ASA SOUTHERN MODIFIEDS RAINED OUT AT DILLON MOTOR SPEEDWAY
                                         Teams Set to Return on July 19

(King, NC): Mother Nature held all the cards Saturday night at Dillon Motor Speedway in upstate South Carolina.  After a hot & steamy afternoon, showers rolled over the track during the tracks regular division qualifying and hung around through race time forcing cancellation of the night’s events.  The ASA Southern Modified Race Tour will return to DMS on July 19th for a make-up event.

Sixteen “tour” Modifieds took to the track for practice with Norwalk, CT’s Ronnie Silk heading the list of quick times.   Frank Fleming, Jason Trinchere, Josh Nichols and Staffordville, NJ driver Rich Kuiken, Jr. rounding out the top five on the practice sheet. The top eleven drivers posted practice times within 3/10’s of a second.

The rain also set back the first Modified starts for 17 year old Chelsa Schilling from Altamonte Springs, FL and Stuart, VA’s Mark Crowe.

The next event on the ASA Southern Modified Race Tour schedule is set for July 12th at the historic Franklin County Speedway in Callaway, VA.  The “Kenny Minter Memorial 150” wraps up the tracks “Speedweeks 08” festivities. For information on “Speedweeks 08” go to www.franklincospeedway.com. For info on ASA go to www.asa-racing.com.

                     MODIFIEDS INVADE FRANKLIN COUNTY SPEEDWAY
           2nd Annual Kenny Minter Memorial 150 Wraps Up Speedweeks 08 at FCS

(King, NC): When the cars of the ASA Southern Modified Race Tour roll off the starting line Saturday night at Franklin County Speedway in tiny Callaway, Virginia, the first real step towards independence for the Modifieds will have come full circle. This event just one year ago marked the first time the Southern Modifieds ran a Saturday night race during the summer months in well over twenty years. The signifiance of that event and the fact the cars are returning to Franklin County Speedway again this year bodes well for the future of the open-wheel division with roots back to the earliest days of sanctioned racing. But, this event has even more meaning than the future success of the division. That will come in time.

The Kenny Minter Memorial 150 honors a hometown driver who lost his life doing what he loved, driving a Modified race car. When Kenny died, life changed drastically for his family. When the current crop of drivers takes the green flag Saturday night many of his family and friends including many of the drivers in competition will remember the good side of racing, family and friends. The following story was written by Melissa Loftin, wife of Modified driver, Brian Loftin. Kenny Minter, Jr. is a crew member on the Loftin Racing Team.

                                                       It’s in the Blood

This weekend’s race at Franklin County marks the 2nd annual Kenny Minter Memorial 150. Minter was killed in a racing accident at Caraway Speedway in the 90’s. The memorial race will take place at Franklin County Motor Speedway, which was Minter’s home track. Kenny Minter was track champion and won many races there. When Minter’s son, Kenny Jr. was a little boy, he played racing with his matchbox cars on the side of the trailer at the track. Now, Kenny Jr. works full-time for Richard Childress Racing and is a crew member for Brian Loftin Racing. While Kenny Jr. threw the green flag last year, this will be the first time he has a chance at being in victory lane for his dad’s memorial race. “It means so much to me that the racing community and the promoters respected my dad enough to put on this show. I am so glad to be a part of a team that has a chance at winning this race for my dad. Not only do we have a good driver, but he’s a nice guy too. I brought my dad’s scrapbooks to the race at Dillon and it meant so much to me that Brian was interested in looking at it. I think Brian has respect for my dad because his dad raced too,” said Kenny Jr. when asked about this weekend’s events. Kenny Jr. also says that it means a lot to him to be a part of a father and son team. Bobby Loftin, Brian’s dad said, “I think Kenny looks at me and Brian and sees what it would have been like if the accident never happened. We look at Kenny like one of us, family and we hope he feels like he’s family.”

