Hoseheads Sprint Car Photos & News

After heavy rains washed out the O’Reilly All Star’s travel plans to Central PA on Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway, the series moved on to Port Royal Speedway to take on the tough as nails PA Posse in their own back yard. The Posse and their rabid fans filled the speedway to see their local heroes fend off the invaders. With 32 cars on hand, 10 of which were traveling O’Reilly All Star regulars, the field was stacked with talent adding to the already exciting Central PA brand of winged 410 racing action.

The track was fast when the All Stars lined up for qualifying with Paul McMahan setting the Kistler Engines quick time for the 6th Annual Bob Weikert Memorial event. The invading All Stars showed their teeth in heat race action as 7 of the 10 travelers transferred into the A-main event. Rookie Lee Stark was running in position to transfer when he got sideways in turn two and kissed the inside fence.

The 6-lap O’Reilly All Star Dash win went to last year’s Bob Weikert Memorial winner, Greg Hodnett. Hodnett is always tough in All Star competition and is always a favorite to win at Port Royal Speedway. He led the way in the Dash with Dale Blaney in tow. Lance Dewease, Paul McMahan, Greg Wilson, and Brandon Martin rounded out the finishing order.

The All Star “Pick 6” redraw on the front stretch with six young fans drawing for the driver’s starting spots put Keith Kauffman on the pole next to Jeff Shepard. Row two would see Mark Smith line up inside of Dale Blaney. Row three put Paul McMahan inside of Todd Shaffer. With Dewease, Hodnett, and Wilson in rows four and five the front of the field was stacked and it was anybody’s race, however everyone knew "The Jet" was going to have the car to beat.

Shepard jumped out to the early lead with Kauffman hot on his heels. Shepard started to pull away from the front pack, but entered traffic on lap 7 as Todd Shaffer was on the move from his 6th row starting position. By lap 13 Shaffer was on Shepard’s bumper when the caution flew for a slowing Mark Smith.

On the restart Shepard led over Shaffer, Kauffman, Dewease, Hodnett, Paulus, Michael, Wilson, Wagner, and Martin. Paul McMahan exited the speedway during the caution to make repairs and was able to restart at the tail. Dale Blaney left the race with power steering problems.

Mike Erdley hit the restart cone on when the green flag dropped bringing out the yellow flag once again. On the following restart, Brian Ellenberger came to a stop on the speedway putting the event past the fuel window for the number of laps run and a quick fuel stop was required. Under the red, Todd Shaffer discovered a broken front shock, but All Star rules allow no adjustments to the car during a fuel stop other than adding fuel or adding air to the tires.

Once the green flag flew again, it was non-stop to the checkered flag with Shepard leading the way. Dewease made his way into second place with five laps to go and looked to be the fastest car on the speedway as he began to run Shepard down in traffic. Shepard was able to get through the back markers and go on to victory with Dewease coming home second followed by Greg Hodnett, Todd Shaffer, and Keith Kauffman.

All Star Circuit of Champions Statistics - Port Royal Speedway (5-10-08)

Kistler Engines Qualifying 1. 0-Paul McMahan, 16.110

All Pro Heads Heat #1 1. 20e-Brian Ellenberger; 2. 4-Todd Hestor; 3. w20-Greg Wilson; 4. 6-Sean Michael; 5. 0-Paul McMahan; 6. 28-Brian Paulus; 7. 56r-Ryan Myers; 8. 81-Craig Folmer

Engler Machine & Tool Heat #2 1. 30c-Lance Dewease; 2. 1x-Randy Hannagan; 3. 55-Mike Wagner; 4. 1z-Jeff Shepard; 5. 7m-Mark Smith; 6. 28j-Chad Jumper; 7. 16r-Craig Robinson; 8. 16s-Lee Stark

Hoosier Racing Tire Heat #3 1. 2h-Dave Hahn; 2. 2-Dale Blaney; 3. 19-Cale Grubb; 4. 22-Greg Hodnett; 5. 7k-Keith Kauffman; 6. 11e-Mike Erdley; 7. 3-Bob Bennett; 8. 44-Joey Hershey

Hank's Performance Products Heat #4 1. 16-Cliff Brian; 2. 88-Todd Shaffer; 3. 11m-Brandon Martin; 4. 35-Alan Cole; 5. 45-Bill Brian; 6. 16h-Matt Horst; 7. 4k-Randy Kaylor; 8. 17b-Steve Buckwalter

O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash 1. 22-Greg Hodnett; 2. 2-Dale Blaney; 3. 30C-Lance Dewease; 4. 0-Paul Mcmahan; 5. W20-Greg Wilson; 6. 11M-Brandon Martin

University of Northwest Ohio B-Main (Top 4 transfer) 1. 17b-Steve Buckwalter; 2. 28-Brian Paulus; 3. 16h-Matt Horst; 4. 11e-Mike Erdley

MSD Ignition A-Main Starting Position [X] 1. 1Z-Jeff Shepard[2]; 2. 30C-Lance Dewease[8]; 3. 22-Greg Hodnett[9]; 4. 88-Todd Shaffer[6]; 5. 7K-Keith Kauffman[1]; 6. 28-Brian Paulus[12]; 7. 6-Sean Michael[7]; 8. 7M-Mark Smith[3]; 9. 35-Alan Cole[11]; 10. 55-Mike Wagner[14]; 11. 1X-Randy Hannagan[17]; 12. 0-Paul McMahan[5]; 13. W20-Greg Wilson[10]; 14. 11E-Mike Erdley[23]; 15. 11M-Brandon Martin[15]; 16. 4-Todd Hestor[20]; 17. 20E-Brian Ellenberger[16]; 18. 17B-Steve Buckwalter[13]; 19. 16H-Matt Horst[22]; 20. 2H-Dave Hahn[21]; 21. 16-Cliff Brian[19]; 22. 19-Cale Grubb[18]; 23. 2-Dale Blaney[4]; 24. 45-Bill Brian[24]

O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions to Reschedule Williams Grove Event

CAMARGO, IL (05-09-08) by Robert Cortum - O'Reilly All Star Public Relations

Officials with the O’Reilly Circuit of Champions have made a decision to postpone the May 9th events at the famed Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Inclement weather has become a familiar story across the racing scene for 2008 and once again, a high powered, star studded event will fall victim to Mother Nature.

Details on the rescheduled date will be forth-coming as series and track officials work closely to bring “America’s Series” back to “The Grove”. O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champion racing scheduled for May 10th at Port Royal is still on schedule as it looks that the weather system invading Williams Grove will not affect Port Royal Speedway.

O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series Adjusts Schedule

CAMARGO, IL (05-06-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

The O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series continues to expand their 2008 assault in the Midwest. The series announces a shift in the schedule for the season that is going to be both a benefit and an opportunity for additional racing.

Mark your calendars for June 6^th as the “Best in the Midwest” will be making a 2-night show at the famed Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The series already has the facility slated for June 7^th as a $3,000 to win and has worked a 2-night deal which will pay the traditional $2,000 to win/$200 to start for the first night.

Series and Track Officials have decided to shift the scheduled August 2^nd event at the Montgomery County Speedway in New Florence, MO to July 26^th . The move will allow for a much larger car count and the ability for many of the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series superstars to compete at the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions sanctioned “Thunder Through the Plains.”

The June 28^th date scheduled for Poinsett County Raceway in Harrisburg, Arkansas has been canceled. Many top drivers were looking forward to competing at the facility in 2008, however, track officials have decided to back out of the scheduled event. Series Officials are working hard making negotiations to replace this date with an additional race at another venue.

Keep watching for details about these upcoming events as they develop. Log onto www.midwestallstarseries.com <http://www.midwestallstarseries.com/>.

O’Reilly Midwest All Star Contenders Tear Up the Competition for Second Week

CAMARGO, IL (05-05-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

A few Hard Charging O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series competitors took to the familiar confines of the St. Francois County Raceway for the second straight weekend. When the dust finally settled both weekends, the winner’s prize went back on the road with the Series’ Superstars.

April 26^th it was the high flying Jimmy Hurley and his family owned, Action Graphics/Miles Chevrolet supported #35 Maxim/McKay Engines. Hurley, who is no stranger to regional traveling took to the familiar facility with the same fire he takes every outing with the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series.

“We started 4^th in the feature and by lap 18 (of 25) we were able to get to third and then on the next lap we took the top spot and held onto it and won by a straight-away and a half,” explained Hurley. “This is a ’97 Maxim chassis, we decided to pull it out and get some things figured out with it, it shows what you can do with good equipment when you take care of it. This program additionally works with the support of my sponsorship, Velocity Wings, McKay Engines, Bell Helmets, Action Graphics, and Miles Chevrolet.”

Other O’Reilly Midwest All Stars in action at the facility scored event wins on the night. Those include, defending Benton Race Park Champion Tommy Worley, Jr picking up a heat race win and a runner-up spot on the night, “Sparky Pate, Rookie of the Year” contender with the series scored his first Heat Race victory of the year in the Doc Sloan owned A12, Timmy Montgomery finished comfortably in the top 5 with a 4^th place check.

May 3^rd saw a complete sweep by the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series hotshoe, AJ Bruns. Bruns wheeled his family owned #44 to a heat race win, trophy dash win, and finally the big check from the feature. Bruns had tough competition behind him all night as 2007 series champion was chasing him down in both the heat race and the dash, and the 2007 series runner-up, Robbie Standridge, chasing him in the feature.

“It was a good night for us, no one is going to complain about a sweep. Jerry Russell of Eagle Chassis was in the pits Saturday night and lent some great advice to help us out,” stated Bruns. “We are using a new 2008 Eagle Chassis with our Don Ott power and it is really working out for us. We are looking forward to getting down to Benton (Race Park) and then racing closer to home towards the end of the month.”

Bruns was able to perform his traditional wheel stand twice in the evening after the trophy dash and the feature. Bruns adds, “I had to wave to the fans!” Waving he did, with the winners check in hand.

It was a good night for other O’Reilly Midwest All Stars as 3 of the top 5 were members with Standridge in 2^nd and Jerrod Hull crossing the line in 5^th . Aussie Sean Zemunik made his debut aboard the Guy Webb #51 mount. Doc Sloan brought his two powerful machines with rookie contender “Sparky” Pate. Jimmy Hurley and Tommy Worley Jr. finished the evening each in the top 10.

Pick up the April edition of Flat Out Magazine as Rookie of the Year contender Miranda Throckmorton is featured on the back cover in an ad for one of her primary advertisers, M&W Aluminum Products.

O’Reilly Midwest All Star action continues to prove why these drivers are the "Best in the Midwest". Next up for the series will be a Memorial Day run as the series roll into Benton Race Park May 23^rd , Mt Vernon Speedway on May 24^th , and Quincy Raceway on May 26^th . Visit www.midwestallstarseries.com <http://www.midwestallstarseries.com/> for additional information.

O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions to Make Personal Appearances

CAMARGO, IL (05-05-08) by Robert Cortum - O'Reilly All Star Public Relations

Some of the top names on the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions tour will be up close and personal with fans at four locations in the Pennsylvania area on May 8^th , prior to two “Posse-land” stops. Fans will have an opportunity to meet series points leader Lance Dewease, two-time defending champion Greg Wilson, Rookie of the Year candidate Lee Stark, and the ever popular Randy “The Hurricane” Hannagan.

Greg Wilson will be appearing at Cindy Rowe Auto Glass from 11am to 1pm in York, Pennsylvania. Wilson will be in attendance with a live radio remote, drinks, hotdogs, and $2 off coupons for the May 9^th event to be held at the historic Williams Grove Speedway. Cindy Rowe Auto Glass is located at 192 Memory Lane in York, Pennsylvania.

Rookie of the Year contender Lee Stark and the legendary Jack Hewitt (who mentors Stark and provides crew support) will be on hand at Geico in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania from 2-5pm. Stark and Hewitt have paired up with Geico and will be providing beverages and hotdogs and will be live on ESPN Radio offering up insight and lore about sprint car racing. Geico will be giving away a much needed $250.00 gas card to one lucky fan. Geico is located at 3350B Paxton St. in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

A local hero and current points leader with the All Stars, Lance Dewease will be in attendance at Sutliff Hummer from 11am to 1pm. Sutliff Hummer is the Central Pennsylvania authority in the Hummer market and has partnered with Dewease who some would say is the authority in Pennsylvania sprint car scene. Sutliff Hummer is located at 6462 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

Rounding out the appearances will be “The Hurricane” Randy Hannagan. Hannagan who brings excitement to the track each time his Hoosier’s hit the dirt, will be on hand at the Route 15 Beverage Express from 3-5pm. One of the most celebrated drivers in sprint car racing, Hannagan will be available for autographs and meet and greets with fans. Route 15 Beverage Express is located at 9 Tristan Drive, in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.

The O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions would like to thank all of the hosts for their continued support of the series and sprint car racing. Be sure to hit one or all of these exciting events, Thursday, May 8^th . For up to the minute news about “America’s Series” log onto www.allstarsprint.com <http://www.allstarsprint.com/>

O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series Revises “Tennessee Stampede” Dates

CAMARGO, IL (05-03-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

The O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series will be making their debut at two high banked facilities in Tennessee in 2008. Previously slated for May 9th and 10th , the 2008 "Tennessee Stampede" has been rescheduled to July 18th and 19th . Postponement of the events came in light of concerns for the track’s preparedness to put on a sprint car show with a safe racing surface with heavy rains soaking the area much of the month of April.

First up will be the high banked Western Tennessee Motorspeedway near Jackson, Tennessee. WTMS promoter and event coordinator, Scott Ross is excited about bringing the hard hitting 850 horsepower machines to his backyard.

“We really wanted to bring these cars into Tennessee. The Midwest All Stars are a unique bunch of drivers that fight every lap for that checkered flag,” Ross stated. “They are really going to be able to put on a great show for the fans on these high banks.”

