|
Pictures on this site are the sole property of Max Force Racing, Tommy Praytor and Thomas Praytor. Pictures may be used with the free license CC-BY-SA 4.0. |
|
|
|
|
|
Click Here for Copy of Fan Guide
Thomas ARCA Stats Racing Reference
Racing for
2021 Photo Gallery Tommy Praytor Photo's Links to Alabama Tracks
|
2015 Race Recaps & Stories
Team DK-LOK Collects Hardware at ARCA Banquet The Performance Racing Industry Show in Indianapolis was the perfect warm up act for the Annual ARCA Series presented by Menards Championship Banquet on Saturday night. The PRI Show is over a million square feet and offers something for every racer from local Saturday night to Sprint Cup. After days of shopping for race parts teams were looking forward to collecting some hardware along with points fund checks to help pay for them. In addition to parts, PRI is as close as you’ll get to a racing convention in the United States and the night life can be as harrowing as being three wide at Salem Speedway. “We had a great show, most of our suppliers were at the show and we were able to see them face to face which is really hard to do during the race season. We have so many people that have helped and are still helping it’s hard to make an aisle without stopping to catch up,” offered Thomas “Moose” Praytor. “It’s amazing how many of our late model suppliers are still keeping up with us, it really makes you feel good that folks still care even when you are not buying from them anymore.” After three days on the trade show floor the bulk of the DK-LOK Team including crew chief Adam Lowe and the majority of the UNOH Over The Wall Gang traded in their shopping clothes for formal wear and the ARCA Championship Banquet. After a video introduction the Moose took to the banquet stage thanking DK-LOK and his team, turning his humor towards roasting some ARCA officials and car owners including his own. To see a rough video of the speech click on the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIxWysSK9p4&feature=youtu.be “We were down and out so many time this year it just never would seem like the bad luck would stop. Our whole team kept digging and not only did we finish the year, our DK-LOK was strong at the end.” The ARCA banquet closes the books on the 2015 ARCA Season.
Banquet Week Praytor/DK-LOK Lead ARCA Series in Finishes The ARCA Series presented by Menards will hand out checks, trophies and awards on Saturday night in Indianapolis for the 2015 Season. Thomas “Moose” Praytor and his Mobile, Alabama based family owned team put their DK-LOK Ford 8th in the Championship Standings and will figure prominently in this year’s awards. As a first year team, the first objective is to make the first race, the second accomplishment is finishing the race. In 2015 no other ARCA driver completed more races than Praytor and his DK-LOK Ford. Of the 20 events Praytor was running at the finish in all of them except for Pocono. “This time last year we had one car and no motors. To think we built a race team and not only made all the races but finished all but one that’s incredible,” said Praytor. “Our DK-LOK team fought all year against adversity and overcame at every race. Our guys just had a never say die attitude that kept us going. You have to hand it to Roush Yates Engines because we put those engines through a lot and they never let us down.” In addition to an 8th place finish in the Championship standings, the DK-LOK team compiled an impressive list of accomplishments in 2015. S&S Volvo Laps Completed “Long Haul” Award – 4th Fast Track High Performance Award – 7th Calypso Lemonades Short Track Challenge – 8th Cometic Crew Chief of the Year –Adam Lowe – 8th Racing Electronics Lightning Challenge – 12th Bill France Four Crown Award – 15th Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge – 16th “There are so many people to thank for helping us accomplish what we did in 2015. Bob Slaughter and the guys at DK-LOK took a big step up to allow us to compete the full season. Our UNOH kids led by Adam Lowe were awesome and all the folks in Mobile that believe in what we’re doing, it has been a big honor for me to drive the car.” The Performance Racing Industry’s Show begins on Thursday wrapping up on Saturday in time for the ARCA Championship banquet Saturday night. Pictures courtesy of Short Track Spotlight
Join the Moose and Pinkie for Lunch Friday The Gulf Coast Celebration of Racing continues Friday as the Moose, Thomas Praytor, the DK-LOK Hauler and the Chassis nicknamed ‘Pinkie” will be at Nudraulix, the DK-LOK Distributor in Mobile for lunch on Friday. Everyone is invited for Conecuh Hot Dogs and Golden Flake Potato Chips on Friday at lunch time, 11:30-1:30. Nudraulix, 311 Ari Court, Mobile, AL 36607. Northeast quadrant of Springhill and I-65. “We are excited about being back in Mobile after being gone non stop since February,” said Praytor. We have a great fan base in Mobile and a lot of support from DK-LOK and Nudraulix Friday will be a lot of fun.” “Pinkie” was the team’s go to chassis throughout the 2015 season having competed in 8 of the 20 events. Chassis 306 is a mile and half down force car that was pressed into service in to action at some short tracks when the team ran low on available short track cars. Moose Back to School To “Read for the Record”
With the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards 2015 Season in the books, Thomas “Moose” Praytor was back in Mobile, Alabama and back making a difference in the community. Praytor was at E.R. Dickson Elementary reading to the 2nd Grade class as part of Jumpstart’s “Read for the Record” Initiative. “I really had a good time with the kids in Mrs. Earnest class. I’m glad they gave me a picture book,” said Praytor. “My Grandmother instilled in all of us how important it is to give back. With our schedule it’s hard to do but when we can I’m happy to take part.” Jumpstart’s Read for the Record® is a global campaign which generates public support for high-quality early learning by mobilizing millions of children and adults to take part in the world's largest shared reading experience. Today, Jumpstart celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Read for the Record Inititative. About Jumpstart: Jumpstart is a national early education organization working toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. Jumpstart delivers a research based and cost-effective program by training college students and community volunteers to serve preschool age children in low-income neighborhoods. Through aproven curriculum, these children develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for school, setting them on a path for lifelong success. Jumpstart is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. Praytor and part of the DK-LOK team will be in Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for as part of DK-LOK Hospitality.
DK-LOK Ford Charges to Career Best Kansas Finish The 2015 Season wound down to the Full Throttle Sloonshine 98.9 at Kansas Speedway. Coming off a career best Kentucky finish the DK-LOK team backed it with a career best at Kansas. The lead lap 14th place finish secured Thomas “Moose” Praytor’s 8th place standings in the Championship. Full Story The off weeks after Kentucky were eventful for the Mobile based team. The DK-LOK family mourned the loss of DK-LOK USA/Nudraulix founder Charles Slaughter. The DK-LOK Ford carried a special “NAH” sticker in his honor. (NAH was his grandkids nickname for him) After months of being rebuilt the DK-LOK Hauler was returned to the team two weeks before Kansas and along with preparing the car the team went to work on the hauler. Two cars, a spare motor, transmission, boxes of parts and most of the race shop loaded into the DK-LOK hauler for the finale, the team made the long trip to Kansas Speedway. After a day of technical inspection on Thursday the DK-LOK Ford rolled on to the race track for practice on Friday morning for the Full Throttle Sloonshine 98.9. Fresh from winning the Sprint Cup race at Charlotte, Joey Logano’s spotter Tab Boyd was back on the roof for the Moose. The duo worked on the location of the car on the track while the team worked on the handling of the DK-LOK Ford. Off the trailer the Ford was solid but wouldn’t turn in the center. A 2 hour practice session gave the team plenty of time to tune the DK-LOK Ford picked up over a second in practice and would roll off 17th. “Tab worked hard on getting me where I needed to be on the track and the guys kept making our DK-LOK Ford handle better. We’ve been working hard on our mile and half program all year and it’s really shown the last couple of races.” With the drop of the green flag of the Full Throttle Sloonshine 98.9 the DK-LOK Ford came to life and stuck with the lead pack during the first part of the race. “We were a little free in qualifying and the cool night air brought our DK-LOK Ford to life and put a little extra perk in our Roush-Yates Ford motor.” Boyd kept the Ford out of trouble from the roof while Praytor was wheeling the DK-LOK machine faster than his qualifying times. Taking advantage of an early caution the DK-LOK Ford was called to pit road for a fuel only stop.
“We were playing a fuel strategy that would take us farther than the leaders on a long green flag run and having fuel they didn’t gave us a lot of options for the rest of the race.” Just past the halfway mark the 6 of Josh Williams cut a right front tire and slammed the wall in front of the DK-LOK machine. “Josh did a good job keeping his car up against the wall but debris went everywhere. I felt pieces of it hit my car and I ran over some of it.” The Moose brought the DK-LOK Ford to pit road for 4 fresh Hoosiers and a final load of Sunoco fuel. The team inspected the tires off the car and found the left rear with a big gash cut in it that would have been disastrous at 170 MPH. Back under green the DK-LOK Ford started working its way to the front again. “The air in traffic really changes the handling characteristics and it was slow going on the restarts. We picked off a few in the last half of the race getting up as far as we could go.” The DK-LOK Ford would cross the start finish line on the lead lap in the 14th position, a career best at Kansas. “Our DK-LOK team had a solid night it was a great way to end the season. Tab did an awesome job on the roof and our all UNOH pit crew got the job done on pit road. Our mile and a half program has a come a long way in 2015. Congratulations to my buddy Grant Enfinger and team GMS on winning the Championship. They worked hard all year and it paid off.” The ARCA Series will tabulate the final Championship points standings later this week. Pictures: DK-LOK Ford racing with Bo LeMastus CEO of Crosley Brands maker of the ARCA Mobile 200 Juke Box-Team filling DK-LOK Ford with Sunoco Fuel. Kansas Season Finale Up Next for Team DK-LOK
The Full Throttle S’loonshine 98.9 at Kansas Speedway: As the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards 2015 season comes to a close, the series will return to Kansas Speedway for the 14th time Friday night for The Full Throttle S’loonshine 98.9. Thomas “Moose” Praytor will be making his 3rd trip as a driver to the Sunflower State. After a disappointing finish last year with motor issues Praytor is ready for the mile and a half oval. “I’m really looking forward to Kansas this year. We’ve made a lot of progress on our down force program and I am interested to see what we can do.” With a few weeks off, the DK-LOK race team was able to spend extra time preparing RK-306 for Kansas. Praytor rolls into the series finale 8th in championship standings chasing after Sarah Cornett Ching for the 7th spot.
