Hawks Prairie - Lacey, Wash. October 25, 2008

   The Limited Late Model RacingSeries invites all of it drivers, teams, crews & sponsors to the 2008 Awards Banquet to be held on Saturday October 25th, 2008 at the Hawks Prairie Inn Restaurant from 6pm to 9pm.

The Hawks Prairie Inn Restaurant is located at 8306 Quinault Dr NE, Lacey, WA - (360) 459-0900.

For directions and maps, click here.

We look forward to seeing you all there. Those not planning to attend are urged to contact Series Director Rusty Boyatt to assure that the LLMRS has your correct address and telephone number should there be awards that need sent to you.

Wenatchee, Wash. September 20, 2008

    Mother Nature gave it her best, but all the clouds, wind, and chilly temperatures did not dampen the racers spirits on this final championship night of racing for the L.L.M.R.S. The championship position was all but locked in, but the points battle for the other spots were tight. And the evening found three more new faces to the series as they welcomed Mark Sundberg driving the #72 Tidricks Transmission Impala, #50 Chris Walters from E.Wenatchee, and #63 Ron Frazier also from Wenatchee.     Mark Sundberg did his thing,as he set a impressive fast time of 13.934. The rest of the field tried to follow suit, but the closest they came was a time of 14.003, by #50 Walters.

    The trophy dash consisted of #72 Sundberg, #50 Walters, and the #68 of Tim McDougald, and #08 of Jeff Mullins. McDougald and Mullins were one of the two to watch on this night as the battle for second and third place in the points were still undecided. When the green dropped, it was without a doubt that Walters and Sundberg were in the hunt for the gold. Fast, clean, and tight, these four made the dash a real treat for the fans. Walters who knows the super oval well, made his point as he took the win narrowly beating out Sundberg. Mullins took third and McDougald fourth.

    Did someone say "HEAT"? Oh, heat races.....and lets just say, these racers were able to take some of the chill off in these.

    Starting with the B-Heat, #21 Rick Gerard had the pole honors with #30 Bob "Gabby" Hayes, #34 Bucky Johnston, #10 John Boyatt, and #63 Ron Frazier. Eight laps to show their stuff, eight laps for Hayes, Boyatt, and Gerard to make valuble points, eight laps that had the crowd on their feet; and in eight laps the series champ Boyatt was looking outside for the win. Gerard had one heck of a lead, when on the outside on the white flag lap, it wasn't the wind he heard...it was the #10 Monte Carlo of John Boyatt who got the lead on the back stretch going into turn three from Gerard. That was a close one for all to enjoy as Gerard got second followed by #34 Johnston, #30 Hayes, and #63 Frazier

.     Time for the A-Heat, I wonder what kind of warmth they would provide? Well, let's find out! On the pole for this one was #88 Craig Pfander, next to him, #08 Jeff Mullins, then #68 Tim McDougald, #50 Walters and the #72 Sundberg. It warmed up right away on the first 1/2 lap as #88 found himself loose in turns 1 and 2, opening the door for Mullins to grab the lead. The door must have stayed open a little too long as Walters decided he wanted to take the lead on lap three from Mullins. McDougald laying back watching the loose action, knew he had to seek out Mullins and pass him to help in the points chase. High, low, these guys were serious. The white flag lap seemed to be the key for this night of racing as the #72 Sundberg came out of no where and tried to take first from #50 Walters, and #68 of McDougald took position over #08 Mullins. All running tight and close the final out come was another win for #50 Walters. Sundberg second, then #88 Pfander, #68 McDougald, and #08 Mullins.

    Here comes the finale. 50 laps of fun and excitement. And if you have ever caught one of the L.L.M.R.S. main events, you know it would be a good one.

    With pole position on this night, it was one of the new kids in town, #63 Ron Frazier; to which I was informed by one of the crew members, that for the Wenatchee races we need to locate Ray, who runs Randy's Towing to bring some of that award winning BBQ chicken to the pits for all to enjoy. We could have used some of that to warm us up on this night! On the front row outside was #14, who we believe to have been Tom Smitham. He was our mystery driver for the night, which made things fun. Then we have #21 Gerard, #30 Hayes, #34 Johnston, #88 Pfander, #08 Mullins, #68 McDougald, #50 Walters, #72 Sundberg, and opting to start in back the #10 of Boyatt.

