Chubzilla ‘Hard Charges’ North Carolina

Chubzilla ‘Hard Charges’ North Carolina

Photos By Rick Schwallie

April 25, 2006

By Doc Lehman

Bear Lake, PA --- This past weekend Chub ‘Chubzilla’ Frank headed south for the inaugural Circle K Colossal 100 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway. Chubzilla competed during the weekend in North Carolina driving his Lester Buildings, Corry Rubber, All Star Performance, Corry Laser, Slavic Corporation, Farr MotorSports, Lake Shore Paving, Custom Race Engines, Rocket Chassis #1*.

On Friday evening Chubzilla finished fourth in his heat race that relegated him to the second B Main where he finished sixth. Starting the main event in the 32nd position Chubzilla marched forward like Godzilla going through Tokyo and eventually bounced and bopped his way to a very impressive fifth place finish in the final run down.

Chubzilla reflected on his weekend.

“I don’t know where to start,” stated Chubzilla. “It worked out for us I guess but the weekend was still a disaster because the car is just completely destroyed from the race track conditions they have down there at Charlotte. I’ve never been anywhere where they want the track to be rough I guess. They have some strange scoring rules too.”

“They told us at the driver’s meeting basically it was like the World of Outlaws deal, leader plus one or whatever. If you go by the flag stand that counts and everybody else goes back a lap. I have never been anywhere, and this happened three or four times to me, that does this. They scored it like (Nextel) Cup, like in the B Main I was running third and they threw the green. I got into turn one and they threw the yellow and we never made a lap, only a quarter of lap. So you thought the line up would be the same but no, I went from third to six and it happened like three different times during the weekend they did that.”

“It was like they had scoring loops all around the race track and where you passed it that is where you were scored. I just never saw anything like it. As far as I m concerned for whatever millions of dollars they spent they shouldn’t be in dirt racing that’s for sure.”

“If I was a fan I’d be mad as hell if I paid $50 to get in and watch a 100 laps of racing and we ran maybe 15 or 20 laps of racing. The rest of the time we rode around there trying to not fall out because the racetrack was destroying the car. So the fans didn’t get to see a good race. I don’t know what they’re thinking on this deal. If they think that was racing, I didn’t see any side by side stuff up front.”

“If they would have had a smooth racetrack we would have raced all over it and the fans would have seen a good race instead of whatever they called that. I don’t call it a good race.”

Chubzilla also stressed the point that his reaction and opinion would be identical even if he had won the race.

“I already told a news outlet it didn’t make any difference if I would have won or not,” commented Chubzilla. “If it was $50,000 or $100,000 to win it would have been the same thing and I would say the same thing. It’s a good thing we didn’t win because I would have told them this when they did the on track interview and it probably wouldn’t have gone over very well but it’s just ridiculous for the fans to watch that. I have a lot of friends who have either raced or been around racing along time and that wasn’t racing to them to watch cars go flying through the air. I can’t believe no one got hurt or the liability on that. It was a joke. We got a lot of torn up equipment. So did a lot of others.”

“It’s too bad. It’s not Randy’s (Grove) fault who does the racetrack, he knows how to make a racetrack smooth but his hands are tied because that’s what whoever runs that deal controls that. It’s just not right. I don’t know what they’re thinking.”

“I'll tell you what their mentality was that at the driver’s meeting they said if you guys have trouble on the track and have an altercation we’ll pay you an extra $100 to get out on the track and fight. But if you fight in the pits we’ll have you arrested and send you out of here.”

“We’ve been told by the sanctions and promoters for how many years now that fighting is unethical and drivers will be penalized for it. But I understand what they’re thinking, it sells tickets I’m sure. I can understand someone actually getting out of the race car madder than hell and rolling around on the ground, I can see myself doing that, but when they tell you they will pay you to do that, that’s a different story.”

“I was going to look for the promoter after the race to see how much he gave (Ronnie) DeHaven for flipping his race car right in front of the grandstands because he must have put on a hell of show and that must have been worth a couple hundred bucks at least. That’s their mentality. They don’t give a crap about Late Model racing or any kind of dirt racing. I don’t know what they care about. They do have a beautiful facility and they have a good surface but all they have to do is work it. They have good clay they won’t let Randy do his job. They make him do what they want. I’m not blaming Randy, he is just doing what he is told to do.”

There was also a Lester Buildings display with the ChubZilla/Slavic Merchandise trailer all day Friday and Saturday with a Chubzilla/Lester Buildings show car on display. Chubzilla signed autographs for over four hours on Saturday.

Chubzilla will also be appearing on the radio on Monday. Chubzilla returns to the Dirt Nation™ presented by Lucas Oil radio show on Monday May 1. The show airs from 8:00 – 10:00 PM EST and can be accessed at: www.racetalklive.com and for more information: www.dirtnation.net

This weekend Chubzilla will head to Frank Plessinger’s Hagerstown Speedway, Hagerstown, Maryland on Saturday, May 27 for the 59th Anniversary show that will be sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and pay $10,000 to the winner.

Up next on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series tour is a pair of Ohio dirt track racing venues will host the premiere dirt Late Model racing series. Brushcreek Motorsports Complex in Pebbles, Ohio and Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio welcome the stars and cars of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6 respectively. Both events offer $10,000 to the winner from the posted $45,000 purse.

Certainly having one of the most unique layouts in dirt track racing Brushcreek Motorsports Complex features a high-banked 3/8ths mile clay tri-oval described as ‘Wicked Fast’. The $10,000 to win ‘Barry’s Chevrolet-Buick, Inc. 50’ will mark the second appearance by the World of Outlaws Late Model Series to Brushcreek Motorsports Complex.

Following the Brushcreek Motorsports Complex event the World of Outlaws Late Model Series travels to Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio for the May 6 $10,000 to win ‘Buckeye Classic 50’. The national event marks the first ever appearance of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series to the semi-banked 3/8ths mile dirt oval. Besides the strong contingent of national stars the World of Outlaws Late Model Series brings to Wayne County Speedway a strong contingent of regional and independent dirt Late Model stars are expected in addition to the strong field of Wayne County Speedway regulars that will be defending their turf.

“It’s been a great racetrack for us,” stated Chub Frank of Bear Lake, PA, a driver with the World of Outlaws Late Models Series who drives the Lester Buildings/Corry Rubber/All Star Performance No. 1* Chub Frank Racing Rocket Chassis/Custom Race Engines/Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Known as ‘Chubzilla’, Frank has won races at Wayne County Speedway sanctioned by STARS, Renegade, Hav-A-Tampa, UDTRA & MACS. “The last three or four big races we’ve won there. Hopefully the racetrack is the same but I have a feeling it will be a little bit different from what we’ve been running there.”

Fans are encouraged to seek out the Chubzilla souvenir trailer and check out the all-new merchandise as well as take advantage of the huge clearance sale on previously released merchandise. The ‘Movin’ The Blue’ clearance sale is now on and all merchandise with the blue color graphics scheme are now available at rock bottom prices at the Chubzilla Souvenir Trailer and the Chub Frank website at: www.chubfrank.com

Additionally, pre-orders will be taken at the Chubzilla souvenir trailer this weekend and at the upcoming Colossal 100 race at the Dirt Track at Lowe’s later this month for the all-new Chubzilla/Lester Buildings ADC diecast car(s) that will be available in late summer.

Prepared by Lehman Motorsports Services

For more information on Lester Buildings visit: www.lesterbuildings.com

Chub Frank Racing

Rt.1 Box 146

Lottsville Niobe Rd.

Bear Lake, PA 16402