Special for the DK-LOK Ford this weekend: The Full Throttle S’loonshine 98.9 is a hectic 2 day event starting off with inspection on Thursday. Friday is kicked off with a 2 hour practice session starting at 9:30, followed by Menards Pole qualifying at 2:30. The race to checkered flag, and the end of the season will begin at 7:30 CDT. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com. This race will be televised live on Fox Sports 1, Channels in Mobile Comcast/Xfinity 49/241HD, Mediacom 52, Direct TV 219, Dish 150, AT&T Uverse 652. What to look for this weekend: With Kansas hosting the finale everyone will be fighting for their spot in the Championship standings. Look for Fairhope’s Grant Enfinger to lock up his first ARCA Series Championship by just starting the race. DK-LOK Ford Going Pink for Cancer Awareness in Kansas
Thomas “Moose Praytor’s DK-LOK Ford will adorn pink numbers for Cancer Awareness during this weekend’s ARCA season finale at Kansas Speedway. “Cancer has hit our family pretty hard, my Grandmother, “Mame”, died from Bladder Cancer, two of her sisters died from Ovarian Cancer, Praytor Realty’s #1 agent, Sullins Arendall, was with us for 25 years lost a 12 year battle with Brain Cancer and my Dad lost his left kidney to Kidney Cancer. Our family is all too familiar with the effects of this horrible disease,” offered Praytor. “Changing our numbers to pink is just a small we way can show our support to cure all types of Cancer and for all the families that have been touched by Cancer.” The Full Throttle S’loonshine 98.9 will be broadcast live on Fox sports 1 Friday night at 7:30 CST. Channels in Mobile Comcast/Xfinity 49/241HD, Mediacom 52, Direct TV 219, Dish 150, AT&T Uverse 652. Nudraulix/DK-LOK USA Mourn Loss of Founder Charles Slaughter
Charles slaughter co-founder of Nudraulix that would spawn DK-LOK USA passed away this week in Mobile, Alabama. Slaughter and his brother Wright co-founded Nudraulix in 1975. Nudraulix name is derived from the combination of the words "Pneumatic" and "Hydraulic". Over the years Nudraulix has become an international company including DK-LOK USA with distributors across the Unites States and South America. Slaughter earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and his Masters Degree in Mathematics from the University of Alabama. He was a member of the original faculty at the University of South Alabama. “Dad was a simple man with a complex mind,” said current DK-LOK USA President Bob Slaughter. “He took care of a lot of people and made it possible for a lot of us to have great lives and careers. The tough part for me is not only did I lose my Dad I lost my best friend.” “Our DK-LOK family has been hurting this week with Mr. Slaughter’s passing. His vision made so many things possible for so many people including myself and our race team it’s just hard to put into words how we feel,” said Thomas Praytor. “He’s created a heck of a legacy for all of us.”
The DK-LOK Ford will carry a special “NAH” sticker in Kansas to help celebrate the life of Charles Slaughter. “NAH” is his nickname from his grandchildren. The sticker is made with the University of Alabama football font and is white over crimson for Slaughters beloved Crimson Tide. Roll Tide Roll! In addition to being an astute business man Slaughter was an avid bridge player and was a Duplicate Bridge Gold Life Master. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Barbara Steelman Slaughter, two children, Carolyn Slaughter (William C.) Pullen of Theodore and Robert J. (Darlene) Slaughter of Mobile, six grandchildren, Jennifer (Daniel) Eggers, Jamie (Danny) Britt, Ansley Pullen, Hunter Minto, Mitchell Slaughter, and Noah Slaughter, five great-grandchildren, two caregivers, Jackie Bush and Toni Taylor, and numerous nieces, nephews, and family. Picture: L-R Jerri Lynn Shuttlesworth, Jackie Bush, Toni Taylor, Charles Slaughter, wife Barbara, Bob Slaughter and Thomas Praytor at the annual distributor meeting earlier this year.
DK-LOK Ford Gallops to Career Best at Kentucky
The DK-LOK team traveled to the Bluegrass State looking to improve at a track that Thomas “Moose” Praytor had only turned laps on twice before. Off the trailer the DK-LOK Ford was solid qualifying 22nd in a 36 car field littered with Xfinity Drivers doing double duty at Kentucky Speedway. The Crosley Brands 150 was interrupted by a brief rain delay and the DK-LOK team took advantage of the cautions to bring home a 16th place finish, a career best at Kentucky. FULL STORY Kentucky Speedway is one of the few tracks on the tour that Thomas “Moose” Praytor has very few laps on and has raced at only twice. In addition to not having turned many laps at Kentucky the track surface itself is filled with bumps and is one of the hardest to handle. “We worked hard in the shop on putting together a shock and spring combination that would help handle the bumps. I know it sounds kind of crazy spending so much time on the bumps but when your car is bouncing around at 160 miles per hour the bumps can cause you to have a really bad day really quick,” said Praytor. The hours of work in the shop paid off with the DK-LOK Ford handling the bumps and in his 3rd appearance at Kentucky the Moose was finally comfortable inside the car. In a field filled with NASCAR Xfinity drivers doing double duty the DK-LOK Ford would roll off 22nd in a 36 car field. A lap 1 caution created a unique opportunity for the team to start working a fuel mileage strategy that could pay off at the end of the race. As the field was given the 1 to go signal after the wreck was cleared up the DK-LOK Ford ducked back on pit road to top off with Sunoco fuel giving the Ford 10 more laps of fuel than the rest of the field. Back under green the field strung out with the leaders clicking off lap times faster than qualifying. The rain that pushed the race from Friday night to Saturday returned on lap 44. Needing to complete 50 laps for it to be an official race the field was left on the race track while the pits were opened for pit stops. The rain played in to the fuel strategy started at the beginning of the race and the DK-LOK Ford was able to stay on track while everyone else had to pit for fuel. The move allowed the team to stay on track taking the wave around to get back on the lead lap. Back under green the team needed a caution within 20 laps for the gamble to pay off and on que the caution flag flew when needed. Praytor brought the DK-LOK Ford to pit road for a full tank of Sunoco fuel and four fresh Hoosier tires. It was going to be a run to the checkers with fresh tires but the new set of Hoosiers didn’t act like the first set and the DK-LOK Ford was tight (wouldn’t turn) and getting tighter with every lap. “We had laid down a lot of rubber that the light rain didn’t wash off and with fresh tires our DK-LOK Ford just had too much grip.” The Crosley Brands 150 would stay green until the finish not giving the team an opportunity to bring the Ford to pit road and make the adjustments needed to free up the DK-LOK machine. The Moose would bring the Ford home in the 16th position. “It was a solid day for our race team. By far this was the best DK-LOK Ford we’ve had at Kentucky. Our fuel mileage strategy paid off, our guys did a good job on pit road and the cautions fell were we needed them to we just needed one more there at the end to get the balance back in our car. We’ll use the same car at Kansas so it gives our team a little more confidence headed out west.” Team DK-LOK is 8th in the ARCA Championship standings fighting to stay in the top 10 with 1 race left on the schedule. Picture: DK-LOK Ford working traffic during the Crosley Brands 150 at Kentucky Speedway.
