A Mobile International Speedway fan recently said it perfectly, “You can come for all the high dollar cars but the “Locals” are the Show!”
“Locals” are the divisions that race at Mobile International Speedway, where the Drivers and crews have regular jobs with racing and working on race cars happening after work. Racing is not how they make a living, it’s how they live.
At Mobile International Speedway and tracks all over the country the Late Models, Modifieds, etc get all the press but it’s the “Locals”, Trucks, Sportsman, Pure Stocks and Crown Stocks that put on the show.
In the first three race dates this season the crowd has been on its feet numerous times and more often than not it’s been a “Local” Division that got them there.
Opening weekend in the Truck Division, 20+ time Track Champion, Okie Mason beat 10+ time track Champion Steven Davis to the line for the win. For Mason that’s 6 consecutive decades with a win. In the second race, young Maddox Langham comes back from having his Sportsman pulled out of the trees off the back straight away to win his first Turck race of the season. In installment number three, former Legend Car Champ Treyce Capers won his first career Truck race besting veteran Okie Mason. Hang on for Round 4!
The Sportsman Division, most of the cars started life as a street legal Monte Carlo, have been a crowd favorite for 30 years. The names for the drivers are almost as colorful as the cars themselves. For fans it’s just one word, “Dog”, “BJ”, “Chad”, “D3”, “Maddox” or “Mader” (Not the tow truck), and everybody who has ever gotten a splinter in their butt from the grandstands at MIS knows who you are talking about. The first two races of the year BJ Leytham continued his winning ways at the Speedway going back to back. For race three Shoemaker up the winner’s purse to $2,000, enter James Patrick.
Patrick doesn’t race every week but when he does, he’s normally hunting a trophy or in this case a big payday of $2,000. Patrick isn’t the original Outlaw on the Gulf Coast but when they write the book on those who have raced, James will get more than a mention. Every couple of years Patrick dissects the rule book and builds a car that when it hits the Speedway is pretty tough to handle. As one tech man put it, “I believe he ain’t right but I’d have to take his car completely apart to prove it.”
Patrick won race three, Shoemaker has now upped the winner’s purse to $2,500 for the finale. For that kind of money most of these guys would move their brother to win. Brother, mother, father, son even their grandmother, after all $2,500 is Late Model money!
In the Pure Stocks Jimmy Hollingsworth won the opener and hasn’t been able to race since. Robert Loper won the second race with Geno Denmark finishing second in a car he borrowed from Robert Barber. In the third race, Loper won a photo finish over Robert Barbers car with Robert Barber driving it. The Pure Stocks will race for $1,250 to win on Saturday night, the winner normally gets $300. We might see a photo finish but it’s probably gonna have some tire smoke in the picture.
The Crown Stock Class is new to the Speedway in 2023 but they have been making a lot of noise with great car counts and terrific racing. Did we mention most of these cars are less than $5,000 complete? Florida’s Kris Rummel won opening night and has not been back, leaving the door open for Hunter Lambert to win night two. Lambert was still at work while everyone else was practicing and qualifying, he got to the Speedway just in time to take up the tail end and win. Lambert would finish third in the next race to first time winner Adam Salter. Three races, three different winners.
It’s no wonder Speedway regulars say, “The Locals are the show.”
Saturday Night is the second half of a Double Header for Late Models and is part of a Seven Division jammed packed Season Finale at Mobile International Speedway. The Pro-Late Models join the Modifieds of Mayhem, Outlaws, Trucks, Sportsman, Pure Stocks and Crown Stocks. One lucky fan can win $1,000 and all they have to do is go to Pensacola on Friday night and bring their ticket to Mobile on Saturday night!
Ticket prices for Saturday night August 26th: Grandstand Ticket prices for Adults-$15, Kids 6-11-$5, Senior-$12, Military-$12, Student 12-17 $12. Pit Pass- All pit passes $30. Pits Open at 11:00AM, Practice starts at 2:30, Grandstands open at 5:30 and Racing begins at 8:00. MIS does not currently have the ability to take Credit Cards please bring cash or there will be ATMs available.
MIS PR
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