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Josh “Kid
Rocket” Richards |
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Residence: Shinnston, WV.
Birthdate: March 22, 1988
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 180
Sibling: Morgan.
Martial Status: Single.
Hobbies: Play Station Racing Games, Hunting, 4 wheeling.
School: Graduated at Lincoln High School.
Shop: 1850 SQ. Ft.
Cars: Seubert Calf Ranches/ACE Metal Works/MCB Motorsports Rocket, 3 – 1 –
2005, 1 - 2003, - 1 - 2002 Rockets.
Color: Blue & Yellow #1
Engines: 4 - 415 CI. - Cornetts
Transporter: 2007 S&S Motor Home & 2 Car Trailer
Team Mate: At Selected Races with Tony Stewart |
2006 WoO Season Review: Hot off winning the
2005 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year award, Richards rushed into ’06 with a
youngster’s bubbling enthusiasm.
But the teenager’s lofty expectations were far from being realized during a
difficult first half of the season. While trying to simultaneously follow
the tough WoO tour, work with his father to put together a steady crew and
finish up his senior year of high school, Richards struggled. He showed some
flashes – like a fast-time award on May 23 at Bolivar (Mo.) Speedway – but
over the season’s first 16 events he scored just five top-10 finishes, with
a pair of eighth places (at Grand Forks, North Dakota, and Western Kentucky
Speedway) being his best.
But soon after receiving his diploma, something clicked for Richards. On
July 8 at Ohio’s Sharon Speedway – after engine problems during qualifying
forced him to run a new car – he roared to a then season-best finish of
third. It was the start of a second-half run that was arguably one of the
best anyone put together on the WoO LMS.
The Sharon performance started Richards on a 14-race stretch in which he
rolled up eight top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. In the midst of the run he
sandwiched his first victory of the season – which he earned on Aug. 26 at
Columbus (Miss.) Speedway by pulling off a thrilling pass of Tim McCreadie
just two laps from the finish – with runner-up finishes on Aug. 15 at Lake
Ozark Speedway and Sept. 3 at Pennsy’s Tri-City Speedway. Two bad breaks
during his ‘coming out party’ are all that prevented him from likely adding
two more top-five finishes to his ledger – on Aug. 4 at Pennsy’s Lernerville
Speedway he escaped injury in a wild flip while battling for a top-five spot
midway through the feature, and on Sept. 4 a front-end problem knocked him
out at Tri-City one lap short of another top-five.
Richards’s second-half surge propelled him to a ninth-place finish in the
point standings – and left him with big dreams for the future. |
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WoO LMS History: Entered selected tour events in 2004 during his
first full season of dirt Late Model racing. Earned first heat race win in
July at Pennsylvania's Challenger Raceway and scored a season-best finish of
fourth at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway… Was installed as lead
driver of his father Mark’s Rocket Chassis House Car for 2005 WoO LMS
schedule. Enjoyed a superb season, finishing eighth in the point standings
and capturing Rookie of the Year honors on the strength of one win (on Aug.
15 at New York’s Lebanon Valley Speedway), eight top-five and 18 top-10
finishes… Is only driver in WoO LMS’s DIRT-era (2004-06) to win Rookie of
the Year award and a feature in same season… Owns two career tour victories… |
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Other Racing History: Made first-ever dirt Late Model start in
October 2003 Future Dirt Track World Championship, an event for teenage
racers at Kentucky’s Bluegrass Speedway… Only one month after turning 16 –
and in his third career start – won a heat race in a non-sanctioned April
2004 dirt Late Model event at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. He
was headed to victory in the feature when a flat tire forced him pitside…
Competed in a total of 33 events in 2004, including WoO LMS appearances…
Made several starts in 2005 behind the wheel of an asphalt Late Model at
Motordrome Speedway in Smithton, Pa… Qualified for Eldora Speedway’s
$100,000 Dream and World 100 in 2005 at the age of 17, becoming the youngest
driver in history to make both mega-events in a first attempt… Competed in
January 2006 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals as a Venture Racing teammate of
NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart and open-wheel stars Jason Leffler,
Sammy Swindell and Kevin Swindell. Returned to Chili Bowl in 2007 as driver
of a Tony Stewart Motorsports Midget… In September 2006, contended for
victory in prestigious World 100 at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway before settling
for fourth place… Signed an exclusive management contract in November 2005
with Motorsports Management International, which was founded by noted
motorsports attorney/promoter Cary Agajanian… Was one of 16 aspiring racers
invited to participate in the General Motors Driver Development Program in
2006. He participated in two segments of the program, driving a Busch Series
car at Caraway Speedway in Asheville, N.C., and a dirt Late Model at North
Georgia Speedway… |
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Photo By Tony
Hammett Photography |
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Interesting Facts: Nicknamed ‘Kid Rocket,’ Richards grew up around
the country’s top dirt Late Model racers. Since the age of six he traveled
to events with his father Mark, who co-owns Rocket Chassis, one of the
sport’s most noted manufacturers… Was featured on the July 2006 documentary,
Dirt Track Warriors, that was telecast nationally on the CNN cable network…
Serves as crew chief on the Tony Stewart-driven Bass Pro Shops/Rocket dirt
Late Model that is housed at Rocket Chassis in Shinnston, W.Va… |
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Josh's 2007 season will
kick off at the Chili Bowl behind the wheel of #20R midget of Tony Stewart
Motorsports, Spike Chassis, Chevy by Hawk, Chevrolet, Bass Pro, Hoosier,
Weld, Mac Tools. |
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Above text by Kevin Kovac - WoO Late Model
Series PR. Director |
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Josh Photo by Chuck
Warner Photography |
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