Post by Dirt Master on May 30, 2007 7:00:38 GMT -5
Contact: DIRT MotorSports d/b/a World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 . kkovac@dirtmotorsports.com
Ricky Elliott Anxious To Battle World of Outlaws Late Model Series Stars On Thursday (May 31) At Delaware International Speedway
DELMAR, DE - May 29, 2007 - Ricky Elliott has come so close to victory in World of Outlaws Late Model Series competition, he can taste it.
"I want to win a World of Outlaws show bad," said Elliott, a veteran DIRTcar big-block Modified driver who has developed into a serious regional dirt Late Model threat since entering the full-fender division on a regular basis in 2005. "That's one of my goals as a driver.
"If you win a World of Outlaws show, you know you've beaten the best."
There would be no better time for Elliott to break through against the WoO LMS stars than this Thursday night (May 31), when the tour makes it first visit since 2005 to his hometrack, Delaware International Speedway.
Elliott, 41, will be racing virtually in his backyard, barely 20 minutes away from his home in Seaford, Del. He's won dozens of big-block Modified races and several dirt Late Model shows at the half-mile mile oval, so he knows the intricacies of the track like no other.
Naturally, a healthy contingent of Elliott's family and friends will turn out on Thursday night to witness him compete in the $10,000-to-win 'First State 50' - by far the biggest dirt Late Model event that will be held in Delaware this season.
"Everybody who knows me in Delaware should be there," quipped Elliott, who is especially enthused about his 10-year-old son, Cole, and his step-children, Dalton and Chace, having a rare opportunity to see him battle the division's national standouts on home turf.
Elliott will enter the 'First State 50' loaded for bear. He should have plenty of power at his disposal for the job at hand - a new Pro Power engine will be under the hood of his Rocket car - and he's confident that his Charles Jarvis-owned team, which he joined for the 2007 season, is ready to make a big splash.
"The transition period to a new team hasn't been real tough for me," said Elliott, who drove dirt Late Models owned by fellow Delaware resident Butch Warrington from late-2004 through the end of the 2006 season. "All of the same guys who worked on (Warrington's equipment) came with me this year and we're using the same type of cars and motors, so it's basically just a different guy (Jarvis) paying the bills."
Elliott has already won features this season at Georgetown (Del.) Speedway and New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway, but he's looking for a major-event victory to put on his ledger. His history in WoO LMS action makes it clear that he should factor in any discussion of potential winners Thursday night at Delaware International Speedway as well as Saturday night (June 2) at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway, where the tour will sanction the 26th annual 'Conococheague 50.'
A starter in 16 WoO LMS A-Mains from 2004-2007, Elliott has four top-five finishes on his resume. His career-best run was a second-place finish on July 8, 2005, at Hagerstown Speedway, and he's also scored a pair of fourths (Feb. 16, 2006, at Florida's Volusia Speedway Park and April 15, 2006, at Virginia Motor Speedway) and a fifth (May 20, 2005, at Ohio's Brushcreek Motorsports Complex).
Elliott came closest to a WoO LMS checkered flag in 2005 at Hagerstown, where he led a majority of the distance but settled for second after Tim McCreadie passed him on the white-flag lap. He also led laps that season at Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway (a late-race accident knocked him from contention) and Delaware International Speedway, where he started from the pole position after winning the dash and paced the field early before encountering problems and finishing 14th.
"I've led Outlaw races for awhile, but haven't been able to get the job done," said Elliott. "Some of it is a matter of experience picking the right tires. We run American Racers and almost everybody else is on Hoosiers, so we don't have a lot of people to talk to at every race to get an idea of what (compound) we should be on."
But Elliott and Co. have gotten more familiar with their American Racer rubber - familiar enough, he believes, to pick the right combination to get him to the finish first.
"I'm pumped up," Elliott said when asked for his feelings on the WoO LMS show at DIS. "I'm really looking forward to it. I think we have a good shot."
A banner field of dirt Late Models is expected for Thursday night's action, including all the WoO LMS travelers, a host of top regional and local talent and NASCAR Nextel Cup veteran Kenny Schrader, who will be in Delaware for the NASCAR weekend at nearby Dover International Speedway.
Gates will open at 4 p.m. and hot laps are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Adult general admission is $26 and children 7-13 will be admitted for $5. Pit passes are $35 for adults and $10 for children 7-13.
Reserved seats are also available for the event by calling the track office at 302-875-1911.
For more information, visit www.delawareracing.com.
Additional info on the WoO LMS is available by logging on to www.worldofoutlaws.com.