Archive for Short Track
COURTNEY CASHES IN AT MALVERN BANK I-80 DIRT CLASSIC
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The United States Auto Club.
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Contact: Richie Murray - USAC Media / richie@usacracing.com
COURTNEY CASHES IN AT MALVERN BANK I-80 DIRT CLASSIC
By: Richie Murray - USAC Media
Greenwood, Nebraska June 2, 2017 -.....Tyler Courtney withstood a relentless Chris Windom assault during the final two laps of Friday night's Malvern Bank "I-80 Dirt Classic" to earn his second career USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car victory in the series' inaugural appearance at I-80 Speedway.
Windom was on point for the first two-thirds of the 30-lapper, but Courtney used a lap 20 turn one slider to rip by the defending Silver Crown champ for the race lead, then took Windom's repetitious haymakers in stride down the stretch, answering each successive punch with a knockout blow of his own.
Running along the razor's edge requires a certain finesse to reach maximum success. On this night, Courtney had to juggle patience and urgency. The Indianapolis, Indiana native had to start seventh, but Courtney anticipated the track taking rubber and felt he had to get up on the wheel of his TOPP Motorsports/TOPP Performance Race Parts - Custom Pump & Controls/Maxim/Claxton and bring it to the front as soon as the green dropped. Yet, the dilemma in a 30-lap sprint is that running too hard can create significant tire wear, making a hard-charging effort all for naught.
"We knew the track had a pretty good chance of taking rubber," Courtney admits. "I knew once I got to about third or fourth, I had to really start going. But I didn't want to use up my tires just in case it was going to take rubber. We were searching for a happy medium, but we played our cards right and came out on top. I'll take it any way I can get it."
Windom, though, was the master of the 4/10-mile dirt oval when racing commenced, sliding in front of polesitter Chad Boespflug in the first turn to take the lead on the opening lap. Soon thereafter, ProSource Fast Qualifier Stevie Sussex made a charge to the front and a bid for the lead on lap six that came up short, but soon fell into line behind Windom in a four-car breakaway freight train that also included Grant and Courtney in third and fourth, respectively.
The surface was wide and slick, allowing slide jobs to be thrown at will from anywhere and everywhere. After fifth-running Chase Stockon slowed with a bent draglink on the tenth lap to bring out the caution, Courtney took the message to heart, immediately blasting by Grant for third into turn one on the restart. A lap later, Courtney went to the well one more time in the same spot, sliding past Sussex for the runner-up spot.
As the top became rubber down, it became a single-file procession up top, but it opened the door for sliders for days coming in from all corners as it became the most preferred way to advance.
On the 20th revolution around the oval, Courtney took Windom's spot away up front with another perfect turn one slider. On the following circuit, Courtney slid the lapped car of Nebraska's Terry Richards in one to separate himself from Windom and gain an unobstructed view of the track ahead with just a handful of laps remaining.
"I screwed up down there in (turns) one and two and I didn't expect it to work out, but I got over the cushion and turned down the hill," Courtney recalled. "I slid a couple guys and got to Windom right before the caution. We got all bunched up; I ran behind Grant and Sussex for a little bit and while they were sliding each other, I was able to get by them. We got to lapped traffic, then I used one of them as a pick and slid Chris. I could tell the track was starting to take rubber, so I had to get by him quickly. Luckily, I was at the right place at the right time."
In the moments leading up to Corey Smith's spin on lap 25 that brought about the night's final yellow, Windom began to find his way back toward Courtney. On the ensuing restart, everyone anticipated Windom to be the aggressor and reclaim his spot up front. Instead, Grant was able to slide by Windom on the restart to momentarily take over second, though Windom countered immediately to move back to second.
Windom pounced on his second opportunity and was right on Courtney's tail for the final two-lap shootout. On the 29th lap, Windom took the first swing at Courtney, pulling ahead between turns one and two. Courtney kept his foot on the throttle and escaped around the outside of Windom with mere inches to spare to retain the lead.
Windom came back twice more on the final lap with a turn one slider to no avail and one last final run at him going into turn three, but each time, Courtney successfully countered with a left hook of his own, turning down the hill off turn four to cut underneath Windom and hang on for the victory by 0.184 of a second. Windom took second ahead of Grant, KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Robert Ballou and CRA/West Coast Sprint regular Brody Roa rounding out the top-five.
Patience and urgency reared its head again in the final laps for Courtney as he went face-to-face with the split-second decision on when to lay off the throttle, at what point to turn down in the corner and when to get back on the gas without being slow enough to lose the position or being too fast that he'd blister the tires.
"You lift a little bit, but you can't get too far out of it because you can unload your car and slip out of the rubber," Courtney explains. "It's back to the happy medium thing. You have to run it hard, but not too hard. Everything fell into place tonight. We had a rough start, but we've really got it clicking here the last few races."
"I knew he was going to be throwing (sliders)," Courtney adds. "It's tough when it's one lane like that, when you're sliding through the dirty stuff and it's kind of hard to get it stopped in the rubber. I'm sure Chris was having to throw them from pretty far back. It's just hard to get slowed down. If I was expecting it, I could whoa it down and make sure I didn't miss the rubber and make sure I got it coming off the corner. He tried those last two laps and, on the last lap, he tried it over in (turns) three and four. I would've done the same thing. Luckily, he blew through it every time and we were able to stay in it and get to the checker first."
Chris Windom of Canton, Illinois led the first 19 laps of Friday night's feature, ultimately taking his second-straight runner-up finish in his Baldwin Brothers Racing/Fox Paving - AMSOIL/DRC/Claxton Mopar.
"When you're leading a race like that and the rubber keeps moving down, you're a sitting duck unless you happen to find it first," Windom explains. "Tyler just found it a little quicker than me and got by us. You replay the race a thousand times in your head and what you could've done differently. I felt like I was running a pretty consistent race, but he got to the rubber a little quicker than I did. I think we were better than him at the end, but I threw a few haymakers at him and he had enough to cross us back over."
"You're still under control until you're about to hit the rubber again, then you don't know if you're going to slide through it," Windom continued. "It's such a hard place to throw a slide job. If you're throwing it back to the rubber, you've got to slow way down to stick the rubber. I tried as hard as I could to slow down enough, but we slid through it just enough for Tyler squeeze back under us and cross us over. We threw all we could at him."
Ione, California's Justin Grant extended his run of top-four finishes to nine in USAC National Sprint Car competition in 2017, taking third in his Sam McGhee Motorsports/Mike McGhee & Associates - Brown & Miller Racing Solutions/Maxim/Foxco.
