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French-Canadian Peter Mantha Jr. Enters World of Outlaws Event At Quebec’s Autodrome Drummond
Jun 19th
French-Canadian Peter Mantha Jr. Enters World of Outlaws Event At Quebec’s Autodrome Drummond On June 19 As Chub Frank’s Teammate
DRUMMONDVILLE, QUE – June 17, 2010 – Just one driver competing in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series event this Saturday night (June 19) at Autodrome Drummond will be able to understand all the French words spoken over the track’s public address system.
That driver – the bilingual Peter Mantha Jr. – also happens to be the lone dirt Late Model racer who hails from the entire province of Quebec.
A veteran DIRTcar 358-Modified campaigner, Mantha, 42, of Gatineau, Que., has been dabbling in the dirt Late Model ranks since 2007. It’s an unusual pursuit considering he lives more than eight hours from the nearest track that runs full-blown Late Models on a regular basis.
“They all think I’m crazy for doing this Late Model thing,” Mantha said when asked how his friends and those in the local racing community have reacted to his full-fender action. “I don’t even race the Modified much anymore, and here I am with a Late Model. I think a lot of people say, ‘What is he thinking?’
“But I like to do stuff nobody else does and I like to have fun. That’s why I have the Late Model.”
Mantha has no illusions about where he stands as a dirt Late Model driver entering Saturday’s 50-lap, $10,000-to-win ‘Quebec 50’ at the four-tenths-mile Drummond oval, which is on the WoO LMS schedule for the fourth straight season but did not complete its 2009 event due to rain. After all, he has less than two-dozen starts on his dirt Late Model resume; his best career finish came just a couple days ago, on June 15, when he placed 12th (two laps down) in the WoO LMS ‘Great Northern Tour’ opener at Can-Am Motorsports Park in Lafargeville, N.Y.
“I need to do more laps,” said Mantha, whose previous WoO LMS finishes at Drummond are 18th (2007) and 15th (2008). “I feel more comfortable every time I drive a Late Model, but I only get to run a few races a year so it’s hard to get that seat time you need to get better – and when you race with the Outlaws when you do run, you’re gonna look like s—–.
“My goal this year would be to finish top 10 at Drummond. That will be hard because I’ll be racing with all the best Late Model drivers, but it would be like a win to me if I could do it.”
Mantha does, of course, have the advantage of working closely with WoO LMS star Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa. A hard-nosed 48-year-old circuit veteran, Frank has provided invaluable technical expertise to Mantha, and, in turn, Mantha has become a key sponsor of Frank’s racing effort through the Hino Toyota truck dealership he owns in Gatineau, Que. (he’s also building a second dealership in Ottawa, Ont.).
Mantha’s relationship with Frank developed by chance during the inaugural WoO LMS event at Drummond in 2007. Mantha, who made his dirt Late Model debut that night in a car he purchased from Rocket Chassis in Shinnston, W.Va., and assembled himself, ended up parked next to Frank in the pit area.
“I couldn’t get out of my own way (on the track at Drummond),” said Mantha, who decided to buy a dirt Late Model after seeing the division on television and thinking that the cars “look cool and fun to drive.” “We didn’t know what we were doing so I really wanted to ask somebody like Chub some questions, but he looked all pissed off and miserable so I said, ‘I can’t talk to this guy.’
“I thought about it, though, and I finally went up to Chub and said, ‘Can you help me out?’ He said, ‘Sure. What do you want to know?’ We started talking, and I realized that he’s a nice guy.
“We just clicked from there,” added Mantha, “and now he’s a friend.”
Frank offered to provide Mantha more detailed dirt Late Model instruction away from the track, inviting Mantha to his shop a couple weeks after they met at Drummond.
“Chub said, ‘You gotta get a motor (Mantha had simply dropped the engine from his DIRTcar 358-Modified into his Late Model) and you gotta get your car right,’” said Mantha. “So we took our car down to Chub’s and he found all the things we had done wrong when we put it together. He scaled it for us, and then he said, ‘Now you just gotta keep at it.’”
Mantha thanked Frank for his assistance and soon arranged a unique deal with the Outlaw stalwart, not only sponsoring Frank but also giving Frank full control over his race car. Mantha’s dirt Late Model is lettered almost identically to Frank’s fleet of cars – right down to Frank’s familiar No. 1* — and is maintained by Frank at the well-known driver’s shop in northwestern Pennsylvania. Mantha said his machine, which carries a Custom engine, is always available to Frank, who has already used it in several races this year.
“He can do what he wants with my car,” Mantha said of Frank. “I never see the car until it’s time to race it. My deal with him is he’ll have a car for me to run in a few Late Model races every year.”
