The 47-year-old veteran from Vienna, W.Va., grabbed the lead from Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., on lap three and never wavered for the remainder of the distance. He calmly conserved his tires while repelling a pair of threats en route to a World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory worth $25,050.

“Our goal was to get the lead early and just try to fend off any challenges, and that’s what we did,” said Shaver, who started fourth driving a Rocket car from the stable of North Carolina’s storied K&L Rumley team. “I just tried to aim for the brown (in the racetrack) and not spin the tires to keep from wearing them out.”

Shaver pulled away following the race’s 11th and final caution flag on lap 73. He crossed the finish line 4.722 seconds – nearly a full straightaway – ahead of Mooresburg, Tenn.’s Scott Bloomquist, who slipped his self-built Team Zero car by Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., for the runner-up position on lap 98.

Lanigan, who led last year’s inaugural Commonwealth 100 until slowing with a flat tire just nine laps from the finish, offered Shaver a brief mid-race challenge but settled for a third-place finish in his Rocket mount. Francis fell to fourth at the checkered flag after starting from the outside pole and leading laps 1-2 in his Barry Wright car and ninth-starter Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., completed the top five in the Barry Wright house car.

Shaver and his veteran team – led by Rumley family patriarch Lee Roy and his son Kevin – had the perfect combination for a half-mile oval that stayed surprisingly racy on a breezy, sun-splashed afternoon. The race was pushed to the daylight hours on Sunday after wet and stormy weather overran the area on Saturday night.

“Typically this place is hard on tires – even at night – and we thought with it being a daytime race we could possibly have to pit two or three times,” said Shaver, who registered his fourth career WoO LMS A-Main triumph. “So our strategy was to start out mid-range in (tire) compound and try to stay up front and out of trouble as long as we could.

“The plan was for my guys in the pits to make a decision on whether we should pit by trying to look at the tires when I’d go by real slow (under caution). If it got to the point where they couldn’t see the cross-grooves, they were gonna pull me in and we’d make a tire change.”

But tire wear never became a problem for Shaver, who had plenty of rubber left to reach Victory Lane at VMS for the first time in his career.

“I wasn’t spinning the tires any and the car worked great where I didn’t have to slide it sideways, and we were able to make our first (tire) choice go the full hundred,” said Shaver. “Francis showed me his nose once (on lap 40) and Lanigan showed me his once too (on lap 67), but my car steered fine and I was able to just pull right back to where I needed to be.

“It was all because of the work the guys did on the track,” he continued. “Whatever they did, they gave us a great daytime racetrack. I can’t remember being on a better daytime track. It was fun to run on. You could get up there in the rough stuff and run a little bit or you could get back down in the smooth.”

Shaver was especially proud to deliver a major-money win to the Rumley family, which has been fielding race cars for more than 50 years. The 70-something Lee Roy Rumley built the powerful engine bolted in Shaver’s mount.

“They’re great people and it’s just been so much fun to race with them since last year,” said Shaver, who swept a WoO LMS doubleheader driving for the Rumleys last year at West Virginia Motor Speedway. “We’re all on the same page. We just want to race about 40 times and have fun doing it – and so far, we’ve been having a lot of fun.”

The 47-year-old Bloomquist, meanwhile, was on the move in the closing laps, passing Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., for fourth on a lap-72 restart and Francis for third on lap 93 before finally grabbing second from Lanigan with the two-to-go signal out. But his hard-compound tires came on too late to give him a shot at Shaver.
Bloomquist, who started fifth, conceded that he was outfoxed in the rubber-selection game in his first Commonwealth 100 appearance.

“The promoter said that he had a surprise for us today and I didn’t really know what that meant. I think I kind of do now,” Bloomquist said with a smile following the race. “The racetrack really took a long time before it laid down. I would have bet the farm that those guys (Shaver) wouldn’t finish on those tires. My right-front and left-rear (tires) were harder than (Shaver’s) right-rear, so…we had three hard tires. He went quite a bit softer than I dreamed would make it, and it made it.

“(Shaver) still had quite a bit of rubber left and could run a little bit longer. Obviously they knew a little more than I did.”
Lanigan, 40, fell short in his bid for a third consecutive WoO LMS victory. He appeared primed to erase memories of his near-miss in last year’s Commonwealth 100 when he advanced from the sixth starting spot to second by lap 55, but he couldn’t maintain Shaver’s pace.

“I just got so loose,” said Lanigan, whose early-season struggle with lower-back pain was recently diagnosed definitively as a fractured tailbone. “I actually thought I was getting a flat because the car got so loose, so I kind of backed off to try to make it to the end.”

