ASHLAND, KY – Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky became the first U.S. driver to win the 11th Annual Australian Late Model Championship on Saturday, January 28th at Tyrepower Sydney Speedway in Sydney, Australia.  Steve started on the outside of the front row and led every lap for the victory in the Scott McPherson-owned, Time Target-sponsored entry.

ASHLAND, KY – Veteran dirt late model driver, Steve Francis of Ashland, KY has announced that he will be driving the Barry Wright House Car on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Tour in 2012.

Steve will be bringing his long-time sponsor Valvoline along with him as Steve will be running the LOLMDS tour for the second year in a row. This year Steve finished fourth in the final championship points standings behind Jimmy Owens, Scot Bloomquist and Don O’Neal.

In 2012 it will mark the first time since the 1990’s that the Hall of Fame Chassis builder and co-owner Barry Wright will be hitting the road on a national touring series. He was quite successful with two-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion, Scott Bloomquist back then and hopes to help Steve make a championship run next year. Along with Wright the team is co-owned by Troy Baird.

“It was a business decision that I had to make,” says Steve. “Teaming up with Barry and Troy is an ideal situation for me right now, I want to thank Keith and Tader Masters of MasterSbilt Race Cars and Jason at Ohlins Shocks for all of their support in 2011, and they were all great to work with our race program.”

“With the financial burdens now days in all forms of racing, it’s better to team up with somebody as it will relieve me worrying about both being a car owner and driver, now I can concentrate on being a driver and that should help my performance overall in the long-run, we had some really good runs this year, but didn’t have the finishes to show for it, I can’t wait until the 2012 season begins,” said the 44-year-old former World 100 and Dirt Track World Championship winning racer.

ASHLAND, KY – Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series driver, Steve Francis of Ashland, KY will wrap-up the 2011 LOLMDS campaign this weekend at KC Raceway in Chillicothe, OH.  The 31^st Annual U. S. Steel Dirt Track World Championship Presented by Sunoco will pay $50,000 to win.  Steve is a previous winner of the event back in 1999.

Activity will get underway with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series on Friday Night, October 14^th with the Red Buck Cigars and DirtonDirt.com Qualifications followed by Heat Race action for the LOLMDS.

On Saturday Night, October 15^th action will begin at 7 PM with the B-Mains followed by the 100-lap U. S. Steel Dirt Track World Championship Presented by Sunoco.  For more information you can log on to www.kc-raceway.com and www.dirttrackworldchampionship.com.

This past weekend Steve and the rest of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regulars competed in the state of Georgia with two shows.  On Saturday Night, October 8^th Steve competed at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, GA for the Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout.  Steve would finish ninth in the main event.

On Sunday Night, October 9^th the team ventured to Rome Speedway in Rome, GA for the Lucas Oil Rome Showdown.  Steve would come home in seventh place in the final rundown.  Steve will head to KC Raceway for the DTWC still a solid fourth in points.

Steve would like to thank his 2011 sponsors including; Valvoline, MasterSbilt Race Cars, Roush-Yates Racing Engines, PRC, Ohlins, Keyser Mfg., Harbaugh Amusement Machine Inc., VP Racing Fuels, JFRgraphics.com, Tim Logan Racing and Bobst Auto Parts.

Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings

1. Jimmy Owens (Newport, TN) – 6975
2. Scott Bloomquist (Mooresburg, TN) – 6925
3. Don O’Neal (Martinsville, IN) – 6290
4. Steve Francis (Ashland, KY) – 5965
5. Jared Landers (Batesville, AR) – 5550

ASHLAND, KY – Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series driver, Steve Francis of Ashland, KY competed in the 8^th Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals this past weekend at the legendary Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, IA.

On Thursday Night, September 29^th Steve would end up not finishing night number one of the event after his battery went dead while battling eventual winner, Jimmy Owens for second place.  Steve had just pulled alongside Owens early on in the race went his battery expired as he was forced pitside.  On Friday Night, September 30^th during night number two Steve would be running in a transfer spot in the B-Main when Don O’Neal passed him on the final lap forcing Steve to miss the feature by one spot.

