Special event

While a full field will race for a record purse, Saturday night at Hickory Motor Speedway will be mostly about honoring a Catawba County native's impact on local racing.

The second annual Dwight Huffman Memorial Race for Charity, a 177-lap Late Model event that gets the green flag at 8:30 p.m., honors the late driver, car owner and promoter.

Huffman, who died in an automobile accident in February 2008 at age 57, was a Morganton native who graduated from Hildebran High and Catawba Valley Community College.

His legacy includes having a son, Ashley, who will be among the 32 drivers trying to win the race title.

"It's hard to put into words exactly what this means," said Ashley Huffman of this weekend's feature race. " It makes you proud of dad and the legacy he leaves behind, that people care enough about him and thought enough about him to put their best foot forward to make this thing go."

Ashley Huffman and Doug Houser began the event and established the contacts needed to gain sponsorships and support for the race from local communities.

Last year, Huffman did a lot of the legwork for the race honoring his dad, including getting other drivers to enter the field.

This year, Dwight Huffman Racing Charities was established and volunteers did most of the things Huffman and Houser took on in 2008.

"Last year was hard to focus because everything came together late for the race and it was hard to focus on driving," Ashley Huffman said. "This year it's not quite as bad.

"There are a lot more people involved and a lot more people doing different things to take the load off us so we can focus on what we need to do.

"I feel like we are a lot more prepared going into it this year. I definitely want to win this thing."

Huffman will drive the No. 7 Dodge, and he says he feels good about his chances.

HMS gates open at 4 p.m. Saturday and qualifying starts at 5 p.m., with the feature race about 3 ½ hours later.

The Huffman Memorial is one of three divisions racing Saturday night. There will also be a 50-lap Super Truck race and separate 50-lap Street Stocks event.

Total purse for the Huffman race is $28,034, with the winner collecting $7,007.

The drivers who finished 1-2 in last year's inaugural event highlight the Late Model field.

Defending race champion Andy Loden and runner-up Andy Mercer are expected to contend. Also slated to run are Dennis Setzer and Shane Huffman.

"It was a special honor to win the race last year and I hope to repeat this year," said Loden, who drives the No. 29 Chevrolet. "When you look at the field, there are some well-known names and folks that know how to get around Hickory.

"It's a very strong field. I think we will have a pretty good car by the time race time comes."

Mercer enters as the hottest driver, having won his last 10 events at HMS.

Four former track champions (since 1993) are in the field, plus Steven Wallace, who drives in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He's the son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Rusty Wallace.

Setzer, HMS track champion in 1983 and 1993, is in his 14th year on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and raced in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. He is currently 11th in the Truck Series driver's points standings.

With the truck series off this weekend, Setzer is looking forward to returning to Hickory to honor a friend and former car owner.

Setzer won a track championship at HMS and at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson in the early 1990s while driving for Huffman.

"He was a great racer as an owner," said Setzer. "I admired him a lot for the way he handled his team. He was a great racing person.

"I am excited to be back at Hickory. I won a lot of big races with him."

Shane Huffman won the 1999 track title at HMS. He competed in the ARCA, Hooters Pro Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series.

Currently, Shane Huffman is car chief at Rusty Wallace Racing and works with one of Wallace's two Nationwide Series teams. As car chief, he oversees the crew, setup of the car and day-to-day operation while working closely with the crew chief about the cars setup.

Shane Huffman also drove for Dwight Huffman on a limited basis but is not related to him.

"I knew Dwight for a long time and we were good friends," Shane Huffman said. "It would mean a lot to me to win it because of who the race is for.

"This is going to be fun. It's going to be like a who's who of Late Model drivers."

Half of Saturday's proceeds will go to the East Burke, South Caldwell and Eastern Catawba Counties Cooperative Christian Ministries.

Fans are encouraged to bring one canned food item and any used clothing to drop off at the entrance gates for these organizations to use in restocking their pantries for local families hurt by the economy.

More than $10,000 in cash and prizes will be given to the fans, and the first 577 kids through the gates will receive an event T-shirt.

Advanced tickets can be purchased through 5 p.m. today at the Burke, Caldwell and Catawba County area Arby's and at Hickory Motor Speedway.

Advanced tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for teens and seniors and 12-and-under get in free.