Francis, 43, finished fourth driving a car that he didn’t even have on the track for the first time all weekend until he lined up for the 100-lapper. Mechanical trouble that developed during Sunday’s hot laps in his Tim Logan-owned car forced him to pull out his own machine, which he had reserved for backup duty at VMS.
Under WoO LMS rules for two-day shows, however, Francis was allowed to keep his outside-pole starting position despite switching cars.

Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., who won last year’s Commonwealth 100, finished sixth after a rollercoaster race that saw him start from the pole position but fade out of the top 10 by mid-race. Rick Eckert of York, Pa., ran in the top 10 throughout the distance and placed seventh; 18 th-starter Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., rallied to finish eighth – and maintain his WoO LMS points lead – after being involved in a multi-car tangle on lap nine; Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., was ninth in NASCAR star Clint Bowyer’s car; and Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., finished 10th after starting 26th.

Feger, who set fast time on Friday night but had to run a B-Main to qualify for the Commonwealth 100, climbed as high as fourth in his first-ever start at VMS. But a lap-98 scrape with Madden as they battled for fifth place sent Feger into a 360-degree spin in turn two – and on to a disappointing 14 th-place finish.

Sunday’s program was capped by the 30-lap ‘Rumble on the River’ Non-Qualifiers’ Race, which Brad Neat of Dunnville, Ky., led from wire-to-wire to pocket a $3,000 consolation prize after falling one spot short of transferring to the Commonwealth 100 in a B-Main on Friday night.

The next action for the WoO LMS is a Midwestern doubleheader on April 29 at Hartford (Mich.) Speedway and April 30 at Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, Ky.

Media Contact: Dave Seay (804) 357-7223

Results of WoO Late Model Series NAPA of King William ‘Commonwealth 100’ at Virginia Motor Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (4) Steve Shaver/100 $25,250
2. (5) Scott Bloomquist/100 $12,725
3. (6) Darrell Lanigan/100 $7,650
4. (2) Steve Francis/100 $6,150
5. (9) Jonathan Davenport/100 $5,000
6. (1) Chris Madden/100 $4,250
7. (8) Rick Eckert/100 $3,850
8. (18) Josh Richards/100 $3,550
9. (11) Dale McDowell/100 $3,000
10. (26) Chub Frank/100 $2,650
11. (3) Austin Hubbard/100 $2,400
12. (7) Jason Covert/100 $2,250
13. (14) Earl Pearson Jr./100 $2,225
14. (19) Jason Feger/100 $2,250
15. (24) Tim Fuller/100 $2,200
16. (16) Shane Clanton/100 $2,150
17. (20) Clint Smith/100 $2,140
18. (25) Brent Robinson/100 $2,080
19. (21) Bub McCool/100 $2,070
20. (22) Jamie Lathroum/100 $2,060
21. (12) Jared Landers/100 $2,050
22. (23) Tim McCreadie/99 $2,190
23. (10) Brian Birkhofer/72 $2,030
24. (15) Jimmy Mars/70 $2,020
25. (17) Jeremy Miller/66 $2,010
26. (13) Frankie Heckenast Jr./41 $2,000
* Earnings include cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 1 Hr., 3 Mins., 33.268 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 4.722 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 11 (Laps 9, 9, 16, 26, 28, 55, 57, 67, 70, 72, 73)
Lap Leaders: Francis (1-2); Shaver (3-100)
Provisional Starters: McCreadie, Fuller (WoO); Robinson (earliest entry); Frank (track)
Rookie of the Race: Pat Doar ($250)

Results of Seachoice Products ‘Rumble on the River’ Non-Qualifiers Race (30 laps): 1. Brad Neat ($3,000); 2. Keith Jackson ($2,000); 3. Pat Doar ($1,500); 4. Vic Coffey ($1,200); 5. Walker Arthur ($1,000); 6. Roland Mann ($800); 7. John Lobb ($700); 8. Kenny Pettyjohn ($600); 9. Darryl Hills ($500); 10. Jill George ($400); 11. Jeff Pilkerton ($300); 12. Ricky Elliott ($300) – DNS: Ron Davies, Chad Ruhlman, Dale Hollidge, Jimmy Owens, Kerry King

JAMAICA, VA – April 16, 2011 – With the expected wet, windy weather beginning to strike Virginia Motor Speedway on Saturday morning and hazardous conditions possible throughout the day as well, track and World of Outlaws Late Model Series officials have postponed the evening’s scheduled NAPA of King William Commonwealth 100 to Sunday (April 17).

“In the interest of economics and safety for our race fans and competitors, it’s best to just push the race back one day rather than create the unnecessary situation of bringing everyone out to the track to sit through a long day in ugly weather,” said VMS owner Bill Sawyer. “With the conditions that are staring us in the face, both our staff and officials from the World of Outlaws decided the best thing to do was to make the call early and put all our focus on closing out the Commonwealth 100 weekend on Sunday.

“We have a great, sunny forecast for Sunday, so it’s going to be a wonderful day for racing.”

