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After taking the Memorial Day Weekend off the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series gets into high gear at one of the most well known tracks in dirt track racing the Florence Speedway in Union, KY for the 21st Annual "Ralph Latham Memorial" race on Saturday, June 2nd. The 50 lap feature event will top off the night with a $10,000 first place prize up for grabs. The cameras of SPEED Channel will also be on hand to tape the event which will be shown on a date and time to be announced in the future. Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN is the defending race winner.
After twelve events the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has seen ten different winners as the premier dirt late model racing series heads to the King Family promoted ½ mile facility. Two-time Latham Memorial Winner Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR is the current series points leader coming into the event with '05 Latham Memorial Winner, Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN sitting second in points followed by two-time and defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, Earl Pearson, Jr. of Jacksonville, FL who is third in points with Terry English of Benton, KY and Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN rounding out the top five in the championship points standings.
The rest of the top ten heading into the home of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame are '03 Latham Memorial Winner, Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN, Steve Shaver of Vienna, WV, Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, WI, '95 Latham Memorial Winner, Donnie Moran of Dresden, OH and Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA.
Also on hand to compete will be the top COMP CAMS "Rookie of the Year" chasers including the latest winner on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, KY who leads the title heading to the track in his home state. Damon Eller of Crumpler, NC is second in the rookie points followed by Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY, Mike Mataragas of De Kalb, IL, Garrett Durrett of Simsboro, LA and Ricky Arms of Moss, TN.
Among the drivers in the top ten of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series seven have won a major event at Florence in their careers. Moyer's two wins in the "Ralph Latham Memorial" event came back in 1994 and a repeat came in 1996. O'Neal has five wins at Florence which include the '05 Latham Memorial, the Spring 50 three times ('99, '02 and '06) and the Night before the Spring 50 last April. Pearson, the reigning World 100 Champion has never won an event at Florence and even though he has been close a time or two he has never picked up the winning hardware at Florence.
English has traveled from Far Western Kentucky several times to the track located just south of Cincinnati, OH without ever winning there. Casebolt's first big win of his racing career came back in 2003 when he won the track's signature earl season event the "Spring 50" which paid $5,000 to win.
James has had success at the track he grew up at watching his father Bubby compete at for many years. James' victory in the '03 Latham Memorial proved to be a popular one for the second generation racer. Shaver's wins at Florence have been well documented because he has won the track's $50,000 to win North/South 100 two out of the last three years. Schlieper pocketed $50,000 back in 2003 when the event paid that much to win for the very first time. Moran captured the Latham Memorial in 1995 and has won the prestigious North/South 100 twice ('96 and '98). Birkhofer has never won an event at Florence Speedway.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will run into some of the stiffest local and regional competition when they come to Florence on June 2nd. Among those will be the 2006 Florence Speedway Late Model Track Champion, Jesse James Lay of Verona, KY who captured his first career championship last year. "We are definitely looking forward to the Lucas Oil race there, we've been running pretty good there this year, we've got a couple of wins under our belts with the Bob Pierce can." said Lay. Lay was in the hunt for the win in last year's Latham Memorial Race. "We started on the pole, we ran good for a while, and then we faded a bit, then came back at the end and we feel we have a better balance in the car for this year's race." Lay eventually finished ninth in last year's Lucas Oil event after running with the leaders for most of the race. "The Kings put on a very good show there, they get everyone out of there at a decent time and really there is no downtime."
Don O'Neal is one out of state driver who has been successful at Florence in the past. "We look forward to coming back to Florence to race, it'll be the first time in a couple of years we've had the Rayburn car to race there so we'll see how it goes." Donnie Moran is another driver with a pretty good resume' at Florence not only has the "Million Dollar Man" gone back to the Buckeye State with three wins but he is also friends with one of Ralph Latham's sons, Dave. "Ever since I went to Florence in about 1986 I've got to know the family and Dave is a friend of mine and I'd really like to win the race again and feel we have just a good of a shot as anyone."
The pit gates will open at 3 PM with the grandstand gates opening at 5 PM. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Hot Laps are scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm with racing at 7:30 pm. Adult general admission tickets are $25 with children age's 6-11 admission priced at $3. Pit admission will be $40. For more information on Florence Speedway you can log on to the track's newly redesigned website at www.florencespeedway.com.
The tire rule for the event will be the Hoosier 1300, 1350, LM20, 1600 and LM40 and the American Racer SD44, SD48 and MD56.
For further information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series you can go to www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503. |
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