DK-LOK Ford Scrambles Back to Top 20 at Salem The final short track race of the season brought a huge field of 34 cars to the quiet town of Salem, Indiana for the Fall Classic. The DK-LOK team brought a fresh chassis, “Carlos” that was wicked fast from the first lap of practice. Thomas “Moose” Praytor wheeled the DK-LOK Ford with the leaders until a cut right front tire pancaked Carlos’s right side. The DK-LOK team never gave up getting their Ford back on the lead lap and coming up with an 18th place finish. Full Story After being roughed up in Winchester Chassis RK-500 was brought back to the DK-LOK shop in Mobile, Alabama. Michael Richardson rebuilt the body, RK 500 was sent over to Cockrell’s Paint and Body for the finishing touches and one of Ben’s world class paint jobs. With the blue wrap gone and the familiar black and white DK-LOK paint scheme RK 500 was renamed “Carlos” for Carlos Lira of Lira Motorsports where the car came from. While Cockrell’s gave Carlos a face lift the team took the short track car down to the chassis and rebuilt it in preparation for the final short track race of the season. “We knew we had a really good car in Winchester and the guys made it better in the shop for Salem,” said Praytor. The Fall Classic at Salem Speedway is not only the final short track race of the season but also the final race of the Calypso Short Track Challenge. Everyone brought their best short track car and everyone came to race with a large 34 car field. Carlos was quick off the trailer and the Moose was rumbling around the craggy old short track faster than the DK-LOK Ford had ever been at Salem. “All the hours of preparation in the shop paid off at the track. Joe Cooksey was hard at work again on our DK-LOK Ford chassis during both practice sessions and it showed as we picked up speed and we kept handling better each time out.” The first 20 cars qualified within half a second of each other and the DK-LOK Ford would roll off 18th. The field jumped out to a blistering pace with the top 20 lapping cars within the first 10 laps. “Everybody was hauling the mail from jump street, we were having a lot of fun racing hard and bouncing off of each other.” The DK-LOK Ford was holding its own inside the top 20 when on lap 70 the right front tire blew slamming the Moose into the turn 3 wall. “It was a big hit, I thought our night was done. I limped our DK-LOK Ford back to pit road and our guys went to work on getting back in action.” On pit road the team was facing 2 cut tires and the entire right side of the car pancaked flat. The team got the DK-LOK Ford back in action with only losing 1 lap. With each caution the team kept working and the DK-LOK Ford rallied back to the lead lap. The hit not only crushed the right side of the car but it also knocked the steering out of line about an inch making the DK-LOK Ford hard to steer. “Even with all that was going on we still had a decent car but once I chewed up the right front tire we weren’t able to keep up with the leaders anymore.” After falling almost to the end of the 34 car field the DK-LOK Ford rallied back to an 18th place finish. “We started the year off strong with our short track program with a couple of top 10s and even though we didn’t hit the top 10 in Salem, our DK-LOK Ford was really strong. I’m proud of our team and their never say die attitude. We all kept digging all night.” A short week in Mobile before the team heads to Kentucky Speedway for the Crosley Brands 150 on Friday night. Fresh DK-LOK Ford “Carlos” Ready for Salem Fall Classic
http://www.arcaracing.com/products/16400-federated-car-care-arca-fall-classic-at-salem-speedway Federated Car Care ARCA Fall Classic 200 fueled by the Hoosier Lottery at Salem Speedway: For the 98th time the ARCA Series returns to the high banks of Salem Speedway in Indiana. This will be Thomas “Moose” Praytor’s 7th trip to the rough and tumble world of Salem Speedway, the most of any track on the tour. “You have to have a good car but Salem really brings a lot of the driver into the equation. It’s rough, wore out and your tires are gone about 5 laps in to the run, just like I like it,” said Praytor. The final short track race of the season has drawn an all-star field including 5 former winners and hometown favorite 10 time Champion Frank Kimmel. “Kimmel really has this place figured out and probably has over 10,000 laps at Salem. The first time I ever passed him under green at Salem was a major accomplishment for our race team. Of course he passed me back before it was over but I did get by him!” Federated Car Care ARCA Fall Classic 200 fueled by the Hoosier Lottery is a 2 day event with unloading on Friday and ARCA Autograph Session in the town square during Frontier Days on Friday night. Technical inspection, practice, Menards Pole Qualifying and the Green Flag on Saturday at 7:15 EST. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com. THIS RACE IS NOW AVAILABLE ON PAY PER VIEW FOR ONLY $9.98 CLICK LINK TO ORDER. Prerace starts at 5:30 CST and Green Flag at 6:15 NOTICE CST times.http://www.arcaracing.com/products/16400-federated-car-care-arca-fall-classic-at-salem-speedway What to look for this weekend: There is no other track like Salem on the tour and is a thrill ride best enjoyed from the grandstands. The drivers bounce off the walls and each other at break neck speeds with tire wear at a premium. Cars are up against the walls in turns 3 and 4 and funnel to one spot headed down the front stretch. The team that can make their car get forward bite off the corners without burning up the tires is going to have a good race. Praytor Eclipses 7,000 ARCA Miles
Thomas “Moose” Praytor reached another Racing Milestone during the Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Car Care at the DuQuoin State Fair Grounds by completing his 7,000th career ARCA Racing Mile. “It’s kind of crazy for me to talk about 7,000 miles, I really never thought I would get to make any,” said Praytor. There are so many people that made all of this possible but it couldn’t have happened without Andy Belmont and the Venturini’s giving me an opportunity to drive their cars”. The Belmont and Venturini rides opened up the door for a shot at Daytona and a two year stint with Soddy Daisy, Tennessee’s Wayne & Pam Hixson. “I learned so much at Hixson’s shop from Wayne at what it takes to be in this business. Those two years were like getting a degree in ARCA Racing”. Praytor moved to his family owned team in 2015 with sponsorship from Mobile based DK-LOK. “Mr. Bob (Slaughter, President of DK-LOK USA) and the guys at DK-LOK treat me like family. Without Mr. Bob and all the guys at DK-LOK behind us we simply couldn’t have accomplished what we’ve been able to do this year. All of our distributors around the country have been great, we’ve even worked out of some of their shops as we’ve traveled around the country.” Behind the scenes there has been a small army of people that helped the Moose make every race. “Everyone has just been so incredible, the other ARCA teams, our on the road guys and our guys back in Mobile, random strangers that have helped us along the way and of course my family has always had my back for all 7,000 miles and a whole bunch more”. With over 7,000 miles in the bank picking a favorite ARCA memory should be hard to come up with but for the Mobile, Alabama based driver the answer was easy; “This year’s ARCA Mobile 200 was definitely my favorite. Led my first ARCA lap, had our best ARCA finish (7th) it was just a great day for our race team. For me to do it all in front of the hometown fans was incredible”. The Moose will look to add to his mileage total, now 7,097, during the Federated Car Care Fall classic at Salem Speedway on Saturday night. The race is now being offered on pay per view through www.arcaracing.com.
Moose and Bubba Cook Up Strong Run at DuQuoin After a solid effort on the Springfield dirt two weeks ago team DK-LOK enlisted the help of former DuQuoin pole sitter and dirt ace Joe Cooksey for the Labor Dirt Classic at DuQuoin. Thomas “Moose” Praytor and “Bubba” were solid off the trailer and with Cooksey’s expertise quickly cooked inside the top 10 on the speed charts. A blown clutch line during the race made for an interesting day for the DK-LOK Ford. The Moose rumbled up to 2nd and with a burnt up right rear tire was able to stay on the lead lap and salvage a 13th place finish. Full Story Two weeks ago team DK-LOK rolled out a new dirt car, Bubba, for the first ARCA dirt race in Springfield Illinois. Bubba had a strong dirt background having been part of the Kimmel racing stable for years. “We really didn’t know what we had until we made our first lap and we knew we were on to something,” said Thomas “Moose” Praytor. The new DK-LOK Ford put in a solid day at Springfield with a lost wheel costing the team a shot at the top ten. The team realized that a wheel wasn’t all they were missing and enlisted the help of longtime friend and ARCA competitor Joe Cooksey. Cooksey has over 130 ARCA starts in his career, won the pole at DuQuoin and still fields Dirt Late Models on a regular basis. What the team needed was some dirt experience and Cooksey was what the doctor ordered. While it may seem weird, the two one mile dirt tracks on the ARCA schedule are completely different in shape, groove and the consistency of the dirt that makes up the track. The Moose and his DK-LOK Ford quickly found out that what worked at Springfield wasn’t working at DuQuoin. “Our DK-LOK Ford didn’t want to handle right and the line around the track was really working me over the first few laps. I just kept telling Joe what it was doing and he kept making it better.” By the end of the only practice the DK-LOK Ford was turning lap times with the leaders. In trying to anticipate the changing track conditions the team set the car up a little too free for qualifying and would roll off 17th. See qualifying video below: The adventure began for the DK-LOK team from the command to start your engines. The line going to the clutch throw out bearing had fallen on the headers during practice and burned a hole in it, Praytor got one last pump out of to get rolling and that would be the last clutch pedal used for the day. No clutch meant pit road was going to be interesting to say the least. With the drop of the green flag, the Moose picked off competitors working his way to the top 10. An early caution gave the team an opportunity to bring Bubba to pit road for the one and only fuel stop of the day. During fueling the nozzle on the dump can came off spilling fuel and causing the car not to be completely fueled. Then the team had to give Bubba a running start push so Praytor could jam it in to gear and get going.
As the laps continued to click off Praytor and the DK-LOK Ford were moving to the front working their way all the way up to 2nd. “Mr. Joe had done an amazing job of setting our car up to be good as the track was changing towards the ends of the race. As the track was drying out we were getting faster and I was having a lot of fun.” With another caution at the midway point, the team had to bring the DK-LOK Ford back to pit road one more time to make sure it had enough fuel to go the distance. Without a clutch it was a 50-50 proposition if it would get back up to speed. The gamble paid off as Praytor caught a gear with a strong push from the DK-LOK Pit Crew.