Sawyer said that his half-mile oval’s gates will open at 2 p.m. on Sunday and hot laps are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. The $25,000-to-win Commonwealth 100 will then hit the track, followed by the 30-lap, $3,000-to-win ‘Rumble on the River’ Non-Qualifiers’ Race to end the day.

The 26-car starting field for the Commonwealth 100 was set through Friday night’s four 15-lap heat races and two 20-lap B-Mains. Heat winners were Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., and Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va., and the B-Mains were captured by Jeremy Miller of Gettysburg, Pa., and Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va.

Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., who won last year’s inaugural Commonwealth 100, will start from the pole position in his quest for back-to-back triumphs. Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., will take the green flag from the outside of the front row.

For more information, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com or www.vamotorspeedway.com.

Gates open for spectators at 2pm with action on the track beginning at 3pm with hots laps for the A Main cars first then the non-qualifiers. The $25,000 to win NAPA of King William Commonwealth 100 will run first followed by the Seachoice Products Rumble on the River $3000 to win non-qualifiers race.

Napa of King William has signed on as sponsor of this weekend’s $25,000 to win event and will now be called the 2nd Annual NAPA of King William Commonwealth 100. NAPA of King William has sponsored several special events at Virginia Motor Speedway over the year’s and has decided to move their support to the speedway’s biggest race of the year.

“We are pleased to have Curtis Grubb, Anita Sawyer of NAPA of King William as title sponsor of our signature event for the speedway. They have been great supporters of racing at Virginia Motor Speedway and we value their partnership,” commented track General Manager Clarke Sawyer.

“With this being the biggest event of the year we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to become the title sponsorship of the Commonwealth 100 to promote our NAPA store and the new line of Seachoice Marine Products we now sell in our store,” commented General Manager Anita Sawyer.

Added Sawyer, “We really enjoy the partnership we have with Virginia Motor Speedway, it has helped us get tons of exposure for our NAPA store and also gives us a chance to entertain some of our vendors and customers at one of the finest facilities in the country.”

The Speedway would also like to announce that Nininger Tire and Auto Service of Brunswick, Maryland has added a special bonus for the upcoming Commonwealth 100. The bonus will pay $250 to the top finishing Regional/Local racer, $150 for the second highest finishing Local and $100 for the third highest finishing Local racer. To be eligible for this bonus a driver can not be in the Top 15 of World of Outlaw or Lucas Oil Series points coming into the Commonwealth 100.

“I think the drivers we have in this region are just as good as any in the country”, said Glen Nininger owner of Nininger Tire and Auto. Then he added, “I hope that I’m in Victory Lane handing one of our guys the money as I think one of them can surely win”. When ask about his involvement in the Commonwealth 100 and VMS Nininger replied, “It’s the biggest event on the East Coast and the facility is one of the nicest in the country, that and the tracks staff have such expertise and professionalism it’s a place to be involved with”.

In another announcement VMS track owner Bill Sawyer has decided to extend the two-day advance ticket pricing all the way through Saturday April 16th.

“As a way to help the fans out every little bit we can in these economic times, I just felt we needed to carry the special two-day pricing all the way to the gate on Saturday, April 16,” commented Track Owner Bill Sawyer. “I think our price-point for a two-day ticket has been well, well received. We’ve read and heard a lot of nice comments on it, and now we’re going to let everybody take advantage of it.

“I think it’s important that we look after the working man’s pocketbook to make it affordable for him to be able to come to Virginia Motor Speedway for our biggest show of the year. We want to put a very good ticket price out there and hopefully do the volume of numbers coming through the gate.”

Adult tickets are just $30; Senior / Military are $27 and students (7-17) just $15; children 6 and under are free. All tickets are general admission. No reserved seats will be sold for the event.

Fans can purchase tickets in advance by calling the speedway office at 804-758-1867 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and using a MasterCard, Visa or Discover card. Avoid the long lines and get yours in advance. Tickets sold this week will be held at will call.

The VMS 2011 season will kick off in a huge way on April 15 – 16, 2011 when the nationally recognized World of Outlaws Late Model Series will bring their 900+ horsepower Dirt Late Models to compete in the $25,000 to win Commonwealth 100. The weekend will also include The Rumble on the River 30 lap $3000 to win non-qualifiers race.

Fans can expect to see World of Outlaws Late Model stars two-time defending Champion Josh Richards, Rick Eckert, Steve Francis, Chub Frank, Darrell Lanigan, Clint Smith, Shane Clanton, Tim McCreadie, Tim Fuller along with 2007 VMS Victory Lap Late Model Champion and current World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year Austin Hubbard. Also expected to compete are two-time Lucas Oil Late Model Champion Scott Bloomquist, 4-time Lucas Oil Late Model Champion Earl Pearson Jr., Brad Neat, 3-time MACS Champion Jason Covert, Jonathan Davenport, Jimmy Owens defending race winner Chris Madden and a host of other top regional and national talent.