    Green, green, green.....whoops.....yellow, yellow, yellow! On the first lap as Frazier grabbed the lead, the #08 of Mullins tapped the back of #34 Johnston and sent him spinning, and the next thing you know #30 of Hayes and #50 of Walters were all kinds of sideways coming out of turn 2. Boyatt and the others did a good job of avoiding what could have been a real mess. Yellow laps counting, and re-lining getting done, we were once again under green. #63 of Frazier found himself leading, but not for long as a very determined #21 Gerard took the lead on the outside by lap 5. Lap 6 had the wind singing the Sundberg Waltz, as he was going on the high side of the track picking off one position at a time. Sundberg who started in the tenth spot, took the lead on the ninth lap; only to be joined rather quickly and quietly by the #50 of Walters.

    Rubbing, scrapping, bumping, sliding was the theme. As Walters and Sundberg were fighting over first, Gerard had his mirror full of the fourth and fifth place cars of Pfander and McDougald. Lap 12 had the #68 Toyota of McDougald breaking loose on the outside down the back stretch running side by side with Pfander. It was then on lap 14 when caution was waved for a spin in turns 3 and 4 involving the #30 of Hayes and #08 of Mullins. The crowd knew that this was about to get even more interesting. On the restart, #72 Sundberg kept his lead barely over Walters; McDougald and Pfander decided at almost the same time to make a move on Gerard, making it three wide at one point; the #08 of Mullins retired to the pits, and the #10 of Boyatt decided that he too wanted to join the action. By lap 18, it had Sundberg in front, Pfander passing Gerard for third, and McDougald coming on the outside of Gerard trying for the fourth spot. On lap 19 McDougald succeeded in the positon move by taking Gerard on the outside going into turn 3.

    Not knowing who to watch, these guys were awesome. Lap 27 the #68 of McDougald had sparks coming out of his front end. Turns out that one of his shocks came loose and wedged itself in between the right front brake rotor and wheel. Lap 28 had #10 Boyatt sliding into the 5th place spot and on lap 29 the #50 of Walters bumped the #30 of Hayes in turns 3 and 4 causing a "hold whatcha got" save by Hayes! These boys were busy!

    The broken shock of McDougald sure did not phase him as he let Pfander know he was serious about wanting the third place spot, giving Pfander a "love" tap and a pass on lap 31. But that's not to say that Pfander didn't give it his all to fight for position. Side by side, high and low, these guys were something to see.

    The big "break" that many were looking for came on lap 47. Coming hard down the front stretch, wanting to take first place, #50 Walters got "very" loose, hitting and hopping along the front stretch wall going into turn 1. As the yellow waved, everyone held their breath as the exciting green, white, checker finish was about to be played out. Walters received more cosmetic damage than anything else, so he was able to continue, but had to go to the back of the pack.

    Pace car off, green flag waving! #72 Sundberg held the lead, McDougald who now had second knew he had the fight of the night, with broken shock and all, he drove his heart out to protect the position of second place from a very eager Pfander. Boyatt held strong on to the fourth place spot, and #21 Rick Gerard finished in an impressive fifth place. The rest of the finish went as follows: sixth was #50 Walters, #30 Hayes, #34 Johnston, #14 Smitham ( our mystery driver ), tenth was #63 Frazier, and #08 of Mullins.

    Congratulations to the #10 of John Boyatt who took the title, and to the second place points holder #68 Tim McDougald and the third place points finisher #08 Jeff Mullins.

    Big THANKS to ALL the L.L.M.R.S. racers, you guys are all winners in my eyes. You always put on one heck of a show through thick and thin. Also another big THANKS to the series sponsors: 5 Star Race Car Bodies, Joe's Racing Products, SRCC Synthetic Lubricants, Portland Business Graphics, You helped to make this a fun series.

    A special note to all the sponsors who supported the racers and their teams in this series, THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU! Everything you did for these guys, no matter how large or small, means the world to them. It's a very "high" hearted feeling you gave to these racers with your support. And to all of you, we tip our helmets. And from this writers view, you supported a great bunch of racers who put on some fantastic shows.

    And last, a note from "Pit Mom". Thanks guys for allowing me to get to know you, and to have some fun writing about you. Each and everyone of you have a place in my heart. Wished I could have seen all of the teams on this final night, but I want them to know that they too were missed and have a place in my heart also. Mrs "Gabby" Hayes, I send you a hug, keep improving, from what I hear you are one special lady and I know you can do it! Thanks again guys, you are GREAT!

