Shinnston, WV --- Josh ‘Kid Rocket’ Richards made his first laps at East Bay Raceway Park late last week during the final three nights of the Lucas Oil NARA DirtCar Series 29th Annual East Bay Winternationals and came away with experience and knowledge as he made the main event his first night on the track as a dirt Late Model competitor aboard his Mark Richards Racing-owned Rocket Chassis/Cornett Engines #1 sponsored by Seubert Calf Ranches, Ace Metal Works, MCB Motorsports and Hoosier Racing Tires.

On Thursday evening February 10 Richards, having arrived from his home in Shinnston, WV where he attended high school the first three days of the week, won his heat race convincingly and finished an impressive eighth in the main event. On Friday evening he finished 10th in his heat race after struggling with motor woes. Upon replacing the engine for Saturday night’s finale he scored a fifth in his heat race and a second in his B Main, one spot away from making the starting field in the main event.

“The first night I couldn’t ask for anything better,” stated Richards, 16. “I made three laps in hot laps and wasn’t very good and then qualified 16th and then went out and won the heat race. Started fifth in the feature and finished eighth so I couldn’t ask for anything better than that.”

“The second night was a little bit different. I got behind in qualifying and once you get behind its hard to make up. I started fifth in the heat and then burned up two pistons racing in the heat so that put us behind. It was a brand new motor and we’re not sure what the reason was for it. So we put the old motor in that I started the year with last year and it doesn’t run like the other one.”

“So we ran the next night and we were a little bit better in qualifying but we didn’t make the invert, we barely missed it. So I started fifth in the heat and ran fifth. We started third in the consi and I ran as hard as I could but we ended up second and it was all I could do in the consi. My steering column froze up in the consi so it was kind of hard to steer so that was pretty much my trip to East Bay.”

Despite some disappointments the final two nights Richards came away with a better understanding of the track.

“I learned that that place changes a lot and it changes fast like where you need to run and how you need to run it. I just learned a lot from it. It takes a lot to get adjusted to it.”

Richards flew back home on Sunday to prepare for a return to high school where he is a junior. He will return to Florida on Wednesday at Volusia Speedway Park and run two UMP and two World of Outlaw Late Model Series events. Richards will be running for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Rookie of the Year title. Other than participating in a practice session at Volusia he has never competed at Volusia. The UMP events will be on February 16 & 18 and Kid Rocket will also compete in the two season kickoff dates for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on February 17 & 19 at Volusia.

“We’re going to run Wednesday through Saturday,” said Richards. “We practiced there once but I have never raced there. It seems like a nice track and I’m ready to get here. We have a new car that I practiced in but don’t have many laps in but it feels comfortable. We’re going to run the car that (Bart) Hartman won the Pittsburgher in. It’s a different car for me.”

Richards is also anxious for the point battle to commence on the highly competitive World of Outlaws Late Model Series tour.

“I ready for it, I just hope I can make the races and I’d like to get a top ten or so,” commented Richards. “I’m not going to ask for too much though, its petty tough down there.”