ON AUTO RACING: JACKSON CAR OWNER FOCUSED ON ATPR POINTS TITLE

Joe Reddick knows how it feels to win a season points title.

With help from a Springfield, Ill., racer, he could experience it again this year.

Reddick, a longtime Jackson, Mo., short-track racer, said Wednesday he's committed to winning the season point championship for the sprint division at Auto Tire and Parts Racepark near Benton, Mo. He's picked Robbie Standridge to drive his yellow No. 12X car to the title.

"Robbie and I have had some success so far," said Reddick. "He's got talent."

Standridge has proven his ability on the track. In three nights of racing this season at ATPR, he won a 25-lap feature race and finished second twice, both times to Indiana's Paul May. He trails May in the point standings, a battle that will continue when racing resumes at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Reddick's focus this season will be split with Standridge and two other cars in his operation. One, a yellow No. 12 nearly identical to the No. 12X of Standridge, has featured a variety of drivers: Reddick raced it May 5, Rob Crabdree raced it May 12 and Lee Dunn drove it to a season-high third place Saturday at ATPR. Dunn will be behind the wheel Saturday.

Work has just begun on the third car in the group, a black No. 12J that could debut soon. A fourth car is on standby.

Reddick, 25 years after his first track championship, said he, too, could be in the driver's seat.

"I'm having fun being a car owner," he said, "but I'm not ready to quit driving, either. I may have to race once in a while."

Quickly...

* Malden (Mo.) Speedway hosts the United Sprint Car Series today for a $2,000-to-win event. Sprint cars also will race for $2,000 to win Wednesday at I-55 Raceway near Pevely, Mo.

* Larry Hull of Old Appleton won the modified feature Friday at Malden. Jess Short of Jackson was fourth.

* Greg King of Sikeston won in limited late models Friday at Malden and was second Saturday to Randy Wright at Harrisburg, Ark.

* Brent Glastetter, a former local driver now in Mooresville, N.C., returned to the Midwest for a big weekend in the modified division -- he finished third at Paducah, Ky., on Friday and fifth in a 100-lap event Monday at Macon, Ill.

* Rain delayed two events last week. The cruiser class was rained out at ATPR and will compete Saturday with the track's regular schedule. At Fredericktown Raceway, late models will complete their rain-delayed event today.

Jamie Hall is the design and graphics editor for the Southeast Missourian. Reach him at (573) 335-6611, ext. 174