CARS Tour Event Preview powered by KRC Power Steering: Summertime Showdown 250 – Orange County Speedway
CARS Tour Event Preview powered by KRC Power Steering: Summertime Showdown 250 – Orange County Speedway
7:30PM – July 30, 2016
MOORESVILLE, NC (July 26, 2016): The CARS Tour returns to the thrilling Orange County Speedway after a midsummer break marking the mid-season point of the 2016 schedule. The major headline of the event in the Late Model Stock division is the absence of JR Motorsports driver Josh Berry, who will be competing in the Iowa Xfinity Series race Saturday night. Berry, who is the only LMSC repeat winner, is just seven points behind point leader Deac McCaskill. However, the JR Motorsports team can still win the series owner’s championship as they have tapped newcomer Scott Bishop to drive the #88B ride. The Super Late Model division will see several newcomers this weekend including Chandler Smith, Wade Day, and dirt ace Tanner Thorson in what looks to be a stacked field at Orange County. No driver has been able to repeat as a winner in the division, will this weekend make six different winners in six races, or will a driver double up for the first time this season making a serious bid toward winning the championship?
Summertime Showdown 250 NOTES & QUOTES
NOTES:
Track/Location: Orange County Speedway – Rougemont, NC
Track Size: .375-mile
Event Name: Summertime Showdown 250 pres. by The Grilling Store
Laps/Distance: 125/46.87 miles
Event Schedule: 12:30PM-2:45PM Practice, 4:45PM Qualifying, 6:15PM Fan Fest, 7:30PM Green: SLM-LMSC
Twitter Handle/Event Hashtag: @CARSTour / @OCS_Track / #SummertimeShowdown250
CARS SLM Tour Pre Entered Drivers: #6 Brandon Setzer, #7 Tyler Church, #8 Tate Fogleman, #9 Spencer Davis, #15F AJ Frank, #16 Lucas Jones, #16M Vinnie Miller, #17 Quin Houff, #17B Tanner Berryhill, #22 Trevor Noles, #26 Chandler Smith, #33 Preston Peltier, #49 Jeff Batten, #54 Matt Craig, #55 Dalton Sargent, #57 Cole Timm, #58 Tyler Ankrum, #67 Clay Jones, #96 Wade Day, #97 Tanner Thorson, #98M Jody Measamer, #99 Raphael Lessard (22 total)
CARS LMSC Tour Pre Entered Drivers: #08 Deac McCaskill, #1 Christian Eckes, #1M Craig Moore, #2D Chris Denny, #7 Justin Crider, #12 Ryan Wilson, #12M Austin McDaniel, #16S RD Smith, #27 Tommy Lemons Jr, #28 Chris Hudspeth, #31 Thomas Beane, #41 Chase Purdy, #42 Craig Stallard, #74 Ronald Hill, #88 Chris Davis, #88B Scott Bishop, #98 Stefan Parsons, #99 Layne Riggs (18 total)
***Official Entry Deadline: Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at 4PM***
Media Coverage:
-Speed51 (speed51.com) will provide Trackside Now Live Updates
-RACEFEEDX (www.racefeedx.com) – LIVE Pay per View Video Coverage
-CARS Tour Facebook (facebook.com/CARSTour) and Twitter (@CARSTour)
QUOTES:
Fogleman a Familiar Name at Orange County:
Tate Fogleman made his CARS Tour Super Late Model debut earlier this season on the tour’s first visit to the 3/8th mile track in April. At that event the Durham, NC driver, who considers Orange County Speedway his home track, struggled in a big way finishing off the pace in 23rd position. The defending 2015 PASS South series championship driver, has since debuted a new LFR race car and made several changes to his program that has elevated his position on the speed charts each and every week since. Now, as he returns to his home track, Fogleman feels like the opportunity to improve on his career best finish of fifth in CARS Tour competition should come this weekend in the Summertime Showdown 250.
“I’ve been waiting a while to get back to Orange County. The team and I have been working hard preparing for the race. Last time we were there we struggled the whole weekend, but recently we picked up a LFR Chassis and it been a big change to our program. We’ve got a few races in and still learning what these cars like. Sometimes it’s a trial and error process, so this long break off has been perfect for us to pin point what we need to work on. I think this weekend has the best potential to be our best race yet in the CARS Tour.” Tate Fogleman – #8 Fogleman Soils Ford Super Late Model
The Wait is Finally Over:
Layne Riggs has been patiently waiting to race against Late Model Stock Cars best drivers in a CARS Tour race at his home track of Orange County Speedway. The son of former NASCAR Cup Series driver Scott Riggs has spent the last few CARS Tour races at OCS watching from the grandstands just waiting to turn the approved age of 14 years old in order to compete. Now the time has come for the youngster to show what he can do behind the wheel of his #99 Puryear Tank Lines Late Model Stock Car in front of his hometown crowd. No matter the outcome Saturday night, Layne Riggs is proud to be mixing it up amongst the best as be begins his career climb up the motorsports ladder.
“I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s CARS Tour race at my home track. I had so much fun racing against these guys at Tri-County Speedway in June. To me the CARS Tour offers the best short track racing there is in the country. Having to watch the last few CARS Tour races at OCS were tough because I wanted so bad to be a part of it. Now I’m finally 14, I can race this weekend at Orange County with the support of my family and hometown fans behind us. We learned a little last week at the track’s 100 lap race that I think could help us come Saturday. I’m just looking forward to having a solid run with our #99 Puryear Tank Lines/Chick-fil-a of Roxboro Ford and being there at the end.” – Layne Riggs – #99 Puryear Tank Lines Ford Late Model Stock Car
Halfway Home on the 2016 Season:
The Greenville-Pickens Speedway event on June 25th marked the halfway point for the 2016 CARS Tour season. Twenty-one teams, between both Super Late Models and Late Model Stocks, have started all five events and now those teams will get paid back for their efforts through the tour’s Loyalty Program that begins this weekend and runs through the rest of the year. Every Super Late Model race has seen a different winner and the Late Model Stocks have had four different winners in five races with only Josh Berry winning twice. With the parity in each division it is not surprising that a tight points battle is underway in both divisions. Deac McCaskill in Late Model Stocks and Raphael Lessard in Super Late Models, each hold only a seven point lead over their competition.
“So far this season has had some great racing while having some dominant performances by a few first time winners. Both points battles are shaping up to be just as tight as they were a year ago which makes the final half of the season pretty exciting. I think the Super Late Model driver who’s able to get that second victory may have the advantage in the championship stretch. In Late Model Stocks, Deac McCaskill has to feel a little pressure off his shoulders knowing that Josh Berry won’t be there this weekend, but the owner’s championship is still up for grabs. Not to mention it seems like Tommy Lemons Jr. has finally hit his stride in CARS Tour competition. While these are all tour regulars, I anticipate several newcomers and returnees to make their mark in the remaining races to close out the 2016 season in similar fashion to last year.” Chris Ragle – CARS Tour Director of Operations
For more information and to stay up with all the latest news and information about the CARS Tour, featuring both Late Model Stock Car and Super Late Model divisions, visit www.carsracingtour.com or contact the tour’s office directly at 704-662-9212. Stay social with the tour by “liking” the CARS Tour Facebook page and following along on Twitter @CARSTour.
Sources: Chris Ragle/CARS Tour PR