Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series
June 4, 2013
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Carolina Clash Set to Heat up June with Three Events in Eight Days
First Stop At Fayetteville Motor Speedway to pay tribute to Coca-Cola Representative Mr. Al Lucas on June 8, 2013

By Mark Huey, Carolina Clash PR
FAYETTEVILLE, NC (June 4) - On June 8, 2013, Fayetteville Motor Speedway and the stars of the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series will pay tribute to Coca-Cola soft drink representative Mr. Al Lucas, who spent many decades serving the Cape Fear region communities and cities, including bringing the title name of the Fayetteville Motor Speedway Late Model Division as the Coca-Cola Late Models.

Fayetteville Motor Speedway public relations official and Carolina Clash Series Hall of Fame member and historian and long-time friend of the Lucas family, Mr. Larry Long noted that Mr. Lucas was very instrumental in bringing the Coca-Cola scoreboard to Fayetteville Motor Speedway.   

"Al Lucas was a true race fan. He was named the 'Best Coca-Cola representative on the eastern-side of the Mississippi River.' Mr. Long also noted that Al Lucas was a large patron of Fayetteville Motor Speedway and supported Carolina Crown winner and multiple-time Carolina Clash winner Scott Autry when he began racing in the Mini-Stock Four Cylinder division. He also supported Fayetteville native David Taylor, who is also a long-time supporter of the Carolina Clash series.

"Al Lucas was a huge reason the Fayetteville Motor Speedway had a points-fund that paid all divisions for running for weekly points. He definitely was a dedicated race fan and he loved the sport. From asphalt to dirt, Al was the man. He bought trophies, supported racetracks, racers, and fans. He was an all-around great patron of Cumberland County's dirt faithful."

Thomas Pope of the Fayetteville Observer posted a blog about this great man, where he stated that "the man didn't just like racing, the man was nuts about it!" The entire blog can be viewed at http://blogs.fayobserver.com/fullthrottle/March-2012/Local-racing-loses-another-....

Chris Jacobs of the Fayetteville Observer also posted a great story about Al Lucas and can be viewed at http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2012/03/18/1163501?sac=

"Coca-Cola was his job and he was fiercely loyal," is a line taken from that story written about Mr. Lucas.

Mr. Lucas passed away in March 2012 and this race will be the second event dedicated to the Wade, NC resident. The first annual Al Lucas Coca-Cola Carolina Clash Memorial Race was held on June 9, 2012 at Fayetteville Motor Speedway which was won by 5-time series champion and the winningest driver all-time at FMS - Ricky Weeks.

Tim Allen of Kannapolis, NC started out the 2013 season with a tremendous roar, scoring and win at the Ed Gibbons Memorial Race in March. However, Allen has faced serious adversity since that win with three straight races having problems on his #17 Gray Motorsports machine.

As the summer months heat up and carry over into the fall, the Carolina Clash has plans to run two more events at Fayetteville. On August 17th, the third-annual "Shirley Autry Memorial Race" and the final round of the JE Pistons by Roush-Yates Performance Products Countdown to the Cup Event in October.

The Carolina Clash drivers are more than ready to return to action, as they have been idle since May 11, when Jonathan Davenport captured his second Carolina Clash win at Cherokee Speedway. Davenport has had a remarkable season thus far around the country, as his new race partnership with AES/Steve Cooke Racing has looked very impressive over the first half of the year.

Following the June 8 race at Fayetteville, the series moves to the piedmont region of South Carolina for the return of Carolina Clash racing at the Laurens County Speedway on Tuesday night, June 11, 2013. Laurens County hosted multiple events from 2002 - 2006. This will be the 33rd annual running of the Laurens County Shrine Race. Billy Hicks won the first ever Carolina Clash event at Laurens County Speedway, which has hosted 11 events all-time.

Finally, to wrap up the Spring Closeout, the series races down Interstate 77 in South Carolina to exit 65, where the I-77 Speedway of Richburg, SC will play host to the second event of the series at the 4/10 mile oval on June 15, 2013.

Ricky Weeks has captured the most checkered-flags at Fayetteville Motor Speedway with Carolina Clash than all active Clash drivers. Weeks has carded eight wins all-time since 2001. He enters this race as the most recent series winner, picking up his 38th career Carolina Clash victory at Fayetteville last year in this event. Weeks and Dennis Franklin each have two wins at Laurens County with Carolina Clash racing. Roffers has the only win at I-77 Speedway (SC).

Other Carolina Clash regulars who have taken victories from Fayetteville include: Luke Roffers (5), Dennis Franklin (3), Scott Autry (2), Tim Allen (2), Dustin Mitchell (1), and Gary Mabe (1).

The 2013 Rookie Class features a few familiar faces to Clash racing in eastern NC, none of which has ever carded a Carolina Clash win. Louisburg, NC driver Damon Kotke and Statesville, NC driver Kyle Pierce are each competing for the Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 2013. Kotke currently leads the rookie standings, having scored several impressive top ten finishes in 2013. Kotke has been a strong top ten competitor at Fayetteville over the previous two seasons, while Pierce is hoping that a strong second-place finish at an unsanctioned event at 311 Speedway in May will help turn his season in the right direction.

Roush Yates Performance Parts representatives Angela Jensen and Mike Alvarez have provided three more gift certificates to the fastest qualifier, the 11th place finisher, and the last place finisher.

R2C Performance has returned to support the Carolina Clash series. Representative Tim Habiuk has provided gift certificates to be distributed at this event. Safety-Kleen of St. Paul's, NC has provided products to be distributed to the Hard Charger of the Race for each of the previous events in the 2013 season and those will distributed at Fayetteville.

In addition to the Carolina Clash Super Late Models, the Fayetteville racing program will include weekly racing in Open Wheel Modified, Super Street, Pure Stock, and U-Car. Pits open at 3 PM. with grandstands opening at 4 PM. and racing at 7 PM. For additional information contact Larry Norris at 910-890-1866.

Fayetteville Motor Speedway is located in Fayetteville, North Carolina off Interstate 95 at Exit 44 @ Claude Lee Rd. Follow the signs around to Doc Bennett Rd., then to the speedway!
http://www.thenewfayettevillemotorspeedway.com