Defending series champion Allison leads standings heading into Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – The Late Model Truck Series is ready to “double down” with its second race of the year at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

The series is set for a 35-lap Campout Late Model Truck Series race presented by Richmond Gear at Pack the Track Night presented by K&N Air Filters at the 3/8-mile paved oval. It will be part of a nine-race schedule, and LMTS drivers will participate in an autograph session on the track at 6 p.m. Pacific Time before racing begins.

“The Bullring is our home track, and we’re excited to be back for another big-time race,” series co-manager Mike Riefler said. “We have a great field for this weekend’s race, and Gary Wyatt and I can’t wait to see who battles for the checkered flag. We’ve had an exciting season so far with three different winners, and it’s going to be a heck of a race in Las Vegas!”

 

Defending series champion Mark Allison leads the 2019 points standings by 15 points, 182-167, over John Nahoopi of Hereford, Ariz., with Mike McKearn (146 points), Bill Black (128) and Andrew Porter (112) rounding out the top five. This weekend’s talented field will include multi-sport athlete and TV reality star Matt Jaskol, a Las Vegas native.

Jaskol is best known for being a cast member on the ABC show “Castaways” and also has worked in the film industry as a stuntman. Jaskol is a LMTS veteran, having raced in the series when it was known as the ASA Speed Trucks Series and winning the series title in 2005.

He also has raced in the Formula BMW Series, Skip Barber National Championship Series and the World Karting Association Series. Jaskol’s last Bullring appearance came in 2008, when he won the 20^th annual Fall Classic’s Open Comp NASCAR Super Late Model race.

This weekend’s race is the fourth of seven LMTS events scheduled for 2019, and the season will culminate on Championship Night at The Bullring at LVMS on Nov. 23. The LMTS also will visit The Speedway at Willow Springs in Rosamond, Calif., and Havasu 95 Speedway in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., this fall.

The region’s truck racing lineage dates back to the Speed Truck Series that originated in 1997 under the American Speed Association (ASA). MechanixWear gloves and Go Fast! energy drinks sponsored the class throughout the years, and the trucks raced at up to 10 different tracks in California, Arizona and Nevada before the ASA disbanded in 2013.

The series trucks feature a full-tube chassis, a 330-horsepower sealed V-8 spec engine and two-speed direct-drive transmission, with a clutch pedal dump valve, coupled to an aluminum quick-change rear end. The trucks sport replica fiberglass bodies of the Chevrolet S-10, Chevrolet Colorado, Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma.

Series partners include the On Wheels Now online radio show – the longest-running motorsports radio show in Las Vegas – Melling Performance Racing, The Bomber Nation, KO Mechanical Services, Gary’s Trailer Repair, Nevada Pic-A-Part, The “Racer’s Rewards” Contingency Connection, Richmond Gear, Campout, ReliableBanner.com and Bearing King AZ.

Remaining 2019 Late Model Truck Series schedule

Aug. 31             The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway           Las Vegas
Oct. 12              The Speedway at Willow Springs                            Rosamond, Calif.
Nov. 2               Havasu 95 Speedway                                                 Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Championship Night
Nov. 23             The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway           Las Vegas

2019 Late Model Truck Series points standings
(Through June 29 races)

1. Mark Allison 182 points; 2. John Nahoopi 167; 3. Mike McKearn 146; 4. Bill Black 128; 5. Andrew Porter 112; 6. Gary Wyatt 107; 7. Mike Riefler 95; 8. Pat Petrie 85; 9. Lee Keach 65; 10. Matt Daly 59; 11. Aaron McMorran 56; 12. Richard Bogart 50; 13. Cindy Clark 48; 14. (tie) Kenny Smith and Dow Woerner 46; 16. Sean Davis 45.