Contact: World Racing Group Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR Kevin Kovac, DIRTcar Racing PR 704-795-7223 * DIRTcar.com
Southwest DIRTcar Late Model Series Returns To Manzanita Speedway's Half-Mile On Saturday (Sept. 13) For $2,000-To-Win Total Seal Special
PHOENIX, AZ - Sept. 11, 2008 - The last Southwest DIRTcar Late Model Series event at Manzanita Speedway produced a storybook ending.
What will happen this Saturday night (Sept. 13) when the tour returns to the famed half-mile oval for the Total Seal 30 that pays $2,000 to win?
Memories remain fresh of Manzanita's spectacular Southwest DIRTcar Late Model Series show on June 28, which marked the tour's first visit to the track since 2004 when it was still under its former Southwest Dirt Racing Association (SWDRA) banner. Anthony Madrid of El Mirage, Ariz. - a talented 32-year-old known as Manzy's 'Friday Night Flyer' for his 100-plus victories and 10 track titles there in five different divisions - served as a substitute driver for the vacationing Mark Fowler and scored an emotional win that night in his first-ever start behind the wheel of a dirt Late Model.
The June SWDLMS program played before Manzanita's biggest crowd in four months and those fans are anticipating an even more exciting encore. A strong field is expected to enter the event, which will continue the stretch drive of the 2008 SWDLMS points battle and serve as a valuable tuneup for the Western World Late Model Championship scheduled for Nov. 14-15 at Manzanita.
Phoenix-area star Lonnie Parker Jr. of El Mirage, Ariz., will lead the SWDLMS to Manzanita, holding a 106-point lead over Peoria, Ariz.'s Fowler. Parker, who owns six victories in nine tour events, blew a tire and finished 11th earlier this season at Manzanita, so he's motivated to grab the spotlight in front of his hometown fans.
Chasing Parker and Fowler in the points standings are Mike Tahtinen of Casa Grande, Ariz., Tommy Hussak III of Picacho, Ariz., and Joey Moriarty of Phoenix, Ariz. Moriarty is the top rookie on the 2008 tour and also heads the Phoenix-based Total Seal Piston Rings company that is the title sponsor of Saturday night's SWDLMS competition.
"All of us at Total Seal are excited to be involved with Late Model racing and want to help keep the division growing in the Southwest," said Moriarty, who is looking for his first win as a dirt Late Model driver. "We want to support the divisions - like the Late Models - that built this industry and have been our customers for so many years."
Several California drivers who follow the Western Allstars DIRTcar Late Model Series are also expected to make the tow to Manzanita for Saturday's full-fender program, boosting the entry list and increasing the competition.
Manzanita's gates are scheduled to open at 6 p.m. on Saturday, with racing set to take the green flag at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on Manzanita Speedway, visit www.manzanitaspeedway.us<http://www.manzanitaspeedway.us/>.
Additional information on the Southwest DIRTcar Late Model Series is available by logging on to www.swdra.com<http://www.swdra.com/>, while info on all the series, sanctioning and member tracks of DIRTcar Racing can be obtained at www.DIRTcar.com<http://www.dirtcar.com/>.
Current Southwest DIRTcar Late Model Series Points Standings:
1. Lonnie Parker Jr. 480 2. Mark Fowler 374 3. Mike Tahtinen 313 4. Tommy Hussak III 312 5. Joey Moriarty 297 6. Brad Williams 281 7. Jerry Fincher 274 8. Lonnie Parker Sr. 260 9. Randy Carder 215 10. Wayne Noyes 189