Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Ready to Unleash Their 2008 Season at East Bay; 6 Straight Nights of Racing during Winternationals

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is ready and raring to go to get its 2008 racing season started for the fourth consecutive year at the East Bay Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL. The 32nd annual event will be contested from February 4th through the 9th. There will be six straight nights of Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series racing concluding on Saturday Night, February 9th with a $12,000 to win event. Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, WI is the reigning East Bay Winternationals Points Fund Champion.

The total purses for the six nights of competition will approach the $200,000 mark with an additional $30,000 in cash and contingencies up for grabs in the DART Machinery Winternationals Points Fund. Also the series has announced that the Friday, February 8th show will be taped by the VERSUS Network and the finale on Saturday Night February 9th will be taped by the SPEED Channel. The televised events will be shown on a date and time to be announced in the future.

"It's been a great relationship between East Bay Raceway Park and the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and we look forward to seeing all the fans and competitors again in 2008," said East Bay Raceway Park Vice-President, Todd Hutto. Hutto also said that discount pricing is available for general admission and pit gate admission during the week-long of Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series racing action at East Bay. For discount ticket information you can call the track office toll free at 1-877-457-5611 between normal business hours or visit the track's website at www.eastbayracewaypark for more information.

Officials of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and East Bay Raceway Park have announced that hot laps will begin at 5:00 PM each day followed by time trials. As per the 2008 series rulebook if there are more than four heat races scheduled there will be group qualifying. Also new for 2008 at East Bay for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be the use of transponders for the first time during the Winternationals. The tire rule for the East Bay Winternationals will be as follows in 2008; Hoosier 1100, 1300, 1600, LM20 and LM40 and the American Racer 23, 44 and 56.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Director Ritchie Lewis is equally as excited to be heading to Florida in February. "We are looking forward to being back at East Bay in 2008, working with Todd, Al Varnadore and Jean Lynch, it is a great atmosphere to be in and around and after a long winter it's always great to see some tremendous racing that East Bay offers."