When the UARA released their schedule for this season, scores upon scores of racers circled one date on their calendar – July 12. It is on that Friday afternoon that racing will resume at the Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, NC, even if only for one event, the MotorsportsPhoto.com 150.

As has become tradition over the past few seasons, a summertime date at one of the most popular tracks in the state will feature the UARA-STARS Late Model Stock Tour as well as the Southeast Super Truck Series. Joining that pair of touring divisions will be the  Carolina Vintage cars and Street Stocks from around the region’s racetracks.

“We always love going to Tri-County, and although they don’t race weekly right now, the fans really come out to support their  racetrack,” said Kerry Bodenhamer of the UARA-STARS. “We’ve gotten some of our largest car counts at Tri-County the past few years, and had some of our most spectacular races, too. The facility is a favorite among racers and race fans alike.”

Last summer, Garrett Campbell edged Ronnie Bassett, Jr., to go to victory lane in the tour’s first stop at Tri-County. Later, a fall date  was added to the schedule and 2013 UARA Champion Travis Swaim collected his second career win. Both races featured multiple lead changes, side-by-side racing for laps on end, and a spectacular finish.

The worn and weathered surface at Tri-County brings out the best in drivers, forcing them to save their tires until the end of the 150-lap UARA races. Usually, veteran drivers like Bassett and Campbell have excelled at these types of tracks, but more recently youngsters like Brodie Kostecki and Kaz Grala, among others, have entered the picture. Kostecki had a chance to win at Tri-County last fall and also at Hickory two weeks ago, while Grala proved he is already able to conserve his equipment after winning the tour’s most recent event, the Banjo Matthews Memorial 150 at Hickory.

“Tri-County is the perfect racetrack for everyone. Very rarely can you find a track that makes everyone happy, but Tri-County is it,” said Bodenhamer. “Drivers like having the strategy of saving their equipment, fans and drivers both love the wide racing surface that produces side-by-side racing, and it’s those things that are starting to produce these new up-and-coming stars that we’ve been seeing begin their breakouts in the last few races.”

Other stars beginning to emerge on the tour include 13-year old Garrett Jones who has picked up top-five qualifying efforts over the last three events, Chandler LeVan who had a mechanical failure while running fourth at Hickory, and second-year driver Brandon Jones who has plans of moving up to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series as well as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series later this season. All of the aforementioned drivers are tentatively entered in the July 12 event.

“The crop of talent we’ve had come through the series in the past is pretty substantial, but I think the drivers and teams we have this year could envy some of our top classes from the past,” said Bodenhamer. “I think the general consensus of most people in the sport is that you have to have at least one or two years in one of these types of cars before you jump up to K&N or Trucks. A large number of our drivers have those aspirations, and if they can catch the right breaks they’ve certainly got the talent to do so.”

July’s Tri-County date is the only scheduled late model racing date at the facility this year. It is also the only scheduled chance to catch
Southeast Super Truck, Street Stock and Carolina Vintage racing action at the track in Caldwell County, NC.

Spectator gates for the MotorsportsPhoto.com 150 at Tri-County are scheduled to open at 5 pm.

UARA-STARS Sunoco Pole Qualifying begins at 5pm.

An on-track autograph session will precede racing action that is schedule to roll off at 7:30pm.