Officials from the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series are excited to announce that the 36^th Annual DART Winternationals, being held Feb 12-18^th at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL, will pay out over $200,000 in purse money alone for the week. This year’s events at the famed “Clay by the Bay” will start on Sunday night Feb 12^th with an open practice session for racers to shake down their cars in preparation for the week-long event.

For the 7^th straight year DART Machinery will return as the title sponsor of the 36^th Annual DART Winternationals. DART Machinery’s Technology Center in Troy, MI, now houses the company’s administrative offices, the R&D headquarters, and inspection, machining and warehouse operations. A separate production facility in nearby Melvindale, MI, houses the thundering CNC machining centers that produce heads and blocks from raw castings. Twenty five years ago, it all began with a desk, a telephone and a dream. Today DART is the acknowledged leader in aftermarket components for racing engines. For more information on DART you can visit the company website at www.dartheads.com.

The 36^th Annual DART Winternationals officially gets started on Monday, Feb 13^th with a complete show starting at 6:0 0PM EST each night, with drivers competing for $5,000 to win on both Monday and Tuesday nights. During Wednesday and Thursday nights’ events drivers will compete for $7,000 to win, with the final two events on Friday and Saturday night each paying $10,000 to win. Those final two events will be the first points paying races of the 2012 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season. Each night’s events will include hot laps, RedBuck Cigars Time Trials, heat races, B-Mains,  the PRC Strawberry Dash presented by DirtonDirt.com and the A-Main feature.

In additional to the $200,000 in purse money up for grabs during the week, drivers will compete for a special DART Winternationals points fund. The fund will pay $5,000 cash to the driver that accumulates the most points over the six nights of events, with cash and product awards going to drivers finishing 2^nd through 5^th in overall points for the week. Drivers finishing 6^th through 10^th meanwhile will receive numerous product awards. Drivers must attempt to race each of the six nights to be eligible to receive any of the cash and product awards paid out from the special DART Winternationals points fund. After the final night’s events on Saturday Feb 18^th, the 2012 DART Winternationals Champion will be crowned and all awards for the top ten drivers will be paid out. Scott Bloomquist won the 2011 edition of the event in a close battle over Don O’Neal and Jimmy Owens.

As in years past the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and several marketing partners of the series have put together an added bonus to this year’s 36^th Annual DART Winternationals. There will be two extra starting positions added to the feature event each night, bringing the total number of cars to start the feature to 26. Racers will get a chance to make the feature event through an extra provisional titled the “DirtonDirt.com Fast Time Provisional.”The fastest qualifier that did not earn a starting position in the feature through the heat races or B-Mains will start 25^th in the feature.

The 26^th starting position for the feature event each night will be awarded to the driver that wins the special “PRC Strawberry Dash presented by DirtonDirt.com.” Drivers that failed to transfer through the heat races or B-Mains will be put into a random draw to set the field for this special Dash Race. The PRC Strawberry Dash presented by DirtonDirt.com will be a last-chance dash to earn a coveted starting spot in the A-Main, thanks to PRC and DirtonDirt.com.

“Were very honored and appreciative to have DART Machinery partner with us and support the DART Winternationals for the 7^th year in a row,” stated Ritchie Lewis, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Director. “DART has been a tremendous partner with the series and vital to the growth and success of the series over the past several years. Having partners like DART, PRC and DirtonDirt.com step up this year and give racers extra money to race for and two extra starting positions in the coveted A-Main each night should produce some exciting racing for the fans.”

Sponsors of this special DART points fund include:ALLSTAR Performance, ASI Racewear, COMP Cams, Quarter Master, CV Products, DART Machinery, DirtonDirt.com, Fast Shafts, FK Rod Ends, Hawk Performance, Hoosier Race Tire, Keyser Mfg, Lucas Oil Products, Ohlins Shocks, Optima Batteries, PBM/Erson Cams, Performance Bodies, PRC, Red Buck Cigars, Simpson, Sweet Mfg, Sunoco, Weld Wheels, Wiles Drive Shafts and Wrisco Aluminum.

For more information on the 36th Annual “DART Winternationals,” log onto the track’s website at www.eastbayracewaypark.com.

For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, visit the series’ website a twww.lucasdirt.com or call the series’ office at (951) 532-2503.

Be sure and visit the series on the social media outlets as well at http://www.facebook.com/lucasdirtand http://twitter.com/#!/lucasdirt.

 2012 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series/East Bay “DART Winternationals” Schedule

East Bay Raceway Park-Tampa, FL

Sunday, February 12^th – Open Practice Session – 6-9 PM

Monday, February 13^th – $5,000 to win

Tuesday, February 14^th – $5,000 to win

Wednesday, February 15^th – $7,000 to win

Thursday, February 16^th – $7,000 to win

Friday, February 17^th – $10,000 to win (points event)

Saturday, February 18^th – $10,000 to win (points event)

About Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series: Founded in 2005, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is the nations’ premier dirt late model sanctioning organization. It  will sanction 46 events in 19 states in 2012, and receives national exposure through taped-delayed series events that are shown on CBS, SPEED, NBC Sports Network and MavTV.

About Lucas Oil Products: Founded in 1989 by Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, Lucas Oil Products, Inc. has established itself as one of the fastest-growing lubrication product lines in the consumer automotive aftermarket, featuring a line of engine oils, greases, gear lubes and problem-solving additives. Through innovative product research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil Products has established itself as the number one selling fuel treatment and additive products manufacturer in America and Canada. Lucas Oil Products has long been directly involved in the American racing industry at all levels through multiple vehicle sponsorships and racing events.

2012 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Schedule 

 Thanks to: www.lucasdirt.com

Main image thanks to: www.eastbayracewaypark.com; images thanks to: www.racingnewsnetwork.com, pitstopusa.com