From there, the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series will travel east to the famed Thunderhill Raceway in Summertown, Tennessee. Traditionally a modified and late model facility, Thunderhill is most known for its wide surface and high banks. Track promoter Wayne Burns is equally excited in anticipation for a great event.

“We typically get some great action here at Thunderhill. As a former driver of this track, I can recall being 4 abreast while in the turns at speed,” Burns exclaimed. “I am hoping to see, and I think these guys will, defiantly break the track record when they qualify, it should be a great show for everyone.”

On board for the “Tennessee Stampede” in the form of hotel support is the Days Inn in Holladay, Tennessee, just a few short miles from WTMS. For reservations, call the front desk at 731-847-2278 and ask for the Midwest All Star Series special.

For more information, stop by www.midwestallstarseries.com.

O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Headed Into Posse Territory

CAMARGO, IL (5-4-08) The O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions are gearing up to take on some of the toughest competition they will face all season as they head back to Central PA. The notorious “PA Posse” has given fits to the best of the best who have invaded their dirt track territory over the years. In 2008 the All Stars not only bring some of the strongest competitors in recent memory, but they’ll also share claim of Posse star Lance Dewease who is currently leading the All Star Championship season points race.

In 2007, it was Mike Erdley who led the way at Williams Grove extending the Posse’s domination of racing in Central PA when outsiders come to town. The tough Grove competition filled out most of the Top 10 that evening. The All Stars expect to make things a little tougher on the Posse in 2008 with the addition of some of the top drivers in the sport to the All Star roster.

Following the Grove appearance, the All Stars will travel West to the 6th Annual Bob Weikert Memorial at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, PA. Lance Dewease took home the top honors in 2006 to bring his career All Star win total to 24. He’ll be gunning for #25 this weekend. Other Central PA drivers such as Fred Rahmer, Mark Smith, Jeff Shepard, Keith Kauffman, and 2007 Weikert Memorial winner Greg Hodnett -- along with a full field of great weekly Port Royal regulars -- will try to make things tough for the traveling series.

All Star regulars Dale Blaney, Brock Mayes, Brian Paulus, Paul May, Brandon Martin, Greg Wilson, Paul McMahan, Randy Hannagan, Ryan Myers, Lee Stark, and Brian Ellenberger will try to steal the Bob Weikert trophy and the bragging rights for an All Star win in Posse country. Kenny Jacobs, who was sporting a special Weikert Livestock paint scheme in honor of the respected PA car owner in 2007, is expected to return to Port Royal in 2008 with the All Stars.

The race originally listed on the All Star schedule for Sunday May 11^th at Bedford Speedway has been canceled and will not be rescheduled.

_Williams Grove Speedway – Friday May 9^th _ www.williamsgrove.com <http://www.williamsgrove.com/>

- 15 All Star Races - Most All Star wins: Lance Dewease (3) -Other All Star winners: Maynard Yingst (1), Steve Siegel (1), Doug Wolfgang (1), Fred Rahmer (1), Steve Smith (1), Greg Hodnett (1), Donnie Kreitz (1), Todd Shaffer (1), George Ferguson Jr (1), Barry Camp (1), Jim Nace (1), Mike Erdley (1)

_Port Royal Speedway – Saturday May 10^th _ www.portroyalspeedway.com <http://www.portroyalspeedway.com/>

- 16 All Star Races - Most All Star wins: Lance Dewease (4) - Other All Star winners: Todd Shaffer (2), Donnie Kreitz (2), Greg Hodnett (3), Dave Ely (1), Bobby Allen (1), Billy Pauch (1), Sean Michael (1), Lynn Paxton (1)

For more information on the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions visit www.allstarsprint.com <http://www.allstarsprint.com/> . For directions to the tracks, information on gate times, and admission pricing, please visit www.williamsgrove.com <http://www.williamsgrove.com/> and www.portroyalspeedway.com <http://www.portroyalspeedway.com/> .

O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series Welcomes America’s Best Inn of Marion, Illinois as Supporter

CAMARGO, IL (05-01-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

Part of the overall dynamic of a traveling Sprint Car series is lodging expenses. The O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series is always looking for the best rates for their competitors as the teams head up and down America’s highways.

The latest to join the family of supporters for the series is the America’s Best Inn and Suits of Marion, Illinois. The America’s Best Inn offers many of the amenities that drivers, crews and families look for when traveling. A convenient location, clean rooms, and great rates comprise just some of the things that teams look for most.

The hotel is on board for 2 events in 2008 that will make sense to the series and the hotel combined. First up will be the May 23^rd event held at Benton Race Park in Benton, Missouri while the team travels north on I-57 to Mt. Vernon Speedway for the following night. The next event that the America’s Best Inn will be supporting will be the July 4^th event at Benton Race Park, this time the teams will be traveling that familiar interstate on their way to Paragon, Indiana’s own Paragon Speedway.

Those looking for the most competitive rate for the weekends are invited to call the hotel directly rather than making reservations online at 618-997-9421, asking for the Midwest All Star Series Special. Rates for both events will be $45.60 taxes included with choice of rooms (pending availability).

Jim Baker, General Manager of the hotel adds a little more to the benefit of booking with his hotel for these events. “We understand the struggles of a traveling race team. We understand that sometimes the weather does not play into favor with the teams. Because of this, we will only take reservations for these events and not charge a cancellation fee as many of the teams have seen over the years.” This makes booking your reservations a “no-risk” opportunity.

The America’s Best Inn and Suites of Marion, Illinois is located just off of I-57 at exit 54B, then West, behind Burger King. Book rooms now for these busy weekends by calling the hotel directly at 618-997-9421.

Thompson Makes Adjustments, Ready For O’Reilly Midwest All Star Action

CAMARGO, IL (04-27-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

Tyler Thompson has become a staple name among Midwest racing for four years. The man who calls Cape Girardeau, Missouri home has been racing against some of the best Midwest competition with the purpose of challenging himself and team to make them a strong, more recognizable force.

Thompson garnered a Top 10 finish with the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series in 2007 as the team battled all season long, while only missing one event. But Thompson is not resting on the 8th place trophy he took home for his season efforts, he is looking to build.

“We have made some positive changes with the TSE (Thompson & Son Enterprises) team. We have hired one of the best crew chiefs in the business over the off-season - Donnie Cooper,” Tyler stated.

The 2007 season was a learning experience as the team fought some early season woes, but kept pushing towards success. The 2007 campaign was also the team's first full season of racing in the 410 ranks after racing in a traveling series with their 360 program previously and learning as they traveled.

“We are looking at making improvements to a lot of different areas of the program. We did alright qualifying and racing in the heat races in ‘07, but we seemed to miss things when it came to the feature,” Thompson added. “This year we are looking to become more solid each night out in every aspect of an event.”

The adjustments began in the off-season, as mentioned previously, by hiring top wrench Donnie Cooper. Cooper's addition to the team will bring a new effort and level of success for the young superstar.

Additional support for the team comes from the hard work and dedication of a couple of other individuals. Thompson adds that the support he has gained from his father, Paul Thompson, and Jack Trickey adds to his desire to perform well.

The popular TSE #11 boasts sponsorship in 2008 from USMD Medical Development based in Dallas, Texas; Cenegenics Medical Institute of Ft. Worth, Texas; Bel Aire Grille and Velocity Electronics both of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Fire Down Graphics and Cooper Racing round out the advertising for the team.

“We weren’t very happy finishing the season in 8th, but we are going to build on that and improve this year,” Thompson states. “As a team, we feel that we can be a Top 3 car by the time the season is over.”

Continue to keep track of this young Midwest superstar as he takes on the “Best of the Midwest” all season long with the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series by logging on to www.midwestallstarseries.com.

Saldana Puts On Clinic at Eldora Speedway for All Star Win

ROSSBURG, OH (4-26-08) by Bryan Autullo – All Star PR Director

The O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions live by the motto “You never know who is going to win an All Star race.” Tonight at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, OH the field of cars could not have been more surprising and had fans buzzing about who might win this one. With the early cancellation of the World of Outlaws event at Husets Speedway and then the rain out of Knoxville Speedway, several Outlaw teams high tailed it East to compete with the All Stars under sunny skies in Western Ohio.

Surprise entries included Donny Schatz, Joey Saldana, Tony Bruce Jr., Chad Kemenah, Chad Hillier, Darryn Pittman, Steve and Kraig Kinser, and NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne. With the All Stars turning in a strong showing of their own, the car count reached 37 making for a full night of exciting racing action in front of a good Eldora crowd.

Randy Hannagan won the O’Reilly All Star Dash, picking up 6 points toward the season championship points. Paul May was second followed by Brian Ellenberger, Rob Chaney, Paul McMahan, and Lance Dewease.

Heat race action on the fast half mile high banked speedway were full of slide jobs and breath taking action as the cushion got closer to the concrete barrier with each lap. Joey Saldana and Chad Blonde ran above the cushion flirting with the fence and finding the traditional fast way around the speedway. Bill Rose got upside down on the backstretch in Heat #2 putting an end to his evening. Heat races were won by Saldana, Dean Jacobs, Paul May, and Paul McMahan.

With such a stellar field in the house, the B-main was stacked with talent as Steve Kinser started on the pole along side of Dale Blaney. Kinser shot out to the lead and went wire to wire in the 12 lap affair. Blaney would finish second followed by Chad Blonde and Chad Hillier who took the final transfer spot into the A-main.

The redraw for the Top 6 positions put Paul McMahan on the pole next to Darryn Pittman with Donny Schatz and Ed Lynch Jr. lined up on row two. The third row consisted of Joey Saldana and Kenny Jacobs seeking his 99th career All Star win.

Saldana took the lead from Pittman on lap 6 and dominated the field as Schatz and Pittman battled for second place in the non-stop 30 lap event. Saldana had the KKR #9 hooked up winning by nearly half a lap over the competition and lapping up to 5th place as he was on Kemenah’s bumper at the checkered flag. At the midway point of the event, Saldana reminded his boss Kasey Kahne why he hired him as he blew past Kahne putting him a lap down. Saldana masterfully negotiated traffic picking off cars one by one as he tried to lap the entire field.

Pittman and Schatz battled back and forth for second as Steve Kinser snuck into the mix taking over the fourth position as McMahan slipped back to round out the top five. The track was fast and smooth and made for plenty of great “Eldora slide jobs” throughout the night.

All Star points leader Lance Dewease struggled a bit throughout the evening and would have allowed Blaney and Hannagan to gain valuable points, but both had mechanical problems and exited the race early along with Dewease.

O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Eldora Speedway (4-26-08)

Qualifying - Kistler Engines 1. 9-Joey Saldana, 13.419; 2. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr., 13.485; 3. 59-Kenny Jacobs, 13.545; 4. 0-Paul Mcmahan, 13.592; 5. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.594; 6. 21-Darryn Pittman, 13.660; 7. 24H-Rob Chaney, 13.726; 8. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.739; 9. 11-Steve Kinser, 13.761; 10. B20-Butch Schroeder, 13.771; 11. 2M-Dustin Daggett, 13.797; 12. 2-Dale Blaney, 13.808; 13. 20E-Brian Ellenberger, 13.823; 14. 6-Bill Rose, 13.864; 15. 28-Brian Paulus, 13.878; 16. 91-Kasey Kahne, 13.880; 17. 8K-Chad Kemenah, 13.892; 18. 1X-Randy Hannagan, 13.942; 19. 71M-Paul May, 13.942; 20. 30C-Lance Dewease, 13.957; 21. 83-Phil Gressman, 13.964; 22. 7K-Dean Jacobs, 13.976; 23. 11B-Brock Mayes, 13.979; 24. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.072; 25. 5B-Chad Blonde, 14.081; 26. 16-Lee Stark, 14.111; 27. 84-Jimmy Stinson, 14.122; 28. 9X-Kevin Huntley, 14.136; 29. 11M-Brandon Martin, 14.155; 30. 5H-Chad Hillier, 14.162; 31. 18-Tony Bruce Jr., 14.214; 32. 11N-Ed Neumeister, 14.355; 33. 56R-Ryan Myers, 14.605; 34. 1-Kent Wolters, 14.948; 35. 1A-Mark Aldrich, 15.296; 36. 23-Aaron Mcfadden, 16.769; 37. 20-Kraig Kinser, 99.000;

Heat 1 - All Pro Heads 1. 9-Joey Saldana; 2. 8K-Chad Kemenah; 3. 83-Phil Gressman; 4. 15-Donny Schatz; 5. 20E-Brian Ellenberger; 6. 5B-Chad Blonde; 7. 11-Steve Kinser; 8. 20-Kraig Kinser; 9. 56R-Ryan Myers; 10. 11M-Brandon Martin;

Heat 2 - Engler Machine & Tool 1. 7K-Dean Jacobs; 2. 1X-Randy Hannagan; 3. B20-Butch Schroeder; 4. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr.; 5. 21-Darryn Pittman; 6. 5H-Chad Hillier; 7. 16-Lee Stark; 8. 1-Kent Wolters; 9. 6-Bill Rose;

Heat 3 - Hoosier Racing Tire 1. 71M-Paul May; 2. 59-Kenny Jacobs; 3. 2M-Dustin Daggett; 4. 24H-Rob Chaney; 5. 28-Brian Paulus; 6. 18-Tony Bruce Jr.; 7. 84-Jimmy Stinson; 8. 1A-Mark Aldrich; 9. 11B-Brock Mayes;

Heat 4 - Hank's Performance Products 1. W20-Greg Wilson; 2. 0-Paul Mcmahan; 3. 30C-Lance Dewease; 4. 91-Kasey Kahne; 5. 5W-Lucas Wolfe; 6. 2-Dale Blaney; 7. 23-Aaron Mcfadden; 8. 11N-Ed Neumeister; 9. 9X-Kevin Huntley;

