Super Bowl of Racing 2005 venue announced

GM Crate Engine Late Models To Take Center Stage During "Super Bowl of Racing 2005" at Golden Isles Speedway
.....3 Straight Nights of Action With Lucrative Purse Payouts Set for February 3rd, 4th and 5th

(Brunswick, GA -- December 7, 2004) The 2005 racing debut of the new General Motors Crate Engine Late Model division will take center stage with three nights of feature racing during the "Super Bowl of Racing 2005" at Golden Isles Speedway in February. As part of the first stock car racing action of the 2005 season kicking off SpeedWeeks, the economy designed GM Crate Engine powered division will join the nation's leading super late model drivers and four other racing divisions in the special event at the legendary five-eighths speedway in Coastal Georgia.

The General Motors Crate Engine effort to place emphasis on cost-saving competition for local and regional racing has taken a strong hold in stock car racing circles across the nation on both dirt and asphalt venues. The GM Crate Engine class schedule will feature a pair of 25 lap $2,000 to win main events on Thursday and Friday (February 3rd & 4th) and a $3,000 to win 30-lap feature on Saturday (February 5th).

Golden Isles Speedway owner Frankie Lloyd knows what it's like to budget for a race team as he has fielded racecars for numerous drivers, including his sons for nearly two decades. Lloyd recently announced the addition of the GM Crate Engine class with strong payouts and incentives for the competitors who will be on hand for the special trio of events at the lightning fast track near Brunswick, Georgia.

Golden Isles Speedway will team up with the General Motors Crate Engine Late Models and Hardy Chevrolet (Dallas, GA and Gainesville, GA) in presenting the 2005 debut of the innovative Crate Engine Late Model class. Sponsorship from Mike Vaughn's Auto Exchange of Cartersville, Georgia will aid the growth of this new economy class division's opening events at Golden Isles Speedway and then throughout the anticipated explosive growth of the division across the country. In addition to the lucrative purse payouts for the Crate Engine Late Models, the driver with the highest average finishing position over the three nights will receive a $1,000.00 bonus compliments of north Georgia homebuilder Temples Construction and Mike Vaughn's Auto Exchange. Hardy Chevrolet will present a brand new GM Crate Engine to one of the top ten points finishers from the three nights of racing to be determined by a random draw after the final night of racing from among the top-ten points competitors.

"Everyone involved with these special events at Golden Isles Speedway and the racers from across the area really appreciate the effort put forth by Mike Vaughn in putting together the Crate Engine late model portion of the show," noted Frankie Lloyd on the upcoming February events. "It's very important to take care of the racers and the race team owners and provide them with an affordable manner and place to compete, I know, I have owned racecars for over twenty years now," Lloyd continued. "Charles Hardy and the Hardy Chevrolet folks are really behind this event and we are going to help them in any way that we can. It is an important event for General Motors and Chevrolet in making sure that their Crate Engine program is managed and promoted in a proper business fashion at race tracks and events across the nation and we are behind there efforts one hundred percent."

Several of the nation's most respected short track aces from the past several decades are spearheading the new surge of economy racing in the GM Crate Engine class. As part of the launch for the 2005 debut of the GM Crate Engine division former NASCAR Cup and Busch Grand National star Jeff Purvis will suit up and compete in the GM Crate Engine events at Golden Isles Speedway. Purvis, who resides in Clarksville, TN, is a former champion of the NDRA (National Dirt Racing Association) and former 3-time Champion of the famed "World 100" at Eldora Speedway. In addition to his many other major victories and titles prior to his success on NASCAR's superspeedways, Purvis also championed the long-running Southern All-Stars (SAS) Series. Joining Purvis in the push to bring affordable, yet competitive late model racing back to the forefront will be former 2-time Dirt Track World Champion Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN. Johnson, known across the racing world as the "Chattanooga Flash" is also a former multi-time SAS title winner. Another leading force who will join Purvis and Johnson behind the wheel in the growth of the GM Crate Engine push is Mike Head of Ellenwood, GA. Head, who has also claimed SAS championships among his many titles and wins over the years has long been known as one of the most tenacious short-track racers in America.

"It speaks volumes about the efforts that General Motors is putting forth to insure cost-effective competition when all-star drivers like Jeff Purvis, Ronnie Johnson and Mike Head get behind a program like this Crate Engine development that General Motors is offering racers across the nation," notes automotive businessman Mike Vaughn from the Atlanta, GA metro area. "I am really glad to be involved in this program and especially grateful for Frankie Lloyd and the folks at Golden Isles Speedway for hosting this special week of racing."

With the experience, leadership and guidance from the trio of well-respected and proven veterans such as Purvis, Johnson and Head a revitalizing breath of excitement is on the horizon for local and regional late model racers and the survival of their type of racing. The cost of racing engines for late model and limited late model divisions of local and regional racing has taken its toll on car counts at local track during the past decade. Now, with an economical and reliable crate engine program with the proven results that have been delivered by global leader General Motors, track promoters see a positive outlook for the divisions existence and growth.

"The GM Crate Engine will provide long term and lasting benefits for everyone involved in short-track racing and its something that has been needed for a while in order to help racers and track owners survive," Vaughn noted. "Charles Hardy and his family at Hardy Chevrolet have been major advocates of stock car racing and have worked with some of the biggest names in the racing business. We really appreciate Hardy Chevrolet's support and the technology of General Motors in this venture."

