Baton Rouge and Boothill to host Late Model doubleheader

Baton Rouge Raceway and Boothill Speedway to host Late Model Doubleheader

Baton Rouge, Louisiana (March 27, 2002) – The O’Reilly SUPR Late Model Series is now in full swing with a weekend doubleheader on tap beginning this Friday night at Baton Rouge Raceway. The series will then travel to Boothill Speedway for a Saturday night of action. Leading the charge will be the new leader in the championship point standings Rodney Wing. Wing, driver of the B&K Underground/Boland Performance/Styling Sign & Decal/Keith Craft Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo Rocket is looking for his first win of the season after recording a pair of runner-up finishes at the Mardi Gras Nationals and a 5^th place finish last weekend at Lone Star Speedway. And Wing is no stranger to the Baton Rouge Raceway victory circle as the Meridian, Mississippi driver recorded a victory in the season opener last year.

Kenny Merchant, driver of the J. D. Caver/Goddard Performance/Kuntz & Company Ford Mustang Warrior and winner of the first two races of the season suffered a broken rear axle at Lone Star Speedway and fell back to second place in the championship battle. He’ll be looking to regain the top position at Baton Rouge Raceway, a track that has been good to Merchant as he claimed a victory in the first night of the State Championships last year and a track that he claimed that State Championships in 2000.

And while Wing and Merchant have had success at Baton Rouge Raceway, neither driver has visited victory circle at Boothill Speedway in O’Reilly SUPR competition. They’ll be looking to change that on Saturday night.

As the championship point battle begins to take shape a trio of surprising contenders have emerged with Sam Patrick of Plaquemine, Louisiana leading the charge. Patrick is not a new face on the tour having first appeared in a SUPR Late Model in 1999. He followed the tour for much of 2000 before taking a year off to compete at Baton Rouge Raceway and Pike County Speedway were he collected the track championships at each facility. Patrick is back competing with the O'Reilly SUPR Late Model Series in his Bayou Fabricators/Royal Purple/Wall 2 Wall Performance Engines Chevy Monte Carlo Warrior and he has recorded three straight top 10 finishes including a solid runner-up finish at Lone Star Speedway last weekend.

First year Late Model driver James “Binky” Ward currently resides in fourth place in the standings. The Lettsworth, Louisiana driver has been impressive recording a 3^rd place finish on opening night, an 11^th place the next night out at Pike County and 9^th place finish at Lone Star Speedway after running in the top 3 all night long. Ward has teamed with Kennith Crowe this year in the Wescorp racing team.

Right behind Ward is another surprising contender, Chris Wall of Springfield, Louisiana. Yet Wall shouldn’t be too much of a surprise as the partner in Wall 2 Wall Performance Engines has shown steady improvement as a driver recording a top 5 finish and a pair of top 10 finishes in the first three events of the season.

As is the case with all the tracks that the O’Reilly SUPR Late Model Series will visit, a host of hometown competitors will be on hand to compete with the series travelers and it’s not uncommon to see these local drivers having their share of success. For example last year Kevin Watts of Denham Springs, Louisiana topped a strong field of competitors at the NCRA/SUPR Challenge race at Baton Rouge Raceway and the very next night Chad Dupont of Bossier City, Louisiana repeated the feat. A similar accomplishment this weekend is not out of the question.

And as the O’Reilly SUPR Late Model Series action gets underway Friday night at Baton Rouge Raceway another series will be cranking up their season as well. The O’Reilly Auto Parts backed Southern United Modified Association (SUMA) will begin its third year of competition opening at Baton Rouge Raceway. The O’Reilly SUMA Series is an organization that hosts open-wheel modified action with a similar rules package to the U.M.P. Modifieds. The series will compete at events throughout the State of Louisiana with an additional show slated for July 4^th at Baton Rouge Raceway.

Also on hand at Baton Rouge Raceway on Friday night will be the Discount Auto Parts Street Stocks, the Pure Stocks and the Mini Stocks. Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with the racing getting underway at 8:00 p.m. Baton Rouge Raceway is located north of Baton Rouge on I-110 to exit 6, then 1 mile east on State Route 408 and then 6 miles north on State Route 67 (Plank Road). For further information call Greg Holmes at 22-275-5040 or the racetrack at 225-774-4524.

Saturday night the action will shift to Boothill Speedway where the O’Reilly SUPR Late Models will compete in a $2500 to win $400 to start 50-lap feature starting at 7:30 p.m. Joining the Late Models will be the Open Wheel Modifieds, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, Trucks and Mini Stocks all be competing for double points. Boothill Speedway is located west of Shreveport on I-20 to Exit #3, then north .2 miles, then east on McGee Road. For further information contact Randy Paine at (318) 938-9938.

The O’Reilly SUPR Late Model Series corporate sponsors for 2002: Hoosier Tire Southwest, J&J Motorsports, Keith Craft Race Engines, Larry Shaw Race Cars, GRT Race Cars, Ashley Brothers Race Cars, Clausen's Racing, Bert Transmission, B&K Underground, AFCO, Brodix, Schoenfeld, Late Model America, Marlee's Embroidery, Warrior Race Cars, Lloyd Wild Logging, Hinchman Uniforms, Wall 2 Wall Performance Engines, Boland Performance, Dynatech, Borla Mufflers, Dura-Lite Racing Wheels, Breaux Petroleum, and Lone Star Super Gas.

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