"The patience involved is in waiting for a guy to hit the cushion and get tight against it coming off or missing it a little bit," Grant said. "You have to follow a guy until he bobbles, then when he bobbles, you take your shot then. You just kind of bide your time and wait for a guy to mess up. Everybody gets so fast later on the curb; you've got to wait for a mistake to capitalize."
"I got on the jersey barrier down the back stretch," Grant starts. "I don't know what my deal was. I got up on that jersey barrier and I couldn't get the thing turned off it until too late. When it did turn, the right rear was up on the wall and it slammed down into the cushion and then it bicycled and kind of rode on the right front before setting down and flat-wheeling the fence. I'm pretty fortunate. I thought I was going to turn over."
Contingency award winners Friday night at I-80 Speedway include Stevie Sussex (ProSource Fast Qualifier), Tyler Courtney (Simpson Race Products First Heat Winner), Chris Windom (Competition Suspension, Inc. Second Heat Winner), Robert Ballou (Chalk Stix Third Heat Winner & KSE Racing Products Hard Charger), Shane Cottle (Indy Race Parts Semi Winner) and Isaac Chapple (Wilwood Brakes 13th Place Finisher).
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USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: June 2, 2017 - Greenwood, Nebraska - I-80 Speedway - Malvern Bank "I-80 Dirt Classic"
PROSOURCE QUALIFYING: 1. Stevie Sussex, 17GP, Dutcher-16.808; 2. Justin Grant, 11, McGhee-16.838; 3. Brady Bacon, 63, Dooling/Hayward-16.966; 4. Chase Stockon, 32, 32 TBI-17.003; 5. Chris Windom, 5, Baldwin-17.023; 6. Chad Boespflug, 69, Dynamics-17.085; 7. Tyler Courtney, 23c, TOPP-17.120; 8. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-17.190; 9. Kevin Thomas, Jr., 44, Pace-17.198; 10. Kyle Robbins, 17R, Robbins-17.215; 11. Dave Darland, 71p, Phillips/Curb-Agajanian-17.292; 12. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-17.335; 13. C.J. Leary, 30, Leary-17.533; 14. Shane Cottle, 57, Hazen-17.695; 15. Corey Smith, 66s, CS-17.807; 16. Isaac Chapple, 52, LNR/Chapple-17.926; 17. Josh Hodges, 74x, Hodges-17.931; 18. Wyatt Burks, 11w, Rumsey-18.028; 19. Bruce St. James, 7K, St. James-18.203; 20. Ryan Kitchen, 21, Kitchen-18.520; 21. Rob Caho, Jr., 78, Caho-18.753; 22. Eric Schulz, 4x, Schulz-19.006; 23. Warren Johnson, 42, Johnson-19.046; 24. Rob Sharits, 14s, Davis-20.045; 25. Alex Schriever, 0, Davis-20.442; 26. Terry Richards, 18, Richards-NT; 27. Robert Bell, 71, Bell-NT (Time of 19.675 disallowed).
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Courtney, 2. Leary, 3. Chapple, 4. Stockon, 5. Sussex, 6. Robbins, 7. St. James, 8. Schulz, 9. Schriever. NT
COMPETITION SUSPENSION (CSI) SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Windom, 2. Darland, 3. Hodges, 4. Roa, 5. Grant, 6. Cottle, 7. Kitchen, 8. Richards, 9. Johnson. 2:24.07
CHALK STIX THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Ballou, 2. Bacon, 3. Boespflug, 4. Thomas, 5. Smith, 6. Burks, 7. Sharits, 8. Bell. 2:30.16
INDY RACE PARTS SEMI: (12 laps) 1. Cottle, 2. Robbins, 3. St. James, 4. Richards, 5. Burks, 6. Kitchen, 7. Johnson, 8. Schulz, 9. Bell, 10. Schriever, 11. Sharits. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Tyler Courtney, 2. Chris Windom, 3. Justin Grant, 4. Robert Ballou, 5. Brody Roa, 6. Brady Bacon, 7. Stevie Sussex, 8. Dave Darland, 9. C.J. Leary, 10. Shane Cottle, 11. Kevin Thomas, Jr., 12. Chad Boespflug, 13. Isaac Chapple, 14. Josh Hodges, 15. Wyatt Burks, 16. Terry Richards, 17. Bruce St. James, 18. Kyle Robbins, 19. Corey Smith, 20. Warren Johnson, 21. Chase Stockon, 22. Ryan Kitchen. NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-19 Windom, Laps 20-30 Courtney.
KSE RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Robert Ballou (12th to 4th)
WILWOOD BRAKES 13TH PLACE FEATURE FINISHER: Isaac Chapple
NEW USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Grant-667, 2-Windom-585, 3-Boespflug-574, 4-Stockon-528, 5-Courtney-477, 6-Leary-384, 7-Thomas-378, 8-Darland-373, 9-Cottle-339, 10-Jarett Andretti-338.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: June 3 - Knoxville, Iowa - Knoxville Raceway - "Iowa Corn District 5 & Iowa Corn District 9 Night"
Artic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions
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Contact: Tyler Altmeyer
Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions
(724) 954-4915
altmeyer119@gmail.com
tyler@tonystewart.com
Logan Wagner holds off Danny Holtgraver for first-ever Arctic Cat All Star win at Lernerville Speedway
SARVER, PA (June 2, 2017) - For the first time in his young career, Logan Wagner is a main event winner with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions, this time holding off a former Lernerville Speedway track champion, as well as the defending Arctic Cat All Star champion, for a $5,000 top prize. The Harrisonville, Pennsylvania, native started from the pole position and led all 30 circuits on Friday evening, June 2, at Lernerville Speedway, crossing under the final checkers nearly three seconds ahead of the competition. “Downtown” Danny Holtgraver crossed under the flagstand behind Wagner, followed by Chad Kemenah, Cole Duncan and Tim Shaffer.
“I can’t even put tonight into words,” Logan Wagner explained in Lernerville Speedway victory lane. “I gotta thank everyone that helps me out. My dad, especially, who does so much for me and my career. I didn’t think I was really that good tonight, but I was good enough to win and that is all that matters. This is amazing.”
Wagner took command at the drop of the initial green flag and immediately opened his advantage, stretching his lead to nearly two seconds by lap 10, ultimately pushing that margin to nearly three seconds during other segments of the main event.
A total of four cautions, three during the first 11 circuits, halted feature competition during the 30-lapper, and despite all four creating the potential for a takeover attempt, the clean air and open race track proved to be nothing more than an advantage for Logan Wagner. Even when traffic came into play during the midpoint of the main event, as well as during the last six circuits, Wagner’s preferred line around the thin, top edge of the speedway allowed for the most momentum.
