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Field joins growing Mod field
Joe Field has won championships in the Late Model and Econo classes at South Buxton Raceway over his long and illustrious career.
This season, Field will take aim at a championship in a third class.
The 43-year-old Chatham driver is switching gears as he joins the Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modified class.
He still plans on running a limited schedule in his Late Model but won’t be pulling a full-time double duty like Shrewsbury’s Jim Dale Jr.
Field will run the Late Model at special events, such as the new Summer Sizzler series with Ohsweken and the Castrol Late Model Shootout.
The seat is still open for anyone to drive the car full-time for South Buxton’s regular season.
“I’ve been talking to some drivers. I’d like to still take it out there every (Saturday) night, we’ll just see who’s interested and what kind of deal we can come up with,” Field said.
His new Modified, built by Larry Shaw Race Cars in Arkansas, is ready for lettering.
Field said he started thinking about making the switch to the Modifieds last year while helping his 17-year-old nephew C.J. Field compete in the class, earning Rookie Of The Year honours.
“The cost is the main reason,” Field said of his decision to switch rides. “Racing in the Modifieds is better economically for me … and it’s something I want to do before I retire.”
He cited rising costs and ever-changing technology as the reasons he is getting out of his Late Model.
“The Late Model class has become really sophisticated. I found I was falling off the pace. It’s hard keeping up with guys like Andrew (Reaume), Dale (Glassford), Kirk (Hooker) and Brad (Authier) because of the money and time it takes.”
Field finished fourth in the Castrol UMP Late Model point standings in 2008. He won three of the first five features and finished in the top 10 in seven of the nine features he ran.
Field does have experience in the Modified class, as he drove six races for car owner Tim Wilkins in 1993.
“But the Mods back then were nothing like they are today,” Field pointed out. “It’s going to be a big learning curve for me.”
Field said the Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modified class should be extremely competitive in 2009 because of the number of returning drivers as well as an influx of new cars.
Sixteen drivers competed in the Modified class in 2009, including 10 drivers who raced all 11 dates.
Paul DeGoey of Leamington won the 2008 points title and five of the 10 feature races before suffering his career-ending injuries on championship night.
Dale Jr. won four features while Justin Coulter took the championship race in just his third night behind the wheel of a Mod in 2008.
Coulter is expected to run full time in 2009, plus with the addition of Field and Chatham’s Jeff Daniel – who is making the switch from Sprints – and others who raced in the second half of last year, the Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modifieds could see 15-20 car fields every race night.
The class will also have three special events.
The first will be June 19-20 when they will compete in the Summer Sizzler. The Modifieds will run at Ohsweken Speedway on the Friday night and return to South Buxton for Saturday racing. Complete details are still being worked out but each track will provide its own nightly purse plus there will be an additional overall purse.
The Late Models will also have a Summer Sizzler at Ohsweken on July 31 and back at South Buxton on August 1.
The Modifieds will be under the spotlight when South Buxton hosts the first Can-Am Challenge on Saturday, July 4.
The Can-Am Challenge will be a prelude to the second annual Modified Fall Blowout, which again will be a part of the season-ending Late Model Shootout on Saturday, Sept. 26.
“The response from the Modified Blowout has been overwhelming, especially from the Americans,” said track owner Scott Mihalco. “And there’s a lot of interest from other drivers just from word-of-mouth.”
Hooker fourth overall at New Smyrna
Kirk Hooker equaled his career best points finish in the 43rd World Series of Asphalt Racing series at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida.
He brought the Hooker Brothers Racing/Country View Golf Course Monte Carlo home to a fourth-place finish in the final standings with 238 points, 104 behind the champion Drew Brannon of Miami.
He also finished fourth in points in 2002 and 2003.
Hooker wrapped up the eight-race series with a sixth-place finish on Saturday, Feb. 14.
He started the series with a 12th-place finish a week earlier, followed by a 10th on Sunday, Feb. 8.
But he finished seventh or better in each of the final six races, including a third on Wednesday, Feb. 11, his best finish in four years.
It was Hooker’s 10th trip to New Smyrna for the Speedweeks event but he is still looking for his first win in Florida. He has posted four second-place finishes over the 10 years.
Schinkels’ Gourmet Meats back on board
John Schinkels, owner of Schinkels’ Gourmet Meats (145 Richmond St. in Chatham) returns for his second year as the official sponsor of the UMP Modified class.
“I’m amazed at the exposure Schinkels’ Gourmet Meats received from sponsoring the Modified Division at South Buxton in 2008, from the number of times our store was mentioned at the track every race night as well as in the newspapers, radio and online,” Schinkels said.
“Our customers definitely noticed too. It was the best money I have ever spent on advertising,” declared.
Schinkels is a very hands-on sponsor as he was at the track virtually every Saturday night. He also supported the track with prizes for fans and drivers at the Outhouse Image & Design Modified Night and the Shootout/Blowout. He is also a sponsor for Dale Jr.’s Modified and 2008 Sport Stock Champion Louis Clements.
Opening Night – Saturday, May 16, 7 p.m.
Regards,
Mike Bennett
South Buxton Raceway
Publicity Director
tel: 519-676-6922 ext#1
fax: 519-676-9116
email: mikeb@southbuxtonraceway.com
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