Love, Hugs, and Smiles, "Pit-Mom"

The points have been adjusted. It would appear Rick Gerard was not included in the season opener thus we have made adjustments to the current point standings to fix this situation. The points for each individual race have not been adjusted yet, only the current points standings. Thank you for your understanding and your patience.

Yakima,   Wash.
August 16, 2005     

    Mid August, Eastern Washington, 146 degree asphalt, unofficial temp. "HOT", thick fire suits, helmets, and we're gonna race?  You betcha!!!  With cold towels in hand, fans, pop-up tents, and coolers full of cold beverages, the L.L.M.R.S. gang was ready to "sweat" and roll.

    Welcoming three new faces to the night of racing, #72 J.C. Wofford, #96 Brent Townley ( an 02' Chev. Silverado Pick-up ), and #50 Greg Cortaberria.  And also happy to see Bob "Gabby" Hayes back, and very glad to hear things are going well with his wife.

    With the temps. so high, you can bet the track was more than likely a little "slick".  But, being a hometown racer, J.C. Wofford set fast time in his Monte Carlo with an impressive 20.065.  The #10 Monte Carlo of John Boyatt took second fast time with a 20.764.

    Putting together two trophy dashes, it was up to the B-Dash boys to set up the pace.  On the pole was the #96 of Townley, with #21 Rick Gerard, #68 Tim McDougald, and #77 Vic Beard.  When warm up laps began, it proved to be a rough start for #96 Townley as he found himself loosing it in turns three and four and off the track into the dirt.  After re-lining, and receiving the green, Townley pulled off the track, into the pits to work on repairs.  This opened the door for Gerard as he took the lead knowing that McDougald and Beard were right behind him.  In one heck of an attempt on the last lap, Beard poured it to the coals, going inside then outside on the back stretch, trying to make the pass on Gerard.  Coming out of turn four to the checkers, Beard took one last dive to the inside, but Gerard was victorious by just a fender over Beard giving him his first trophy of the season.

    The pace was set for the A-Dash.  The #30 of Bob "Gabby" Hayes had the pole, #08 Jeff Mullins, the #10 of Boyatt, and #72 Wofford made up this group.  First lap "luck" had #08 of Mullins really loose in the 1 and 2 turns.  The #30 of Hayes took full advantage of the bobble and grabbed the lead, leaving many cheering, "Go Bobby, Go"!   One lap to go, Hayes suddenly realized that there was company coming, and coming fast. On the last lap Wofford lit up the track and smoothly took the lead going on the outside down the backstretch and taking the A-Dash win.

    It was time for the "COOL" race, ( it was still to hot for a HEAT race ).  Again the first lap under green was a rough lap to get through.  On the first attempt, #77 of Beard found himself in the dirt off turn one, sending him to the back of the pack and calling for a restart.  Attempt number two, had the #68 of McDougald and #08 of Mullins getting together in turns 1 and 2, spinning Mullins off the track in turn two and having an oil fire under his car.  Red flag...Let's see if the third time is a charm...Green, no yellow, no red, we are racing!  Taking the lead for a second time tonight was #30 Hayes with another lead man #21 Gerard hot on his bumper.  Boyatt was just chomping at the bit running in third and the battle for any position was there for the taking by any of them.  Every lap had see-saw battles for second, third, fourth.  What a crowd pleaser, and very tight racing.  Boyatt took the lead from Hayes on the third lap, #68 McDougald took the fourth place spot from Beard on the fourth lap.  When all was said and done, #10 John Boyatt took the "COOL" race for the night followed by Hayes, Gerard, McDougald, Beard, and Townley.

    Still "HOT", a deep orange-red sunset, and now a full moon!  It's main event time...and to quote a driver, we'll name it the "Dry Heat Thirty".  On the pole was #68 McDougald, and in order came #21 Gerard, #30 Hayes, #77 Beard, #10 Boyatt, #08 Mullins, #72 Wofford, #96 Townley, and #50 Cortaberria.

    Taking the green Tim McDougald grabbed the lead and everyone held their breath as the whole field made it through the dreaded first lap. By lap three, the racing field was infiltrated by a stealth bomber...so smooth and quiet, clean and swift, and just a blurr to the racers, it became clear that the #72 of Wofford was on a mission.  Lap three had him fourth, lap four, 3rd, lap five, say 2nd, and lap six on the outside of McDougald he took first.  Talk about fast, Wofford had it dialed in, and it gave the rest of the field a reason to chase him down, and chase hard.