Dash - O'Reilly Auto Parts 1. 1X-Randy Hannagan; 2. 71m-Paul May; 3. 20E-Brian Ellenberger; 4. 24H-Rob Chaney; 5. 0-Paul Mcmahan; 6. 30c-Lance Dewease;

B-main - University of Northwest Ohio 1. 11-Steve Kinser; 2. 2-Dale Blaney; 3. 5B-Chad Blonde; 4. 5H-Chad Hillier; 5. 84-Jimmy Stinson; 6. 20-Kraig Kinser; 7. 16-Lee Stark; 8. 11M-Brandon Martin; 9. 9X-Kevin Huntley; 10. 18-Tony Bruce Jr.; 11. 1-Kent Wolters; 12. 56R-Ryan Myers; 13. 1A-Mark Aldrich; 14. 23-Aaron Mcfadden; 15. 11N-Ed Neumeister; 16. 11B-Brock Mayes;

A-main - MSD Ignition Starting Position [X] 1. 9-Joey Saldana[5]; 2. 21-Darryn Pittman[2]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz[3]; 4. 11-Steve Kinser[11]; 5. 0-Paul Mcmahan[1]; 6. 8K-Chad Kemenah[16]; 7. 59-Kenny Jacobs[6]; 8. 24H-Rob Chaney[7]; 9. 5W-Lucas Wolfe[8]; 10. 28-Brian Paulus[14]; 11. 91-Kasey Kahne[15]; 12. B20-Butch Schroeder[9]; 13. 2L-Ed Lynch Jr.[4]; 14. 2M-Dustin Daggett[10]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson[22]; 16. 7K-Dean Jacobs[21]; 17. 5B-Chad Blonde[23]; 18. 5H-Chad Hillier[24]; 19. 20E-Brian Ellenberger[13]; 20. 1X-Randy Hannagan[17]; 21. 71M-Paul May[18]; 22. 30C-Lance Dewease[19]; 23. 83-Phil Gressman[20]; 24. 2-Dale Blaney[12];

“The Hurricane” Sets His Course for O’Reilly All Star Series Title

CAMARGO, IL (4-26-08) by Robert Cortum - O'Reilly All Star Public Relations

Randy Hannagan has been thrilling race fans since he was 14 years old. Back then it was go-carts in his native land of California, today his career has him wheeling an 800+ horsepower winged machine against some of the toughest racing competition in the world.

A multi-time Rookie of the Year and Champion, Hannagan has made his mark on every series and track he has appeared in his career. In 2008, Hannagan decided to take on the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions once again in search of yet another championship crown.

Randy has been racing for his brother Terry for many years. In 2007, the team gained additional sponsorship from Penthouse Magazine and Pocket Shots and he continues to deliver for his sponsors and team.

“In 2008, we decided to tone things down a bit with our racing schedule,” noted Randy. “We have a few sponsors on board with us for the season, but what we do is mainly a family business, and with rising fuel costs it just makes more sense to us as a team to stay in a central location and run as many events as we can. We feel that this is just one of the things the All Star series has to offer us.”

The 2007 season came with mixed blessings. Hannagan points out the highlights of the season as the team took home the “B” main win at the Knoxville Nationals and was able to lead the first laps of the first television appearance of the World of Outlaws. The low points as noted were the constant traveling and being away from his family.

“There are a lot of reasons for this team to run with the All Star Circuit of Champions. First of all, I get to spend a lot more time with my wife, Angie and my son, Mason,” notes the San Jose native.

“What Guy Webb is doing with the All Stars and the Midwest All Star Series is great. It offers a lot of racing in a tighter area for traveling. The other thing that is great about working with Guy, is his hands on approach to running the series. If you have a problem, concern, or suggestion, he is always available and willing to talk about it. It may not always go your way, but he does listen and take into consideration your thoughts.”

Randy’s crew chief this year will be Chris Stillwell. Chris and Randy have worked together for awhile and the two of them together will work hard at pushing the envelope at each race. Hannagan enjoys working on his own car unlike a lot of other drivers on the tour.

Hannagan states, “Chris and I work great together on the car. With both of us putting forth our best efforts, I feel that we will have one of the best cars out there each night.”

Joining Hannagan in 2008 for sponsorship will see the return of Penthouse Magazine, Pocketshot.net, and Super 8 Fasteners. The team will be utilizing motors in a renewed effort with Gaerte Engines of Rochester, Indiana.

Additional product support for the THR #1X are; Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Sander Engineering, Ultra Shield, Outerwears, Hanks Performance, Hoosier Racing Tire, Snap-On, FK Rod Ends, MSD Ignition, Schoenfeld Headers, Santomauro Race Products, and Oakley Eyewear. Tel-Tac, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Barnes Oil Pumps, Kenny’s Components, Kaeser Compressors, PBS, Keco Coatings, Waterman Fuel Pumps, HRP Wings, and Huggins Cams will also be a part of the season. The list continues with Racing Optics, Engler Tool and Machine, Dyers Rods, and Ben Cook Racing complete the list of supporters putting forth their efforts in the top-named driver.

Randy invites all his fans to the pits after each event and asks them to visit his website www.randyhannagan.com for the latest news and information.

Stay up to date on all the news with the O’Reilly All Star Cicuit of Champions by visiting www.allstarsprint.com.

“The Mouse” Traps 98th All Star Win at Lernerville Speedway

SARVER, PA (4-25-08) by Bryan Autullo – All Star Director of Public Relations

The O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions resumed action at the historical Lernerville Speedway in Western PA with 33 cars ready to duke it out for $5,000 to win. All Star points leader Lance Dewease looked to extend his lead over Dale Blaney and Randy Hannagan on the fast half mile where Blaney turned many laps in the 90’s. Brian Paulus, who came into the night fourth in season championship points, suffered mechanical problems in qualifying and was not able to transfer from his heat race, but came back to win the B-main from the last row.

The All Stars implemented a redraw for the top six starting positions this season by bringing six young fans onto the front stretch and assigning each of them to a driver – each of which are the top six drivers who transferred out of their heat race. Then the kids draw cards for their driver’s starting spot in the A-main. The redraw line up put veteran Kenny Jacobs on the pole along side Lernerville veteran Rod George. The second row consisted of Ed Lynch Jr and defending All Star champion Greg Wilson. Row three lined up the night’s fast qualifier Paul McMahan next to Rob Chaney.

Rod George jumped out to the lead in the 35-lap event before the first caution slowed the action on lap one. On the restart George led Kenny Jacobs to the line and the two battled hard for several laps as Lernerville standout Ed Lynch Jr. moved into 3rd and Paul McMahan slid into 4th.

On lap 10, Jacobs got around George to take the lead, but George put up a fight and ran nose to tail with The Mouse as they moved into traffic. McMahan was on the move and on lap 13 got around George to take over the 2nd spot.

The caution flew again on lap 20 with the running order Jacobs, McMahan, George, Lynch, and Dewease. The caution would fly again on lap 21 for a slowing Randy Hannagan as Jacobs slapped the wall with his right rear, bending the wheel.

Jacobs took the green on the restart with the wheel damage not really becoming a factor. The Mouse rode it out with McMahan in tow to take the checkers for his 98th career All Star victory. “This is one of the best tracks in the country,” said Jacobs from victory lane. “I really wanted to win here tonight. My kids keep telling me I need to get 3 more wins. Heck, I say lets go for 7 or 8 more!”

Heat races were won by Brandon Martin, Tim Shaffer, Bob Felmlee, and Lance Dewease. Paul McMahan set the quick time for the night and also won the O’Reilly Dash.

The All Stars will be in action again on Saturday at Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, OH. With the early cancellation of the World of Outlaws and Knoxville Raceway events this weekend, many Outlaw teams are expected to compete with the All Stars at Eldora. Get there early for the racing to begin at 7:30 pm.

O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Statistics Lernerville Speedway (Sarver, PA) 4-25-08

Kistler Engines Qualifying 1. (0) Paul McMahn, 13.023 2. (2L) Ed Lynch Jr., 13.025 3. (59) Kenny Jacobs, 13.062 4. (4) Rod George, 13.105 5. (24H) Rob Chaney, 13.108 6. (W20) Greg Wilson, 13.153 7. (6F) Bob Felmlee, 13.181 8. (83) Phil Gressman, 13.189 9. (1X) Randy Hannigan, 13.237 10. (20E) Brian Ellenberger, 13.282 11. (3B) Scott Bonnell, 13.332 12. (9) Kevin Schaeffer, 13.365 13. (11M) Brandon Martin, 13.400 14. (2) Dale Blaney, 13.481 15. (98) Dan Shetler, 13.486 16. (30C) Lance Dewease, 13.487 17. (5A) Rob Eyler, 13.495 18. (16) Gary Rankin, 13.637 19. (11B) Brock Mayes, 13.584 20. (15) Charlie Holben, 13.628 21. (D45) Tim Shaffer, 13.975 22. (56R) Ryan Myers, 13.685 23. (11) Scott Priester, 13.828 24. (10) Carl Bowser, 13.875 25. (33) Brent Matus, 14.070 26. (29E) Brent Ellenberger, 14.152 27. (12J) Bill Jones, 14.172 28. (X) Cory Good, 14.406 29. (4K) Bill Kiley, 14.926 30. (3J) Joe Butera, 15.258 31. (24S) Brian Steinman, 15.412 32. (59X) Terry Bowser, 25.07 33. (28) Brian Paulus, No Time

All Pro Heads Heat Race #1 (8 Laps) 1. (11M) Brandon Martin 2. (0) Paul McMahan 3. (15) Charlie Holben 4. (24H) Rob Chaney 5. (1X) Randy Hannagan 6. (5A) Rob Eyler 7. (X) Cory Good 8. (10) Carl Bowser 9. (59) Terry Bowser

Engler Machine & Tool Heat Race #2 (8 Laps) 1. (D45) Tim Shaffer 2. (20W) Greg Wilson 3. (2) Dale Blaney 4. (2L) Ed Lynch Jr. 5. (20E) Brian Ellenberger 6. (28) Brian Paulus 7. (16) Gary Rankin 8. (33) Brent Matus 9. (4K) Bill Kiley

Hoosier Racing Tire Heat Race #3 (8 Laps) 1. (6F) Bob Felmlee 2. (59) Kenny Jacobs 3. (56R) Ryan Myers 4. (98) Dan Shetler 5. (D4) Danny Holtgraver 6. (29E) Brent Ellenberger 7. (3J) Joe Butera 8. (3B) Scott Bonnell

Hank’s Performance Products Heat Race #4 (8Laps) 1. (30C) Lance Dewease 2. (11) Scott Priester 3. (83) Phil Gressman 4. (11B) Brock Mayes 5. (4) Rod George 6. (9) Kevin Schaeffer 7. (24S) Brian Steinman 8. (12J) Bill Jones

O’Reilly Auto Parts Dash (6 Laps) 1. (0) McMahan 2. (W20) Wilson 3. (24H) Rob Chaney 4. (6F) Bob Felmlee 5. (1X) Randy Hannagan 6. (83) Phil Gressman

UNOH B-Main (12 Laps) 1. (28) Brian Paulus, 2. (9) Kevin Schaeffer 3. (5A) Rob Eyler 4. (3B) Scott Bonnell 5. (33) Brent Matus 6. (16) Lee Stark 7. (4K) Bill Kiley 8. (10) Carl Bowser 9. (3J) Joe Butera 10. (59X) Terry Bowser 11. (29E) Brent Ellenberger 12. (24S) Brian Steinman 13. (12J) Bill Jones 14. (X) Cory Good

MSD Ignitions A-main (35 laps) 1. (59) Kenny Jacobs 2. (0) Paul McMahan 3. (4) Rod George 4. (2) Dale Blaney 5. (2L) Ed Lynch Jr. 6. (30C) Lance Dewease 7. (83) Phil Gressman 8. (11M) Brandon Martin 9. (D45) Tim Shaffer 10. (20W) Greg Wilson 11. (6F) Bob Felmlee 12. (11B) Brock Mayes 13. (9) Kevin Schaeffer 14. (28) Brian Paulus 15. (20E) Brian Ellenberger 16. (24H) Rob Chaney 17. (D4) Danny Holtgraver 18. (5A) Rob Eyler 19. (3B) Scott Bonnell 20. (98) Dan Shetler 21. (1X) Randy Hannagan 22. (15) Charlie Holben 23. (11) Scott Priester 24. (56R) Ryan Myers

O’Reilly Midwest All Stars Postpone Visit to Tennessee

CAMARGO, IL (04-24-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

The events scheduled for May 9th and 10th for the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series have been postponed. Series officials and event promoters have agreed that postponing the events will be beneficial to all parties involved including fans and event sponsors, giving everyone more time to prepare for these events.

The West Tennessee Motorspeedway and the Thunderhill Raceway were late additions to the schedule and both are still planning on hosting the Midwest’s premier sprint car series featuring some of the best winged 410 drivers in the area. The facilities and series are currently in negotiations for the futures dates later in the summer. More information will follow regarding these dates and information.

The series’ next events are schedule for Memorial Day weekend as the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series heads back to Benton Race Park where Danny Smith of Danville, Indiana made the trek from Ohio pay off by picking up the $2,000 check. The series will race two additional times during the weekend as they make their first trips to Mt. Vernon Speedway in Mt. Vernon, Illinois on May 24th, and round out the weekend after taking Sunday off, at the high banks of Quincy Raceway in Quincy, Illinois, on Monday May 26th.

Visit www.midwestallstarseries.com for additional information.

