World of Outlaws Late Model Series
April 8, 2010
Contact: Kevin Kovac

World of Outlaws Late Model Series News & Notes: Previewing The 'Illini 100' On April 9-10 At Farmer City Raceway

FARMER CITY, IL - April 8, 2010 -

HOMETOWN BOY: Jason Feger wants to keep the Illini 100 trophy where it belongs – in the Land of Lincoln.

The Bloomington, Ill., resident is confident that he can write that storyline for his homestate's biggest and richest dirt Late Model event, a 100-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series spectacular scheduled for this Friday and Saturday (April 9-10) at Farmer City Raceway.

"It would just be awesome to pick up that $20,000 (first-place) check in front of the home crowd," said Feger, who has turned many laps around the demanding quarter-mile clay oval during his career. "All of my family and friends will be there with their 'Feger' shirts on so I'd love to give them something to cheer about. We'll have a great party in the pits if we can pull it off."

Coming off a career season in 2009 that saw him win 23 features and his first-ever DIRTcar UMP Late Model national championship, Feger, 31, believes this weekend's third annual edition of the Illini 100 represents his best chance yet at a major resume-building victory. He has more experience in long-distance races and feels much sharper than the driver who finished a solid eighth in last year's event.

"We ended up eighth last year, but we broke a lift-bar (under the front nosepiece) about halfway through and that definitely affected my handling for the rest of the race," said Feger, who failed to make the starting grid for the inaugural Illini 100 in 2008 but did win the Non-Qualifiers Race as a consolation prize. "I think we had a car that could've run in the top five if the lift-bar wouldn't have been getting caught in the (car's) frame when I went through the turns, so I know we can run up front.

"Now we'll be going into this weekend with even more knowledge from all the racing we did last year and already this year (in Georgia and Florida this February), so I don't see why we can't win the race. I think the field for this year's race is going to be the toughest yet, but if we make the right decisions and our car stays together we'll have a shot."

Feger proved last year that he can get the job done on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, topping the national tour's roster of superstar drivers for his first career series win at Charter Raceway Park in Beaver Dam, Wis. Now he'd like to add a second triumph on more familiar turf.

"I don't think there could be anything better than having an Illinois driver win the Illini 100," said Feger, who will run a fresh Pierce Chassis car this weekend after driving the machine to victory in its debut outing last Saturday night at Peoria (Ill.) Speedway. "I'd love to be that guy."

NAIL-BITERS: Two years. Two dramatic races. Is there another one in for Saturday night's Illini 100?

All the drivers involved in the memorable endings of the past two seasons will be in action this weekend, including three-time WoO LMS champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., who won the hold-your-breath inaugural Illini 100 in 2008.

Moyer started third in that event but didn't grab the lead until lap 99 when he slipped by Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., who was forced to start at the rear of the field because he changed a tire after presenting his car for the starting lineup. Babb led laps 55-72, 74-84 and 86-98 – and came up less a car's length short of leading the last circuit as well.

WoO LMS regular Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., earned his only victory on the 2009 tour in last year's Illini 100. A quiet 11th-place finisher in the inaugural event, Clanton started from the pole position last year but spent almost the entire distance chasing leader Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, finally sneaking underneath Birky to assume command on lap 94.

SPREADING THE WEALTH: There has not been a repeat winner over the first six A-Mains of the 2010 WoO LMS schedule – and if another new driver emerges victorious in the Illini 100, the tour's modern-era (2004-present) record for most different winners to start a season will be matched. In 2004 the first repeat winner came in the eighth feature.

What's more, all six winners this season are drivers who plan to follow the entire WoO LMS. The only other season with a longer season-opening winning streak by tour regulars was 2005, when Outlaws captured the first 11 A-Mains.

HE'S O.K.: Coming into the Illini 100 as the season's most recent WoO LMS winner is Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who broke out of an early-season funk with his victory on March 27 at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas.

"I told Tim (Logan, his crew chief) when we went to Texas, 'We're close – we're not perfect yet, but we're close,'" said Francis, who entered the March 26-27 doubleheader in the Lone Star State mired in ninth in the points standings with just one top-five finish in four starts. "Then we ran so bad at Battleground (Speedway to kick off the Texas Two-Step weekend) I didn't know what to think, but we came back (at Lone Star) and finally got it all put together. Now I think we might have something."

