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Josh Richards Closes VAULT World Finals With Victory, Second-Place Finish In 2008 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Points Standings

SHINNSTON, WV – Josh Richards ended the 2008 World of Outlaws Late Model Series campaign on a very high note.

The 20–year–old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va., won last Saturday night's 50–lap VAULT World Finals A–Main at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., and clinched a career–high second–place finish in the WoO LMS points standings in the process.

Josh was ecstatic after the event, which concluded four consecutive nights of competition at the four–tenths–mile oval. His $10,150 victory gave him six WoO LMS wins in 2008 – tying him with Steve Francis for the tour lead in that department – and came in front of a packed grandstand and a national television audience on SPEED.

"This is definitely my biggest win ever," said Josh. "To win a race like this, on live T.V. and in front of all these people, is just awesome."

Josh worked hard to gain Saturday's spotlight. He advanced from the eighth starting in his Mark Richards Racing–owned Seubert Calf Ranches/Ace Metal Works/TSR–Tony Stewart Racing/Petroff Towing/MCB Motorsports/Ernie's Auto & Hauling Rocket Chassis No. 1 to take the lead from Earl Pearson Jr. on lap 36 and then held off a final–lap challenge from the Jacksonville, Fla., driver.

The triumph came behind the wheel of a car that he had last driven in his WoO LMS victory on Oct. 7 at Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway – and will never drive again.

"We've already sold this car to Duke Whiseant," said Josh. "I hate to give it up, but we're gonna build some new cars for next year."

Josh entered the season–ending WoO LMS meet sitting fourth in the points standings, trailing second–place Steve Francis by 26 points and third–place Shane Clanton by 20 points. He leap–frogged both drivers in Friday night's 50–lap VAULT World Finals A–Main despite starting and finishing 10th, thanks to the DNFs suffered by both Francis and Clanton.

The week started off strong for Josh in Wednesday night's postponed Armour Vienna Sausage Showdown, which offered only WoO LMS show–up points to all entrants. In the first–ever WoO LMS event run 'topless,' Josh registered his fifth fast time on the tour in '08 (14.955 seconds), won a heat and finished sixth in the feature after losing fifth to Clanton with five laps remaining.

Josh was steady in Thursday night's World Finals qualifying, clocking eighth–fastest in the Round 1 time trials and 14th in Round 2. At the end of the night, meanwhile, he lost to Don O'Neal in the final round of the 'Breaking the VAULT' dashes.

Josh will climb behind the wheel of Ernie Davis's Rocket No. 25 this weekend (Nov. 8–9) for the 100–lap/$10,000–to–win dirt Late Model portion of the postponed Octoberfest 350 at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway.

J.R.R. – PR.