O'Reilly All Stars Prepare to Invade Lernerville and Eldora

CAMARGO, IL (4/19/08) by Scott Porter - Black Swamp Media Group

The O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions will disperse across the sprint car racing scene this weekend while they enjoy an off-week from intense All Star competition. A handful of stars like Blaney, Wilson, Mayes, Stark, Hunter, Andrews, and Martin were found in the pits at Attica on Friday night. Brian Ellenberger and Paul McMahan were off giving the Lernerville regulars fits. Some will head to Fremont's season opener on Saturday depending on the weather and some will venture into Outlaw country on Saturday night to try to claim some of the loot at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN. Current O'Reilly All Star Points Leader, Lance Dewease, and his #30C was back in Central Pennsylvania, deep in PA Posse territory where he resides.

The All Stars will reconvene their 2008 season at Don Martin's Lernerville Speedway on Friday, April 25th. Last season Danny Smith captured the first visit by the All Stars at the tough Western PA speedplant. Invader Stevie Smith aboard his #19 RAACE Foundation sprint car kept the $5,000 check in the state of Pennsylvania when the series came back in August. Two-time All Star Champion Dale Blaney aboard the George Fisher Racing sprint car was the most consistent competitor in 2007 at Lernerville where he posted top-finishes in both events and finished 2nd to Stevie Smith in August. The All Stars will have their work cut out for them, however, as tough Lernerville regulars like Ed Lynch Jr., Bob Felmlee, and Rod George will try to rain on their parade.

The series will then make the 3-hour tow back across the state of Ohio to Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway to compete on Saturday, April 26th for their first visit of the 2008 season. Last year the historic 1/2-mile clay oval played host to one of the most memorable Ohio Speedweek finales in recent memory as Dale Blaney had a chance at winning an extra $50,000 in bonus money. Track Promoters and the All Stars put up the extra $50K to any driver who could win 4 events during one of the most grueling weeks of racing in the United States. Going into the finale, Blaney had captured three checkered flags and was looking to claim one more. However tire problems wiped out any chance of him making history as he finished in seventh place. Ed Lynch Jr. went on to claim his first win at Eldora. Earlier in the 2007 season Shane Stewart led wire-to-wire to claim the April event. Brain Paulus and Dean Jacobs were both able to pilot their cars to Top-10 finishes at both events in 2007.

This season will be slightly different as the competition on the tour has gotten a lot tougher with several quality rides deciding to follow the O'Reilly All Star tour. Paul McMahan, driving for famous car owner Rick Ferkel in the #0, grabbed a 7th-place finish earlier this month at Eldora with the World of Outlaws. This was the highest finish for Ferkel at Eldora as a car owner in an Outlaw A-Main since he was driving the car himself. PA Posse Legend Lance Dewease, who picked up his first All Star win of the season at Attica, and the return of "The Hurricane" Randy Hannagan will only add to the excitement for the fans in the stands.

Log onto www.lernerville.com for more information or call the track office at 724-353-1511. For ticket information at Eldora Speedway, visit www.eldoraspeedway.com. Follow all the All Star action at www.allstarsprint.com throughout the season.

Volunteer State to Host the O’Reilly Midwest all Star Series

CAMARGO, IL (04-17-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

Tennessee has been long known for it’s sights and sounds. Everything from the Great Smokey Mountains to the sounds of country music call Tennessee home. May 9th and 10th the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series will be bringing their own sights and sounds to the region as the “Best In the Midwest” take to the high-banks of two of Tennessee’s premier tracks.

First up will be the West Tennessee Motor Speedway in Lexington, Tennessee on May 9th. The facility has been home to some of the best open-wheeled modified and local racing in the state and will now welcome the O’Reilly Midwest All Stars to the high-banked 3/8 mile red clay surface.

Saturday, May 10th, the series will head to the famed Thunderhill Raceway near Summertown, Tennessee. The O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series will be bringing their own thunder to the facility that boasts exciting racing on the wide, high-banked, clay surface.

The O’Reilly Midwest All Stars will be adding incentive for the events. For these two events the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series will be paying a bonus of $500.00 to the highest finishing “360 Sprint Car.” This will be bonus money paid to the 360 driver who can finish the best amongst the 410 sprint car competition.

Stay up to the minute with the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series by logging on to www.midwestallstarseries.com.

As the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series expands their schedule, so does the partnership opportunities with the series. The Days Inn of Holladay, Tennessee has joined the growing list of supporters for the 2008 season.

The series just released the addition of two events in Tennessee to their 2008 schedule and the Days Inn of Holladay Tennessee is the Official Hotel stay of the series for the May 9th event to be held at nearby West Tennessee Motorspeedway. The Days Inn is located just off Interstate 40, exit 126 just a few miles from the West Tennessee Motorspeedway.

Drivers, fans, and crew members are invited to take part in the Days Inn support by calling early to make reservations at 731-847-2278. The hotel requires individuals to state that they are wanting the Midwest All Star Series rate when staying. The rate has been secured at $49.99 per night.

The Days Inn of Holladay, Tennessee has plenty of parking for car haulers and features many other travel friendly amenities which include, Free High Speed Internet, breakfast, refrigerators, microwaves, and is also a “Pet Friendly Hotel” (additional fees may apply).

Stay up to the minute with the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series by logging on to www.midwestallstarseries.com.

O'Reilly All Star Series Mourns Loss of Morgan Hughes

CAMARGO, IL (4/14/08) by Bryan Autullo - All Star Director of Public Relations

The O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions wish to pass along condolences to the family and friends of Morgan Hughes, the man who made Williams Grove Speedway into one of the top dirt track racing facilities in the United States. Hughes passed away Saturday morning in his home. Hughes, 88, was instrumental in many of the improvements at the speedway as well as bringing great competition in to compete against the PA Posse. The O'Reilly All Stars and World of Outlaws have enjoyed many visits to this fine Central Pennsylvania track during Mr. Hughes' reign.

“I am saddened by this news,” said O'Reilly All Star President Guy Webb. “Mr. Hughes made Williams Grove one of the best places in the country to come and race. I want to extend my sympathy to the Williams Grove family and staff on behalf of the All Stars.”

A viewing for Mr. Hughes will be held on Wednesday, April 16, from 2-4 and 6-8 at the Cocklin Funeral Home, 30 North Chestnut Street, Dillsburg, Pa.

O'Reilly All Star Series Announce Changes to Thunder Schedule

CAMARGO, IL (4/14/08) by Bryan Autullo - All Star Director of Public Relations

The O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions have made adjustments to the 2008 Thunder Through the Plains schedule to make things more travel friendly for both drivers and fans who wish to attend this great week of racing prior to the Knoxville Nationals. With fuel prices rising steadily, it was in the best interest of the series to make modifications to this week from an economic standpoint, and it has become one of the must see weeks of the summer.

First, the All Stars will visit the Belleville High Banks on Thursday July 31st. From there, they'll head to Mayetta, Kansas' Thunderhill Speedway on Friday August 1st. Then the All Stars will make a rare appearance at Eagle Raceway in Eagle, NE on Saturday, August 2nd. Finally on Sunday, August 3rd, the O'Reilly All Stars will make their way to Husets Speedway in Brandon, SD.

The 48th Annual SuperClean Knoxville Nationals will be held on August 6th through 9th, making this a short trip for many of the All Star teams already in the area. Many other teams who will be headed to Knoxville will now be able to participate in some All Star races along the way. For more info and updates as they happen, visit the new home of the All Stars at www.allstarsprint.com.

(NOTICE: Last week's virus attack on our web site has been cleaned and sanitized. It is now safe to return to the All Star web sites)

Danny Smith Opens O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series Season With a Win

CAMARGO, IL (04-11-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

Danny Smith of Danville, Indiana has won an event with virtually every series he has driven with. Add one more credential to the long list of accolades, 2008 Midwest All Star Series Feature Winner.

Despite threats of rain and consistent winds, the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series opened the season Friday night with much enthusiasm at the Benton Race Park in Benton, Missouri. Track crews worked diligently to prepare the track for the opening event after days of rain in the Southeast Missouri area brought with it cancellations at many other facilities in the area.

The “Last Remaining True Outlaw,” took control of the feature within the first few circuits after finding the spot that fit best for his popular Doug Williams Trucking Maxim #4 on the track. Smith was threatened periodically in the feature event by reigning Benton Race Park Sprint Car Champion, Tommy Worley, Jr towards the end of the race and outside front row starter, Jimmy Hurley in the onset.

Rounding out the nights top 5 were Tommy Worley, Jr., AJ Bruns, Jimmy Hurley, and Wade Oliver. In a race that saw a lot of the off-season cobwebs shaken off of many of the drivers and the cars, completing the top ten were Keith Burch, Jason Keith, Joey Boyd, Jerrod Hull, and Jason Hunt.

Ryan Bunton took home a couple of honors on the night. The Morton, Illinois native drove his 6R to the front of the pack in qualifying and also showed the way during the nights Dash event. Heat Race winners were, Jerrod Hull - 1st Heat, Timmy Montgomery - 2nd Heat, and Tommy Worley Jr. - 3rd Heat.

On the schedule next for the “Best of the Midwest” will be a Memorial Day stretch beginning at the Benton Race Park on May 23rd.

The O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series is proud to welcome the inclusion of the Route 66 Hotel and Convention Center as the official O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series stay while at the Mount Vernon Speedway over the Memorial Day weekend. The O'Reilly Midwest All Stars would like to thank the Route 66 Hotel for the added contribution for discount rooms while touring in 2008

The Route 66 Hotel and Convention Center is located in nearby Springfield, Illinois and is a perfect for a 2-night stay as the the O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series will be rockin' the Mount Vernon Speedway on May 24th and then 2 nights later at the famed Quincy Raceway in Quincy, Illinois. Reservations can be made in advance for this busy and exciting weekend of racing by teams and drivers by logging on to www.rt66hotel.com or by calling the front desk and asking for Judy Gordon at 1-888-707-8366.

The hotel is located just off Interstate 55 and 72 on and has ample parking for haulers and the teams. There is also an abundance of restaurants and shopping in the area, making this an ideal place for a 2-night stay in the Land of Lincoln.

Official Results - Benton Race Park - 4/11/08

Qualifying: 1 - 6R - Ryan Bunton 2 - 44 - AJ Bruns 3 - 12X - Robbie Standridge 4 - 4 - Danny Smith 5 - 8s - Steve Short 6 - 35 - Jimmy Hurley 7 - 11 - Tyler Thompson 8 - 14 - Paul Hart 9 - 97 - Tommy Worley Jr. 10 - 3 - Mark Shershekan 11 - A12 - Sparky Pate 12 - 3B - Brad Greer 13 - 28 - Jason Keith 14 - 32 - Timmy Montgomery 15 - 58X - Wade Oliver 16 - 12 - Jerrod Hull 17 - 67 - Joey Boyd 18 - 4k - Kody Kinser 19 - D12 - Doc Sloan 20 - 58 - Keith Burch 21 - 66 - Debra Hall 22 - 19 - Jason Hunt 23 - 22T - Miranda Throckmorton (No Time) 24 - 5 - Tiffany Wyzard (No Time)

Heat Race Top 5’s (Numerically): Heat 1 = 12, 6R, 28, 4, 19 Heat 2 = 32, 44, 67, 14, A12 Heat 3 = 97, 58X, 12X, 3B, 35

Dash Finish (Numerically), Start in Parenthesis: 6R (1), 44 (2), 97 (4), A12 (5), 3B(6), 35 (3)

A-Main Finish, Start in Parenthesis: 4 Danny Smith 1 (3) 97 Tommy Worley Jr. 2 (7) 44 AJ Bruns 3 (5) 35 Jimmy Hurley 4 (2) 58X Wade Oliver 5 (13) 58 Keith Burch 6 (18) 28 Jason Keith 7 (10) 67 Joey Boyd 8 (15) 12 Jerrod Hull 9 (14) 19 Jason Hunt 10 (19) 4k Kody Kinser 11 (16) 12X Robbie Standridge 12 (4) D12 Doc Sloan 13 (17) 32 Timmy Montgomery 14 (12) 5 Tiffany Wyzard 15 (20) 3 Mark Shershekan 16 (21) A12 Sparky Pate 17 (8) 6R Ryan Bunton 18 (6) 14 Paul Hart 19 (1) 3B Brad Greer 20 (9) 8s Steve Short 21 (11) 11 Tyler Thompson 22 (22) (dns) 66 Debra Hall 23 (23) (dns) 22T Miranda Throckmorton 24 (24) (dns)

O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series Ready for Season Opener

CAMARGO, IL (04-09-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

The O’Reilly Midwest All Stars have been waiting for the past 6 months for opening day at the Benton Race Park in Benton, Missouri. The teams have been preparing themselves, their cars, haulers, and crews in search of the sophomore campaign Championship title.

The Season Opening event has been set for April 11, 2008 at the Benton Race Park just off Interstate 55 at Exit 80 in Southeast Missouri. The track has undergone a number of changes in the past few months in preparation for the 2008 season.

“We have made a lot of changes to this track and its overall appearance,” stated Randy Dukes, Co-Promoter with Billy Clayton. “Billy and I have teamed up to help make the necessary improvements to take this facility to the next level.”

Of the goals Dukes and Clayton have set on their plate is the re-growth of sprint car racing in the area. Events will be held on Friday nights all season long with just a couple of off nights for the sprinters.

“Sprint car racing is one of the most exciting forms of auto racing and we have a track that was built for sprint car racing. People who are sprint car fans are die-hards for the most part, and the drivers keep raising their level of professionalism and continue to work on their sport,” commented Dukes.

The O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series will be appearing at the venue a total of 5 times throughout the season including a co-sanctioned event with O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions. The O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series is jam packed with star power that has run at the track in the past years including defending Track Champion, Tommy Worley, Jr.

“A lot of the guys that are racing with the Midwest All Stars this year know this track well,” says Dukes. “You have guys like Tommy Worley, Jr., Jerrod Hull from Sikeston (Missouri), and Tyler Thompson from Cape Girardeau (Missouri) that are from around here that know this place well and have a lot of fans, we think they will take well to the changes.”

