Press Release - Feb. 16, 2011
The 2011 D&D Auto Recycling Steel Block Bandits Late Model season
is rapidly approaching, and if this year’s driver roster is an
indication of things, then this may be the most competitive season in
the series’ three-year history.
Twenty-five platinum members (prospective full-time drivers) and five
regular members (prospective part-time drivers) are set to compete in a
season that boasts 16 races among nine tracks in the Mid-Atlantic
region. “I am very pleased with the number of teams that have signed
on with prospective full-time drivers,” said series promoter Danny
Wilson. “Our series currently has more full-time drivers than a lot of
the upper-tier super late model series in the country,” Wilson added.
Platinum members returning to the series this year include defending
Steel Block Bandits champion, Walker Arthur, of Forest, Va. Arthur won
three races last year in his first full-time season with the Bandits,
and he will have to perform with similar results this season, if he
hopes to repeat as champion. This is largely due to a roster of stiff
competition.
Also, returning as platinum members are Bruce Kane of Glen Burnie, Md;
Joey “The Hammer” Leavell of Waynesboro, Va; and Kyle “Hurricane”
Merkel of Gilbertsville, Pa. These drivers finished
second through fourth, respectively, in last year’s point standings,
while Merkel claimed two victories, and Leavell grabbed a win of his
own.
The “Mountaineer Man”, Gerald Davis of Delray, W.Va., has thrown his
hat in the ring as a returning platinum member, as well. Davis finished
fifth in last year’s point standings and is a former super late model
champion at Winchester Speedway. Also returning is 2009 Bandits
champion, Kris Looney, of Bridgewater, Va. Despite missing a few races
last season, Looney stated last December that he was returning to the
series full-time in hopes of reclaiming the championship. He finished
ninth in the final standings, last year.
Romney, W.Va.’s Roy Clower and Winchester, Va.’s Mitch “The Flying
Moose” Miller have resigned as platinum members. These two drivers
finished tenth and eleventh in last year’s point standings and have
been registered members of the Bandits since the series’ inception in
2009.
Jonathan DeHaven of Winchester, Va., returns to the series after
finishing twelfth in last year’s point standings. Additionally, Matt
Cosner of Cumberland, Md; R.E. Cubbage of Waynesboro, Va; and Kyle Lear
of Severna Park, Md., return as platinum members. Lear made the
highlight reel last season when he claimed the Bandit-sanctioned
Western Maryland Nationals at Allegany County Speedway in Maryland. He
is also the 2009 Hagerstown Speedway late model champion. Joining this
ensemble is young driver, Tanner Kerr, of Winchester, Va. Kerr showed
marked improvement toward the end of last year, which was his rookie
season in a late model.
Race fans may serve themselves well by grabbing their hats or sitting
on the edge of their seats when they hear the names of first-year
platinum members in the Steel Block Bandits series for 2011.
Booper Bare of Rockbridge Baths, Va., has signed on to drive Chris
Cromer’s number 83 car in a prospective full-time effort. Bare’s
28-year driving career
spans all over the East Coast where he has claimed more than 200
victories and multiple track championships. The father- son tandem, Bo
and Trever Feathers, of Winchester, Va., have joined the series this
year, as well. Bo, who has multiple track championships, won the 2010
Winchester Speedway super late model championship, while Trever claimed
the track’s 2010 semi-late model championship.
The 2010 Hesston Speedway and Bedford Speedway track champion, Rick
Singleton of Hesston, Pa., joins the series as a platinum member, too.
Singleton, a 20-plus year racing veteran, is also known for playing
football for Virginia Tech and the Seattle Seahawks. Not to be outdone
are first-year platinum members, Wesley Bonebrake of Hagerstown, Md;
Scott Cross of Centreville, Pa; and Bryan Bernheisel of Lebanon, Pa.
Bonebrake has seen action at tracks including Hagerstown and
Winchester, while Cross is a former MACS series driver. Bernheisel is
the son of Jimmy Bernheisel, who owns Bernheisel Race Components and
Lazer Chassis.
Added to this mix of first-year platinum-member drivers are the
talented ensemble of Brad Omps of Winchester, Va; Matt Howsare of
Clearville, Pa; Sean Merkel (older brother of Kyle) of Pottstown, Pa;
Billy Beachler of Franklin, W.Va; and Ryan Christoff of Canonsburg,
Pa.
The list of regular members may be short, but it’s not short on talent.
This list includes 2004 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year,
D.J.Troutman of Hyndman, Pa. Troutman is the 2009 track champion at
Allegany County Speedway, and he was a registered Bandit driver last
year. Veteran drivers, Rick Hulson of Glen Burnie, Md., and Eddie
Groome of Stuarts Draft, Va., have joined the series for the first
time, as well as Drew Weisser of Reading, Pa and Don Woodruff of Bunker
Hill, W.Va .
Kyle Merkel, Trever Feathers, Lear, Howsare, Cosner, Kerr and Weisser
are eligible for the Glory Days Grill Young Bandit award in addition to
contending for the championship.
“Despite the wide variety of drivers in the series this year, I believe
our rules package and variety of tracks will create parity within the
series. I don’t believe we’ll see any driver break out of the pack and
dominate. I think we’ll have a very competitive season,” series
promoter Danny Wilson said.
The 2011 Steel Block Bandits season begins on March 26 at County Line
Raceway in North Carolina. In the coming days, the Steel Block Bandits
office will be issuing a press release on the schedule and various
tracks that will host Bandit races this year.
2011 Platinum Members
Drivers Name Hometown
Walker Arthur- Forest, Virginia
Kris Looney- Bridgewater, Virginia
Bruce Kane- Glen Burnie, Maryland
Joe Leavell- Waynesboro, Virginia
* Kyle Merkel - Gilbertsville, PA
Gerald Davis- Delray, West Virginia
Roy Clower- Romney, West Virginia
Mitch Miller- Winchester, Virginia
Wesley Bonebrake- Hagerstown, Maryland
Bo Feathers- Winchester, Virginia
Booper Bare- Rockbridge Baths, Virginia
R. E. Cubbage- Waynesboro, Virginia
* Trever Feathers- Winchester, Virginia
* Kyle Lear Severna- Park, Maryland
Scott Cross- Centerville. PA
Rick Singleton- Jamescreek, PA
Brad Omps- Winchester, Virginia
* Matt Housare- Clearville, PA
Sean Merkel- Pottstown, PA
* Matt Cosner- Cumberland, Maryland
Jonathon Dehaven- Winchester, Virginia
Bryan Bernheisel- Lebanon, PA
Billy Beachler- Franklin, West Virginia
* Tanner Kerr- Winchester, Virginia
Ryan Christoff- Canonsburg, PA
2011 Regular Members
Drivers Name Hometown
DJ Troutman- Hyndman, PA
Rick Hulson- Glen Burnie, Maryland
John Groome- Stuarts Draft, Virginia
* Drew Weisser- Reading, PA
Don Woodruff- Bunker Hill, West Virginia
* 2011 Glory Days Grill Young Bandits
http://www.steelblockbandits.com
Special thanks to the following: D&D Auto Recycling, Ernie D’s
Enterprises, Glory Days Grill, Bernheisel Race Components & Lazer
Chassis, WRT & Cliff Dove Motorsports Photography, Revolution Band,
Muddslinger Web Services, Walrus Signs & Embroidery, Hoosier,
Merkel Rebar, All About Doors, Crims Trailer Sales, Cecil B. Arthur
General Contractors, Cline Construction
Erica Miller
Marketing/PR/Special Event Coordinator
Steel Block Bandits
"The REAL men of Steel"
www.steelblockbandits.com
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