I already know it can get the job done,” said McCreadie, who is reuniting with Midget team owner Steve Smith (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#), a native of Australia, to shoot for a repeat. “But you never know what can happen. With so much talent in one place, it’s one of the toughest races of the year.”
Indeed, McCreadie will be among a field of 281 drivers from 28 states, Australia and Canada. He will compete in Thursday night’s preliminary action in hopes of positioning himself well for the Saturday-night finals.
Richards, 18, of Shinnston, W.Va., will buckle up in a Midget for his second consecutive Chili Bowl appearance, but he’s changed teams for ’07. Last year the son of Rocket Chassis co-owner Mark Richards ran a Venture Racing Midget as a teammate to NASCAR Nextel Cup (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#) champion Tony Stewart (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#) and open-wheel stars Jason Leffler, Sammy Swindell and Kevin Swindell; this time he’ll drive a machine straight from the Tony Stewart Racing (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#) stable and count Stewart and USAC stars Levi Jones and Tracy Hines as teammates.
“I feel pretty good about it,” said Richards, who collaborated with Stewart in 2006 when the motorsports (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#) superstar entered selected dirt Late Model events in a Rocket Chassis car. “I already know what to expect after going out there last year. We’ll be in some good equipment and we hope to put it to good use.”
Richards, who will compete in Friday night’s preliminary program, missed transferring to last year’s Chili Bowl feature event by just one position in a B-Main. He placed 11th in preliminary A-Main earlier in the week.
Eckert, 41, of York, Pa., is a past participant in the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, but this year he’ll stay closer to home and enter the Atlantic City Indoor Race. Set for Jan. 12-13 on a one-eighth-mile, concrete-surface oval inside the seaside resort’s famed Boardwalk Hall, the event pits 600cc Micro-Sprints and Three-Quarter Midgets in a battle for ‘Gambler’s Classic’ honors.
Eckert, who since 2004 has won more 360 OTC WoO LMS features than any other driver, will drive a 600cc Micro-Sprint that’s painted orange and carries a No. 24 to mirror his familiar Raye Vest-owned dirt Late Model. The machine is owned by his brother-in-law Joe Darrah, whose 17-year-old son, Cody, a budding central Pennsylvania (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#) Sprint Car (http://www.racefan.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=265&StoryID=210561#) racer, will also steer a 600cc Micro-Sprint in Atlantic City.
Last year Eckert made his first A.C. Indoor Race start with his teenage nephew Cody Darrah as a teammate. Eckert won a B-Main and finished seventh in the 40-lap ‘Gambler’s Classic,’ while Darrah impressed with a victory in one of the Triple 20-lap qualifiers and a 13th-place finish in the A-Main.
The opportunity to race with his nephew is one reason Eckert is looking forward to the big show in Atlantic City.
“I don’t get many chances to see him race because of my schedule,” Eckert said of Darrah. “It’s fun to spend a weekend with him.”
Eckert is confident that he’ll be able to improve his ’06 results in the event, which will attract a field of more than 85 combined 600 Micro-Sprints/TQ Midgets. Many well-known short-track racers will join Eckert as competitors in the event, including DIRT Modified star/360 OTC WoO LMS racer Billy Decker of Unadilla, N.Y.; New York DIRT Modified standout Jeff Heotzler, who captured the 2005 ‘Gambler’s Classic’; and Sprint star Doug Esh of Lancaster, Pa., who won the 2006 WoO National Open at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa.
“We learned a lot running the race last year,” said Eckert. “We’re still running a dirt car on a concrete surface, but we’ve made some changes that will hopefully make us better this year.”
Eckert’s racing weekend will begin with time trials and the Triple 20-lap qualifying events on Fri., Jan. 12. The finals are scheduled for Saturday night.
Eckert will also spend a few afternoon hours during the weekend attending the Motorsports 2007 Presented by VP Racing Fuels show that runs from Jan. 12-14 at the nearby Atlantic City Convention Center. He is scheduled to sign autographs at the show on Sat., Jan. 13, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway booth to help promote the track’s first-ever 360 OTC WoO LMS event on Fri., April 13.
For more information on the indoor events, visit www.chilibowl.com or www.aarn.com to learn more about the Atlantic City ‘Gambler’s Classic.’
Following their weekend exploits, McCreadie, Eckert and Richards will continue preparing for the 2007 season opener for the 360 OTC World of Outlaws Late Model Series that’s set for Feb. 15 and 17 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.
More information on the 360 OTC WoO LMS is available at www.dirtmotorsports.com/LMS.