CONCORD, NC – Sept. 20, 2007 – Tim Fuller is in the driver’s seat for the 2007 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Rookie of the Year Award, but he knows he still has some work to do.
 
“There’s a lot that can happen,” said Fuller, a 39-year-old DIRTcar big-block Modified veteran from Watertown, N.Y., who is in his first year running a national dirt Late Model schedule. “I’m not counting on anything until we’ve run the last race and all the points are in.”
 
Fuller currently leads 26-year-old Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., by 208 points (3,815-3,607) in the race for the WoO LMS Rookie of the Year crown, which this year is determined using a contending driver’s best 30 finishes in tour events.
 
Both drivers have already reached the 30-race mark and are now replacing their worst finishes. Fuller has entered 34 of the 38 tour events run to date, while Shirley has entered 31 shows.
 
Fuller has certainly built a healthy edge, but it’s not insurmountable. If Shirley gets on a hot streak and Fuller falters over the season’s final six events, the Rookie points battle could be very interesting entering the inaugural ‘Outlaws World Finals,’ the doubleheader that closes the 2007 campaign for the World of Outlaws Late Models and Sprint Cars on Nov. 1-3 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.
 
Fuller has already replaced four of his five 75-point nights – the lowest possible total a driver can attain for entering an event – while Shirley has three 75-point outings left to replace on his ledger. That gives Shirley an opportunity to make up more points on Fuller.
 
What’s more, Fuller will have to miss two of the six remaining events on the WoO LMS schedule due to his simultaneous pursuit of the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series big-block Modified championship. He must reluctantly skip this Saturday night’s (Sept. 22) ‘Pittsburgher’ event at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in favor of a Triple 50s Super DIRTcar Series program at Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge, N.Y., and he’s scheduled to miss the Oct. 12-13 ‘Tennessee Fall Brawl 100’ at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., to run the next-to-last Super DIRTcar Series program of ’07 at New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway.
 
“I hate missing any World of Outlaws shows,” said Fuller, who leads the Super DIRTcar Series points standings. “I’d love to run this weekend at Pittsburgh – it’s a big track that I’d probably like – and I’d like to go back to Bulls Gap next month after running there for the first time last month.
 
“But I made a commitment to (sponsor) John Lazore before this season started to go after the Modified championship, and that’s what we’re going to do. That championship pays some good money, and we’re in good position to possibly win it.”
 
If he can hold on to take the WoO LMS Rookie of the Year title, he’ll earn a $10,000 check. The runner-up in the rookie race will receive $5,000.
 
Fuller and Shirley are also in line to pocket over $20,000 apiece in WoO LMS points-fund cash for finishing among the top-10 in the overall national standings. Fuller and Shirley rank eighth and ninth, respectively, in the current points race.
 
Both Fuller and Shirley have won A-Mains in their rookie seasons on the road with the WoO LMS – Shirley on May 13 at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway, and Fuller on June 12 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.Dak. Fuller has a total of nine top-five and 14 top-10 finishes with his Gypsum Express/JL Motorsports No. 19, and Shirley owns four top-five and 11 top-10s with his Petroff Towing/Jayco Construction No. 3s.
 
The WoO LMS will spend this weekend in the Keystone State, competing on Friday night (Sept. 21) at Bedford (Pa.) Speedway and Saturday night (Sept. 22) in the 19th annual ‘Pittsburgher’ at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway.
 
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.