We have finally reached the time in which the weather will heat up… and so will the action on the premier dirt tracks across America. The arrival of the warmth of the summer months also marks the arrival several major crown jewel races that will be completed by the end of September.
Dirt Late Model drivers and teams want to win every race they enter. But the reality is, some are worth more than others in both payout and prestige. And the time of year has come for the participants in the sport to take on those races that not only offer large purses but also places in history to the winners.
This weekend racers will make their way to Missouri’s Lucas Oil Speedway for the $30,000-to-win Show-me 100 feature which will also be accompanied by a pair of $6,000 preliminaries. That will set in motion a series of crown jewel events that will take place over the next several months.
For any driver or fan of Dirt Late Model racing the summer months will provide some of the biggest moments in the sport. Just through the end of September there are seven events on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series schedule that will pay $30,000 or more to the victor. The World of Outlaws Late Model Series will feature another three races doling out that same sort of cash. And that’s not to mention the two highly coveted prizes at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway where drivers will compete for a $125,000 payday in the Dirt Late Model Dream on the weekend of June 8th then return the the storied track on the weekend of September 7th to fight it out for $52,000.
Jimmy Owens collected a win in the 2018 Knoxville Nationals
Considering that virtually every major player in the Dirt Late Model business attempts to go after these prizes, the results often bring drama and excitement.
Just take the 2018 summer session of crown jewel races as an example.
Some of the sport’s biggest stars shined brightest in the sport’s biggest events as was the case when Earl Pearson, Jr. took home over $200,000 from the inaugural Dirt Million in Mansfield, Ohio or when Jimmy Owens captured his first Knoxville Nationals trophy after years of trying at the Knoxville(IA) Raceway. And don’t forget the strange circumstances associated with Scott Bloomquist winning his seventh Dirt Late Model Dream after a missed drug test and a trip to the emergency room for an injured shoulder that resulted from a fall in the pit area.
Ricky Weiss earned a crown jewel win in the 2018 North-South 100
But at the same time, these races can also provide surprise moments. Canadian Ricky Weiss caught many off guard when he scored the biggest win of his career at the Florence(KY) Speedway and pocketed $50,000 at the North-South 100.
The bottom line is that for any dirt racing enthusiast, these are the times to look forward to. Literally anything can, and often does, happen.
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