In an effort to be more fan and racer friendly, Dukes and Clayton have pushed back the start time for events to begin at 7:30 pm. The goal of this is to give the fans, drivers, and crews a little more time to get to the track and catch more of the show.

As an added incentive for the fans, Benton Race Park along with Stereo One in Cape Girardeau, Missouri will be giving away a 42 inch Plasma TV. Benton Race Park would like to thank John Selby of Stereo One for their support of helping to open up the 2008 O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series season.

Support classes will be celebrating an increase in purse at the Benton Race Park on opening night. The season opener will include Modifieds ($1,000 to win), Pure Street ($500 to win) and Pro-4 ($200 to win).

Dukes asks fans that when surfing the web for the official internet home of the new Benton Race Park to “Google,” “Benton Race Park, Benton Missouri.” The promoter states with all of the changes with the track and improvements to the overall appearance that they are currently working on a new website.

Continue to stay on top of all the exciting O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series by logging on to www.midwestallstarseries.com.

Dewease Captures Coors Light Attica Spring Clash

ATTICA, OH (4-5-08) by Bryan Autullo - Director of Public Relations

The O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions kicked off the second leg of the 2008 racing season at Attica Raceway Park with Lance Dewease getting a victory on Ohio soil – very wet, saturated soil. If you were to fly over Seneca County, the Attica Fairgrounds would be the only piece of land you’d find that wasn’t under water this evening as nearby Bellevue was under a “state of emergency” for flooding. The Attica crew did a remarkable job of getting the track in racing condition for the 42 cars that came out to brave the chilly weather and kick off the 2008 Ohio racing season.

Heat race action was dicey as the track surface developed some ruts and the drivers had to find their way around the holes to get to the front. The elbows were up and the drivers looked more like bull riders, but amazingly there were very few on track incidents for the first night out since last fall for many of these guys. Heat races were won by Rob Eyler, Rod George, Caleb Griffith, and Brian Paulus who was attempting to shake the gremlins who have haunted him with each visit to Attica.

Mike Linder won the B-main over Kenny Jacobs, Butch Schroeder, and young 17 year old Cap Henry who made his first start with the All Stars. Henry is a regular in the 305 division at Attica and looked impressive running with the big guns.

The A-main action started off furious right from the initial green flag with cars running 3 and 4 wide, slide jobs through the rough spots, making breathtaking passes, and keeping the fans on the edge of their seats.

The caution flew on lap one for Cap Henry who had to get out of the throttle as cars bunched up in turn two. On the restart the wild action resumed with Brian Ellenberger, Lee Jacobs, and Lance Dewease racing each other like it was the last lap. Ellenberger got sideways in turn three, dug in, and barrel rolled into a mud bog bringing out the first red flag of the evening.

Again, the racing was intense as Jacobs and Dewease battled through lap 6 as cautions slowed the action for Rob Eyler and then Rod George on the restart. Dewease led Randy Hannagan to the restart and nearly collected the pylon and then Hannagan at the flag stand but the two continued as hard charging Byron Reed was on a mission to the front.

At the half way point, Reed took the lead from Dewease after the two exchanged slide jobs and passes, but Reed showed Dewease the way around the track where he holds the past 3 championships.

On lap 22, third running Hannagan hooked a rut in turn three and got sideways bringing out the final caution. As the cars were lining up, leader Reed ducked into the work area for a ruptured o-ring in the fuel line, handing the lead back to Dewease. “A 20 cent part cost us $5000 tonight,” said car owner Sam Reed.

Dewease rocketed away from the field on the restart as Greg Wilson, Dean Jacobs, and Dale Blaney battled for position behind him. Blaney shot into second place and tried to chase down Dewease as Jacobs edged out Wilson on the final circuit. Rounding out the Top 5 was Ed Lynch Jr.

"The track was changing every lap. You'd find a groove and a lap later it would change so you had to adapt. That's where experience comes in," said Dewease beside his Advance Development Services sponsored #30c. "My hats off to the track crew here. They could have gave up and called this race, but they kept working at it and we got to put on a show for these great fans."

Blaney, who is never happy with a runner up spot aboard the George Fisher Racing entry, was glad to make it through the night without any damage to the car. "We don't seem to start so good. We just hung around and tried to keep the car in one piece and finish and here we are in second."

Third place finisher Dean Jacobs seemed to enjoy the rodeo style of racing. "I love racing on heavy, rough tracks...that was a lot of fun, but it was definitely tiring."

Attica Raceway Park (4-5-08) O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions

Qualifying - Kistler Engines 1. 20E-Brian Ellenberger, 12.692; 2. 30C-Lance Dewease, 12.751; 3. 6F-Bob Felmlee, 12.760; 4. 16-Lee Jacobs, 12.789; 5. 1X-Randy Hannagan, 12.790; 6. 5R-Byron Reed, 12.796; 7. 2-Dale Blaney, 12.804; 8. 7K-Dean Jacobs, 12.812; 9. 59-Kenny Jacobs, 12.848; 10. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.878; 11. 11B-Brock Mayes, 12.891; 12. 24H-Rob Chaney, 12.910; 13. 48S-Andy Shammo, 12.939; 14. 2L-Ed Lynch, 12.946; 15. X-Mark Keegan, 12.960; 16. 6-Mike Dussel, 12.963; 17. 98-Bruce Robenalt, 12.980; 18. 4-Rod George, 12.984; 19. O-Paul McMahan, 12.986; 20. 56R-Ryan Myers, 12.998; 21. 5A-Rob Eyler, 13.013; 22. 23-Ben Rutan, 13.069; 23. 12-Caleb Griffith, 13.086; 24. 28-Brian Paulus, 13.119; 25. 83-Phil Gressman, 13.124; 26. 16S-Lee Stark, 13.148; 27. 22-Cole Duncan, 13.191; 28. 312-Mike Linder, 13.192; 29. 28H-Hud Horton, 13.202; 30. 60-Jody Keegan, 13.208; 31. 11M-Brandon Martin, 13.211; 32. 15C-Chris Andrews, 13.256; 33. 27-Scott Euler, 13.330; 34. 91-Aaron Middaugh, 13.456; 35. B20-Butch Schroeder, 13.503; 36. O4-Cap Henry, 13.563; 37. 1W-Paul Weaver, 13.582; 38. 51-Aaron Higgins, 13.668; 39. 2H-Tim Hunter, 13.802; 40. 81-Craig Folmar, 13.843; 41. 10-David Harrison, 15.549

Heat 1 - All Pro Heads 1. 5A-Rob Eyler; 2. 20E-Brian Ellenberger; 3. 98-Bruce Robenalt; 4. 1X-Randy Hannagan; 5. 83-Phil Gressman; 6. 48S-Andy Shammo; 7. 59-Kenny Jacobs; 8. 1W-Paul Weaver; 9. 28H-Hud Horton; 10. 27-Scott Euler; 11. 10-David Harrison

Heat 2 - Engler Machine & Tool 1. 4-Rod George; 2. W20-Greg Wilson; 3. 2L-Ed Lynch; 4. 5R-Byron Reed; 5. 30C-Lance Dewease; 6. 91-Aaron Middaugh; 7. 51-Aaron Higgins; 8. 16S-Lee Stark; 9. 60-Jody Keegan; 10. 23-Ben Rutan

Heat 3 - Hoosier Tire 1. 12-Caleb Griffith; 2. O-Paul McMahan; 3. 2-Dale Blaney; 4. 6F-Bob Felmlee; 5. 11B-Brock Mayes; 6. 11M-Brandon Martin; 7. X-Mark Keegan; 8. B20-Butch Schroeder; 9. 22-Cole Duncan; 10. 2H-Tim Hunter

Heat 4 - Hank's Performance Products 1. 28-Brian Paulus; 2. 56R-Ryan Myers; 3. 24H-Rob Chaney; 4. 7K-Dean Jacobs; 5. 16-Lee Jacobs; 6. 312-Mike Linder; 7. 6-Mike Dussel; 8. 81-Craig Folmar; 9. O4-Cap Henry; 10. 15C-Chris Andrews

Dash - O'Reilly Auto Parts 1. 6F-Bob Felmlee; 2. 20E-Brian Ellenberger; 3. 1X-Randy Hannagan; 4. 2-Dale Blaney; 5. 30C-Lance Dewease; 6. 5R-Byron Reed

B-main - University of Northwestern Ohio 1. 312-Mike Linder; 2. 59-Kenny Jacobs; 3. B20-Butch Schroeder; 4. O4-Cap Henry; 5. 15C-Chris Andrews; 6. 6-Mike Dussel; 7. 60-Jody Keegan; 8. 16S-Lee Stark; 9. 51-Aaron Higgins; 10. 22-Cole Duncan; 11. 1W-Paul Weaver; 12. 11M-Brandon Martin; 13. X-Mark Keegan; 14. 28H-Hud Horton; 15. 2H-Tim Hunter; 16. 81-Craig Folmar; 17. 27-Scott Euler; 18. 48S-Andy Shammo; 19. 23-Ben Rutan; 20. 10-David Harrison

A-main - MSD Ignition -- Starting Position [X] 1. 30C-Lance Dewease[4]; 2. 2-Dale Blaney[7]; 3. 7K-Dean Jacobs[8]; 4. W20-Greg Wilson[9]; 5. 2L-Ed Lynch[13]; 6. 6F-Bob Felmlee[6]; 7. 16-Lee Jacobs[2]; 8. B20-Butch Schroeder[23]; 9. 1X-Randy Hannagan[3]; 10. O-Paul McMahan[16]; 11. 24H-Rob Chaney[12]; 12. 83-Phil Gressman[21]; 13. 11B-Brock Mayes[10]; 14. 56R-Ryan Myers[17]; 15. O4-Cap Henry[24]; 16. 5R-Byron Reed[5]; 17. 12-Caleb Griffith[19]; 18. 4-Rod George[15]; 19. 28-Brian Paulus[20]; 20. 59-Kenny Jacobs[11]; 21. 5A-Rob Eyler[18]; 22. 98-Bruce Robenalt[14]; 23. 20E-Brian Ellenberger[1]; 24. 312-Mike Linder[22]

O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series to Require One-Way Radios

CAMARGO, IL (04-03-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

The O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series would like to remind all drivers participating in sanctioned events in 2008 that they will be required to have a one-way radio. The new 2008 rule book that was released in January specifies the make and model of the radios which are quickly becoming an industry standard.

The announcement comes in preparation for the sophomore campaign for the Midwest All Star Series as they have an aggressive schedule of more than 20 events beginning April 11 at the Benton Race Park in Benton, Missouri. The addition of the one-way radios for all sanctioned All Star events was a decision based on two main factors, driver safety and race organization.

Drivers will be immediately alerted to yellow and red situations on the track to help slow down or stop the competition in the event of an emergency. Drivers will also be given the official line-up from the scoring tower after incidents to help speed up the process of getting lined up for restarts.

The O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series will have the radios available at all events throughout the season. A rental fee of $20.00 per event will be charged or teams may purchase the units for $85.00. This is the same unit used by the All Star Circuit of Champions, the World of Outlaws, and many local tracks who have implemented this device.

The O'Reilly All Stars are dedicated to bringing the fans a more organized show and the use of radios will help speed things along throughout the program as well as help to reduce or eliminate the need for fuel stops caused by unnecessary laps being run while lining up cars with a pit board. Putting on a good, efficient show goes a long way in the eyes of fans who like to be home at a decent hour after an event.

For the 2008 rules and schedule, visit www.midwestallstarseries.com or www.allstarsprint.com. Printed rule books will be available to teams at the first event, or by contacting a series official in advance.

O’Reilly All Stars Prepare for Attica, Launch New Web Site, and Revise Schedule

CAMARGO, IL (3-30-08) by Bryan Autullo - Director of Public Relations

The O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions are making their final preparations for the Attica Raceway Park event on Friday April 4th. This will mark the season opener for the speedway as they enter their 21st year of operations. The last two Friday nights have been either rained or snowed out, pushing the speedway's season opener to April 4th in conjunction with the All Star event. A rain date of Saturday, April 5th has been set to try to insure that we are able to get this one in the books.

The All Stars visited Attica four times in 2007 with Brock Mayes, Dale Blaney (2 wins), and Chad Blonde walking away with victories. The series will make three appearances in 2008, returning for the Ohio Speedweek opener in June then again for the Attica Ambush in August. For information on tickets and gate times, visit www.atticaracewaypark.com

Black Swamp Media Group has been hard at work creating a new online experience for All Star fans. The new web site was launched on March 30th in preparation for the 2008 racing season. New features have been added to appeal to sprint car fans both young and old and designer Scott Porter has put in an extra effort after the short break after Florida racing ended in order to complete the site before the Attica opener kicks off the rest of the All Star season . Visit www.allstarsprint.com to see all the new features.

The All Stars have made an early season schedule change for April, changing the May 23rd Lernerville Speedway date to April 25th – the night before the first 2008 trip to Eldora Speedway on April 26th. Also, All Star president Guy Webb has added Central PA Speedway to the schedule on Wednesday, June 11th as the All Stars make their first 2008 trip into Central Pennsylvania. The Clearfield, PA date will be followed by events at Williams Grove, Lincoln, and Sportsman Speedways on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of June.

Follow all the news and events as the O’Reilly All Stars bring their blue-collar brand of racing to the grass roots fans across the land in 2008 by visiting the official home of the All Stars at www.allstarsprint.com

“King of the Posse” Prepared to Seek All Star Throne

CAMARGO, IL (3-27-08) by Robert Cortum - O'Reilly All Star Public Relations

For one Central PA standout driving a sprint car is just another day at the office. His nameplate reads “Lance Dewease,” and with that name comes with some of the greatest accolades in the sport today. Now he is after one trophy that he has yet to attain, Champion of the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions.

