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CONCORD, N.C. (March 5, 2007) - In a modern-day David vs. Goliath
story, Furman Parton will be looking to slay the giants of dirt late
model
racing during the second annual Circle K Colossal 100 April 20-21 at
The
Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Parton, 37, of Union Mills, N.C., is a true weekend warrior while a
majority of the competitors he will battle in the $50,000-to-win,
two-day
spectacular are full-time racers who have been barnstorming the
nation's
dirt tracks for a decade or more.
A relative newcomer with only five years of late model experience,
Parton's first taste of competition came on two wheels in 1991.
"I raced motocross for about seven years and then my father, Carl,
wanted to start racing with my brother Patrick and I," Parton said. "So
we
got Legends Cars and raced them for roughly five years. My father had
an
accident and couldn't compete any more. At that point, my brother got
out of
racing and I decided I wanted to try dirt late models."
The switch was a logical step as the Parton family business, Parton
Lumber Co. in Rutherfordton, N.C., had been a fixture at North Carolina
dirt
tracks for several years as the sponsor of one of the company's
employees,
local late model racing sensation Ricky Weeks.
"I had watched Ricky Weeks race through the years and I'd always
wanted a car like his," Parton said. "At the end of 2002, we got a dirt
late
model and that was really the first dirt racing I'd ever done in a car.
We
ran limited late model races and in 2003 we purchased a super late
model
motor specifically for one of the big races at The Dirt Track in
Charlotte."
Parton won three races last season and has shown he can run with
some of the best in the business, but racing is not a priority.
"The lumber company is my main focus," Parton said. "If it's not
running, we don't race. I also have a wife, Amy Jo, and three little
girls-Ali who is 8 years old, Shay is 5 and Keeley is 2. I have a
family to
look after, so we generally race within three hours of the house.
"The good Lord comes first. Then you have your family and I guess
racing is a pretty strong third on my list," Parton continued. "Racing
isn't
above the mill or my family, but when it comes to my hobbies, racing is
my
favorite thing to do. I would like people to think of me as
competitive, yet
having my priorities where they need to be."
The fact that Parton would rather talk about the friends who
comprise his team rather than the success he's enjoyed speaks volumes.
"All of the guys that work on the cars and travel with me are good
friends. Roger Iwerks is my crew chief and has been with me since we
were in
Legends Cars," Parton said, "He moved over to the dirt cars even though
he
had no idea what they were or how they worked. But he stuck with me."
Other crew members who help prepare and maintain the No. 6p Parton
Lumber Co. late model include Aaron Adkins, Jeff Kanipe, Jeff Hensley,
Randy
Edgerton, Scott Hughes and Parton's father, Carl.
"All of those guys have been helping me through the years and we
have a lot of fun," Parton said. "Now don't get me wrong. We're a
competitive bunch when we're at the race track. We try to do as well as
we
can, but when all is said and done we don't get mad at each other. We
just
get back in the truck, head home and try to do it again next week."
Parton won a Dixie Thunder Series limited late model race at The
Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway in 2005, but his greatest
accomplishment
at the four-tenths-mile clay oval came during last year's Circle K
Colossal
100. He lined up 29th in the 100-lap finale and charged to a
ninth-place
finish, the best showing by a local racer.
"There were a lot of circumstances that lined up for us," Parton
said about last year's event. "We had an awful qualifying lap. I just
couldn't make the car go-it wasn't even in the ballgame compared to the
other guy's times.
"We came back Saturday knowing we were going to have to go through
the C and B Features. There were some big names in our C Feature, so we
didn't even expect to advance beyond that race. But we changed a lot of
stuff on the car Saturday morning and when I got out on the track, the
car
felt really good. We made the right decisions on the set-up and ended
up
winning that C Feature."
Parton then charged from 21st to fifth in one of the B features,
earning a starting spot in the 100-lap finale.
"In the main event, things came together even more," he said. "The
car ran really well and we had some fast guys fall out."
Parton's goal for the April 20-21 Circle K Colossal 100 is to
improve on last year's result, but he's also realistic about
challenging the
biggest names in the sport.
"If it happens that I don't make the race, I've still got a way to
make a living," he said. "My living is made at the lumber yard and not
on
the race track. A good week at the saw mill will make up for a bad
weekend
at the race track."
The Friday night portion of the Circle K Colossal 100 will feature
group time trials and heat races. The top two finishers in each heat
will
secure a spot in the 100-lap finale and a draw will determine the
starting
lineup.
Saturday night's program begins with a driver autograph session and
the on-track action includes at least four additional qualifying races
prior
to the main event. The race will be part of the 360 OTC World of
Outlaws
Late Model Series, but The Dirt Track's traditional format, including
the
extremely popular double-file restarts, will be utilized.
If purchased in advance, reserved tickets for both Friday and
Saturday night are $49 for adults and $19 for children ages 12 and
under.
Two day pit passes are $60 in advance.
Tickets and pit passes for the April 20-21 Circle K Colossal 100 can
be purchased online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by calling
1-800-455-FANS.
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