Joey Pederson has had as much success at River Cities Speedway recently as any late model driver.
He’s had three wins this season, and his down-to-the wire feature wins against Brad Seng, Mike Balcaen and Dustin Strand have been some of the best races of the summer at the bullring.
But reality sets in this week for Pederson and the rest of the RCS late model drivers.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series will race Friday night at RCS - a circuit that produces some of the country’s drivers. It may not take a miracle for a local driver to win the WoO LMS 50-lap feature worth $10,000, but a win from an RCS regular will require some extraordinary luck.
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“Those guys race for a living and they’re the best in the country without a doubt,” said Pederson. “They need to be the best because they make a living by racing.”
Approximately 30 late models will race in the WoO LMS show. Roughly half will be RCS regulars and regional drivers.
The Outlaws usually have the best equipment possible in late model racing but the locals - especially at RCS - may have some advantages
“We’re down a couple hundred horsepower from those guys,” said Pederson. “But RCS, being the small bullring that it is, may give us the best chance we have against those guys.”
The quirky quarter-mile bullring at RCS may reduce the Outlaws’ advantage in horsepower. However, the RCS locals have not seriously challenged for a WoO LMS win since the circuit began racing in Grand Forks.
Still, the night will be fun for Pederson.
“You have to put everything in perspective,” he said. “Sure, you’d like to be able to compete with them. But the reality of it is the locals just aren’t at that caliber. But I welcome the opportunity to run against them.”
Last year’s WoO LMS event at RCS was rained out.
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In 2012, Darrell Lanigan won the event, edging Clint Smith by 0.024 of a second. Seng was the top local finisher, crossing the flag stand in 12th.
Pederson, meanwhile, was the top local qualifier two years ago at 12.653 seconds. He was 14th in qualifying. Shane Clanton was the top qualifier at 12.121 seconds.
The Outlaws are in the midst of their Wild West Tour, which kicked off last week in Hibbing, Minn. They raced in Aberdeen, S.D., on Tuesday night and conclude their western swing at RCS.
Lanigan, who won the inaugural WoO LMS race at RCS, leads the series with eight wins and 17 top-five finishes. The Union, Ky., driver has earned $150,500 so far this season and has a 200-point advantage on Rick Eckert.
“It definitely raises everything to a new level when those guys come here,” said Pederson.
That’s the challenge for a local driver, to see how he stacks up against the best in the country.
“Sure, you’d like to win and be competitive with those guys,” said Pederson. “For any local, that 10th to 12th place is probably the best you’ll see him do. But anything out here can happen. Nothing is guaranteed.
“After the weekend is done, you hopefully can go away and say you learned something hanging out with those guys.”
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Friday’s races
Who: World of Outlaws Late Model Series.
When: River Cities Speedway, hot laps 6:30 p.m.; qualifying 7 p.m.
Tickets: Adults $30 general admission ($28 in advance); Children (7-12) $15; 6-and-under free.
Classes: World of Outlaws Late Models, sprints, WISSOTA A modifieds.
Of note: Darrell Lanigan won the 2012 WoO LMS event at RCS; last year’s race was rained out.
