Eldora UMP Fall Nationals Preview

ROSSBURG, OH (Oct. 1) – For many drivers, this weekend’s DIRTcar Fall Nationals by Allstar Performance will be the culmination of a season long point chase; but for one driver, Randy Korte, it is the end of a career and for another, Josh Richards, a brand new start. The busy three-night (October 2, 3 & 4) schedule features the UMP Modifieds all three nights in a progressive format, with the UMP Late Models joining the card for a full program on Saturday.

It will be a title deciding weekend on many fronts. The top Modified drivers in the nation will join the Eldora regulars as the UMP Modified National Championship and Eldora Speedway Modified champions will be determined. For the Late Models, three titles are on the line, the UMP Late Model National, the Sunoco American Late Model Series and the Eldora Late Model championships.

For popular Highland, IL driver Korte, the race brings to a close a storied racing career that includes multiple championships and more importantly a victory in his race against cancer. It is that determination that has made Randy an inspiration amongst his peers. He will be battling a talented field of racers Saturday night in his quest to close out his time behind the wheel of a racecar with an Eldora win.

Richards (Shinnston, WV) announced today that doctors have cleared him to return to racing after medical issues have kept him out of the car this season. As a three-time World of Outlaws (WoO) Late Model Series Champion, Richards plans to be back behind the wheel of the Mark Richards Racing-owned machine this Saturday.

Richards had been sidelined since learning of medical issues during the off-season. After extensive testing it was determined the he suffered nerve damage to his hands due to past racing injuries. Though Richards has been cleared by the doctors to race, he will be periodically monitored to make sure there is no further progression with his injury.

While a typical race meet will pit 24 drivers against each other in a single A-Feature event, Eldora Speedway’s aggressive DIRTcar Fall Nationals race format offers 96 Modified drivers an opportunity to compete in one of four $1,000 to win A-Features Thursday (Oct. 2) and again on Friday (Oct. 3) to kick-off the three-night Allstar Performance sponsored event.

The Thursday and Friday main events will culminate a busy menu that includes eight preliminary Heat Races and four last-chance B-Features to narrow down the field which boasts of 102 pre-entered drivers from nine states and Canada. Among the hopefuls are NASCAR drivers Kenny Wallace and David Stremme; both with considerable seat-time behind the wheel of a Modified.

As the drivers chase for a $1,000 paycheck and trip to Eldora’s revered victory lane Thursday and Friday, they will also be racing for positioning in Saturday’s ‘alphabet’ of Features. A driver’s best finish over the two nights will be used for placement in one of the progressive Features. Based upon the current entry list, up to eight Feature events will be contested on the Eldora high-banked clay oval, with the top drivers from each Feature moving to the tail of the subsequent Feature, leading up the rich 25-lap A-Feature with a $5,000 top prize on the line.

The Late Models will conclude their Eldora season with a 40-lap pursuit that also rewards the winner with $5,000.

While the Modified and Late Model divisions will be making their final 2014 Eldora appearance, the open-wheeled Sprint Cars have one more event, Saturday, October 11. The UNOH Sprintacular will feature the winged All Star Sprints, non-winged BOSS (Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series) and the winged NRA (National Racing Alliance) Sprint Invaders.

Tickets for the Fall National and Sprintacular events events are available by going online to www.EldoraSpeedway.com. Additionally, tickets may be purchased through the Eldora offices during normal business hours by calling (937) 338-3815 or on race day.

Race fans and race teams can get behind-the-scenes access by following @EldoraSpeedway on Twitter, hitting ‘Like’ at Facebook.com/EldoraSpeedway and view video highlights at YouTube.com/EldoraSpeedwayInc. Mobile device users can access the Eldora Speedway app for the iPhone, iPad and Android which are available for download via iTunes and Google Play.