RECENT RESULTS

11/21/10: 4th
11/20/10: 2nd
11/14/10: 14th

FEBRUARY RACING NEWS

JANUARY | FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE

JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER | NOVEMBER | DECEMBER

---

World of Outlaws Late Model Series News & Notes: Clanton, ‘Kid Rocket,’ Clint & Best Wishes For Chadwick:
Contact: World Racing Group - Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
CONCORD, NC – Feb. 27, 2008:

LOOKING FOR SOME LUCK: Considering all the misfortune that has befallen him over the past two weeks, Shane Clanton is willing to try anything to break his bad-luck spell.

Perhaps Clanton’s call-in to the ‘Dolls of Dirt’ internet show on Wednesday night will serve as the catalyst for a turnaround. “I hear that hopefully you two can take the monkey off my back,” a wishful Clanton told ‘Dolls of Dirt’ co-hosts Miranda Simpson and Jefra Bland at the start of his interview. Clanton, 32, of Locust Grove, Ga., was top-contender fast in the recent season-opening World of Outlaws Late Model Series events, on Feb. 14 and 16 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., but he didn’t last. He broke an axle tube while leading the 50-lapper on the 14th and saw his bid for a top-five spot ended by a busted left-rear wheel on the 16th. One week later, on Feb. 24 in the annual ‘Bama Bash’ event at Green Valley Speedway in Gasden, Ala., the black cloud remained over Clanton. He was knocked from second place halfway through the 75-lap A-Main by a cut left-rear tire.

Clanton said on the ‘Dolls of Dirt’ show, which can be heard every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on www.racefanradio.com, that he’s counting on better fortune when the 2008 WoO LMS schedule resumes with the $20,000-to-win ‘March Through Dixie 100’ on March 28-29 at Pike County Speedway in Magnolia, Miss. He has plenty of ground to make up in the points standings after his frustrating start at Volusia. With Clanton planning to fill his break from WoO LMS action with starts at tracks throughout the Southeast over the next three weekends, he’s confident that something has to give. “Hopefully we can either get our bad luck out of the way and win one of these races coming up,” said Clanton, who plans to compete this weekend at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., and Cherokee SuperSpeedway in Gaffney, S.C., “or at least get our bad luck out of the way before the next World of Outlaws race.”

KEEPING BUSY: WoO LMS co-points leader Josh Richards, who was a guest on the Feb. 20 edition of the ‘Dolls of Dirt’ show, plans to join Clanton in the field of this weekend’s ‘Spring Thaw’ event at Volunteer Speedway.

The soon-to-be 20-year-old Richards will enter Volunteer’s show behind the wheel of the Ernie Davis-owned No. 25, which he’s running in many non-WoO LMS events this season to increase his seat time. He’s hoping his visit to Volunteer will help him gear up for the high-banked track’s two WoO LMS shows later this season – the ‘Scorcher 100’ on Aug. 20-21 and a 50-lapper on Oct. 11.

CLOSE TO HOME: Clint Smith is taking advantage of the lull in the WoO LMS schedule to perform in front of his many fans in his native Southeast, racing each weekend in specials across the region.

Last weekend the Senoia, Ga., star finished third in the ‘Bama Bash’ at Green Valley – an event he had won three years in a row – despite being slowed by right-front suspension woes. He’ll take his J.P. Drilling No. 44 to Cherokee this weekend in search of some travel money for his WoO LMS championship assault.

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE: Richards, Smith and former WoO LMS champion Billy Moyer are still seeking votes from fans in the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star contest, which awards a $12,000 prize to the top vote-getter among the 18 drivers who won features during the recent Alltel DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Victories in the Super Late Model A-Mains at Volusia put Richards, Smith and Moyer on the Alltel DIRTcar All-Star ballot. Fans have until 11:59 p.m. ET on March 16 to vote for their favorite full-fender star at www.AlltelAllStar.com. They can vote once per day, and with each vote cast they are entered in a contest to win a $500 gift card from Alltel Wireless.

GET WELL SOON: World of Outlaws Late Model Series officials and teams send their best wishes to California dirt Late Model/open-wheel Modified driver Kellen Chadwick, who suffered serious injuries in a hard crash during a Modified race on Feb. 23 at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, Ariz.

