Boulder City-based H-Town Racing gears up for 2008

Mechanic Sonny Lampke works on a car in the H-Town Racing team shop. Jacob Kepler/VIEW marlene karas/VIEWDriver Pat Petrie, left, and mechanic Steve Stringer work to prepare a car for the racing season, which begins March 29 and runs through October. Advertisement

Race car driver Jim Petrie and his H-Town Racing team are looking for a few good sponsors for the upcoming race season at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway's Bullring.

To compete in 2008 -- the season starts March 29 and runs through October -- H-Town Racing bought three new cars, a Modified and Super Late Model for Jim, a Modified for Pat and a Late Model.

Ben Morris, who, along with others volunteer their time as unpaid members of the pit crew, will be driving a Modified, Jeff Bargerhuff will be in a new Late Model, and John Wright will be competing in the Charger series.

Last season, Petrie's brother Pat Petrie came in eighth in total points, while Morris ended up in a tie for 17th place in the Modifieds division; Petrie finished 20th in the Super Late Model division; and Bargerhuff, a rookie, came in 19th in the Charger division.

With new cars and a renewed spirit to come on strong this year, it's no wonder Petrie sounded so positive about his team's chances this year.

"Our goal is to win track championships," he said. "Just championships."

"I've been here eight years, and when they moved in, I said if they needed any help, just ask," said Jim Parsons, owner of Parsons Auto Body, explaining how he got involved with the Petrie family of racers. "I know how expensive it is to do what they're doing. I just wanted to help them out."

Driving the 3/8-mile bank oval with four cars over a schedule of 19 race dates doesn't come cheap for H-Town Racing.

A set of tires on a Super Late Model car can cost $580 for one 50-lap race; high performance gas costs more than $300 each weekend, or nearly $80 a night per car, when it sells for $8.75 a gallon.

"Our goal for everything is $50,000," Petrie said. "That will get us by for this year."