“I just knew I had to run [turn one] the best that I could without getting up over the edge,” Wagner said in victory lane. “I know I went over the backstretch three or four times tonight. I was really tight through turns three and four, so I had to muscle my way around there. But I was able to really capitalize in turns one and two.”
Danny Holtgraver, Ryan Smith, Chad Kemenah and Cole Duncan each made their presence known with heated battles for the remaining positions inside the top-five. Holtgraver, the main event’s seventh starter who was making his first Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions appearance of the season, solidified the runner-up position on lap 21, ending a near-ten lap battle with Hunter Racing's Chad Kemenah.
“It feels good to be back in a sprint car,” Danny Holtgraver explained. “We haven’t raced that much this year, but when we do plan to race, we plan to have fun and work for results like this. Tonight was a lot of fun.”
The Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions will continue their short swing through Western Pennsylvania with a visit to Mercer Raceway Park on Saturday evening, June 3; the first and only appearance of the 2017 season, as well as the first visit in nearly two years.
“America's Series” last visited the Mercer County short track on July 4, 2015. The holiday program was the third of three appearances at the speedway that season, two of which during Independence Day weekend. The “Kunkletown Kid” Ryan Smith was the main event winner on July 4, with former Knoxville Nationals main event starter Lee Jacobs taking the checkers one night prior on Friday, July 3.
Mercer Raceway Park will open pit gates at 3:00pm on Saturday, June 3. A mandatory drivers meeting will be conducted at 5:30pm with hot laps to follow at 6:30pm, sharp. Fans and race teams should be reminded that camping is available at no cost. Those who would like to learn more should visit Mercer Raceway Park live on the Web at www.mercerracewaypark.com.
Contingency Awards/Results: Lernerville Speedway - Friday, June 2:
EMi Driver’s Meeting: 42 entries
State Water Heaters Warm-Ups: Tim Shaffer - 13.262 seconds
Lincoln Electric Fast Qualifier: Parker Price-Miller - 13.022 seconds
Ford Performance Heat #1: Parker Price-Miller
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat #2: AJ Flick
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat #3: Caleb Armstrong
Daido Engine Bearings Heat #4: Dean Jacobs
Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts C-Main: Jack Sodeman, Jr.
JE Pistons Dash #1: Logan Wagner
Kistler Racing Products Dash #2: Ryan Smith
Classic Ink USA B-Main: Dan Shetler
Daido Engine Bearings Main Event Winner: Chad Kemenah (3rd)
MSD Performance Hard Charger Award: Tim Shaffer (+7)
Outback Steakhouse A-Main 5th Place Finisher: Tim Shaffer
Outback Steakhouse A-Main 10th Place Finisher: Caleb Armstrong
Outback Steakhouse A-Main 15th Place Finisher: Max Stambaugh
(Lincoln Electric, Daido Engine Bearings, MSD Performance, Outback Steakhouse: Need decal to qualify for contingency award)
Qualifying
Group (A)
1. 2-Parker Price-Miller, 13.022; 2. 22C-Cole Duncan, 13.0744; 3. D4-Danny Holtgraver, 13.231; 4. 33M-Max Stambaugh, 13.237; 5. 22-Brandon Spithaler, 13.334; 6. 46-Michael Bauer, 13.485; 7. 51-John Garvin, 13.637; 8. 55W-Michael Wagner, 13.675; 9. 5-Justin Barger, 13.79; 10. 49H-Bradley Howard, 14.004; 11. 91S-Sadie Siegal, 15.292
Group (B))
1. 59-Ryan Smith, 13.252; 2. 98-Carl Bowser, 13.344; 3. 2F-AJ Flick, 13.54; 4. 16-Danny Mumaw, 13.541; 5. 1080-Jordan Mackison, 13.852; 6. 91-Anthony Fiore, 13.908; 7. 23-Darren Pifer, 14.066; 8. 9C-Roger Campbell, 14.386; 9. 29-Scott Barris, 99.1; 10. C1-Clay Riney, 99.2; 11. 27-Vincent Dougherty, 99.99
Group (C)
1. 81-Lee Jacobs, 13.084; 2. 35-Tyler Esh, 13.354; 3. 7C-Caleb Armstrong, 13.528; 4. 7W-Logan Wagner, 13.694; 5. 13-Brandon Matus, 13.728; 6. 95-Hunter Mackison, 14.022; 7. 4X-Rod George, 14.633; 8. 4K-William Kiley, 15.332; 9. 76-David Jones, 48.195; 10. 40-George Hobaugh, 99.4
Group (D)
1. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 13.074; 2. 49x-Tim Shaffer, 13.12; 3. 17-Caleb Helms, 13.232; 4. 8-Dean Jacobs, 13.345; 5. 8M-TJ Michael, 13.674; 6. 7K-Dan Shetler, 13.745; 7. O8-Dan Kuriger, 13.795; 8. 33-Brent Matus, 14.362; 9. 9-Ryan Linder, 16.318; 10. 23JR-Jack Sodeman Jr., 99.5
Heat #1 - Group (A) (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer
1. 2-Parker Price-Miller [4]; 2. D4-Danny Holtgraver [2]; 3. 33M-Max Stambaugh [1]; 4. 22C-Cole Duncan [3]; 5. 22-Brandon Spithaler [5]; 6. 46-Michael Bauer [6]; 7. 51-John Garvin [7]; 8. 5-Justin Barger [9]; 9. 49H-Bradley Howard [10]; 10. 55W-Michael Wagner [8]; 11. 91S-Sadie Siegal [11]
Heat #2 - Group (B) (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer
1. 2F-AJ Flick [2]; 2. 59-Ryan Smith [4]; 3. 16-Danny Mumaw [1]; 4. 98-Carl Bowser [3]; 5. 91-Anthony Fiore [6]; 6. 23-Darren Pifer [7]; 7. C1-Clay Riney [10]; 8. 1080-Jordan Mackison [5]; 9. 29-Scott Barris [9]; 10. 9C-Roger Campbell [8]
Heat #3 - Group (C) (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer
1. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [2]; 2. 7W-Logan Wagner [1]; 3. 81-Lee Jacobs [4]; 4. 40-George Hobaugh [10]; 5. 13-Brandon Matus [5]; 6. 35-Tyler Esh [3]; 7. 76-David Jones [9]; 8. 4K-William Kiley [8]; 9. 95-Hunter Mackison [6]
Heat #4 - Group (D) (8 Laps) - Top 5 Transfer
1. 8-Dean Jacobs [1]; 2. 17-Caleb Helms [2]; 3. 49X-Tim Shaffer [3]; 4. 10H-Chad Kemenah [4]; 5. 8M-TJ Michael [5]; 6. 7K-Dan Shetler [6]; 7. 23JR-Jack Sodeman Jr. [10]; 8. O8-Dan Kuriger [7]; 9. 33-Brent Matus [8]; 10. 9-Ryan Linder [9]
Dash #1 (4 Laps)
1. 7W-Logan Wagner [2]; 2. 2-Parker Price-Miller [1]; 3. 10H-Chad Kemenah [3]; 4. D4-Danny Holtgraver [4]; 5. 17-Caleb Helms [5]
