ORLANDO, FL – Dec. 6, 2007 –
Steve Francis clinched his long-awaited first career World of Outlaws Late Model points title last month.
On Thursday night, the star driver picked up the huge check for his hard work during the 2007 season.
Francis, 40, of Ashland, Ky., received a cool $100,000 championship prize from series officials during the tour’s ‘Night of Champions’ Awards Banquet at the International Plaza Resort & Spa in Orlando, Fla.
The six-figure payoff culminated an impeccable campaign for Francis, who finally broke through to claim the WoO LMS points crown after heartbreaking runner-up finishes in 2004 and 2005.
“At least I don’t have to watch that video anymore of Volusia County a couple years ago,” quipped Francis, who lost the ’05 title to Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., on a tie-breaker after being passed for position by Moyer on the last lap of the season finale at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park. “I’ve seen that (footage) too many times, so I’ve always wanted to win this championship to kinda put that deal behind us.”
Francis was presented the lion’s share of the over $400,000 in cash that was passed out during the banquet by the World Racing Group, which has operated the WoO LMS since 2004.
No one could begrudge Francis a single cent of his championship booty. He certainly earned the big reward by putting together an unmatched performance record in the 44 A-Mains that comprised the 2007 WoO LMS.
Driving his familiar Valvoline Rocket No. 15, Francis registered four wins, 27 top-five and 40 top-10 finishes. After dropping out of two early-season events, he finished the season with a remarkable 38 consecutive lead-lap finishes.
Francis beat Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., by 126 points for the title, which brought him some special personal satisfaction.
“This is the first championship we’ve won since the passing of my brother,” said Francis, whose younger sibling and life-long crew chief died unexpectedly in August 2001. “It means a lot to win it with Lee (Logan, Francis’s chief mechanic in 2007), because Lee and my brother were really, really close friends.”
Lee Logan, 30, and his wife Brandie, who is expecting the couple’s first child in March, were on hand at the banquet to help Francis celebrate his title. They shared a head table with Francis and his girlfriend Jennifer, as well as Francis’s parents and Logan’s father Tim, who fielded the Rocket No. 11 that Francis drove in selected non-Outlaws events in 2007.
Francis hailed the support of the people closest to him, calling them critical cogs in a driver’s push for a championship.
“Our families put up with a lot more than people realize,” said Francis. “They’re the ones who let us do this. There are no Fourths of July at home, or anything like that – we’re always on the road racing and trying to make a living, and they let us do that.
“I want to thank them for all they do for us.”
Francis, who earned nearly $250,000 in WoO LMS purse and points-fund cash in 2007, spent the evening savoring his championship season. But he also noted that he’s already looking ahead to a 2008 campaign that will see him make a change in his racing attack.
The ‘Kentucky Colonel’ recently announced that he will drive Maryland team owner Dale Beitler’s Reliable Painting Rocket No. 19 in 2008. Francis will bring sponsorship from Valvoline to the effort and plans to chase a second consecutive WoO LMS title behind the wheel of Beitler’s red, white and blue machine, which was unveiled on Thursday in the World Racing Group display at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Orlando.
Frank, 45, congratulated Francis when he took to the stage to accept his $60,000 check for a career-high points finish of second on the WoO LMS.
“You didn’t falter, not a bit,” Frank told Francis. “I thought maybe you might, but you didn’t.
“Actually, I think we probably were the ones who faltered, but I’m not complaining. We had a great year (scoring a series-high six wins), and it was fun racing with you.”
Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., received $40,000 for finishing third in the 2007 WoO LMS points standings. Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., picked up a $35,000 check for placing fourth and Rick Eckert of York, Pa., pocketed $30,000 for fifth.
Rounding out the top 10 in the points standings were Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. ($25,000), Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. ($24,000), Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y. ($23,000), Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill. ($22,000) and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill. ($21,000).
Of the top-10 finishers, only Shirley was unable to attend the banquet. He did not make the trip because his car owner, Ed Petroff, underwent surgery on Wednesday.