    Lap 7 had the first casualty as the #50 of Cortaberria, who came all the way from Hermiston Oregon, entered the pits with engine trouble.  Lap 7 was also the lap for Boyatt who made his move on McDougald for second.  Lap after lap it was a fight for position from second to last.  Lap 15 found the #77 Beard very squirrelly in turn four which enabled the #30 of "Gabby" Hayes to move up a spot.  It was lap 19 that the spot for second place became very exciting, as #21 Gerard found the magic path to move in on the #10 of Boyatt.  Gerard was looking high and low, inside and out, and you just had to know that Boyatt had a mirror full of the blue and yellow bullet. Lap 26 proved to be too close for comfort for the #10 of Boyatt.  As Gerard gave it his best shot on the outside of Boyatt on the backstretch, making his move for second place, just about side by side, Boyatt came up slightly into Gerard rubbing a tire on Gerards door and had him off the track and spinning.  This brought out the first and only yellow flag of the race, and a real heart breaker for Gerard.

    On the restart, the battle for the third place position was the best, as for the final four laps #68 McDougald and #08 of Mullins were using every inch of real estate to either hold on or gain a finishing spot.  Pretty sure that McDougald felt like it was more like twenty laps to go holding Mullins off, as he had his hands full!  Excellent racing, close side by side, nose to tail, not only by these two, but a couple spots back had #30 Hayes and #21 Gerard in a race too close to call.
    Oh yeah, that stealth bomber that flew through......well, he came in for a perfect landing and grabbed the checkers on this night of racing.  Wofford took the Tidricks Transmission, Winners Choice Impala SS into victory lane with style and grace.

    The final finishing order went as follows: #72 Wofford, #10 Boyatt, #68 McDougald, #08 Mullins, #30 Hayes, #21 Gerard, #77 Beard, #96 Townley, and #50 Cortaberria.

    Time to gear up for another fun time with Willie in Port Angeles, as the L.L.M.R.S. heads there in 3 weeks.  But first, a big thanks to the new comers and to our series sponsors: Five Star Race Car Bodies, SRCC Synthetic Lubricants, Joe's Racing Products, and Portland Business Graphics.

***IMPORTANT NOTICE ***

THIS APPLIES TO THE AUGUST RACE AT YAKIMA SPEEDWAY ONLY

Regarding the tires for the LLMRS August 16th, Yakima race, LLMRS officials have made the following changes;
1. Teams may buy tires from WVSO and have them stamped when purchased
(WVSO will stamp them). Teams may run those tires at the August 16th race
These tires are Hoosier 2240 right side and 2220 left side, these are 11' tires.
There will not be any stamping fees on this tire. Call Michelle at WVSO for tires.

2. Teams will also have the option of running LLMRS - NU-TREAD series tire. Normal
LLMRS stamping fees apply.

3. Teams also have the option of running ASANWT take off tires. Hoosier 2045.
Teams are free to acquire them from an ASA Northwest Tour Team of your choice.
These tires will be checked and cannot have more than .130' tread depth.
There will be a $15.00 per tire stamping fee for these tires. This is a 10' tire.

Ephrata, Wa. –

            7-26-08 – The Limited Late Model Racing Series arrived in Ephrata to a "very" warm and slightly overcast day.  This made the track conditions a bit on the "slick" side; leaving teams to decide what set-up will work the best when the cooler temps of the evening were going to roll in.

Before we get to the nitty gritty of the show - we send our thoughts and get well wishes to the wife of the #30 car, "Gabby" Bob Hays.  Hope she is doing well and we missed you.

We also welcome back #23 Steve Woods, who was so excited to be back that he, "forgot his pants?"  Well, O.K. his fire suit pants.  Thanks to one of the sprint car teams, they were able to supply him a fire suit for the evening, but it was sure fun watching Steve asking for pants!

Practice sessions showed the drivers what they were up against.  Let's just say we will nickname turn 2 the "Turn too tough to tame."  It seemed every car out there broke loose coming out of it, and this set up a very interesting night of racing.

The #68 "Terrible" Tim McDougald set the pace to chase in his KMB Designs Group, Print-N.W. Toyota, setting fast time with a 15.13.

