Georgia Track’s Second Annual ‘Winter Freeze’ Event Becomes A $20,000-To-Win Spectacular
SYLVANIA, GA – April 1, 2011 – The 2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season will kick off in unprecedented fashion.
Screven Motor Speedway’s second annual ‘Winter Freeze’ event will become a multi-day, $20,000-to-win WoO LMS extravaganza on Feb. 9-11, 2012, track and series officials announced on Friday.
The 60-lap headline A-Main will be the richest season-opening race in the history of the WoO LMS as well as the biggest show ever presented at promoter Redd Griffin’s 15-year-old Georgia track located about an hour’s drive Northwest of Savannah. It will also mark just the second time since the national tour was restarted in 2004 under the World Racing Group banner that the schedule will begin at a facility other than Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.
“We’re extremely excited to work with Redd Griffin and his staff on an event that promises to bring plenty of attention to the World of Outlaws Late Model Series and Screven Motor Speedway,” said WoO LMS director Tim Christman. “Redd approached me with his desire for Screven to host our 2012 season opener and we immediately started to discuss some options. We’re thrilled that he decided to expand his ‘Winter Freeze’ into the biggest dirt Late Model race that Georgia/Florida Speedweeks has seen in years.”
Griffin, who has scheduled an annual WoO LMS event at his three-eighths-mile oval since 2008, attempted to hold his first ‘Winter Freeze’ program earlier this year, on Feb. 3. The inaugural event – a doubleheader featuring dirt Late Models and the O’Reilly All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series – was postponed by rain to Nov. 2 after all Sprint Car qualifying and a portion of the dirt Late Model preliminaries were completed.
After Screven’s ’11 WoO LMS card was washed out by thunderstorms on March 26, however, Griffin moved to make the dirt Late Model portion of the postponed ‘Winter Freeze’ – which was already slated to restart from scratch on Nov. 2 – a WoO LMS event and pumped up the winner’s share to $12,000. Griffin also agreed to list the Wed., Nov. 2, date as tentative; he will reset the ‘Winter Freeze’ to Tues., Nov. 1, if wet weather would force the World of Outlaws Showdown on Oct. 12 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte to be postponed to Nov. 2 as a lead-in to the World Finals as happened in 2008 and 2009.
Now, just three months after the WoO LMS visits Screven for a critical late-season event, Griffin will bring the tour back for a blockbuster lidlifter. He acted to announce the 2012 event as early as possible in order to get it cemented on the calendars of both fans and racers.
“We’re really looking forward to next year’s ‘Winter Freeze’ with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series,” said Griffin. “I feel real good about it. We want to build our February show and getting together with the World of Outlaws is the way to do it.
“We like working with the World of Outlaws. We’ve had great success with Outlaw races at Screven – that name just draws people.”
Griffin has become known for the annual improvements he makes to his facility and he expects more will be done prior to the 2012 ‘Winter Freeze.’ He said erecting additional grandstands will be high on his list of priorities.
“We’re going to do everything we can to make next year’s ‘Winter Freeze’ a fun weekend for everybody who comes to Screven,” said Griffin, a personable, easily-approachable track owner who is often seen interacting with race teams and fans. “I already can’t wait for February to get here.”
The format for the WoO LMS portion of the 2012 ‘Winter Freeze’ calls for an open practice on Thurs., Feb. 9; time trials and heat races on Fri., Feb. 10; and B-Mains and the 60-lap, big-money A-Main on Sat., Feb. 11. Local divisions will also compete, and Griffin is planning to include a 410 Sprint Car program on either Thursday or Friday night, pending talks with O’Reilly All-Star officials.
More details of the 2012 ‘Winter Freeze’ at Screven Motor Speedway will be released in the coming months. Log on to www.screvenmotorspeedway.com for information.
Volusia Speedway Park, which since 2004 has hosted the WoO LMS season opener every year with the exception of ’06, will follow Screven on the 2012 schedule. Tour events on Feb. 23 and 25, 2012, will be part of the 41st annual DIRTcar Nationals that runs from Feb. 14-25.
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), Vicci (Official Uniform), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award), McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning (Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Award), Chizmark Larson Insurance, Factory Value Parts and RacingJunk.com; in addition to contingency sponsors Comp Cams, Eibach Springs, JE Pistons, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis, R2C Performance, Superflow Dynos, Wix Filters and Wrisco Aluminum.