The return of Dirt Late Model racing is coming sooner than everyone might have thought.
Veteran racer and promoter Ray Cook will bring competition back this Thursday night, April 30, at his Tri-County Race Track with the running of the Schaeffer’s Oil Tarheel Invitational presented by PitStopUSA.com, a 40-lap Super Late Model event paying $4,000 to win that will be broadcast live on DirtonDirt.com and FloRacing.
Special precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be in place during the night of competition with no race fans allowed to attend the event and track officials enforcing strict social-distancing measures for each of the 25 invited race teams. Each race team will be permitted only two pit crew members and haulers will be required to park at least 25-30 feet away from each other to ensure space between attendees.
Mr. Cook has been in direct contact with the Clay County Commissioner, Clay County Health Commissioner and Clay County Sheriff’s office in order to clear his plan to open Tri-County for racing in a manner that follows all guidelines and recommendations amid the coronavirus crisis. In addition, the the Clay County Sheriff will be on the grounds with deputies the night of the event to ensure proper social distancing measures will be enforced.
“We’re just trying to make something happen as safely as we possibly can,” Mr. Cook said of what will be the first Dirt Late Model action in the country since racing was shut down by the pandemic in mid-March. “We’ve called everybody I know to call, and I’ve called some of them I didn’t need to call. We’re not trying to hide anything. We’re trying to be above board on everything.
“We just want to find a way to give everybody who loves the sport a chance to see some racing and give them a break for a night from everything that’s going on.”
The Schaeffer’s Oil Tarheel Invitational — an invite-only event in order to restrict the number of teams in the pit area — will include a full program of qualifying, dash and heat races leading into the 40-lap feature. A talented mix of national touring, regional and local drivers will invade the quarter-mile bullring in western North Carolina for the midweek show.
Among the drivers scheduled to compete are Shane Clanton (GA) Tyler Erb (TX), Brandon Overton (GA), Hudson O’Neal (IN), Casey Roberts (GA), Ashton Winger (GA), Donald McIntosh (GA), Kyle Hardy (VA), Shanon Buckingham (TN) and Michael Chilton (KY). Other invitees include; Glenn Barnett, Shawn Chastain, Kenny Collins, Joe Denby, Jadon Frame, Payton Freeman, Cody King, Cla Knight, Danny Ledford, Tyler Millwood, Robby Moses, Jamie Oliver, David Payne, Joey Standridge and Pearson Lee Williams.
The live broadcast event will be free of charge for subscribers of DirtonDirt.com, Dirt Late Model racing’s number news source on the internet. To subscribe log on to www.DirtonDirt.com and click the “subscribe” button towards the top right of the main screen. Subscriptions that provide access to the site’s vast amount of exclusive video and story coverage is $11.99 per month or $99.99 annually.
The race will also be streamed live on FloRacing to all of its subscribers.
The start time for the Tarheel Invitational broadcast is 7:30 p.m.