Kaley Gharst – Back in the Win Column at East Moline!

(Bill W) – July 2, 2009 – Kaley Gharst was victorious in the 25-lap Sprint Invaders main event last Sunday night at the Quad City Raceway in East Moline, Illinois. The Decatur, Illinois driver needed a boost after his recent 410 struggles. Saturday, he plans on racing with the Sprint Invaders at the West Liberty Raceway in West Liberty, IA.

Kaley drew the pole for his heat on Sunday and cruised home for a dash spot by running second to Jack Dover. After backing up to third in the dash from the front row, he caught a break when dash winner, Ryan Jamison, drew a six, putting Kaley on the outside of row one. “It was an advantage to start on the outside,” says Kaley. “The fast way was definitely around the top.”

Kaley jumped out to the lead early, with Russ Hall and Dover trailing him. Before a lap 13 caution, Hall made at least two attempts to slide in front that came up short. “I didn’t know who it was, but I saw that black nose wing down there twice,” he says. “There were a couple times when I was getting held up in traffic, with cars on the top and the bottom. When I tried the middle to get by them…that’s when (Hall) got a run.”

Kaley was never seriously challenged the rest of the way, winning for the second time in Randy Plath’s #14P in three tries with the Invaders. “The cushion pretty much became the wall tonight,” he adds. “You can get around here pretty good for as small as it is. It’s a lot of fun.”

The 2007 Sprint Invaders champion also won at the high-banked ¼ mile when the series visited East Moline in September of that season. “The way the track was so dry, it reminded me of that night,” he says. “The only difference was that night, it laid rubber later on.”

Struggles continued in the 410. Hoping to win $3,500 at the Leon Smith Memorial on Friday night at the Morgan County Speedway, Kaley never got on the track for the finale. “We’re not sure what our issue is, but we’re going to get to the bottom of it,” he assures.

Keep an eye on Kaley's progress this week and beyond at www.KaleyGharst.com!

If you would like to receive Kaley's weekly releases, send an e-mail with the subject line "Kaley" to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net.

Kaley and car owner Randy Plath would like to thank Sebastian Powder Coating and Sandblasting, Scott Performance, Holtkamp's truck and trailer repair, Rockstar Graphics and all of their sponsors.

 

BENIC ENTERPRISES

The month of June was a busy and successful one for racers running Benic Shock Services products. Brady Short had a hot June with 4 victories including an MSCS win at Haubstadt, Indiana in his 5-Bar Maxim equipped with Afco by Benic M2 Shocks. Brady topped off his fast month by claiming his 1st King of Indiana Sprint Series (KISS) title. Dustin Daggett continued his dominance of the ASCS Sprints on Dirt (SOD) series by taking 4 main events on the month including his record 6th in a row at I-96 Speedway in Michigan. Daggett has 7 wins and has not finished worse than 4th in the 9 SOD events he has entered this season. Brad Kuhn had an impressive run from 14th to the victory in the USAC National Midgets at Bloomington (IN) Speedway with his Integra by Benic IDA shocks. Brad narrowly missed the Indiana Midget Week Championship and has taken over the lead in the USAC National Midget point standings. We have 3 drivers to add to our ever-growing list of 1st-time winners. 14-year old Josh Hodges became the youngest ever in ASCS history by leading wire-to-wire in Rock Springs, WY. 18-year old Nicole Bower bested the field for her 1st career victory at Port Royal, PA and long time crew chief Brian Sperry took home his 1st as a driver at Chowchilla, CA. All 3 of these 1st timers are on Afco by Benic 16 series shocks. Winners in their 1st event on Afco by Benic Shocks were Glenn Borden at Elma, WA and Parker Price-Miller at Peru, IN. Multi-time winners in the month of June included Borden, Price-Miller, Andrew Peters, Glenn Styres, John Carney II and Eric Lutz (all with 2 wins). Also taking home victories in the month were Justin Weir, Tony Bruce Jr., Donny Schatz, Jake Ossenfort and Ryan Hunsinger. No matter what type of racer you are, Benic Enterprises Shock Services has the winning combination to suit your style. Along with our AFCO by BENIC and Integra by BENIC shocks we also have the latest parts for any application as well as a full compliment of Maxim Chassis in stock. To find out more information about Benic Enterprise and Benic Enterprises Shock Services, please contact us at 765-948-5758 or visit our website at www.benicenterprises.com.

K-C to host THE NIGHT THE STARS COME OUT!!

CHILLICOTHE, OHIO-Friday, July 3rd marks the historic “Night the Stars Come Out” at Jeff and Vickie Schrader's K-C Raceway. Tagged with the "16th annual" banner, this racing spectacular has become know as a "must see" event for Midwestern racing fans. Paying $5,000 to win in both the All-Star Late Models and O'Reilly All-Star 410 sprints, this high-impact event will pay over $70,000 in total purse money. Started as an anniversary celebration for previous owners, the Karshner family, "The Night the Stars Come Out" was the first event of its kind nationwide, combining the All-Star Circuit of Champions sprint cars--and at that time-- the STARS late models. Since that time the STARS late models were purchased by another organization and both the "Xtreme" Late Models series and NARA Lucas Oil series have been on the “Night the Stars Come Out” racing card. One thing that has remained has been the loyalty of the All-Star sprint series, now owned by businessman Guy Webb. Friday, the All-Star sanction umbrella's its reign over the entire night's racing activities. Steve Francis, Mike Balzano, Donnie Moran, Steve Shaver, Steve Casebolt, Jr., Bart Hartman, Jackie Boggs, Eddie Carrier, Jr., Ben Adkins, Jason Montgomery, and the racing Conley’s have joined forces in the past to compete in this illustrious event. Last week at the 1st Capital Clash stars such as Keith Berner, Eric Wells, Hartman, Montgomery, Doug Drown, Rod Conley, Chris Combs, Chad Smith, Mike Wilson, Kevin Layne, Ryan Markham, Andy Bond, Barry Doss, John Whitney, Bill Williams, Anthony Adams, Nick Corbitt, Ryan Edelblute, and Bobby Kitchen came out to make final preparations for this race. Additionally, some of the best names in sprint car racing will take on K-C regulars Jimmy Nier, Caleb Griffith, Keith Baxter, Danny Smith, Neil Sheppard, Ron Blair, Mark Imler, Josh Davis, Eddie Slone, Kirk Jeffries, Brandy Bower, Alec Martin, Jimmy Stinson, Dallas Hewitt, Todd Kane, Chad Gullett, Luke Hall, Aaron Higgins, Dave Dickson, and Brian Benson. Nier leads the points’ race this season while 2008 champ Danny Smith would like to add the "Night the Stars Come Out" to his resume in front of the hometown crowd. Sold originally as one of the best bargains in racing, fans will continue to see two quality invitational events this year at one bargain price, the cost of a typical one series show. K-C is located 6 miles South of Chillicothe off SR 23 at Blain Highway. For further information call 740-663-4141 or visit the K-C website at <www.kc-raceway.com >>

 

Welcome Back Fab Four Racing!

The Hot Dog Guys & Dollar Dog Night

Eric J. Westendor

Written by: Stephen J. Patterson

Sarver, PA (July 2, 2009) After a very successful three-day World of Outlaws Late Model Series show which included the conclusion of the Showdown in Sarvertown (Winner Josh Richards), the Uncle Sam 30 (Winner Robbie Blair) and the Firecracker 100 (Winner Jimmy Mars). Lernerville Speedway would like to extend a great thank you to all of our great fans. But this Friday we are thrilled to welcome back our regular Fab Four Racing program.

Ed Lynch Jr. was triumphant June 12 in the Commercial Truck and Trailer DIRTcar Sprints. With Lynch’s victory he earned a provisional for the Cleveland Brothers CAT Don Martin Silver Cup XVIII. Rod George finished second, third Kevin Schaffer, fourth Bob Felmlee, and fifth Todd Bauer. Rod George (216) maintained his lead in the Budweiser Point Standings over second place Ed Lynch Jr. (187). With Lynch’s victory he jumped over third place Kevin Schaffer (185), fourth place Brent Matus (156), and fifth place Charlie Holben (152).

The Friedman’s Freshmarkets DIRTcar Late Model Feature went to Gregg Satterlee in one of the most talked about finishes in a great while. Satterlee inched out second place John Flinner by 0.025 seconds. Alex Ferree finished third, fourth Doug Horton, and fifth Dave Johnson. Gregg Satterlee (190) is currently on top of the Bud Points, second Alex Ferree (185), third place Doug Horton (170), fourth place Lynn Geisler (162), and fifth place John Flinner (156).

Jeremiah Shingledecker finally collected his first victory of the season in the Diehl Auto Group DIRTcar Modifieds. Shingledecker took the lead from Tom Winkle on lap six, and then Kevin Bolland passed Winkle for second. Winkle held on to finish third, followed by Joe Crawford in fourth and Dave Murdick in fifth. Shingledecker’s (173) victory placed him on top of the points over currently sidelined (head) Brian Swartzlander (171), third place Kevin Bolland (167), fourth place Del Rougeux Jr. (160), and fifth place Dave Murdick (160). Swartzlander is expected to return to action this Friday Night after an extended leave of absence after a nasty accident at the BRP show at PPMS.

The Advance Auto Parts DIRTcar Sportsman crowned its sixth different winner this season as Ryan Moyer led 20 caution free laps. While leading the race, Moyer was not able to witness the great battle behind him which resulted in Jim Fosnaught taking second, Pat Hanley was third, Joe Kelley fourth, and Wayne Carbo fifth. Although Bob Lipinski didn’t capture his fourth victory of the year, he did hold his points lead (250) over second place Joe Kelley (206), third place Bob Egley (205), fourth place Wayne Carbo (200), and fifth place Pat Hanley (189).

This Friday Night’s Fab Four Racing program is sponsored by “The Hot Dog Guys”. The Hot Dog Guys also sponsor the #12 Sportsman car driven by Shawn Thorn. They will be hosting a pre-race party in the Butler-side Picnic Pavilion outside the main gates. Shawn will have his car on display and signing autographs, while his other primary sponsor Charrap Rt. 28 North will be on hand passing out Thorn Racing Ball Caps to the first 100 fans.

In less than four weeks Cleveland Brothers CAT Don Martin Memorial XVIII Silver Cup featuring the World of Outlaw Sprint Cars will run twin $15,000-to-win, 30-lap features in the same night! Advanced tickets are on sale at www.lernerville.com or by calling the main office during regular business hours (Monday- Friday 8-4) at (724) 353-1511. Pit gates will open at 4 pm, Grandstands at 5 pm. A World of Outlaws driver autograph session (time TBA) will precede Hot Laps at 6:30 pm, Time Trials at 7:15 pm and Racing at 8:00 pm.

 

WG Motorsports and McGowan Motorsports Join Forces for Santa Maria Stop

By Gary Costa

San Martin, CA - (July 2, 2009) – WG Motorsports is proud to announce that WG Motorsports and McGowan Motorsports have entered into a one race agreement for this Saturday's West Coast 360 Non-Wing Sprint Car event held at Santa Maria Speedway.

Wes Gutierrez will be at the helm of Dennis and Connie McGowan's potent No. 11 Maxim that is housed in Fresno, CA. The powerful duo may possibly come together for a long term joint venture to help propel Gutierrez in his racing efforts.

"I'm really excited for Wes, Dennis and Connie are real good people and are great car owners," WG Motorsports team manager, Rod Stiles said. "I'm hopeful that things will fall into place, and that we can work together even more in the very near future."

The 17-year-old Gutierrez is a quick study who has showed speed in Winged and Non-Winged Sprint Cars alike. Gutierrez has had California pit areas talking since he hit the Sprint Car scene in 2008. In his inaugural Sprint Car season, Wes went on and picked up two Non-Wing main events during his rookie voyage.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for me. Everyone knows that Dennis and Connie have great equipment and are dedicated car owners," Gutierrez said. "I'm itching to climb into their car. I know that I will give it my all for them, and do my best to put on a show for the fans at Santa Maria Speedway."

Before the Santa Maria Non-Wing stop, Wes will be at it this Friday in his WG Motorsports No. 007 Winged Maxim at Petaluma Speedway to wage war with the Civil War.

WG Motorsports racing efforts are supported by: ButlerBuilt, Kaeding Performance, Advanced Racing Suspension, Diversified Machine, Inc., FK Rod Ends, Simpson Racing Products, defNder, DWT Racing Wheels, Hertz Rental Car, PPG Automotive Finishes, Lemon Motorsports, Styles Collision Center and Gilroy Collision Center.

Learn more about Wes Gutierrez Motorsports online at www.wgmotorsports.com

 

Placerville Speedway featured in Pollock Pines July Fourth Parade

Media Release from Handy Racing Promotions, Inc.