During the caution, the track chose to wet down the dirt again as it does before the race. A redo in the middle of the race is a little out of the ordinary and certainly wasn’t what the team had prepared for. Now the Moose was stuck with a car setup for a track that should be drying out and couldn’t risk another chance coming down pit road for adjustments. “I really drove as hard as I could after that last stop and made up some spots but I just burned the right rear tire off of our DK-LOK Ford. Without being able to come back down pit road I was just hanging on by the end of the race.” The DK-LOK Ford was able to stay on the lead lap and bring home a 13th place finish. “It was really a good day for our team, can’t thank Mr. Joe enough for his help. All that experience all I had to was just tell him what I was feeling and he made our DK-LOK Ford better every time. Congratulations to Frank Kimmel on his 500th career ARCA start, that’s just incredible. Also a shout out to my buddy Grant Enfinger, what a year those guys are having.” Team DK-LOK has an off weekend but you can’t tell it by the activity in the shop. The team is taking a new short track car, “Carlos”, to Salem for the first time, getting Bubba fixed up as the backup for Salem and putting a new motor in the mile and half car for Kentucky. Pictures: Top Joe Cooksey and Thomas Praytor, Fuel nozzle coming off on pit road, Slideways
Moose & Bubba Ready to Go Again at DuQuoin
Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Car Care at the DuQuoin State Fair: The ARCA Series returns to dirt on Labor Day with the Moose and Bubba ready for action! “Going into Springfield we thought we had a good car but you never really know until you make a few laps with our DK-LOK Ford, “Bubba”. Bubba was better than we could hope for and we had a really solid run all day long,“ said Praytor. “We’ve been working with Bubba back at the shop trying to attack the areas we need help in getting ready for DuQuoin and for the first time I’m really looking forward to the dirt.” Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Car Care is a 1 day event with technical inspection, practice and Menards Pole Qualifying and the Green Flag on Monday at 1:30 CST. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com.What to look for this weekend: Springfield and DuQuoin are the superspeedways of dirt and dirt racing fans come from miles around to take in both events. DuQuoin’s dirt is different than Springfields and the track race differently. Like Springfield the driver that slides that best at the end of the race will have a good day if they can keep up with an ever changing track surface. Tires will not be critical unless the old dirt gets hard and a has solid rubber base on top. Lost Wheel Ends BUBBA and Praytor’s Run to the Top 10
A new Chassis, “BUBBA” and a rare run on the dirt had Thomas “Moose’ Praytor and his DK-LOK Team ready for action in Springfield, Illinois. The DK-LOK Ford was fast off the trailer timing in 13th in a rain shortened practice. When the green flag flew BUBBA raced his way into the top 10 and battled there most of the day until the left rear came off on lap 85 (see video link below). With a big save from 4 other pit crews BUBBA only lost a lap and the DK-LOK Ford salvaged a 16th place finish. Full Story With a rare weekend off after Berlin the DK-LOK team had time to work on a specialty dirt car for Springfield and DuQuoin, nick named, BUBBA. BUBBA has already had a distinguished dirt career at Kimmel Motorsports before arriving at our Max Force shop in Mobile, Alabama. The Crimson colored Ford seemed like a natural fit for a race team from Alabama headed to a horse track doubling as a racetrack in the middle of the Illinois State Fair! There are special setups and parts for dirt racing that most fans can’t see but what they can see is the deflector on the hood and the extra screen on the nose. The screen is to help keep dirt/mud out of the radiator letting it keep the motor cool. The deflector on the hood has the same kind of job keeping dirt/mud from getting on the windshield where the driver can see. Both can be seen on the picture of the DK-LOK Ford above. Basically racing on dirt is a whole new kind of animal for teams used to asphalt racing. When it comes to dirt drivers fall into 2 categories, they either hate it or love it and there is not much in between. “I really have fun on the dirt, I’m not very good at it but this year we made a special effort to have a dirt car just for these 2 races and I felt good about our DK-LOK Ford going into the weekend,” said Praytor. The good feeling carried over to the rain shortened practice session on Sunday morning with the Mobile, Alabama driver clocking in the 13th position. “We improved 2 and half seconds over last year’s times with a motor package that is not as strong as last years but a really nice DK-LOK Ford.” Rain washed out qualifying and the Moose would roll off 14th based on owner’s points. With the drop of the green flag the Moose was on the charge catching competitors, setting them up for the pass and putting them in his rear view mirror. The DK-LOK Ford was now turning lap times another second quicker in the race and giving the top 10 a run for their money. “We really had a great DK-LOK Ford and I was feeling really comfortable on the dirt for the first time but I nearly got us into big trouble a couple of times pressing the cushion just a little too far and I nearly hit the fence.”
On Lap 85 running 11th the left
rear tire on the DK-LOK Ford decided to leave the race car. Click link for
video from CBS Sports Network: “I thought we had tire going down but in reality it was coming off. I was headed to pit road but just couldn’t get there.” Stranded at one end of pit road with his pit box at the other end of pit road it was time for another ARCA family moment.
Spontaneously the 4 teams that BUBBA came to rest in front sprung to action. A dozen or so guys lifted the car up to get a jack under it then another crew returned the tire from the track and without losing a lap had the DK-LOK Ford headed back out to the track. “It was really incredible I had all these guys working on my car, Lira Motorpsorts, Cunningham Motorsports, Sarah Cornett-Ching’s Racing 101 crew and Wayne Hixson’s guys were all working on getting back out, really a cool deal. Can’t thank those teams enough for helping us out we would have been sunk without them.” It looked like the Moose was going to stay on the lead lap but the ARCA Series officials were waiting for the Mobile, Alabama driver at pit road exit holding Thomas and BUBBA a penalty lap for pitting outside of their pit box. “I was pretty upset at the time but when you look at the video there really wasn’t much that was done properly during that stop, we missed our box by let’s say the length of pit road, there were combinations of 4 teams working on the car, I think we counted 14 people at one point, it was a mess we were lucky to just lose 1 lap. It could only happen in our ARCA Series, I think that’s why so many people come to watch us race, it’s still fun. That scene was straight out of Days of Thunder.” With just a few laps left BUBBA scrambled back to 16th but not the finish Team DK-LOK was looking for. “On the negative side I think we had a top 10 finish get away from us today but there was just so much good that happened it’s hard to even think about the negative. We took a new DK-LOK Ford that had never been to the track and with 20 minutes of practice we were able to compete in and around the top 10 all day. I just think it speaks volumes for our race team and the quality of cars we are bringing to the track from our shop in Mobile. Really proud of our whole team and looking forward to DuQuoin.” Next up another dirt track, the Southern Illinois 100 at the DuQuoin State Fair on Labor Day September 7th at 1:30. Pictures: BUBBA in a power slide at Springfield under the Ferris Wheel, From CBS Sports Network 4 team stop on DK-LOK Ford. Praytor & Bubba Ready to Play on Springfield Dirt
Super Chevy Stores.com-Allen Crowe Memorial 100 at the Illinois State Fair: For 364 days of the year the track at the Illinois State Fair is reserved for horse racing but for 1 Sunday a year the ARCA Series presented by Menards turns 1 horsepower into 800! “It’s one of the coolest place on the tour, the fair is going on, you bail off into turn one and there is a giant Ferris Wheel over your head it’s just crazy!” said Thomas “Moose” Praytor. For the 2 dirt races team DK-LOK will be sporting a new car with new colors. “We’ve spent the last 2 weeks preparing a special dirt car for these 2 dirt races and we’re really excited about bringing “BUBBA” to the track for the first time this weekend. Of course my dirt driving leads a little to be desired but it should but it’s always fun!”Super Chevy Stores.com-Allen Crowe Memorial 100 is a 1 day event with technical inspection, practice and Menards Pole Qualifying and the Green Flag on Sunday at 1:30 CST. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com.What to look for this weekend: Springfield and DuQuoin are the superspeedways of dirt and dirt racing fans come from miles around to take in this event that is held in the middle of the Illinois State Fair with tens of thousands of people in attendance. The driver that slides that best at the end of the race will have a good day if they can keep up with an ever changing track surface. Tires will not be critical unless the old dirt gets hard and a has solid rubber base on top.Sarah Saves the Moose at Pocono
The DK-LOK Team rolled into Pocono for the ModSpace 125 looking to capitalize on a complete set of notes from a solid Spring race and a fresh motor. In the first lap of practice the new motor lost oil pressure and it looked like Thomas “Moose” Praytor and his DK-LOK Ford were headed back to Mobile, Alabama. Without any options Sarah Cornett-Ching and her Race 101 crew came to the rescue letting the Moose use their back up car to stay alive in the points race. The DK-LOK Team made their way back from Indianapolis with a 2 day week in Mobile before heading to Pocono. A quick engine change for the motor that went sour in Indy for a fresh one, throw in a setup change from the short track for the Tricky Triangle and it was a busy 2 days. “We were really under the gun back at the shop but our Mobile guys stepped as always and we got it done just in time to get in the truck for the 20 hour ride to Pocono.” Tech inspection and pre-practice warm up all went to plan, the first lap on the track ended the plan and it looked like a whole lot more. “Our fresh motor lost oil pressure on the first lap, I shut it off and my heart just sank. Without our big hauler we aren’t able to carry many spares and certainly not a motor. We looked around for a motor and almost everyone there was running the new motor. We were running out of options when Sarah (Cornett-Ching) found out we were having problems and she offered us her back up car.” The Race 101 Team unloaded their back up and the DK-LOK team finished up the final preparations and Praytor even made qualifying. Because of ARCA rules regarding changing cars the Moose changed numbers on the 2 to a 12 and would not be in his usual # 9 DK-LOK Ford but the pink trimmed Race 101 Chevrolet. Rules dictated the newly designed 12 would start last and in an effort to make sure Sarah had the car back in one piece wouldn’t make many laps. The Moose was able to improve a few spots leaving the race early with a 28th place finish. “I can’t thank Sarah and the Race 101 team enough for all they did for us this weekend. Without her offering me her car we would have been sunk in the points. All the team really went out of their way to keep us going. Our series is truly a big family.” Another short week in Mobile and another engine change before climbing back in the hauler for Berlin, Michigan. Picture: Praytor ready to roll off pit road in his freshly minted #12 Race 101 Chevrolet. Moose & Roush-Yates Hang Ford Tough at Indy
Team DK-LOK rolled into Indianapolis for the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 presented by Federated Car Care with high expectations for the old worn out short track. Late in the final practice the DK-LOK Ford developed a motor problem. The team pulled out all the stops to resolve the issue but there wasn’t enough time to change motors and Thomas “Moose” Praytor would roll off not knowing if the motor would last 2 laps much less 200. The cockpit quickly filled full of smoke and Praytor would come to pit road every 40 laps to dump a bottle of water in his face to clear his eyes. The Moose and the Roush Yates motor proved Ford tough lasting all 200 laps making a last lap pass to finish 19th. The ARCA Series presented by Menards returned to Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis for the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 presented by Federated Car Care a short track event that Team DK-LOK has excelled at in the 2015 season.With high expectations Thomas “Moose” Praytor put the DK-LOK Ford through its paces during practice with the Ford not wanting to turn off the corner or tight from the center off. Practice was going to plan until the cockpit filled with smoke during the final practice. “We had oil everywhere in the trunk, the overflow was full and the vent was pumping out smoke. If we had time we would have changed the motor in our DK-LOK Ford but there wasn’t enough time and we had to band aid up the best we could.” Expectations quickly went from a top10 to just making the race. To insure there was a motor for the race the team made just 1 lap in qualifying starting 23rd. “My heart just dropped, short tracks have been good to our DK-LOK team and we thought we might have something for them.” With a 34 car field, points were now the big issue for the DK-LOK team, an early exit would be devastating in the point battle. With the drop of the green flag it didn’t take long for the cockpit to fill full of smoke from the motor that was going south. The Moose made 40 laps before coming to pit road under green flag for water to clear out his eyes. The move cost the team 3 laps on the board but the Moose found some relief to keep going.