Dewease has been driving now for 22 years inside the cockpit of some of the fastest machines on the PA circuit. Catching some of his most memorable rides with legendary sprinters such as the Dyers #461 “Brickmobile” and the Al Hamilton owned #77, Dewease has become a recognized name all across the country.

Reading his resume it is clear to anyone that he will do what it takes on the track to be as competitive as possible. In 2008 he has teamed up for another season with Lisa and Donny Owens and with the new team comes a new energy that helps push Lance to the edge in competition.

“Lisa and Donny have been real good car owners for me,” the 12 time Track Champion noted. “Everything is great with the team and we are all looking forward to doing a lot of traveling this year.” Dewease is a 12 time Track Champion in Central PA, and championships don’t come easy in “Posse Land.” Six championships at Port Royal, 5 at Williams Grove, and 1 at Lincoln, all hotbeds for some of the toughest weekly competition in the United States.

As for seeking the 2008 O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions season championship, Lance added, “We’re good with our points right now, some of the guys ahead of me are not going to run this type of schedule. But, we are not just going to sit back, we are going to go out there every night and perform. If you perform well the points will take care of themselves. We are focused on wins right now more than anything.”

Dewease has spent a lot of time on the circuits of Pennsylvania in his career, but he is excited about hitting some tracks that he has yet to compete on in his storied career. Of the places Dewease and the #30C team are looking to kick it sideways on will be the Thunder Through the Plains, where the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions will be competing at venues in Kansas and Nebraska.

“We are really looking forward to the Thunder Through the Plains trip. I haven’t been to some of those tracks and I think it will be fun,” Dewease stated. “Belleville, for example, is known for it’s banks and that is going to be a lot of fun with these cars.”

In 2008 the Lisa and Donny Owens owned, Lance Dewease piloted machine will be supported by Advanced Development Services, Hanks Performance Products, Weinberg & Miller, LLC, DMI Diversified Machine, Bulldog Rear Ends, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts, Pancho’s Racing Products, Morrison Racing Engines, Keizer Wheels, Wings Unlimited, and Pro Shocks. Additional support is brought to the team by, Astro Titanium, Bell Helmets, FK Rod Ends, Hoosier Racing Tire, Infinity Designs, Design 500, Tom Shockey Collision, Speed Dawg Racing Apparel, Grand Families of America, and WRT Web Designs.

“We know we have a tough schedule ahead of us, but I feel that we are ready for the action. Things were getting a little stale (in PA) and the opportunities are here for me to once again to do some different stuff,” Lance added. “I will always love the racing in Pennsylvania and the fans have been great to me over the years, but the energy and the excitement of doing the additional racing with the All Stars is pushing us back out on the road.”

Keep track of the reigning 2-time “King of the Posse” by visiting www.allstarsprint.com or www.lancedewease.com.

Bunton and Family Ready for Run at O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series Title

CAMARGO, IL (3-27-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

It was the proverbial up and down season for Ryan Bunton and his family owned machine in 2007. After destroying three cars earlier in the season the team rebounded by winning the Herb Barlow O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series event at Jacksonville, Illinois.

Bunton has become a fan favorite at many local Midwest tracks including the mentioned Morgan County Speedway where he has taken home top honors previously in the 600 Micro Sprint class. Jacksonville was also the venue in which Ryan took home top Rookie honors in 2002 while wheeling his 410 powered sprinter.

“We seemed to have a run of bad luck in 2007 and then we got it all turned around late in the season. We were pleased with where we finished the season for the most part and are looking at building on the momentum for 2008,” the 23 year-old Morton, Illinois driver stated.

Following Bunton’s charge to the front at the Herb Barlow event, he went on into the next event and scored a 3rd place finish. The 3rd place doesn’t tell the whole story, however. Bunton’s podium finish night began by being involved in a first lap mishap in the feature and being relegated to the tail of the field at the Tom Knowles Memorial race at Canton, Illinois then charging back to the front of the field.

“We are looking forward to this season with a lot of hope. Our goals this year are to continue to qualify well, stay in position to win, and stay out of as much trouble as possible,” Bunton notes. “That sounds easier than it really is, any driver will tell you that.”

In addition to running the full O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series in 2008, the team will be packing up their Gaerte powered Maxim for a few extra open shows on the schedule. Bunton’s team mainly is comprised of family members and helps run the family owned business, Morton Collision Repair, Inc.

The Bunton owned #6R Maxim will be supported in 2008 by, Morton Collision Repair, Inc., Washington Collision, Keystone Automotive Group, and Sam Leman Autogroup. Bunton displays his team proudly at www.buntonmotorsports.com.

“The best thing about the way we race is that it is a family thing for us. My dad, Scott, is my crew chief and the rest of my team is also family, including, my mom Suzann, and my wife Christy. Scott and Steve Robinson have also been a great help for our team.”

In regards to the outlook of the schedule, Bunton promotes, “There are going to be a lot of tough races, but that is going to be for a lot of other guys as well. There is a good balance of distances for us to pull to, but it is a lot better racing than running a weekly show.”

Stay on top of the points and the progress of Ryan Bunton by browsing to www.midwestallstarseries.com.

Wilson Returns to Contend for Another Championship with the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions

CAMARGO, IL (3-13-08) by Robert Cortum - O'Reilly All Star Public Relations

Greg Wilson has been turning heads for a number of years behind the wheel of a sprint car. In 2007 he wasn’t just turning heads, he was causing fans to chew on their fingernails as he and Danny Smith dueled all season long to the second closest season points finish in history with the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions. A mere two points separated Wilson and Smith at the final checkered flag, second only to the historical 1993 Season when Frankie Kerr and Kevin Huntley were crowned co-champions in which they both accumulated 4755 points.

Wilson, who has recently returned from a stint in the "Land Down Under" for the second time in his career, will once again be a threat to win another championship in 2008. After looking at where the team can make improvements from the previous season, the driver of Verl Warnimont’s potent #w20 machine has a positive outlook on the season.

“Having Verl by my side all season long last year was huge. He kept pushing me and this team whenever we got down,” Wilson states. “I owe a lot to Verl for his friendship and help in my racing career.”

The 2007 season was up and down for the team. They started out strong at the beginning of the season and then Wilson felt as if they slid back a bit. But the season finished out just as strong and consistent as it began for the team, pushing them to a back-to-back championship.

“It was a long schedule for me last season, but we have a lot to look forward to from those efforts,” Wilson added. “We won a second championship and I was able to go over to Australia and I ended up qualifying for the World Challenge at Knoxville in August.”

The team will be utilizing some of the best in equipment for 2008. They will pack a combination of Maxim chassis and Kister and Hampshire Engines. Other support for the team will include assistance from Banshee Graphics, Speedway Motors, Hoosier Racing Tire, Simpson, Weld Racing, Vortex Wings, Afco Shocks, and Butlerbuilt Motorsports Equipment.

The 2008 season will be a busy one for Wilson and Warnimont. The team will focus their efforts on the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions, but have also penciled in several more events to stretch their schedule to almost 100 dates.

Wilson noted, “We are definatly going for another championship. There are a few other races we plan to get to race, some of those may be with the Midwest All Star Series depending on our schedule and traveling situation.”

About the competition level in 2008, Wilson commented, “This season is going to be another tough one. We have guys like Lance Dewease, Brock Mayes, Dale Blaney, Paul McMahan, and Randy Hannagan to run against every time out this year. Great competition, that is what championship racing is all about.”

Sponsors on the Verl Warnimont owned/Greg Wilson throttled #w20 for 2008 include All Star Plumbing and Heating, Don Spider Excavating, Miller Rigging, Mack and Bob’s Service Garage, and Clouse Construction.

Stay up to date on all the news with the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions by visiting: www.allstarsprint.com and get ready for the All Stars to roll into Attica Raceway Park on April 4th .

O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series Schedule Expands

CAMARGO, IL (3-12-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

The O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series is pleased to announce the addition of two dates to the 2008 series schedule. The additions will include stops at Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, Indiana on June 7th, and Mt. Vernon Speedway in Mt. Vernon, Illinois on September 6th.

These additional dates push the Midwest All Star Series schedule to 24 events in 2008 and gives drivers additional seat time at well known tracks on the schedule. Mt. Vernon Speedway will now host the Midwest All Star Series twice this season adding value to fans and drivers alike.

As if the additional seat time wasn't enough in preparation for the Hoosier Fall Classic at Lawrenceburg Speedway, the winner's check for the June 7th event has been increased to $3000 to win. The added Lawrenceburg date will now serve the "Best in the Midwest" sprinters four times in 2008.

Both of these venues have become very familiar to the drivers of the O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series. Mt. Vernon was a part of the Inaugural 2007 Campaign and Lawrenceburg has been a venue in which many of the drivers have traveled to over the years.

Lawrenceburg's push to a $3000 top prize will make it a popular draw for drivers and fans alike. Other traveling series in the area currently have the night off of their schedules, including the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions and many local drivers have been known to throw on a wing to compete with the travelers. With the All Star Circuit of Champions and Midwest All Star Series having a combined rulebook, anticipation of some of the nation's top drivers being in attendance will be high.

For up to date information about the O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series, visit www.midwestallstarseries.com.

Martin Takes Confidence Into 2008 to Gain Competitive Edge

CAMARGO, IL (3-11-08) by Robert Cortum - O'Reilly All Star Public Relations Confidence is the name of the game for Attica, Ohio’s Brandon Martin - driver of the BMI Racing #11m. Martin, who is running for top honors with the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions in 2008, has been putting together the pieces of his team, not just with tools and hardware, but with the knowledge he has gained from 7 previous years of racing.

Brandon will be pushing the limits in his Level Performance Engines powered Maxim while juggling his day job in the other family business, Excavating. The family’s business helped build and once owned Attica Raceway Park, home of several ASCoC events in 2008 and a hotbed of many local Ohio drivers.

The list of accomplishments in 2007 were short on paper, but that is not the only place BMI Racing will be looking to improve on in 2008. The team did gain a lot of momentum in the latter part of the season after Martin took home top honors at a non-sanctioned event and had an impressive run during the Ohio Sprint Speedweek.

“As far as on the track, we are wanting to improve on our 2007 points finish with the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions and win a couple of races,” Martin noted. “Our biggest improvement is gaining the confidence this team needs to be sure to stay out of trouble and bring the car home every night.”

Martin was plagued with some bad luck in 2007 but is quick to point how much his family supports his dreams behind the wheel. A little bit of that bad luck followed him to Florida in 2008. Martin was caught up in a front stretch incident at Volusia that more or less destroyed the car.

“We need to get Florida figured out. We went there in 2007 for the first time, and went back this year. We enjoy going there and racing, but we need to get a few things figured out,” Martin said. “The competition is getting tougher every year and racing in Florida proves it, but we like the challenge.”

In the off season, Brandon got married to his biggest fan, Danette, after being together for 8 years. Martin added, “Without the family behind me, this is not possible. Danette is great and my mom and dad have been there for me through the good and bad. I just can’t say it enough, without them this is not possible to do.”

BMI Racing is looking at a lengthy schedule with the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions as well as picking up local shows and other events where they can. The team is supported in 2008 by: Attica Raceway Park, Seaside Utilities, Bores Manufacturing, Burns, John Wright’s Custom Chrome Plating, Elite Machine Tool, Gildemeister Dodge, Martin Excavating and Trucking, Sacsteader & Worland Insurance, Making Waves Salon, and Black Swamp Media Group.

The team will also gain product sponsorship from some of the finest in 2008. Of those, Weld Wheels, Bell Equipment, and American Racing Tire will help push the Martin family owned #11 Maxim to the front.

Keep track of Brandon Martin’s 2008 O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions performance by visiting www.allstarsprint.com. The All Stars return to action on April 4th at Attica Raceway Park.

Paul McMahan Wins Opening Night of Mini Gold Cup

CAMARGO, IL (3-06-08) by Bryan Autullo - O'Reilly All Star Director of Public Relations

Paul McMahan returned to his old stomping grounds in California while waiting for the O'Reilly All Star schedule to resume in April and captured the opening night of the Golden State Challenge Series - 22nd Annual Mini Gold Cup at Chico's Silver Dollar Speedway. McMahan was dominant for much of the night and led all 30 laps from the pole position after winning the dash in Brian Sperry's #51 machine.

McMahan, who will follow the All Star trail in 2008 in Rick Ferkel's #0, rocketed to an early lead and held on as the battles for position behind him were fierce. All Star member Tim Kaeding was the man on the move throughout the race. He charged from his 14th starting position as he ran around the high side of the speedway in typical Tim Kaeding fashion.. With 20 laps to go, McMahan was out front in front of Allard and Sweet. Allard challenged McMahan for the lead on lap 21, but couldn’t make the pass. At the checkered flag it was McMahan over Allard, Sweet, and Kaeding who made it all the way to fourth.

The All Stars return to action on April 4th at Attica Raceway Park. For more information visit www.allstarsprint.com or www.atticaracewaypark.com

Jeremy Standridge Continues Family Traditions with Midwest All Stars

CAMARGO, IL (3-06-08) by Robert Cortum - O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series

The Standridge name has become almost iconic throughout the Midwest racing scene. Team Standridge, based out of the Springfield, Illinois area, has throttled some of the fastest machines in racing including late models, modifieds, and of course sprint cars for decades.

You could call Jeremy Standridge a “chip off the ol’ block.” Standridge’s father, Ron, raced for many years fielding family owned cars and raced equally powerful machines owned by guys such as the late Rich DeReu. Now, Ron finds ways to keep in touch with the sport after hanging up the helmet by turning wrenches on his son’s Eagle/Automotive Machine powered #10S.