PLACERVILLE, CA – The 2009 Red Hawk Casino championship racing season will be represented in patriotic fashion this Saturday, July Fourth at the annual Independence Day Parade in Pollock Pines.

This annual holiday celebration is one of El Dorado County’s largest parades as spectators from throughout El Dorado County flock to the sides of Pony Express Trail in Pollock Pines to begin their annual holiday in a tradition fashion that has Small Town USA written all over it.

Placerville sprint car driver James Sweeney will be one of the entries representing El Dorado County ’s oldest and only professional spectator sport. Sweeney will be joined by Placerville Stock car driver Forryst Carnett as well along with safety support and pace vehicles from Placerville Speedway. Saturday’s event is slated to being at 11:30 a.m on Pony Express Trail in Pollock Pines.

Placerville Speedway is promoted by Handy Racing Promotions and sanctioned by the American Speed Association (ASA). Handy Racing Promotions Inc. believes in community support such as events like this. Without the support of the community, auto racing would not be as strong as it is in El Dorado County .

Following Saturday’s event, race fans and families are invited to the El Dorado County Fairgrounds for the US Army Race for Freedom at Placerville Speedway. Three division of racing will be on hand for an exciting night of action that will conclude with a giant fireworks display. The US Army is bringing much fanfare to the event with various kids activities, complimentary American Flags for fans and much more.

The front gates to Placerville Speedway will open at 4 p.m. on Saturday followed by qualifying at 5:30 . Admission to the speedway will be $15 for adults, $10 for juniors. On this special night all children under 12 are admitted for free. In addition to the racing events, the El Dorado County Fairground will present the annual “Family Blast” featuring live music and a number of activities throughout the late afternoon into the evening. Admission to the blast is separate and further information can be found at www.eldoradocountyfair.org.

 

Brandon Wimmer – Ohio Speedweek Recap!

(Bill W) July 2, 2009 – Ohio Speedweek is a tough grind, but sprint car driver Brandon Wimmer and his owner Rick Ferkel passed the test with flying colors. The #0 team had a strong start and a strong finish, and hopes to carry the momentum into this weekend’s events with the All Star Circuit of Champions.

After a rainout at Attica Raceway Park, Eldora Speedway near Rossburg served as the Speedweek opener on Saturday, June 20. 48 cars descended on the high-banked ½ mile and Brandon emerged third quick. After smooth sailing in his heat, he ran a strong seventh in the feature. “We ran well all night at Eldora, which is a very good sign for the team,” says the Fairmount, Indiana driver. “I think the only driver that passed us in the feature was Terry McCarl, and he passed everyone.”

60 cars gathered at Millstream Speedway near Findlay for round two on Sunday, June 21. It was a long night in more ways than one for the team after qualifying ninth and running second in their heat. “To qualify ninth with that many cars gives you confidence,” says Brandon. “We ran strong all night. In the feature, we were running fifth when we broke the driveline and that hurt the motor we had in too.”

The DNF was tough, and a cancellation at Wayne County Speedway meant Tuesday would serve as round three at the tiny Hilltop Speedway south of Millersburg. “We qualified poorly (28th out of 42 cars) at Hilltop, and that set us back a ways,” says Brandon. “It was just too hard to pass in the heat. We were behind Kenny Jacobs and neither one of us made a transfer. We were better in the B, and charged up to fifth, we just couldn’t get by Steven Lines for the final transfer there. It was just hard to pass.”

Waynesfield on Wednesday didn’t go much better. A 31st quick time trial amongst 50 cars along with track conditions dictated the evening. “The track was pretty heavy all night, but really rough,” Brandon relates. “We didn’t qualify well, and we were starting in the back all night. We agreed to run a couple laps in the B and pull it in.”

Brandon bounced back at Limaland Motorsports Park near Lima on Friday after Attica rained out a second time on Thursday. “The tough part about Speedweek is there are always around 50 cars, and you’re always getting one lap only in qualifying,” he says. “We were able to get a decent lap in (19th) at Lima. In the feature, we were able to run up to the pack running seventh through 12th. There was a lot of sliding around for position. It was hard to slide a guy and clear him, and not have him come right back and do the same. It was a good run (17th to 12th), and a good recovery from the previous two races.”

Saturday night saw the finale at Fremont Speedway. Another charge from 17th to 8th ended things on a good note after timing in 21st. “I’ve struggled a bit getting around Fremont, but we were really good in the feature,” says Brandon, who ended Speedweek 12th in points and just three markers out of the top ten. “I was able to make the bottom work, and passed quite a few guys who were sliding up the track. We were right there with the top five within striking distance, but we just ran out of laps coming from that far back. We may have had one caution on both Friday and Saturday.”

Brandon was happy with his week. “All in all, the week was up and down, but it was a good one,” he says. “It was good to start and finish strong. The deal at Millstream kind of put us behind for the next couple races, but we recovered in the end.”

This weekend the #0 team will hit K-C Raceway near Chillicothe, Ohio on Friday and the Terre Haute Action Track in Indiana on Saturday with the All Stars. If all goes well, they may hit Twin Cities in North Vernon, Indiana on the way home Sunday with MASS.

Brandon is Winning With Wellness

Brandon says: “One of the keys for me getting through Speedweek is a new wellness and sports nutrition program I'm using this year. My sponsor Lori Manes-Cutter who owns Winning With Wellness is providing me with scientifically validated dietary supplements from Mannatech. Since I started on the products a few months ago, I've had more energy on and off the race track, I've been sleeping better and feeling rested when I wake. Several of the sports nutrition products target improving performance while I'm racing and help me recover faster after a race. This past week has been particularly hard on most racers and I feel these products gave me an edge and allowed me to go to the next race in the best possible shape. What I really like about Mannatech's products, is all the ingredients have been approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency so I know that the ingredients are clean and healthy for me. There are over 200 professional athletes around the world representing Team Mannatech using these products, including sprint car racing's own Donny Schatz.”

Brandon and Rick Ferkel would like to thank the following sponsors for all their help: Shorty’s Truck Repair, Smith’s Farm, Goodyear Tires, Griff’s Engines, Kear’s Speed Shop, Huggins Cams, BRODIX Heads, Barnes Oil Pumps, Prism Lubricants, Zeis Land Development, Butlerbuilt, Simpson, Winning With Wellness and WRT Web Designs.

 

Big Weekend Up For Cottage Grove Speedway

By Ben Deatherage

Cottage Grove, Oregon- Big money will be on the line this weekend at the Cottage Grove Speedway for the 360 Sprints. On Friday night it will $1,200 to win and $200 to start the feature and on Saturday $2,000 to win and $300 to start. With big money on the line expect to see some big hitters try and take the prize money home. So far there have been five 360 Sprint races at the Cottage Grove Speedway and only two different winners. Roger Crockett of Medford has won the most with four but Chadd Noland of Central Point won the most recent installment early last month. Also following Saturday’s races their will a fireworks display. Payout information below.

Also on the card for the weekend will be the Northwest I-5 DIRTcar Series making their final stop at the famed ¼ mile. The last time the series was here in late May Casey Vitale of Albany made a daredevil pass on Jeremy Shank of Salem to win the first ever race of the series. So far the series has been very competitive as in three individual races there have been three different winners: Vitale, Shank, and Sweet Home’s Brett McCutcheon.

Support classes for the Friday race will be Limited Sprints, All-American Street Stocks, Pro 4’s, and Late Models (non-points). On Saturday night’s action Limited Sprints will be on hand along with Modifieds, All-American Street Stocks, and also Pro 4’s. And on Sunday the only support class will be the WRS4 Cylinder Late Models. For more information on tickets and times log on to cottagegrovespeedway.com. Also there will be a special three day pass on sale for those of you that wish to attend all three nights.

360 Sprints Payout

Friday July 3rd

1. $1,200.00

2. $800.00

3. $650.00

4. $500.00

5. $400.00

6. $325.00

7. $250.00

8-18. $200.00

Saturday July 4th

1. $2,000.00

2. $1,250.00

3. $900.00

4. $750.00

5. $650.00

6. $500.00

7. $400.00

8. $350.00

9. $325.00

10-18. $300.00

 

Placerville’s Walt Carmichael returns to the wheel for July Fourth Spectacular

US Army presents special night that concludes with giant fireworks display

PLACERVILLE, CA – For many of today’s young drivers Placerville’s Walt Carmichael was an inspiration in local stock car racing before and long after he retired from fulltime competition in 1993. This Saturday night, the former five-time stock car champion will return to the driver’s seat for the US Army Race for Freedom at the Red Hawk Casino sponsored ASA Sanctioned Placerville Speedway.

Carmichael will be behind the wheel of the number one Late Model-Pro Stock owned by area resident Bryan Carnett. The competitive car is the secondary car for Carnett’s son, Forryst Carnett who will also be in competition aboard his recently refurbished #10 car.

Since his retirement more than a decade ago, Carmichael has not been a stranger to auto racing near and afar. Following his retirement from driving and completing his career as a firefighter, he has traveled to many races alongside his wife, Gaye, a Motorsports journalist who covers all levels of auto racing including NASCAR, the World of Outlaws and much more.

Two years ago, Carmichael returned to Placerville Speedway aboard his familiar 1959 Ford but it wasn’t to be competitive. Carmichael returned to join fellow drivers to pay tribute to their fallen colleague, Ed Scheidel, who had past away after illness.

This, Carmichael returns for more than trip back in time. After getting a taste of speed in a drag car several months ago he is ready to charge towards the front once again.

Carmichael attended a gathering hosted by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcaster Association back in January with his wife and had the opportunity to compete in a drag race on the Pomona Drag strip against other guests of the affair. In the event, Carmichael finished fifth overall. Fifth, however, wasn’t good enough for the driver that was best known for his branding of ‘Hot Stuff Racing.”

“I was devastated because I wanted to win so badly,” said Carmichael. “Even though the fellow who won was a professional drag racer, I thought I could win it even though I had not drag raced since I was in my teens. I guess it’s just part of my competitive nature to want to win.”

Just a few weeks ago, Carnett made the offer to Carmichael to drive their car. After viewing the car, he proudly accepted and will return to the track on a night before one of the largest crowds of the year.

“When I was offered this opportunity to drive the #1 Pro Stock it opened the door for me to have a second chance to get behind the wheel of a race car this year and another opportunity to try for a win.”

While Carmichael is extremely excited about his return to the track Saturday, many fans are sure to be just as excited. Teenagers who once cheered for Carmichael every Saturday night now populate the bleachers with their own children. During his tribute appearance two years ago, Carmichael’s appearance drew a standing ovation from the entire grandstands.

“Walt Carmichael is a legend at this place hands down,” said Bill Sullivan, Director of Communications and announcer for Placerville Speedway. “My best friend and I grew up in these stands watching that guy win races and win championships. To have the opportunity to call a race with his name in the line up is truly an honor.”

Carmichael’s key to success as a driver was his positive outlook. Today, he maintains that witty sense of humor. When recently asked of his current age, he returned the answer in the form of riddle.

“I’ll share something with you,” said Carmichael. “When I started racing the reason I chose the number 33 was because that’s how hold I was at the time. As far as I’m concerned, 33 is as old as I need to be.”

Regardless of where Carmichael places Saturday night, it will be night Placerville fans will surely remember

Saturday night is a big night of race at Placerville Speedway with three divisions of race cars competing in the ninth Red Hawk Casino Championship point race. Joining Carmichael’s Late Model-Pro Stock division will be the winged sprint cars along with the very popular Pure Stocks. The evening is presented in part by the Placerville Recruiting Office of the US Army.

Representatives from the US Army will be on hand Saturday night participating in the Independence Day festivities and providing many activities for youngster including a rock climbing experience and a virtual video game in the food court area. Race fans will receive complimentary American Flags upon arrival and over one hundred complimentary t shirts will be given away to lucky race fans. The evening concludes with a giant fireworks display featuring both ground and aerial displays presented by Handy Racing Promotions and the El Dorado County Fairboard.

The event all takes place with the annual “Family Blast” at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds featuring live music and many activities for families for separate admission. The gates to Placerville Speedway will open one hour earlier than normal at 4 p.m. with qualifying starting at 5:30. For further information on Placerville Speedway visit www.placervillespeedway.com. Additional information on the Family Blast can be found at www.eldoradocountyfair.org.

 

OTT HAS BIG NIGHT WHILE SEVERAL OTHER J&J RACES SCORE VICTORIES

McKENZIE, TN (July 1) - Aaron Ott will always remember June 26, 2009. It was a night that saw the Pennsylvania teenager not only score his first 410 win at Williams Grove Speedway, but also was a night where he won a URC feature at the same track. Ott's performance was one of many highlights from last weekend's sprint car action that included J&J racers: Terry Gray, Justin Sturch, Marshall Skinner, Eric Williams, Trevor Grossenbacher, Tim Shaffer and Even Sewell all taking feature victories.

WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY

It was a night of first's for 17-year-old Aaron Ott, who pulled off a rare sweep at historic Williams Grove Speedway this past Friday night. Ott led every lap of the 25-lap 410 sprint car feature to claim his first career win at the Grove. Ott drove his No. 25 J&J from the fourth starting position into the lead on the opening lap and fought off several strong challenges to capture the win.

Following that first win he jumped into his 360 powered No. 25 J&J and started the fourth annual Rislone United Racing Club Sprint Nationals. He took advantage of a lap six resta rt to take command of the race and went on to claim the win. Several J&J racers joined him in the top five with Cory Haas (No. 39 J&J) coming home third, ahead ofJ.J. Grasso (No. 99 J&J), who finished fifth.

USCS RACING

Seven-time Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series National Champion, Terry Gray won the 30-lap Parts Plus USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour main-event during the Parts Plus USCS “Thunder in Carolina” event at Carolina Speedway last Friday. The win was Gray’s second in 2009 driving the No. 10 Rislone Oil Treatment sponsored J&J. He beat fellow J&J racer, Matt Linder (No. 1x J&J) at the start.

Gray led throughout the 30-lap main event, but was chased by Scott Hensley (No. 40R J&J) to the checkered flag. Justin Carver (No. 24 J&J) finished fourth.

THUNDER MOUNTAIN SPEEDWAY

Eric Williams captured his first career 410 sprint car feature victory last Friday night at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Knoxdale, Penn. Williams drove his No. 7 Approved Toilet Rentals/Penn-Ohio Electrical Contractors sponsored J&J. into the lead following an early restart and then fought off the challenges of another J&J racer, Dan Shelter, to capture the win. Chris Best came home third giving J&J a podium sweep and Bob Howard brought home the No. 49 J&J fifth.

ALL-STARS

Tim Shaffer brought the Ohio Speedweek to a close in thrilling fashion racing the C&H Motorsports Kistler powered No. 83 J&J to victory last Satu rday night at Fremont (Ohio) Speedway. Shaffer, who started 14th, took the lead from Brock Mayes (No. 11b J&J) with four laps remaining in the 40-lap race to score his second Ohio Speedweek victory, and eighth overall in 2009.

“I'm so happy to be a part of this team: Brian (Kemenah, crew chief), Janet (Holbrook, owner) and Aaron (Call, owner). This whole team, they did a great job all week.

Chad Blonde led the first 17 laps in the Hammer Pallets No. 24H J&J. Brock Mayes took command of the race on lap 27 in his No. 11b J&F Construction/Kinn Brothers Heating and Cooling sponsored J&J. Shaffer got by late in the race and Mayes finished second. Blonde finished in fourth.

USCS RACING

Defending Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series National Champion Terry Gray, won the 30-lap Parts Plus USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour “Thunder in Carolinas” Round Six main-event at Travelers Rest Speedway on Saturday night. Gray, who won the night before driving the No. 10 Rislone Oil Treatment sponsored J&J, beat fellow J&J racer, Lance Moss (No.23 J&J) into the first turn and then had a spirited challenge from Justin Carver (No. 24 J&J). Carver ended up finishing second while Moss came home fourth.

UNITED RACING CLUB - DELAWARE

J.J. Grasso drove the Palladino Motorsports/BK Leasing No. 99 J&J to a flag-to-flag victory last Saturday in the Rislone URC event at the Delaware International Speedway. The win was his third URC victory of the s eason.

I-30 SPEEDWAY

Justin Sturch won both his heat race and the feature event on Saturday night at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. Sturch was behind the wheel of his No. 9t J&J.

RIVERSIDE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Marshall Skinner was victorious in the No. 26 J&J at Riverside International Speedway on Saturday night in W. Memphis, Ark. Skinner was followed by fellow J&J racer, Ernie Ainsworth (No. 40 J&J) and in the top-five by Raymond Stull (No. 6 J&J ), who finished fifth.

EAGLE RACEWAY

Trevor Grossenbacher drove the Stop ‘N Shop, GMS Wings, J & M Technologies and Agee Automotive sponsored No. 35AB J&J to victory at Eagle Raceway this past Saturday night.

“This was my first 360 sprint car win, and I’m dedicating it to my friend Anthony Buis who passed away last October; his initials are the AB in my car number” Trevor said. "I want to thank my family and all of those others who supported me. Without them, racing here and winning just wouldn't be possible”.

CREEK COUNTY

Evan Sewell won the Non Wing Sprint Feature at Creek County Speedway this past Saturday. The win was Sewell's first non-wing feature event victory, as he dominated the evening by leading every lap of his heat and the feature event in his J&J. This was his third victory in 2009.

 

Geving bestows many thanks for successful USAC Pavement racing debut

Next: Civil War Sprint Car Series, Petaluma Speedway July 3

By Bill Sullivan

Chicko Motorsports Media Relations

ROSEVILLE, CA ( 6-27-09) – Seventeen year-old Alissa Geving made her pavement racing debut last Saturday night with the USAC Western States Sprint cars at All American Speedway in Roseville, California. Driving for veteran car owner Ted Finkenbinder, Geving finished 13th despite an early withdrawal from the 100 lap event due to mechanical difficulties.

In qualifying, Geving clocked the 12th position aboard the competitive Finkenbinder #3F, turning a lap time of 15:45 seconds. In both practice and qualifying Geving was fighting brake complications which were resolved prior to the feature event.

In the feature event she began working her way through the field until the 40th lap when she pulled off the track surface after the steering box overheated, causing discomfort in the cockpit. At the end of the night she finished 13th and was still very happy with the results of her first time behind the wheel of a pavement sprint car.

“I’m ready to do this again, I love it,” said Geving. “We struggled a little in qualifying with the brake issue and I hated to pull off early because I was getting the feel of things but the steering box was burning my leg pretty good. We’ll be back doing this at our soonest opportunity for sure.”

Following Saturday’s event, Geving has a long list of individuals whom she wishes to thank for their assistance with Saturday’s race. The decision to compete in the USAC Event came just one week earlier when Finkenbinder contact Geving and asked her to drive his car in the upcoming event. In an effort to make the race, many individuals and businesses went the extra mile to make it happen.

Topping the list of people Geving wished to recognize are Finkenbinder for giving her the opportunity to drive the car. All of the officials from USAC who offered their guidance upon her debut. A special thanks goes out to Jimmy Riddell, Tony Hunt and Jo Jo Helberg for their assistance as well as MotoWear International for the quick turnaround of new team uniforms for the night and photographer Steve Lamothe for his attendance. Many regular fans and sponsors of Geving made the trip to Roseville and their great support is always appreciated.

“I appreciate everyone who helped with this,” said Geving. “This was a great opportunity for me and I look forward to doing it again very soon. I thank everyone who made this all possible. Now it’s time to go back to the dirt.”

This Friday night Geving will return to her home track of Petaluma Speedway to compete with the Hoosier Racing Tires Civil War Sprint Car Series. Last year Geving finished fifth in the series and claimed the 2008 Rookie of the Year title. Currently, Geving is the point leader of Petaluma Speedway’s All Pro Sprint Car Series.

Alissa Geving’s title sponsors include Tillett Tool, Pit Stop USA, Matt Cordeiro Enterprises, and Auto Repairs Unlimited. Additional sponsors include Hushpower by Flowmaster Mufflers, Allstar Performance, A1A Performance Muffler, Rossi Auto Body, Afex Graphics, Simpson Racing Product, 21st Century Health Club, Butler Specialtys, Vanlare Steering Repair, DefNder Neck Restraints, Pro Shocks, DirtHead.com, Molecule Labs, Jeremy’s Chair Repair, ALC Machine, JW Web Design and Sullivan Images Media Services.

To learn more about Alissa Geving, her sponsors or how to become involved with the team as a sponsor visit her official website at www.chick-o-motorsports.com. For information on Petaluma Speedway check out www.petaluma-speedway.com. Alissa Geving is a premier driver for Dirthead Graphics. Dirthead gear can be purchased at www.dirthead.com.

 

Inaugural Casey's General Stores Non-Winged Knoxville Nationals Entry Forms Now Available at www.knoxvilleraceway.com Web Site

KNOXVILLE, IOWA (July 1, 2009) - The official United States Auto Club

(USAC) entry form for the inaugural Casey's General Stores Non-Winged Knoxville Nationals, to be held on Sunday, August 9, at the Knoxville Raceway, is now available at www.knoxvilleraceway.com under "Entry Forms".

The track is expecting forty (40) entrants from around the country for this $5,000-to-win, $425-to-start event for traditional (non-winged) sprint cars.

The feature race will start 26 cars and be contested over 26 laps on the half-mile dirt oval at the "Sprint Car Capital of the World".

The USAC National Sprint Car Series will compete in three events at three different tracks during the upcoming Cox Design & Metal Fabrication Iowa SpeedWeeks, with all three events sponsored by Casey's General Stores. The first event will take place on the pavement on Friday, July 31, at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, with the Southern Iowa Speedway dirt track in Oskaloosa hosting the third event on Tuesday, August 11. The middle event will be Knoxville's inaugural Non-Winged National Championship show on Sunday, August 9, which also falls between its '360' Nationals on August 6-7-8 and its '410' Nationals on August 12-13-14-15. Osky will also host a winged '410' show on Monday, August 10, making the Cox Design Iowa SpeedWeeks the biggest in sprint car racing history.

For more information on the Casey's General Stores Non-Winged Knoxville Nationals, fans are urged to visit www.knoxvilleraceway.com. For more information on Casey's General Stores, individuals are urged to check out www.caseys.com. Those seeking more info on the United States Auto Club can look at www.usacracing.com.

 

Finishing Up Front

Tony Stewart Racing’s Donny Schatz Eyes Victories in the Armor All J&J As the World of Outlaws Tour Continues Through South Dakota and Nebraska

INDIANAPOLIS (July 1, 2009) – One of the critical factors that helped Donny Schatz earn the 2008 World of Outlaws (WoO) championship was where he finished more than half of the races. On 33 different occasions, he finished in first or second place over last year’s 64-race WoO schedule. During this year’s WoO schedule, the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) driver has continued to pace the field with 13 top-two finishes.

Twice last year, he finished second at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., where Schatz will lead the Outlaws into action on Friday night. On Saturday night, the three-time and defending Outlaw champion will look to add the 27th annual Eagle Nationals crown to his distinguished list of accomplishments.

Schatz enters the weekend following a second-place finish last Saturday night at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway behind the wheel of the TSR No. 15 Armor All/Chevy/ParkerStore J&J. The runner-up finish ended a two-race winning streak at Knoxville, where Schatz has won eight of his last 13 feature race starts, including three consecutive Knoxville Nationals. Saturday’s finish at Knoxville came after he charged from 12th to finish fourth at U.S. 36 Raceway in Osborn, Mo. Those results allowed him to extend his lead in the 2009 WoO standings to a 76-point advantage.

Friday’s return to Huset’s Speedway for the annual July show offers Schatz the chance to begin the month of July with a victory. In the last three seasons, the 31-year-old Fargo, N.D., resident has won at least three WoO feature events during July. In 2007, he was victorious five times, including a July 3 triumph at Huset’s. Friday’s race will be his 21st WoO start at the high-banked 3/8-mile dirt oval, where he made many laps early in his career. Schatz first raced at the track in May 1994 and won his first feature at the track one year later in June 1995. He has a pair of Outlaw wins (April 2001 and July 2007) to go along with 14 top-10s at the track.

Eagle Raceway has hosted the summer classic called “The Eagle Nationals” since the mid-1980s, and the race is one of only a few annual events that Schatz has yet to claim. The high banks of Eagle Raceway have been good to Schatz during his 13-year WoO career. He has made 31 career WoO starts at the track, picking up three “A” feature triumphs and one preliminary feature win. His most recent win came in the fall of 2006, when he put on a thrilling display racing from the 15th starting spot to take the win. Last summer, he finished fourth, which tied his career-best finish in the Eagle Nationals.

Schatz and the Armor All team have completed 32 of the Outlaws’ scheduled 84 nights of racing for 2009. The results include eight victories, 20 top-five finishes and 24 top-10s. Schatz continues to lead the WoO Sprint Series championship standings with 4,469 points.

On Friday at Huset’s Speedway, the pit gates open at noon CDT, and the grandstands will open at 5 p.m. Qualifying is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. For more details, visit the official Web site of Huset’s Speedway, www.husets-speedway.com.

