Exciting Innovations Announced As PASS Looks To Lanier Return
NAPLES, ME (August 29) – In June, Pro All Stars Series (PASS) officials announced that the PASS National Super Late Model Championship would be decided at Georgia’s Lanier Raceplex on November 15-16. The Lanier National 200 for the PASS Super Late Models will be 200 laps, paying $6000 to win and $1000 to start. The starting grid will be set by heat races in which their lineups will be determined by using last practice speeds. And, for the first time ever, the pre-race tech will be set by the order that entries are received, giving teams longer to prepare for practice and the race. The first entrants for the Lanier National 200 are North Carolina’s, Tate Fogleman, New Hampshire drivers, Bryan Kruczek and Gabe Brown, and Ontario, Canada’s, JP Josiasse.
From the time the Lanier National 200 was announced in June and that racing would return to Lanier Raceplex for the first time in nearly a decade, the reaction of fans and the short track racing community has been tremendous. Home state favorite, Bubba Pollard, has confirmed that he has had several drivers inquire with him about racing at Lanier come November.
PASS actually raced at Lanier in 2006 and 2007. Home town favorite Jason Hogan scored his only win in the series at the inaugural event at Lanier, while Maine’s Corey Williams took the win the following year. Hogan says there is a need for asphalt racing in Georgia and he is glad to see racing return to Lanier in the Atlanta-metro area.
“I do think it is a great deal and should have a really good turnout,” said Hogan, who currently owns and operates a successful printing business in the area. “Not sure how the fan base will be since racing has been gone from here for so long, but these folks really do miss that track. I think the car count will be awesome.”
So, of course we had to ask if a return to the driver’s seat at Lanier was in the cards for the driver from nearby Cleveland, GA?
“Well, me and Richie Wauters have talked about running at Lanier,” says Hogan. “But, I also have a new baby on the way and the wife is not a 100 percent sold on it as of yet.”
In addition to the new tech lineup procedures to be introduced at Lanier, heat racing will return to the south for the first time since 2006. Heat racing has long been used in determining the starting order at tracks in New England, including last weekend’s Oxford 250 which had nearly 60 competitors show up to try and make the field. When PASS came south in 2006, innovations like heat races, double-file restarts, and not counting caution laps during features were brought down with the series from New England. Now at many tracks around the country, all of those things have been adopted, and the new tech procedures could be the next to be utilized by more series.
In its 12thseason, Super Late Model racing’s only true national championship will bring PASS drivers together from all over North America to compete this Fall at Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts and in the season finale at Lanier Raceplex. In addition to the grandstands being open, Lanier’s famed trackside parking will be available to the fans for this event. The track was repaved and all infield buildings were torn down at Lanier Raceplex when the facility was transformed to host drifting events and Go-Kart racing for the public. All race cars will be pitted outside the track so fans will be able to enjoy an unobstructed view of the action from any vantage point at the speedway
Numerous drivers cut their teeth racing Legends cars and Bandoleros at Lanier Raceplex, including Joey Logano, David Ragan, Daniel Hemric and more. With the concentration of Legends cars around the Atlanta area, the Carolinas, and much of the Eastern Seaboard, race officials believe splitting the cars in to Pro, Semi-Pro, and Young Lions will allow for even more action around the 3/8-mile speedway. There will be a payout throughout the field in each division with $500 to win for the Pro division, $400 to win for the Semi-Pros, and $300 to win for the Young Lions.
The Lanier Raceplex will roar to life on Friday, November 15, with practice for PASS Super Late Models and Legends cars from 1 PM to 5 PM. On Saturday, November 16, pit gates will open at 8 AM, followed by practice at 10 AM, heat races for PASS Super Late Models, Legends, and Bandoleros at 12:30 PM, followed by the Lanier National 200 and remaining features. Sunday, November 17 will be reserved as a rain date if needed.
For the Lanier National 200, PASS Super Late Models, Legends, and Bandoleros entry forms and the complete weekend schedule are posted at ProAllStarsSeries.com. Entry forms for PASS North events at Oxford Plains Speedway, White Mountain Motorsports Park, and Thunder Road International Speedbowl can also be found at ProAllStarsSeries.com.
