WAYCROSS, GA (March 13, 2013) – The 16th Annual Indiana Icebreaker has become a springtime tradition in the Midwest, and will take place on Saturday, March 23rd. The LOLMDS-sanctioned event is held at the historic Brownstown Speedway in Brownstown, IN. The single-day event will pay out over $50,000 with Red Buck Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains and a 50-lap $10,000 to win/ $800 to start feature event.
The Indiana Icebreaker will be the first event for the LOLMDS since the DART Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL held last month. Don O’Neal of Martinsville, IN comes into the Indiana Icebreaker sitting on top of the Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings. O’Neal, a 3-time series runner-up in the national points standings began his late model career at Brownstown Speedway in 1990 and is the defending champion of the Indiana Icebreaker.
O’Neal’s victory a year ago in this event marked his 52nd career win at Brownstown Speedway. He is now third all-time at the track behind Jim Curry and John Gill in total victories. “We always look forward to coming back to race at Brownstown. We have had a lot of success there in the past, but with the level of talent we have on the Lucas Oil Series, it’s going to be tough to repeat the win. The fans will definitely see an exciting race,” stated O’Neal, driver of the #71 Optima Batteries, MasterSbilt House Car.
Another LOLMDS regular and 4-times series champion, Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL is anticipating another Brownstown barnburner. “We have always seemed to run well there and it’s a track when its racy you can come from the back. There is plenty of room to pass and there are no walls or guardrails to tear up your car,” said Pearson. The driver for Bobby Labonte Racing has four career wins at Brownstown. He is coming off a big $10,000 victory on the final night of the DART Winternationals at East Bay last month. “Kevin Rumley has given the team a big boost since he came onboard. He completely redesigned the Longhorn Chassis and with the new Chevy engines we have, we feel we are going to have a very good year and excited to get to Brownstown”, Pearson went on to say.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has sanctioned the “Indiana Icebreaker” since 2006 at the Tim and Farrah Keithley promoted quarter-mile fairgrounds track. Racing began at Brownstown Speedway in 1952 and has proven to be a great venue for several of the LOLMDS regulars in the past. Two-time series champion, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN has collected ten (10) wins at the track during his career, while two-time and reigning series champion, Jimmy Owens has won twice. Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, IL, the only 2-time winner at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL last month has three (3) victories in his career at Brownstown Speedway and Steve Francis of Ashland, KY claimed his lone victory back in a 1997 STARS-sanctioned event.
For the Indiana Icebreaker at Brownstown Speedway on March 23 gates will open at 1 PM. There will be a drivers autograph session from 3:15 PM- 4 PM. The drivers meeting will take place at 4:15 PM with hot laps following at 4:45 PM. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series registration will take place from 1 PM to 4:45 PM. In addition to the LOLMDS events there will be Modifieds, Super Stocks and Pure Stocks competing.
This will mark the first time the series will utilize the new tire rule that was recently announced. Since the announcement the series has received alot of positive feedback from racers once they fully understood the scope of the new rule. The Brownstown tire rules are as follows; Right Rear Hoosier Tire 01, 03, 06, LSB21/55, LM20/40, Left Rear/Fronts Hoosier Tire Rib 1300, 1350, 1640, LSB21/55, LM20/40
For further questions about the tire rule please call Rick Schwallie at 951-403-1609 or Kenny Kenneda at 951-746-8577.
For more information on the “Indiana Icebreaker” sponsored by Bryan Bowman Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge of Seymour, IN, visit the track website at www.brownstownspeedway.com or call the track phone at (812) 358-5332 or promoter Tim Keithley at (812) 569-1982. Brownstown Speedway is located on Highway 250 at the Jackson County Fairgrounds, one mile southeast of Brownstown, Indiana.
The Host Hotel for this event is the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Seymour, IN located at 327 North Sandy Creek Drive. Contact the hotel office to make reservations at (812) 524-3800 and ask for the special racer rate for that weekend.
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, visit the series’ website at www.lucasdirt.com.
Follow the series on the social media outlets at www.facebook.com/lucasdirt andwww.twitter.com/#!/lucasdirt.
Indiana Icebreaker Tire Rule
Right Rear Hoosier Tire 01, 03, 06, LSB21/55, LM20/40,
Left Rear/Fronts Hoosier Tire Rib 1300, 1350, 1640, LSB21/55, LM20/40