Schmidt Makes SRL Return at 99’s Big Money Wild West Shootout
Bakersfield, CA – 2006 Spears Srl Southwest Tour Series Champion Eric Schmidt is set to make his return to the series at The New Stockton 99 Speedway in the “JM Environmental Inc. Wild West Shootout Touch Too Much 227 presented by 51 FIFTY LTM“. The August 14th event could see a payout of nearly $30,000 to the winner, with bonuses and lap money. Round #8 of the championship season could be the most electrifying event of an already exciting 2021 season at a track known for its wild action.
Schmitt is a five-time winner in SRL competition. He nearly scored his second series championship when he battled Jeremy Doss Motorsports to the final event of 2018. The 2019 and 2020 seasons were a disappointment for the former Stockton Late Model Track Champion. The 2019 season found Schmidt starting the season with good speed, but dreadful racing luck. As a result, he competed in only five events, scoring a best finish of fourth at Madera Speedway. In 2020 the team struggled to find consistent speed, scoring only one top-five and four top-10’s, while participating in eight of nine events. His championship standing of eighth was far below expectations.
Stockton will be a great facility at which to return for the 2013 Pacific Challenge Series Champion. He has the 2003 Late Model Track Championship, three of his eight Pacific Challenge Series wins are there, and he has a Westcar Late Model Series victory at the facility. His last three SPEARS Southwest Tour Series starts have resulted in runner-up finishes for the Roseville, CA driver. Two of those were behind Derek Thorn. The 2007 ALL AMERICAN SPEEDWAY – ROSEVILLE CA Champion isn’t worried about the nine-month layoff heading to Stockton, as he expects to contend for the rich win.
“It should only take a practice session to get the rust off”, Schmidt told the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series. “We are planning on contending for the win for sure, but so is everyone else lol. The reality is we are looking to get our program back up to speed and contend for a championship next year. This Stockton race just fit into our schedule and who wouldn’t want to run 227 laps at Stockton 99.”
With Schmidt’s experience at Stockton, don’t count him out, as he races for a possible $28,750. He will bring his Sierra Speed and Technology, FURY Race Cars Chassis Super Late Model, which he participated in during his last start at the 2020 October Classic at Kern County Raceway Park. The veteran driver is comfortable at Stockton 99 Speedway and is a big fan of the racing it promotes, as he stated.
“Racing at Stockton 99 Speedway is like putting on an old pair of boots for me. I really think it is the perfect short track. It’s small but you can actually pass someone without moving them.”
On August 14th , Schmidt will join a hungry field of Super Late Model drivers looking to beat Derek Thorn to the finish line, to score the $2,750 bonus in the Motor City Throwdown Challenge. The winner will also receive $10,000 for the victory thanks to JM Environmental Inc. $1,000 will be paid out to the leader at the lap 127 break. A whopping $15,000 is available to a winner who qualifies in the top-eight and elects to start in the rear, also thanks to JM Environmental. Those number add up to a monster $28,750 payday. It would be the second highest total in the series 21-year history.
The Spears Pro Late Model Series presented by Sigma Performance Services will join the Super Late Models in action on the historic ¼-mile oval. The Legends of the Pacific, B4 Cylinders, and Jr. B4 Cylinders will round out the racing card for the evening. The event can be viewed live at www.SpearsRacing.TV and on delay at MAVTV.
