A new circuit aiming to reinvigorate dirt racing for late models on Gulf Coast tracks is in the works for 2014. The South Eastern Crate Series will hold its inaugural meeting for drivers and owners at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the Daphne Auction House at 26121 Equity Drive in Daphne.
"The response has been overwhelming," said Jay D. Wells, the series' promoter and public-relations/media director. "We're honored to have had the amount of interest we've had."
Wells said Monte Skinner floated the idea of a new dirt series.
"We put a little feeler out on Facebook to see what would happen," Wells said, "and I think within 30 hours, we had 1,000 likes."
The tracks committed to holding series' races are Flomaton Speedway, Northwest Florida Speedway in Baker, Fla., and Southern Raceway in Milton, Fla. Wells said the series is working on putting other tracks on the schedule. He said organizers would like to add Deep South Speedway in Loxley, but the track's unsettled situation for 2014 has not allowed that yet.
"A lot of guys love that track because of the speed," Wells said of Deep South.
The series will have season standings and a points fund, and Wells said SECS competitors could earn points for the NeSmith Series as well.
Wells said the series would have standardized rules across its tracks.
"Crate late-model racing on dirt around here has been dying out for several years," Well said. "The tracks, rightfully so, make the rules where you can only run their tracks to keep their car counts up. But what they did was keep people from running on different tracks on different days without making major changes. There are crate late models just parked collecting dust. You don't want to spend ,000 on a car to park it in the back of a shop."
The series hopes to race three weekends a month "with a couple of big holiday shows," Wells said.
Wells said dirt racing has automotive charm and power that asphalt racing lacks.
"From a fan's standpoint, it's the sideways action in the corner, seeing a guy power a car through a corner," Wells said. "In asphalt racing, you race down the straightaway and then coast through the corner. You really don't pick up the throttle until you're back on the straightaway. To see a guy actually steer the car with the throttle and with the back wheels of a car is a little bit different and exciting. For me, I like the dirt flying and seeing those guys sideways and racing on something a little slippery."