Every race fan suffers through the cold, bitter winter months dying to get back to the track and catch some racing action and then Speedweeks in Daytona revs us up only to have a few weeks left in the Carolina area to suffer before getting racing up and running again. Then the month of March comes and we can finally go racing, but after the first couple of weeks we all start looking for the next "big race" ... The month of July gives us a little taste of "big race season".

That all starts this season with the Third Annual "Rusty Harpe Memorial" at Caraway Speedway on Wednesday, July 1st. It's a mid-week meeting of the best of the best in Late Model Stock Car racing that has saw two of the biggest names in racing in the Carolina's take home the trophy in the past two seasons. Travis Swaim won the first RHM event and BJ Mackey took home last years version and there are a handful of guys looking to win their first Rusty Harpe Memorial title. Both previous winners are entered for this years event.

The week continues on and Friday night we've got two more big Late Model Stock Car races with the Bailey's 200 at South Boston Speedway in South Boston, VA and the Firecracker 150 at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, NC. Both of these special Pre-Independence Day special events should attract some of the best names in Late Model Stock Car racing and will showcase both of these fine facilities.

Also on Friday is the first of a special double header weekend for the PASS South Super Late Models at Greenville Pickens Speedway in Greenville, SC. This will be the 7th race of the season for the PASS South Series and thru the first six the series has had three different winners. Northern driver, Ben Rowe won the first two races of the season with Jay Fogleman winning an event and Preston Peltier dominating in the last four races winning three of them.

As of press time, Ben Rowe was not on the PASS South entry list for the Greenville Pickens event and is expected not to compete in this event. Peltier will look to win his third race in a row, but several outsiders are expected to give him a run for his money including hot shoe, Johanna Long, who was recently picked up on driver development deal with Venturinni Motorsports. The PASS South Series will be in action on Sunday, July 5th too at the Hickory Motor Speedway.

Saturday brings about a handful of big races around the region starting with a mid-day show at Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, NC for the ASA Late Models and Frank Kimmel's Street Stocks. Our very own, Corey Latham will have full coverage from this event while on the other side of the region in beatiful, Coeburn, VA the UARA-STARS Series will be taking to the track.

Langley Austin and Kimberly Smith will be bringing us flag to flag coverage of the UARA-STARS 150 on our twitter updates as well as photos, videos and a complete race wrap-up on Sunday. Also hitting the track on the 4th of July will be Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, NC for 100-laps of Late Model Stock Car action. Stacy Puryear is coming off of his second win of the season and is looking for a third in the big Independence day blowout.

After Sunday's PASS South race it's just a few more days before the action heats up all over the region again as two of the biggest races of the Summer take place on the same day. Saturday, July 11th will see the Dwight Huffman Memorial 177-lap Late Model Stock Car race take place at Hickory Motor Speedway and also the Hampton Heat will hit the track at Langley Speedway in Hampton, VA.

Both of these races are expected to draw strong fields of cars with the Dwight Huffman Memorial already posting more than 30 entries on their website. Many of todays top stars from the Western region of North Carolina are expected to compete including last years winner, Andy Loden who has had a tumultuous season thus far competing on the UARA-STARS tour.

Other top drivers competing will include the early season dominator of Hickory Motor Speedway, Andy Mercer, who will be seeking his 11th straight win of the 2009 season on the 3/8 mile track. Former track champion, Matt McCall as well as NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, Dennis Setzer and NASCAR Nationwide Series crew chief, Shane Huffman are all expected to compete in this huge mid-season event. the Hampton Heat is also expected to draw a strong field of cars on the coast of Virginia.

With all this racing action going on around the region over the next week or two, it looks as if RACE22.com is going to be extremely busy keeping you informed on the inside stories from each of the events as well as photos, videos and more. Be sure to check out one or more of these events as all of them should be races you won't want to miss.