The up-and-coming, 22-year-old Chadwick, who made his first career WoO LMS A-Main start when he qualified for the 2007 Circle K Colossal 100 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., is currently in the Intensive Care Unit at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix. He sustained multiple broken vertebra in his neck and back, had an artery to his brain cut and suffered burns on his right arm and back. Doctors have already fitted him in a halo to immobilize his neck and placed him in an induced coma, and he is scheduled to undergo surgery on his neck on Thursday afternoon. Chadwick, who entered last year’s Colossal 100 and several other events in a dirt Late Model fielded by fellow Californian and 2006 WoO LMS regular Eric Jacobsen, faces a long recovery.

Cards and letters can be sent to Chadwick in c/o Darlene Salazar, 2713 Bautista Street, Antioch, CA, 94509. In addition, a Kellen Chadwick Relief Fund has been set up and donations can be sent to: Chadwick Relief Fund, c/o Bank of the West, 2195 Main Street, Suite "D", Oakley, CA, 94561 (or call 925-625-2211 for more information).

---

World of Outlaws Late Model Series News & Notes: Wrapping Up The Alltel DIRTcar Nationals
Contact: World Racing Group - Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com
BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 20, 2008

ANOTHER STEP: There was something different about Josh Richards’s victory in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener on Feb. 14 at Volusia Speedway Park.
Even the 19-year-old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va., sensed it. “This was the first time I won (a WoO LMS) race and the car didn’t really feel that great,” said Richards, who registered his seventh career triumph on the tour. “In all my other wins, I felt like we might have had the best car. Tonight I feel like we were good, but not great, and we were able to get a win. “It just gives the whole team a boost of confidence to start the year off.”

The win also ranked as arguably the most hard-earned of Richards’s WoO LMS career, alongside the August 2006 score at Columbus (Miss.) Speedway that he bagged with a dramatic late-race pass of Tim McCreadie. He battled hard to get to second place behind Shane Clanton, who dropped out on lap 30 just as Richards was beginning to bid for the lead. All four of Richards’s WoO LMS victories last season came in dominant, flag-to-flag fashion, and his first career win, on Aug. 15, 2005, at New York’s Lebanon Valley Speedway, came in an event that fell under his control just before the midway point when the two cars ahead of him (Scott Bloomquist and Rick Eckert) simultaneously experienced mechanical trouble.

Richards, who turns 20 on March 22, hopes his strong performance at Volusia (he also finished third in the WoO LMS on Feb. 16, sending him home tied for the points lead) is a harbinger of good things to come. “I feel like we have a team that can contend for the championship,” said Richards. “We have a new car chief this year – Matt Barnes – Jimmy Frey is the tire specialist, and my dad (Mark) is the crew chief and the car owner. Maybe we can keep it together this year, keep it going fast everywhere we go and win some races.”

KARMA: Clint Smith would have preferred to win a WoO LMS A-Main during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, but he still happily celebrated his victory in the 50-lap UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model finale on Feb. 15.

Besides, he might have been destined to pocket the night’s $10,000 checkered flag. Smith, 42, of Senoia, Ga., triumphed on his daughter Jenna’s 15th birthday. “And I came from the 15th starting spot to win it, so that’s pretty cool,” he said. Jenna wasn’t on hand for her father’s winning run, however. She remained back in the Peach State in order to attend her high-school classes and take the driving test for her learner’s permit, which her proud papa said she earned with flying colors.

Smith’s victory – and a fifth-place finish in the next night’s WoO LMS finale – came after he began the week shuttling back-and-forth between Georgia and Volusia. After his step-father, Clint Roberts, passed away on Feb. 10, Smith immediately drove home that morning to be with his family, then got a ride back to Florida on Monday to compete in the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals opener for the UMP DIRTcar Super Late Models. Smith flew home on Tuesday for the viewing – he didn’t miss any action at Volusia because that night’s action was rained out – and planned a return to Florida on a Wednesday flight, but a full plane forced him to jump in a car at 1 o’clock and make a banzai six-hour drive down to Volusia; he arrived just in time for his time-trial lap during the UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned program.

MR. MISFORTUNE: As Smith talked with fellow Georgia driver Shane Clanton in the pit area following the Saturday-night WoO LMS finale of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, he perfectly pegged Clanton’s downtrodden outlook.