On any given day at the track, Kenny Jr. tells stories of his dad racing. “When dad first started racing, he actually hid it from his parents. He would go to the track after school and not tell anyone where he was going.  Kenny Jr. is also proud of his dad for always being a family man and putting his family in front of racing. “One time, when I was a little boy, I was in the pits. They told us I had to leave, so my dad said if I had to leave, he would leave. He told the track that this was a family sport and he wanted his family with him.” Kenny Jr. always encourages Brian Loftin to maintain the same priorities with his 3 month old boy. When asked who would win in a race between Brian Loftin and Kenny Sr., Jr. laughs and says, “It would be a great race, but my dad would win!”
When someone’s life has been cut way too short, one can’t help but wonder what his son would tell his dad if he was here to see him all grown up. Kenny Jr. simply says, “I always had dreams of racing against him, but that’s just not the cards I was dealt. I would love for him to see that I am at least working in the racing field at RCR and on the 23 modified team. But most of all, I would just want him to be proud of me.” As the #23 Brian Loftin race team fell silent to that comment, Bobby Loftin spoke up and said, “Trust me, I know for a fact as a father, your dad would be SO proud of you. Not only are you a hard worker and loyal, but just a great person as well.”
 

The Kenny Minter Memorial 150 is evidence of the impact Kenny Sr. had on the sport of racing. Not long into a conversation with Kenny Jr., anyone can tell that Kenny Minter Sr. had a more important impact on his family, especially Kenny Jr. If there is one thing he wants the racing community and fans to know about his dad, it is this: “Dad was determined. Things weren’t always easy for him. He didn’t have any hand-outs like some of the racers these days, but he worked hard. His motto was always to never, ever, give up.”
 

 BRIAN KING MAKES IT TWO-FOR-TWO IN SOUTHERN MODIFIED ACTION
   Gibsonville, NC Driver Claims “Kenny Minter Memorial 150” At Franklin County Speedway

(Callaway, VA):  Brian King made it two wins in two starts on the ASA Southern Modified Race tour Saturday night at Franklin County Speedway talking the win in the second annual “Kenny Minter Memorial 150” at the historic Callaway, Virginia track.  Franklin County legends Paul Radford, Johnny Bryant, Hank Thomas, Joe Henry Thurman, and James “Chubby” Arrington all showed up to sign autographs during pre-race.

A short but talent filled field of 14 Modifieds showed up on a hot July afternoon at the 3/8 mile oval that produces some of the best racing in the area no matter what divisions are competing but this track has always provided Modified fans some of the best racing around for the open wheel rockets.

Frank Fleming posted quick time in qualifying with a lap at 13.155 seconds edging Brian Loftin for the top spot. Josh Nichols, L. W. Miller, George Brunnhoelzl III rounded out the top five.  Jason Myers, Jay Foley, King, Scott Rigney and Sam Beam rounded out the top ten qualifiers, all within 3/10 of a second. Rich Kuiken, Greg Butcher, newcomer David Cranmer and Mark Crowe completed the field.  Crowe lost an engine in is Foley Racing Engines mount and did not start the event. The top six re-draw put Myers on the point followed by Nichols, Loftin, Miller, Brunnhoelzl and Fleming.

On the initial start Myers and Nichols battled for two laps with Nichols leading lap one from his outside front row spot. Myers battled back to lead lap two and finally cleared Nichols on lap four with Miller, Loftin, Fleming and Brunnhoelzl in tow. Foley, Rigney and Kuiken settled into the next three spots.  Nichols hounded Myers for the next 15 laps with Miller glued to his rear bumper. The night ended early for Nichols on lap 19 when the engine on his Maine Harvest Lobster / Greg Biffel Foundation Modified locked up sending the bright red #34 into the turn one wall.

On the restart Miller was able to challenge Myers for several laps before Myers began to pull away. The Edwards / Moorefield / Tranthem / DMC Auto Ford of Myers was in a class of its own as the third generation driver drove to a half-track lead by lap 90 but the action for the next five spots was hot and heavy with Miller, Fleming, Loftin and King holding the crowd’s attention. King was definitely the car on the move as he battled past Brunnhoelzl and Loftin to run fourth behind Myers, Miller and Fleming.  King moved past Fleming after a bruising battle at the 84 lap mark. Foley called it a night on lap 99 with rear end trouble joining Nichols and Cramner in the garage. At lap 105 King slipped past Miller and the second three had closed on a slowing Myers. Beam dropped out on lap 107. King moved past Myers on lap 109 followed by Miller, Fleming, Loftin a few laps later.  Caution flew on lap 121 when Rigney went around in turn two.  That allowed the field to close on King and Myers to change the flat right rear tire that slowed his strong run.

