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I-55 Raceway's 25th Annual 'Pepsi Nationals' Returns As Stop
On World of Outlaws Late Model Series This Saturday Night (Sept. 15)
PEVELY, MO – Sept. 13, 2007 – The stars of the World of Outlaws Late Model
Series will help celebrate the silver anniversary of the 'Pepsi Nationals' this
Saturday night (Sept. 15) at I-55 Raceway.
A staple on the Midwest's post-Labor Day special-show schedule for a
quarter-century, Saturday night's 25th annual edition of the 'Pepsi Nationals'
is destined to be bigger and better than ever. The 50-lap event is back as part
of the renowned WoO LMS after a one-year absence, and it will pay a rousing
$10,000 to win from a total purse of nearly $50,000.
Saturday night will also mark just the WoO LMS's second appearance ever at I-55
Raceway, a one-third-mile, high-banked oval owned by NASCAR star Ken Schrader.
The only previous tour event at the track was the 23rd annual 'Pepsi Nationals,'
held on Sept. 17, 2005.
That race was won by 2005 WoO LMS champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., a
dirt Late Model legend who has won a record seven 'Pepsi Nationals' crowns in
his sparkling career. His 2005 score followed victories in the 1993, 1994, 1995,
1999, 2001 and 2002 events.
The '07 WoO LMS traveler who is most looking forward to Saturday's program is
Rookie of the Year contender Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., who has enjoyed a
great deal of success at the track located a half-hour south of downtown St.
Louis. Last year he captured a July special and an August MARS DIRTcar Series
event at I-55, and earlier this season, on June 2, he pocketed $6,000 for
winning the UMP DIRTcar Racing 'Tri-Track Challenge' affair.
Shirley, 26, also owns top-five finishes in the last two 'Pepsi Nationals'
A-Mains, placing third in the 2005 WoO LMS event and fifth in last year's UMP
DIRTcar Racing-sanctioned 50-lapper that was won by Wendell Wallace of
Batesville, Ark.
With only seven WoO LMS events remaining after the 'Pepsi Nationals,' the event
figures to play a critical role in determining the 2007 points champion.
Entering this weekend's three-race Midwest to Paducah (Ky.) International
Raceway (Sept. 14), I-55 and La Salle (Ill.) Speedway (Sept. 16), Steve Francis
of Ashland, Ky., who finished ninth in the 2005 WoO LMS 50 at I-55, leads the
tour standings by 52 points over Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa. (11th in the 2005
WoO LMS event) and 78 over Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga. (16th in 2005). Francis of
Frank, the popular driver known as 'Chubzilla,' is very hopeful that I-55 will
be a track where he can close the gap on Francis. Last month Schrader drove one
of Frank's dirt Late Models in a 'NASCAR Night of Stars' event at Lernerville
Speedway in Sarver, Pa., and the I-55 Raceway owner provided a scouting report
on the track that made Frank smile.
"I talked to Kenny a lot at Lernerville about what I-55 has been like," said
Frank, who leads all WoO LMS drivers this season with five tour victories. "It's
usually real slippery, and that's the way I like a track to be."
Other WoO LMS standouts with eyes on a 'Pepsi Nationals' win include Josh
Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. (finished 14th in I-55's WoO LMS show in 2005),
Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga. (15th in '05), Rick Eckert of York, Pa.
(fourth in '05) and Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. (second in '05).
Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., who won four WoO LMS features while chasing the
first half of this year's schedule and ranks 10th in the current points
standings, will certainly be a pre-race favorite on Saturday. The 2003 'Pepsi
Nationals' winner also has two UMP DIRTcar Racing Summernationals triumphs at
I-55 (2002 and 2006).
Other drivers expected to sign in on Saturday include Don O’Neal of
Martinsville, Ind., who won I-55's 'Pepsi Nationals' in 2004 and the UMP DIRTcar
Racing Summernationals event in 2003; recent Topless 100 winner Jimmy Mars of
Menomonie, Wis.; Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis.; Brian Birkhofer of
Muscatine, Iowa; Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich.; 2006 UMP national Late
Model titlist Randy Korte of Highland, Ill., who has won four of his six I-55
A-Mains this season over the past month; defending I-55 champion Bryan Collins
of Elsberry, Mo.; and five-time 'Pepsi Nationals' winner Ed Dixon of Washington,
Mo.
I-55 Raceway's gates will be unlocked at 4 p.m. on Saturday, with hot laps set
for 6 p.m. and WoO LMS time trials at 6:30 p.m. Racing is scheduled to start at
7 p.m.
Reserved seats for the event are $30, with general admission tickets $25 and
kids 12 and under admitted free in general admission sections. Pit passes will
be $35.
Information about I-55 Raceway is available by calling 636-479-3219 or visiting
www.i55raceway.com .
Additional info on the WoO LMS can be obtained by logging on to
www.worldofoutlaws.com .