by Steve Post


CONCORD, N.C. -- Veteran racer Rich Bickle plans his return to Concord Motorsport Park for the $15,000-to-win Asphalt World Championship on Sunday, Nov. 23. The Edgerton, Wisc. native has 24-career wins at the track and was the 1991 and 1992 Big-10 Series Champion.

"I'm looking forward to returning to Concord," said Bickle. "The track has been good to me over the years and I hope it will be again.

"The car I'm driving is my own car, it's a little old but very good. I think we should be good for the race."

Indeed, the last time the Terminal Trucking sponsored car saw the track was in December at the prestigious Snowball Derby race in Pensacola, Fla., where Bickle drove it to a second-place finish. He won the Derby in the car in 1999, making him the only five-time winner ('90, '91, '96, '98, '99) of the race.

Bickle is a three-time winner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series. He has 54 NASCAR Busch Series starts with three top-five finishes and has one top-five finish in 85 NASCAR Winston Cup Series starts.

The addition of Bickle to the field has the event growing into one of the premier super late model races in only its first season.

Qualifying for the Asphalt World Championship is on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 2:00 p.m. The top eight drivers in qualifying will be locked into Sunday's race. The remaining competitors will race in heat races later in the day on Saturday with the top 10 from each of the two heat races securing starting berths in the prestigious event.

On Sunday one final consolation race will be held at 1:30 p.m. with the top four drivers completing the 32-car starting field. The 250-lap Asphalt World Championship will follow later Sunday afternoon.

Grandstand admission on Sunday is $20 and $10 on Saturday. Children 11 and under are free.

Concord Motorsport Park is located on highway 601 south of Concord and north of Midland. For further information, call (704) 782-4221.


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