Miller mounted a charge at King for a few laps on the restart but King drove away for a solid win making up for two so-so runs at Franklin County in 2007 that he felt cost him the season title last year.  Miller held off Fleming for second. Loftin had to hold off Myers for fourth.  Brunnhoelzl, III finished sixth, the final car on the lead lap. Rigney, Kuiken, Butcher and Beam rounded out the top ten.  Foley, Cranmner and Nichols completed the field.

The ASA Southern Modified Race Tour returns to Dillon Motor Speedway next Saturday for a make-up race.   Racing starts at 7:30 PM at the 4/10 mile track.

FINISHING ORDER
“KENNY MINTER MEMORIAL 150”

1. Brian King Gibsonville, NC
2. L. W. Miller Mooresville, NC
3. Frank Fleming  Mt. Airy, NC
4. Brian Loftin Winston-Salem, NC
5. Jason Myers  Walnut Cove, NC
6. George Brunnhoelzl III Mooresville, NC
7. Scott Rigney Mt. Airy, NC
8. Rich Kuiken  Staffordville, NJ
9. Greg Butcher Mocksville, NC
10.  Sam Beam  Mooresville, NC
11.  Jay Foley Stuart, VA
12.  David Cranmer Shrewsbury, NJ
13.  Josh Nichols  Cleveland, NC
14.  Mark Crowe  Bassett, VA

Pictures
 

SATURDAY NIGHT MODIFIED MAKE-UP AT DILLON MOTOR SPEEDWAY
ASA Southern Modified Race Tour Returns to Dillon Motor Speedway

(King, NC): The Southern Modified Race Tour returns to Dillon Motor Speedway this Saturday night, July 19th. The event is a make-up for a tour race rained out on June 21st.

The ASA Southern Modified Race Tour features 600 horsepower, open-wheel cars weighing in at 2600 pounds making them some of the most powerful cars racing on the East coast. Dillon Motor Speedway’s tight 4/10 mile oval lends itself to some great racing action for almost any division, but particularly these super-fast cars. With lap times near the 15 second mark, the cars are markedly faster than any others competing at Dillon Motor Speedway.

Brian King from Gibsonville, NC was the winner last year when the “Mod Squad” came to DMS edging Johnny Sutton for the win. King has started off the 2008 season with two consecutive wins on the ASA / SMRT trail, but he can expect some stiff competition from the likes of Jason Myers who had a great run last week at Franklin County Speedway before a flat tire allowed King to escape with the win. Whelen Modified Tour Champion, L. W. Miller is also on the entry list as well as Brian Loftin, Jay Foley and many more of the South’s best Modified driver. Toss in Norwalk, CT’s Ronnie Silk, Staffordville, NJ’s Rich Kuiken, Jr. and David Cranmer from Shrewsbury, NJ and you have the makings of a real North – South duel on a hot South Carolina night.

Don’t miss the rolling thunder of the ASA / SMRT Modifieds this Saturday night at Dillon Motor Speedway located just one-half mile off I-95 at the Dillon, SC exit.

July 19, 2008 . . . Due to the approaching storm off the South Carolina coast, ASA/SMRT Officials and Dillon Motor Speedway have decided to postpone tonight’s running of the “Dillon 150” ASA Southern Modified Race.  Most of the North Carolina based teams travel close to 4 hours with a couple of teams making a 10 hour trip.  With the cost of travel and the weather, Officials decided it would be in everyone’s best interest to reschedule at a later date.

Weather permitting, Dillon Motor Speedway will be running there regular schedule of events tonight without the Modifieds.  Don’t miss Fan Appreciation night and exciting ASA Racing.  Please call the speedway or check www.dillonmotorspeedway.com for more information.