ROBERSONVILLE, NC :: East Carolina Motor Speedway released their rules for the 2015 season after announcing they have merged the Limited Late Model and Late Model Stock Car divisions.

The division will run out of a Limited Late Model rulebook which has been altered to allow both divisions to compete.  The Limited Late Model division will be East Carolina’s premier racing division with drivers competing there collecting points in Division I of the NASCAR Whelen All American Series.

According to track promoter John Vick, the decision to merge the classes was made by track owner Wayne Perry.  Last year, the Limited Late Model division saw double digit car counts while the Late Model Stock Car division only saw single digit car counts.

“I think it’s a good thing.  We have a really good field of Limited Late Models and we think this will give an opportunity for the Late Models to come down a little bit, Limiteds to step up, give us full fields, make the racing a little better and drop costs a little bit.”

Under East Carolina’s rules, the Ford S347JR, Ford’s junior crate engine, is the only Ford crate engine allowed to compete.  That engine is used in the Limited Late Model division.  The Ford 347JR will have an additional 50 pounds added to the car and drivers running that engine will run a 390-inch carburetor.  The Little Hickory motors and GM 604 engines will all have run an additional 25 pounds while the built Late Model engines, GM 602 crate engines and the ZZ4 engines will run at 3,050 pounds.

Drivers will be allowed to run four new tires on opening night and two new tires and two scuff tires each race after that with tires impounded each race night.  New cars that come after opening night must purchase two new and two scuff tires from the racetrack.

Joshua Van Winkle has competed in the Late Model Stock Car division at East Carolina Motor Speedway for four seasons.  Van Winkle says the rules, as well as the move to Saturdays nights, will help the racetrack but will hurt him.

“I think the only guys who will be really hurt by these rules are me and Shelton McNair but Saturday night racing will help them dramatically I feel like,” Van Winkle commented.  “It’s the right move for the track, wrong move for me.”

Louis White won the Limited Late Model championship at East Carolina Motor Speedway in 2014, his fourth track championship of any kind.  White, who will at least start out running the full season at East Carolina, says the rules should help the track and should attract competition from other racetracks.

“I didn’t see a lot of difference in them from last year.  I just got a glance at them.  I feel like it will help because they’ll run Limiteds as the premier class and it’s the same way all the Limited cars run now.  I’m looking forward to it.  Maybe there will be some good competition there.”

East Carolina’s complete rules package can be seen on their website » http://ecspeedway.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/2015-Late-Model-Stock-Car-Rules.pdf