The Commonwealth 100 weekend kicks off on Fri., April 15, with WoO LMS time trials and heat races, while B-Mains, a 30-lap Non-Qualifiers’ Race and the headline 100-lapper take center stage on Sat., April 16. A rain date of Sun., April 17, has been established for the event.

Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway, an ASA affiliate track, is a 1/2-mile, dirt oval. The track is located on U.S. Route 17, eight miles north of Saluda, VA and 20 miles south of Tappahannock, VA in Jamaica, VA. The speedway is just a short drive from Richmond, Fredericksburg, Southern Maryland and the Hampton Roads areas.

To learn more about Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway and its 2011 schedule of events, fans may call the Speedway office at (804) 758-1VMS or visit the track’s web site at www.vamotorspeedway.com.

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/vamotorspeedway and follow us on Twitter:www.twitter.com/vamotorspeedway.com for a chance at special deals and prizes during the 2011 season.

MEDIA CONTACT: DAVE SEAY (804) 758-1867 OR (804) 357-7223

JAMAICA, VA – April 11, 2011 – Rick Eckert can’t forget his subpar performance in last year’s inaugural Commonwealth 100 at Virginia Motor Speedway.

And that’s why he can’t wait to return to Bill Sawyer’s pristine half-mile oval on April 15-16 for the second edition of the $25,000-to-win World of Outlaws Late Model Series spectacular.

Eckert, 45, of York, Pa., has enjoyed plenty of special-show success at VMS over the past decade, but he was a surprising non-factor in the track’s biggest event ever one year ago. He finished the 2010 Commonwealth 100 two laps down in 22nd place – and man, does that still gnaw at him.

“I remember I had a good car the first night,” Eckert said of last year’s Commonwealth 100 weekend. “I qualified late (in time trials) but still turned a lap (sixth-quick among 56 entrants) good enough to sit on the pole of a heat, and then I heat-raced pretty good too (he won the sixth prelim). I had changed some stuff on my car and it seemed to work.

“But,” he continued with a frown on his face, “in the feature the next night I got lapped by like lap 15 (after starting fifth) – my car was that bad. That’s the kind of race you don’t forget, so I promise I won’t be the same way I was last year.”

Eckert will begin his road to Commonwealth 100 redemption this Friday night (April 15) when the weekend kicks off with time trials and heat races. The grand finale program on Saturday evening (April 16) includes B-Mains, the $3,000-to-win ‘Rumble on the River’ Non-Qualifiers Race and the 100-lap headliner that offers the third-largest first-place prize on the 2011 WoO LMS.

If appearances mean anything, Eckert would seem to be entering the Commonwealth 100 weekend in a better place than he did one year ago. For starters, he’s ranked second in the national tour’s points standings after four events, just four points behind two-time defending series champion Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. More tellingly, he feels confident and comfortable with the performance of his Team Zero by Bloomquist cars.

“I don’t know if we’ve really had that great of a start (to 2011); I think a lot of other guys have just had bad starts,” said Eckert, explaining his lofty position in the points standings despite a modest season-best WoO LMS finish of fifth. “But I think I’ve learned some stuff about my race car that I think will help us here in the near future. I’d like to think we’ve turned a corner.

“I talked to Scott (Bloomquist) and got to work with him for a few races down there at (Florida’s) Volusia (Speedway Park) in February. Then when I left last month (for races in the Southeast) I stopped at Scott’s (in Mooresburg, Tenn.) and he showed me some stuff that he’s doing that I think is gonna help our program.”

Now in his third season driving chassis built by Bloomquist, Eckert believes he’s found an elusive equilibrium with the cars.

“If anything, the hardest thing about these cars is that even when you’re slow on the racetrack you still don’t feel horrible in the seat,” said Eckert, who is in his second season fielding his own equipment following the November 2009 passing of his longtime car owner Raye Vest. “That makes it harder to make adjustments because you never really feel that bad.

“With me being the driver and the crew chief, it’s harder for me to figure out what changes to make to the car, what direction you need to go with your car. Sometimes you feel like you need to be better on exit, but the problem is actually on entry – so when you go to work on fixing your exit, you end up screwing up your entry and that makes you screw the whole corner up.”

Eckert spent the past weekend building a new car at Bloomquist’s shop. He doesn’t expect to have the new machine ready for duty at VMS, but he doesn’t need fresh equipment to be excited about visiting the track. He always looks forward to making the four-hour haul to one of the country’s finest dirt-track facilities.

