…PIR Offers Free Grandstand Admission to All Students & Military on Friday May 4th Weekend Opener
Paducah, Kentucky (April 28, 2012) One of the biggest racing weekends of the year in Kentucky motorsports takes the green flag this week when the Lucas Oil Dirt Racing Series brings its national tour to the high banks of Paducah International Raceway (PIR) on Saturday May 5th. The Saturday night portion of the weekend highlights the two-night event at PIR and will also play a pivotal role on the series’ championship season with some of the most talented short track aces in the nation going door to door in a battle that will yield over ten thousand dollars to the winner. Not only is the scramble for the national crown on the line, but a war within the series continues to heat up among points leader Jimmy Owens and hall of famer Scott Bloomquist. The intense rivalry between the pair, once considered team mates, has escalated as Bloomquist enters this week riding the wave of two straight wins on the series while Owens is still seeking his first series win of the season. These Tennessee veterans are ready to mix it up on Saturday night, but they’ll have to deal with some other tough customers with Don O’Neal, Earl Pearson, Steve Francis and a host of other hot shoes gunning for a big win at PIR when the green flag waves and sparks fly.
The weekend double-header at PIR kicks off on Friday night (May 4) with an action packed schedule of racing on tap. The opening night also features some special opportunities for Students and Military in the region to take advantage of free ticket offers for the Friday portion of the weekend. As part of the action on Friday night all Elementary School, Middle School, High School and College Students plus Active-Duty and Retired Military will be admitted free of charge into the grandstands by presenting a valid photo ID along with a special free admission coupon available at any area Taco Johns (offer applies to Friday night only). Regular Adult tickets are $12.00 with grandstand gates opening at 5 pm on Friday and racing geting underway at 7:30 pm. Friday night’s full schedule of racing includes Super Late Models, UMP Open Wheel Modifieds, UMP Pro Late Models and 4 Cylinder divisions.
On Saturday night the racing action heats up with the sanctioned Lucas Oil Racing Series battle slated as the main event for the evening complete with time-trial qualifying and preliminary races to set the field for the feature race. Reserved seating tickets for Saturday (May 5) may be obtained by calling the track office at (270) 898-7469. General admission grandstand tickets will be available at the front gate, Adults $25.00 and Kids 12 and Under $5.00. In addition to the Lucas Oil Racing Series Super Late Models, Saturday’s lineup will also feature the Street Stock and Kentucky Vintage Racing divisions. Grandstand gates will open at 4 pm with racing slated to take the green flag at 7 pm. Complete event details for the weekend are available online at www.paducahracing.com.
Defending Lucas Oil Racing Series National Champion, Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN will lead the stars of the series into Paducah holding the series points lead. Despite not winning a main event so far in 2012, Owens has recorded five (5) runner-up finishes in seven series events in 2012 enabling him to stay atop the points chase. Positions two through eight in the series championship standings are separated by only 90-points. Don O’Neal of Martinsville, IN and 4-time series champ, Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL are tied for second followed by red-hot, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN and Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA. Steve Francis of Ashland, KY is sixth in points followed by Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, IL; Tyler Reddick of Corning, CA; Jared Landers of Batesville, AR; and John Blankenship of Williamson, WV. Austin Hubbard of Seaford, DE and Eric Wells of Hazard, KY are just outside of the top ten. So far in 2012 there have been six different winners in the first 11 races. O’Neal is leading the way with four appearances in Lucas Oil Victory Lane this year. Bloomquist, who has won the last two Lucas Oil events in Virginia and Pennsylvania, is joined by Francis as a multiple winner this year. Erb, Landers, and Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC have also won on the series tour this year. Also, in the first 11 events, the average starting spot by the race winner is fifth. Only twice this year on the ultra-competitive tour has the race winner started on the front row.
The visit to PIR by the Lucas Oil Racing Series is one of only three trips to the Bluegrass State in 2012 making it a homecoming of sorts for title contender Steve Francis of Ashland. Francis is a former multi-time national short track champion and a genuine ‘Kentucky Colonel’, an honor bestowed on him by the Governor of the Commonwealth nearly a decade ago. Many home state Kentuckians will be on hand to root Francis on as he sets his sights on a big win. In addition, a pair of entries owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer will be in action with Georgia’s Jonathan Davenport and Arkansas racer Jared Landers behind the wheel of the Bowyer team cars. Teenage sensation Tyler Reddick from California will be gunning for a victory driving a car sponsored in part by Jason Aldean through Broken Bow Records and Stoney Creek Records. Illinois ace Dennis Erb Jr., Delaware’s Austin Hubbard, West Virginian John Blankenship and Kentuckian Eric Wells are also part of the headline list of racers who will be at PIR for the special night of racing. Local stars will be ready to defend their home turf when the Lucas Oil Series drivers invade Paducah with Terry English, Tanner English, Tim Brown, Tony Vancil, Jason Riggs, Randy Sellars, Jeff Walston, and 2009-2010-2011 Track Champion Kevin Cole all set to pull off an upset against the tour regulars. The 2012 season has been very competitive for Super Late Models at PIR with three different drivers going to Victory Lane so far. Current point leader Tanner English currently holds a three point advantage over second place Tim Brown, followed by Tony Vancil in third, Jason Riggs in fourth, and Randy Sellars rounding out the top five in Championship point standings.
For more information on the Lucas Oil Racing Series event on May 5th at Paducah you can log onto www.paducahracing.com. For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, visit the series’ website at www.lucasdirt.com or follow the tour at http://www.facebook.com/lucasdirt and http://twitter.com/#!/lucasdirt.
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For more information, please call PIR at 270-898-7469 or the Hotline at 270-898-7490. Visit PIR online at www.paducahracing.com