Dash #2 (4 Laps)
1. 59-Ryan Smith [1]; 2. 22C-Cole Duncan [3]; 3. 8-Dean Jacobs [4]; 4. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [5]; 5. 2F-AJ Flick [2]
C-Main (10 Laps) - Top 2 Transfer
1. 23JR-Jack Sodeman Jr. [9]; 2. 9-Ryan Linder [5]; 3. 76-David Jones [6]; 4. C1-Clay Riney [8]; 5. 4X-Rod George [2]; 6. 29-Scott Barris [7]; 7. 4K-William Kiley [4]; 8. 91S-Sadie Siegal [3]; 9. 9C-Roger Campbell [1]
B-Main (12 Laps) - Top 4 Transfer
1. 7K-Dan Shetler [5]; 2. O8-Dan Kuriger [7]; 3. 23JR-Jack Sodeman Jr. [13]; 4. 35-Tyler Esh [1]; 5. 46-Michael Bauer [2]; 6. 1080-Jordan Mackison [8]; 7. 55W-Michael Wagner [4]; 8. 33-Brent Matus [12]; 9. 5-Justin Barger [6]; 10. 9-Ryan Linder [14]; 11. 49H-Bradley Howard [9]; 12. 51-John Garvin [3]; 13. 23-Darren Pifer [11]; 14. 95-Hunter Mackison [10]
A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 7W-Logan Wagner [1]; 2. D4-Danny Holtgraver [7]; 3. 10H-Chad Kemenah [5]; 4. 22C-Cole Duncan [4]; 5. 49X-Tim Shaffer [12]; 6. 59-Ryan Smith [6]; 7. 2F-AJ Flick [10]; 8. 81-Lee Jacobs [11]; 9. 98-Carl Bowser [15]; 10. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [8]; 11. 2-Parker Price-Miller [3]; 12. 8-Dean Jacobs [2]; 13. O8-Dan Kuriger [22]; 14. 17-Caleb Helms [9]; 15. 33M-Max Stambaugh [13]; 16. 13-Brandon Matus [19]; 17. 8M-TJ Michael [18]; 18. 7K-Dan Shetler [21]; 19. 16-Danny Mumaw [14]; 20. 33-Brent Matus [25]; 21. 51-John Garvin [27]; 22. 35-Tyler Esh [24]; 23. 40-George Hobaugh [16]; 24. 91-Anthony Fiore [20]; 25. 22-Brandon Spithaler [17]; 26. 46-Michael Bauer [26]; 27. 23JR-Jack Sodeman Jr. [23]
Lap Leaders: Logan Wagner [1-30]
Current Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions Standings (June 2, 2017):
1. Chad Kemenah: 1714
2. Caleb Armstrong: 1606
3. Caleb Helms: 1592
4. Ryan Smith: 1550
5. Max Stambaugh: 1398
6. Tim Shaffer: 1394
7. T.J. Michael: 1334
8. Brandon Matus: 1254
9. Brent Matus: 1214
10. Brandon Spithaler: 1203
Additional Arctic Cat All Star Series Info:
Those seeking additional information regarding the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions should visit its official online home at www.allstarsprint.com. Series updates and breaking news will be posted regularly on the official Twitter account of the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions: https://twitter.com/ASCoC. Find full text results from each and every event, as well as an up-to-date schedule, online at www.allstarsprint.com/schedule/.
About the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions:
All Star Enterprises, LLC, wholly owned by Tony Stewart, d/b/a the All Star Circuit of Champions, is a winged sprint car series. The All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series is one of the oldest traveling 410 sprint car organizations and is a staple of grassroots, open-wheel racing. Formed in 1970 by Bud Miller, the series has largely been considered the first 'outlaw' Sprint Car organization of the modern era. After a 10 year stint as owner of the All Stars, Miller passed control of the series to Bert Emick in 1980; a reign that would continue through 2002. Guy Webb then purchased the series from Emick in the summer of 2002 and served as the series President for the next 12 years. Motorsports entrepreneur Tony Stewart agreed to terms with Guy Webb to become the sole owner of the original winged sprint car tour in January of 2015.
About Arctic Cat:
The Arctic Cat brand is among the most widely recognized and respected in the recreational vehicle industry. The company designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), side-by-sides and snowmobiles, in addition to related parts, garments and accessories under the Arctic Cat® and Motorfist® brand names. Arctic Cat Inc.’s world headquarters is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. More information about Arctic Cat and its products is available at www.ArcticCat.com.
Kerry Madsen Gets Win on Night Two of Jackson Nationals
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World of Outlaws
Contact: Colby Gorniewicz
World of Outlaws PR
704-707-0229 | cgorniewicz@dirtcar.com
Please click here for the original World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series article
Second to None: Kerry Madsen Wins Night 2 of AGCO Jackson Nationals
By: Tony Veneziano
JACKSON, Minn. - June 2, 2017 - Kerry Madsen was part of a historic finish on the opening night of the 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series at Jackson Motorplex, finishing second to his brother Ian, which made them the first-ever Australian-born brothers to finish 1-2 in an Outlaws race. K. Madsen felt as if he didn't get the job done, though on Thursday night. He made up for the near-miss on Friday night, leading flag-to-flag in the 25-lap main event to earn his first World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win of the season and the 20th of his career.
Madsen withstood a trio of yellow flags and one red flag period en route to the win. For the native of St. Marys, NSW, Australia, who now calls Knoxville, Iowa home, it was his second win of the season at Jackson Motorplex, which is owned by his car owner, Tod Quiring.
"The car was working everywhere until we lost the front wing, then we lost our front downforce," said Madsen. "I had to run not as hard as I wanted to going into (turn) one and gave up a lot of speed there. I just kept watching the front wing and it was still on so, I kept trying harder. I saw Kraig and thought, 'Oh no,' but I saw the lapped traffic and knew if I could get to the outside of the lapped traffic it would block the lane and I would be okay. I was just hanging on at the end and it was a handful in (turn) one and two. It was great to get the job done tonight."