After skipping February’s DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., while still dealing with a health scare (doctors were testing a tumor in his groin that ultimately found to be non-cancerous), Mantha’s first dirt Late Model appearance of 2010 did not come until the start of this week’s Great Northern Tour. He drove his hauler to Frank’s shop two days before Can-Am’s event to retrieve his car and help finish its preparation for the remainder of the swing.
“I just do this for fun and to help Chub,” said Mantha, who will caravan with Frank to all this week’s WoO LMS races in Canada and upstate New York. “I still run my (358) Modified sometimes (his last start was a recent DNF at Autodrome Drummond), but I love driving the Late Model. I’ll never be able to race it a lot, but I enjoy driving it every chance I get.”
Mantha will share the Drummond oval on Saturday night with a star-studded list of drivers, including former WoO LMS champions Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. (the tour’s current points leader), Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y. (runner-up in last year’s event at Drummond), Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky. (’07 winner at Drummond) and Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. The field will also include such names as Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who won last year’s Outlaw show at Drummond, and DIRTcar Modified regulars Billy Decker of Unadilla, N.Y. (a former Super DIRTcar Series winner at Drummond) and his teenager Gypsum Express teammate Larry Wight of Baldwinsville, N.Y.
Action at Autodrome Drummond on Sat., June 19, is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. The track’s DIRTcar 358-Modifieds, Sportsman and Lightning Sprints are also on the program.
For more information on the ‘Quebec 50’ visit www.autodrome-drummond.com or call the track office at 819-474-2222.
Autodrome Drummond is located about 45 minutes northeast of Montreal, off Exit 177 of Autoroute 20.
Additional info on the WoO LMS is available by logging on to www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Eileen Waters: Ken Schrader Shines at 43rd Annual Banquet of Champions
Jan 28th
Ken Schrader Shines at 43rd Annual Banquet of Champions
St. Louis, MO – NASCAR star and former Fenton, MO native Ken Schrader was the guest speaker and resident stand-up comedian for the St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club’s 43rd Annual Banquet of Champions on Saturday, January 23, 2010. When asked by emcee Mike Meuer about participating in the upcoming Bud Shootout at Daytona as a past champion Ken said, “Well I get to piggyback while they figure out how to get Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. back in the race. It’s a fun race, doesn’t pay much and the crash factor is huge. Now I had to call someone who has a whole lot of s___ and money.” He told the crowd of over 300 that he’s moved his dirt track team back home to Missouri and within the next four years he will also move back home to live.
Two of the most memorable moments came when the Club’s annual awards were presented. Gladys Edwards, a grandmother and great-grandmother with five sand drag titles to her credit was honored with the Ambassador Award for her support both of the racing community and her local community. As a member of the East Missouri Action Agency, she helps the low-income, elderly and disabled. Edwards was totally blown away by the honor.
The Dale Mueller Award, named for the Club’s late founder, is considered to be the highest honor presented in local racing and is for long-term service to the sport via the media. Winner Jeff Burk has spent over 30 years passionately chronicling area racing, first with the regional print publication Midwest Racer, and now with the leading online source for all things drag racing, Drag Racing Online. He said, “I can’t express how much this means to me but I’m humbled that anybody would consider me to be in the same league as the past winners of this award”. Joyce Standridge, who won the award two years ago, is one of two former winners of the award whose careers were jump started by Burk. Standridge sent a letter of congratulations that noted, “There would be no “Gotta Race!” or “Inside Herman’s World” if not for Jeff Burk.” Those are the books she co-wrote with St. Louis area NASCAR stars Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace, respectively. Schrader’s book has only been outsold by the “NASCAR for Dummies” book.
Other highlights of the evening included the awarding of the first St. Louis Motorsports Photo of the Year to Chris Gregory for her photo of a high-flying, wrong-way midget driven by Zach Daum. Curt Benedick was honored with the Curt Lehmann Sportsmanship award for his care and concern in preparing the Belle-Clair Speedway track surface for the racers and fans as well as his ministry to injured drivers in the area. The Outstanding Media Award for 2009 was presented to stlracing.com and its creator, Jimmy Dearing, for being the local source of all things racing in St. Louis.
The first Arnie Knepper Memorial Scholarship was presented to John Hunn, a student in the Ranken Technical College’s High Performance Racing Program. The Bob Mueller Award for behind the scenes work to make racing successful was given to Bob Milleville for his work with area motorcycle and open wheel racers. The “George” Award for the most active Fan Club member was handed to Duane Marburger, in part for his work in creating the Midwest Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame website. A Lifetime Membership was bestowed on Ed Murphy for his ever-friendly and always helpful support of the club.
The St. Louis motorsports community offers a broad range of motorsports with a level of quality and success unmatched across the country with over 280 national and international titles won by local racers since the late 1940s. The Banquet of Champions is unique in that it celebrates the accomplishments of all area motorsports competitors.