It’s a love of the sport and competition that keeps this family in the business week in and week out. This was demonstrated in 2007 with the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series as Jeremy stayed within the top 10 in points all season long.

“It’s tough to get to do this every week, but I have made it just a part of my life,” Standridge noted. “Trying to keep up with the family, a full-time job, going to school full-time, and racing fills up a person’s schedule quickly, but I love doing it.”

Standridge currently owns and runs his own successful business, Standridge Web Designs while going to Robert Morris College in Springfield, Illinois, where he is carrying high marks in the Computer Networking program.

“I do this just like everyone else out on tour with the Midwest All Stars, because I love it. My family surrounds me and everyone is supportive of our team and our program,” Jeremy said. “Without my crew, my family, and sponsors, this would be impossible. I am fortunate to have familiar sponsors on the car each year.”

The Eagle/Automotive Machine powered sprinter will be sponsored in 2008 by Modern Paving and Scrap, Jim’s Towing, Carnahan Graphics, Weiland Racing Enterprises, and Standridge Website Designs. In addition to those sponsors, Jeremy takes time to thank Jerry Russell of Eagle Chassis for all of his support over the years.

Standridge and team are looking to improve upon their 6th place 2007 finish with the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series. They are looking forward by kicking off the season with a pre-season party at Kicks Family Entertainment Center in Springfield, Illinois from 11:00am to 5:00pm on March 9th. Visit Jeremy's web site for more information at www.standridgemotorsports.com

“For 2008 we just want to go out and improve every aspect of the race. We of course want to qualify well every night, it certainly sets the tone for the rest of the event. But, we can’t stop the improvement there, we have to continue to improve the rest of the event, and then into the rest of the season.”

Stay up to date with Jeremy’s quest for the title in 2008 by visiting www.midwestallstarseries.com. While you are there, catch up on the rest of the O’Reilly Midwest All Star happenings and latest news. The Midwest All Star Series kicks off the 2008 season on April 11th at Benton Race Park in Benton, MO.

The O’Reilly All Stars Welcome Mag-Tech Ignition for 2008 Season

CAMARGO, IL (3-5-08) by Bryan Autullo – All Star PR Director

As the O'Reilly All Star series continues to build and grow and look ahead to the 2008 racing season, new partnerships are being formed with motorsports industry leaders. Mag-Tech Ignition has been welcomed as the newest marketing partner for the series as the All Stars prepare to resume racing in April.

Mag-Tech is located in Speedway, IN and specializes in complete Ignition System Evaluations with Computer Scope Diagnostics. All parts are inspected with Precision Tooling & Optical Comparator. Mag-Tech also offers custom repair services for your racing ignitions. They are a qualified and certified repair center for MSD, Mallory, and Vertex systems. Mag-Tech can make all these brands better with mechanical & electrical upgrades, superior precision components, higher standards and testing, and experienced master technicians. Visit them online at www.magtechignition.com or call (317) 241-4100.

The All Stars are pleased to have Mag-Tech as a new series sponsor along with O'Reilly Auto Parts, CarMate Trailers, MSD Ignitions, Kistler Engines, Hoosier Tire, Donovan Engineering, University of Northwestern Ohio, Outerwears, RubbnRepair, Conroy Pneu Control, Jake's Carts, Intercomp Scales, Kears Speed Shop, Fisher Performance, Hank's Performance Products, All Pro Heads, Black Swamp Media Group, Ham Signs, Met-Tec, and Royal Publishing. Please show these businesses your support and tell them the All Stars sent you.

The All Stars return to action on Friday April 4th at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, OH and then will travel to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, OH on Saturday April 26th. Visit www.allstarsprint.com for more information. A brand new web site is coming soon for the All Stars and is set to be launched in April.

Hull to Defend O’Reilly Midwest All Stars Series Title in 2008

CAMARGO, IL ( 3-03-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

Jerrod Hull’s presence on the track was felt by all Midwest All Star competitors in 2007. Hull was in the points contention all season long as he powered his way to the first-ever series win and kept his winning ways for the duration of the schedule on the way to the inaugural Championship.

“We got out to a real good start with the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series in 2007 and felt we could be strong all year long,” commented Hull. “We had a few nights where things didn’t quite go the way Scott (Boner) and I had planned it, but we became focused on the Championship, and it all paid off in the end.”

In the inaugural season, Hull amassed more than 2900 points, edging out fellow competitor Rob Standridge by more than 200 points when the final checkers flew. In addition to the opening night win, Hull would go on to take home the big check five additional times including the Tom Knowles Memorial race, where he is now a 3-time champion.

“Racing with the Midwest All Stars gives me an opportunity to run against some of the best local and national drivers out there. It’s great to race against a bunch of these guys. We’ve all been racing together for a lot of years, but it never gets old. The competition is always tough and that is what we like,” said Hull.

The 2008 campaign for the Sikeston, Missouri hotshot will mean more competition as the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series gains additional drivers and will visit venues that are not as familiar as some of the tracks they have been to in the past. While the addition of the new tracks and competition may be unfamiliar, Hull will be there with a familiar supporter over the past few years.

“I am very excited that Ozarc/Gas has stepped up their program with us. They are a great bunch of guys to work with and it has worked great for the past few years,” stated Hull. “They are well known in many of the areas we travel, and we are excited to work with them in 2008.”

As for goals in 2008, Hull’s plans are to defend his Championship crown and hit and miss other big shows in and around the Midwest . The team has set a goal of winning 20 races as well as putting their best competitive foot to the floor.

Hull’s sponsors for the 2008 season include Ozarc/Gas, Midland Performance, and Rockstar Graphics. He gains longstanding product support from Hoosier Racing Tire, Simpson Safety Equipment, Avenger Chassis, and Velocity Wings. New to Hull’s potent product package in 2008 is Penske Shocks.

Jerrod Hull resides in Sikeston, Missouri and is married to wife and biggest fan, Nicole. As a midseason addition in 2007 to the Jerrod Hull Motorsports Team, Jerrod and Nicole welcomed their son, Jett.

Keep up with Jerrod Hull's defense of the crown and the rest of the O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series, visit: www.midwestallstarseries.com

O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions to Visit Terre Haute in 2008

CAMARGO, IL (3-3-08) by Bryan Autullo – All Star PR Director

A new group of promoters, DHK Promotions LLC, is looking to turn things around at the Terre Haute Action Track beginning in 2008. DHK Promotions is made up of Terre Haute businessman Brian Dorsett, Indy Racing League driver Davey Hamilton, and voice of the Indy 500 and the IndyCar Series Mike King.

During a news conference last Friday, the group announced the Wolfe’s Auto Auction “Run with the Pack Classic” featuring the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions to be held on July 4th.

The new slogan for the track is “Where every race is a classic.” It represents a change in philosophy to heavily promote the six races on the 2008 schedule rather than try to have weekly races.

O’Reilly All Star president Guy Webb is excited about the opportunity to bring his series back to Terre Haute with the new group of promoters at the helm. “Terre Haute Action Track stands for tradition in grass roots racing,” said Webb, “and the All Stars represent what grass roots racing is all about. I’m looking forward to working with DHK Promotions to put forth a special event for the fourth of July.”

The All Stars are also working on some other schedule updates and announcements that will be released in the coming weeks. The series will return to action on April 4th at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio. For the complete schedule and other news, visit www.allstarsprint.com.

Current All Star Series Points as of 2-7-08

1 51 Fred Rahmer 844 2 30c Lance Dewease 843 3 25 Chad Layton 774 4 1x Randy Hannagan 754 5 28 Brian Paulus 748 6 22 Greg Hodnett 747 7 2 Dale Blaney 738 8 11b Brock Mayes 736 9 20e Brian Ellenberger 719 10 11m Brandon Martin 694 11 71m Paul May 691 12 6f Bob Felmlee 688 13 39 TJ Stutts 683 14 w20 Greg Wilson 671 15 0 Paul McMahan 638 16 8h Dustin Morgan 631 17 4n Neil Shepherd 622 18 56r Ryan Myers 618 19 4 Danny Smith 572 20 16 Lee Stark 565 21 7m Geoff Dodge 445 22 10 Tim Kaeding 383 23 O9 Craig Mintz 369

Hurley Set For O’Reilly Midwest All Stars Championship Run

CAMARGO, IL (2-28-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

Jimmy Hurley has become a force to be reckoned with every time he shows up at the track. This became very evident last season with the O’Reilly Midwest All-Star Series.

Hurley, who calls Springfield, Illinois home, will once again bring his potent Maxim/Jeff McKay Engines machine into the mix of the “Best in the Midwest” in 2008. While his plans will also include stops with the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions and visits to the weekly programs at St. Francois County Raceway, his goal is to become the 2008 Midwest All Star Champion.

The 2007 season was a roller coaster for Hurley and team. Hurley’s crew was affected by an out of control mishap of another driver at Jacksonville, Illinois at a non-Midwest All Star event. Fortunately, Hurley’s team members were okay after the incident that eventually postponed that night’s events. Later on in the season the team was involved with an auto accident that left their truck and trailer destroyed.

The team fired back throughout the season by keeping their composure and focusing on pushing the popular #35 to the front of each event. For their efforts, Hurley brought home two victories in Midwest All Star action and four other wins on the season.

“We are looking to rebound from the things that happened last year and really focus on winning a championship,” Hurley commented. “It’s been said by guys like Schatz and Saldana that to win the championship you have to win every race. It’s that attitude we like to bring to the track each night.”

As for improvements for the 2008 season Hurley stated, “We would like to qualify better this year. That was one of the things we struggled with in 2007. We are going to take our notes from last year and figure out the best way to make them work even better for us this year.”

“The team and I want to hit more races this year. The combined rules with the All Star Circuit of Champions will help in that area. We will be really focused on the Midwest All Stars Series, but we will be hitting some of the other shows since there will not be any rule changes between the two series.”

The #35 team this year will be sponsored by Miles Chevrolet and Action Graphics. Hurley has announced that he still has sponsorship opportunities available in the form of primary and associate sponsors. Additionally, he will gain assistance with his program from Hoosier Racing Tires, Velocity Wings, and Pro Shocks.

On a personal note, he is joined at many of the events by his fiancé, parents, and many close relatives. “They have always supported me in everything I have done with racing. They are my biggest fans,” he added.

To watch Jimmy Hurley’s run to be the “Best in the Midwest” and to stay up to date with the O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series visit: www.midwestallstarseries.com

O'Reilly Midwest All Stars Series Releases 2008 Schedule

CAMARGO, IL (2-27-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

The 2008 campaign is set for the O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series. Racers and fans alike will be thrilled to see the fastest drivers of the Midwest duke it out with their fire-breathing mud-slingers at 22 events, spanning 5 states.

The series will begin the 2008 season on April 11th and carry events through October 10th. The path to a championship will include many consecutive night events, including a two-night show at famed Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, Indiana in conjuction with the All Star Circuit of Champion's Hoosier Fall Classic.

The sophomore season is set to begin and end at the same venue, Benton, Missouri’s Benton Motor Speedway. The Missouri hot-spot will showcase the series a total of 5 times in 2008, including a coveted date on July 4th.

The “Best in the Midwest” has grown to include a few new tracks for the series. Just a couple to watch for will be when the series takes to the steep banks of Quincy, Illinois’ Quincy Raceway and the “D” shaped 3/8 mile Windy Hollow Speedway in Owensboro, Kentucky.

Favorite tracks such as Spoon River Speedway in Canton, Illinois and Paragon Speedway in Paragon, Indiana will once again be on the Midwest All Star schedule. Driver turnout is anticipated to be stout at both events as many drivers with local ties to those tracks will attempt to “guard their porch” from the ensuing traveling invasion.

All in all it is shaping up to be a great season for fans, owners, and drivers alike. Every point counts towards the crowning of the one driver that will be able to claim they are the “Best of the Midwest.” Jerrod Hull claimed the inaugural honors in 2007 and will return to defend his championship in 2008.

For the complete schedule and to stay up to date with the O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series visit: www.midwestallstarseries.com

Date Track Location

APR

4-11 Benton Motor Speedway Benton, MO

MAY

5-23 Benton Motor Speedway Benton, MO

5-24 Mt. Vernon Speedway Mt. Vernon, IL

5-26 Quincy Raceway Quincy, IL

JUN

6-14 Western Kentucky Speedway Nebo, KY

6-20 Spoon River Speedway Canton, IL

6-21 Montgomery County Speedway New Florence, MO

6-28 Poinsett County Raceway Harrisburg, AR

JUL

7-4 Benton Motor Speedway Benton, MO

7-5 Paragon Speedway Paragon, IN

7-6 Windy Hollow Speedway Owensboro, KY

7-18 Union County Speedway Liberty, IN

7-19 Lawrenceburg Speedway Lawrenceburg, IN

AUG

8-2 Montgomery County Speedway New Florence, MO

8-15 Benton Motor Speedway Benton, MO

8-16 Riverside International Speedway West Memphis, AR

8-22 Bloomington Speedway Bloomington, IN

8-31 Macomb Raceway Macomb, IL

SEPT

9-12 Lawrenceburg Speedway Lawrenceburg, IN

9-13 Lawrenceburg Speedway Lawrenceburg, IN

9-20 West Plains Motor Speedway West Plains, MO

OCT

10-10 Benton Motor Speedway Benton, MO

O'Reilly Midwest All Stars Series Ready for Sophomore Campaign...and YouTube?

CAMARGO, IL (2-18-08) by Robert Cortum - Midwest All Star Series

With the 2007 awards handed out and champions crowned the inaugural season of the O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series is in the history books. The 2008 season has taken form and has already created a buzz with local and national drivers looking to take part in the Sophomore season.

New for 2008 is a spec tire rule. All competitors will be required to throttle their machines while sporting a Hoosier SC25 while being able to shod as they like on the other 3 corners. Hoosier tire has become a familiar tire of choice for many of the drivers over the past few years. For additional rule changes for 2008, visit: www.allstarsprint.com. Rules will be the same for both the O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series and the All Star Circuit of Champions.