“The complex is just phenomenal,” Eckert said of VMS. “It’s like a downsized version of (The Dirt Track at) Charlotte. It’s got really great lighting, stoned pits, nice bleachers. Matter of fact, a fan called me the other day and said, ‘I’m gonna call down there and get some tickets (for the Commonwealth 100). Where do you think I need to sit?’ I said, ‘I think as long as you’re in the bleachers you’re gonna see every bit of the racetrack. Everybody has a good seat at that place.”

“There’s plenty of places that have big races that you still aren’t really thrilled about going to, but you’re always happy to go to Virginia Motor. Any place with more than one (racing) lane is right up my alley, and the owners are really nice people. The owner (2010 WoO LMS Promoter of the Year Bill Sawyer) will walk around the pit area, so if you have a problem you know where to find him and they’ll straighten out anything.”

Eckert, who plans to begin working with a new interim chief mechanic at VMS after Zach Frields’s extended stint as Eckert’s wrench ended with the last WoO LMS road trip, doesn’t expect the track to produce any surprises during the Commonwealth 100. He believes tire conservation will play a big role in determining the outcome – just as it did last year when Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., benefitted from a hard tire selection to win a race that saw several contenders slowed by flats late in the distance.

“The only difference this year is you probably will see everybody start (the 100) on a harder tire instead of just a couple guys running them like last year,” said Eckert, who has 21 WoO LMS victories since 2004 (tied for third on the win list with Bloomquist and Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.). “Last year everybody had been used to racing there for just 50 laps – and at that place, 50 laps to 100 laps is a big difference. Now I think everybody has learned what to expect from the way that dirt can wear tires out in a long race.”

All seats for the Commonwealth 100 are general admission – and thanks to Sawyer’s decision to extend the deadline for purchasing reduced-price two-day tickets right up to race day on Fri., April 15, fans can take advantage of a great bargain. Two-day and Saturday Only tickets are $30 for adults, $27 for senior citizens/military and $15 for students ages 7-17.

Fans can purchase tickets in advance by visiting www.vamotorspeedway.com, downloading the ticket order form and sending it to the track with a money order or cashier’s check (no personal checks) or by calling the speedway office at 804-758-1867 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and using a Mastercard, Visa or Discover card.

Pit gates will open at 3 p.m. and the spectator gates will be unlocked at 4 p.m. on both April 15 and 16. Practice is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. each day, with action starting at 7 p.m. on Friday (time trials) and Saturday (B-Mains).

Sun., April 17, has been reserved as a rain date for Saturday’s competition.

Free camping (no hookups) will be available in designated areas on the speedway grounds for the Commonwealth 100 weekend.

Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway is located on U.S. Route 17, eight miles north of Saluda, Va., and 20 miles south of Tappahannock, Va. The speedway is just a short drive from Richmond, Fredericksburg, Southern Maryland and the Hampton Roads areas.

2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Promoter of the Year Has Showplace Track Ready For Second Annual $25,000-To-Win Event

JAMAICA, VA – April 3, 2011 – There’s a host of reasons for Virginia Motor Speedway owner Bill Sawyer’s selection as the 2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Promoter of the Year, but three undoubtedly stand out.

No. 1: Sawyer’s racetrack, a showplace half-mile oval that he’s built into one of the top short-track facilities in the country.

No. 2: Sawyer’s creation of the Commonwealth 100, a $25,000-to-win WoO LMS spectacular that launched in 2010 and returns to the national tour’s schedule this year for a second annual edition on April 15-16.

No. 3: Sawyer’s dedication to the fans, for whom he not only provides a speedway with virtually unmatched amenities but also attractive ticket deals like the one he’s offering up for the high-profile Commonwealth 100 weekend.

Under Sawyer’s leadership, VMS and the Commonwealth 100 have quickly assumed prominent places on the dirt Late Model map – and the extra-distance WoO LMS show has become arguably the biggest financial bargain in the division for fans. A two-day general admission ticket to the Commonwealth 100 – which includes time trials and heat races on Fri., April 15, and B-Mains, the 30-lap ‘Rumble on the River’ Non-Qualifiers’ Race and the 100-lap A-Main on Sat., April 16 – costs just $30 for adults, $27 for senior citizens/military and $15 for students ages 7-17.

Sawyer had originally set an April 1 deadline for fans to take advantage of the $30/$27/$15 two-day ticket, but he decided to dispatch the price as an advance-sale incentive and simply hold it steady right up to Qualifying Night on April 15.

“As a way to help the fans out every little bit we can in these economic times, I just felt we needed to carry the special two-day pricing all the way to the gate on Friday, April 15,” Sawyer said last week. “I think our price-point for a two-day ticket has been well, well received. We’ve read and heard a lot of nice comments on it, and now we’re going to let everybody take advantage of it.

“I think it’s important that we look after the working man’s pocketbook to make it affordable for him to be able to come to Virginia Motor Speedway for our biggest show of the year. We want to put a very good ticket price out there and hopefully do the volume of numbers coming through the gate.”

