Kid Rocket Headed To Chili Bowl; ’07 Late Model Season Set
By Doc Lehman

SHINNSTON, WV (Jan. 5, 2006)- Josh ‘Kid Rocket’ Richards is preparing for his second trip to the famed Chili Bowl in Tulsa, OK this coming week in addition to preparing for an ultra-busy dirt Late Model schedule for 2007 as Kid Rocket and his team put the finishing touches on his Mark Richards Racing owned Seubert Calf Ranches, Ace Metal Works, Petroff Towing, MCB Motorsports, Cornett Lightning, Rocket Chassis, TSR-Tony Stewart Racing #1.

Kid Rocket will compete for the second year in the 21st Annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl Nationals set to fire off at Tulsa Expo Raceway next week January 9-13 at the Tulsa Expo Raceway where he will be one of four drivers representing Tony Stewart Motorsports. In addition to Kid Rocket, other drivers for the team include Tony Stewart, Levi Jones and Tracy Hines.

Kid Rocket will be fielding the Tony Stewart Motorsports / Spike / Chevy by Hawk / Chevrolet, Bass Pro, Hoosier, Weld, Mac Tools #20R Midget.

“I feel pretty good about it,” understated the 18-year-old driver. “I already know what to expect after going out there last year. We’ll be in some good equipment and we hope to put it to good use.”

Kid Rocket also acknowledged that being a part of Tony Stewart Motorsports has helped propel his learning curve in the Midgets. “I think it’s accelerated a lot already,” stated Kid Rocket. “Like when I started in the Late Model I started in good stuff and now to be able to go back out there in a Midget with all good stuff I think it will just help that much more.”

Kid Rocket spent a day in Indianapolis late last week getting his seat fitted and giving the #20R the once over.

Kid Rocket will also be competing full time on the 360 OTC World of Outlaws Late Model Series in 2007 in addition to a full slate of other special dirt Late Model events.

Forty-eight confirmed events make up the busy ’07 World of Outlaws Late Models schedule, which commences with $10,000-to-win 50-lap A-Mains on Feb. 15 and 17 during the DIRTcar Nationals Presented By Mopar Speed Shop at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL.

“I’ve been ready to go for awhile,” responded Kid Rocket upon being asked about his upcoming ’07 360 OTC World of Outlaws Late Model Series season. “We have a lot of races this year, I think we have something like a total 71 races on our schedule so we’ll be busy.”

Kid Rocket is also appreciative of his returning sponsors for 2007.

“(Mike) Seubert and Seubert Calf Ranches has been helping me and behind me since I started the first year,” said Kid Rocket. “He’s been great. Ace Metal Works, this will be the third year for them and they have been awesome too.”

Two new additions to the sponsor list have been added for 2007: Petroff Towing and Tony Stewart Motorsports. “Petroff helped us out a good bit last year and will be helping us out this year,” confirmed Kid Rocket. “Tony has been helping us out wherever he can to help us get one step farther and I’m happy to have both of them on our car.”

In addition to his incredible schedule of races he will be competing in this season Kid Rocket will also return to a role he became familiar with last year: serving as Tony Stewart’s crew chief at dirt Late Model races Stewart competes in.

“Last year I think we did five races and it was definitely pretty cool,” stated Kid Rocket. “He won The Prelude at Eldora. It was pretty cool to be on the other side of the fence and get everything ready to race instead of being behind the wheel.”

So does Tony Stewart listen to his dirt Late Model crew chief? “Oh yeah! He listens (laughs)!” responded Kid Rocket. “I feel like we can communicate well and we both feel the same things in the car and that helps a lot.”

When he looks ahead to the 2007 season and asked what his gut feeling is for the year ahead, he answers quickly. “I think it will be a good year. After we got our momentum built back up last year I think it will carry on and well have a good year and I hope to make a title run.”

For more information on Josh ‘Kid Rocket’ Richards visit his website at: www.joshrichards.com 

JOSH ‘KID ROCKET’ RICHARDS would like to acknowledge the support of his many fine sponsors for the 2007 racing season:

Seubert Calf Ranches, Ace Metal Works, Petroff Towing, MCB Motorsports, Cornett Lightning, Rocket Chassis, TSR-Tony Stewart Racing, Hoosier, Brodix, Braswell, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazel Oil, Ohlins Shocks, Fram/Autolite, Valvoline, Simpson, Dohm Cycles, MSD, Woodward, Trick, Farr Motorsports, US Brake, Scott, Butlerbuilt
CV Products, Frankland, Weld, TWM, Dyer Rods, Port City Racing, Brinn Transmissions, Slavic Group, Performance Bodies, Outerwears, Banshee Graphics, AFCO, Ringer Gloves, Aurora