Josh Richards
Team Name
Click + for race-by-race results
Position Points Earnings Wins Top 5 Top 10 Points
Behind
Leader
Expand/Collapse  Mark Richards Racing 292 $13175 1 2 2  
02/11/2010
Volusia Speedway Park - 39th Annual DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH - Barberville,FL
A-Main
1 150 $10675  
02/13/2010
Volusia Speedway Park - 39th Annual DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH - Barberville,FL
A-Main
4 142 $2500  
Overall 2 292 $13175 1 2 2
Highlights


Josh Richards
Hometown: Shinnston, WV
Birthday: March 22, 1988
Marital Status: Single
Children: None
Car: No. 1 Seubert Calf Ranches/ACE Metal Works/MCB Motorsports Rocket
Car Owner: Mark Richards Racing
Website: www.joshrichards.com

2009 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Stats:

Events: 40
Starts: 40
Wins: 8 (Volusia Speedway Park, Fla.; Ohsweken, Ont.; Cornwall, Ont.; Big Diamond, Pa.; Lernerville, Pa.; Grand Forks, N.D.; Huron, S.D.; Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.)
Top 5: 23
Top 10: 34
Fast Times: 6
Heat Wins: 17
B-Main Wins: 0
Points Standings Finish: 1st (+14)
Total Season Earnings: $286,170

WoO LMS History: Entered selected tour events in 2004 during his first full season of dirt Late Model racing. Earned first heat race win in July at Pennsy’s Challenger Raceway and scored a season-best finish of fourth at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway… Was installed as lead driver of his father Mark’s Rocket Chassis House Car for 2005 WoO LMS schedule. Enjoyed a superb season, finishing eighth in the points standings and capturing Rookie of the Year honors on the strength of one win (on Aug. 15 at New York’s Lebanon Valley Speedway), eight top-five and 18 top-10 finishes… Became first driver in WoO LMS’s World Racing Group-era (2004-2007) to win Rookie of the Year award and a feature in same season… Won once in 2006, late in season at Columbus (Miss.) Speedway. Finished ninth in points standings, but was among top points-earners during second half of season… Enjoyed career season in 2007, winning four A-Mains (tied for third-most on the series). His victories came in the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park; on July 21 at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway (the ‘60th Anniversary Classic worth $12,000 to win); July 22 at Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa.; and Sept. 22 at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway (18th annual ‘Pittsburgher 50’)… One of only three drivers to win back-to-back A-mains on the 2007 tour. Finished a then career-high sixth in the points standings and was one of six drivers to reach six figures in purse earnings ($105,707)… Won the season opener for the second straight year in 2008, taking the lidlifter at Volusia Speedway Park… Earned second win of 2008 on May 16 at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park and later registered back-to-back triumphs for the second time in his career, on June 24 at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Speedway and June 25 at Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville, Pa… With victories on Oct. 7 at Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway (from the 18th starting spot) and Nov. 1 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway (World Finals), he ended ’08 tied with Steve Francis as the tour’s winningest driver and finished a career-best second in the points standings… Reached superstar status in 2009 by outdueling mentors Steve Francis and Darrell Lanigan to win first WoO LMS championship. Clinched $100,000 title with a seventh-place finish in season-ending World Finals events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, beating Francis by 14 points… Won series-best eight A-Mains in ’09, including back-to-back races twice – both in one June week, at Ohsweken, Ont., and Cornwall, Ont., and then Pennsy’s Big Diamond and Lernerville… Won ’09 season-opening event at Volusia Speedway Park for an unprecedented third consecutive season… Shined in Canada (sweeping both events run in Ontario) and in the Dakotas (winning at Grand Forks, N.D., and Huron, S.D.) during ’09 season… Failed to qualify through a heat race just once in 40 events in ’09, on April 18 at Virginia Motor Speedway. That night marked the only time he used a provisional starting spot in ’09… Completed 2,154 of a possible 2,160 A-Main laps, led tour with six fast-time awards and earned nearly $300,000 with points-fund cash included in ‘09… Enters 2010 season with 20 career WoO LMS victories, putting him second behind Francis (26 wins) on tour’s win list since 2004…

