CONCORD, N.C. (June 6, 2014) -On Tuesday, the 21st season of Jack in the Box Summer Shootout Series competition will kick off with area school principals trading paint in mammoth school buses on the frontstretch quarter-mile, in addition to the best Legend Car and Bandolero racing in the country.
Darin Roberts, principal at Carl A. Furr Elementary School, has won the Principal School Bus Slobberknocker the past two years, and he hopes to continue his success.
"All the other principals are my rivals, I guess, because they're all gunning for me and trying to take me down since they want to be the winner," said Roberts. "I know they were going for me last year. I almost got flipped over, so hopefully we can avoid that this year and maybe get another victory out of it. I know they're all trying to knock me down, they want to take over the crown."
His strategy is simply to outrun his competitors.
"Get out front and don't let them catch me," he said. "That's the best strategy. If they can't catch you they can't flip you over. That may not be possible depending on the bus, so we'll see how it will run."
The Jack in the Box Summer Shootout Series is the perfect place for families looking for affordable summer fun, and this week kids will have three things to cheer for: school's out for the summer, their principal in the school bus race and fee admission to the shootout.
"It's a lot of fun. I enjoy seeing the families come out with all the kids rooting us on. We like to go by the name "Team Furr" here. We have a team atmosphere so I really enjoy all the support that everyone gives us," said Roberts. "It's always a fun race against the other principals and we really have a fun time out there.
"The kids especially get excited once the bus gets decorated; that kind of gets them enthused about it and I hear from a lot of them at the beginning of the next school year that they came out and watched the race and had a great time."
Other competitors in the school bus slobberknocker are Chuck Borders, principal at Rocky River Elementary School; James Carroll, principal at Hickory Ridge Middle School; Adam Auerbach, principal at Wolf Meadow Elementary School; Tim Farrar, principal at Northwest Cabarrus Middle School; Kevin Senter, principal at Cabarrus Charter Academy; and Tripp Aldredge, principal at Harris Road Middle School.
For the 21st year, more than 150 Legend Car and Bandolero competitors will travel from across the country to battle on Charlotte Motor Speedway's frontstretch quarter-mile oval for the prestigious Jack in the Box Summer Shootout Series championship.
Legend Car racing is divided into four categories based on a driver's experience. The Pro division features veteran drivers, while the Quaker Steak & Lube Semi-Pro category is for those with limited Legend Car experience. The Young Lions division is for those new to Legend Car racing and the Security Force Masters division is for drivers 40 years of age and older. Bandolero cars are divided into three divisions with competitors grouped by age. The LiveWell Homes Bandits division is for racers 8 to 11 and the Outlaws category features drivers 12 and older. The Beginner Bandits is for racers in their first year of competition.
Tickets to the Jack in the Box Summer Shootout Series are just $7 for adults. Kids 13 and under get in free. Tickets are available in advance at the speedway ticket office and at Gates 4 and 5 the night of the event. Parking is free. Spectator gates open at 5 p.m. with preliminary action starting at 5:10 p.m. Opening ceremonies are at 6:45 p.m. and feature races are scheduled to conclude by approximately 10 p.m.
For tickets to the Jack in the Box Summer Shootout Series, call the Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.
For live updates during the Summer Shootout Series, follow #SummerShootout on Twitter. To join in on the conversation, simply include #SummerShootout in your tweet.