Steve’s fortunes would turn for the better on Saturday Night, October 1^st as the 100-lap $40,000 to win main event took the green flag.  Steve would line-up up 12^th on the grid and quickly made his way into the top ten.

Steve would get up to sixth place and with 25-laps to go he and Brian Birkhofer would stage a side-by-side battle for fifth.  That lasted until Jimmy Mars fell out of the race which moved both Steve and Birkhofer up a spot.

On the restart Steve and Birky would race hard and clean with each other as Steve would eventually get by Birkhofer to gain the second at the finish.  Owens led until O’Neal was able to get by him on lap 96, as Owens would hook the burm forcing the nosepiece of his car to bend in.  Owens would eventually finish in fifth.

With his second place finish Steve would earn his best paycheck of the 2011 season as the event paid $20,000 for second place. Steve remains fourth in the current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings heading into this weekend’s events.  

On Saturday Night, October 8^th the stars of the LOLMDS head to Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, GA for the Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout.  On Sunday Night, October 9^th they visit Rome Speedway in Rome, GA for the Rome Showdown.  Both events will pay $10,000 to win.

For more information on this weekend’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events you can log on to www.dixiespeedway.com, www.raceromespeedway.com, and www.lucasdirt.com.

Steve would like to thank his 2011 sponsors including; Valvoline, MasterSbilt Race Cars, Roush-Yates Racing Engines, PRC, Ohlins, Keyser Mfg., Harbaugh Amusement Machine Inc., VP Racing Fuels, JFRgraphics.com, Tim Logan Racing and Bobst Auto Parts.

Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings

1. Scott Bloomquist (Mooresburg, TN) – 6530
2. Jimmy Owens (Newport, TN) – 6515
3. Don O’Neal (Martinsville, IN) – 5945
4. Steve Francis (Ashland, KY) – 5585
5. Jared Landers (Batesville, AR) – 5240

ASHLAND, KY – Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series driver, Steve Francis of Ashland, KY competed in the 32^nd Annual Jackson 100 this past Friday and Saturday Night at the Brownstown (IN) Speedway.

Steve would win his heat race which earned him the third starting spot in the 100-lap $20,000 to win main event sanctioned by the LOLMDS.  Steve would remain in the top five in the early going when Brian Birkhofer, who had just passed Steve for fourth, suffered a flat tire.  As Birkhofer slowed on the track, Steve and a couple of other drivers got together as they had nowhere to go.  Steve’s #15 Valvoline/Roush-Yates/MasterSbilt Car would suffer enough damage to put him out of the race. Steve would end up being credited with a 19^th place finish.

This week the Steve Francis Race team ventures to the legendary Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, IA for the Eighth Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals.  On Thursday and Friday Night will be preliminary nights with $7,000 to win each night.  On Saturday Night will be the $40,000 to win finale.  The Lucas Oil Production Studios will be on hand to tape the event which will be shown on the SPEED Channel later this year.

Steve remains fourth in the current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings heading into this weekend’s events.  For more information log on to www.knoxvilleraceway.com and www.lucasdirt.com.

Steve would like to thank his 2011 sponsors including; Valvoline, MasterSbilt Race Cars, Roush-Yates Racing Engines, PRC, Ohlins, Keyser Mfg., Harbaugh Amusement Machine Inc., VP Racing Fuels, JFRgraphics.com, Tim Logan Racing and Bobst Auto Parts.

Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings

1. Scott Bloomquist (Mooresburg, TN) – 6350
2. Jimmy Owens (Newport, TN) – 6310
3. Don O’Neal (Martinsville, IN) – 5695
4. Steve Francis (Ashland, KY) – 5355
5. Jared Landers (Batesville, AR) – 5070