SHINNSTON, WV – Josh Richards hopes this is the year that his luck turns around in the Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 at Florence Speedway in Union, Ky.
The 20-year-old sensation known as ‘Kid Rocket’ will enter the $50,000-to-win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event for the third time in young career, but he’s still shooting for his first appearance in the prestigious A-Main starting field.
“We’ve been fast there in the past, but things just haven’t gone our way,” said Josh, who has been knocking on the door of Victory Lane in a crown-jewel dirt Late Model race. “Two years ago we set a new track record for awhile but got beat out and then didn’t make the feature, and last year we had a real good car but got spun out in our heat and couldn’t come back to make the race.
“I know that if we get some luck, we’ll be O.K.”
Josh will go to the post in the North/South 100 behind the wheel of his familiar Mark Richards Racing-owned Seubert Calf Ranches/Ace Metal Works/TSR-Tony Stewart Racing/Petroff Towing/MCB Motorsports/Ernie’s Auto & Hauling Rocket Chassis No. 1. Time trials are scheduled for Friday night Aug. 8 and heats, B-Mains and the North/South 100 headliner will run on Saturday night Aug. 9.
Last weekend Josh drove the Ernie Davis-owned Rocket No. 25 in a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tripleheader in his backyard. He enjoyed third-place finishes in the A-Mains on Thursday night July 31 at Bedford Pa. Speedway and Saturday night Aug. 2 at Hagerstown Md. Speedway, but was disappointed with a subpar 15th-place run in the Friday-night Aug. 1 feature at Winchester Va. Speedway.
Josh was especially strong at the half-mile Bedford oval. He set fast time in qualifying, won a heat race and started the 30-lap A-Main from the pole position, but he was outgunned at the initial green flag by Steve Francis and wasn’t able to overcome his fellow World of Outlaws Late Model Series regular. Francis was declared the winner of the rain-delayed event when fog rolled in and forced officials to end the race on lap 24 – moments after Josh had lost second place to Earl Pearson Jr.
Saturday night’s show at Hagerstown was also a solid outing for Josh, who thought a tire-compound choice might have been the difference between him finishing third and challenging for the win.
“Our car cornered better than just about anybody out there,” Josh said of his Hagerstown effort. “But we had 40s tire compound on, and I think if we ran 1600s like winner Bart Hartman we might’ve had something for him.”
