Misfortune Knocks Richards From Contention in Circle K Colossal 100

SHINNSTON, WV – Josh Richards departed The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., on Saturday night with disappointment written all over his face.

But that’s understandable, because the 19-year-old star known as ‘Kid Rocket’ was in the thick of the battle for the $50,000 top prize in the Circle K Colossal 100 until misfortune ended his bid.

Josh moved from the fifth starting spot to second in just 11 laps and was pressuring Chris Madden for the lead when his race came to a sudden end on lap 25. He pulled up lame in turn two when his Mark Richards Racing Inc.-owned Seubert Calf Ranches, Ace Metal Works, TSR-Tony Stewart Racing, Petroff Towing, MCB Motorsports, Rocket Chassis No. 1 had its power-steering cylinder break from the rack-and-pinion.

“We definitely had an awesome car,” said Josh, who was credited with a 28th-place finish in the second annual event. “We ran our swing-arm car and tried some different setups, and I think we had a legitimate shot to win.

“I wasn’t even pushing the car too hard. I just got to second and ran right there with Madden, trying not to wear my stuff out.”

Despite his heartbreaking exit, Josh praised The Dirt Track’s racing surface.

“The racetrack was in excellent shape,” said Josh, who survived a rough-and-tumble heat race on Friday night to finish second and transfer to the Colossal 100. “It was a little brown on the bottom, slick through the middle, and had a cushion on the top. That’s the way every racetrack should be for a big race.”

Josh’s Colossal 100 trip capped his busiest racing week since February. Wet track conditions postponed his scheduled World of Outlaws Late Model Series visit to New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway on April 13, but subsequent tour events at Virginia Motor Speedway and Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., beat the tough Northeast weather. He finished a solid sixth in the 50-lap ‘Rumble on the River III’ at VMS and salvaged a 14th-place finish in the ‘Showdown in Sarvertown 50’ at Lernerville.

Josh felt great about his chances in the Lernerville event thanks to his third starting spot, but his hopes were dashed on the original start when a scrape with Robbie Blair sent him crashing into the inside wall on the homestretch. He returned laps down to collect as many points as possible, but the car needed a new front clip put on it at the Rocket shop before Josh ran it at The Dirt Track.

The Colossal 100 was a World of Outlaws Late Model Series event, but it offered only show-up points so Josh’s DNF didn’t hurt him in the points battle. He currently ranks seventh in the standings – 34 points behind co-leaders Shannon Babb and Clint Smith – entering this weekend’s tour doubleheader at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway (Fri., April 27) and Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind. (Sat., April 28).

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