Commonwealth 100 attendees will certainly get plenty of bang for their buck when they sit down in VMS’s comfortable 8,000-seat aluminum grandstand. This year’s event figures to be even bigger and better than the 2010 inaugural, which drew 56 cars and saw Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., triumph in dramatic fashion. Entertaining extras for the fans that proved popular a year ago will also be back to add to the excitement, including a pre-race driver autograph session under the bleachers on Saturday and a cannon-blasting, gun-popping appearance by a group of costumed Civil War reenactors who bring the area’s history to life both before and after the 100.

“Fan interest has been very good and all indications are that we’re going to have a great field of cars,” said Sawyer. “We’ll have the who’s who of dirt Late Model racing here, that’s for sure.”

Madden, who has won three times at VMS over the past two years, will return to defend his Commonwealth 100 title. He’ll face a star-studded roster of entrants, including former WoO LMS champions Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. (who led last year’s event until popping a tire with nine laps remaining), Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn.

The field will also feature WoO LMS regulars who are well-known to VMS fans – like Rick Eckert of York, Pa., and 2010 Rookie of the Year Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., a 19-year-old sensation whose career began at the track – as well as ’10 Commonwealth contenders Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn. (finished second), Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga. (third place), Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla. (fast-timer), Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa (was second when he developed a flat on lap 85), Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis. (second when he got a flat on lap 91) and Jason Covert of York Haven, Pa. (fourth when he slowed with a flat on lap 98).

Sawyer, 62, was more than satisfied with last year’s debut of the Commonwealth 100 and expects nothing but brighter days in the future.

“I think we were overdue to do a major, crown-jewel-type deal here at Virginia Motor Speedway,” said Sawyer. “For the first time out of the box with a major two-day event I was very pleased. All I can see it do is continue to grow.

“Last year’s race was a memorable show even though we had a 35 mph wind blowing all day long that made (the track) dry out sooner than we thought it would. We had a good surface when the event started (on Saturday) and there were still multiple grooves throughout the race, but the changing track made it more of a tire management situation. Madden sort of laid back a little bit and didn’t wear that right-rear (tire) out, and they all started coming back to him.”

During the Commonwealth 100 weekend, WoO LMS officials will publicly recognize Sawyer in front of his home fans for winning the tour’s Promoter of the Year honor. He did not attend December’s WoO LMS awards banquet in Concord, N.C., because he was recovering from a medical procedure (VMS P.R. director/announcer Dave Seay accepted the award in Sawyer’s stead), so this will be the first time he’s photographed with a plaque that he considers a cherished piece of hardware in his office.

“To be picked out as the Promoter of the Year from a lot of established tracks that have been on the World of Outlaws schedule for years is quite an honor,” said Sawyer, who has hosted at least one WoO LMS event every season since 2005. “It’s always nice to be patted on the back by your peers, and it says a lot for the staff that (VMS general manager) Clarke (Sawyer, Bill’s nephew) has here and the dedication that the boys put into the facility and each event that we do.”

The top-promoter nod is another achievement in a long racing life for Sawyer, who has literally been involved in the sport since his birth. His late father, Paul, was one of NASCAR’s pioneers and owned Richmond International Raceway until selling it to the International Speedway Corporation in 1999.

“Daddy got his first car the year I was born,” said Sawyer. “This will be the 62nd year that the Sawyer family name has been involved in racing, starting back in 1949 when my father got his first Modified that happened to be a dirt car. He went from car owner to promoter to racetrack builder in Richmond.

“Daddy and (former NASCAR Cup Series champion) Joe Weatherly were partners until Joe got a factory deal with Ford in 1956 and daddy bought him out. I was very fortunate to be raised around Joe. As a kid I can remember sitting in the floorboard of his race car when it was driven over from the shop to one of the racetracks was in Norfolk.

“It’s been a helluva ride,” continued Sawyer, who worked as an executive at Richmond before purchasing and totally rebuilding VMS in 2000. “I never really saw myself as a dirt track owner, but when the opportunity afforded itself after we got out of the NASCAR situation it was kind of nice to come back to the dirt where the family all started in racing. I’ve enjoyed it immensely for the last 12 years.”

Boasting the third-largest first-place check of the season on the WoO LMS, the Commonwealth 100 offers $2,000 just to take the green flag. Add in the Non-Qualifiers’ Race that pays $3,000 to win from a purse of nearly $16,000, and the weekend’s payout will be in the neighborhood of $125,000.

Pit gates will open at 3 p.m. and the spectator gates will be unlocked at 4 p.m. on both April 15 and 16. Practice is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. each day, with action starting at 7 p.m. on Friday (time trials) and Saturday (B-Mains).

Sun., April 17, has been reserved as a rain date for Saturday’s competition.

