RGeeProductions
07-18-2008, 12:11 PM
WILLIE HARDIE LOOKS TO TURN 2008 SEASON AROUND
IN 5TH ANNUAL CARQUEST SK® 150 AT STAFFORD SPEEDWAY
For Stafford Motor Speedway SK Modified® driver
Willie Hardie, the 5th Annual CARQUEST SK® 150, scheduled for Friday, July
25th at Stafford Motor Speedway, could not come at a better time. Hardie
and his team have struggled through the first half of the 2008 season and he
will look to right his ship in the second half of the season, beginning with
chasing the $4,000 winner’s check from the longest SK Modified® race of the
year, which has total posted awards of over $25,000 to be paid out to SK
Modified® competitors.
“We don’t have the sponsorship this year that we’ve had in years past,” says
Hardie. “Cliff Nelson is helping us this year, but we don’t have the total
sponsorship that we’ve had in the past. If we can win the 150 or get a good
finish, it would really give us a boost and allow us to pay some bills.”
Hardie is no stranger to success in extra distance events, with two SK
Modified® 100 wins and a ProStock 100 win to his credit at Stafford. Hardie
knows what it takes to win an extra distance event and Hardie has also
traditionally performed well in the second half. With a sound race
strategy, Hardie looks to once again have a good second half and turn around
his 2008 season, starting with the 5th Annual CARQUEST SK® 150.
“A win in this race would be huge for us,” said Hardie. “Typically this is
the time of year when we get things turned around if we’re having a bad
season. Last week we finished 10th and the car is getting better every
week. If we could get a top-3 or even a top-5 finish it would be a big
boost for team and myself. These extra distance races are a lot like the
normal distance races in that you just have to stay out of trouble. Another
key is to save your tires and not abuse your equipment so you have something
to go racing with at the end of the race. 150 laps is a long time to try
and pass someone. I like the longer races, we always seem to do well in
them, and the 150 would be an excellent race to add to my career.”
The winner of the CARQUEST Auto Parts SK® 150 has the potential of walking
away with $4,000. The CARQUEST Auto Parts SK 150 will start 30 cars. Last
place is guaranteed to pay $300, while 10th place will pay $1,000. The
purse increases by $100 for each position from 9th place to 3rd place, while
second place pays $2,200. The payout for 11th place is $900, and from
positions 12 through 16, the purse decreases by $100 per position. The 17th
position pays $375, and the remainder of the starting positions decreases by
$25 per position to 20th place, with all drivers finishing 20th thru 30th
receiving $300.
The CARQUEST SK 150 was first run on July 14, 2000 with Ted Christopher
leading 131 laps of the race to take the victory. Christopher repeated his
150-lap win one year later by leading 136 laps. The 2002 edition of the
race saw Ronnie Silk overtake Lloyd Agor on lap-123 and lead the rest of the
way for the victory, and the 2003 race saw Frank Ruocco took down the win.
Ruocco led 129 laps in a race that was run over two different Friday nights
due to rain.
The list of contenders for the CARQUEST SK® 150 crown is an impressive list
of modified drivers. Drivers who have won extra distance events at Stafford
that will be racing in this year’s CARQUEST SK 150 include Eric Berndt,
Christopher, Bo Gunning, Hardie, Woody Pitkat, and Frank Ruocco. Keith
Rocco is driving the same #78 Poulin Racing car that Chuck Docherty drove to
an average finish of 4.5 in the first four runnings of the SK 150.
With the race distance of 150 laps, the CARQUEST SK 150 could very well
produce another first-time winner at Stafford, as both Ronnie Silk and Frank
Ruocco scored their first career SK Modified® wins in the 2002 and 2003
editions of the CARQUEST SK 150.
The 5th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts SK 150 is scheduled for July 25, 2008 at
Stafford Motor Speedway. Tickets are priced at $20.00 for adult general
admission, $5.00 for children ages 6-14 general admission, and $23.00 for
reserved seating. Children ages 5 & under are admitted free of charge for
general admission seating when accompanied by an adult. Stafford Motor
Speedway offers free parking, with overnight parking available.
