CALLAWAY, VA :: Often times in the hustle and bustle of short track racing the support division drivers tend to believe that they’re overlooked by the promoter when it comes to the premier or feature division. The Mid-Atlantic Street Stock Championship will help to elevate the Street Stock competitors at three area tracks during the 2014 season.
The Mid-Atlantic Street Stock Championship features three races in three different states including Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. July 5th at Dillon Motor Speedway in Dillon, SC will be the first of three events as part of the series. The second and third legs of the series will be staged at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, NC on Friday August 22nd and Franklin County Speedway in Callaway, VA on Saturday October 4th.
Street Stocks have been flocking to Dillon Motor Speedway for years for Independence Day weekend and New Year’s weekend races put on by Ron Barfield and Dwayne Weatherford. 27 cars lined up last July and 34 this past New Year’s weekend at Dillon. A great set of rules that allow cars from all over to travel to Dillon have helped aid the growth of the Street Stock races with even more growth expected when cars take to the track for a $2,000 to win race on Saturday, July 5th.
With the Dillon race boasting a $2,000 winners payout and the races at Ace and Franklin County paying $1,000 to win each, a driver could win as much as $4,000 in the three race series before any additional sponsor added bonus are calculated. In addition a points system will be utilized to determine a champion. The champion of the series will receive a sponsorship for the New Year’s race at Dillon Motor Speedway as well as a championship belt similar to those given to champions in the wrestling world.
Brad Allen, promoter of Ace Speedway, first reached out to both Ron Barfield of Dillon Motor Speedway and Langley Austin of Franklin County Speedway in hopes of putting something together for the Street Stock contingent.
“I saw that the Street Stock guys seemed really interested in starting a touring series,” said Allen. “I’m a fan of those cars and want to see them around for a long time so I thought about what I could do and who I could work with. Ron and Langley are in the same boat I’m in trying to revive their local track. I knew if anyone would want to work together it’d be them and from there the ideas just started to grow.
“I knew Ron was putting on the biggest Street Stock races anywhere around here and I thought he’d have some great ideas on how to build that division even more. He threw some stuff out there and then I talked with Langley and he had some ideas and we got together on doing three dates that wouldn’t affect any other area tracks.”
Barfield was also excited about the opportunity of pairing his big races with a couple of other tracks in other areas.
“I thought it was a great idea,” stated Barfield. “The support divisions deserve just as much respect as the top division and that’s something we believe in here at Dillon already. So, this venture with Brad and Langley was a good opportunity for us to grow the Street Stock races we’re already planning.”
Austin is also looking forward to working together with other tracks for a greater reward for the racers.
“I wish all promoters could get together like this,” said Austin. “It was a no brainer for us when Brad called and asked me about it. Brad and Ron run two of my favorite tracks and are both in good areas to draw a strong Street Stock field for these races. I think with these three races gives Street Stock guys what they’re looking for from a touring series standpoint and gives them three very big payouts to shoot for.”
The three races will follow the rulebook from the New Year’s weekend race at Dillon Motor Speedway with a few tweaks that will be announced in the coming weeks. The Street Stocks will compete in each of these races utilizing scuff P-48 tires in each of the three events helping to keep the competitors cost to compete in the races to a bare minimum.
Additional details for each of the three races will be announced by each individual track in the coming weeks and months. A website for the three race series will be announced soon as well.