“The smoke was pretty bad and it was burning my eyes but I knew we had to get as many laps as we could to protect our point’s position. If I could get water in my eyes every 40 laps or so I was good to go.” The stop sent the DK-LOK to the tail end of the field and the Moose started battling back. With each caution Praytor would bring the DK-LOK For to pit road for service and water without giving up anymore laps on pit road. Surprisingly the Roush Yates Ford was still running at the halfway point and the old worn out short track started to come to the Moose and his DK-LOK Ford. Praytor started picking off cars and working his way back from last. In the final green flag run of the night the DK-LOK Ford was turning laps as fast as the leaders and the Roush Yates Ford was not only running but still putting out horsepower. On the last lap the Moose passed his way in to the 19th position. “It was a tough night inside the DK-LOK Ford but we didn’t give up and neither did our Roush Yates Ford. These guys build incredible motors that can really take a pounding and keep putting out power. We salvaged a good point’s night on what could have been a disaster.” Another short week for Team DK-LOK with only 2 days in the Mobile, Alabama shop before heading to Long Pond Pennsylvania and the Mod Space 125 at Pocono Raceway. Saturday’s race will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 2.
Indianapolis Next For Team DK-LOK Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Lucas Oil Raceway (LOR): After a short 2 day week in Mobile, Team DK-LOK turned around Chassis 306 that was used in Iowa and prepared it for some short track action at LOR in Indianapolis. “We didn’t get home from Iowa until 2 on Sunday morning and with everything we have going on we were back in the shop Sunday afternoon getting ready for Indy,” said Thomas “Moose” Praytor. For Praytor and his Mobile based DK-LOK team the schedule doesn’t get any easier from here with Indianapolis this weekend with Pocono and Berlin, Michigan the following 2 weekends. “I’m looking forward to LOR it’s a fun, wore out old racetrack and everybody knows how much I like short tracks.”The Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 presented by Federated Car Care is a 1 day event with technical inspection, practice, Menards Pole Qualifying and the Green Flag on Friday at 8:00 CST. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com. Live TV Coverage on Fox Sports 1. Channels in Mobile Comcast/Xfinity 49/241HD, Mediacom 52, Direct TV 219, Dish 150, AT&T Uverse 652. What to look for this weekend : LOR is one of the premiere short tracks in the country with some of the best racing on the tour Friday night. Tire wear will be at a premium and the team that can make the car turn in the center and still get drive off the corner will be the winner.101 Year Old Winchester Speedway Lurks Next For Team DK-LOK
HERR’S CHASE THE TASTE 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Winchester Speedway: The ARCA series returns to the oldest and one of the most storied race track on the tour, Winchester Speedway. The Speedway commemorated it’s 100th year last season when the ARCA Series made its annual visit and is one of very few race tracks in the country that has it’s own historical marker. “Winchester is old, wore out and keeps a drivers attention on every lap,” said Praytor. After 3 straight weeks of being overpowered at the Speedways a wore out Winchester Speedway offers the Mobile native a chance to get back to his racing roots. “Everyone knows how much I enjoy rough old short tracks, it all goes back to growing up at 5 Flags and Mobile International Speedway. Winchester is the perfect combination of both, bad ass fast like Mobile and worn out like Pensacola, I’m really looking forward to this weekend.” In his first start at Winchester Praytor finished 9th. While most teams have headed back to home base after Chicago the DK-LOK team has been stuck in Louisville while the primary hauler is being repaired. “We’ve been working out of Bo Lemastus race shop for the last 2 weeks and he’s really been a life saver. Louisville was the perfect place for us to end up, we had Bo’s shop and all the knowledge, parts and pieces at Bill and Will Kimmels to help get cars ready to go. People get tired of me saying this but the ARCA Series is a huge family and we couldn’t have made the last few weeks without help from almost everybody.” The Herrr’s Chase the Taste 200 is a 2 day event with technical inspection, practice and Menards Pole Qualifying on Saturday. The Green Flag will fly on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 CST. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com. Live TV coverage on CBS Sports Network at 1 CST. Mobile Area Channels for CBS Sports Network Comcast-733, 1721 & 194(HD), ATT Uverse-643, Direct TV-613, Dish TV-158 What to look for this weekend: Winchester Speedway is extremely fast and extremely hard on tires. Tire management will be the key to a solid finish. Cars will slip and slide as the runs go on, the car that’s the best on old tires will probably be the winner.Windy City Awaits Praytor & DK-LOK Ford
SCOTT 150 at Chicagoland Speedway: It is all too appropriate for the ARCA Series presented by Menards to be headed Chicagoland Speedway just South of Joliet, Illinois. The last few weeks have been straight out of a Blues Brothers Movie for Thomas “Moose” Praytor and his DK-LOK team with trailer issues heading to Pocono, ran out of gas during the race at Pocono, alternator wire came apart during the race in Michigan and the hauler had so many issues coming back from Michigan it was left in Kentucky. “To say it’s been a rough couple few weeks would be an understatement, I think I’ve spent more nights in the truck than I have at home this month,” said Praytor. “We’ve got great support at home and from our guys at DK-LOK and we’ll keep digging.” The hauler going down in Kentucky left the DK-LOK team with a logistical nightmare. First to the rescue was veteran Crew Chief/Car Owner Bill Kimmel. Kimmel set the team up with the folks he uses to repair his hauler and equipment and they made repairs in a truck stop parking lot to get the hauler back to Louisville. The hauler was in good hands but the team now needed a place to work on the Chicago and subsequently Winchester car. Enter Bo LeMastus, Driver/Car Owner and CEO of Crosley Electric (Supplier of the ACA Mobile 200 Juke Box Trophy). LeMastus loaned the team a section of his race shop in Louisville and they were able to unload the damaged hauler into the shop while the teams gooseneck trailer was brought up from Mobile. “You hear me say a lot that the ARCA Series is a big family and the last few weeks we’ve been the recipient of a lot of love from our racing family. Really can’t thank Bo enough for letting us use his shop to get ready for Chicago and Winchester.” The SCOTT 150 is a 2 day event with technical inspection and practice on Friday. Menards Pole Qualifying and the Green Flag on Saturday at 5:00 CST. Live timing and scoring for practice,qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com. Live TV Coverage on Fox Sports 2. Channels in n Mobile Comcast/Xfinity 77, Mediacom 179, Direct TV 618, Dish 397, AT&T Uverse 651. What to look for this weekend: Chicagoland Speedway is wicked fast and will reach out and wreck competitors if thet let their guard down. Handling will take a premium over air this weekend but air will still be part of the equation. How the cars handle the air or better known as aero willalways be present at Chicagoland. When cars get behind each other they can become “aero tight” or won’t turn. You will also see cars gain ground on the car in front of them and then be unable to pass because the air off the car in front slows them down. When cars are side by side it can take the air off the car on the inside and cause the car to spin.
Praytor DK-LOK Ford Harvest 18th in Iowa
The ARCA Series presented by Menards returned to Iowa Speedway after a year hiatus and the DK-LOK Team was looking to rebound from a disastrous road trip in June that left the team with only 1 race car and without their new hauler. A boiling hot day in Iowa made the Mobile, Alabama based team feel right at home while the heat sent dozens to the infields care center. The DK-LOK Ford qualified 22nd and snaked its way through the wrecks and competition to an 18th place finish without a scratch. Just what the Doctor ordered. “We had our notes from 2 years ago and we missed on a lot of the setup because the track has changed so much,” said Thomas “Moose” Praytor. “We had some new crew members that worked hard, beat the heat and made us better as practice went on but we were only able to gain so much ground.” The DK-LOK Ford ran a “Ken Stabler Championship Collection” label in honor of long time sponsor, supporter and friend Ken Stabler. “Being associated with Mr. Ken was a big step in my racing career, his sponsorship of our car really put us on the map. Big opportunities started coming my way the year after the “Championship Collection” was on our cars. More than that I will always remember the time Mr. Ken was with us at the race track. His positive energy was incredible it was infectious and lifted our whole race team and everyone he came in contact with. We’ll really miss Mr. Ken.” The DK-LOK Team has a short work week after making the 20 hour trip back Mobile. The DK-LOK Ford will be back in action Friday night in the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, live on Fox Sports 1.