On Saturday at Eagle Raceway, the pit gates open at 2 p.m. CDT, and the grandstands will open at 4 p.m. Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tickets for the race can be purchased by calling Eagle Raceway at (402) 238-2595. For more information on the event, visit www.slspromotions.com.

Race fans unable to attend this weekend’s races can catch all of the action on DIRTVision.com. Fans can listen live as Johnny Gibson, “Voice of the Outlaws,” calls the action as he does at all WoO Sprint Series events on the DIRTVision.com cybercast, as well as on the DIRT Radio Network. Go to www.DIRTVision.com for more information on all the site features, including updated results from each night of racing, as well as a chat room to interact with other race fans.

Donny Schatz, Driver of the No. 15 TSR/Armor All/Chevy/ParkerStore J&J:

The season has now reached July. Your results are similar to the past few years. What is your assessment of the first part of the season?

“I’d say it’s been decent, but with a lot of room for improvement. We’ve probably had more bad finishes this year than we’ve had in the last four or five. We won some races in ways that were pretty dominant, but we’ve also come up short more than we’d like to. The key for us is to keep after it.

“July has been good to us in the past and we’re hoping to keep up that pace this year. I know the Armor All guys (Rick Warner, Shane Bowers and Eric Prutzman) are ready to put a run together and really build some momentum heading to the bigger races that are coming up.”

Huset’s Speedway was a place where you learned a lot about racing before you went out on the road with the Outlaws. What’s it like going to race there now?

“It’s always fun to race at some of the places I used to compete at when I was just getting started. When we won there back in 2007, it really felt good to get an Outlaw win there. There were people coming up afterward saying they were there when I couldn’t keep the car off the wall and they were happy to see how far we’ve been able to go.

“Huset’s is a unique place. I learned a lot racing there on Sunday nights. When you are just trying to figure things out and guys like Danny Lasoski and Terry McCarl pretty much owned the place, it was tough. It was a place where you really had to learn how to drive, whether it was being able to qualify or dealing with traffic. Traffic is always a factor there, so you learn how to read cars in front of you and know where they were going to go. We certainly learned that you have to make your car work all over the track, not just on the bottom or top.

“We came up one spot short twice there last year. Hopefully, we can be in a position to win the race on Friday.”

The Eagle Nationals annually kicks off July and some of the other longstanding Outlaw shows. You’ve won races at Eagle in the past, but you’re still trying to win your first Eagle Nationals. How would a win on Saturday help you and your team head into some of the season’s biggest races?

“Any win is going to help you, but there is something about a first win. Whether it’s at a track or a particular race. For some reason, we just haven’t been as good at Eagle in the summer as we have been in the fall. We won (four) races when they had us come through there in September, and we were always pretty good at those shows.

“The Eagle Nationals has always been a part of the Outlaws’ bigger summer races, and we’ve run well in the race, but just not good enough. The track is really a great place for racing. They normally will have a couple of lines to race on and we’re usually dealing with traffic for most of the race. I hope we have the chance to spend a lot of time racing traffic, because our Armor All car really works well when we have to switch lines and move around.

“Things are definitely picking up as far as the number of races we have, so getting that first Eagle Nationals win would be a great way to start July. This team expects to win and feeds off winning. That’s our goal and, hopefully, when the race comes down to the end on Saturday night, we’ll be one of the guys vying for the victory.”

For complete WoO Sprint Car Series results, go to www.worldofoutlaws.com. For information regarding TSR, Schatz, Armor All, Chevy, or ParkerStore, visit www.tonystewartracing.com, www.donnyschatz.com, www.aa-ownercenter.com, www.chevrolet.com, or www.parkerstore.com.

 

Ready for Fireworks

Tony Stewart Racing’s Kinser Looks To Keep Bass Pro Shops Sprinter

On the Podium as Outlaws Continue Summer Heartland Tour

INDIANAPOLIS (July 1, 2009) – Finding consistency is one key to long-term success in most sports. It’s certainly vital to surviving a racing schedule that includes more than 80 nights a season. Sprint car racing’s premiere series, the World of Outlaws (WoO), has one of the most demanding race schedules in motorsports and, during the Independence Day weekend, it’s full-speed ahead. Tony Stewart Racing’s Kraig Kinser will be looking to build on back-to-back podium finishes when he returns to action Friday night at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., and then Saturday night at Eagle (Neb.) Raceway.

Kinser’s latest surge behind the wheel of TSR’s No. 20 Bass Pro Shops/Chevy/J.D. Byrider Maxim includes three consecutive top-four finishes and five top-nine runs in his last six starts, including consecutive third-place finishes last weekend at U.S. 36 Raceway, in Osborn, Mo., and the famed Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway. The Bass Pro Shops team’s recent consistency has moved it into eighth place in the Outlaws season point standings.

The weekend will open with Friday’s race at Huset’s Speedway, where Kinser has competed only three times previously. His best result was a runner-up finish in June 2005, which came only days after he scored his first career victory at Knoxville. He confidently heads back to the South Dakota 3/8-mile, high-banked dirt oval following another solid race at Knoxville. Last season, Kinser struggled at Huset’s, finishing 21st in June and 16th in July.

The Outlaws will celebrate the Fourth of July holiday on the high banks of Eagle Raceway in eastern Nebraska. Through the years, the Eagle Nationals have provided plenty of fireworks. The 1/3-mile dirt oval typically allows for some of the summer’s best side-by-side action. Kinser will be making his 17th appearance at the track. His best finish came in the 2003 Eagle Nationals, when he finished fourth. He has five top-10 finishes during his career. Last June, he finished 14th in the feature event.

After the first 32 WoO races of 2009, Kinser has eight top-five finishes and 16 top-10s. He currently ranks eighth in the WoO Sprint Series Championship standings with 4,097 points.

On Friday at Huset’s Speedway, the pit gates open at noon CDT, and the grandstands will open at 5 p.m. Qualifying is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. For more details, visit the official Web site of Huset’s Speedway, www.husets-speedway.com.

On Saturday at Eagle Raceway, the pit gates open at 2 p.m. CDT., and the grandstands will open at 4 p.m. Hot laps are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tickets for the race can be purchased by calling Eagle Raceway at (402) 238-2595. For more information on the event, visit www.slspromotions.com.

Race fans unable to attend this weekend’s races can catch all of the action on DIRTVision.com. Fans can listen live as Johnny Gibson, “Voice of the Outlaws,” calls the action as he does at all WoO Sprint Series events on the DIRTVision.com cybercast, as well as on the DIRT Radio Network. Go to www.DIRTVision.com for more information on all the site features, including updated results from each night of racing, as well as a chat room to interact with other race fans.

Kraig Kinser, Driver of the No. 20 TSR/Bass Pro Shops/Chevy/J.D. Byrider Maxim:

The calendar has turned to July and you’re getting close to the halfway point of the season. Do you like where you guys are positioned?

“I’d say yes and no. We like the way we are running right now, but the early part of the year was really up and down. We’d like to have a couple of wins already and a few more top-five runs, but things are headed in the right direction. The Bass Pro Shops guys (Mike Cool, Steve Swenson and Bob Curtis) have done a great job of sticking behind me and working to keep us going in the right direction.

“For most of the early season, we were hit-or-miss on qualifying, and that pretty much sets up your night. Then, we got on a streak where we would make the heat inversion and get in the dash, but had a hard time moving forward at the end of the night. In the last couple of weeks, we’ve kind of put it all together. Qualifying better, running up front in the heats, and moving forward in the feature. If we can continue that, we’ll be able to have the results we were hoping for to start the season.”

Huset’s Speedway is a pretty unique dirt track. You’ve only raced there a few times, so what’s your game plan heading into Friday’s race?

“Well, racing at Huset’s can be pretty tough. The wall on the outside really makes it feel narrow getting out of the corners and heading down the straightaways. There are a lot of nights when you have to be right on that wall, so having a good-handling car is really key. It’s one of the things you have to have to succeed there.

“The other key is being in the right position. You have to qualify in the right spot. Passing can be tough early in the night, so you have to be either one of the fastest two cars in qualifying or be on the front row of a heat.”

Saturday’s Eagle Nationals is another short-track race where there almost always seems to be a lot of action. Do you enjoy the smaller tracks more than the bigger ones?

“I think the beauty of this sport and the Outlaw series is that we are challenged every night with something different. No two dirt tracks are the same, and the dirt itself is always different. The big tracks produce high-speed races, and the short tracks make us really work our way through traffic.

“I like them all. Eagle is one of those places where the race can really change as it goes on. When you get 24 cars on that track and we go for 15 or 20 laps without a yellow, it can get pretty crazy. Hopefully, we can get ourselves started up front and lead the way through traffic or be right there with the leaders. Things can obviously change quickly in the last five laps or so. Like I said, we’d just like to be in the hunt at the end and take our chances. The guys have been doing a really good job and I’d like nothing more than to get a win this weekend for everyone involved with this Tony Stewart Racing team.”

For complete WoO Sprint Series results from Huset’s Speedway and Eagle Raceway, log on to www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint. For information regarding TSR, Bass Pro Shops, J.D. Byrider, Chevy or Kinser, log on to www.tonystewartracing.com, www.basspro.com, www.byrider.com, www.chevy.com or www.kraigkinser.com.

 

Tornado Alley – Power Outage!

(Bill W) July 1, 2009 – On the surface, finishing 15th with the World of Outlaws in just your second race with them this season looks pretty good. But Billy Alley felt an opportunity slip away after qualifying for the dash and a good starting spot Saturday at Knoxville Raceway. Yet another motor problem was discovered when leaking down the powerplant this week, as well. To compound things, his 360 will not be back from the motor builder in time for this weekend’s ASCS races in Nebraska, putting this weekend’s racing activities in doubt.

The WoO made their second visit to Knoxville, and Billy turned in the 12th fastest lap of the night in time trials. “We’re getting better at the qualifying,” says the Lincoln, Nebraska native. “I didn’t turn a perfect lap by any stretch of the imagination, so you know there’s room for improvement there. Having the motor fresh helped.”

Billy started outside row one in his heat, and after getting passed by Donny Schatz early, held off Joey Saldana for second. “We were perfect on the bottom in the heat race and made no mistakes,” he says. “That said, Donny Schatz drove by us on the high side like we were tied to a fence post. That’s unbelievable.”

Billy qualified for the dash and drew a three. He struggled to an eighth place finish. “Making the dash and starting third is hard to do,” he says. “To get to that point and to go backwards is a disappointment. You’re letting an opportunity at hand go by the wayside. In hindsight, our motor was probably already hurt at that point.”

With a starting spot outside of row four for the 25-lapper, unfortunately, Billy continued to slide back before running twelfth for much of the race. “We made some errors on the car for the feature,” he admits. “We weren’t that far off, but with the Outlaws, if you’re off a little, you’re off a mile…and we went backwards. They were going by, and the frustration was setting in. Of course, I didn’t know we were running on seven cylinders. The dirty air is a real factor running with those guys too.”

In the end, Billy finished a respectable 15th against the best in the business. A racer is never satisfied unless he wins though. “I should be happy with what we accomplished Saturday, but I won’t swallow starting 8th and finishing 15th. It’s frustrating, but you can’t run once a week and expect to beat that kind of competition, especially being down on power like we were.”

The Billy Alley Enterprises #22 team is down but not out. “You can’t make any excuses; it’s just a ‘live and learn’ situation,” says Billy. “If we would have had the racecar close, I could have maintained the way the racetrack was. On a weekly show, we would have been running up front with a car like that, and been tickled pink. But with the Outlaws, it shows you how far you need to go in August.”

The Knoxville drivers have to adapt when the Outlaws come. “It’s tough for us locals,” says Billy. “You run the Outlaw tire rule, the Outlaw format and the Outlaw start rule. We adapt what we’re doing with the cars to our weekly rules. You don’t realize that’s a tick off on a weekly show, even if there are one or two Outlaws there. You have to have ten there to really know where you stand.”

Billy hurt his only 360 motor on May 21 at I-80 Speedway, and was hoping to get it back from Wesmar in time for the ASCS-Midwest shows this weekend. It doesn’t look like that will happen.

On the Web

To learn more about Billy Alley, including updated results and photos, visit www.BillyAlley.com!

Billy Alley Gear!

For t-shirts and other apparel, visit www.BillyAlley.com!

Vintage Ric Flair Clip of the Week!

We need someone like Ric Flair in racing. Dusty Rhodes fills in for Ric this week, talking about the “Nature Boy” and how he stole manager “Baby Doll” (Ric is floating his multi-million dollar yacht around the world). Any woman that goes to Hawaii with a credit card to buy assorted men and papaya…that ain’t funny brotha!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXAn51e3T4s

Down the Alley

George Chase asks: What do you think about the fuel stop for the 40-lap Knoxville Nationals final?