Fans can purchase tickets in advance by visiting www.vamotorspeedway.com, downloading the ticket order form and sending it to the track with a money order or cashier’s check (no personal checks) or by calling the speedway office at 804-758-1867 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and using a Mastercard, Visa or Discover card.

All tickets are general admission. No reserved seats will be sold for the event.

Free camping (no hookups) will be available in designated areas on the speedway grounds for the Commonwealth 100 weekend.

Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway is located on U.S. Route 17, eight miles north of Saluda, Va., and 20 miles south of Tappahannock, Va. The speedway is just a short drive from Richmond, Fredericksburg, Southern Maryland and the Hampton Roads areas.

For complete information on the Commonwealth 100, log on to www.vamotorspeedway.com.

Additional info on the WoO LMS is available by visiting www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Registrations are currently being accepted with all numbers being given out on a first come first served basis. Competitors can obtain a 2011 registration form by going to the tracks website or by calling the speedway Monday through Friday 10am through 3pm at (804) 758-1867.

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WORLD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODELS TO OPEN 2011 SEASON: The 2011 season will kick off in a huge way on April 15 – 16, 2011 as the Speedway swings open the gates with its most ambitious opening night festivities ever, as the nationally recognized World of Outlaws Late Model Series will bring their 900+ horsepower monsters on dirt to compete in the $25,000 to win Commonwealth 100. The weekend will also include a $3000 to win non-qualifiers race.

Fans can expect to see World of Outlaws Late Model stars Rick Eckert, defending Champion Josh Richards, Steve Francis, Chub Frank, Darrell Lanigan, Clint Smith, Shane Clanton, Tim Fuller along with 2007 VMS Victory Lap Late Model Champion and current World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year Austin Hubbard. Also expected to compete are 4-time Lucas Oil Late Model Champion Earl Pearson Jr., Brad Neat, 3-time MACS Champion Jason Covert, Jonathan Davenport, defending race winner Chris Madden and a host of other top regional and national talent.

Fans still have until April 1 to grab one of the best deals in dirt Late Model racing — a two-day advance adult ticket for just $30; Senior / Military are $27 and students (7-17) just $15. All tickets are general admission. No reserved seats will be sold for the event.

Fans can purchase tickets by visiting www.vamotorspeedway.com, downloading the advance ticket order form and sending it to the track with a money order or cashier’s check (no personal checks), or by calling the speedway office at 804-758-1867 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and using a Mastercard, Visa or Discover card.

Drivers, meanwhile, can also save by entering the Commonwealth 100 prior to the early-entry deadline of April 1. The $150 early-entry fee not only saves racers $50 off the regular $200 entry fee but also includes a two-day driver pit pass worth $50.

The Commonwealth 100 weekend kicks off on Fri., April 15, with WoO LMS time trials and heat races, while B-Mains, a 30-lap Non-Qualifiers’ Race and the headline 100-lapper take center stage on Sat., April 16. A raindate of Sun., April 17, has been established for the event.
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42nd SEASON: The tentative 2011 schedule has been released and includes 16 weeks of action starting with the opening weekend Commonwealth 100 and ending September 17th with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctioned $15,000 to win USA 100. The schedule also includes two Mud Bogs at “The Pit @ VMS”. To see the entire 2011 schedule in its entirety, visit the Speedway’s website at www.vamotorspeedway.com.

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/vamotorspeedway and follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/vamotorspeedway.com for a chance at special deals and prizes during the 2011 season.

Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway, an ASA affiliate track, is a 1/2-mile, dirt oval. The track is located on U.S. Route 17, eight miles north of Saluda, VA and 25 miles south of Tappahannock, VA in Jamaica, VA. The speedway is just a short drive from Richmond, Fredericksburg, Southern Maryland and the Hampton Roads areas.

To learn more about Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway and its 2011 schedule of events, fans may call the Speedway office at (804) 758-1VMS or visit the track’s web site at www.vamotorspeedway.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: DAVE SEAY (804) 758-1867 OR (804) 357-7223

The speedway has undertaken several new construction projects in preparation of the 2011 season. All will enhance the racing experience for our fans and competitors. Included in the projects are a new set of restrooms to be constructed near the turn four section of the main grandstands, a new registration and tech building in the competitor parking area, new back stretch billboards and a new eight acre parking area for RV’s and campers.

The addition of new bathrooms will allow the speedway to get away from the use of port-a-john’s during special events and provide a more sanitary facility for the fans.

For the competitors the speedway is construction a new registration and tech building that will help speed up the weekly and special event registration process along with technical inspection all in one central location.

The new back stretch billboards will provide for a cleaner look and give sponsors a larger area to get their message out to the thousands of fans that visit the ½ mile facility in Jamaica, VA.