DK-LOK Ford to America’s Heartland-Iowa Speedway
The off weekend did allow for the Moose to take in some Saturday night action at his home track, Mobile International Speedway. “It’s always fun to go back to Mobile! We get a chance to see our racing family I grew up with and most of them are still racing every Saturday night. I learned so much from guys like Okie Mason, Jessie Reid and Howard Langham and they are still going at it.” Friday night’s #thisismyspeedway150 will mark the beginning of another brutal stretch of races that will help define the 2015 ARCA Series Champion. Iowa, Indianapolis, Pocono and Berlin Michigan make up the next 4 races on the schedule before the teams get a break. “We didn’t get as much accomplished during the break as we were looking for but we did see what Mobile looked like again. We are going to be at a slight disadvantage without the big hauler but we’ll put on the best show we can with what we have.” The #thisismyspeedway150 is a 1 day event with technical inspection, practice, Menards Pole Qualifying and the Green Flag on Friday at 8:00 CST. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com. Live TV Coverage on Fox Sports 1. Channels in Mobile Comcast/Xfinity 49/241HD, Mediacom 52, Direct TV 219, Dish 150, AT&T Uverse 652. What to look for this weekend: Iowa Speedway has gained a lot of character since it first opened and the racing surface has developed some serious bumps making the cars hard to handle. Drivers with good handling race cars will quickly search for grip in the multiple groves that have developed over the last few years. Aerodynamics will not play a big factor this weekend but expect tires to be an issue
#thisismyspeedway150 ARCA Schedule Highlights:
Iowa
Speedway Track Specs: ASSOCIATE SPONSORS: G-Force, Nudraulix, REALTOR, APS Automotive Painters Supply, Dueitt’s Battery Supply, Airgas, Cockrells Body Shop, John Thompson & Associates, Greer’s Food Market, C-Spire, Campbell, Duke & Campbell, Golden Flake, Ashley Rowe Photography, Ed’s Seafood Shed, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Mobile Lumber & Millwork, Praytor Realty ARCA CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 8TH CAR: Chassis #RK306, Roush Chassis 306 is new to the DK-LOK team this season making its debut at Pocono Speedway. This will be the 4th outing for 306 having raced at Pocono, Michigan and Chicago. Chassis 306 is a former Jamie McMurray car.
Moose On Loss of the Snake Football legend Ken “Snake” Stabler and long time supporter of Thomas “Moose” Praytor lost his battle with colon cancer this week. Stabler’s extraordinary career began under the watchful eye of Paul “Bear” Bryant at Alabama before heading to a Super Bowl Championship with the Oakland Raiders. After football Stabler headed to the broadcast booth with CBS and as a color commentator for Alabama Football. Stabler had many business interest including his Legend Cellars Wine Collection that sponsored Praytor’s Late Models on the Gulf Coast.
“What an honor it was to carry Stabler’s Crimson 12 on our cars. Mr. Ken was much more than a sponsor he became part of our team,” said Praytor. “It was an incredible experience to have a Super Bowl Champion with our team offering encouragement no matter what kind of night we were having. He was so cool, what great stories it was a privilege to spend time with him, sure going to miss Mr. Ken.” During the July 17th race at Iowa Speedway the DK-LOK Ford will carry a special Ken Stabler Championship Wine Label on the car to celebrate the “Snake”.
Funeral arrangements are pending. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the XOXO Stabler Foundation to support research of colon cancer and sports-related head trauma. Stabler is survived by his three daughters Kendra Stabler Moyes (husband, Scott), Alexa (fiance', Hunter Adams) and Marissa; his grandsons Jack and Justin Moyes; sister Carolyn Bishop; nephew Scott Bishop; and great nephew and niece Tayler and Payton Bishop. He is preceded in death by his father, Leroy Stabler, and mother, Sally Stabler."
No Juice for the Moose at Michigan
The first half of the long road trip began with a wild trailer adventure and ended in Pocono with the DK-LOK Ford a few laps short on fuel. In Michigan Thomas “Moose” Praytor had fuel but no fire when the end came off the alternator wire. The DK-LOK crew replaced the battery and the DK-LOK Ford was able to hang on to a 17th place finish. With the race in Pocono on Saturday and check in for Michigan on the following Wednesday the team spent the week prepping at Michigan Valve and Fitting, just north of Detroit in Chesterfield, Michigan. “Really appreciate Mr. Dave (Maddox) and his staff at Michigan Valve taking us in f or a few days. They gave us a great spot to work on the car and their people bent over backwards to help us get ready for Michigan. We picked up a new crew member in Tom Kennedy, he stayed late with us every night and we worked him pretty hard at the race track.” The second outing with the new car got off to a great start with the first laps on the 2 mile oval in the Irish Foothills of Michigan. “We’ve never really had a real downforce car before and this car really performs responding to the changes we make.” After a solid outing in Pocono the team spent the 2 hour practice testing changes to the DK-LOK Ford. Qualifying was rained out and the field was set by practice speeds and the DK-LOK team would roll 16th. The Corrigan Oil 200 marked the beginning of a busy Summer of hospitality for DK-LOK and its race team. Before the race in Michigan, DK-LOK and Michigan Valve & Fittings rolled out the red carpet for guests and employees. “It’s always fun to have our DK-LOK distributors at the track, they add an excitement, an energy that really gets our race team going.” After a trip to pit road the DK-LOK guest settled in to their suite for 200 miles of ARCA racing action. With the drop of the green flag Praytor picked off a couple competitors and moved into the top 15 as the field spread out for a long green flag run. “Our DK-LOK was really solid from the drop of the green flag we just needed a few more horses to catch the group up front.” Just past the halfway point the DK-LOK machine shut off at the flag stand and coasted to a stop in turn 1. The MIS Safety Truck pushed the lifeless Ford back to pit road. The team diagnosed the alternator wire had pulled out of the end robbing the DK-LOK Ford of power and slowly draining the juice out of the battery. The team pushed the Ford behind the wall and installed a new battery bringing the DK-LOK Ford back to life. “Really proud of our guys for getting the DK-LOK Ford back on the race track. We were a bunch of laps down but we had an opportunity to gain a few spots and valuable points. We used the last 20 laps as a test session for our new car and we think it will pay off in Chicago.” Back on track the DK-LOK Ford clipped off its best lap times of the day picking up 3 spots to finish 17th. “Our finish was a little disappointing but we have a really good DK-LOK Ford to take to Chicago. Plus we have more DK-LOK Distributors coming to the track.” Next up is the SCOTT 150 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday June 20th at 6:00 PM live on Fox Sports 2. Picture: DK-LOK Ford racing with David Levine and Bo LeMastus at the start of the Corrigan Oil 200 at Michigan International Speedway.
Team DK-LOK Michigan Preview
Home State Boys: Team DK-LOK has 2 crew members that are returning to their home state this weekend in Michigan. Crew Chief, Adam Lowe and Gas Man, Dee Evans both hail from the Motor City, Detroit. The Corrigan 200 is a 2 day event with technical inspection and practice on Thursday. Menards Pole Qualifying and the Green Flag on Friday 5:45 EST. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com. Live TV Coverage on Fox Sports 2. What to look for this weekend: Michigan Speedway is a lot about air and how the cars handle the air or better known as aero. The track has wide sweeping turns and when cars get behind each other they can become “aero tight” or won’t turn. You will also see cars gain ground on the car in front of them and then be unable to pass because the air off the car in front slows them down. When cars are side by side it can take the air off the car on the inside and cause the car to spin.
Corrigan 200 ARCA
Schedule Highlights:
Michigan
International Speedway Track Specs: CAR: Chassis #RK306, Roush Chassis 306 is new to the DK-LOK team this season making its debut at Pocono Speedway. 306 was headed to a top 10 finish coming up a few gallons short and settling for a 16th place finish. Chassis 306 is a former Jamie McMurray car.
Pocono Weekend Ends A Few Gallons Short
The weekend started in truly bizarre fashion when the DK-LOK Hauler separated from the Tractor in Fort Deposit, Alabama. The gooseneck and the sub frame of the trailer ripped out of the trailer leaving the nose of the trailer sitting on the ground and the front ripped off. It looked like the weekend was over before it even got started. “We were standing there looking at the front of the hauler not even knowing where to start when a guy shows up with a welding shop down the road, a few minutes later a wrecker company drove by and within an hour they had our trailer in an abandoned Shell parking lot and there were 8 guys working on it,” said Praytor. As fate would have it the hauler broke extremely close to Randy Adams wrecker company, Randy’s Wrecker in Fort Deposit. On the weekends Adam’s and his family are campaigning dirt late models across Alabama and Georgia and if there was anyone that knows how important it was for the DK-LOK Hauler to be in Pocono it was a fellow racer. Adam’s quickly mustered his resources and there wasn’t a part of the injured DK-LOK Hauler that wasn’t getting attention.
