*Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideDirtRacing.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the dirt racing topics of the day from east Tennessee and beyond.
The latest edition of the Turn 2 Blog is presented by the American Crate All-Star Series.
Richard: This weekend brought about a milestone moment in Dirt Late Model racing history. Jimmy Owens officially clinched the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship for the fourth time in his stellar career. It was the cap to one of the best seasons ever for the 48-year-old driver.
So far in 2020, Owens has scored a total of 18 wins with 11 of those victories coming on his primary tour. His biggest triumph of the season came in the Topless 100 at Batesville(AR) Motor Speedway in August which delivered a $40,000 paycheck.
To me, the significance of this season for ‘The Newport Nightmare’ is that it will further cement his legacy in this form of racing. And more, it shows that Owens is still a major force in this sport. After a few seasons of changing rides and posting good but not necessarily great results, the No. 20 Ramirez Motorsports Rocket Chassis emerged as a factor in virtually every race in which it was entered.
Owens had a run that saw him earn three consecutive LOLMDS titles between 2011 and 2013. Since then, he has always remained competitive but not as dominant as he was just under a decade ago. By returning to that old form, this driver has bookended that earlier portion of his career with another dominant season.
Of course, Owens would always be considered as one of the sport’s all-time greats, but what will this championship do to further his legacy in your opinion?
Jimmy Owens has made 18 trips to victory lane so far in 2020
Michael: I believe this will put him among the all-time greats when all is said and done with in his career. It’s hard to compare eras like those of Freddy Smith or even Scott Bloomquist or Billy Moyer in terms of numbers of wins. Moyer, Smith and Bloomquist didn’t race for a lot of series championships in the early years of their careers. Since becoming a full-time Late Model driver, Owens has raced for titles except for the earliest two or three years of his Late Model career. I feel like four championships is right up there with a winning a lot of $5,000-to-win features like a number of drivers who are considered to be great have done.
Some will point out that Earl Pearson, Jr. also has 4 titles. But his came in the first four years of the series’ existence but the caliber of competition is tougher now than it was in those years. As you said, Owens also has 11 wins this season to go with the championship. That’s a high quality achievement.
Richard: I think you hit the nail on the head by pointing out that this championship elevates Owens to legendary status in the same way the other drivers you mentioned are considered. He was already a sure-fire Hall of Famer but he now holds an even higher place in the sport’s history.
And now to completely change the subject, I was glad to see that the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series revamped its purse structure for next season. Most importantly, they raised the amount each driver who starts one of their features up to $1,000. The minimum amount to win is now set at $10,000 and every 10th place finisher throughout the 2021 season is guaranteed at least $2,000.
While this will add an extra expense to some promoters, drivers and teams are coming off of a year in which they lost numerous opportunities to make money due to races that were either cancelled or restructured because tracks were only being allowed to admit limited numbers of fans. For those who take on the risks of racing on a national tour, adding money, particularly to the bottom end of the purse can make the difference between making it to the next show or not.
And as far as fans are concerned, that will likely mean greater car counts at most events. What are your thoughts?
WoO Late Models regulars like Ricky Weiss(7) and Brandon Sheppard will be racing for larger purses in 2021
Michael: I think you are right as far as the promoter’s are concerned. It already costs more money to host a WoO Late Models race than any other. But the drivers do need to be making more money in some way. It’s like the old saying goes, the cost of racing keeps going up but the purses remain the same.
I feel a move like this will interest a few more drivers to compete in the series and maybe stick with it. There are plenty of examples, in both series and specific races, where car counts go up when there is more pay back through the field. There’s only one winner, but the others have to make some money to offset their costs too.
