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LATEMODELRACER >> DRIVER PRESS RELEASES >> Richards Ends Visit to Eldora Speedway with Ninth-Place Finish
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Message started by LMR on 06/16/11 at 8:16pm

Title: Richards Ends Visit to Eldora Speedway with Ninth-Place Finish
Post by LMR on 06/16/11 at 8:16pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2011
________________________________________

Richards Ends Visit to Eldora Speedway with Ninth-Place Finish in Dream XVII

SHINNSTON, W. Va. (June 15) - The pursuit of a coveted crown-jewel triumph at the famed Eldora Speedway will continue for Josh Richards. A driver who makes no secret of his desire to win one of the half-mile oval's two annual dirt Late Model spectaculars, Richards was once again a major contender but fell short of victory in Saturday night's DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned Dream XVII. The 23-year-old from Shinnston, W.Va., settled for a ninth-place finish in the $100,000-to-win event.

The 100-lap Dream A-Main capped a four-day visit to Eldora for Richards, who arrived early to serve as the crew chief for NASCAR star - and 'Big E' track owner - Tony Stewart in Wednesday night's Prelude to the Dream charity race. Richards and his Rocket Chassis team prepared the Bass Pro Shops/Office Depot/Mobil 1 No. 14 for the 30-lap Prelude race that featured many of the country's biggest motorsports names.

Richards's primary focus during his Eldora trip, of course, was the Dream, and he got off to a promising start during Friday night's rain-plagued time trials. He qualified third-fastest in the 91-car field - his blistering lap of 15.012 seconds left him just a hair away from becoming the third dirt Late Model driver in Eldora's history to crack the 14-second barrier - to stamp himself as a favorite in Saturday's headline action.

In Saturday night's third 20-lap qualifying heat, Richards advanced from the sixth starting spot to finish second, earning him the ninth starting spot in the Dream A-Main. His hopes were high for a very lucrative breakthrough win, but the two-time defending World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion wasn't able to move forward and finished in the same position he started.

"It was a pretty frustrating night," said Richards, who slipped to 13th place at the start of the 100-lapper but managed to gradually climb to ninth during a race slowed by a just a single mid-race caution flag. "The whole race the top (groove) was dominant and that made it so hard to make a pass. (Don) O'Neal did a heck of a job getting up through there (to win the race from the 12th starting spot), but you look at the rest of us and nobody was going anywhere. We were just riding around the top in line.

"Our car wasn't bad," he continued, analyzing his Mark Richards Racing Enterprises Kentucky Fuel Corporation/Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket No. 1. "We tried something different and I was a little tight, and that hurt us a little, especially early. But once we got rolling a bit the car was okay. You just couldn't pass.

With Eldora's Dream Week behind him, Richards now looks ahead to the resumption of the WoO LMS following a month-long break. The tour will visit Winchester (Va.) Speedway on Saturday night (June 18) for the rescheduled Gunter's Honey Spring 50 - and Richards, who sits second in the tour's points standings through 10 events, can't wait to get there. While Saturday's $10,000-to-win show will mark his first career start at the one-third-mile oval in his Rocket No. 1, he's proven dominant at the track in non-Outlaw events over the past two years driving the Ernie Davis-owned No. 25, winning five features in 2010 and two events already this season.

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com, follow him on Twitter at @Josh_Richards1.

Josh Richards' No. 1 team carries support from Rocket Chassis, Kentucky Fuel Corporation, Cornett Racing Engines, Seubert Calf Ranches,Ernie D's Enterprises, ACE Metal Works, Petroff Towing, Tony Stewart Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Integra Shocks, Slavic Custom Decals, Valvoline, AEM, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Bearing Company, Autolite, Banshee Graphics, Barnes Systems, Beyea Performance, Brinn Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Braswell Carburetion, Butlerbuilt Seat Systems, CV Products, Dohm Cycles, Dyer's Top Rods, Fram Filters, Frankland Rearends, Howe Racing, LSI, MSD Ignition, Outerwears, Performance Bodies, Performance Friction Brakes, Performance Rod & Custom, Rand, Ringers Gloves, Scott Performance Wire, Simpson Race Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Tel Tech, TWM Racing Products, Trick Carbon Fiber Driveshafts, Jones Racing Products, TurboStart Racing Batteries, Ultra Lite Brakes, US Brake, Weld Racing Wheels, Will Kinzer Foundation, Wehr's Machine, Wilwood and Wrisco Aluminum.