St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club
43rd Annual Banquet of Champions
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Two Hearts Banquet Center
Guest Speaker: Ken Schrader
National Champion Competition Class Hometown
Randy Blackwell AMA Dirt Track Super Sr. Owensville, MO
Grand Champion (54 years old)
Kyle Weatherman INEX Bandolero Bandit (12 years old) Lake St. Louis, MO
Mike Byington SCCA RallyCross Stock Rear Spanish Lake, MO
Bobby Dauderman UMP DIRTcar Pro Late Models Alhambra, IL
Russell Eilers UMP DIRTcar Sportsman Highland, IL
Bob Zbinden UMP DIRTcar Sports Compact Alhambra, IL
Local Champion Competition Class Hometown
Belle-Clair Speedway – Belleville, IL
Ed Dixon UMP Late Model Washington, MO
Bobby Bittle UMP Modified New Athens, IL
Jimmy Cummins UMP/AARA Sportsman Highland, IL
Dennis Ponder UMP/AARA Pure Street Collinsville, IL
Fredericktown Raceway – Fredericktown, MO
Danny Resinger J.W. Auto Specialties UMP Modified Farmington, MO
Jeff Herzog UMP Sportsman Herculaneum, MO
Dave Wofford UMP Factory Stock Caledonia, MO
Jessica Buechting UMP Pro 4 Imperial, MO
Carson Heady Fredericktown Meineke Car Care Bonne Terre, MO
Southern Outlaw Caged Karts
(11 years old)
Kory Bales 305 Sprints Fredericktown, MO
Gateway International Raceway – drag racing – Madison, IL
Scott Offerman Super Pro Highland, IL
Scotty Vaughn Pro E.T. DuQuoin, IL
Bill Bradley Street E.T. Waterloo, IL
Bob Lohr Pro Bike Staunton, IL
Kegan Hagedorn Jr. Dragster 13 & Up Rhineland, MO
Morgan “Lil Sassy” Keyser Jr. Dragster 10 – 12 Marion, IL
Dylan Sutton Jr. Dragster 8 – 9 Moscow Mills, MO
Tim Mallicoat Street Car Shootout Series Collinsville, IL
Eric Sanzoterra Doc’s Harley Davidson Quick St. Bike St. Peters, MO
Derek Allen High School E.T. Waterloo, IL
Highland Speedway – Highland, IL
Chad Zobrist UMP Late Model Highland, IL
Jim Werner, Jr. UMP Steve Schmitt Modified Butler, IL
Russell Eilers UMP Sportsman Highland, IL
Michael Ripperda, Jr. UMP Street Stock Highland, IL
Bob Zbinden UMP Factory Stock Alhambra, IL
I-55 Raceway – Pevely, MO
Bryan Collins UMP Late Model Elsberry, MO
Tim Hancock UMP Modifieds Mount Olive, IL
Jeff Herzog UMP/AARA Sportsman Herculaneum, MO
Jason Crump UMP/AARA Pro 4 Stocks Festus, MO
I-70 Quarter-Midgets (kids open wheel racing) – Greenville, IL
Trevor Landrum Jr. Honda Union, MO
Jacob Trebilcock Sr. Honda Caseyville, IL
Sean Blackwell Heavy Honda Florissant, MO
Bailey Wenthe Lt 160 Effingham, IL
Clayton Gonsalves Heavy 160 and World Formula Damiansville, IL
Cassie Smith Jr. Half Mason City, IL
Montgomery County Speedway – New Florence, MO
Shawn Rayfield UMP Pro Late Model O’Fallon, MO
Mike Vanderiet, Jr. UMP A-Modified Mexico, MO
Dan Bimson UMP B-Modified St. Peters, MO
Eddie Lowry UMP Sportsman Pevely, MO
Jack Tschannen MCS Mini Stock Foristell, MO
O’Reilly POWRi Midgets – Millstadt, IL (open wheel racing)
Brad Kuhn Midgets Avon, IN
Dereck King 600cc Micros Vienna, IL
St. Francois County Raceway – Farmington, MO
Joey Montgomery Sprints Fredericktown, MO
David Shepard Modified DeSoto, MO
Brian Blair Pure Street Cadet, MO
David Chilton Multi Farmington, MO
Tri-City Speedway – Pontoon Beach, IL
Mark Voigt Super Late Models Marine, IL
Mark Oller UMP Pro Crate Late Models Highland, IL
Marty Smith, Jr. Modifieds Troy, IL
Rob Shaw Factory Stocks Highland, IL
Danny Ems Street Stocks Arnold, MO
Annual Club Awards
Winner Annual Award Hometown
Chris Gregory 2009 St. Louis Motorsports Photo Belleville, IL
Of the Year
Curt Benedick Curt Lehmann (sportsmanship) Belleville, IL
Jimmy Dearing/ 2009 Outstanding Media St. Charles, MO
Stlracing/com
John Hunn Arnie Knepper Memorial Scholarship Lake St. Louis, MO
Bob Milleville Bob Mueller (behind the Scenes ) Rochester, IL
Gladys Edwards Ambassador Award Bonne Terre, MO
Duane Marburger “George” Award (most active member) Pevely, MO
Ed Murphy Lifetime Membership
Jeff Burk Dale Mueller Award O’Fallon, MO
(named for the club’s founder for long-
term service via the media)
2009 Stats/Season Notes
- The St. Louis motorsports community hosted over 600 event/competition days.
