First 50 races in the books for KVRA

PIR NOTEBOOK: KVRA's vintage coupes and sedans return to the 3/8-mile high-banked Paducah International Raceway oval, the series' unofficial home track, for tonight's race and next Friday's as well, the fourth and fifth programs of the year at PIR. KVRA has competed at Paducah 18 times since its inaugural year in 2007, by far the most of any of the 10 tracks the series has visited in Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. ...

Chad Fritsche is the fourth driver to score his first KVRA victory this year. He won Race No. 50 last Saturday night, June 6 at Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway. Brian Steele, Josh Throgmorton and Jason Bailey are the other first-time winners this year. ... Fritsche will start in the rear of the second heat race tonight under a KVRA rule which saddles each feature winner with that handicap. If Fritsche wins tonight's feature, in his next outing he'll have to start at the back of his heat and, regardless of where he finishes, in the back of the feature lineup as well. Fritsche drives the Moore Motorsports No. 40, a red 1940 Chevy coupe. ...

The series' hottest driver this year is Dave Davidson, who has won five features to run his career total to 13. Davidson won two features in a row, May 16 at Western Kentucky Speedway in Nebo and May 29 in the most recent appearance at PIR. He missed the May 30 race at Thunderhill Raceway in Summertown, Tenn., and had to start in the rear in his next start, at Clarksville. He finished third in the No. 16 maroon and white 1933 Plymouth sedan. ...

KVRA founder and president Mark Moore has eight victories at Paducah, but is looking for his first this season. It has been a frustrating year for Moore, who has only one victory in the first 10 events. Last weekend, he led until the final lap at Clarksville when brake failure on his No. 33 orange and silver 1933 Chevy coupe led to a tangle with Fritsche, who was making a pass for the lead on the outside. Moore tops the KVRA career victories list with 20. ...

Davidson, Moore and Throgmorton are the three former PIR winners in the field for tonight's event. Throgmorton, of Providence, Ky., scored his first career victory in the Weaver Racing No. W3, a black 1947 Chevy-bodied machine, on May 15. Throgmorton is driving in place of Rex Rutter, a KVRA regular who counts one PIR victory among his three career feature wins. Rutter, of Madisonville, Ky., is recuperating from injuries suffered in April in an off-track accident. ... Brian Steele of Sturgis, Ky., drives the other Weaver Racing machine, the No. W4, a 1947 Plymouth. Steele scored his first career victory April 25 at Clarksville and is looking for his first PIR win. ...