Fuller, 40, received an additional $10,000 and a new ButlerBuilt racing seat for winning the 2007 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year Award over Shirley, who earned a $5,000 bonus for finishing second in the rookie standings. The top rookie was determined using a driver’s best 30 finishes on the tour.
“You know, this Late Model (racing) was a lot tougher than I thought it would be,” smiled Fuller, a longtime DIRTcar Racing big-block Modified star. “It was a rough learning curve for me, but we learned a little bit along the way and hopefully we can do a little better next year.
“I just want to thank everybody for taking me in and accepting me as a Late Model driver.”
The WoO LMS Crew Chief of the Year Award went to Brad Baum, who turns the wrenches for Frank. Baum received the coveted mechanic’s honor by a vote of the tour’s crew chiefs and WoO LMS officials.
Unfortunately, Baum did not attend the banquet, so Frank accepted the award for his employee.
“I know Brad’s not gonna be happy about not being here,” said Frank, noting that Baum decided to stay home and work on the team’s cars. “I know if he was here, he’d be jumping up and down and having a good time, not believing he actually got this.
“He did a great job for me, and I probably wouldn’t have had as good a year as I did without him.”
Babb, who ran a majority of the WoO LMS for the first time in 2007, earned a $1,000 bonus for winning the most National Interstate Insurance Fast Time Awards during the season. He was quick-timer on six occasions.
Custom Race Engines in Knoxville, Tenn., was announced as the winner of the 2007 WoO LMS Engine Builders’ Challenge. Francis, Frank and Clanton exclusively used Custom powerplants in ’07, and Fuller utilized a Custom motor in numerous events.
“It was a great year for us, and we enjoyed our participation in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series,” Larry Clark of Custom Race Engines told the assemblage after accepting the award. “I think it certainly is the premier racing series on dirt.”
Rocket Chassis of Shinnston, W.Va., out-pointed Rayburn Chassis and GRT Chassis to win the 2007 WoO LMS Chassis Builders’ Challenge. Rocket’s Mark Richards accepted the award.
“We need to thank all the owners, drivers and crews who support Rocket Chassis,” said Richards. “This award is a product of all the great drivers and teams that use Rocket Chassis.”
Roger Slack and Matt Long of The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., were honored as the 2007 WoO LMS Promoters of the Year. They received recognition for hosting four very successful WoO LMS A-Mains in ’07 – the Circle K Colossal 100, Jani-King Southern Showdown and the inaugural ‘Outlaws World Finals’ that closed the season in blockbuster fashion.
World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter presented a special ‘Contribution to the Sport’ award to Maryland’s Raye Vest, the well-respected owner of the orange No. 24 cars driven by Rick Eckert.
“This is quite a surprise,” said the 74-year-old Vest, who became emotional while making remarks on the stage. “It’s been a long time (in racing), but I still enjoy every minute of it.
“I don’t know how much longer I got, but I never give up – and I’ll let Rick know when it’s time.”
Integra Shocks, which sponsored the ‘Wrench of the Race’ Award during the 2007 season, gave specially-designed leather coats to Lee Logan and his father Tim for winning the Integra Shocks ‘Crew Chief Challenge’ at the ‘Outlaws World Finals.’
The top-three finishers in the points standings also received 10 sheets of aluminum apiece from Wrisco Industries, a contingency sponsor throughout the 2007 season.
WoO LMS director Tim Christman addressed the banquet attendees during the gala.
“Mostly I’d like to thank the teams, the sponsors and the families for being involved and allowing us to take this show on the road and be the success that it is,” said Christman. “It’s a great joy for us to be the biggest show at a lot of tracks around the country and deal with a great group of champions.”
Christman also touched upon the 2008 WoO LMS schedule, which was released earlier in the day at the PRI trade show. Forty-six events at 39 tracks in 22 states and three Canadian provinces are currently listed on the sked, with at least a half-dozen more dates to be announced in the near future.
The 2008 WoO LMS kicks off on Feb. 14 and 16 with the 37th annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
