
Why Pro Late Models deserve to be in the big purse spotlight!
There are so many prestigious events across the Country that pay big moolah for the big boys and bad toys of 800+ horsepower Super Late Models – Dirt Late Model Dream, World 100, Dirt Million, Hillbilly Hundred, Nation 100, Show-Me 100, USA 100, DTWC etc. Big money for Supers. Same as in pavement racing. But what about dirt and Pro Late Models at that, drivers that occupy crate engines.
In January 2018 the dirt racing community was shook to its foundation with the announcement of a $50,000 to win event for dirt pro late models at Virginia Motor Speedway for the celebration of the 50th Anniversary sanctioned by the original entity of dirt pro late models racing FASTRAK Racing Series.
To quote the story by Stan Lester and DJ Irvine for FASTRAK Companies Int’l, “Billy you’ve lost your mind while on the phone driving 75mph down the interstate to almost 40mph in shock and awe”. “There is only a 50th Anniversary season and I want to do it for them, bottom line Stan, it’s happening.” From there the groundwork began promoting promoting promoting for months into the remaining days.
What an event it turned out to be, in what was like a WORLD 100 Eldora like atmosphere in Virginia, 113 competitors from 12 states in the United States and Canada converged for their shot at big money, plus everyone in attendance to drivers, officials, media and most of all race fans were smack dab in the history column.
The event was won by Brandon Overton in Peal Racing’s Longhorn chassis; still for sale entry, a national super late model star but yes cut his teeth in (crates) Pro Late Models dirt racing primarily FASTRAK. It was a phenomenal weekend, filled with emotions and fun, tempers and frustrations. Ain’t that what a lot of people say is missing in the big NASCAR show or national Motorsports, the business has took over and the fun is gone which diminishes our fan base.
In closing, being the “voice” of this phenomenal event thats coming back in 2020 as $50K Revisited was truly something special and humbling having a heart in the pro late model industry for over a decade. Seeing them on the showcase on a big stage proved with some tweaking and fine tuning things, the best in grassroots Pro Late Model racing have earned their spot also even if it’s just for this event to shine and be a BIG star.
Pro Late Model Racing for Motorsports was made to keep the sport thriving economically and affordably. Where there is still much needed for improvement to successfully accomplish that, this event on dirt or like the $75,000 to win Pro (crates) Late Model event for pavement racing at Jukasa Motor Speedway in Canada is the up starts of getting this type of racing recognition and national interest.
Missed the historic $50,000 World Championship? Wednesday night on the MAVTV Motorsports Network will have a 2 hour program part of Speed51’s Short Track America 7/6c and reair 10/9c on Wednesday, October 30th. Yes that event will be back in 2020 also find the details at Virginia Motor Speedway and FASTRAK Racing Series in Google search or social media. God Bless and Thank you. 🏁🎙🏁