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While most of the country has already been racing for a few weeks, the teams of the CarbonX Rocky Mountain Challenge Series have waited for the last of the ice to melt and the plants to bloom. When plants start to bloom in the mountain states then racing is just around the corner and this Saturday night the RMCS returns to Magic Valley Speedway in Twin Falls, Idaho for round one of the 2008 campaign.
The Outback “75” is the first of four races to be staged at the 1/3-mile paved this season and is the 17th series event to be run at MVS. Local fan favorite Bobby Latham has four career wins all coming at MVS and he returns this season with championship hopes as his only focus.
Fellow Twin Falls resident John Newhouse claimed the series title last season and looks defend his crown in 08’. Newhouse has two career series victories at MVS. Five other drivers share one win apiece.Jim Eaton has six career victories with two coming at MVS and teams again this season with two-time series champion Zan Sharp of Wellsville, Utah.
2006 series champion Dave Minegar of Boise returns this season with renewed passion and dedication and will once again team with Craig Bell in Chevrolets out of the Pat Minegar racing stables. Series standout Tom Hill of Eagle is back in the saddle for one more tour and looks to win for the second time at MVS Saturday night.
Missing in 2008 or driving only a partial schedule are several familiar faces. 2007 Rookie-of-the-Year Matt Faulkner moved to North Carolina to pursue a career as a team engineer for the #71 Craftsman Truck Series and driver Donnie Lia. Local Twin Falls favorite Bruce Quale, along with Chris Ratterree, and Brian Warf will only be running a partial schedule in 2008.Where others fall off several new drivers fill the void.
Joining the A-1 Heating and Air Conditioning rookie class this season will be former MVS multi-time track champion Steve Jones of Boise. Also joining the rookie battle will be Dan Koyle who honed his racing skills behind the wheel of the popular Intermountain Pro Trucks.
Former NASCAR Tour champion John Dillon of Eagle returns to full-time competition in 2008 and will sport a new number that harkens back to his championship days. Also returning in 2008 will be long-tow artists Thane Alderman from Las Vegas with a brand new car and Jim Wulfenstein out of Pahrump, Nevada.
Dave Minegar holds the track qualifying record with a quick lap of 14.216 seconds set last fall. He also hold the series records for most Sharp Powder Coating Fast Time Awards (14), most career top ten finishes (31), and most money won.
Taking over title sponsorship this season is CarbonX, the industry leader in fire resistant underwear and clothing. Joining CarbonX this season are new sponsors Thompson Motorsports, Performance Solutions, Kidd Performance, and Joe’s Racing Products. Long-time sponsors ESI, A-1 Heating and Air Conditioning, Sharp Powder Coating, Five Star Racing Bodies, Frank’s Radios, and Hoosier return.
The RMCS utilizes a racing format not found in ANY other regional touring series around the country. The top 20 qualifiers are inverted for every race putting fast time in the 20th starting position. This format ensures race fans see what they paid for and that is passing. Each driver is awarded three points per position gained in the event. Through the history of the series, the winning driver has averaged a 15th place starting position. To ensure competition, the RMCS pays it purse based on total point accumulation for the event and provides several special performance awards for the event including: The ESI Hotshoe Award paying $400 to the driver who sets fast time and goes on to win the race. The CarbonX Lap Leader Bonus paying $5 for every lap led. Sharp Powder Coating pays $100 for fast time. The Thompson Motorsports Halfway Challenge pays $100 to the driver leading at halfway of each event; and the Thompson Motorsports Performance Improvement Award pays the driver $200 who improves the most positions over the previous event.
“This by far is going to be the best year we have seen in the series,” stated Mike Minegar, president of the RMCS. “We have so much interest in the series and it will be great to see a lot of the new faces that are expected to participate this season. We are all looking forward to Saturday night so we can kick off the rust and get the season underway.”
The CarbonX Rocky Mountain Challenge Series is a regional touring series that allows all competitors to race and gain experience on different types of racetracks. It is a high-quality professional racing series that offers maximum opportunity at an affordable price serving the intermountain West. The motto of the series is to “Race Hard and Have Fun!” For all the latest news and information regarding the CarbonX rocky Mountain Challenge Series log on to our website at www.rmcsracing.com~Distributed by RMCS Public Relations.
Source: RMCS Public Relations
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