They�re three amigos and with racing rules being what they are, they�ll in all likelihood pal up near the back of the pack for tonight�s Grand Nationals division race.

But it won�t be because Dale Richardson, Colton Dunlap and Kevin Flock are expected to struggle in their qualifying heats among an expected 30-plus drivers from a three-state area who are expected to compete for the $1,000 top prize in what was only a few weeks ago known as the Hobby Stock division.

The lineup for the second in a series of four �Summer Sizzler� specials, in compliance with Outlaw�s �parity� rules, sets up drivers at the back of the pack depending on their points standings, starting with the points leader. That would be Richardson, with nine victories this season. Dunlap, a 16-year-old Muskogee High School junior, has two but has eight second-place finishes to put him immediately behind Richardson. Flock, with five checkered flags, is third.

�No other division has been dominated in their division like these three have and they�re doing it in a division that is well-known for its quality of drivers,� said OMS track manager Eric Shannon.

Good equipment, experience, and car maintenance are reasons the three credit for their success.

�I have a solid car,� said Richardson, 38, who owns United Truck and Auto. �We have a good, on-going maintenance program. Those have been our secrets. We�ve been fast and we haven�t broken too many things on the car.�

Flock says showing up on Friday night to race and then ignoring the car, leaving it on the trailer until the next race, is not an option for him.

�That just doesn�t work,� said the 42-year-old who owns Quality Lube and Repair. �Dale and I have talked and we agree that you have to do your homework and take care of things during the week. If you�re going to be in the hunt to win, there is no other way.

�We work on my car every night. We check it from bumper to bumper. If we see something that is not right or feel something during a race, we review it and will make a change, opting to error on the side of caution rather than waiting for something to break.�

Dunlap said he�s looked at his two rivals and taken notes.

�There is a reason why they win and I want to copy what they are doing,� Dunlap said. �I am just getting my racing career started, but I know they are dedicated to working on their cars every night and that�s why they are winners. I�m doing the same things off the track they are doing.�

Approaching race night with a positive attitude is also important, according to Richardson.

�Each race is different and there is always something to learn,� he says. �You process information and store it away. You never know when you might encounter the same situation somewhere down the line and you have to call on your experiences to drive through it.�

Flock says he is always looking for an edge.

�With so many good cars and drivers in our division, you have to remember the little things from race to race, like suspension adjustments for wet or dry tracks, transmissions, tire pressures, all of those things that can come into play week-in and week-out,� Flock says.

In addition to driving a good machine, Flock credits �staying clean, not taking undue risks, and being patience� as keys to his year, adding that having a lot experienced drivers in the division also makes a difference.

�We�ve been racing against each other for so long we pretty much know what each other is going to do,� Flock says. �That makes a big difference when you start at the back of the pack and have to work your way through traffic.�

Still the student of sorts against the veterans, Dunlap said the No. 1 thing he has learned is how to read track conditions and then making adjustments for the feature. Like Richardson, he favors a dry-slick track. Flock likes it slightly wet which means a tacky surface.

Good equipment is another must for a fast car.

�I know we don�t skimp by,� Dunlap says. �We have the very best engine and other components for the car we can get. If you are going to be competitive in this class, there are no shortcuts.�

And that is why the �Three Amigos� are where they are today.