Madsen, who entered the night as the overall event point leader, put himself in a very solid position to go for a repeat in the AGCO Jackson Nationals, which he won for the first time last season.
"This track is all about being in the right place and being in the right line," explained Madsen. "You can't just stick to a line. You have to constantly search and keeping your eye out. It's going to take 30 good laps to be in contention again tomorrow."
Madsen started on the pole Friday night and jumped to an early lead, when the red flag flew for his brother, getting upside in turns three and four on the opening lap. On the complete restart, K. Madsen again jumped to a lead, with Jason Johnson in second. Johnson tried a huge slide job, going for the lead on the lap-5 and spun, which brought out the caution. Madsen chose the low side of the track each time on double file restarts, with Kraig Kinser lining on the outside and was able to open a quick gap each time.
Kinser was able to pull alongside Madsen coming off turn four with five laps to go, but the latter was able to pull away on the front straightaway to retain the lead. Kinser, who started sixth, earned his best World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series finish of the season in second.
"I was trying to follow him and stay as close as I could in (turns) one and two," said Kinser. "He was pretty good in one and two and always kept a little gap. The closer I got to him the worse the handling got, going through those bumps. I had a couple of chances at him, but he kept motoring around. The little bit I could gain in (turns) three and four he just motored down the straightaway and kept it nice and straight. It was tough and I was going to need some help. I saw traffic down low and knew I probably wasn't going to get him."
Brad Sweet finished third for the second straight night. After having trouble in the dash, he lined up eighth and found himself in third by the fifth lap of the race. He was able to gain some ground on Kinser in the middle stages of the race, but in the late going fell back a bit.
"We just have to keep working on it," said Sweet. "Kerry (Madsen) is fast. We had that problem in the dash and that set us back. It's nice to come from eighth to third. We got to third pretty quick and I thought we may have something for those guys. My car just didn't feel as good those last few laps. We'll take some good notes tonight and the big night is tomorrow night. I think we are in a good position and have had a solid two nights and should be in the top-four in points. We'll come back tomorrow night"
Donny Schatz finished fourth for the second consecutive night, with Jason Sides rounding out the top-five. Daryn Pittman crossed the line sixth, followed by Shane Stewart in seventh. Stewart, who started 20th picked up the KSE Hard Charger Award. David Gravel was eighth, with Joey Saldana ninth and Johnson rebounding from the early spin to charge back through the field to finish 10th.
The 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals wraps up on Saturday, June 3 with a $25,000-to-win main event for the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
Tickets for the remaining two nights of the 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, along with the Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series (UMSS), Midwest Sprint Touring Series (MSTS), Nebraska 360 Sprint Series and the RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars at the Jackson Motorplex can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com and at the track.
Jackson Motorplex Results
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 2M-Kerry Madsen [1][$8,000]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6][$4,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [8][$2,500]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [4][$2,200]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [7][$2,100]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [9][$2,000]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [19][$1,800]; 8. 5-David Gravel [10][$1,600]; 9. 17-Joey Saldana [3][$1,500]; 10. 41-Jason Johnson [2][$1,300]; 11. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [12][$1,200]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11][$1,100]; 13. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [13][$1,000]; 14. 21-Brian Brown [24][$700]; 15. 82-Cap Henry [14][$600]; 16. 12-Lynton Jeffrey [22][$600]; 17. 17B-Bill Balog [15][$600]; 18. 55-Brooke Tatnell [18][$600];19. 17X-Josh Baughman [17][$600]; 20. 3-Tim Kaeding [20][$600]; 21. 33-Danny Lasoski [5][$600]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$600]; 23. 18-Ian Madsen [16][$600]; 24. O9-Matt Juhl [23][$600];Lap Leaders: Kerry Madsen 1-25;KSE Hard Charger Award: 2-Shane Stewart[+12]
ACCORD SPEEDWAY NEWS
Posted by: | CommentsAccord, NY- "Little" Richard Smith Logs In A Fine Drive To Triumph In Accord Speedway Action
By: Steve Pados, Accord Speedway Media
Accord Speedway Promoters Gary and Donna Palmer finally had a great Friday evening as a good burst of June weather allowed the promotional team to not look over the shoulder to see if any rain clouds were on the horizon. The Palmer Family hosted a seven division race card at their superb quarter mile speedplant located in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. A nice crowd was on hand to enjoy the evening of speed sponsored by the good folks at D&D NAPA while the Checkered Flag Bonus was sponsored by the Palmer Family.
Richard Smith rocked the house with an outstanding drive to capture his first win of the season in the United Pump and Tank Modified finale and his first win at the speedway since 2011. "The Otisville Outlaw" Corey Cormier captured his first Accord win of the season in a rim-riding effort as he won the Arkel Motors Sportsman main. "The Intimidator" Ray Tarantino made it two wins for the season as he captured the Upstate Auto Pure Stock encounter. "The Highside Hustler" Eric Jennings raced to his fourth win of the season in the WRWD Radio NEWS Sprint Car feature. Ryan McCartney was triumphant in the WRWD Radio Rookie Sportsman feature event to claim his first ever win at the speedway. "The Cold Spring Kid" Jake Mason raced to his fifth consecutive win at Accord in the Want AD Digest Junior Slingshots. The return of the Empire Lightning Sprints proved to be a happy one for Zach Bennett as he winged his way around the speedway to capture the feature event with an exciting performance.
Richard Smith led the first eleven laps of the United Pump And Tank Modified feature before yielding to the high flying Brad Rothaupt on a restart. Rothaupt would lead for three laps before Smith, with a full head of steam, overtook Rothaupt to assume command of the point once again. Rothaupt and Danny Creeden would run second and third for quite a few laps but making his move into the top five was Danny Tyler. The "Showtime Kid" had himself a fast hot rod and slipped past Rothaupt and Creeden to drive into the runner-up slot with five laps to go. Tyler could not muster up a challenge with Smith with time running out and it would be Smith in his Smith Logging and Land Clearing sponsored machine. Tyler was second in a stout run from 11th position. Rothaupt, Creeden and Anthony Perrego would complete the top five. The second five were Brain Krummel, Brian Malcolm, Kyle VanDuser, Chad Loiodice and Ken Ferrier.