Billy answers: I can’t understand why people are getting so bent up about it. I don’t see anything wrong with it. In fact, I think it will add a lot of excitement. The only driver it will kill will be the guy leading by half a lap, but isn’t that good for the fans? They can go get a beer while we fuel up and discuss it a bit! Who’s going to win now? It will bunch things up, and I think that’s always a good thing for us locals. We run 20 laps every Saturday night. 40 is a long ways. If we’re going that many, having a short break is a benefit to us. I don’t understand how people can get on the computer and bash Knoxville and talk about not coming. It’s not a big drama, and most of them have no clue what they’re talking about, to be honest.

Got a question for Billy? Send it to us at sprntcar@iowatelecom.net, and we may answer it in this section! Put "? for Billy" in your subject line.

Alley's Anecdotes

Billy won 12 races in 2003. Among them were both halves of Twin Features night at Knoxville, three other Knoxville wins, and single tallies at Park Jefferson Speedway (SD), Lee County (IA) Speedway, Eagle (NE) Raceway, Capital Speedway (MO), Crawford County (IA) Speedway, Butler County (NE) Speedway and the $10,000 State Fair Speedway Shootout in Sedalia, Missouri.

Tornado Alley

"Tornado Alley" is an up close look at the past, present and future of 2006 Knoxville Raceway track champion, Billy Alley. To receive "Tornado Alley", send an e-mail to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net with "Alley" in the subject line.

Billy would like to thank Buss Excavating, Bolz Farms, Schmit Automotive, Aeroquip, K&N Filters, Pella Motors, Stepping Stone Genetics, Awesome Racewear, Hoosier Tire, Wesmar Racing Engines, McLain Motorsports, The Buckles Brothers, F&K Rod Ends, “High Roller” the Pig Farmer, JEI Chassis, Red Devil Brakes, Harris Decals, Penske Shocks, RCI, and Terry’s Body Shop.

 

MTS 2009 Points standings review

 Leading the MTS Sprint Series points for the 2009 season is the 2007 Champion Steve Irwin. Steve’s two wins this year has set the bar high for the rest of the competitors this year. Second and third place is occupied by two youngsters from Ohio, Landon Simon sits second in points with Mike Berkin a close third. Keith Love, recently out of retirement is having a great year and is fourth in points. The MTS 2008 and defending champion Mike Galadja is fifth. Another Ohio kid, Brent Smith is running strong and sits sixth. Veteran driver Mark Irwin has a slim margin of our Canadian friend Jon Watson from Ontario. The Rookie points battle is real close with Nick Rogers holding a 15 point lead over Roger Hunyady. Jim Payne is tied with hunyady for 10th place in points. The MTS sprints next points race will be at the Merritt Speedway July 25th. Also on July 18th the sprints will run a non point exhibition at the Owosso speedway. www.mtsprints.com

MTS 2009 top 10 points (R) = rookie 1. Steve Irwin 555 2. Landon Simon 505 3. Mike Berkin 500 4. Keith Love 496 5. Mike Galajda 493 6. Brent Smith 401 7. Mark Irwin 375 8. John Watson 330 9. Nick Rogers (R) 328 10. Jim Payne 313 11. Roger Hunyady (R) 313

 

The Dirt on Danny Holtgraver

(Weekend of June 26-27)

By John Jablonski – hotlgraverd4@gmail.com

July 1, 2009 – Pittsburgh, PA

Danny Holtgraver, driver of the D4 Sprint car, started his racing weekend by taking in the makeup feature for the Showdown in Sarvertown at Lernerville Speedway on Thursday Night. With the World of Outlaws Late Models in town for the Firecracker 100, Lernerville did not run sprints, so it was off to Thunder Mountain Friday Night, then Sharon Speedway Saturday.

In Danny’s last visit to Thunder Mountain, Danny was leading the feature, but had fuel line issues and to pull off. The D4 crew was understandably excited about returning to the track to try to seal the deal. By Danny’s own words the car was “pretty bad” during the heat where he finished seventh. After starting 20th in the feature, Danny made his way the whole way to third by lap eight. The race was marred with cautions and while running with the leaders with two to go, the D4 machine ran out of fuel. “I was disappointed to say the least. We’ve ran really well there twice with nothing to show for it but a pair of DNFs,” stated Holtgraver. “But it’s a fun track and we like to run there!”

Saturday Night it was off to Sharon Speedway, sight of Danny’s first feature win of 2009. On this night, consistency was the name of the game as the D4 finished fourth in the heat. He then started fourth in the feature, fell back to fifth for a while, but wound up finishing fourth.

All in all it was a good week for Holtgraver Motorsports with a strong run at Thunder Mountain Friday Night and a top five finish at Sharon Speedway Saturday Night. And as of the end of June, Danny is 10th in points at Lernerville and third in points with one feature win at Sharon Speedway.

Danny and the D4 crew are looking forward to racing at Lernerville after two weeks off, once for rain that never came on Friday June 19 and last weekend for the Firecracker. Sharon Speedway will be dark this weekend in honor of the Fourth of July, so it’s off to Mercer Raceway Park!

As always, Danny would like to thank his family, crew and sponsors for everything they do to keep him on the track and running with the big dogs in the Western Pennsylvania 410 sprint car scene. 2009 sponsors and marketing partners include West View Motors, Ti22 Performance, Alternative Power Sources, Kistler Racing Products, Manno’s Automotive, J&J Auto Racing, Frankland Racing Supply, Butler Built Professional Seat Systems, Terry Key Detailing, Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts, D&T Auto Body, Simpson, VRP Shocks, Agip, Spinneweber Auto Sales and Mel Bagley’s Auto Service Center.

 

Nationals Early Entry Deadline Two Weeks Away!

(Bill W) The early entry deadline of July 15 for both the 49th Annual SuperClean Knoxville Nationals presented by Lucas Oil and the 19th Annual Arnold Motor Supply 360 Nationals is quickly approaching.

Drivers are urged to enter the events early to take advantage of the benefits in entry fee and pit passes. To find the entry forms, visit www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com and click on the "Entry Forms" link at the top of the page, or call the track office at 641 842-5431.

The 49th Annual SuperClean Knoxville Nationals presented by Lucas Oil take place August 12-15, and the 19th Annual Arnold Motor Supply 360 Nationals will run August 6-8. The First Annual USAC Non-wing Nationals will take place on Sunday, August 9.

Tickets are still available for these events, and can be ordered online at www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com, or by calling 641 842-5431!

 

Hull has Standout Weekend in the Midwest

Sikeston, Mo (06-30-09) by Robert Cortum - Jerrod Hull Motorsports

Jerrod Hull has become a threat at any track in the Midwest over the years. The plan of attack this past weekend included a visit to Morgan County Speedway where according to past results, Hull wins one of every three events. From there, they would head to another familiar facility, St. Francois County Raceway in Farmington, Missouri. Sunday’s action included the new built Shepp’s Speedway near Alexander, Illinois. With additional money brought in by fans and sponsors the weekend total winner’s share was close to $10,000. Hull came within half a car length of taking home the full bounty.

First up for Hull and company was the Leon Smith Memorial on Friday night at Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois. Fellow competitor AJ Bruns kicked off the night showing the field that he was the man to beat. Once the feature had arrived, Hull had figured out his desired path of attack to the checkers and was poised to take them home when a late race caution flag came out with 3 laps remaining. As action resumed it would be Bruns taking top honors a mere half car length over Hull.

“It was great to get back to Jacksonville tonight. I thought I had something for (AJ) Bruns, I think if I would have had one more lap or that caution wouldn’t have come out when it did, but that is racing and we move on to the next show,” commented Hull. “AJ is always tough and he’s a likable guy in the pits, I would like to congratulate him and his teammates on a fine win tonight.”

With the planned event at Charleston, Illinois postponed, Hull took advantage of returning to another track he all to familiar with on Saturday, St. Francois County Raceway in Farmington, Missouri. The fans came up with additional funds to help promote the event and posted a $2,500 to win event at the St. Louis area facility. The team showed they would be a force at the end of the night, but would need to make a few adjustments if they wanted to take home the night’s big check. With those adjustment’s in hand, Hull would take home his 3rd trophy at the facility in 2009 after a last lap pass of Rob Crabtree.

“I have to thank my team first for being able to put me into a position to win tonight. It really takes them doing good at what they do and then me being able to capitalize on their skills on the track,” noted Hull. “I also have to thank Rob for racing me so clean throughout the feature, he could have easily taken me out to get himself the win, but he didn’t. It was a great run tonight.”

The newly built Shepp’s Speedway in Alexander, Illinois is a track that was built for side-by-side action and it didn’t disappoint on Sunday night. After an on track mishap with Jacksonville winner AJ Bruns, the team would reassemble the car and make preparations to make a run for the trophy in the feature. Hull would take a commanding lead of the event and never look back, adding a second trophy to his weekend.

“This really was a wild weekend for us. It’s not often that there is this much cash up for grabs in a single weekend in this area so you need to take advantage of it whenever possible. This was our first visit to Shepp’s Speedway and it won’t be the last, it really is a good short track facility.”

Up next for Jerrod Hull Motorsports and the #12 Maxim will be another full weekend which includes a Midwest All Star/All Star Circuit of Champions co-sanctioned event at the Terre Haute Action Track in Terre Haute, Indiana. Currently Hull finds himself 3rd in the Midwest All Star Series points and looks to run with this past weeks momentum to gain additional position in the standings.

For additional information about Jerrod Hull Motorsports: www.jerrodhullmotorsports.com

Links of the Week: www.lighthouseofdexter.com, www.minorsharley-davidson.com, www.theactiontrack.com, www.allstarsprint.com.

Supporter of the Week:

Champion Racing Oil XP

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The Oil Jerrod Hull Motorsports relies on: Champion Racing XP 20W50 is the one that started it all by beating the competition in providing more horsepower, torque, and anti-wear additives than many of the more well known brands of racing oil. Champion Racing XP's premium ZDDP anti-wear protection is among the highest in the industry. Champion's exclusive shear stabilizer delivers better film strength and piston ring seal at peak temperatures. Champion Racing XP also delivers more foot-pounds of torque with higher compression than any competitor's brands.

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Visit their website today at: www.championbrands.com

Product Supporter Links: www.racemaxims.com, www.hoosiertire.com, www.knfilters.com, www.simpsonraceproducts.com, www.weldracing.com, www.penskeshocks.com, www.hrpracing.com, www.sprintracecomponents.com, www.chucksracingradios.com

 

Wednesdays with Wayne – Junkyard Johnson!

(Bill W) July 1, 2009 – Wayne Johnson spent most of his weekend battling fuel problems with the World of Outlaws, but once things were diagnosed, it was all systems go! Wayne will race twice more this weekend in the FattFro #14AJ.

Friday night, the WoO pulled into the US36 Raceway, located about seven miles west of Cameron, Missouri. Wayne has won the Bud Shootout at the track twice, once in the 410 and once in the 360. The car didn’t feel right, and Wayne battled to a 25th quick time. After finishing seventh in his heat, he qualified for the feature through the B. “It didn’t feel like it was running the whole night,” he says. “It was disappointing because I like Cameron.”

Starting at the back of the pack, Wayne pulled off after a few laps to save his equipment for another day. The track was uncharacteristically dry, in part, to the water truck breaking down for two hours. “There was no use just riding around out there wearing out a motor after we were lapped,” he says. “It was the first time I’ve ever seen the track dry like that.”

“Junkyard Johnson” lived up to his name just towing to the race. “The alternator went out on the truck on the way down,” he says. “Those trucks have a battery that can run for hours, as long as you don’t have to turn the lights on. I knew it would be exciting on the way home.”

It got exciting. “By the time we got to Osceola, it quit,” he says. “I had a little battery charger, but that wasn’t working. I had to pull a bigger one out of the trailer, and we duct taped it to the running board!”

The next night at Knoxville, the car continued to feel funny to Wayne. “I kept saying this thing isn’t running,” he says. “We were 21st quick, and I told the team we had a ‘ting’, but they thought it was fine.”

Trouble came to a head in the heat race. “I was running right with those guys in the heat (sixth), even with the nose wing off (contact with Jason Meyers before the race on a brake-check),” says Wayne. “Coming off of two, it was heating up like it was going to blow, so I kicked it out of gear. The problem really shows up on a track at Knoxville, and it ended up being the fuel pump. The shaft that goes into it was worn out.

The car ran much better in the feature. “On the start, I was good and got by a few of those guys,” says the Oklahoma City native. “I made the mistake of going to the top and a couple of them got by me. From where I was sitting, the track was fast and it felt like a big freight train.”