The LLMRS were able to put on an A and B trophy dash.  And the turn to tough to tame became down right EVIL! With the winner of the B dash able to move up into the A dash you can bet these four were ready to race.  The #21 of Rick Gerard was on the pole, with #08 Jeff Mullins outside.  #88 of Craig Pfander and #10 John Boyatt rounded out this group.  When the green waved, it was then that the turn 2 curse happened.  Gerard and Mullins both got loose coming out of two and down the back stretch.  Both trying hard to keep the cars straight, and both had their hands full when they touch front wheels, locked together, and the pure back stretch momentum sent both cars hard into the turn three wall.  Red flag waving as the crowd was silenced.  The impact of the hit Mullins took was so loud you could hear it at the other end of the pits.  Both Gerard and Mullins were able to walk away, and Gerard was able to work very hard on his car to get it back running for the heat; but the Mullins car front end was totaled, and it was a very heart breaking evening for them.  Mullins, one of the rookies in this series had come a long ways...he definitely has a promising career in racing, and we hope with family and friends he will be able to make the Yakima race.

As racing goes, there were still two cars able to continue for the B dash, and it was an all out drag race between the #88 of Pfander and #10 of Boyatt.  Boyatt took the win and was able to advance up to the A dash.

It's A dash time; and one couldn't help but not think about the turn 2 curse.  On the pole was #77 Vic Beard, with the 10 of Boyatt; followed by #23 Steve Woods and #68 of McDougald.  When the green dropped, McDougald wasted no time in a "threading of the needle" move going right between Beard and Boyatt.  Busting a move like that, McDougald took the lead and never looked back. Hmmm, fast time, A dash, lets see about the heat.

The heat race only held a field of five.  The #88 of Pfander was fighting an oil leak and Mullins out.  But you could tell it was going to be a race with a lot of heart.  Rick Gerard, in his wounded #21 would have pole honors.  And a very eager #77 Beard was ready to have this race unfold.  Keeping in mind the now famous turn 2, this race became like no other this season.  Sometimes going three wide these boys were serious.  By lap three the #68 McDougald had moved into second, and #10 of Boyatt was third, both aiming their sights on the #77 Beard.  Laps 6, 7, were the most exciting as McDougald and Beard battled side by side.   Finally on the white flag lap McDougald took the lead on the outside of Beard and won the heat.  Could the #68 Toyota of McDougald sweep the race program for the night?   Well, here comes the main........

Thirty laps, temps dropping, along with cars.  But if you have ever seen the LLMRS cars race, you know that even with a 6 car line up, they really put on a show.  Steve Woods #23 decided that he would like to lead the pack in his John Woods, Abbey Carpet, Bison Well Drilling and Septic Monte Carlo.  Only inches behind him was the #10 Cope Brothers Engines, Decal Guy Monte Carlo of John Boyatt.  As these two were going high and low protecting and collecting positions, the KMB Design Groups, Print-N.W. Toyota of McDougald was planning his move.  Lap 6 was the lap for McDougald as down on the inside of the front stretch he dove and set both of the first and second place running cars of Boyatt and Woods back two spots and took the lead.  McDougald with an open track in front of him was having the joy ride of the night. 

Now back in the field, the Trav's Restaurant and Lounge, Yakima Valley Air Cooling #77 Grand Prix of Beards was battling hard with the S&S Tire, Tacoma Torch and Regulator Repair Chevy #88 of Pfander, for fourth place.  These two were side by side, high and low, making it anyone’s position; when Beards got loose on the front stretch, spun and lost his spot, bringing out the caution....something McDougald really did not feel like seeing.  Under the yellow, Boyatt made a quick stop to the pits for a minor adjustment, which ended up hampering him a little, yet, when the green waved, Boyatt made sure he was going to show what he had.  McDougald had his mirror full of a very eager Steve Woods, as Woods had his mirror full of Mr. Pfander.  With four laps to go, McDougald had a comfortable lead, Pfander made his move on Woods on the inside to take second.  Looking hard on the outside, here came Boyatt with only three laps to go to knock Woods back another spot.

Checkers waving, it was "CLEAN SWEEP" time for the #68 team on this night!  Rounding off the finish to another great night was #88 Pfander second, followed by #10 Boyatt, #23 Woods, #21 Gerard, and #77 Beard.

Roseburg, Oregon –

            July 5th, 2008 - Overcast skies, extremely warm and very muggy weather set the scene for another great night of racing.

And, if you have never been to Roseburg to watch a race at this facility, you are robbing yourself of some great shows.  Case in point, as the L.L.M.R.S. put on another super show for the spectators.

