JACKSONVILLE, NC – Super Late Model racing is coming to New River All American Speedway on Saturday, June 1 – the first time Super Late Models have raced at New River since 2009.
New River joins a roster of prestigious tracks, such as Irwindale Speedway in California, Berlin Raceway in Michigan, Cleetus McFarland’s Freedom Factory in Florida, and South Alabama Speedway on the SRL National schedule. Some of the biggest names in short track racing, headlined by Bubba Pollard, have competed regularly in SRL National events.
“The fans have been wanting to see Super Late Model racing here at New River All American Speedway for years,” track operator Anthony Goodyear said. “We’re happy we can finally make that happen with SRL. Ricky Brooks is one of the most respected people in racing and we know his team will be professional and put on a great show.”
The last time Super Late Models competed at New River, then called Coastal Plains Raceway, was in 2009. Preston Peltier picked up the victory in the Pro All Stars Series-sanctioned event which included 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Ryan Blaney, Big Jim Kelley, Shelton McNair, Bradley McCaskill, Clay Jones, Jay Fogleman, and Ben Rowe, among others.
“It’s been a place that’s been non my radar for two years now and I think the Super Late Model community needs a place like New River on the schedule,” SRL National promoter Ricky Brooks said. “To my knowledge, nobody else is racing that weekend anywhere.”
New River All American Speedway is known most for its D-shaped configuration and its abrasive surface which maximizes tire degradation. Both aspects make the 4/10-mile semi-banked track in Onslow County a challenge for racers. Despite its unique configuration, New River is a wide track which gives competitors plenty of room to race.
“I like an abrasive surface because it puts it back in the driver’s seat instead of having a tire that keeps going and won’t give off,” Brooks explained. “The driver has to conserve and won’t run balls to the wall for 125 laps. You actually have to conserve a little bit. The Freedom Factory was kind of the same way, you had to know when to go and when not to go.”
The challenge the configuration of the track presents to racers is enhanced by not being on iRacing, NASCAR Racing 2003, or rFactor – the three primary racing simulator programs used mostly by younger racers. Brooks believes that, along with the series’ testing ban, will level the playing field for each team.
“It adds a lot of excitement because nobody can really prepare,” Brooks stated. “Everybody gets ti see it at one time. When we make the first laps of practice, everybody’s new to the same thing and it levels the playing field.”
The SRL National race on June 1, 2024 is part of an action packed schedule at New River All American Speedway, which is also playing host to the zMAX CARS Tour on March 23, SMART Modified Tour and USAC Eastern Midgets on August 30, and the Battle of the Stars on November 16.
New River All-American Speedway is Jacksonville’s Action Attraction featuring racing and other events. For more information about New River All-American Speedway, check out the speedway’s website, like/follow “New River Speedway” on Facebook, follow @newriverswy on X (formerly known as Twitter), or follow the track on Instagram.
