Series PR Release
Daytona Beach, FL(October 18, 2012) — The inaugural UNOH Battle At The Beach will be a unique gathering of Late Model teams from across North America at the most hallowed of racing grounds. The event, expected to draw 75 to 100 entries from the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, will be competing on the .4-mile oval at Daytona International Speedway during the 2013 Speedweeks on Feb. 17-19.
Due to differing rules packages at tracks throughout the United States and Canada, the challenge for NASCAR’s Touring & Weekly competition division – led by Lynn Carroll, director of weekly racing, at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. – was to generate a set of rules and guidelines to allow as many teams to compete as possible.
“We surveyed tracks throughout all the regions to put this package together,” said Richard Buck, NASCAR director of touring series, competition. “This is a unique, one-of-a-kind showcase for the top Late Model drivers across the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Our specific purpose was to open the event to as many NASCAR competitors as possible regardless of where and how they compete on a week-to-week basis.”
The Late Model event is open to both sections – Late Model Stock Car Division and Mid-West/West Coast Late Model Division – outlined in the 2013 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Rule Book. In order to insure fair competition there are specific adjustments that must be made to each division for this race, but they are the only small deviations from what is prescribed in each division’s normal rules package.
Both perimeter and straight-rail chassis will be permitted, as will compliant open/built and crate engines.
The top 10 in the final 2012 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series point standings have earned protected starting positions in the Late Model race. The starting field will be determined by qualifying races.
The UNOH Battle At The Beach will also include feature races for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tours.
All three feature races and additional on-track action at the UNOH Battle At The Beach will be telecast by SPEED as NASCAR racing kicks off the 2013 season at Speedweeks in Daytona Beach culminating with the running of ‘The Great American Race’ – the Daytona 500 – on Feb. 24.