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13-Year-Old
Racing Sensation Logan Ruffin Entered For The All American 150
Salem, IN (March 10, 2008) –
13-year-old racing sensation Login Ruffin has filed an entry for the
CRA Super Series sanctioned All American 150 at the famous Music City
Motorplex at the Fairgrounds in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday,
March 29th. This will be Ruffin’s first event with the CRA
Super Series, if he gets to take the green flag for the All American
150, he will break the record as the youngest driver to ever compete
in a CRA Super Series sanctioned event. The
current
record of 14 years old is held by NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
competitor Shelby Howard, during the 1999 season, and 2002 CRA Super
Series Champion Joel Kauffman, during the 2000 season.
" I’m really excited to be competing
with the CRA Super Series at the Music City Motorplex," remarked
Ruffin. "I want to thank the track and the series for giving me
special permission to race in the event. The Fairgrounds track just
has so much amazing history, it is just an honor to race on the same
track as so many great racers like Darrell Waltrip, Sterling Marlin
and the late Bobby Hamilton, just to name a few. This event will be an
excellent learning experience for me especially competing against so
many good racers, it is going to be a great race!"
Setting records in nothing new for
this very talented teenager. Ruffin set several records in this past
February’s 42nd Annual World Series Of Asphalt at New
Smyrna Speedway in Samsula, Florida when he became the youngest driver
to ever win a feature in the 42 years of that event when he captured a
win in the second event for the Crate Late Model Division. One wasn’t
enough, Ruffin went on to get two more victories to make it three in a
row, for three wins total in the six events that division had during
the traditional Speedweeks event. With those wins, plus a sixth place
finish on opening night, along with a fourth and third place finish
the last two nights, Ruffin became the youngest ever Champion in the
history of the event, beating out 2007 MAARA Series Champion Will
Thomas by a mere four points.
"What happened at New Smyrna Speedway
was a total shock, our goal was to just go down there and get some
seat time. We never thought we would win a race, much less a
Championship. We brought enough parts to rebuild the racecar, but we
didn’t need to replace anything all week. It was really neat to win
down there with so many big race fans at those events, they would clap
really loud when I pulled into victory lane, but stopped for a minute
when I got out of the car, I think they were shocked that the winner
was so young!"
The Brentwood, Tennessee native’s
racing career began in 2004 at age 9 when he began competing in
Quarter Midgets around the Tennessee area, it was also the beginning
of the R Performance Team, whom Ruffin races for out of Nashville.
Success was
almost
immediate as he collected several checkered flags that first season.
He competed in Quarter Midgets again in 2005, traveling to shows all
around the region with successful results. He moved up to Mini-Cup
cars in 2006, and in Pro Challenge cars also during the 2006 season,
again with positive results. During the 2007 season Ruffin campaigned
the Pro Challenge car and started racing Legend Cars after he turned
13.
With Ruffin showing success at every
level he raced at, the decision was made to speed up his progression
by putting him in a late model towards the end of the 2007 season.
Ruffin responded with great runs at Beach Bend Raceway and Highland
Rim Speedway. Ruffin then attempted to make his ASA Late Model Series
debut in their 200-lap event during the All American 400 weekend at
the Music City Motorplex in November. Bad Luck would get the best of
Ruffin that weekend, first a broken drive shaft ruined his qualifying
run putting him in the 25 lap last chance race were the top two
finishers would transfer to the feature. Ruffin started last and
worked his way to fourth before a burned out clutch ended his day, but
not before he became the youngest driver to ever start a late model
event at the Music City Motorplex.
Ruffin managed to race his way into
the Mason Dixon Meltdown feature event at Concord Motor Speedway in
his first ever super late model start in a qualifying race later in
November, making him the youngest driver ever to compete in that
event. Ruffin started 27th in the 200 lap Meltdown and
moved up to 19th before bad luck struck again when a broken
lower left strut ended his day. His luck got a lot better the next
weekend when he drew the pole and led all 50 laps of the super late
model feature at Lanier National Speedway to get his first super late
model win on November 24th.
Ruffins plans for 2008 will include
up to 40 late model
events all over the country, which he already started by competing in
Florida during SpeedFest 2008 at USA International Speedway in January
and at New Smyrna during Speedweeks. Ruffin will compete with the ASA
Late Model Series in their Challenge Division beginning in this
weekend’s event at Tri-County Speedway. He will also compete in
selected events in the ASA Late Model Series South and North Divisions
during the season as well as selected ASA Southeast Series, PASS South
Series and CRA Super Series events beginning with the All American
150. On off series weekends Ruffin will race some local shows closer
to home.
The Total Performance Driver
Development / R Performance Team is lead by Crew Chief Chuck Moores
along with Rick and Shelley Ruffin, Logan’s parents. Shelley Ruffin is
a recording artist with three released CD’s to her credit, she has
been singing most her life since growing up in Memphis. Her singing
career has slowed somewhat with Logan’s busy race schedule the past
two years. The fans and racers attending the rain delayed final day of
SpeedFest 2008 got to hear her sing the National Anthem.
Ruffin will campaign a Rander Car
Impala SS with a Hamner Sealed Engine at Nashville with support from
Torco Race Fuel, Impact Racing, Total Performance, Schoenfeld Headers
and Hamner Racing Engines. More information is available on Logan
Ruffin at www.loganruffin.com.
The All American 150 for the CRA
Super Series late models will be part of the big 2008 Spring Clash
Weekend on March 28th and 29th at the Music City
Motorplex, which will also include a 75-lap event for the O’Reilly USA
Modified Series and a special-points 75-lap Shoot-out event between
the CRA Street Stocks and the MCM Sportsman. More information on the
event is available at
www.musiccitymotorplex.com. Entry forms for the All American 150
for the CRA Super Series and series rules are available at
www.craracing.net.
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