“You got the ‘dial’ in that bad spot,” quipped Smith, alluding to a racer’s mythical ‘luck’ meter. “Fortunately, there’s a whole season ahead to get it turned around.” The 32-year-old Clanton could only nod his head in agreement with Smith after experiencing two heartbreaking WoO LMS outings at Volusia. On Thursday night he was leading on lap 30 when a broken right-rear axle tube knocked him out, and on Saturday night he was racing for a top-five spot on lap 35 when a broken left-rear wheel ended his hopes.

Back-to-back DNFs for a WoO LMS regular who’s become known for his ability to complete races – that’s not the way Clanton envisioned opening his campaign. The bad luck put him in an immediate points hole on the tour, sitting 19th in the standings, 84 points out of the lead.

BREAKING THROUGH: There were plenty of people who wondered what former WoO LMS champion Billy Moyer was doing last summer when he hooked up with the Bakersfield, Calif.-based Victory Circle shop to debut a new Victory Circle M1 Chassis.

The 50-year-old Moyer, however, never had any doubts. His spectacular Alltel DIRTcar Nationals performance – three wins (two UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned, one WoO LMS), a second and a third – on top of three victories the previous week at East Bay Raceway Park was the kind of run he always felt was just around the corner. “We had a bunch of seconds last year (with the Victory Circle car), just couldn’t quite get over the hump,” said Moyer. “I told these guys that build the cars, ‘We’re this close, and when it starts happening, it’s gonna take off.’ And I was right on the money, I guess.”

HAPPY OWNER: Defending WoO LMS champ Steve Francis didn’t take long to impress his new car owner Dale Beitler.

When Beitler looked at his No. 19 car upon the completion of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he couldn’t have hooked up with a better driver than Francis. You see, the Rocket car that Francis steered to a ninth-place finish in the week’s WoO LMS finale at Volusia was the same machine he ran in each of the 17 other events in Florida and Georgia over the past three weeks. Beitler was genuinely amazed that Francis had gotten through so many nights of rough-and-tumble action with only a couple minor dents in the nosepiece to show for it.

Despite ending the trip with a ninth-place WoO LMS outing that didn’t meet Francis’s expectations because a broken throttle spring hampered him throughout the A-Main, Beitler was so pumped up about ’08 that he was ready to keep racing. “If the World of Outlaws added a race down here next week,” said Beitler, “I’d just stay all week and run it.”

NICE SAVE: Coming off a career-high second-place finish in the 2007 WoO LMS points standings, Chub Frank didn’t want to get off to a slow start on the ’08 tour.

But when the Bear Lake, Pa., veteran entered the Saturday-night finale riding a string of bad luck – a 15th-place finish in Thursday night’s WoO LMS opener due to body and suspension damage, plus two DNQs and a 27th-place run in the three UMP DIRTcar shows – he was facing the very real possibility of falling into a big points hole. Frank flashed the stuff of a champion, however, salvaging his visit to Volusia with a strong second-place finish from the 11th starting spot in Saturday night’s 50-lapper. The run put him eighth in the WoO LMS standings, just 28 points out of the lead. “At least it’ll make the ride home a little easier,” said Frank, who expects to have a new hauler and trailer ready to transport his equipment to the next WoO LMS show, the ‘March Through Dixie 100’ on March 28-29 at Pike County Speedway in Magnolia, Miss.

UP-AND-DOWN: Rick Eckert’s mystifying winless streak on the WoO LMS reached 59 races after he failed to crack Victory Lane in two tries at Volusia, but he did enjoy arguably his strongest run on the tour since his last triumph (July 8, 2006, at Ohio’s Sharon Speedway) when he charged to a runner-up finish from the 24th starting spot on Thursday night. The York, Pa., star was unable to duplicate his impressive performance on Saturday night, however. He finished a quiet 13th after using a provisional spot to start the A-Main.

CHASING THE CROWN: Shannon Babb proved at Volusia that he has a 2008 WoO LMS championship on his mind.

