By Ken Kinney, Jr.
After much thought and deliberation, the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series and it’s sponsor Sunoco, are proud to announce the names of the drivers who have made it’s first annual Chase for the Cup, along with thirty participants. The series is also releasing the chase schedule, which will take it to many exciting venues in both Georgia and Florida.
The chase will surely create the most exciting points battle of 2010,season. This will give race fans the most intense Late Model racing in the country. Although, the series originally planned on running a separate North and South schedule, both the series and Sunoco are convinced that by merging the North and South regions, that it will match the best Late Model drivers in Central and South Georgia against the best Late Model drivers in Florida.
This will elevate one of the most premier Late Model Series to an even higher level and create must see events for all race fans in both Georgia and Florida.
How the Chase was seeded
After much thought, I decided that Tyler Ivey, who had the most overall points, Ivedent Lloyd, the North points leader and Mark Whitener, the South points leader, will all be number one seeds and will be receiving $1000 respectively, at the banquet for their accomplishments up to now.
Secondly, on the seedings I made a decision that a driver must have earned a minimum of 450 points, all other drivers were eliminated from the chase consideration. At this point, thirty drivers are in the chase and one last driver, who is a member, will be chosen through a blind lottery draw.
This driver will be offered the opportunity to participate in the chase, being awarded 180 points, which would be equal to the points of Patrick Williams, who is currently the thirtieth in the chase. Should the driver winning the lottery draw decide to decline the offer, the draw will continue until a winner accepts the offer to participate.
The other seeds were chosen second in the South to second in the North, however in the North, Tyler Ivey was awarded a number one seed and the second seed went to Chelsey Dixon in the North, who was the next highest points earner.
The same in the South being Tyler had already received a number one seed, moved Dillon Woods into the second seed. The bottom line is once a driver was seeded by using his highest points total, they were skipped in the other region when seeding the next highest points earner.
If you have any question to where you are seeded, call me directly. After seeding Jordy Nipper, who was the last Northern driver seeded based on him being the last Northern driver with over 450 points. All remaining Southern drivers with over or exactly 450 points, you were seeded in order until reaching Patrick Williams, who had exactly 450 points.
Once the chase starts all points will be awarded as normal, with the following exceptions. Because, I do not believe in double points nights, but I realized that drivers must be enticed and rewarded for driving to the furthest SOuthern region track, which is Hendry County Motorsports Park and Screvean Motorspeedway, which is the Northern regions most Northern track.
On these two races, you will have to count your better finish. However, drivers going to either track will receive a 50 point bonus, just for going and supporting these two tracks, which are geographically challenged.
If clarification is needed on this, please call me directly with any questions you may have. Thanks for your support,
Ken Kinney Jr. (863)673-4325
