NASCAR SJAPS: Kilby Leads Rookie Points Heading to Myrtle Beach
31 May 1998
DAYTONA BEACH, FL- After finishing seventh in the Price Chopper 250 at I-70 Speedway on May 22, Statesville, N.C.'s Scott Kilby vaulted over Sorrento, Fla.'s Ronnie Burkett and into the points lead in the Rookie-of-the-Year standings in the Slim Jim All Pro Series, part of NASCAR's Touring Division. With his third top 10 finish of the season, Kilby also moved into seventh place in the overall point standings for the touring late model series.Kilby is a former track champion at Hickory Motor Speedway, having earned the champion's trophy in 1992 and 1996. He is considered one of the top late model stock drivers in the country and before moving into the Slim Jim All Pro Series you could find him chasing the big money purses at late model stock specials throughout the southeast. In 1997 Kilby tested the waters in the Slim Jim All Pro Series making four starts and preserving his rookie status for a run at the rookie championship in 1998.
Kilby has qualified for six of the seven races run in 1998 and has managed to attain one top five and three top 10 finishes to date. He has toiled in two different race cars this season, a feat that is rarely successful, let alone for a first year driver. Kilby is splitting time between his family-owned Arndt & Herman Windows Pontiac Grand Prix and Joe Frasson's Electric Lite/Southern Insurance Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
As the Slim Jim All Pro Series heads into Myrtle Beach, S.C. for the Harris Teeter 250 on Saturday, June 13, Kilby finds himself leading a talented and hungry pack of first year drivers. He is being chased by Burkett who drives the Big Daddy's BBQ Spices & Sauces Chevrolet. Burkett was as high as second in the overall series point standings, reaching the lofty position after four events. He has run into some bad racing luck over the last couple of events and has slipped some in the standings, ultimately relinquishing the rookie points lead to Kilby. Burkett is now two points behind Kilby with Homosassa, Fla.'s Nevin Jenkins just four points behind Burkett. Jenkins has steered his Futronix Chevrolet Monte Carlo to two top 10 finishes in six starts and can frequently be found mixing it up in the top 10 week in and week out.
David Moyer resides in the fourth position in rookie points, trailing Jenkins by seven points. The driver of the Austin Cracker Sandwiches Chevrolet has one top 10 finish in six starts. Brian Sockwell and David Jude are tied for the fifth position in rookie points, trailing Moyer by three points. Trent Owens and Josh Clemons round out the rookie competition with Owens having earned 28 points and Clemons now having 25 points after seven events.
What makes this group of talented first year drivers different from previous seasons is that most of them are visiting many of the tracks on the Slim Jim All Pro Series for the first time. In previous seasons some rookies may have competed on several of the tracks that the series runs on over the course of one or more seasons, never running more than five races in any one season and thus maintaining their rookie status. This year's rookie crop are taking to the highways for the first time and appear to be meeting the challenge head on.
On Saturday June 13, team hauler parking will take place at 8:00 a.m. Registration and Inspection begins at 9:00 a.m. with practice being held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.. Time trials get underway at 6:00 p.m. with the green flag waving on the Harris Teeter 250 at 8:00 p.m. The starting field will consist of 26 starters, with up to four additional starting positions available to any of the top 30 eligible drivers in the 1998 NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series Championship point standings, who have entered the event, but have not qualified for one of the original 26 starting positions.
In addition to Saturday's racing action, many Slim Jim All Pro Series teams will place their racing machines on display at the NASCAR Caf on Friday, June 12. An autograph session will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., with the cars being on display from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
After the autograph session the drivers will move to the NASCAR SpeedPark, an entertainment complex in its final stages of construction, for an opportunity to race against the clock, and each other. The drivers will set the track records that the public will take a shot at when the facility opens for business in the near future. The SpeedPark is located on property adjoining the NASCAR Caf.
1998 NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series Race Facts
WHAT: Harris Teeter 250
WHERE: Myrtle Beach Speedway, Myrtle Beach, S.C., 0.538 mi. oval
WHEN: Saturday, June 13, 1998, 8:00 p.m.