Committed to follow the tour for the first time after joining NASCAR Sprint Cup star Clint Bowyer’s new dirt Late Model team during the off-season, Babb understands that winning the big-money title will take smarts as well as speed. He demonstrated that on Thursday night when he accepted a fifth-place finish in the 50-lap A-Main. “We were looking at the big picture,” said the standout from Moweaqua, Ill. “We weren’t that good, so we took what we could get. That’s how you win a championship – even on a night when you’re not that good, you have to find a way to come out with a good finish. “In the past, I probably would’ve just kept hammering the cushion to try to win the race and ended up breaking something because my car wasn’t good enough.”

Babb was looking down the road again on Saturday night, when he continued turning laps at reduced speed after an apparent electrical problem caused his car to sputter for much of the distance. He finished only 22nd, but he picked up probably five spots by staying on the track to complete 47 laps.

MUCH BETTER: Darrell Lanigan unloaded his Rocket No. 29 in Florida focused on getting off to a better start on the 2008 WoO LMS than he did a year ago.

Mission accomplished. One of six drivers to score a top-10 finish in both WoO LMS A-Mains (10th on Thursday, sixth on Saturday), the Union, Ky., racer ended the week a solid seventh in the points standings, 26 points out of the lead. He departed Volusia last season ranked 19th in the standings after having to use a provisional in the opener.

I’M GOING TO…: Tim Fuller didn’t win a WoO LMS event during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, but he still headed for Disney World after Saturday night’s finale. The 2007 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year experienced horrible luck at Volusia. On Thursday he was beginning to bid for the lead in the A-Main when a broken right-front shock forced him to the pits on lap seven (he returned laps down), and on Saturday a cut left-rear tire knocked him out of sixth place with just three laps remaining. Fuller put the frustrating nights behind him by staying in Florida for the remainder of the week to vacation with his family at Disney World. It was to be the first Disney visit for his three-year-old daughter Ainsley.

FIRST-TIMER: The first-ever Alltel DIRTcar Nationals appearance for 26-year-old WoO LMS traveler Brian Shirley wasn’t spectacular, but he escaped the tough week with a pair of B-Main victories and a solid eighth-place finish (from the 20th starting spot) on Saturday night. After making the steady climb forward to nab a top-10 in Saturday’s 50-lapper, the Chatham, Ill., standout with one of the sharpest-appearing cars in the field sat 14th in the points standings.

TOUGH WEEK: Tim McCreadie, the 2006 WoO LMS champ, was back on the dirt Late Model scene for the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals driving his familiar Carl Myers-owned Sweeteners Plus No. 39, but he didn’t have a wonderful time. Racing with his left hand wrapped in a bandage after injuring it in a tangle the previous week at East Bay, the Watertown, N.Y., star never quite found his usual form. He did get going better on Saturday night – winning a heat race and starting from the pole in the WoO LMS 50 – but a flat left-rear tire on lap 40 knocked him from a potential top-five finish.

With McCreadie still unsure about whether he’ll make any NASCAR Nationwide Series starts as a Richard Childress Racing Development Driver this season due to a lack of sponsorship, he said he’s considering his options for more dirt Late Model racing in ’08.

BACK ON TOUR: John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va., who followed the WoO LMS from 2004 until the early portion of 2007, is looking to return to the trail this season.

Driving Bloomquist Chassis cars owned by his father, Blankenship got off to a good start at Volusia, finishing ninth in the opener. It was his first WoO LMS top-10 since July 2, 2006, at Cayuga County Fair Speedway in Weedsport, N.Y.

ROOKS: Four drivers submitted WoO LMS Rookie of the Year applications at Volusia.

The list includes Al Purkey of Coffeyville, Kan., a well-respected Midwestern veteran who is planning to tour nationally for the first time in his career; Vic Coffey of Leicester, N.Y., a DIRTcar big-block Modified standout (and Sweeteners Plus Racing teammate of McCreadie) who wants to step up his dirt Late Model efforts in ’08; Danny Johnson of Rochester, N.Y., one of the alltime DIRTcar big-block Modified greats who is entering dirt Late Model action this season; and Joe Isabell of Pennellville, N.Y., a teenage Modified racer from the Northeast and teammate of Johnson’s.

Of the four, only Coffey qualified for a WoO LMS A-Main, finishing 20th on Saturday night.

