Press Release

Heavy Metal Meets Nitro at GIR for O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals

Release date: April 28, 2009
Contact: Brandon W. Mudd
bmudd@gatewayraceway.com
618-482-2495

MADISON, Ill. – The senses are attacked to the point of overload. The sights, the sounds, the people…there are few places fans would rather be.

Shawn Langdon hopes to follow teammate Morgan Lucas's win in Altanta with an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel win of his own this weekend at Gateway International Raceway. Photo by Brandon W. Mudd

Is it NHRA Full Throttle Series racing at Gateway International Raceway or a Lamb of God concert at The Pageant in St. Louis?

This weekend at the O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals Presented by Castrol at GIR, it’s both. In what has become a mutual-admiration society, Shawn Langdon, driver of the Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster, and Mark Morton, guitarist for the heavy metal band Lamb of God, will meet Saturday at Gateway International Raceway. Langdon is in town looking to earn his first Wally while Morton is playing before a packed house at The Pageant Saturday night.

Morton is a long-time race fan and a drag racer himself while Langdon, a native of Avon, Ind., counts Lamb of God as one of his favorite bands, listening to the group’s music prior to strapping in to his nitro-powered rail and topping 300 mph down drag strips all over the country.

"I actually have their new album 'Wrath' on my iPod and I listen to them before I race to get me pumped up," Langdon said. "Ever since I found out about this visit, I've been excited. At least the loud noise won't be a problem but I bet we'll still send a shock any way. It's impossible to prepare for 8,000 horsepower and I can't wait to get 'em on the starting line and show them what we do.

"Hopefully, Lamb of God brings me some luck and we get our first win. The Lucas Oil dragster has been stout all year. We just need to get a win."

Mark Morton is performing with his band, Lamb of God, Saturday night at the Pageant in St. Louis. Photo by Adrenaline PR

Morton is equally stoked about the meeting, saying he can’t wait to be blown away by the power of nitro only the NHRA Full Throttle Series provides.

“I'm thrilled about my upcoming trip to the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals!” said the Virginia native. “As a life-long race fan and a drag racer myself, I couldn't be more excited at this opportunity to get an up close look at some of the world's greatest drivers and crews going head to head.  

“The mind-blowing reaction times and blistering speeds that these men and women command make for some of the most thrilling racing on the planet and I'm honored to have been invited.”

The O’Reilly NHRA Midwest National Presented by Castrol comes to Gateway International Raceway this weekend and great seats are still available. For information on how to get access to the three-day nitro circus that is the NHRA Full Throttle Series, call 866-35-SPEED or visit GatewayRaceway.com. For instant updates during Race Week, visit GatewayRaceway.com, Twitter.com/GatewayRaceway, and the official Gateway International Raceway page on Facebook.

For more information on Shawn Langdon and his Lucas Oil Top Fuel team, visit MorganLucas.com/ShawnLangdon. To find out more about Lamb of God, go to Lamb-Of-God.com.

Gateway International Raceway is owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD), a leading promoter of motorsports events in the United States. DVD subsidiaries operate three tracks in three states, and present several hundred motorsports events each year. This includes 14 major, national events which include races sanctioned by NASCAR and the NHRA. Dover Motorsports, Inc. also owns and operates Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del., and Nashville Superspeedway near Nashville, Tenn. For further information log on to www.DoverMotorsports.com. This release may contain forward-looking statements based on management’s beliefs and assumptions. Such statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause results to vary materially. Please refer to the SEC filings of DVD for a discussion of such factors.