In the midst of all the activity there were parts that needed to be picked up in Montgomery and Adams oldest son Aaron and Tommy Praytor left for Montgomery. Again as fate would have it Aaron works for Zilkha Biomass Energy in Selma, Alabama who is expanding their plant to become the world’s largest producer of Black Wood Pellets. On the trip Aaron wanted to know about all the fittings and valves shown on the side of the DK-LOK hauler, well one thing led to another and DK-LOK has a representative headed to Selma, Alabama. DK-LOK Fittings and Valves even does nuclear. As a backup plan Scott Shuttlesworth from DK-LOK brought the team’s old hauler from Mobile in Case the team needed to take out what they could to race at Pocono and abandon the hauler in Fort Deposit. By midnight everyone got comfortable with the idea that the repairs being made would make the hauler better than before and Shuttlesworth took the backup hauler back to Mobile so he could catch his 6 AM flight to Pocono. At somewhere around the 3AM mark the tractor was hooked back up to the DK-LOK hauler and the trip to Pocono resumed. “We just could not have made the trip without Mr. Randy, Wally, Junior, David, Aaron and all the guys that helped us. We can’t thank them enough.” ARCA published a story on the adventure to their web site: http://www.arcaracing.com/articles/1996384-praytor-wed-have-never-made-it-without-this-miracle The DK-LOK hauler finally pulled into Pocono Raceway on Friday morning at 6:30 AM, the garage opened at 8:30, cutting it just a little close. A lot of energy had gone into getting RK 306 ready for Pocono and with a new car comes high expectations that it will perform, also comes the gremlins that surface with a new car at the track for the first time. With the green flag on practice the DK-LOK team was fighting gremlins. First the oiling system had been overfilled then the smoke from all the oil kept the DK-LOK to 1 and 2 lap runs while the team worked on each issue. The weirdest was the brake pads that came with the car literally fell apart in the calipers. In the closing minutes of practice the DK-LOK Ford was able to make 5 consecutive laps. “We work hard at the shop to have our cars ready to go when we get to the race track but with new cars you can always count on having issues. Really proud of the way the guys stayed after it until we got them all fixed. Our old buddy Gene “Gator” Morris got us the right Bembro pads and installed them for us. I think everywhere we turned this weekend people were helping us. Even with just a few laps I knew we had a really solid DK-LOK Ford.” The DK-LOK Ford was 21st on the practice charts and would qualify 17th. With the drop of the green flag the Moose was picking off competitors as he worked his way towards the top 10. With an early caution on lap 16 the DK-LOK Ford was brought to pit road for fuel, Pocono is notorious for long green flag runs. With the limited practice and the short 16 lap run to start the race Tommy calculated the Moose could go 50 laps before having to come to pit road again. He was close, the Moose went 44 before running the DK-LOK Ford dry at the start finish line, the absolutely worst place to run out of gas because you have to coast the entire 2.5 miles back to pit road. The DK-LOK Ford would end up needing a push from a safety vehicle before getting back to the crew for Sunoco fuel and 4 Hoosiers. With just a few laps left Praytor and his DK-LOK team would have to settle for 16th.
We had a really good car all day it started to get tight (wouldn’t turn) deep in the run but all in all we had a solid outing for our first shot with a new DK-LOK chassis. The good news is there isn’t a mark on it and we can keep making it better for Michigan. Looking forward to having Michigan Valve and their customers at the track this weekend.” It’s a short week for the ARCA series with move in on Wednesday afternoon for the Corrigan Oil 200 at Michigan International Speedway. The crew will spend the week in Chestefield, Michigan at Michigan Valve and Fitting shop preparing their DK-LOK Ford for this weekend. Pictures: DK-LOK Ford racing with ARCA Veterans Frank Kimmel and Bobby Gerhardt. DK-LOK Hauler on the ground in Fort Deposit Alabama. Crew pushing off stalled DK-LOK Ford
Tricky Triangle Awaits Praytor & New Chassis in Pennsylvania ARCA Pocono 200 at Pocono Raceway: After a weekend off the ARCA Series starts a 4 week swing in Pennsylvania at Pocono Raceway. Nicknamed the Tricky Triangle Thomas “Moose” Praytor and his DK-LOK team have a new chassis for the unique Superspeedway. “I love going to Pocono. My first race there we had motor issues that kept us from getting any practice and my first lap on the track was the green flag, what an experience!” offered Praytor. “We’ve got a new car for Pocono that we finished in the off week back in Mobile, we couldn’t have done it without Dave Savicki’s help. We’ve been wide open in the shop and we’re loading up 2 really good cars for the Pocono-Michigan-Chicago triple header. Chassis 306 is our best down force chassis and we’re looking forward to seeing what she can do.” The Pocono ARCA 200 is a 2 day event with technical inspection and practice on Friday. Menards Pole Qualifying and the Green Flag on Saturday at Noon CST. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com. Live TV Coverage on Fox Sports 2. Channels in n Mobile Comcast/Xfinity 77, Mediacom 179, Direct TV 618, Dish 397, AT&T Uverse 651. What to look for this weekend: Pocono Raceway is the most unique track on the tour with only 3 turns and a mile long front straight away. The trick to the Tricky Triangle is getting the car to handle on the 3 different turns and drag race down the front stretch. The ARCA race can have long green flag runs putting pit crews to the test with green flag pit stops. Weather can be an issue in Long Pong Pennsylvania with sunshine turning to rain or fog in minutes. Pocono Raceway
Track Specs: (Tricky Triangle) PRIMARY SPONSOR: DK-LOK Fittings & Valves www.dklokusa.com ASSOCIATE SPONSORS: G-Force, Nudraulix, REALTOR, Cockrell’s Body Shop, APS Automotive Painters Supply, Dueitt’s Battery Supply, Airgas, John Thompson & Associates, Greer’s Food Market, Campbell, Duke & Campbell, Golden Flake, Ashley Rowe Photography, Ed’s Seafood Shed, Walkers Frame & Body, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Mobile Lumber & Millwork, Praytor Realty ARCA CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 6TH CAR: Chassis #RK306, Roush Chassis 306 is making its debut for team DK-LOK this weekend at Pocono. Chassis 306 is a former Jamie McMurray car. Praytor DK-LOK Ford Score 15th With Broken Transmission
The week leading up to ARCA’s annual trip to the road course at New Jersey Motorsports Park was intense with the DK-LOK team pulling out of the Toledo Speedway on Sunday without a car to race with. Late Wednesday a deal was struck with Lira Motorsports and Thomas “Moose” Praytor was in Mooresville, North Carolina on Thursday to prepare the car for the road course. A full court press with the Lira team working until midnight had the DK-LOK ford ready for New Jersey. Praytor and his new DK-LOK Ford were solid off the trailer and looked like they were on the way to a top 10 finish until transmission issues relegated the team to 15th place finish. As the door closed on the DK-LOK hauler leaving Toledo Speedway a week ago there were a lot of long faces inside the truck as the team started the long haul back to Mobile. The team’s last back up car had been destroyed in Toledo and they just didn’t have any raceable cars ready for New Jersey. “Being a new team we have not built up an inventory of cars yet and we didn’t have any options for New Jersey,” said Praytor. “We were working the phones harder than we normally work in the race shop. We had a lot of other teams call and offer help but nobody had an entire car that could be ready for New Jersey.” Enter Carlos and Amanda Lira at Lira Motorsports. Lira had Chassis RK 500 that was mostly ready and they had everything needed and the manpower to finish making it ready. At midnight on Wednesday the Mobile team closed the door on their hauler and headed to North Carolina. At Lira’s shop, just before noon, the combined teams started working on RK 500. 13 hours later the door closed on the DK-LOK hauler and the team was headed to New Jersey. “Just really incredible. We were getting the small trailer ready to take our superspeedway car to New Jersey and a make a couple of laps. 48 hours later we were loaded up with a really good car ready to compete. Cannot thank Carlos, Amanda, Teddy Brown and the entire Lira Motorsports team for their help we could not have been there without them.” Practice for the 150 mile road course race went to plan with very few issues for a car that was put together in 12 hours. The DK-LOK Ford would roll of 19th and early on it looked like the team could be headed to a top 10 finish. At the midway point second gear started going bad and what looked like a big day turned into survival mode. “Second started jumping out of gear going into the corners, I was able to hold it in gear with one hand and steer with the other. We were holding our own but it was kicking my butt inside the car. It finally got so bad I couldn’t hold it in 2nd anymore and I had to run the race in 3rd and 4th. New Jersey is a big 2nd gear track and not having 2nd really killed our speed.” Praytor soldiered the DK-LOK Ford home to a 15th place finish. “A little disappointing finish after having such a great start with our DK-LOK Ford but big picture it was a big day for our race team. It looked like we were going to take a hit in the points but we ended up with a solid day. We have the weekend off but we have a lot of work ahead of us in the shop before we head to Pocono.” The ARCA Series heads next to Long Pond, Pennsylvania to Pocono Speedway on June 6th with live TV on Fox Sports 1. Picture: DK-LOK Ford working traffic at NJMP-Rookie Stripes were left on as a dig at Praytor’s lack of road course experience.
DK-LOK Ford Has New Look for the Road Course ARCA 150 presented by Unique Pretzels at New Jersey Motorsports Park (Road Course): The ARCA Series makes its only road course appearance this weekend at New Jersey Motorsport Park home of the “Jersey Devil”. After crashing the primary car for the road course in Toledo it was questionable if Praytor and his DK-LOK team would even be able to field an entry on the road course. “It went all the way down to the wire working on a car for this weekend. We left Mobile at midnight on Wednesday and were at Lira Motorsports in Mooresville, North Carolina just before lunch,” said Praytor. “The guys at Lira’s looked like ants attacking our car and just before midnight we closed the door on our DK-LOK hauler ready to head to New Jersey.” The newly acquired Roush Chassis RK 500 had been successfully converted from a short track car and is ready to tackle the road course. “Thanks to Carlos and Amanda Lira, Teddy Brown and the whole Lira Motorsports team; Sam, DJ, Bear, Duckey, Sparky, Bob, everybody for everything they did just in one day to make sure we had a DK-LOK Ford to race this weekend. They even stayed after their cars were loaded up.” This weekend will be Praytor’s 4th road course experience. “I’m really not very good at road courses but I really enjoy racing on them. It’s always fun when you take a new car to the race track.” The ARCA 150 presented by Unique Pretzels is a 2 day event with technical inspection, practice and Menards Pole Qualifying on Saturday. The Green Flag will be Sunday 12:30 CST. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com. PRIMARY SPONSOR: DK-LOK Fittings & Valves www.dklokusa.com ASSOCIATE SPONSORS: G-Force, Nudraulix, REALTOR, APS Automotive Painters Supply, Dueitt’s Battery Supply, Airgas, John Thompson & Associates, Greer’s Food Market, Campbell, Duke & Campbell, Golden Flake, Ashley Rowe Photography, Ed’s Seafood Shed, Walkers Frame & Body, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Mobile Lumber & Millwork, Praytor Realty ARCA CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 6TH CAR: Chassis #RK500, Newly acquire from Lira Motorsports (2 better than James Bonds 007) Toledo is the first time out for Chassis 009. Praytor’s favorite short track car “Black Batty” is being repaired after getting beat up in Salem. All of Praytor’s DK-LOK Fords are powered by Roush Yates Ford Motors. Toledo Trashes Praytor Again
After the foamageddon disaster during the 2014 running of the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care Thomas “Moose” Praytor and his DK-LOK Team were looking for a little better in 2015. Courtesy of an “exhausted” competitor the Moose and his DK-LOK Team would have to wait for another year, settling for a torn up Ford and a 16th place finish. With a new DK-LOK Ford, Praytor and his team were looking for a quiet Sunday afternoon drive to work the kinks out and have a solid day. “We had a really good car off the trailer, we fought a smoke issue inside the car all weekend and it got worse on the long runs during the race,” said Praytor. “The guys did a good job and it kept getting better all weekend but we never got it cleared up completely.” Even with smoke infiltrating the cockpit the DK-LOK Ford was having a good day running in the lead pack and even led a couple of laps. “We were learning a lot about our new car and things were going to plan until lap 159 when another competitor forgot to step on the brakes going into turn 1 and slammed our DK-LOK Ford into the wall in turn 2. Literally he told me after the race that he was too “exhausted” to step on the brake.” “Our guys patched us up and we finished the race but we have a new torn up race car. Pretty frustrating end to a good weekend, we’ve made our mark now at both ends of the speedway. Maybe next year we can run all 200 laps without making any marks!” Next up, lefts and rights at New Jersey Motorsports Park road course for the ARCA 150 presented by Unique Pretzels.