UP NEXT: The WoO LMS is idle until March 28-29, when the inaugural ‘March Through Dixie 100’ takes center stage at Pike County Speedway in Magnolia, Miss. The early-season blockbuster will pay $20,000 to win.

---

CSR News: 2/17/08: Clint Smith and team would like to send out get well wishes to earl pearson, jr.: Clint, family, and crew would like to send our best wishes to Earl Pearson, Jr. Clint like most of the drivers, crew, and fans at Volusia Speedway Saturday night were concerned for the three-time Lucas Oil Champion from Jacksonville, FL driver after a violent flip during the preliminary events. During the first heat his Bobby Labonte-owned car dug into the cushion between turns three and four and flipped wildly, coming to rest upside down. Safety crews carefully extricated a shaken Pearson, 36, from the car’s cockpit and transported him to a hospital in nearby Deland for observation. He was released several hours later, extremely sore but otherwise uninjured after he was checked out with X-rays and a CAT scan.

---

Racing - 2/16/08: Clint ends Florida Speedweeks with another top 5: Bringing a very long week and long road trip to an end was much anticipated for the Clint Smith Team. Wanting to end the week with back to back wins and getting a victory with the World of Outlaws under his belt to start the year was the goal for the night. However, the those goals were not entirely fulfilled. Clint qualified 8th and started and finished 2nd in his heat race. This locked Clint in to the feature to roll off the grid in 8th place, seemingly better than the 15th starting spot he won from just one night earlier. However, the stellar field and tough track conditions held Clint at bay for the duration of the event in 5th place. Clint stated that he was satisfied with his week at Volusia Speedway Park overall and is looking forward to defending his 3 year streak as the Bama Bash champion next weekend.

---

Racing - 2/15/08: Feb. 15: Clint Smith rallies to $10,000 victory - Volusia Speedway Park
From staff and series reports - as seen on www.dirtondirt.com

Ryan Newman joined Clint Smith in victory lane. (World Racing Group)
BARBERVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 15) — Clint Smith picked a perfect time to hit his stride in the 37th annual Alltel Dirtcar Nationals. The veteran from Senoia, Ga., was the star of Friday’s show, powering forward from the 15th starting spot to win the week’s 50-lap UMP DirtCar Super Late Model finale at Volusia Speedway Park. | Free video of winning pass

Smith, 42, drove around the outside of Newport, Tenn.’s Jimmy Owens to assume command on lap 39 and never looked back. He pocketed $10,000 for what was not only his first career win at the D-shaped half-mile track, but also his initial triumph in the state of Florida. “My dad (late Southeast star Roscoe Smith) won here and at Lake City (Fla.),” said Smith, who finished third in Wednesday night’s UMP feature. “Back in 1977 he won the Florida State Championship — he won here on Friday night, and then he went up and won at Lake City on Saturday night. I’m glad to win down here where he’s won at. It means a lot — and now I’d like to win a World of Outlaws race in Florida.”

Smith will get his chance for that on Saturday night (Feb. 16), when the 2008 Alltel DirtCar Nationals close out with a 50-lap WoO event. If Smith is able to bottle the speed he flashed with his GRT Race Car, he’ll have a great shot at winning $10,000 two nights in a row.

“I couldn’t ask for a car to be no better than that,” Smith said of his No. 44, a four-bar mount he put back in action on Thursday after repairing the bent rear clip it sustained in a hard crash the previous week at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla. “It just rotated and would leave the corners. I could run full throttle all the way down the front straightaway and about half-throttle down the back.”

In an ultra-competitive race that featured six lead changes among five drivers, Smith cracked the top five within 10 laps and reached second place with a lap-29 pass of Carpentersville, Ill.’s Dennis Erb Jr. He was closing in on Owens, who had controlled the lead since overtaking Erb on lap 23, when the fourth and final caution flag flew on lap 36. Shortly thereafter, on lap 39, Smith steered to the outside of Owens through turns one and two and grabbed the lead for good. He crossed the finish line three-quarters of a second in front of Batesville, Ark.’s Billy Moyer, who won the two UMP features earlier in the week.

Smith dedicated the victory to his late step-father, Clint Roberts, who passed away on Sunday – and he hailed the night’s racing surface. "This is what you call a racetrack tonight,” emphasized Smith. “There were a couple holes here and there, but when you start 15th and drive up to the lead in actually 39 laps, it’s an excellent racetrack.”

