Blair to Race in "Race for Kids" Charity Event at LES

Plans for Racing for Kids Charities extravaganza taking place at Lake Erie Speedway are complete with the schedule being set as below with very few revisions expected at this point.

Wednesday, September 17 will see the biggest charity event ever for "Racing for Kids Charities". The day will roar to life with the sounds of dirt Late Model race cars thundering across the links at Peak & Peek's Upper Course at 10:00 AM as 32 foursomes prepare to battle it out all for Erie-area Kid's charities. Among the golfers will be local Dirt Late Model Stars Dick Barton, Bob Close, Dutch Davis, Chub Frank, Boom Briggs, and Dave Hess Jr.

At the conclusion of the golf tournament, the racers along with Rich Gardner, Boom Briggs, Chris Hackett, Todd Andrews, Rob Blair, and Chad Ruhlman. Dirt Late Model star Ron Davies will also be in attendance at Lake Erie Speedway but will be in an unusual position for a driver, atop the flagstand to officiate at the "Down & Dirty Spectacular sponsored by Rand Machine Products. Davies will send off the twelve stars to do battle in unfamiliar territory, on the asphalt of this area's premier NASCAR-sanctioned facility, Lake Erie Speedway. Many of the Dirt Late Model drivers will be showing off their usual mounts and touring the track.

As previously announced, the Plyler Overhead Door Late Models will also be competing, with 12 of the best pavement drivers in the area contending for $1000 in a 35-lap feature with a twist. At the end of the first 15 laps, the caution will be thrown with the leader at that point receiving a bonus of $200, which can be doubled if the leader can win the second segment, a 20 lap affair that will be started with the cars inverted, the exact amount of inversion to be decided during the break!

The field for the Nascar Plyler Overhead Door Invitational is now set. We have the 2008 Lake Erie Speedway track champion and two past champions in the field. The line up is as follows.

#9 Will Thomas 2008 Champion

#91 Greg Hoover 2002 Champion

#32 Glen Gault Jr. 2003 Champion

#86 John Gallagher

#99 Tim Card

#69 Josh John

#45 Rick Boyer

#4 Bret Guzik

#52 Joe Bizzaro

#18 Bill Catania

#17 Chris Bailey Jr.

#19 Chris Bathman

Some of the area's top dirt sprinters will also be on hand including Scott Bonnell, Carl Bowser, and Terry Bowser. More sprinters are expected but names have not been confirmed as this is written.

At the end of the night, the twelve Sportmod drivers who graciously have loaned their mounts will compete in a 25 lap feature of their own.

Along with the racing there will be an autograph session, a Chinese auction for race-car parts and other mementos, prizes for kids in attendance, including a ride in the Lake Erie Speedway-owned Sprint Cup car (an actual Sprint Cup car!) There will be a helmet pass in the grandstands by all drivers in attendance to raise money for the charities, a party for golfers and drivers, and there will also be a raffle for a Dale Earnhardt Jr helmet. Tickets for the helmet have been on sale at various speedways across the region and, if any are left, will be available at the speedway Wednesday night before the drawing.

Events at the race track get underway at 5:30 PM with racing starting at 7:30.

Go to "Racingforkidserie.com" for more information. Race date is 9/17/08, Gates opening at 4:30, racing at 7:00 at Lake Erie Speedway.