After having such a successful debut for the Commonwealth 100 it was determined that more space was needed for RV’s and campers thus the clearing of just over eight acres of land to accommodate the increasing number of on on-site campers for the speedway’s weekly and special events. Camping at Virginia Motor Speedway will continue to be free. Campers are reminded that there are no hook ups.

All the speedway’s projects are scheduled to be finished and ready for the Commonwealth 100 weekend.
Fans have until April 1 to grab one of the best deals in dirt Late Model racing — a two-day advance ticket for just $30 (adults); Senior / Military just $27 or a Student two-day tickets for just $15 (7 to 17).

All tickets are general admission. No reserved seats will be sold for the event.

Fans can purchase tickets by visiting www.vamotorspeedway.com, downloading the advance ticket order form and sending it to the track with a money order or cashier’s check (no personal checks), or by calling the speedway office at 804-758-1867 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and using a Mastercard, Visa or Discover card.

Drivers, meanwhile, can also save by entering the Commonwealth 100 prior to the early-entry deadline of April 1. The $150 early-entry fee not only saves racers $50 off the regular $200 entry fee but also includes a two-day driver pit pass worth $50.

The Commonwealth 100 weekend kicks off on Fri., April 15, with WoO LMS time trials and heat races, while B-Mains, a 30-lap Non-Qualifiers’ Race and the headline 100-lapper take center stage on Sat., April 16. A raindate of Sun., April 17, has been established for the event.

Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway, an ASA affiliate track, is a 1/2-mile, dirt oval. The track is located on U.S. Route 17, eight miles north of Saluda, VA and 25 miles south of Tappahannock, VA in Jamaica, VA. The speedway is just a short drive from Richmond, Fredericksburg, Southern Maryland and the Hampton Roads areas.

To learn more about Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway and its 2011 schedule of events, fans may call the Speedway office at (804) 758-1VMS or visit the track’s web site at www.vamotorspeedway.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: DAVE SEAY (804) 758-1867 OR (804) 357-7223

A $25,000 prize is once again earmarked for the winner of the two-day blockbuster, which will offer a cash purse totaling over $125,000. The Commonwealth 100 will pay $2,000 to start, and a 30-lap Non-Qualifiers’ Race will boast a $3,000 first-place award from a purse of nearly $16,000.

Time trials and heat races will be run on Fri., April 15, with last-chance races and the headline Commonwealth 100 dominating the program on Sat., April 16. A rain date of Sun., April 17, has been established for the event.

Advance ticket orders and driver registrations are currently being taken and can save fans and competitors greatly. For details visit the speedways website at www.vamotorspeedway.com.

Returning will also be the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for the 32nd Annual USA 100 on Saturday, September 17th. This year’s event will once again pay the winner $15,000. The event will have a September 18th rain date. The event will also include a modified special with VMS rules.

Also returning for 2011 will be the Steel Block Bandits but this year the event will be a $3000 to win event scheduled for Saturday, July 9th. The Steel Block Bandits Limited Late Model Series holds events throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. The series will return with VMS alumnus and 2008 Victory Lap Late Model Champion Walker Arthur of Forest, VA as their 2010 Champion. The tracks Victory Lap Late Model competitors will once again offer up some stiff competition when the third year series makes its visit back to the high banks of Virginia Motor Speedway. Last year VMS rookie Matt Marshall of Stuarts Draft, VA picked up the biggest race win of his early career and the $2000 check. For more info on the Steel Block Bandits visit www.steelblockbandits.com.

The track’s always competitive weekly divisions begin their race for the division Championships and the Virginia Army National Guard Dirt Series Championship on Saturday April 23rd. This year’s division line-up will once again include the Victory Lap Late Models, Truckin Thunder Sportsman and the Collision One Limited Stock Cars.

The Speedway will hold an open practice for all divisions on Saturday, April 2nd from 9am till 5pm. Saturday, April 9th will be used as a rain date for the open practice. All cars must be inspected before they will be allowed to practice. Competitors are encouraged to register before the open practice.

Registrations are currently being accepted with the top twenty in each class having their number saved until February 15th when all numbers will become first come first served. Competitors can obtain a 2011 registration form by going to the tracks website or by calling the speedway Monday through Friday 10am through 3pm at (804) 758-1867.

Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway, an ASA Member Track, is a 1/2-mile, dirt oval. The track is located on U.S. Route 17, eight miles north of Saluda, VA and 25 miles south of Tappahannock, VA in Jamaica, VA. The speedway is just a short drive from Richmond, Fredericksburg, Southern Maryland and the Hampton Roads area.

To learn more about Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway and its 2011 schedule of events, fans may call the Speedway office at (804) 758-1VMS or visit the track’s web site at www.vamotorspeedway.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: DAVE SEAY (804) 758-1867 OR (804) 357-7223