DISTANCE: 250 laps (134.5 miles)
POSTED AWARDS: $46,600
TV/RADIO: Tape delayed - The Sunshine Network - June 22, 7:00 p..m.,
June 26,
2:00 p.m., Home Team Sports - June 27, 8:00 p.m., Fox Sports South - TBA
FIELD: 30 cars. Starting positions 1-26 will be determined by time
trials
(2 laps), positions 27-30 will be available to any of the top 30 eligible
drivers in the current 1998 NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series Championship
point standings, who have entered the event, but have not qualified for
one
of the original 26 starting spots. If a starting position(s) remains
unfilled, then that starting position(s) will become available to the next
eligible car from the qualifying procedure for the event.
SANCTION: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.
(NASCAR)
PROMOTER: Speedway of South Carolina, Inc.
CONTACTS: Jim Noltimier, NASCAR, (770) 486-3591
Roy Gore, Myrtle Beach Speedway, (803) 236-0500
SCHEDULE: Team Hauler Parking 8:00 a.m.
Registration & Inspection 9:00 a.m.
Practice 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Time Trials (2 laps, all positions) 6:00 p.m.
Harris Teeter 250 8:00 p.m.
THE RACE: The Harris Teeter 250 is the eighth of 19 races on the
1998 Slim
Jim All Pro Series schedule. This race represents the 12th time that the
Slim Jim All Pro Series will compete at the 0.538 mile oval.
RECORDS: Track Qual. Record: Steve Holzhausen, Bangor, Wisc.,
Chevrolet,
19.013 secs., 101.867 mph, 4/13/91
Fastest Avg. Speed: Ron Young, Conyers, Ga., Chevrolet, 1 hour, 48 mins.,
18 secs., 74.510 mph, 7/20/96
1997 REVIEW: Wildwood, Fla.'s Wayne Anderson drove his Porter Cable
Professional Power Tools Chevrolet Monte Carlo to one of his three 1997
wins
in the Slim Jim All Pro Series, part of NASCAR's Touring Division. Steven
Christian was 0.5 seconds behind in his BellSouth Chevrolet while 1996
winner Ron Young finished third. Rounding out the top five were Hank
Parker, Jr. and Gary McCoy. Eleven cars finished on the lead lap with Bud
Pole winner Nipper Alsup, Parker, Hal Goodson and, of course, Anderson all
leading at various stages of the event.
NOTES OF INTEREST
Previous Slim Jim All Pro Series winners at Myrtle Beach reads like a who's who of short track racing with Jody Ridley, Bobby Gill, Jeff Purvis, Mike Cope, Toby Porter, Gary St. Amant, Billy Bigley, Jr., Freddie Query, Young and Anderson all having posted wins at the 0.538 mile oval. Only Ridley has won more than once, having won the inaugural series event there in 1991 then visiting victory lane again in 1993. Ironically, two time and defending Slim Jim All Pro Series Champion Hal Goodson, who considers Myrtle Beach Speedway his home track, has never won there.
Bigley, Query and Young are the only previous winners expected to enter this event. Query sits atop the Slim Jim All Pro Series point standings, Bigley is now in the third position while Young has just cracked the top 10, moving into the eighth position after the Price Chopper 250 at I-70 Speedway. Numerous Slim Jim All Pro Series drivers will place their cars on display at NASCAR Caf on Friday, June 12. The cars will be placed on display by 10:00 a.m., with an autograph session being conducted from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
After the autograph session the drivers will take a short walk to the NASCAR SpeedPark, an entertainment complex in its final stages of construction right next door to the Caf. They will then compete on some of the completed tracks, against each other and the clock, to set the records that everyone will aim to break when the SpeedPark opens to the public later this summer.
STAT OF THE WEEK: There have been seven different lap leaders, four different Bud Pole winners and five different race winners after seven events in 1998. Only the top three drivers in the 1998 point standings, Freddie Query, Derrick Gilchrist and Billy Bigley, Jr. have scored in each of the the three aforementioned categories.
HEADQUARTERS MOTEL: Super 8 Motel, 3450 Highway 17 Bypass, Myrtle Beach, S..C. 29577, (800) 264-1140, Singles or Doubles $70 per night, Dick Scott, General Manager