When the roar of high horsepower stock cars will return to Coastal Georgia in February to officially open the motorsports season leading into SpeedWeeks when Golden Isles Speedway hosts the "Super Bowl of Racing 2005". The special three straight nights of racing will feature a trio of $10,000 to win Super Late Model nationally sanctioned events on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (February 3rd, 4th, and 5th). These season opening events on the American stock car racing scene will serve as the first sanctioned events on the 2005 super late model dirt racing campaign.

Golden Isles Speedway has been the site of numerous historical battles in the world of short track stock car racing for many years. The legends that have conquered the lightning fast 5/8 mile reach back into the decade of the 1960's and includes the likes of Tiny Lund then in more recent years champions such as Freddy Smith, Ronnie Johnson, Earl Pearson Jr., Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Skip Arp, Rick Eckert, Steve Francis and others who will return to Golden Isles Speedway in February for the "Super Bowl of Racing 2005".

Jacksonville, Florida business owner Frankie Lloyd recently purchased the legendary fastest track in the south outright from former owners and promoters and is now ready to use the venue as the annual launching pad for each season's trek toward Florida SpeedWeeks. Lloyd is a longtime race team owner and supporter of short track auto racing in the Southeast, particularly throughout Florida and Georgia. Golden Isles Speedway is located just outside of Brunswick, Georgia and very proximate to the vacation beach spots of Coastal Georgia, including Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island.

"The response to our February schedule has been very positive," says Lloyd while working at his new racetrack during the holiday weekend. "Drivers and team owners have been calling from all over the country and from all indications we are going to have a very large field of cars in all of our classes. All of the big names in the super late model division are coming for our three nights of racing and we have added the General Motors Crate Engine late models for each night also with some help and thoughtful planning from some key folks behind the GM Crate Engine program and several other key players in the racing industry."

Lloyd has made tremendous strides with facility improvement and working in a cooperative manner local and area businesses and tourism officials in order to strengthen the exposure of the events and the huge field of cars and traveling race fans who will flock into the Brunswick, Georgia area for the annual season opening events each racing season. Lloyd, along with his wife Jackie, and the entire family and staff are very optimistic and excited about hosting the special week of racing to kick off 2005. Officials expect several hundred racecars from across America to be on hand for the three straight nights of high profile racing action in the special event being billed as the "Super Bowl of Racing 2005".

During the 2004 touring season Jacksonville, Florida native Earl Pearson, Jr. claimed the National Championship of the Stacker 2 Xtreme Dirt Car Series. Pearson has had some big wins at Golden Isles Speedway during his aspiring career toward a national title and will begin his 2005 defense of his championship during the SuperBowl of Racing action. The action-packed mini-week of racing will feature the nation's top-rated super late model racers on dirt in three straight nights of individual features that offering over $150,000 in posted purse and awards. $10,000 will go to the winners in Thursday and Friday nights' (February 3rd and 4th) super late model main events. Then on Saturday night the late model main event will feature another $10,000 to win 60 lap feature.

All of the biggest names in Dirt Late Model racing from across the nation have given their approval to the 3 big nights of racing at Golden Isles Speedway in February and committed to compete in each night of action. For updates, event scheduling and detailed information, including advance entry forms, reserved grandstand seating tickets and reserved motor home parking for the upcoming events check out the official web site of Golden Isles Speedway on the Internet at www.goldenislesspeedway.com or by calling the track at (912) 778-3767.

Other support divisions for the special week of racing will include the Hobby Stock division racing action each night plus Open Wheel Modifieds on Thursday; Limited Sportsman cars on Friday; and the Super Street class on Saturday. On Wednesday, February 2nd Golden Isles Speedway will host an Open Practice and Media Day to kick off the special week of racing. In addition to the Open Practice time on the racetrack for the competitors a special Low Country Boil and Oyster Roast will take place for race team members, media members and fans. Golden Isles Speedway is located 12 miles west of Interstate 95 on U.S. Highway 82, just west of Brunswick and Jekyll Island, Georgia. E-mail requests for advanced reserved grandstand seating and motor home parking locations should be forwarded to GIS@goldenislesspeedway.com.

Lloyd and his staff have made dramatic improvements to the racing surface at the high speed five-eighths mile track which included widening of the racing grooves and extending turns one and two back to their original design of years past when racers could carry tremendous speeds through the south end of the speedway. The changes of the track will offer the most daring drivers a shot at the old track record for super late models on the old configuration of the track which was established by Scott Bloomquist in 1993 when he roared around the 5/8's mile at 16.246 seconds, which equates to an average speed of 138.495 mph. The speeds that the super late models attain at Golden Isles Speedway makes it simply the fastest short track in America as drivers have been clocked by radar at the end of the backstretch at speeds in excess of 155 mph. The recent work on the track's surface will enable drivers to work higher up the banking through the first two turns and carry more momentum around the track.

Outside of the race track Lloyd and his crew have installed electricity and water hookups for motorhomes in a reserved area and have added a modern scoreboard tower and scoring pylon with other noticeable facility upgrades and improvements throughout the Golden Isles Speedway grounds. The schedule of events for the "Super Bowl of Racing 2005" will see Pit Gates open at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 2nd for the Open Practice Day. Pit gates will open at Noon on Thursday, Friday and Saturday February 3rd, 4th and 5th, with Infield Gates opening at 2 p.m. each day and Grandstand gates opening at 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday (February 3rd and 4th) then 3 p.m. on Saturday (February 5th). Advanced Reserved Grandstand Seats are available, as are Reserved Motorhome Parking spaces with hookups by calling the Golden Isles Speedway office at (912) 778-3767. All event information is available on the official website of Golden Isles Speedway at www.goldenislesspeedway.com.

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