The record would show he started 20th and finished 16th. “The car felt good,” he says. “We had four new bars in it this week, and we tried some different setups. We had some help from one of the Outlaw teams on some things. The car felt really good.”

The weather will dictate where Wayne races, but he hopes to at least make it to race with the Outlaws at some point this weekend. They are at Huset’s Speedway Friday and Eagle Raceway on Saturday.

Wayne Johnson Apparel in Stock!

2009 Wayne Johnson apparel for both men and women is now in stock! T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops and hats are all in! To order, e-mail Wayne at WayneJohnsonRacing@yahoo.com or stop by the trailer at the track.

Wayne’s Website

To learn more about Wayne and the team, log on to www.WayneJohnsonRacing.com!

Wayne’s World

Justin Meyer asks: The Nationals are a little over a month away. What are some of the areas you need to focus on in July, so you’ll be good when the Nationals roll around?

Wayne answers: I have a big list. We’re going to do some testing at Knoxville in the next couple weeks. We’ll be testing both the 14AJ and the 01. We’ll have a new car with the 14AJ and “Lucy” under the hood, and we’ll experiment with a few things. The biggest thing is getting comfortable in the car. With the flat wings, I haven’t gotten there yet. We haven’t been very good this year anywhere, so I also have to work on the mental side of things as well. I have to get my confidence going.

Wayne’s Tech Tips

Can you explain gears, how you change them, and what gears you use on a small or big track? Thanks.

Wayne: We use a quick-change rear-end. Normally, there are six or eight bolts on the cover. You have two spur gears, or quick-change gears. One is bigger than the other, and that goes on the top. The big one goes on the pinion itself, the lower one goes on a shaft that goes to the driveshaft. There are always more teeth on the big gear. At a big half-mile like Knoxville, we’ll be at a 5.10 to a 5.35 on the gear. If the track groove is on the bottom you’ll need the 5.35. We needed that the other night, but had the 5.25 in. At a shorter track like Cameron, you’ll have a 6.00 to a 6.13.

Got a question for Wayne? Each week, Wayne will answer your questions about “Tech Tips”, or anything that’s on your mind. If you ever wondered what a part on a sprint car is all about, send an e-mail to us at sprntcar@iowatelecom.net, and we may answer it in this section! Put "? for Wayne" in your subject line. He’ll try to keep it clean if you do!

“Wednesday’s with Wayne”

“Wednesday’s With Wayne” is an up close look at the past, present and future of colorful and talented sprint car driver Wayne Johnson. You’ll never know what to expect next with Wayne, so don’t miss us on Wednesdays!

To receive "Wednesday’s with Wayne", send an e-mail to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net with "Wayne" in the subject line.

Wayne would like to thank FattFro, Stone Mountain Access, Bral Restoration, Deberg Concrete, TNT Custom Golf Carts, www.RacingThreads.com, CnB Mushroom Farms, Maxim Chassis, ARP Wings, Hoosier Tire, Simpson, Weld and ButlerBuilt for all their help!

 

Race A Sprint Car Driver on Canada Day!

It's a beautiful, sunny Canada Day morning in Winnipeg and you're looking for some excitement.

2008 Alberta Sprint Tour champion Gord "The Bulldog" Kynoch has an offer for you.

Come down to Grand Prix Amusements on July 1st and you will have the opportunity to not only see the Fountain Tire #15 Sprint Car on display, but you will also be able to race against Gord and his crew on the track. Grand Prix Amusements is a new day sponsor for team Kynoch for the 2009 Sunshine Toyota ASCS Sprint Car Special at Red River Co-op Speedway on Thursday, July 2nd.

Take this opportunity to meet one of the many stars of open wheel racing who will be racing for the dirt track fans of Winnipeg tomorrow night.

Grand Prix Amusements is located at Highway #1(Fermor),4km East of the Mint in Winnipeg.

 

Placerville Speedway to host US Army July Fourth Race for Freedom

Three divisions of racing along with giant fireworks display for Independence Day

Media Release from Handy Racing Promotions, Inc.

PLACERVILLE, CA – The 2009 Red Hawk Casino-Hoosier Tires championship racing season resumes at the ASA sanctioned Placerville Speedway this Saturday with a very special night of racing. It the annual July Fourth Race for Freedom presented by the Placerville Recruiting office of the US Army.

Not only will this special night of racing bring plenty of sparks and excitement to the track with three division of championship racing, it concludes with a giant fireworks display presented by Handy Racing Promotions, the El Dorado County Fairboard and the US Army.

Action will begin one hour earlier than usual on Saturday with the gates to Placerville Speedway opening at 4 p.m. and qualifying beginning at 6 p.m. the early start time will allow for the pyrotechnics display to take place following the final checkered flag of the night.

Prior to the racing activity there will be many features on Saturday for youngsters and adults alike courtesy of the US Army Placerville Recruiting office. A giant rock climbing wall will be one of the many features along with a US Army reality video game. Additionally the staff of the local recruiting office will be on hand, distributing American flags to attendees and a limited number of US Army t-shirts. Just prior to the National Anthem, a special ceremony will feature an appearance by the color guard as well. Information regarding the US Army will also be available to anyone that is interested.

“We’re glad to have the US Army Placerville Recruiting Office participating in our July Fourth event again this year,” said Bill Sullivan of Handy Racing Promotions. “It’s a great opportunity for them to advertise their programs to the public and bring some patriotic flare to this annual Independence Day event.”

While the Independence Day holiday will bring fireworks to the sky it will bring plenty to the track as well with three divisions of racing. Winged Sprint Cars, Pro Stock Late Models and Pure Stocks will form the race card with a full program.

In the winged sprint cars, Colby Wiesz of Colfax maintains the point lead over Placerville’s Scott Russell. Scott Kinney of Citrus Heights if third ahead of Andy Forsberg of Auburn. Placerville’s C.J. Humphreys rounds out the top five in the division.

Placerville’s Pure Stock division holds one of the most contested battles with the two most successful drivers tied for the point lead. Former track champion and multi-time July Fourth winner Tom Tilford of Citrus Heights is currently tied with Chico lady racer Heather Bartlett. Rick Grunert of Woodland is third in the standings over Danielle Clauson of Placerville and Eddie Gardner of Sacramento.

In the Pro Stock division, Jerry Bartlett of Yuba City is now ten points ahead of defending champions Dan Brown Jr. of Nevada City. John Krehbiel of Placerville is third followed by Jay Norton of Shingle Springs and Forryst Carnett of Placerville.

The front gates to Placerville Speedway will open at 4 p.m. on Saturday followed by qualifying at 5:30. Admission to the speedway will be $15 for adults, $10 for juniors. On this special night all children under 12 are admitted for free. In addition to the racing events, the El Dorado County Fairground will present the annual “Family Blast” featuring live music and a number of activities throughout the late afternoon into the evening. Admission to the blast is separate and further information can be found at www.eldoradocountyfair.org.

 

Broderick Close To Another ASCS Top 5

By Toby LaGrange / LaGrange Motorsports Media

Brookfield, CT - Bubba Broderick returned to action Saturday night at the Stateline Speedway in far western New York. The night started off on a great note for the reigning Lucas Oil ASCS Patriots Rookie of the Year. He won his heat race, setting himself and the team up for a great starting position.

He took advantage of that and by lap two was the race leader, passing Bobby Breen. He would lead through lap 13 when Breen would re-pass him for the top spot. With the leaders down low, Broderick continued his charge to regain the lead and the second position he had lost to eventual race winner Jared Zimbardi. With one lap remaining he looped the immaculate looking number five and had to settle for a 12th place finish.

Currently the team sits fourth in the overall point standings and third in the PJ Motorsports King of the Southern Tier standings.

Sponsorship will come from Arbitell Convenience Stores, Brownie's Towing, Design Maintenance, Four Winds Farm, Fyne Line Construction, Kortko Insurance, Lasco Roofing, Northeast Carpet, Precision Automotive and 20/20 Air.

For more information on Jimmy Broderick and Broderick Racing please log onto their website at www.bubbabroderick.com.

 

STEWART & KAHNE TO COMPETE IN ELDORA’S FAMED KINGS ROYAL WEEKEND

ROSSBURG, OH (June 30) – While July 17 and 18 provides a rare off-weekend from the busy NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, that has not prevented Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne from making plans to don their helmets and get behind the wheel of a race car. The duo, both with Sprint Cup wins already under their belt this year, will return to their roots as open-wheeled winged Sprint Car drivers and participate in Eldora Speedway’s prestigious Kings Royal weekend.

Stewart, who doubles as the Eldora owner, has impressed the NASCAR world with his front-running consistency in 2009, a cumulative effort that has him atop the Sprint Cup Series championship point standings. Much of the intensity and tenacity that has allowed Stewart to reach that plateau was groomed through his earlier years on the Midwest’s dirt tracks, behind the wheel of a Sprint Car. And a return to that heritage not only reminds Stewart of those times, but inspires him.

“Any time I can get behind the wheel of a Sprint Car, I look back and appreciate my career”, Stewart said.

But don’t get him wrong, it’s not just a chance drive during the Kings Royal weekend. The competitive instinct that drives him towards the Sprint Cup championship carries over to everything he drives, and Stewart will be attacking his Eldora run with the same vengeance.

“When it comes to competition, I love to race and I love to win – Eldora will be no different”, Stewart added.

Kahne agrees, “It doesn’t matter where I’m racing or what type of car I’m in. If I’m behind the wheel, I’m racing for the trophy……..and it would be special to win at Eldora.”

The twosome will be competing against the NRA (National Racing Alliance) Sprint Invaders on both nights of the fabled Kings Royal weekend, as part of a doubleheader that will also feature the travelling World of Outlaw (WoO) Sprint Tour.

Billed as ‘an original Sprint Car tradition’, the Kings Royal has become a marquee event on the grueling WoO circuit. From the crowning of the King, to the seat above the legendary throne, to the $50,000 winner’s paycheck, the pomp that surrounds the Kings Royal gets the adrenalin flowing amongst both the fans and the drivers.

That same rush carries over to the Sprint Invaders as they compete before their largest audience of the year, as well as against Sprint Cup winners Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne.

The busy weekend of racing also includes a charity go-kart race on Thursday night, a corn hole tournament Friday morning and the annual National Sprint Car Hall of Fame auction on Saturday afternoon. Fans can contribute to the weekend through the Kings Royal lap sponsorship program that will see all of the money raised given back to the drivers leading specified laps.

Complete event and ticket information may be found on the speedway website, www.eldoraspeedway.com, where tickets for both nights of racing may be purchased online. Eldora’s box office is also open Monday-Friday during normal business hours for ticket purchases and questions. That telephone number is (937) 338-3815.

 

Marysville Raceway Park

 By Bob Burbach

BOMBERS set sights on MRP. Join Sprinters & Minis July 11th.

Marysville- MRP will be dark on the 4th of July to allow the MRP family some time with loved ones or to race somewhere else. We’ll turn the lights on again on July 11th. The mighty MRP Winged Sprint Cars will be back to headline the program with the Brown’s Valley RV Wingless Sprints. The Pro 4 Sprints will return. The MRP Mini Stocks and the return of the awesome Prime Time Pizza EXTREME BOMBERS will round out the ambitious 5-division card. Yep, the BOMBERS WILL BE BACK!

MRP’s newest “crash ‘em up” sensation The Prime Time Pizza EXTREME BOMBERS are zeroing in on July 11th. A great field of 26 cars was on hand for the door crunching bumper shattering event last time out. More drivers are saying that cars will be ready for July 11th. Together with the thunder and lightning of ALL of MRP’s Sprint Car classes July 11th should be spectacular. For good measure, the MRP Mini Stocks will be back with their full field of cars and stars for an MRP Championship Series point race in that class.

Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Championship Racing returns to MRP Saturday Night July 11th. BE THERE! The spectator gates open at 5PM with hot laps at 6 and qualifying at 6:30. The races will start promptly after qualifying. The pit gate opens at 3PM.

 

MIDWEST SPRINT CAR ASSOCIATION

Overland Park, KS (June 30, 2009) In an effort to boost car counts, the officers off the Midwest Sprint Car Association (MSCA) announced that the 305 sprint cars of the United Rebel Sprint Series will be allowed to run in all MSCA events effective July 3, 2009.

MSCA sprint cars race every Friday night at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Missouri on the east side of Kansas City.

The MSCA winged sprint cars will be joined again next week by the Racing Experience Midwest Outlaw Lightning Sprints (MOLS) and the Show Me Vintage Racing series for Valley Speedways’ Friday night open wheel series. The pit gates for competitors at 5:00PM. Spectator gates open at 6:00PM. There is a drivers meeting in the pit area (Restricted access, by pit pass only) at 7:00PM. Hot laps which allow drivers to warm the engines and test their cars for the evening’s events start at 7:30 with racing to follow.

