Southampton news and notes 2004-05-04

CAPRON, Va. (May 4) - Five races make up the feature slate this Friday, May 7, as Southampton Motor Speedway celebrates the upcoming Mother's Day weekend with Ladies Night, the fifth event on its 2004 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series calendar.

Friday's lineup includes: Budweiser Late Model Stock Cars (75 laps); Mike Duman Auto Sales Limited Late Models (75 laps); INEX Little Race Cars Legends (25 laps); Hillco Building Maintenance Super Fours (25 laps); and, the Virginia Mini-Cup Racing Association (25 laps).

Pit gates open at 3 p.m. and front gates open at 4:30. The Late Models and Legends share practice time from 4:30 to 5:50. Legends qualifying begins at 6:15, followed by Late Model time trials. Limited Late Model and Super Four practice runs from 7 `til 7:45.

Following pre-race ceremonies, the Mini-Cup cars will hit the track for the evening's first feature contest, followed by the Legends' 25-lapper. Time trials for the Limited Late Models and Super Fours are next on the itinerary. The Late Model Stock Car, Limited Late Model and Super Four races round out the night's activities.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $4 for youths, 6-12. Children under 6 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Active-duty military (with ID), senior citizens (65+) and teens (13-19) receive a $2 discount off the adult admission price. The "Family 4-Pack" (two adult and two youth tickets), which was introduced last week, will be available again for $25 - a $7 savings.

For Ladies Night at SMS, the track's female fans (age 13+) will receive a $4 discount on their general admission tickets. Adult tickets will be discounted from $12 to $8, while military, senior citizen and teen tickets will be discounted from $10 to $6.

Friday night's race winners will get a little extra time to savor their accomplishments as SMS takes off May 14, deferring to NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series activities at Richmond International Raceway.

SMS will resume its schedule on Friday, May 21, with Sadler Auto Center/Slip-In Food Mart Night. That evening's slate includes: Late Model Stock Cars (150 laps); Limited Late Models (50 laps); the Pro-Six Series (30 laps); and, Baby Grands (25 laps).

Through the season's first four Late Model races, which have featured inversions and, in the case of the two 150-lap features, mandatory green-flag pit stops, the lead has changed hands 18 times. By comparison, there were four lead changes during the first four Late Model events in 2003.

Though the `04 campaign is only a month old, interesting points battles are shaping up in several divisions.

In the Late Model standings, Phil Warren of Norfolk, Va., holds a two-point edge over Timothy Peters of Providence, N.C., while Ken Rountree of Gates, N.C., enjoys the same margin over Gary Weeks of Newport News, Va., in the Limited Late Model tally.

Max Smith of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., tops the Legends points rundown. Both he and Kerry Gilbert of Suffolk, Va., have racked up 94 points. Smith gets the nod, though, having scored a race win.

Meanwhile, John Boord of Newport News, Va., and Ritchie of Hampton, Va., are in a dead heat atop the Racecom of Virginia Super Street standings. Each driver has a win and a runner-up finish to his credit.

Now in its fifth season under the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series banner, Southampton Motor Speedway is a 4/10-mile, paved tri-oval, similar in configuration to Richmond International Raceway. The track is located on U.S. Highway 58, one mile west of Capron and 17 miles east of I-95 (Emporia exit).

To learn more about SMS, fans may call the Speedway office at (434) 658-RACE or visit the track's Web site at SouthamptonMotorSpeedway.com.

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