For more information, or to order tickets to the 5th annual CARQUEST Auto
Parts SK 150, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at
860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Scott Running
IN 5TH ANNUAL CARQUEST SK® 150 AT STAFFORD SPEEDWAY
For Stafford Motor Speedway SK Modified® driver
Willie Hardie, the 5th Annual CARQUEST SK® 150, scheduled for Friday, July
25th at Stafford Motor Speedway, could not come at a better time. Hardie
and his team have struggled through the first half of the 2008 season and he
will look to right his ship in the second half of the season, beginning with
chasing the $4,000 winner’s check from the longest SK Modified® race of the
year, which has total posted awards of over $25,000 to be paid out to SK
Modified® competitors.
“We don’t have the sponsorship this year that we’ve had in years past,” says
Hardie. “Cliff Nelson is helping us this year, but we don’t have the total
sponsorship that we’ve had in the past. If we can win the 150 or get a good
finish, it would really give us a boost and allow us to pay some bills.”
Hardie is no stranger to success in extra distance events, with two SK
Modified® 100 wins and a ProStock 100 win to his credit at Stafford. Hardie
knows what it takes to win an extra distance event and Hardie has also
traditionally performed well in the second half. With a sound race
strategy, Hardie looks to once again have a good second half and turn around
his 2008 season, starting with the 5th Annual CARQUEST SK® 150.
“A win in this race would be huge for us,” said Hardie. “Typically this is
the time of year when we get things turned around if we’re having a bad
season. Last week we finished 10th and the car is getting better every
week. If we could get a top-3 or even a top-5 finish it would be a big
boost for team and myself. These extra distance races are a lot like the
normal distance races in that you just have to stay out of trouble. Another
key is to save your tires and not abuse your equipment so you have something
to go racing with at the end of the race. 150 laps is a long time to try
and pass someone. I like the longer races, we always seem to do well in
them, and the 150 would be an excellent race to add to my career.”
The winner of the CARQUEST Auto Parts SK® 150 has the potential of walking
away with $4,000. The CARQUEST Auto Parts SK 150 will start 30 cars. Last
place is guaranteed to pay $300, while 10th place will pay $1,000. The
purse increases by $100 for each position from 9th place to 3rd place, while
second place pays $2,200. The payout for 11th place is $900, and from
positions 12 through 16, the purse decreases by $100 per position. The 17th
position pays $375, and the remainder of the starting positions decreases by
$25 per position to 20th place, with all drivers finishing 20th thru 30th
receiving $300.
The CARQUEST SK 150 was first run on July 14, 2000 with Ted Christopher
leading 131 laps of the race to take the victory. Christopher repeated his
150-lap win one year later by leading 136 laps. The 2002 edition of the
race saw Ronnie Silk overtake Lloyd Agor on lap-123 and lead the rest of the
way for the victory, and the 2003 race saw Frank Ruocco took down the win.
Ruocco led 129 laps in a race that was run over two different Friday nights
due to rain.
The list of contenders for the CARQUEST SK® 150 crown is an impressive list
of modified drivers. Drivers who have won extra distance events at Stafford
that will be racing in this year’s CARQUEST SK 150 include Eric Berndt,
Christopher, Bo Gunning, Hardie, Woody Pitkat, and Frank Ruocco. Keith
Rocco is driving the same #78 Poulin Racing car that Chuck Docherty drove to
an average finish of 4.5 in the first four runnings of the SK 150.
With the race distance of 150 laps, the CARQUEST SK 150 could very well
produce another first-time winner at Stafford, as both Ronnie Silk and Frank
Ruocco scored their first career SK Modified® wins in the 2002 and 2003
editions of the CARQUEST SK 150.
The 5th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts SK 150 is scheduled for July 25, 2008 at
Stafford Motor Speedway. Tickets are priced at $20.00 for adult general
admission, $5.00 for children ages 6-14 general admission, and $23.00 for
reserved seating. Children ages 5 & under are admitted free of charge for
general admission seating when accompanied by an adult. Stafford Motor
Speedway offers free parking, with overnight parking available.
For more information, or to order tickets to the 5th annual CARQUEST Auto
Parts SK 150, contact the Stafford Motor Speedway track office at
860-684-2783 or visit us on the web at www.staffordspeedway.com.
Scott Running