Adult admission is $10.00, Children 6-12 $5.00, Children 5 and under is admitted free.

Call 816-229-2222 for weather cancellation

 

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE SATURDAY AT MERCER WITH FULL NIGHT OF RACING & “KABOOM 100” ENDURO

 By Mike Leone

June 30, 2009

Mercer, PA…Mercer Raceway Park will celebrate the 4th of July this Saturday night with a huge night of racing! It’s two events for the price of one with regular admission prices in effect for a full program of Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Approved Toilet Rentals Modifieds, 4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models, Open Stock Cars, Big Daddy's Speed Center Mod Lites, and the M&D Paving Mini Stocks on the racing card at 7 p.m. followed by the “KABOOM 100” Enduro!

“We’re really looking forward to Saturday night,” stated 11th year owner Vicki Emig. “Last year we tried an Enduro with some racing and it went over well. This year we were unable to bring that exact racing event back so we just decided with it being a holiday we’d run our full program and add the Enduro at the end! All this for just $11 for adults and $25 for families!”

Mercer Raceway Park is the only Saturday night track running Sprints, Modifieds, and Late Models, and a strong field is expected with some of the area tracks not in competition or not running some of their divisions. Also announced last week was the addition of the Stock Cars under the “Little Guy Nationals” “open” rules with $400 going to the winner and $50 to-start. A $200 bonus will be up for grabs if any GM 602 can win the event!

The Enduro will pay the top five finishers with a big $1,000 going to the winner! Entries are still being accepted at our office or on July 4 on a first-come, first-served basis. For rules and entry form, check out the website at www.mercerracewaypark.com and click on rules and Enduro.

Tim Gillette is the defending “KABOOM” winner and will be looking to make it three in a row in Enduro competition as he was also the winner on the January 3 “Jack Frost 150”. Some of the former and current racers that have already sent their entries in Sprint Car drivers Russ Sansosti and Andy Paden, Modified racer Ryan Hall, FASTRAK Late Model driver Rusty Cade, Stock Car driver Stacy Neubecker, former USAC Silver Crown and Midget driver Robin Bank, former Modified drivers Troy Schaffer, George Davis, and John Larkin, and Mini Stock drivers Dillon Barr and Michael Scharba.

Racing stars Chris Shuttleworth (Sprints), Lonny Riggs (Modifieds), Andy Buckley (Stocks), and Rudy Troples (Mini Stocks) will have their cars in the midway area to sign autographs from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Fans will want to be sure to pick up a free color collectible autograph card featuring these drivers as the “In the Spotlight” program is presented by The Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

Current point leaders are Rod George (Kittanning, Pa.)-Sprint Cars, Frank Guidace (Mercer, Pa.)-Modifieds, Max Blair (Centerville, Pa.)-FASTRAK Late Models, Andy Buckley (Stoneboro, Pa.)-602 Stock Cars, Mark Marcucci (West Middlesex, Pa.)-Mod Lites, and Jamey Lee (Fairmount City, Pa.)-Mini Stocks.

“We had some tremendous racing last Saturday,” explained Emig. “Four of the five features went non-stop and there were only two cautions in the other. The track was in excellent shape and we have to thank the fans for turning out for one of our biggest crowds in some time. The competition has been excellent as we’ve had five different Sprint Car winners in the last five weeks! We’ve only had two Modified drivers able to repeat all season long. The Mod Lite count matched a season high on Saturday and it was great to see Tim Callahan win his career first in the Mini Stocks!”

Pits open at 3:30 p.m. and grandstand at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Warm-ups begin at 6:15 and the first green flag at 7. Adult admission is $11. The family pass for mom, dad, and up to four kids 6-15 is $25. Students 6-15 are $5. Children five and under and parking are free! Pit passes are $25.

Fans will want to take advantage of the SPEEDPASS, which will allow fans to upgrade their general admission tickets for pit passes for just $5 or $10 for the entire family around intermission time. Also as a reminder, children are permitted in the pits this year, but must be signed in and supervised by their parent or legal guardian.

The season’s fourth open practice will be held next Wednesday, July 8. Pits open at 4 p.m. with practice 5 until dark. The rain date is Thursday. There will be no racing on Saturday, July 11.

 

Balog Battles for top 10 at Plymouth

Bill Balog and his B2 Motorsports team headed to the Sheboygan County Fair Park this past Saturday for the sole IRA event of the weekend. Bill timed in with a lap time of 12.108 seconds, good enough for 3rd quick out of 40 cars present. The 17B would line up in 6th place for the start of heat race #3. Bill wasted little time at the drop of the green and was in 2nd place by the end of lap 2. Then all he had to do was wait for the race leader to make a mistake & when it happened, Bill drove around him and drove away from the field to capture his 2nd heat race win of the year. With a 5 pill drawn for the feature line up, the B2 Motorsports 17B would start the 30 lap feature from 10th place. As the field was being pushed track side for the main, the threatening skies began to drizzle on the track. As the green flag flew, Bill would begin his battle to move forward; as the laps clicked away Bill had moved himself into the 8th spot. On lap 20 the skies opened up & the race was red flagged. After a brief delay the decision was made to cancel the remaining 10 laps. So Bill was credited with an 8th place finish on the night. Bill commented afterwards that he was hoping for an open red during the rain delay, as he wanted to make changes to the 17B ride that would have hopefully helped bring home a solid top 5 finish. The B2 Motorsports 17B will be back in action this Friday July 3rd at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam, WI for the 8th Annual Sue Thiel Memorial. Sponsorship on Balog’s 17B comes from these following companies, Buesser Concrete, Hoeft Builders, Hepfner Racing Products, HRP Wings, Race Gear X, BLZ, K&N Filters, Rod End Supply, Olson Construction, Buzz Signs & Graphix, Gaerte Engines, Plank Enterprises, Parts Associates Inc., Behling Racing Equipment, Super Shox, Simpson, Allstar Performance, & Outerwears Inc..

 

KJ Motorsports Back On The Dirt

First Look at the Lake City Dirt Track

Date: June 27, 2009 Series: Top Gun Sprint Car Series Location: North Florida Speedway in Lake City, FL Start/ Finish (Keith): 10th/16th (Overheating, completed 14 of 25 laps) Start/ Finish (Amanda): 16th/10th (Running, completed 25 of 25 laps) Winner: Matt Kurtz

This weekend the KJ Motorsports Team competed in a Top Gun Sprint Car Series sanctioned event at the North Florida Speedway in Lake City, Florida. This was the team's second race with the Top Gun Series. This was Amanda's first race at North Florida this year and Keith has never seen the track before.

A total of 23 cars showed up for the event. The 23 cars were broken up into 3 heat races. Keith was in the third heat and started 5th. During the heat, Keith found a number of changes that needed to be made basically held his position and finished the heat in 4th place.

Amanda was in the first heat and started on the pole. The green flag dropped and Amanda had a little trouble and started to fade back. The checkered flag flew and Amanda finished 6th.

Between the heat and the feature, the KJ Motorsports crew worked on both cars to get them ready for the feature. Keith's car needed two shock changes, two bar changes, fuel system adjustment, changed the magneto and weight distribution. Keith also worked on the overheating problem that has plagued this car in the last few runs. With all these changes made, the cars were ready to be rolled out on the front-stretch for the start of the feature.

Keith lined up 10th and Amanda started 16th for the start of the 25 lap feature. Early in the race, Keith and Amanda made their way toward the front. By lap 10, Keith was running 7th and Amanda made her way to 10th. The night was not going to get any better. Amanda was able to hold her position for the rest of the race, but Keith started noticing the engine temperature rising. On lap 13, Keith was forced to pull the car to the infield as the water temp was still climbing.

In the final finishing order Keith finished 16th and Amanda finished 10th. Matt Kurtz ended up winning the race with Bruce Durden second, Ryan Partin, Otto Scrape and Rich Alexander in the top five.

KJ Motorsports will next compete back on the asphalt, with the Checkered Flag Sprint Series on July 4th at the Charlotte County Motorsports Park in Punta Gorda, FL.

Media Kits, Head shots and Car Shots are all available on request. Please Email Jenn at KJMotorsports@aol.com

Also Check out KJ Motorsports at our web site: Keithbulter.homestead.com

 

Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup XVIII Countdown – Three Weeks

Twin 30s Format Breathing New Life into Marquee Event

Eric J. Westendorf, Public Relations Director

Sarver, PA (June 30, 2009) With the Firecracker 100 now in the rearview mirror, it’s time to turn the focus towards the other Crown Jewel event at Lernerville Speedway. That’s right! The World of Outlaws Sprints will now take center stage for the 18th Annual installment of the Cleveland Brothers CAT Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup.

Already the biggest single-day event on the World of Outlaws annual schedule, the Cleveland Brothers CAT Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup XVIII will add a new and dynamic wrinkle for 2009. Instead of one 30-lap feature to crown a $30,000 Silver Cup Champion, the Silver Cup will feature Twin 30-lap features, each paying $15,000 to win.

The first 30-lap feature will carry the standard World of Outlaws qualifying/line-up procedures. The second 30-lap feature will also pay $15,000-to-win, but will be lined up by an inversion of the lead lap cars from the finishing order of the first feature.

The potential is there for the second 30-lapper to be an all out free for all! Midway through the first 30-lap feature, drivers will be forced with the decision to try to advance into a better finishing position or to lay back and then go for all the marbles in the inverted second 30-lap feature. The danger of course, is that if a driver lays back too much, they may get lapped by the leaders and not be included in the inversion.

The other dynamic is that the fastest cars from the first feature will start in the middle or towards the back of the second feature, making for some wild passing as the faster cars try to make their way back to the front. As a result, both races should be absolutely sensational!

On the World of Outlaws tour, the last five races have seen five different winners with Donny Schatz, Jason Meyers, Danny Lasoski, Joey Saldana and Terry McCarl all winning features in the past two weeks. Three-Time Defending Series Champion Donny Schatz sits atop the point standings, but series wins leader Joey Saldana (11 wins in 2009), Jason Meyers and Steve Kinser are all within 120 points!

As mentioned above, Saldana already has 11 tour wins this season, while points leader Schatz has eight. One of the only jewels missing from Saldana’s crown is a Silver Cup. In fact, Saldana has never won a WoO feature at Lernerville Speedway. Schatz (2006, 2007) has two Silver Cups on his resume and is always a threat to win!

Jason Meyers has not won a Silver Cup yet either, but has been to Sheetz Victory Lane with a win last spring in the Commonwealth Clash.

Defending Silver Cup Champion Steve Kinser is certainly no stranger to Sheetz Victory Lane. Two of his 17 career Lernerville feature wins have come in the Silver Cup (1994, 2008). Despite only running at the Action Track twice a year, Kinser is 12th on the All Time Sprints win list, tied with longtime nemesis Sammy Swindell.

Two of the most thrilling Silver Cup wins have come courtesy of home grown products Ed Lynch Jr. (2002) and Tim Shaffer (2005). Both drivers have had more than their share of success with feature wins all over the country, but each cherishes the Silver Cup above all of their other accomplishments.

Speaking of Ed Lynch Jr., “The Apollo Rocket” has been nearly invincible at Lernerville this year with five wins in seven attempts as he continues to pursue the Century Mark with win #100. His most recent win came on Friday June 12 during the Mid-Season Championships, which guarantees him at least a provisional for the Silver Cup. And while he seldom needs to use a provisional to make a WoO A-Main, Lynch is comforted to know that it’s in his back pocket! With the century mark in sight, what would be sweeter than for win #100 to come against the Outlaws and with a $15,000 payday? Maybe adding win #101 for a total of $30,000 on the biggest night of the season at the Action Track!

Anytime the Outlaws roll into Lernerville Speedway, especially for the $30,000-to-win Cleveland Brothers CAT Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup, invaders come from both east (PA Posse) and west (O’Reilly All Stars) to create a deep and talented field. Although the last time, (and only time), an invader won a Lernerville WoO show was back in 1998 when Fred Rahmer took the checkers.

Regardless of who wins, the Cleveland Brothers CAT Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup XVIII is guaranteed to be one of the most talked about events of the season. The new Twin 30s format should create endless opportunities with the second of the Twin 30’s being a flat out barnburner!

Tickets are on sale now and selling fast! To get yours, log on to our website www.Lernerville.com and click on the “Buy Tickets Now!” link or call the speedway office Monday-Friday during normal business hours at (724) 353-1511.

 

URSS Series Prepares For July 4th Weekend Tripleheader

The United Rebel Sprint Series will be celebrating the Fourth of July weekend with its Racers and Fans as the Rebels are set to do battle in a tripleheader weekend of non stop racing action.

