Track owner Bobby Koehler seeks to make racing fun again at Ultimate Motorsports & RV Park. That’s exemplified this weekend when the Dirt2Media American All-Star Series Presented by PPM Racing Products rolls into the Elkin, North Carolina, dirt oval.
The top four drivers on the grid for the AAS feature will vie for their final starting position in an atypical competition—a wheel/tire challenge. Racers will have to roll tires from turn four to the finish line.
“Have you ever tried to roll a tire on a hill on a bumpy racetrack?” says Koehler. “It goes everywhere. It’s usually exciting to watch people try to roll [a tire] and especially when they’re trying to race for position. It’s some family fun, to get the kids and families involved, cheering for the person and not the race car.
Fun is the name of the game for Koehler, who also owns the team that Jimmy Owens races for. The tire/wheel challenge is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Mid-East Modifieds/American Racer Modifieds race also has a unique method to set the starting lineup. The top six qualified drivers will compete for their final spot via a wheelbarrow race. The track said if you bring your wife, they’ll supply the wheelbarrow.
“It’s a thing for breast cancer, to support the women,” Koehler says. “The winner gets a trophy, but it also gives them their starting spot for the pole.”
The Breast Cancer Battle Weekend at Ultimate Motorsports & RV Park begins on Friday, October 13. The American All-Stars will hold an optional practice that evening. The following day, Saturday, October 14, is race day, which includes, of course, the wheel/tire challenge.
Outside Groove Note of Transparency: Outside Groove is a sponsor of the American All-Star Series. The American All-Star Series paid for the production of this article. The content is not subject to the approval of the American All-Star Series.
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
