WAYCROSS, GA (July 12, 2012) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is coming off of a record-setting crowd at Magnolia (MS) Motor Speedway and now ventures to the Midwest this weekend. There will be a pair of events; the first at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, IL on Friday, July 13th; and Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO on Saturday July 14th. Both events will be taped by Lucas Oil Production Studios to air on several TV networks in 2012. Friday night’s event at Tri-City will be shown on SPEED (August 18th) and MAV-TV (September 8th). Saturday’s race from Lucas Oil Speedway will be shown on SPEED (August 25th), MAV-TV (September 13th), and the NBC Sports Network (September 9th).
On Friday Night, July 13th, the series will make its second stop in 2012 to Kevin and Tammy Gundaker’s Tri-City Speedway for the “Battle at the Beach 50.” On Saturday Night, July 14th, the series visits “The Diamond of Dirt Tracks”, Lucas Oil Speedway for the 6th Annual “CMH Diamond Nationals.” There will be a complete show at both venues with Red Buck Cigar Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and $10,000 to win/$800 to start feature events. The event at Lucas Oil Speedway will be co-sanctioned with the Lucas Oil MLRA Series.
Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN, the reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, leads the nation’s best dirt late model drivers into this weekend’s action. Don O’Neal of Martinsville, IN, winner of last weekend’s “Clash at the Mag” at Magnolia Motor Speedway, has pulled into a tie with 2-time series champ, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN for second place in the Lucas Oil Championship Points Standings. Bloomquist is the defending CMH Diamond Nationals winner. Steve Francis of Ashland, KY is fourth in points. Leading Quarter Master Rookie of the Year candidate Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA rounds out the top five.
The remainder of the top ten are: 4-time series champ, Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL; John Blankenship of Williamson, WV, the runner-up in the DART Show Me 100; 16-year-old phenom, Tyler Reddick of Corning, CA; Jared Landers of Batesville, AR; and Eric Wells of Hazard, KY.
For more information on this weekend’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events and respective race tracks, you can log onto www.tricityspeedway.net and www.lucasoilspeedway.com.
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series visit www.lucasdirt.com.
To keep up with all the action “Live” as it happens click on www.lucasdirt.com/live.
Be sure to follow the series on our social media outlets as well at http://www.facebook.com/lucasdirt and http://twitter.com/#!/lucasdirt.
Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings
Jimmy Owens (Newport, TN) – 4155
Don O’Neal (Martinsville, IN) – 3885
Scott Bloomquist (Mooresburg, TN) – 3855
Steve Francis (Ashland, KY) – 3830
Jonathan Davenport (Blairsville, GA) – 3605
Earl Pearson Jr. (Jacksonville, FL) – 3565
John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) – 3525
Tyler Reddick (Corning, CA) – 3255
Jared Landers (Batesville, AR) – 3335
Eric Wells (Hazard, KY) – 3260