First up is the URSS Series second trip to the Lightning fast 3/8’s oval at Hutchinson Raceway Park on Friday July 3rd. The Rebels inaugural visit proved to be a fruitful one for Kinsley Kansas’s Darren Bowman as he battled his way to first URSS Feature win. Bowman used the high side to take the victory over a hard charging Willie Wynn, with Young Gun Tanner Mullens and C.J. Johnson in the mix as well. Race time is 8:00 pm with this Friday being Buddy Night. Bring a friend and get in for only $5.00, a savings of $3.00 over the single admission price. Visit the Hutchinson Raceway Park website at http://h-r-p.tripod.com/ for more information.

Saturday July 4th, the URSS Rebels make their second appearance at Dodge City Raceway Park for the Budweiser Firecracker Nationals. This race pays $1,000.00 to the winner and it will draw some of the Series heavy hitters to DCRP to do battle for the top prize. 2008 URSS National Points Champion Brian Herbert took the win at the first URSS race at DCRP, and will be one of the favorites to take the top prize again Saturday night. Race time is 7:30 pm with a fireworks show to follow the races. For more information visit the DCRP website at http://dodgecityraceway.com/

Sunday night July 5th, the United Rebel Sprint Series will make its final appearance of the year at the Liberal Fairgrounds Speedway. In the first two appearances, C.J Johnson and Liberal’s own Jason Martin have claimed victories at the 3/8’s mile track. In both races, Ray Seemann was a man on a mission as he battled his way to 2nd and 3rd place finishes. Sunday’s close to the Fourth of July tripleheader should be another barnburner with the race being decided on the last lap. Please note that race time has been changed to a 7:00 pm start time. For more information visit the DCRP website at http://dodgecityraceway.com/

For more information on the United Rebel Sprint Series you can visit the Series Website at www.unitedrebelsprintseries.com or contact Rick Salem at 785-475-7010 or by e-mail at rksalem@eaglecom.net.

 

 

JA", "BK" & "T-dub" headline Golden State Challenge 410 Series roster going into July 4 holiday spectacular at Silver Dollar Speedway Saturday with Fireworks show to cap night

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA – June 30, 2009…Chico, California's own Jonathan Allard will bring an eight point lead in the Golden State Challenge Series standings over Campbell's Brent Kaeding into a special Independence Day event at the Silver Dollar Speedway this Saturday night July 4.

The extremely close fight for the King of California title continues to see the top three in points separated by just 15 slim digits going into the second visit of the season to the Silver Dollar Speedway, which will also mark the 17th round of action for the traveling 410 winged sprint car series. The night of exciting racing will be concluded with a fireworks show sponsored by 103.5 "The Blaze" FM and Silver Dollar Speedway.

The front grandstand gate will open at 4pm this Saturday night July 4 with qualifying scheduled to get underway around 5:30. Adult tickets will be just $15, juniors & seniors $11 and kids under 11 will be free. Tickets are on sale now at Napa Auto Parts in Orland, Kelly's Muffler in Paradise and in Chico at Ashley Furniture and Withrow's Motorsports. Make sure to get to the track early as the 4th of July event routinely attracts the biggest crowd of the season at Silver Dollar Speedway.

The last time the Golden State Challenge Series visited the Chico based quarter-mile, it was Allard who picked up his fourth career victory at the annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial in May with a thrilling last turn/last lap pass. Although that has been his lone victory of the GSC season up to this point, the 32 year-old driver has shown amazing strength and consistency this year and has tallied nine podium finishes in the past 10 races. In fact the only time he failed to score a top three finish in that span was at the Cottage Grove Speedway on June 15 when he suffered a flat tire with five laps remaining while sitting in the lead after dominating much of the event.

With eight races remaining in the Golden State Challenge season Allard is in search of becoming just the second driver to reach three King of California titles in the 24 year history of the series. "JA" is also looking to give owner Morrie Williams his fourth car owner title in the last five years and will be searching for a strong run at the Silver Dollar Speedway on Saturday, a track he's won at on three occasions this season. Allard leads GSC with five fast-time efforts this year in his Platinum Powder Coating No. 0 sprinter and is also the point leader in the Feather Falls Casino Friday Night Series at SDS.

Right on Allard's heels however, is the hottest driver in California sprint car racing with that being 13-time King of California Brent Kaeding. The Campbell racer has won back-to-back races with the Golden State Challenge Series, including last weekends Pombo/Sargent Classic at the Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare. "BK" also put together a strong performance at the 38th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup less than a couple weeks ago in Washington, where he was the hard-charger in Saturday's main event coming from 22nd to fourth.

Kaeding is also the all-time winningest driver at the Silver Dollar Speedway having claimed 86 career victories at the famous quarter-mile clay oval. He has won the Mini Gold Cup on four occasions, the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial four-times and the Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals twice in addition to a number of other highlights in his career at the track. "BK" this season has driven his Al's Roofing Supply No. 69 to 11 top-five finishes with GSC, which is tied with Allard for most in the series and he also scored a fifth place finish at the Bradway Memorial in May.

Finding himself third in points and just 15 digits back of Allard for the lead is Los Angeles, CA's Tyler Walker, who will be looking for a good run this weekend following a couple of events that saw further back finishes than what he's used to. The 29 year-old competitor was on way to victory at the $25,000 to win Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup, until engine problems sidelined him with just five laps remaining in the feature. Walker then came back last week and was running in the fourth spot when he and another driver made contact in turn one, which resulted in his SC Motorsports No. 24 suffering a flat tire and being forced to the rear of the field, where he would eventually go on to finish ninth.

So far this season Walker has picked up five victories with the Golden State Challenge Series, which leads the tour in that category. In May he also had a strong run at the Silver Dollar Speedway in which he spun off turn three late in the race, but was able to put on an impressive charge from the back as he ripped around the high side of the bullring in typical "T-dub" fashion to get all the way back up to fourth. Last July Walker scored his first career victory in Chico and he'll look for his second win at the track this weekend to help close the point gap.

Coming into the 4th of July sitting fourth in the GSC standings is third year winged sprint car driver Evan Suggs of Scotts Valley. The wheel-man of the Suggs Racing No. 33e will be looking to regroup after the two-spin rule left him with a 21st place finish last Saturday in Tulare. Suggs brought home a ninth place finish during the first series visit to Silver Dollar Speedway in May. The 22 year-old's career highlight at the quarter-mile came in 2007 when he set fast-time during the second night of the World of Outlaw sanctioned Gold Race of Champions.

Rounding out the top five in points is Golden State Challenge Series Rookie of the Year contender Kyle Larson. The Elk Grove driver is coming off a scary crash in Tulare in which his Vertullo Racing No. 83v suffered major damage after making heavy contact with the top of the turn one catch fence. Thankfully he was ok though and will come into the Silver Dollar Speedway on Saturday night searching for his second career GSC victory. Larson picked up his first career 410 sprint car win at the track in May and has been very strong all season long in what is his full season of 410 racing. Last year also saw the immensely talented 16 year-old score a pair of Civil War Series victories at the Silver Dollar Speedway.

Fellow GSC Rookie of the Year contender Brandon Carey of Ripon will go into this Saturday night fresh off his best career finish with the traveling 410 sprint car series last weekend in Tulare. The talented youngster sits just nine points behind Larson for the fifth spot in the standings and has been another great addition to the roster this year. Carey looked very impressive in driving to a fourth place finish in the feature last Saturday at the Thunderbowl Raceway aboard his Carey Racing No. 55 machine.

Campbell's Bud Kaeding will return to Golden State Challenge Series competition this Saturday after running ninth with the USAC Silver Crown Series in Richmond, Virginia last weekend. The 29 year-old has tallied five top-five finishes in a row with GSC aboard his BK Motorsports No. 29. Grass Valley's Jason Statler sits eighth in the standings coming into Chico and will look to rebound after a flat tire took away a possible podium finish last weekend in Tulare. "The Big Guy" has been very strong this season in the DF Rios Construction No. 00, but luck hasn't seemed to be on his side in 2009. Completing the top 10 in points are Fresno's Mike Stallings and Calistoga's Mike Benson.

Other drivers expected to do battle with the Golden State Challenge Sprint Car Series on the 4th of July this Saturday will include Loomis, CA's Kyle Hirst, Elk Grove's Bobby McMahan, Chico's Brett Miller, Brad Bumgarner, Jason York and Robby Whitchurch, Oroville's Sean Becker, Auburn's Andy Forsberg, Grass Valley's Mark Hall, Roseville's Colby Copeland, Sydney, Australia’s Trevor Green, Sacramento's Willie Croft and more.

The Silver Dollar Speedway is located at 2357 Fair Street on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico, California.

Up next- Following this weekend's race the Golden State Challenge Series will make a trip to the Santa Maria Speedway next Saturday night July 11, which will mark the first event for the 410 tour at the track since 2005. With extra money added the main event will be a solid $500 to start in Santa Maria. Also on tap will be a $1,000 wheelie contest with $500 going to the winner, $300 to second and $200 to third.

More info on this Saturday's event can be found at http://www.goldenstatechallengeseries.com and http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com

 

TJ LUEDKE MOTORSPORTS CAPTURES BEST IRA OUTLAW SPRINT FINISH

 High Flyers Communication & PR: camisha@highflyerspr.com

[PLYMOUTH, WIS.] June 30, 2009- TJ Luedke Motorsports headed Friday to the Manitowoc Expo. The team pulled a #24 pill which placed the #21T in a 4th place starting position for the night's 10-lap heat race. The team rolled the 360 sprinter to the line for the heat race and after the field was set and the green flag dropped, Luedke wasted no time capturing the lead. He soon caught the tail-end of the field as the checkered waved and Luedke picked-up his 7th victory of the season and would transfer to the 25-lap A-main event. Crew Chief Doug Quick and the members of the #21T team made several changes to the car after the heat race as the track conditions began to dry-out. Luedke pushed off for the A-main event in the 4th spot. He began to find his preferred line and picked-up the 3rd position and shortly he was in 2nd. He was chasing the #7 of Lance Fassbender, but at the checkered, Luedke would come up short and finish in the 2nd spot.

The team headed out right after the show was finished and headed back to the shop in Plymouth, WI where they changed motors and put the team's ASCS motor in for Saturday evenings IRA Outlaw Sprint Car show at the Plymouth Dirt Track (PDTR). The Kristine Hartmann Century 21 Rautmann/Schils, Premier Insurance, Turner Hall, Exotic Tans-N-Spas, Warren Luedke Auctioneer, Doug Quick Trucking, JJ Trucking, AC Signs #21T team pulled into the pit area at PDTR, and Luedke pulled a #17 pill which placed him 10th out in the qualifying order. After only one lap was given to all of the drivers for time trials due to the threat of rain, Luedke's time was a 13.097 and that placed him 26th quick out of 40 cars signed-into the pit area.

As the night progressed on, the #21T started 7th in the 3rd heat race and on the start, Luedke would move to the bottom-line of the racing surface. On lap three he moved to the high-line to get around the #43 and on lap five he would find himself chasing the #02 for the 6th spot. As the checkered waved, Luedke would finish 6th and would have to run the B-main. The team hurried to make changes as the storm clouds moved in. The 12-lap B-main's pushed off and Luedke was in the 2nd B-main of the night starting in the 5th spot. As the cars hit the start line, Luedke quickly began working the bottom-line and moved into the 3rd spot. A caution on lap two would place the field nose-to-tail and on the restart, Luedke started in his pursuit of second place. Luedke battled the #68 who was running the high-line trying to take 3rd, but Luedke's persistence paid off on the bottom-line and after a caution on lap six; he would re-start 3rd and quickly move into 2nd spot. He continued to work the bottom-line and on lap 11 as the white flag came out he made the pass for first-place coming out of turn two and took the lead as the checkered waved on lap twelve. Luedke captured his first IRA win and would transfer to the night's 30-lap A-main event.

The teams were called to the staging area for the night's 30-lap A-main as the threat of rain was still on the brink around the Plymouth Area. Luedke started 12th and he hammered on the gas as the green flag dropped and started picking up positions working the low-line of the race track and through several cautions, he would pick-up several spots. On lap 20 the rain started to fall and the cars settled in on the back-stretch for a rain delay. Luedke was in the 9th spot and as the minutes passed and the rain did not die down, the officials called the race and the team would capture their best IRA finish to date!

Luedke mentioned after the races, "This was a great weekend for our team and they worked hard changing the motors over to run with the IRA. On Friday, Lance was hard to beat, but we certainly gave it our best effort, and I am proud we finished second. Tonight, with the track conditions the way they were, you did not need a lot of motor, and that actually helped us out with running our ASCS 360. I would have liked