The Arkel Motors Sportsman event found Milton Mann jumping out into the lead at the start and he would lead for three laps before giving way to Rafael Carson who would lead from lap four through six. A restart would allow Mann to regain the lead and Mann was steady in trying to keep his Sedita mount ahead of a quick group of competitors headed up by Corey Cormier. Cormier worked the top and the middle of the raceway before pulling alongside of Mann for a few laps with driver seeking the advantage. On lap 15, an inside move from Corey Cormier off of turn two allowed him to burst into the lead. While Mann slid backwards towards the end of the event, the pressure was mounting as Kyle Rohner, who spun on the opening lap, worked his way from the rear of the field to become a player. Rohner moved into second place late in the race but the evening belonged to Cormier as he raced to victory in the 25-lap event. Rohner was second with Matt Shultz, Tony Kowalchuk from 15th position and Cole Hentschel rounding out the top five. The second five found Tyler Johnston, Robbie Knipe, Jim Johnson, Milton Mann and Jamie Yannone following.
Ryan McCartney led the first two laps of the WRWD Radio Rookie Sportsman feature attraction but would give way to Anthony Recchio who powered into the lead. McCartney would regain the lead on lap four and just as quickly would have the smooth running Hunter Lapp making his way into the runner-up slot. McCartney and Lapp would wage a dual until the end of the event as McCartney would nearly lose the lead on a couple of occasions but had more than enough foot to keep the car at the number one spot. McCartney would go on to capture his first ever win at the speedway with Lapp in a runner-up role. Kevin Stevens would come on strong for third with Jake Granacker and Vinny Visconti completing the top five. Recchio hustled back through the field to gain sixth place with Tanner Johnson, Jared Miller, Jamie Doolan and Michael Corbin completing the top ten.
John Hechinger led the first three laps of the Upstate Auto Pure Stock event before Ray Tarantino powered by with a run to the top of the speedway. Once in front, Tarantino pretty much held the field at bay as he led the remainder of the laps to claim his second win of the season. Hechinger has been a real surprise in 2017 as he enjoyed another fine run with a runner-up finish. Steve Williams, Emerson Cargain Jr, Travis Brockner (subbing for Bob Sleight), Harry Bachman, Tanner Granacker, James Goetchius and Chris Kanuk completed the field.
Jake Mason added his fifth consecutive win at the speedway in the Want Ad Digest Junior Slingshot finale. He did it in convincing fashion as won by a straightaway over Brock Pinkerous.
Corey Wood would jump into the lead in the WRWD Radio NEWS Sprint feature and would lead for three laps before yielding to the returning Thomas Radivoy. Radivoy would lead until lap nine when Eric Jennings blasted by with a top to bottom power move to claim the lead. Jennings would lead the remainder of the laps to claim his fourth straight win at the speedway. Jersey star Rich Mellor rebounded from a mid race spin to charge back and finish second. Larry Ricci, Larry McVay, Andrew Davis, Bob Tersillo and Brandon Gates completed the field.
The return of the Empire Lightning Sprints found an energetic group of drivers happy to return to their old stomping grounds. Doug Norrie would lead the first lap of the feature but on lap number two found himself making contact with the inside barrier and suffering front end damage. Clint Roehrs, a former three time champion at Accord, would lead the next lap before yielding to the high flying Zach Bennett. Bennett would quickly carve out a lead but Roehrs would detonate an engine bringing a red flag out to the field. On the restart, it was all Bennett as he winged his way around the speedway from the top shelf. Bennett would get the win and believed to be his first ever win at the speedway. Justin Phillips, Peter Dance, Alex Bell, Lou Torres, Canadian Charles Belanger, Jesse Pruchnick and Alex Adamsky completed the field.
GEMSTONES:
The hotly contested racing action was completed at 11 PM. Kudos to Gary Palmer and crew for whipping the speedway into excellent shape for the evening of racing action.
Heat wins went to Richard Smith, Danny Tyler and Brad Rothaupt in the Modified division while three heats were needed for the Sportsman with wins going to Corey Cormier, Matt Shultz and Brandon McGill. The Rookie Sportsman heats were claimed by Anthony Recchio and Hunter Lapp. Eric Jennings and Thomas Radivoy captured the sprint car heat wins. Jake Mason captured the Slingshot preliminary. Pure Stock heats wins were captured by Bob Sleight and Steve Williams. The Lightning Sprint heats were claimed by Clint Roehrs and Zach Bennett.
New drivers on hand for the evening besides the traveling Lightning Sprint roster included Alyssa Cody in the Modifieds. Shane Henion was a new addition to the Sportsman division. Tanner Granacker returned to action in the Pure Stocks. John Miller made his initial start with the Rookies. New sprinters on hand were Jeremy Quick and Rich Mellor. Mellor was victorious last season at the Halloween Bowl.
RESULTS:
United Pump & Tank Modifieds: Richard Smith, Danny Tyler, Brad Rothaupt, Danny Creeden, Anthony Perrego, Brian Krummel, Brian Malcolm, Kyle VanDuser, Chad Loiodice, Ken Ferrier, Jesse Marks, Ed Dachenhausen, Alyssa Cody, Richie Eurich, Joe Judge, Kevin Krum, Scott Ferrier, Tyler Treacy, Eddie Burgess, Mark Pullen, Jimmy Wells
Arkel Motors Sportsman: Corey Cormier, Kyle Rohner, Matt Shultz, Tony Kowalchuk, Cole Hentschel, Tyler Johnston, Robbie Knipe, Jim Johnson, Milton Mann, Jamie Yannone, Mike Murphy, Leo Fotopolous, Shane Henion, Rafael Carson, Brandon McGill, Nick Plumstead, Nick Johnson, Dave Demorest, Chris VanDuser
WRWD Radio NEWS Sprint Cars: Eric Jennings, Rich Mellor, Larry Ricci, Larry McVay, Andrew Davis, Bob Tersillo, Brandon Gates, Jeremy Quick, Thomas Radivoy, Heidi Hedin, Don Smith Jr, Cory Wood
Upstate Auto Pure Stocks: Ray Tarantino, John Hechinger, Steve Williams, Emerson Cargain Jr, Travis Brockner, Harry Bachman, Tanner Granacker, James Goetchius, Chris Kanuk
WRWD Radio Rookie Sportsman: Ryan McCartney, Hunter Lapp, KevinStevens, Jake Granacker, Vinny Visconti, Anthony Recchio, Tanner Johnson, Jared Miller, Jamie Doolan, Michael Corbin, John Miller, Fred Smith, Chet Doolan, Alex VanPelt
Want Ad Digest Junior Slingshots: Jake Mason, Brock Pinkerous
Empire Lightning Sprints: Zach Bennett, Justin Phillips, Peter Dance, Alex Bell, Lou Torres, Charles Belanger, Jesse Pruchnick, Alex Adamsky, Clint Roehrs, Doug Norrie, Shilo Boyce (DNS), Ralph Utter Jr (DNS)
Racing is on tap every Friday night at Accord Speedway from April through September. Please make note of the new starting times: Pit Gates open at 5:00; Spectator Gates open at 5:30; Hot Laps begin at 7:00 and the racing begins at 7:30 PM. Admission for Adults $14.00; Seniors (65+) $12.00; Children $3.00 (11+ under) Indoor Seating $20.00; Family four pack special: 2 Adults + 2 Children and $20.00 in Accord Bucks for $44.00 (a savings of $10.00)
Special event shows do have an increase in admission.