        As the cars began with their "hot laps", many found themselves struggling to find that perfect set-up.  Perhaps a slippery, hot track played into that as even in practice the drivers found themselves fighting with that famous term we know and love called "PUSHY-LOOSE"!  Even in the pits, there was action, when a push truck tried to help with a little push for a car having trouble getting started, but ended up shoving the rear quarter panel just a bit too hard...oops!  But, on days like this you find the pit crews, made up of Dads, brothers, Moms, wives, friends and kids working hard to find the right twist or turn on the car.

        The Oregon boys brought their toys to the track, with the likes of the #30 "Gabby Hays" ( Bob Hays ) and the #52 of "Weird Al"  ( Gene Lynch ) and James Pierce Jr. in the #51 all ready to show the others what they had. 
 
        When the time trials began the #40 of Dylan Caldwell had his sights set at holding on to the title of setting fast time.  While others, such as the #10 of John Boyatt, and the #68 of Tim McDougald was just as eager.  It was the young 16 year old Caldwell who again got the honors of fast time with a 16.45. 

        With a packed night of racing, the trophy dashes were cancelled.  And this allowed the L.L.M.R.S. a chance to work out some more problems, and for others, discover problems.  The team cars of Gene Lynch and James Peirce Jr. found themselves fighting overheating problems, "Gabby" Bob was fighting a mystery problem in his car, and the crew of Tim McDougald found that they were going to have to run the main on seven cylinders.  As frustrating as this was for them, all were determined to go out and give the fans a show, and that is exactly what they did.

        A cast of eight cars took to the track for the 50 lap main.  It was a straight up start, with the exception of the #68 McDougald who had to start last because he had won the previous race in P.A.  Coming down for the green found this pack of hard chargers going all out.  #10 of Boyatt found himself tapping the #40 of Caldwell going into turn three.  Caldwell got a little sideways and yet held on to lead the first lap.  All the while the #21, ( a 12 and 3/4 year veteran ) Rick Gerard was holding on to third.

        The seventh lap had #68 of McDougald passing #52 Lynch in a battle for the 6th position, and by the time lap 8 came around it had #10 Boyatt coming hard out of turn 2 and going hard to the inside on the back stretch to take first away from Caldwell.  Two laps later, the 2nd place spot was an all out hold what you got race, as #08 Jeff Mullins seemed to lightly scrape the backstretch wall duking it out with the #21 of Gerard.

        Lap 17 brought out the first caution as the #52 of Lynch spins into the dirt in turn one.  This allowed the field to line up on a little bit more "up close and personal" single file restart.  Boyatt had a mirror full as Caldwell was in it, Gerard setting his eyes on second with a determined Mullins planning his moves.  Let’s not forget #30 of Bob Hays who along with the #68 of McDougald were battling "ill" cars, were still consistent and always in someone’s rear view. 

        Green again, and Caldwell was making sure Boyatt knew he was there. High side, low side, Caldwell kept Boyatt on alert.  Lap 26 in turns 3 and 4, Caldwell made his presence a little too well known as he turned the #10 of Boyatt around.  Caldwell was put to the back for the incident and upon lining up for the restart, with emotions running high, Boyatt appeared to make a point to Caldwell on the front stretch, which in turn, found himself also going to the back of the pack just ahead of Caldwell.

        On the restart, Gerard found himself in a dream position....1st!  Knowing he had his work cut out, he raced like he never had before.  Within two laps Boyatt moved up to the third spot, Caldwell into fifth.  Lap 29 had Boyatt second and Gerard holding on to first.  Caldwell found a dip in the dirt can cost you as he lost a position or two; and lap after lap all these cars showing their stuff.

        Let's call it another incident of "the want" to get that first place position; as on lap 35, Boyatt drove a little too hard into turns 3 and 4 and got firmly planted into the back of Gerard.  As the rule goes, Boyatt found himself to the back of the pack for a second time, and on the restart, within two laps, he was on his way to the third place position.  And on that same lap, Gerard found himself getting passed in the first and second turns by Caldwell.  Gerard at one point was so loose on the back stretch, it made the officials take a deep breath.  It was then on lap 43 that Boyatt went for the position on the outside to take second from Gerard and start chasing after Caldwell.

        The crowd was treated to yet another great finish as the fight did come down to the finish.  Mullins trying hard for position, Boyatt wanting the win, and when the checkers flew, #40 Dylan Caldwell took home his first main event win in the L.L.M.R.S. at Douglas County Speedway.  Awesome, Awesome, Awesome.....to each and every racer in that series!  The finishing order came down as #40 Caldwell, #10 Boyatt, #21 Gerard, #08 Mullins, #30 Hays, #68 McDougald, #51 Pierce, and #52 Lynch.