In 2008 fans can expect the same quality of racing that they grew to enjoy from 2007. One of the benefits to the fan base is that most of the events are within reasonable traveling distances. Fans all across the Midwest have grown to love many of the drivers including Tim and Joey Montgomery, AJ Bruns, Tiffany Wyzard, Rob and Jeremy Standridge, Tyler Thompson, Ryan Bunton, and 2007 Series champion Jerrod Hull. Most fans have seen these drivers many times on many of the tracks that will play host to series.

The combined rule book for 2008 with the All Star Circuit of Champions should aid in attracting more drivers to both sanctions. Top contenders already announcing to push the cushion in the ASCoC are the likes of 1999 Rookie of the Year Paul McMahan, 1995 & 1996 Champion Dale Blaney, and 2006 & 2007 Champion Greg Wilson. The 2007 season was the tightest points battle since the famed Co-Champion season of 1993 when Frankie Kerr and Kevin Huntley shared top honors. Danny Smith, recently seen dubbed as, "The Real Outlaw," ran a tight second a mere 2 points shy of taking the 2007 honors.

Fans wanting to add to their O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series fever can get a glimpse of what it is like riding in a sprinter. Jeremy Standridge has a couple of in-car videos on YouTube. Just click on www.youtube.com/user/sprint10s and soon enough you'll be riding shotgun with one of the series top performers.

Stay up to date with the O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series by visiting: www.midwestallstarseries.com

Double Schatz: Donny Schatz Wins Again at Volusia

BARBERVILLE, FL (2-7-08) by Bryan Autullo – All Star PR Director

The O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions wrapped up their Florida swing with 51 cars signed in at Volusia Speedway Park on night number three of the 37th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals. The heat races were stacked as they have been the entire week with the best drivers in the country doing battle on the fast half mile. The best of the All Stars and Outlaws combined for another night of heart stopping action before the All Stars pull up their stakes and head back North.

Donny Schatz proved once again why he is the two time defending Outlaw champion by knocking out the competition for the second time in just three races as he bested the stellar field. Many of the drivers have compared the level of competition at Volusia this week to the Knoxville Nationals as many top notch drivers have spent time in the B and C mains.

“It’s good to get back to Victory Lane," said Schatz. "These guys deserve this, they have been working real hard. Our Chevrolet engine got us a good lap in qualifying tonight. We’re doing some playing the last couple of nights and we’ll go back to basics tomorrow and hopefully we’ll be back in Victory Lane.”

Schatz jumped out to the lead at the initial green flag leading Lance Dewease and Joey Saldana to the line. Jason Meyers was close behind and took the third spot by lap 15. Saldana began to get a handle on the track and moved back into the third spot by lap 18. While Schatz ran and hid from the rest of the field, Craig Dollansky was making a charge to the front and moved into the third spot on lap 21 as Dewease tried to gain ground on Schatz in traffic.

The red flag flew for Kraig Kinser who turned over the Tony Stewart owned ride in turn three on lap 23. The running order at the restart was Schatz, Dewease, Saldana, Dollansky, Meyers, and Fred Rahmer. Saldana tried to make things tough on Schatz moving up to second on lap 25 and running down the leader in traffic. Saldana made a last effort on the final lap closing to within two car lengths of Schatz, but ran out of laps and settled for second. Meyers would cross the line third, followed by Dewease and Dollansky who rounded out the Top 5.

Schatz went on to say, “We ran a whole different thing tonight than we have and we said we would commit to it tonight and do it, no matter if we win or lose. I had to drive as hard as I could and some nights you have to do that. It helps me get better and you become more diversified as a driver.”

Heat race number one was won by Donny Schatz who got by Randy Hannagan on lap 6 and went on to victory. Jac Haudenschild and Stevie Smith went at it hard in heat race number two with Smith coming out on top. Craig Dollansky passed Tony Bruce Jr. for the win in heat number three as Chad Kemenah just got by Wolfe for the transfer spot. Heat race number four was won by Dale Blaney as Jason Meyers put Greg Wilson in the B-main at the line.

C-main action got off to a fast start with last night’s winner Wayne Johnson running side by side with Tim Shaffer. Shaffer took the lead early as Terry McCarl got by Paul May early for third. After a lap 6 caution the running order was Shaffer, Johnson, McCarl, Ben Gregg, and May. After the retart, Shaffer pulled out to a good lead and took it to the checkered flag with May just getting by Gregg at the line for the transfer spot.

Cody Darrah ran away and hid from Lucas Wolfe in the B-main, but the action back through the pack was furious as Shane Stewart spent most of the race dodging in and out of cars putting slide jobs on half of the field on his way to the front, threading the needle several times as the crowd was on their feet. Darrah won as Chad Hillier just got by Greg Wilson by a nose wing at the flag stand. Wolfe finished second with Stewart coming home third.

The O’Reilly All Star Dash was won by Lance Dewease, but the race was slowed on lap one as Fred Rahmer, Randy Hannagan, and Dewease went three wide in turn three with Rahmer getting tagged and breaking a front end. Dewease picked up the dash win which pays season points to the top six qualifying All Star members who transfer out of their heat race.

The O’Reilly All Stars will resume the 2008 season at Attica Raceway Park on April 4th. Visit www.atticaraceawaypark.com for more information. For more information on the All Star series, visit www.allstarsprint.com – the internet home of “America’s Series.”

Volusia Speedway (2-7-08)

O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions

Qualifying - Kistler Engines

1. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.583; 2. 9-Joey Saldana, 13.738; 3. 5-Danny Lasoski, 13.752; 4. 14-Jason Myers, 13.777; 5. 89-Cody Darrah, 13.779; 6. 5C-Chad Hillier, 13.801; 7. 6F-Bob Felmlee, 13.823; 8. 30C-Lance Dewease, 13.842; 9. 51-Fred Rahmer, 13.852; 10. 11-Steve Kinser, 13.857; 11. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.887; 12. 20-Kraig Kinser, 13.889; 13. 20E-Brian Ellenberger, 13.898; 14. R19-Jac Haudenschild, 13.899; 15. 2-Craig Dollanksy, 13.968; 16. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.972; 17. 1X-Randy Hannagan, 13.975; 18. 11B-Brock Mayes, 13.995; 19. 1-Jeff Shepard, 13.996; 20. 21-Daryn Pittman, 14.013; 21. 28-Brian Paulus, 14.016; 22. 19-Stevie Smith, 14.038; 23. 18-Tony Bruce Jr., 14.039; 24. 2B-Dale Blaney, 14.050; 25. 10-Tim Kaeding, 14.062; 26. 29A-Jason Botsford, 14.093; 27. 8K-Chad Kemenah, 14.150; 28. 9P-Rager Phillps, 14.176; 29. 83-Shane Stewart, 14.177; 30. 39-TJ Stutts, 14.227; 31. 7MX-Mark Smith, 14.228; 32. 4-Danny Smith, 14.239; 33. 22-Greg Hodnett, 14.245; 34. O-Paul McMahan, 14.259; 35. 25-Chad Layton, 14.326; 36. 8H-Dustin Morgan, 14.357; 37. 22B-Ben Gregg, 14.364; 38. 94-Wayne Johnson, 14.395; 39. 6-Tim Shaffer, 14.402; 40. 94S-Natalie Sather, 14.424; 41. 71-Paul May, 14.439; 42. 80-Spud Gustin, 14.472; 43. 56R-Ryan Myers, 14.483; 44. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr., 14.532; 45. B4-Eric Baldaccini, 14.555; 46. 24-Terry McCarl, 14.558; 47. 11M-Brandon Martin, 14.602; 48. 71J-Bob Schaeffer, 14.621; 49. 16S-Lee Stark, 14.818; 50. 7M-Geoff Dodge, 15.052; 51. 4N-Neil Shepherd, 15.435;

Heat 1 - All Pro Heads

1. 15-Donny Schatz; 2. 1X-Randy Hannagan; 3. 10-Tim Kaeding; 4. 28-Brian Paulus; 5. 51-Fred Rahmer; 6. 83-Shane Stewart; 7. 20E-Brian Ellenberger; 8. 22-Greg Hodnett; 9. 89-Cody Darrah; 10. 22B-Ben Gregg; 11. 71-Paul May; 12. 16S-Lee Stark; 13. B4-Eric Baldaccini;

Heat 2 - Engler Machine & Tool

1. 19-Stevie Smith; 2. R19-Jac Haudenschild; 3. 11-Steve Kinser; 4. 9-Joey Saldana; 5. 11B-Brock Mayes; 6. 5C-Chad Hillier; 7. O-Paul McMahan; 8. 94-Wayne Johnson; 9. 24-Terry McCarl; 10. 39-TJ Stutts; 11. 7M-Geoff Dodge; 12. 80-Spud Gustin; 13. 29A-Jason Botsford;

Heat 3 - Hoosier Tire

1. 2-Craig Dollanksy; 2. 18-Tony Bruce Jr.; 3. 1-Jeff Shepard; 4. 5-Danny Lasoski; 5. 8K-Chad Kemenah; 6. 5W-Lucas Wolfe; 7. 25-Chad Layton; 8. 6F-Bob Felmlee; 9. 7MX-Mark Smith; 10. 6-Tim Shaffer; 11. 11M-Brandon Martin; 12. 56R-Ryan Myers; 13. 4N-Neil Shepherd;

Heat 4 - Hank's Performance Products

1. 2B-Dale Blaney; 2. 21-Daryn Pittman; 3. 20-Kraig Kinser; 4. 14-Jason Myers; 5. 30C-Lance Dewease; 6. W20-Greg Wilson; 7. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.; 8. 94S-Natalie Sather; 9. 8H-Dustin Morgan; 10. 9P-Rager Phillps; 11. 4-Danny Smith; 12. 71J-Bob Schaeffer;

Dash - O'Reilly Auto Parts

1. 30C-Lance Dewease; 2. 2B-Dale Blaney; 3. 1X-Randy Hannagan; 4. 11B-Brock Mayes; 5. 28-Brian Paulus; 6. 51-Fred Rahmer;

C-main - Outerwears Racing Accessories

1. 6-Tim Shaffer; 2. 24-Terry McCarl; 3. 94-Wayne Johnson; 4. 71-Paul May; 5. 11M-Brandon Martin; 6. 94S-Natalie Sather; 7. 22B-Ben Gregg; 8. 4N-Neil Shepherd; 9. 56R-Ryan Myers; 10. 7M-Geoff Dodge; 11. 16S-Lee Stark; 12. 80-Spud Gustin; 13. 71J-Bob Schaeffer; 14. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.;

B-main - University of Northwestern Ohio

1. 89-Cody Darrah; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe; 3. 83-Shane Stewart; 4. 5C-Chad Hillier; 5. W20-Greg Wilson; 6. 6F-Bob Felmlee; 7. 7MX-Mark Smith; 8. O-Paul McMahan; 9. 24-Terry McCarl; 10. 20E-Brian Ellenberger; 11. 22-Greg Hodnett; 12. 4-Danny Smith; 13. 8H-Dustin Morgan; 14. 6-Tim Shaffer; 15. 25-Chad Layton; 16. 94-Wayne Johnson; 17. 39-TJ Stutts; 18. 9P-Rager Phillps; 19. 71-Paul May; 20. 29A-Jason Botsford;

A-main - MSD Ignition -- Starting Position []

1. 15-Donny Schatz[1]; 2. 9-Joey Saldana[3]; 3. 14-Jason Myers[5]; 4. 30C-Lance Dewease[2]; 5. 2-Craig Dollanksy[10]; 6. 51-Fred Rahmer[4]; 7. 21-Daryn Pittman[17]; 8. 5-Danny Lasoski[6]; 9. 8K-Chad Kemenah[23]; 10. 5W-Lucas Wolfe[13]; 11. 1X-Randy Hannagan[14]; 12. R19-Jac Haudenschild[9]; 13. 11-Steve Kinser[7]; 14. 83-Shane Stewart[24]; 15. 2B-Dale Blaney[21]; 16. 10-Tim Kaeding[22]; 17. 89-Cody Darrah[11]; 18. 5C-Chad Hillier[12]; 19. 28-Brian Paulus[18]; 20. 19-Stevie Smith[19]; 21. 11B-Brock Mayes[15]; 22. 18-Tony Bruce Jr.[20]; 23. 20-Kraig Kinser[8]; 24. 1-Jeff Shepard[16];

Wayne’s World: Wayne Johnson Wins Shocker

BARBERVILLE, FL (2-6-08) by Bryan Autullo – All Star PR Director

Night number two of the 37th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals once again had 52 cars signed into the pits looking to steal the $7000 top prize put up by the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions. Craig Mintz and John Westbrook were unable to return after their night one crash, but Jason Sides and Chad Hillier filled their spots keeping the field at 52 of the finest sprint car drivers in the country. However, like at any All Star race throughout the decades, you just never know going in who is going to come out on top.

Danny Lasoski took the green flag in the 25 lap A-main event and got out to an early lead while Paul May and Mark Smith dueled for second place. Cautions on lap 7 for Daryn Pittman and on lap 9 for Brian Ellenberger slowed the action, but Lasoski retained the lead on each restart. The red flag flew for Brandon Martin on lap 11 as martin got caught up in a Cody Darrah spin and had no place to go but into the turn one fence sending the 11m end over end. On the restart it was Lasoski, Mark Smith, May, Hafertepe, and Wayne Johnson. Donny Schatz restarted in 9th after starting 19th.

The next several laps were wild as May and Smith traded slide jobs for the second spot and Hafertepe and Johnson duked it out behind the leaders. May started to fade late in the race while Hafertepe looked to run down The Dude in traffic. Wayne Johnson waited for the