June 9th brings in all regular divisions for action on a night sponsored by our good friends at Williams Lumber. The evening of speed will also highlight the Junior and All Star Slingshot Nationals.
For further updates and information regarding all of the news and additions to the Accord Speedway, log on to their well documented website at: http://www.accordspeedway.com or call the speedway hotline at: 845 626 3478.
At the Accord Speedway............................................
A TRAIL OF DIRT LEADS RIGHT TO OUR DOOR
Ian Madsen Wins Night One of Jackson Nationals
Posted by: | CommentsWorld of Outlaws
Contact: Colby Gorniewicz
World of Outlaws PR
704-707-0229 | cgorniewicz@dirtcar.com
Brotherly Battle: Ian Wins Battle of Madsen Brothers on opening night of 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals
By: Tony Veneziano
JACKSON, MN - June 1, 2017 - The Madsen brothers are nothing short of exciting every time they strap into a sprint car. The intensity level is often ratcheted up even more when they are racing each other for a win. They lived up to this moniker Thursday on the opening night of the 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals for the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series. While younger brother Ian led all 25 laps of the main event, older brother Kerry gave him a run for his money, especially on a late-race double file restart.
Ian fended off Kerry on that restart, which saw the elder brother get a monster run on the high side of the track heading down the front straightaway. As the laps wound down, the leaders encountered lapped traffic, with Kerry closing back in on Ian, nearly stealing a win on the last lap. The finale margin of victory was a scant three-tenths-of-a-second.
"When you come to race with the World of Outlaws, the double-file restarts are always tough," said Ian Madsen. "It's pretty cutthroat and can go either way. You have to give it your all. I'm really thankful we could get the job done tonight. We've had an awesome car lately and have been strong with the World of Outlaws all years. It's great to finally get one."
The race started with I. Madsen on the pole, quickly jumping out to a lead before a caution with four laps in the books. On the ensuing double-file restart, I. Madsen chose the low side of the track. David Gravel actually took the lead in turns one and two on that restart, but a red flag, before that lap was completed, kept I. Madsen in the lead for the next restart, which was single-file.
The win was Madsen's second with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, with the first coming in 2013 at Deer Creek Speedway, also in Minnesota.
"Jackson is kind of like a home track for us," said Ian Madsen. "We gave a lot of friends, fans and supporters of the KPC team here tonight. I can't thank my team enough. This is awesome. Minnesota is kind of close to home and I really like the tracks. Thanks to Tod (Quiring) and everyone for putting this event on. Hopefully it gets bigger and bigger each year."
Kerry Madsen, the defending winner of the AGCO Jackson Nationals, started third and had a torrid battle in the early going with David Gravel, before moving into second behind his brother. Kerry had a strong car on the top side of the half-mile and used this to his advantage to keep pace with brother as the laps wound down.
"That last restart, I was thinking, 'You gave me the top' and I got a good run," said Kerry Madsen. "I thought I was going to get him, but just didn't quite have it. That last corner, the last lap, I thought I had position and kind of wished I had gone in there a little harder and maybe was a little forceful. I just didn't get it done, but the Go Muddy/AGCO car was great. This car is a rocket ship right now and it's fun to drive and I am enjoying every minute of it."
Brad Sweet finished third aboard his No. 49 NAPA machine for Kasey Kahne Racing. Sweet lined up sixth and worked his way into the top-five in the early going. He used a couple of strong restarts to gain spots on his way to a podium finish.
"It's fun watching the Madsen brothers up there," said Sweet. "Kerry definitely gave his brother a run for his money. I guess he had to make his little bro work for it. The key was to get through this first night. Our NAPA car has been fast, so we'll come the next two nights and hopefully can get a win."
Current series point leader Donny Schatz finished fourth in the Arctic Cat machine for Tony Stewart Racing, while Danny Lasoski rounded out the top-five. David Gravel, who ran among the lead pack in the early going, ended up sixth, after nearly getting into the wall coming off turn four, battling for the second spot. Jason Sides was seventh, with Tim Kaeding eighth, while Sheldon Haudenschild came from 16th to ninth. Shane Stewart rounded out the top-10.
The 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals continues on Friday, June 2, with another complete race program for all three sprint car classes.
Tickets for the remaining two nights of the 39th Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals, featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, along with the Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series (UMSS), Midwest Sprint Touring Series (MSTS), Nebraska 360 Sprint Series and the RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars at the Jackson Motorplex can be purchased online at slspromotions.ticketforce.com or at the track.
Jackson Motorplex Results
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 18-Ian Madsen [1][$8,000]; 2. 2M-Kerry Madsen [3][$4,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [6][$2,500]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [5][$2,200]; 5. 33-Danny Lasoski [9][$2,100]; 6. 5-David Gravel [2][$2,000]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides [4][$1,800]; 8. 3-Tim Kaeding [14][$1,600]; 9. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$1,500]; 10. 2-Shane Stewart [12][$1,300]; 11. 13JT-Mark Dobmeier [8][$1,200]; 12. 9-Daryn Pittman [24][$1,100]; 13. 41-Jason Johnson [13][$1,000]; 14. 17-Joey Saldana [10][$700]; 15. 19-Brent Marks [25][$]; 16. 82-Cap Henry [11][$600]; 17. 4-Paul McMahan [17][$600]; 18. O9-Matt Juhl [18][$600]; 19. 21-Brian Brown [22][$600]; 20. 17B-Bill Balog [20][$600]; 21. 12-Lynton Jeffrey [15][$600]; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart [23][$600]; 23. 87-Aaron Reutzel [7][$600]; 24. 11K-Kraig Kinser [19][$600]; 25. 1A-Jacob Allen [21][$600]; Lap Leaders: Ian Madsen 1-25; KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Daryn Pittman[+12]
Thunder News Tony Stewart & Rico Abreu
Posted by: | Comments
Thunder on the Hill
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JUNE 1, 2017
CONTACT: BOB MILLER 443 513 4456
NAPA AUTO PARTS THUNDER ON THE HILL RACING SERIES
LEVAN Machine & Truck Equipment bring
“SMOKE ON THE HILL” TO GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY;
TONY STEWART & RICO ABREU JOIN ALL STAR SPRINTS IN THUNDER SHOW THURSDAY, AUGUST 17
BECHTELSVILLE, PA (June 1, 2017) – Two of the country’s most popular drivers head towards ‘The Hill’ in a special event of epic proportions.