- There were seven champions who won eight titles from Highland, IL.
- There were four female champs: one at Fredericktown, one at Gateway International, and two at the I-70 QMA.
- There were 11 kids who won titles: one national INEX champ, one at Fredericktown, three at Gateway International, and six that won seven titles at the I-70 QMA.
- There were 51 local champions honored who won 52 local titles. Six national champs were honored, two of whom were also local champs.
- Randy Blackwell’s AMA title this season was his sixth national title since the 2006 season.
- Kyle Weatherman ended up in a three-way tie for first in points and finished second in the tie-breaker ahead of the other two racers to claim his national title.
- Russell Eilers battled to the last race to claim the UMP National Sportsman title with the top three finishing within four points of each other. Jimmy Cummins finished third.
- Jessica Buechting’s whole family races…….her dad, mom, and brother plus several extended family members. They finished second through seventh in a race at I-55 Raceway this year.
- Bob Lohr won his 10th Pro Bike title in 19 years and has a couple of four wheel titles to his credit as well at Gateway International.
- Tim “the Moose” Mallicoat had nearly a perfect season, finishing with 18 wins and one second place to win his third consecutive title at Gateway International.
- Eric Sanzoterra has won championship of the Doc’s Harley-Davidson Quick Street Bike Series at Gateway International in all three years since its inception.
- Jeff Herzog won his second consecutive title at I-55 Raceway.
- Trevor Landrum and Sean Blackwell won their second consecutive titles at the I-70 QMA.
- Clayton Gonsalves has won two titles a season for the past three years at the I-70 QMA.
- Dereck King has won his third title in a row with the O’Reilly POWRi Micros.
- This was the first year for the St. Louis Motorsports Photo of the Year and the Arnie Knepper Memorial Scholarship (which pays $500 to a student in Ranken Technical College’s High Performance Racing Program).
- Gladys Edwards, a grandmother and great-grandmother, is a five-time Overall Vehicle Champion from the Bonne Terre Sand Drags. She helps the low income, the elderly, and the disabled in the Farmington, MO area and serves on the board of the East Missouri Action Agency.
- Brad Loyet of Sunset Hills, MO won 21 midget features in 2009 tying a 15 year-old mark as the most features won in a season by a midget driver. (He didn’t chase a points title, but instead ran big money races.)
- Carol Cohn of Creve Coeur, MO was named the first Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Member of Excellence and received an all expenses paid trip to the next two SCCA national conventions. She is a member of the St. Louis Region, SCCA.
- Justin Allgaier of Riverton, IL was named the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year.
- Carl Edwards of Columbia, MO finished second in the NASCAR Nationwide series and since 2005 has finished in the top three in this series.
- Jeff Carver of Godfrey, IL finished third in the AMA Pro Singles National series.
- Lou and Mary Ann Osman, as owners, won an International Hot Boat Association title with their “Speed Sports Special” drag boat.
- Tim Seebold finished third in the Formula One class of the ChampBoat powerboat series.
- The American Drag Racing League, headquartered in O’Fallon, MO, hosted the largest drag racing event in the history of Gateway International.
- Rally America, the North American sanctioning body for performance rallies, named the 100 Acre Wood Rally (based in Salem, MO) the 2009 Rally of the Year.
- A “Racing Into Reading Program” was developed to show elementary students how every school subject ties into motorsports for the Rockwood School District.
- Zach Daum, of Pocahontas, IL, was named the 2009 USAC Midget Rookie-of-the-Year.
In 2010 area race fans can look forward to another 600 event/competition days, the 75th anniversary of the first midget race held in St. Louis (the area’s oldest and continuous form of racing – minus the war years) and a second NASCAR Nationwide race at Gateway International.
Motorsports abbreviations used:
AARA – Allied Auto Racing Association (sanctions local races at Belle-Clair Speedway and I-55 Raceway)
AMA – American Motorcyclists Association
E.T. – elapsed time
MCS – Montgomery County Speedway (a local track in New Florence, MO)
POWRi – Professional Open Wheel Racing, Inc. (a local sanctioning body for open wheel midgets and 600cc micros that is drawing a lot of national attention)
QMA – Quarter-Midgets of America (a kids open wheel racing group and these vehicles are one-quarter the size of a normal midget race car)
SCCA – Sports Car Club of America
UMP – United Midwestern Promoters