Moyer, who started 14th in his Victory Circle M1 Chassis, maintained his Volusia points lead with the runner-up finish. He secured second with a lap-42 pass of Owens but never got close enough to challenge Smith. Owens settled for third place after starting 11th in Mike Reece’s Bloomquist Race Car. He led on three different occasions: laps 9-18, 20-21 and 23-38.

Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., advanced from the 23rd starting spot to finish fourth in Dale Beitler’s Rocket car, and the fifth-starting Erb placed fifth in his Rayburn mount after fading slightly from his single lap (22) spent in the lead. Francis posted his third consecutive fourth-place finish at Volusia.

Terry Casey of New London, Wis., started second and led laps 1-8, but he wasn’t around at the finish. He was bidding for a top-five finish when he retired on lap 43.

Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., meanwhile, appeared primed to run off with his first victory as the hired-gun driver of NASCAR Sprint Cup star Clint Bowyer’s Dirt Late Model team. The race’s ninth starter, he exploded from fifth to second on lap 14 with a breathtaking outside run around Casey, Erb and Smith, then nosed ahead of Owens to lead lap 19. But smoke wafted from Babb’s car as he was making his move by Owens. Two turns after he was scored the leader, Babb’s Rayburn mount fell off the pace and rolled to a stop in turn four.

Shortly before Babb had taken the lead, he hit a hole in turn one that bent his car’s rack and cut a power-steering line. Trying to press on without power steering, he swept into the lead but then caught a rut again – and this time, it poked a race-ending hole in his radiator.

NASCAR Sprint Car stars Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer competed in Friday’s program. Newman, who was on hand representing Alltel, drove a Steve Francis-prepared car to a 16th-place finish (three laps down) in the feature. He was added to the event as a promoter’s option. Bowyer, who piloted Babb’s backup car, was also granted a promoter’s option starting spot for the A-Main but scratched from the event. His car sustained damage when he clipped a spinning machine in turn one during the second consolation race. — Kevin Kovac

Finish: (1) Clint Smith, (2) Billy Moyer, (3) Jimmy Owens, (4) Steve Francis, (5) Dennis Erb Jr., (6) Tim Fuller, (7) Darrell Lanigan, (8) Josh Richards, (9) Steve Shaver, (10) Ricky Elliott, (11) Shane Clanton, (12) Earl Pearson Jr., (13) Dan Schlieper, (14) Eddie Carrier Jr., (15) Jeep Van Wormer, (16) Ryan Newman, (17) Terry Casey, (18) Brady Smith, (19) Tim McCreadie, (20) Jason McBride, (21) Jackie Boggs, (22) Justin Rattliff, (23) Michael England, (24) Shannon Babb, (25) Wayne Chinn, (26) Brian Dively, (27) Chub Frank, (28) Don O'Neal.

---

CSR News: 2/10/08: Clint Smith Loses step-Father, Clint Roberts, Sunday 2/10/08: After a very late night at East Bay and the commute to Volusia Speedway in Barberville, FL in preparation of the final week of 2008 Speedweeks, Clint was awakened early with the sad news that his step-father, Clint Roberts, had passed away after a lengthy illness. Clint Roberts was 61 years old and had been married to Clint's mother, Linda, for the past 10 years. To learn more about Clint Robert's, please visit Conner-Westbury Funeral Home and click on the link for Clinton H. Roberts.

Upon hearing the news of his step-father's passing, Clint immediately left Volusia driving back to Georgia to be with his mother, Linda, and family. Early Monday morning, Clint caught a ride back to Volusia where his crew had been steadily working to prepare the car for the nights action. Clint was wanting to test his car prior to Thursday night's World of Outlaws 2008 Late Model Series kick-off event. On Tuesday morning Clint caught a flight back to Atlanta, with plans to miss Tuesday night's action, mother nature then kicked in and called off the nights activities. After the emotional events of the week Clint caught a ride with friends Wade & Cindy Knowles on Wednesday afternoon back to Volusia, arriving just in time for hot laps. The efforts to get back to Volusia each night proved beneficial. With the team remaining at the racetrack, they were able to prepare the car(s) and have them ready for Clint to just step in and be competitive. During the emotional week and especially following a disappointing 2 weeks in Golden Isles and East Bay, Clint pulled in a 14th, 9th, 5th, 3rd, and a win during the week.