When the NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series heads to Grandview Speedway on Thursday, August 17, three-time NASCAR Cup Champion Tony Stewart and two-time Chili Bowl Nationals champion, Rico Abreu, will strap into a 410 sprint car and compete with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions.
Tony Stewart
Rico Abreu
Brought to you by Levan Machine & Truck Equipment, you’ll find “Smoke on the Hill” and Rico Abreu when the green flag falls for the third Annual Thunder Cup -- a 30 lap, $5,000 to win 410 sprint car special event.
Levan Machine & Truck Equipment located in Fleetwood, PA (just outside of Reading, PA) is part of the Thunder on the Hill family of sponsors. Levan Machine & Truck Equipment is a full-service machine shop and custom truck up-fitting center for Central Pennsylvania. Levan also provides a full line of truck bodies, van interiors, and utility and service bodies. They are the local Boss Snowplow distributor including snowplows and salt spreaders; a Knapheide retailer for truck bodies and lift gates, and a Weatherguard distributor for van and truck interior products. Levan Machine & Truck Equipment also provides repair as an ASE Blue Seal recognized service location. For full details on all of Levan Machine & Truck Equipment products and services log onto www.levanmachine.com
The Levan Machine & Truck Equipment visit will mark Tony Stewart’s first in action racing appearance at the Grandview Speedway located about 50 miles south of NASCAR mainstay, Pocono Raceway.
"Grandview was one of the first events I added to my schedule this year,” Tony Stewart explained. “After attending the race last year as a spectator and owner of the All Stars, I knew I had to participate in the race this year. As a sprint car fan, it is one of the most exciting tracks to watch a sprint car race. I cannot wait to get my [No.] 14 car unloaded on the Hill. The competition will be nothing short of spectacular. I hope we can have a good night and put ourselves in a position to compete for the win.”
Abreu, one of the most exciting and most popular Sprint Car drivers in the country is anxious to get to the Berks County dirt track.
“I’m really excited to get to Grandview, I've heard a lot of great things about the track,” Abreu stated. “I've got a lot of fans in Pennsylvania and I don't get to race that far east too much, but definitely look forward to that night with the All Stars and all the tough Pennsylvania cars. It's always fun going to new tracks especially in an area known for some of the best sprint car drivers in the country."
Stewart and Abreu join more than 15 full-time Arctic Cat All Stars competitors, but while the All Stars bring an elite group of drivers, a battalion of Central Pennsylvania’s top stars are prepared to defend their home turf – and when the greatest Sprint Car drivers in the world do battle it is sure to be unpredictable, especially “on the hill”.
Expected top guns include nine-time Grandview 410 Sprint Car winner and six-time Thunder on the Hill Champion, Greg Hodnett; along with past Thunder Cup winner Danny Dietrich, Lucas Wolfe, Freddie Rahmer, Alan Krimes, Brandon Rahmer. While series regulars include Chad Kemenah, Caleb Armstrong, Ryan Smith, Max Stambaugh, T.J. Michael and Caleb Helms.
Additional news and updates about this event will be available on all of the NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series social media channels.
NAPA Auto Parts continues their long run with the Thunder on the Hill Racing Series as the title sponsor joined by Pioneer Pole Buildings, Levan Machine and Truck Equipment, Quaker Steak & Lube, and GALCO Business Communications.
2017 Thunder Racing Series Schedule:
11th Annual Jesse Hockett Classic - Tuesday, June 13 7:30 PM -- USAC National Wingless Sprint Car Series Eastern Storm and 358 Modifieds*
Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speed Week - Tuesday, July 4 7:30 PM - 410 Sprint Cars & 358 Modifieds*
SMOKE ON THE HILL. . .. 3rd Annual Thunder Cup Arctic Cat All-Star Circuit of Champions - Thursday, August 17 7:30 PM - 410 Sprint Cars & Sportsman* Tony Stewart & Rico Abreu racing on the Hill
Mods at the Madhouse Halloween Party - Saturday, October 14 6 PM - Big-Block/358 Modifieds 40 Laps, Sportsman & MASS Sprints
*NASCAR Points event
Grandview Speedway
GPS USERS: 43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, PA 19505
Located less than a mile off Route 100, 10 miles north of Pottstown, PA
Speedway Phone: 610-754-7688
Thunder on the Hill Racing Series Phone: 443-513-4456
Series Website: Track Website: www.grandviewspeedway.com
Twitter/Instagram: @TOTHRACING
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thunderonthehill
About Thunder on the Hill Racing Series
The brainchild of Grandview Speedway owner Bruce Rogers, special events promoter Bob Miller and local driving star Dave Kelly, the Thunder on the Hill Racing Series celebrates 28 years of the most anticipated events of the racing calendar year after year. In 124 events over $4.2 million dollars has been divvied up among the area's fastest racers. What started as a single 410 Sprint Car event in 1990 has blossomed to feature a variety of racing action including 358 Modifieds, USAC Wingless Sprints, All-Star Circuit of Champions, 360 & 410 Sprint Cars, Sportsman, Late Models, Midgets, Legend Cars, DIRTcar and ROC Modified events.
About Grandview Speedway
Grandview Speedway is a high-banked one-third mile clay oval, celebrating their 55th Anniversary season in 2017. The facility offers free parking, quality food at reasonable prices (be sure to try the french fries), a program book, Grandview Speedway and Thunder on the Hill race wear and great viewing from every seat in the house. Race fans may take part in the Inside/Out promotion, where you can sign up (no charge) to watch warm-ups from inside turn four. Race fans are also invited to victory lane following the racing program and, race fans may enter the pits after the races to meet the drivers. Be ready to enjoy the spine-tingling fireworks salute on the feature event parade lap.
About the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions
All Star Enterprises, LLC, owned by Tony Stewart, d/b/a the All Star Circuit of Champions, is a winged sprint car series. The All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series is one of the oldest traveling 410 sprint car organizations and is a staple of grassroots, open-wheel racing. Formed in 1970 by Bud Miller, the series has largely been considered the first 'outlaw' Sprint Car organization of the modern era. After a 10 year stint as owner of the All Stars, Miller passed control of the series to Bert Emick in 1980; a reign that would continue through 2002. Guy Webb then purchased the series from Emick in the summer of 2002 and served as the series President for the next 12 years. Motorsports entrepreneur Tony Stewart agreed to terms with Guy Webb to become the sole owner of the original winged sprint car tour in January of 2015.