        Super show, super fun and a big thanks to Mr. "Official" Bob,...couldn't have done it without you!

Spanaway, Wa. –

            7-5-08 – The Limited Late Model Racing Series heads south to Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Oregon for the “Southern Swing 50”.

            Reaching the halfway point of the 2008 championship season, the LLMRS makes it’s southern most stop on the Northwest circuit during the 4th of July holiday weekend. With many trends emerging in the series, some new faces have shown through, and some new names have made headlines.

            The #10 hi-Tech Collision / Timco Inc. Chevy Monte Carlo of John Boyatt continues to lead the point standings, having held it from the very first race. The big surprise is Boyatt’s narrow margin at this point in the season, coming to the halfway point only 20 points ahead. Boyatt has continued his LLMRS dominance, taking 2 Fast Time awards and winning the first Main Event of the 2008 season.

            The biggest buzz on the LLMRS season continues to circle around the 16 year old Dylan Caldwell and his #40 Chevy Monte Carlo. Staking a claim in the 2008 championship standings, Caldwell trails Boyatt, holding down the 2nd spot. The young phenom continues to pressure Boyatt, staying within striking distance of the championship lead.

            Another big surprise for the 2008 season is rookie Jeff Mullins in the #08 Chevy Monte Carlo. Mullins currently stands in the 3rd spot in the championship standings, proving that he too is a contender.

            Returning for 2008, “Terrible” Tim McDougald has proved that his team is no slouch when it comes race day either. McDougald and his #68 KMB Design / Print-NW / Ringers Gloves Toyota Camry tore on to the 2008 scene, winning the season’s first Trophy Dash. After early mechanical troubles left him deep in the point standings, McDougald has rebounded, mostly off his Main Event win during the previous race, to find himself with a firm hold on the 4th spot.

            With the #40 Eastco Machining / VersaTech / Clyde West / T&T Draggin' Wagon Pontiac Grand Prix of Bob Hays set to return to the series as well as the #21 of Rick Gerard, the #51 & #52 of Lynch Racing & the #77 Yakima Air Tool / Travel Restaurant & Lounge Pontiac Grand Prix of Vic Beard all expected to attend, you can bet there will be plenty of fireworks on the tack as well as off the track.

            Be sure to catch the mid season mark on the 2008 LLMRS tour, as this high energy, action packed series rolls through “the southern swing” of the Northwest during their visit to Douglas County Speedway, July 5th, 2008.

Port Angeles, Wa.                                                June 14, 2008

        CRUNCH.......Now there's an interesting word...  It is the fitting word for the Saturday night show at Port Angeles Speedway for the LLMRS series.  Crunch, as in crunch time to work on the cars; crunch, a sound two or more cars make when they touch; but, the worst CRUNCH of all is the GAS crunch that is in many ways hurting the pocket books of many local racers.

        The LLMRS series suffered a bit missing all of the racers from Oregon.  Many of them with financial woes, (that darn Gas crunch factor) wounded cars, (there's that $ issue) and travel time alone is rough.  Very much missed and hoping to see this great group of guys at the Roseburg race on July 5th.  If you have never been to P.A., you really are missing out on some fun times.  And, with a pit boss like Willie, who knows his stuff, it just gets better.  With only six cars making the field, it turned into quite the show for the fans that were there. 
 
        Fast time for the night was set by #40 Dylan Caldwell, with a 15.568.  Following him was the #10 of John Boyatt with a 15.769 and #68 of Tim McDougald with a 15.799.

        The trophy dash had a new face for the series on this night; #06 Tim Christy from Victoria B.C., with 20 years of racing under his belt.  On the pole was Christy, then McDougald, followed by Boyatt and Caldwell.  When the green flag dropped Christy took the lead and never looked back, even though the 4-pack remained tight.  Caldwell pulled off on the white flag lap, with the finishing order of Christy, McDougald and Boyatt.

