Special from Speedfest 2010

Short Trackers and NASCAR Stars Set to Wage Battle at SpeedFest

Pollard and Hogan Hoping to Take Down Defending Champ Busch, Stremme & More

CONCORD, NC (January 19, 2010) –  SpeedFest 2010, the unofficial start to the new racing season, is rapidly approaching and the country’s top Super Late Model teams are eagerly anticipating the drop of the green flag on Sunday, January 31^st.  The early-season event already has an entry list chock full of the top short track racing talent in the country.  In addition, well-known NASCAR drivers, including David Stremme, Steven Wallace and defending SpeedFest winner Kyle Busch are scheduled to race.

The combination of young short track stars and NASCAR talent set to tackle Lanier for 250 laps on the final weekend of January has fans in suburban Atlanta and beyond buzzing with excitement.  That excitement is matched by the drivers ready to hit Lanier in the Champion Racing Association (CRA) sanctioned SpeedFest 2010.

“Our cars are ready and we’re just going to go down there and have some fun,” said NASCAR driver David Stremme  “CRA does a really good job at putting these shows on, so we’re going to go down there and relax.  It’s like playing golf in a way, but we’re also going to be serious because we need to be racing more so that when we go to the Snowball Derby this year, we’re more up on our cars.”

While Stremme hopes to have some fun and put his David Stremme Racing #35 car in victory Lane at Lanier on January 31^st, some of the country’s top short track talents are gunning to put their name on the SpeedFest winner’s list, as well.

“SpeedFest is a great deal,” said Cleveland, Georgia native and former Lanier regular Jason Hogan, who finished second to Busch in last year’s edition of SpeedFest.  “CRA has really built it over the past few years.  With CRA running it you’ve got a great tech staff, you’ve got great support and they run a very professional organization so you know the race is going to be top-notch every time you show up at a CRA race.  Down here at Lanier, you’re always going to have good racing, it doesn’t matter when you come.  The cars will be here and the drivers will be here and I think it’s going to be the biggest year yet for SpeedFest.”

Hogan has thousands of laps and numerous victories at Lanier to his credit, which may lead to a home-track advantage over some of the NASCAR drivers, such as Stremme, who may not be as familiar with the track as he is.

“I’ve never even been there,” added Stremme.  “Matt DiBenedetto ran my car there last year and we’ll see what we can do.  I’ve driven past it, tested at Road Atlanta across the street a couple times, and seen the place, but I’ve never raced there.”

In comparison, Hogan has turned plenty of laps there and wants to top his strong performance of last year.

“To come to your backyard and run second to Kyle Busch (in 2009) is kind of disappointing to me, but if I was going to run second to somebody I’d rather it be him than somebody that nobody knows,” said Hogan.  “We picked the wrong combination of engine and carburetor last year and just got beat.  We’re coming back this year, we’ve got everything loaded for bear and hopefully we can take the win this time.”

While Stremme, Hogan and the rest of the stout field full of entries from across the country will have to bring their A-games to Lanier for SpeedFest, they will all be gunning for the only Late Model driver to have scored a victory at the 3/8-mile track already in 2010.

Georgia native Bubba Pollard scored the victory in the 100-lap Ice Cold Shriner’s Bowl event at Lanier earlier this month, giving him expert knowledge of how the tricky track will be come SpeedFest weekend.

“We’ve run well there in the past,” said Pollard.  “We’ve won a couple of races here and we usually finish solid top five or top-10, but we’re always looking to get better and come back and just keep trying to conquer the place.  It’s so hard, it changes from week to week and race to race.”

Pollard, who has succeeded in some of the biggest Super Late Model events and series in the Southeast, sees SpeedFest, now in its eighth running, as a headline event on his and every short track racer’s schedule.

“Before long, this will be like the (Snowball) Derby (held every December at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida).  There’s going to be a lot of good cars, a lot of the Cup guys are coming down and I like racing against them and I think it’s going to be a good show.”

Also on the card for SpeedFest weekend will be a 150-lap Pro Late Model event on Sunday afternoon prior to the 250-lap SpeedFest Super Late Model race.  CRA and Lanier officials have, for the second-straight season, implemented a $10,000 bonus to a driver if he or she is able to win both the PLM and SLM events, with bonuses paid throughout the field in both events.  For more details on the bonuses, check out www.craracing.net and www.lanierspeedway.com.

The Super Late Model winner will receive an $8,000 winner’s check, with another $2,000 bonus to the driver leading at the lap-125 halfway break, meaning a possible $20,000 payday to one lucky driver.

Entry forms for the Super Late Model and Pro Late Model portions of SpeedFest weekend are currently available on craracing.net and lanierspeedway.com. 

For more information on SpeedFest 2010, be sure to check out craracing.net and lanierspeedway.com or the official website of SpeedFest 2010, speed51.com.  If you have any questions regarding the event, please call the respective series or track representative.