By Kenton Brooks
Phoenix Sports Writer
June 19, 2009 12:17 am
—
Dale Richardson didn’t win the Hobby Stock A Feature last week at Outlaw Motor Speedway — and that doesn’t happen very often.
The Henryetta native and Muskogee resident defines winning in the division this season and since he first put a car on the track seven years ago. He’s won six of 10 features in 2009 — including three consecutive from May 22 to June 5 — and ranks as the career leader in the division with 41.
If that wasn’t enough, he’s also has four career wins in the 360 Modified Divsion, giving him 45 overall. That’s the most of any driver in two different divisions.
The 38-year-old driver maintains his humility in the division where the cars used are like ordinary passenger cars and they weigh 3,200 pounds.
“The biggest thing is I’ve got a guy (Jay Claypool) who helps me,” Richardson said. “Jay sets up the car and reads the track so well and that makes my job easier. He’s been helping me for the last five years. I would say the success is 50 percent of setting up the car and 50 percent the driver. It makes up for a good duo.
“I’m not bragging as I’ve had a lot of success out there. But I’ve torn up a lot of stuff up, too.”
But that hasn’t happened very often to Richardson.
With Claypool’s assistance, Richardson had the most wins in Hobby Stock last year with 11. The closest driver to him in 2008 was Spiro’s Brookin Stephens with eight wins. This year, Muskogee’s Kevin Flock is the closest with two feature victories.
Richardson, the owner of a used car dealership on Shawnee, received the highest praise from his fellow drivers last year when they nicknamed him “Dominator.”
“Some people like it and some don’t,” he said. “It’s a compliment.”
While Richardson is quick to pass around the credit for his success, he knows it’s more than hauling car out the track on Friday nights and winning. He emphasizes the hard work that he and Claypool, along with fellow driver Matt Burnett, put in weekly to get the car ready to race.
“We put in three nights on the car every week,” he said. “It’s like another full time job. I know for a fact that Jay and I put int 22-25 hours a week in the car. We get out to the shop at 7:30 p.m. and don’t leave until 12:30 or 1 in the morning. It gets old.
“If you’re not doing that, you’re not winning.”
Going into tonight’s racing, Richardson has a huge lead in the Hobby Stock points standings with 974. Colton Dunlap of Muskogee is second with 861.
“It’s the largest lead I’ve had at this point in the season,” Richardson said. “I could skip a race and still lead in the standings.”
But that’s never going to happen for Richardson.
NCRA comes to Outlaw
The National Championship Racing Association makes a stop at Outlaw Motor Speedway for the first time tonight in what is being billed as part of the World Championship of Dirt series.
Modified drivers from around the nation are vying for a purse of $10,000 in the race. Tonight is the third race of the season. Gene Weaver of Amarillo, Texas leadds has a 65-point lead in the standings.
Racing starts at Outlaw with Hot Laps at 7 p.m. and the green flag drops at 7:30.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.