Contact: World Racing Group Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director 704-254-7929 * [email protected][email protected]>
Red-Hot Steve Francis Is Having A Ball On The World of Outlaws Late Model Series
'Kentucky Colonel' Will Go For Rare Three-Race Win Streak In March 20-21 'Lone Star 100' At Battleground Speedway
CONCORD, NC - March 15, 2009 - Steve Francis was bubbling like a little kid on Christmas morning after capturing Friday night's 40-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series 'Showdown on the Gulf' A-Main at Deep South Speedway.
Just consider the first words from the Kentucky Colonel's mouth when he emerged from his Dale Beitler-owned car in Victory Lane: "I'm having more fun than I ever have in my life."
Yes, the 41-year-old from Ashland, Ky., is living it up on the WoO LMS. With two consecutive wins and a fourth-place finish to his credit so far in 2009 giving him the points lead by 16 markers over Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., he's off to arguably his best start ever on the national tour.
What's more, Francis feels completely comfortable campaigning as Beitler's hired gun. Now in his second season driving for Beitler after running his own equipment in a majority of WoO LMS events from 2004-2007, Francis is relishing the opportunity to concentrate on winning races.
"For some reason, I'm relaxed right now and just enjoying going racing," said Francis, who has steered Beitler's familiar Valvoline/Reliable Painting Rocket No. 19 to eight of his series-best 22 career wins since 2004. "Dale has given me whatever I've asked for to go racing with, so I can't complain about anything right now."
According to Francis, a couple new wrinkles to his pairing with Beitler that went public at Deep South brought further focus and strength to the team's effort. Most notably, Francis won Friday's open-tire event on Hoosier rubber rather than the American Racer tires the team used last year - and Beitler has agreed to stick exclusively with Hoosier Tires for the remainder of the season. In addition, Francis has hired 2008 WoO LMS Crew Chief of the Year Chris Burton, who split last month with defending WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., to work on his own equipment (including the dirt Late Models that NASCAR Sprint Cup star Ryan Newman will drive in selected events this season) and provide assistance on the road to Beitler's chief mechanic Kevin Miller and consultant Robby Allen.
"We've just put a whole group of guys together who have one thing in mind, and that's to try to win every race we can win," said Francis. "We know that's not gonna happen, but that's our goal - to put 100 percent into every race."
Rain moved in and washed out Saturday night's scheduled 60-lap, $12,000-to-win program at Deep South Speedway, denying Francis a shot at a rich weekend sweep. But with the 2007 WoO LMS champion so pumped up after his $7,700 triumph on Friday night before the largest crowd in the five-year history of the high-banked oval, there's no doubt he'll carry plenty of momentum into the tour's upcoming big-money events on March 20-21 at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas ($20,000-to-win Lone Star 100); March 27-28 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway ($50,000-to-win Circle K Colossal 100); and April 3-4 at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway ($20,000-to-win Illini 100).
"This is kind of a 'Month of Money' coming up for us, so it feels good to be on a roll," said Francis, who led the WoO LMS in purse earnings last year and has already cracked the $20,000 mark this season. "We're just gonna go out there and see how far we can take this."
Francis paused, and then rattled off the arsenal at his disposal that gives him plenty of confidence: "This is a brand-new car (he debuted on Friday night), and the car in the front of the trailer is the car we won with at Volusia (Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., last month when it was new). And Robby (Allen) has another brand-new car at home that he's starting to put together. We're getting all our equipment in place."
Next up for Francis is Battleground Speedway, where he'll attempt to post just the fifth three-race win streak on the WoO LMS since 2004. He previously won three in-a-row in 2005, making him one of only four drivers (Rick Eckert, Tim McCreadie and Billy Moyer are the others) to pull off a three-peat on the ultra-competitive tour.
The Lone Star 100, which includes time trials and heat races on Friday night (March 20) and B-Mains and the extra-distance A-Main on Saturday night (March 21), will mark Francis's first appearance in the state of Texas since a WoO LMS doubleheader on April 16-17, 2004, at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore. He scored finishes of third and 21st in the two events.
For more information on the first-ever WoO LMS program at Battleground Speedway, visit www.battlegroundspeedway.net<http://www.battlegroundspeedway.net/> or call 832-421-RACE.
Additional info on the WoO LMS is available by logging on to www.worldofoutlaws.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Crane Cams (Official Valvetrain), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Fusion Energy Boost (Official Energy Boost), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser) and VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors Champ Pans, Eibach Springs, Hoosier Tires, Integra Shocks, Jake's Custom Golf Carts, Ohlins Shocks, Racing Electronics, Quarter Master and Wrisco Aluminum; Crane Cams Engine Builder's Challenge participants Cornett Racing Engines, Custom Race Engines and Pro Power Racing Engines; and Chassis Builder Challenge participants Rocket Chassis and Team Zero by Bloomquist.