Return to Foamageddon-Toledo Preview
Menards 200 Presented by Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway: Thomas “Moose” Praytor returns to one of his favorite tracks this weekend that was the site of one his most spectacular crashes in 2014. “I really like Toledo it’s a lot like Pensacola’s Five Flags Speedway and you really have to work the throttle to get grip off the corner,” said Praytor. “Last year we had a shock mount break coming off of turn 2 and I destroyed the Styrofoam barrier the track had just installed in turns 3 and 4. It was one of the hardest hits of my career, really glad the Styrofoam was there.” The DK-LOK team tested the new car they are using this weekend at Toledo at Mobile International Speedway, Chassis 009, last week at Mobile International Speedway. “Our new DK-LOK Ford performed really well at Mobile and I’m ready to put it to work at Toledo. New cars are always fun.”
Racing in Ohio the Moose gives a shout out to his old teammate and Cincinnati
Bengal Quarterback AJ McCarron. Praytor and McCarron teamed up with a special
helmet for AIDB Fundraiser at Talladega. The Menards 200 Presented by Federated Car Care is a 2 day event with technical inspection, practice and Menards Pole Qualifying on Saturday. The Green Flag will be Sunday 1:00 CST. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com. Live TV coverage on CBS Sports Network at 1 CST. Mobile Area Channels for CBS Sports Network Comcast-733, 1721 & 194(HD), ATT Uverse-643, Direct TV-613, Dish TV-158 PRIMARY SPONSOR: DK-LOK Fittings & Valves www.dklokusa.com ASSOCIATE SPONSORS: G-Force, Nudraulix, REALTOR, APS Automotive Painters Supply, Dueitt’s Battery Supply, Airgas, John Thompson & Associates, Greer’s Food Market, Campbell, Duke & Campbell, Golden Flake, Ashley Rowe Photography, Ed’s Seafood Shed, Walkers Frame & Body, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Mobile Lumber & Millwork, Praytor Realty ARCA CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 6TH CAR: Chassis #009, (2 better than James Bonds 007) Toledo is the first time out for Chassis 009. Praytor’s favorite short track car “Black Batty” is being repaired after getting beat up in Salem. All of Praytor’s DK-LOK Fords are powered by Roush Yates Ford Motors.
Race Fever Hits Home Run for AIDB at Talladega In its 30th year, Race Fever hit another home run for the Alabama Institute of the Deaf and Blind (AIDB), raising over $100,000 in one night! “It’s truly an honor to be involved in Race Fever at Talladega. What AIDB does and the kids they work with are just incredible,” said Thomas “Moose” Praytor. “Our helmet is just a small part of a big night and we’re glad we can make a contribution.” As the auction price kept climbing on the McCarron/Praytor collaborative helmet, a unique bidder stepped forward, Dr. John Mascia, President of the AIDB. It turns out Mascia is a fan of both McCarron and the Moose and ended up the high bidder. “The Moose is always a fun addition to our fund raiser. The McCarron racing helmet has become a popular item and we appreciate Thomas and AJ being a part of our AIDB team,” offered Jessica Parker, Race Fever Organizer. With the proceeds from Friday nights event Race Fever is inching closer to having raised 5 million dollar mark for AIDB. Talladega Car Appearance-Praytor and the DK-LOK ford he raced at Talladega will be at the Grand Opening of the newest Greer’s Market on Wednesday, May 6th from 4-6. 3170 Dauphin Street (behind Chick-Fil-A) Picture: (L) Praytor and NASCAR Hall Famer Darrell Waltrip auctioning off McCarron Alabama/Bengal racing helmet. (R) Helmet winner Dr. John Mascia and the Moose. Team DK-LOK Turns in Top 20 at Talladega
After being roughed up in Salem Thomas “Moose” Praytor and his DK-LOK team were looking for a solid effort back home in Alabama. After a wild International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 the DK-LOK Ford came home 20th without a scratch. “We had a solid DK-LOK Ford all day, practice, qualifying and the race,” said Praytor. “My spotter, Rocky Ryan, kept us out of trouble and we dodged some real bullets.” The International Motorsports Hall of Fame turned into a slug fest before the checkered flag waived sending ARCA Veteran Brad Smith to the hospital. “Really glad Mr. Brad is going to be OK. He was my teammate for a few races a couple of years ago and he is a really nice guy.” “Always enjoy Talladega, we have lots of friends and family in for the race. Really appreciate the Realtors and our tire sponsors for being part of our Talladega effort. We only had two days between Salem and Talladega so we’re looking forward to the off week.” Team DK-LOK has the week off before returning to action on May 17th in the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway. Picture-DK-LOK Ford three wide at Talladega during the International Motorsport Hall of 200. Team DK-LOK Back Home In Alabama
International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 at TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY: Team DK-LOK and Thomas “Moose” Praytor return to their home state of Alabama this weekend. “As a short track racer from Mobile it’s an honor to race at Talladega. I’ve been going to Talladega for years and there a lot of great memories at Talladega, both on the track and in the infield” said Praytor. Praytor will wear a special AJ McCarron Alabama/Bengal race helmet during the race. After the race the Moose will climb out of his DK-LOK Ford and deliver the helmet to the Alabama Institute of Deaf and Blind (AIDB) Race Fever charity auction at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. “Race Fever is so much fun, the kids are great and the fans are really into it. Auctioning off the helmet every year with Darrell Waltrip is a blast!” This is the third year that Praytor and his former teammate have teamed up to benefit AIDB.The International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 is a 2 day event with technical inspection on Thursday with practice, Menards Pole Qualifying and the Green Flag flying on the race Friday afternoon at 5:00 CST. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com along with radio coverage from WTDR Thunder 92 and live TV coverage on Fox Sports 1. PRIMARY SPONSOR: DK-LOK Fittings & Valves www.dklokusa.com, REALTORTalladega Tire Sponsors: John Thompson & Associates, Greer’s Food Market, C Spire, Baptist Physical Therapy & Sportscare. (Our four tire sponsors for Talladega share a unique bond, they are either headquartered in or do business in the state of Mississippi)ASSOCIATE SPONSORS: G-Force, Nudraulix, REALTOR, APS Automotive Painters Supply, Dueitt’s Battery Supply, Airgas, John Thompson & Associates, Greer’s Food Market, Campbell, Duke & Campbell, Golden Flake, Ashley Rowe Photography, Ed’s Seafood Shed, Walkers Frame & Body, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Mobile Lumber & Millwork, Praytor RealtyARCA CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 6TH CAR: Roush Chassis #184, Praytor has piloted 184 to his best Superspeedway performances over the last 3 seasons at Talladega and Daytona. All of Praytor’s DK-LOK Fords are powered by Roush Yates Ford Motors.
Praytor Adds Speed to DK-LOK National Meeting
When you convene the DK-LOK Distributors from across the country it’s always good to add a little speed to turbocharge the proceedings. Who better than Thomas “Moose” Praytor and his DK-LOK Ford, he’ll drive in the International Motorsport Hall of Fame 200 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 1st. “It was really an honor for me to be asked to speak at the DK-LOK meetings. The DK-LOK Distributors have really welcomed me and our race team as part of the DK-LOK family,” said Praytor. “We’re looking forward to having more of them join us at the race track over the season.” In addition to the US Distributors, the International CEO of DK-LOK, Eun-sik Noh was in attendance and was ready to take a spin in the DK-LOK Ford. “Mr. Noh and the rest of the guys from Korea were really interested in the car; it was their first experience with an ARCA stock car. It was my first experience using an interpreter to have a conversation. I’m not sure how my Southern drawl translates in Korean but I think everybody had a good time.” Praytor and the DK-LOK Team have the weekend off before the ARCA Series will be back in action on April 26th at Salem Speedway for the Federated Auto Parts 200. Pictures: (L-R) Praytor presents DK-LOK 7th Place Sponsor Trophy from 2014 ARCA Championship to Bob Slaughter, President DK-LOK USA. Eun-sik Noh CEO of DK-LOK International tries out the seat in Praytor’s Talladega DK-LOK Ford. Team DK-LOK Charts Another Top 10 in Music City
|