With Francis back fielding his own equipment this season after spending 2008-2009 driving for Maryland's Dale Beitler, this weekend will mark his first Illini 100 appearance in his familiar No. 15. He was a contender in both previous 100s, finishing third in 2008 (he led laps 51-54 and 73) and running fifth in last year's edition until he tumbled to 15th in the final rundown because a broke left-rear tracking rod caused him to limp around the track at reduced speed for the final circuits.

HE'S BACK: As Tim McCreadie embarks on his first season as a WoO LMS regular since he won the championship in 2006, he's ready to make his first start at Farmer City since 2008.

Watertown, N.Y.'s McCreadie, who turns 36 on April 12, was unable to enter last year's Illini 100 because he was sidelined by the back injury he suffered in January during the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla. Currently sitting second in the WoO LMS points standings after six events but without a win, he hopes to flash the speed he showed in his below-the-radar charge from the 20th starting spot to a fourth-place finish in the '08 event.

OUTLAWS IN THE ILLINI: The Illini 100 finishes for the other 2010 WoO LMS travelers not already listed in this release: Josh Richards (sixth in '08, third in '09); Rick Eckert (seventh, 10th); Darrell Lanigan (eighth, seventh); Shane Clanton (11th, first); Chub Frank (12th, ninth); Clint Smith (14th, 12th); Tim Fuller (17th, 11th); Brady Smith (21st, 14th); Russell King (20th in '09); Brent Robinson (DNQ in '09); and Rookie of the Year candidate Jill George (DNF both years), who expects to be back in action after missing the tour's last event at Lone Star Speedway because she suffered a deep cut on her right arm in a wild flip into the turn-three catch fence the previous night at Battleground.

WoO LMS rookie sensation Austin Hubbard, an 18-year-old who already has a victory (and the tour's craziest post-race celebration) to his credit this season, will make his first career start at Farmer City.

TOUGH COMPETITION: Feger is one of many UMP Late Model standouts hailing from Illinois who will challenge the Outlaws. He'll be joined by such racers as former WoO LMS regular Shannon Babb (second in '08 Illini 100, fifth in '09); three-time UMP Summer Nationals champion Dennis Erb Jr. (16th, 21st); Steve Sheppard Jr. (ninth, DNQ; Kevin Weaver (22nd, won Non-Qualifiers' Race); Brian Shirley (19th, DNQ); Eric Smith (DNQ, 18th); Scott Bull (DNQ, 24th); Ryan Unzicker (DNQ, 25th); Daren Friedman (DNQ, DNQ); and Brandon Sheppard (DNQ, DNQ).

Excluding Babb because he's been an Outlaw regular, the best finish by an Illinois driver in the Illini 100 was a fifth in 2008 by Wes Steidinger, who no longer races regularly. Richie Hedrick, meanwhile, scored a sixth-place finish last year.

The list of talented outsiders expected includes Moyer, Birkhofer, Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis. (fourth place finisher last year), Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich. (13th in '08 is his best), Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis., Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind.

ILLINI 100 EVENT INFORMATION: An open practice from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thurs., April 8, kicks off the Illini 100 weekend.

On Friday night, April 9, time trials and heat races will be contested for the Illini 100 along with a regular show for Farmer City’s DIRTcar UMP Modified and Hornet divisions. The finale on Saturday night, April 10, will include full shows for the UMP Modifieds and Pro Late Models plus the Illini 100 B-Mains, a 25-lap Non-Qualifiers’ Race and the 100-lap headliner.

Gates will be open through the morning and early afternoon on both Friday and Saturday, but the pits, camping area and stands will be cleared at 3 p.m. each day and then officially reopened. Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Ticket prices for adults are $15 (Friday) and $30 (Saturday), with tickets for children (ages 6-12) priced at $5 (Friday) and $15 (Saturday). Kids 5-and-under will be admitted free.

Pit passes are $30 on Friday and $40 on Saturday or $60 for a two-day combo. Pit passes for kids (ages 4-11) are $15 on Friday, $20 on Saturday or $30 for a two-day pass.

More info on the Illini 100 is available by logging on to www.farmercityraceway.net or calling 309-634-5601.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.