        Let’s bring on the heat race.  Ten laps of "Let's see what we got" racing.  Starting on the pole was #08 Jeff "Jack-Leroy" Mullins, #06 Tim Christy, #68 Tim McDougald, #10 John Boyatt, #40 Dylan Caldwell, and another new face to the series, #88 Craig Pfander.  When the green flagged dropped there was no stopping these guys!  Christy took charge in an instant, with Mullins tucking in behind his rear bumper in a hurry.  Nose to tail the six pack went around.  Lap two had McDougald pulling into the pits with mechanical problems, which then allowed Boyatt to take the number three spot.  Lap four had Boyatt literally sideways down the front stretch as he tried to make up ground on Mullins and Christy.  On lap seven, Boyatt went to the inside of Mullins on the front stretch to take second away.  All the while, smoothly and consistently Caldwell was coming through the traffic to make one heck of a bold move coming out of turns three and four on the last lap, inside of Mullins to rob him of a third place finish.  It definitely had the fans standing up and paying attention.  With the checkers waving it was Christy who took first, following him was Boyatt, Caldwell, Mullins, Pfander, and McDougald.

        As night began to fall so did the temps.  Makes for interesting adjustments to the cars and their set-ups.  And after one exciting heat race, the main was sure to please the crowd again.  The six-pack set out on to the track again, with 50 laps ahead of them, young guns and experience ready to battle.  #08 Jeff Mullins was again to be the pole sitter and leader to the green.  Mullins a rookie, had the 20 years of experience sitting right next to him #06 of Tim Christy.

        When the green flew, it was tight, tight, tight, as you would think it was their last 5 laps remaining.  By lap two, yes, lap two, it had these cars three wide going into turn one!  McDougald inside, Mullins in the middle, and Boyatt on the outside, all battling to keep or get a second place position.  As the door handles were ever so close the outcome had McDougald taking over second place with Mullins tucking in behind him.  Boyatt who had the roughest groove pulled back and settled into fourth position, but, only for the time being.  That time being was only two laps later as Boyatt took the third place spot. 

        Christy was out front, but he had company coming and coming fast, as McDougald was closing in and bringing four more eager cars with him.  As the lap counter clicked to lap ten, the crowd found themselves on their feet as Caldwell was coming out of turn four on the outside of Boyatt and the two cars made contact ( there's that "crunch" sound ) and both were sideways and either one could have easily smacked the front stretch wall; but somehow they avoided it.  Both received damage to their cars, and a red flag was dropped.  Caldwell managed to limp his car back to the pits as did Boyatt.  With repairs done and both cars being able to return, everyone knew it would be a show.  Big hats off to the pit crews on both these teams to get them out on the track again. (Here is that "crunch-time")

        Green again, and McDougald had his eye on Christy.  McDougald had always been "cursed" out of a win at Port Angeles, and he was ready.  By lap fourteen, McDougald was knocking on the back bumper of Christy to let him know he was hungry; all the while the #88 of Pfander was letting the two leaders know he too wanted to play.  Eleven laps of high low, touching and twitching finally had McDougald get his car around Christy in turn two.  Call it hunger, adrenaline, and compassion.....these two brought short track racing to the fans in style.  And in the mist of this battle #88 of Pfander surrendered to mechanical problems, bringing a fast moving sixteen year old Caldwell and eager Boyatt up to Christy's back door again.

        Lap 28 had Boyatt make his move around Christy, bringing Caldwell in his shadow.  Lap 32 had to be one of the most awesome jobs of correcting a car and saving it as Caldwell got sideways in turn three, playing with some dirt and had it straightened out by turn four.  Now down to ten laps, it was an all out position grabbing, position saving race.  Caldwell went to the outside of Boyatt wanting to take second place.  Boyatt was trying to catch McDougald, when something went wrong with his car.  Boyatt came extremely close for the second time to hitting the front stretch wall.  Saving it, he headed into the pits for the night in a real heartbreaker for the #10 team.

        With seven laps remaining, Caldwell knew he had his work cut out to chase down McDougald, who dropped a cylinder in his engine.  If that weren't enough excitement, the #08 of Mullins found himself out of shape on the front stretch narrowly missing the wall and McDougald and Caldwell coming hard out of turn four, and able to miss him.  Lap 45, 46, 47 ,48, McDougald was about to break the curse, and when the white and soon to follow checkers waved #68 Tim McDougald brought his 2008 Toyota Camry to the victory lane.

        The finishing order for the night was: #68 McDougald, #40 Caldwell, #08 Mullins, #06 Christy, #10 Boyatt, and #88 Pfander.

        The LLMRS series is a class act, and thanks the series sponsors:

• Five Star Race Car Bodies
• Joe's Racing Products
• SRCC Synthetic Lubricants
• Portland Business Graphics.