---

2008 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Season Preview: Clint Smith
Contact: World Racing Group - Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 • kkovac@dirtcar.com

Georgia’s ‘Cat Daddy’ Seeks To Go From Contender To Champion

CONCORD, NC – Feb. 9, 2008 – Last year Clint Smith showed he can be a serious contender for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship. This season Smith’s mission is to prove he can win the prestigious title. “We have to put a complete year together,” Smith said when asked what it will take for him to jump from a career-best third-place finish in the 2007 points standings to a championship in 2008. “Last year we were good enough to win the points for most of the season, but our program fell off a little down the stretch. We just have to avoid that kind of lull and be strong all the way through the year.”

Smith, 42, of Senoia, Ga., was a fixture near the top of the WoO LMS points standings in ’07, never slipping lower than third after finishing sixth in the season opener. During the first five months of the campaign, he either led or was tied for the points lead after 17 events; only eventual champion Steve Francis sat atop the standings more often (24 events).

But the Southeastern star known as ‘Cat Daddy’ lost the points lead due to a rare broken cam that left him with a 28th-place finish in the season’s 25th event, the Firecracker 100 on June 30 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., and he never climbed back on top. He won two of his four ’07 A-Mains after his hiccup at Lernerville, but he simply wasn’t able to maintain the consistent momentum he had demonstrated during the first half of the season. “We had an excellent year, the best I’ve ever had with the Outlaws,” said Smith, a tour regular since its reincarnation in 2004 under the World Racing Group banner. “But after we lost the point lead at the Firecracker, we couldn’t keep anything going. “When you get behind, you get to scrambling. You get knocked out of the point lead and you start trying stuff you normally wouldn’t to try to catch up, and then stuff just snowballs. That’s what happened to us.”

While disappointed to fall short of the points crown after his lengthy stint atop the points standings got visions of the promised land dancing in his head, Smith did improve a significant six spots from his best previous WoO LMS finish (ninth, in 2005). It also continued his steady, season-by-season rise in performance on the tour, buoying his hopes for a memorable ’08 trip through the grueling Outlaws schedule. “Our first year (2004), we struggled terribly all year,” said Smith, who finished 10th in the points standings that season. “We switched cars (chassis) back-and-forth, we didn’t have the right (type of) trailer for traveling the tour, and we had no wins.

“We learned a lot of things that first year, though, and our second year (2005) we had two wins and our third year (2006) we got up to four wins (and 10th in the points standings). But the middle of the year wasn’t good (in both ’05 and ’06), and that’s why we didn’t finish better in the points. “Last year we got stronger, more consistent, but we still need to do a little better if we’re gonna beat guys like Francis and Chub (Frank) and everybody else for the championship. With guys like (Shannon) Babb coming on board (as a WoO LMS regular in 2008) it’s gonna be a tough season, so we’ll have to be on top of our game.”

Smith heads into the 2008 WoO LMS season, which kicks off on Feb. 14 and 16 during the 37th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., feeling very good about his self-operated team. He remains a stalwart in the GRT chassis camp and will continue to use RaceTek engines – and best of all, his entire roster of sponsors is back, including J.P. Drilling, Cliburn Tank Lines, J&J Steel and Steven’s Plumbing.

“The biggest concern every off-season is getting all your sponsors locked in for another year so you can run the program,” said Smith, who increased his national profile in ’07 by scoring all four of his WoO LMS victories in the Midwest (two in Missouri, one each in Indiana and Kansas). “We didn’t add any more sponsors, but we have every sponsor back. That’s a big relief when you’re trying to make a living at this. “You gotta have money to race, and you gotta have money to pay (crewmen) because they ain’t gonna work for free like they used to a long time ago.”

The biggest change in Smith’s effort comes on the crew side, where he had to replace his well-regarded chief mechanic, Johnny Cloer Jr. of Chatsworth, Ga., who informed Smith last fall that he would be relinquishing his post to pursue his own dirt Late Model driving career with a ride on the Southern All-Stars Series. Smith hired Melvin Welch, a veteran mechanic from Alabama who had been working for Ben Thomas Race Cars, as his head wrench and brought Darrell Cooper on board to assist, with Bobby Mills planning to help Smith as well at select shows.

