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Still Red Hot: Josh Richards Gets His Sixth Win at Hagerstown Speedway

SHINNSTON, WV – Josh Richards is threatening to match his 2008 win total before the '09 season barely rolls into spring.

A winner of a career–high 11 features last year, the sensational young driver from Shinnston, W.Va., already has six triumphs on his 2009 scorecard after capturing Saturday afternoon's 30–lap dirt Late Model season opener at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway.

"It's just been an awesome year so far," Josh said after backing up his amazing five–win February in Florida with a checkered flag in his first northern start of the season. "Every time I think about how this season has started, I just can't believe it. Hopefully we can keep it up."

Driving the Ernie and Connie Davis–owned Ernie D's Enterprises/Tim Fraker Signs Cornett/Rocket No. 25 for the first time since he won three races in a 24–hour span on Feb. 5–6 at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., Josh was unbeatable on an unseasonably warm March day at Hagerstown. He swept the program, winning his heat race and roaring off the pole position to lead the feature from flag–to–flag without a serious challenge.

"We lucked out with the draw (for heat position)," said Josh, who survived several caution flags en route to crossing the finish line with a commanding 5.94–second advantage over Frankie Plessinger. "We started the heat from the outside pole and won it to get the pole for the feature – and that was where you wanted to be.

"Even though we started from the pole, the car was still phenomenal. I never even had to run it to its full potential all day."

Josh, who turns 21 on March 22, earned $2,000 for his third career win at Hagerstown, a half–mile oval at which he ran the second dirt Late Model race of his career as a 15–year–old early in the 2004 season. The victory earned him a guaranteed starting spot in the 100–lap dirt Late Model portion of Hagerstown's 22nd annual Octoberfest 350 on Oct. 24–25.

"All the credit for this win goes to Joe Pingleton," said Josh, singling out the chief mechanic of the Ernie D's Enterprises No. 25 that he runs in selected events. "He worked his butt off for the past month to get this car ready after East Bay."

Josh will return to the seat of his familiar Mark Richards Racing–owned Seubert Calf Ranches/Ace Metal Works/TSR–Tony Stewart Racing/Petroff Towing/MCB Motorsports/Ernie D's Enterprises/Cornett Racing Engines Rocket Chassis No. 1 this weekend (March 13–14) for a World of Outlaws Late Model Series doubleheader at Deep South Speedway in Loxley, Ala. After a practice night on Thursday (March 12), the two–day spectacular includes a 40–lap/$7,000–to–win A–Main on Friday and a 60–lap/$12,000–to–win show on Saturday.

With a victory in the WoO LMS season opener on Feb. 12 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., already under his belt, Josh enters the Deep South weekend second in the tour's points standings, just six points behind Steve Francis.

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com.