Other Racing History: Made first-ever dirt Late Model start in October 2003 Future Dirt Track World Championship, an event for teenage racers at Kentucky’s Bluegrass Speedway… Only one month after turning 16 – and in his third career start – won a heat race in a non-sanctioned April 2004 dirt Late Model event at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. He was headed to victory in the feature when a flat tire forced him pitside… Competed in a total of 33 events in 2004, including WoO LMS appearances… Made several starts in 2005 behind the wheel of an asphalt Late Model at Motordrome Speedway in Smithton, Pa… Qualified for Eldora Speedway’s $100,000 Dream and World 100 in 2005 at the age of 17, becoming the youngest driver in history to make both mega-events in a first attempt… Competed in January 2006 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals as a Venture Racing teammate of NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart and open-wheel stars Jason Leffler, Sammy Swindell and Kevin Swindell. Returned to Chili Bowl in 2007, 2008 and 2009 as driver of a Tony Stewart Motorsports Midget… In September 2006, contended for victory in prestigious World 100 at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway before settling for fourth place… Signed an exclusive management contract in November 2005 with Motorsports Management International, which was founded by noted motorsports attorney/promoter Cary Agajanian… Was one of 16 aspiring racers invited to participate in the General Motors Driver Development Program in 2006. He participated in two segments of the program, driving a Busch Series car at Caraway Speedway in Asheville, N.C., and a dirt Late Model at North Georgia Speedway… Made ARCA RE/MAX Series debut on Sept. 3, 2007, at DuQuion (Ill.) dirt mile, finishing third in Southern Illinois 100 driving a Tony Stewart-owned car… Won the Red Miley Memorial Penn National 53’ on July 1, 2007, at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway – his first career win at the track where he ran the first feature of his career… Drove the Ernie Davis-owned No. 25 to victory in the Independent Racing Series 27th annual ‘Shorty Bowers/Bull Durham Championship 40’ on Aug. 4, 2007, at Hagerstown Speedway… Finished second in Dirt Track World Championship event on Oct. 20, 2007, at Ohio’s K-C Raceway… Scored five wins away from the WoO LMS in 2008 – four driving the Ernie Davis-owned No. 25 and a Knoxville Late Model Nationals preliminary feature in his familiar No. 1… Led Northeast in dirt Late Model feature wins in 2009 with career-high 15 victories, including six driving the Ernie Davis No. 25… Won three Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series A-Mains in a 24-hour span in February ’09 at Florida’s East Bay Raceway Park and one week later pocketed $10,000 for capturing the UMP DIRTcar Late Model finale during the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park… Won inaugural Appalachian Mountain Speedweek championship in ’09… Received approval for NASCAR Camping World East license in ’09 with references from Ken Schrader, Tony Stewart and Kenny Wallace. Finished fourth in series debut on April 11 at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway and also entered events at New Hampshire International Speedway (18th) and Dover International Speedway (24th)… Qualified fourth for ARCA RE/MAX Series superspeedway debut at Kentucky Speedway on July 18, 2009, and consistently ran in top 10 before accident on lap 61. Also tested ARCA car at Daytona International Speedway in December ’09…

Interesting Facts: Nicknamed ‘Kid Rocket,’ Richards grew up around the country’s top dirt Late Model racers. Since the age of six he traveled to events with his father Mark, who co-owns Rocket Chassis, one of the sport’s most noted manufacturers… Was featured on the July 2006 documentary, Dirt Track Warriors, that was telecast nationally on the CNN cable network… Serves as crew chief on the Tony Stewart-driven Rocket dirt Late Model that is housed at Rocket Chassis in Shinnston, W.Va… Youngest driver in dirt Late Model history to win a national touring-series championship…

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