With the new personnel on board, Smith was glad that this year’s early-season dirt Late Model schedule included long racing meets at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, Ga., and East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., prior to the WoO LMS lidlifters at Volusia. Including three upcoming UMP DIRTcar Late Model events at Volusia (Feb. 11-13), Smith could have 16 starts already under his belt when he takes his first WoO LMS green flag of ’08 on Valentine’s Day. “Running all these races has helped me and Melvin get on the same page,” said Smith, who has raced in all but one of the 154 WoO LMS A-Mains contested since 2004. “We should be ready when the points start.”

And they’ll have one goal: a World of Outlaws championship.

---

Racing - 2/6-9/08: Ending East Bay on an upswing: After just missing the shows on February 6, 7, and 8, Clint and team made some changes and made the show the final night in Tampa. Clint was 2nd quick in his qualifying group and went on to finish 3rd in the 1st heat race, securing a starting spot for the night's $12,000 to win main event. As Clint stated, they didn't have a good handle on the car and was just not very fast. Clint finished 15th on the night. Clint and crew have now loaded up and headed to Volusia Speedway in Barberville, FL for the grand finale week of Speedweeks 2008 and the kick-off of the 2008 World of Outlaws Late Models tour.

---

Racing - 2/5/08: A bright start turns bleak on night 2 of East Bay - Running as many days in a row as many of the drivers are doing is an endurance race not only for the teams but on the equipment as well. So when you qualify tops in your group after barely making it in to the show the day before, you have to have a real good outlook for the rest of the night.

This was not to be on night 2 at East Bay, starting from the outside pole position, Clint and Josh Richards got too close for comfort. Clint was sent high on the track in turn 1 and popping the outside wall. From there, Clint wasn't able to get the car back working and ended 6th in the heat race. "There's plenty more racing to be had, we'll get ready for tomorrow and move on."

---

Racing - 2/4/08: A strange start to the 1st week of Speedweeks at East Bay: Clint didn't have a great qualifying run in his group, ending up about mid-pack overall. During the heat race and with a chance to improve on the mediocre qualifying time, Clint fired off the line. However, as sometimes luck goes, the motor suddenly lost fuel pressure causing the 1st caution of the heat race and ultimately sending Clint to the pits scored dead last and a long way from a main event starting spot. Marvin and crew immediately went to work on the car in time for Clint to run what is referred to as the "Strawberry Dash". This is a race for "non-qualifiers" of the main event and the winner earns a chance for the last spot in the feature event.

Clint made the most of a second chance for the night by winning the Strawberry race and earned the last spot in the feature event. During the 50 lap Lucas Oil $5,000 to win first race of East Bay Speedweek, Clint gradually moved up and ultimately scored a 13th for the night. Clint stated that "after a rough start on the night, we are super pleased with the overall outcome. We'll take what we have and move on to tomorrow night.

---

Announcement - 2/2/08: Clint Smith Racing, and the entire family, would like to send sincere condolences to the family of Michael England, who drives the 5E super late model from Glasgow, KY, over the loss of his father. Michael's father David passed away suddenly over the weekend. Michael had been having some good runs at Golden Isles Speedway and was upbeat about the next couple of weeks in Florida. Clint has had the good fortune of getting know the "Salt Lick Express" family and team over the last couple of years. After learning about Michael's loss Clint stated "my heart goes out to the whole family, they are a good bunch of people and I feel for their loss."

Though no words can truly express the loss they must feel or our true hope for comfort, we would ask all of our family, friends, and fans to send out prayers of strength to get the family through this time.

---

Racing - 2/1/08: Georgian getting back on track - FROM WWW.DIRTONDIRT.COM
One of Georgia's top drivers, Clint Smith hadn't looked the part at Golden Isles with a single top-10 finish in the first five events of the Super Bowl of Racing. Tough to struggle racing in your home state, Clint? "Any state," Smith said. "I don't like struggling any time." Smith put some of those worries behind him on Friday night with his best run at Golden Isles. Lining up 16th in the main event, he rallied for a solid fifth-place finish at the 4/10-mile oval that's about 275 miles southeast of his Senoia, Ga., home.