Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Some may agree that battles are won in the trenches. For me, the battles are won on dirt. We had a night of battles at the Miami County Speedway on Saturday, May 30th. It was great watchig the young guns race push their junior micro sprints to the limit and realizing that someday very soon, they will be the future stars of the sport. From the juniors to the newly developed senior class, I could tell that dirt track racing in Miami County is alive and well.
One announcement before we get started. The Miami County Speedway racers will be packing all their gear and taking it on the road to rock the Noble County 4-H fair for the Kendallville Klassic on Tuesday, July 21st in Kendallville, IN. Four (Jr., Restrictor, Open and Non-wing) out of the five feature classes will be run at the Noble County 4-H fair. If I don't have to work, I hope to see you there.
The first feature of the night came from the restrictor class. Kokomo racer No. 95 Garrett Miller took the win. "It felt awesome to win tonight. The high side was my best line tonight," explained Miller. Taking second place honors was No. 73 Brent Busz, while Matt McDonald raced his No. 5M machine to third place.
The Nonwing class was up next. but first they were faced with the Front Row Challenge. Unfortunately, both the polesitter No. 93 Tyler Stump and second place starter No. 15 Ryan Leek refused the challenge, bumping next weekend's challenge bonus to $160.00 for the Open Class racers.
The non-wing feature was an instant classic. I was lucky enough to be standing in the middle of such a battle. Remember in the intro, when I said "Some say battles are won in the trenches. For me, they are won on dirt." Well the non-wingers proved that statement. It felt like I was in the battles with them , it was so competitive.
Camden native No. 20 Chris Miller battled back-and-forth with leader and polesitter No. 93 Tyler Stump, but it was Miller who came away with the win. After the hard fought victory, Miller said, "It felt good to win. I beat some really good cars tonight." Miller explained, "The top (of the track) was really working for us, and I got a run on 2 (Turn 2) to get around those guys." Stump took a hard earned second place, while No. 15J Joe Leek brought home third place.
Next up was the Open class finale. Warsaw's Braxton Hanft raced his No. 29H paved the way to victory lane. "It felt great to win tonight." No. 39 Matt Johnson charged his way to a second place finish, while No. 36S Halen Shafer came back from a brutal flip in hot laps, to score his first top three in recent weeks.
Kendallville racer No. 62 Joe Taylor brought home the win in the newly formed senior class. "It felt good to win tonight. It's been about a year, since I've won a feature", Taylor recalled. Taylor continued, "I ran the bottom tonight. It was the best for this setup." Last weekend's winner No. 29 Rob Johnson took a strong second place finish, while No. 85 Gary Miller held on for third.
In the fifth and final feature of the night, the juniors put on quite a show for all the race fans that stood and cheer on with the young guns from the grandstands. Tipton native No.22 Justin Weir charged his way through the field to take the victory. "It felt good to win my second in a row here at Miami County Speedway," said Weir. No. 9p Parker Price-Miller raced his way from tail of the field, to take second, while No. 11 Kaleb Kinsler drove the wheels off the car, coming home with a hard fought third place finish.
The Miami County Speedway will host another exciting night of racing action this Saturday, June 6th. Hot laps start at 6:15-6:30 with live in-your-face racing after hot laps. I know I'll be there, will you?
Oh and one more bit of information on the family side of things. My little sister Katie is going to be graduating Friday, June 5th from Peru High School. I haven't always told her this, but as a big brother, I am very proud of what she has been able to do. So are the parents and rest of the family. Best of luck in the future Katie!!!!!!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Series Feature
There are three different sprint car series that make up the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Series. The first, the All Star Circuit of Champions, are known as the Big All Stars. The second series is called the Midwest All Stars Series, and then there's the newly formed All Star Late Modified Series.
The first series, The O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions started in the late 1960's (1968-1969), when businessmen Wellman Lehman, Bud Miller, Chris Economaki, and many others were developing plays to build a big super speedway in the south of Youngstown, Ohio. After many meetings with town officials, the plans were dropped, because the developers couldn't find land suitable for their proposed super speedway. The meetings didn't all go to the waistside however, because Bud Miller came up with an idea, for a traveling outlaw series for sprint cars. The traveling series came to be known as the All Star Circuit of Champions in 1970.
Over the early 1970's, the All Star Circuit became very popular, under the direction of Miller. The All Star Circuit went national, and started to sanction their events, which included the Knoxville Nationals. Despite the successes of the series, Miller stopped the series, when the first gasoline crisis began. In 1980, the All Star Circuit of Champions returned under the direction of Miller.
In the early 1980's, the All Star Circuit joined forces with Bert Emrick and the newly formed Midwest Outlaw Super Series. With the addition of the new sprint series, the All Star series added races and strengthened their schedule in the early 1980's. The first Ohio Outlaw Sprint Speedweek came in 1983, and featured the Eldora Nationals. The popularity and prestige of the All Star Series continued throughout the 1980's. The idea for the 410 cast iron engine rule came about in 1985.
The race payouts increased to 1 million dollars in 1986, with 360 drivers racing, in 53 races in 9 different states. The race schedule grew to 59 races by 1990. 1991 saw the arrival of the aluminum engines being allowed to compete, amidst a tight battle for the Championship. The 1991 crown came down to 3 very strong drivers in Rickey Hood, Kevin Huntley, and Frankie Kerr. The race schedules, pay outs and amount of racers all increased over the 1990's.
Illinois car owner Guy Webb bought the series in 2002. Webb wanted to race in more states. Since then the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions have added two more sprint series to their arsenal. The O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series is it's third year of existance. The third series, the O'Reilly Late Model Series is in it's first series.
Big racers to watch for in the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Series include Dale Blaney (brother of Nascar driver Dave Blaney), current All Star Circuit of Champions Series points leader Tim Shaffer, and Stevie Smith. The O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions points race is heating up. Tim Shaffer (1867 points) leads veteran Dale Blaney (1822 points) by only 45 points. Stevie Smith is sitting in third place with 1699 points. Smith leads fourth place Greg Wilson (1695 points) by only 4 points. The fifth place in the chase is Daryn Pittman, who has 1673 points on the season. The O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Series hits the Big E, Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio on May 30th. Then they have a few days, before they travel to Sarver, Pennsylvania, to race at the Lernerville Speedway on June 5th.
There's a battle for the Champion and Rookie of the Year in the O'Reilly All Star Midwest Series. Rookie Midwest racer Kaley Gharst is leading rookie Jordan Goldesberry in both the Championship race and the Rookie of the Year standings. In both the Championship battle and the Rookie of the Year race, Gharst (203 points) leads Goldesberry (183 points) by just 20 points. Third place in points belongs to A.J. Bruns (182 points), while Paul May is in fourth place with 178 points. Rounding out the top five is Jerrod Hull with 176 points on the season. The points race is tighting up as the Midwest racers race in and around the great state of Illinois. Upcoming Midwest races to mark on your schedule are; June 13th at the Vermillion County Speedway (Danville, IL.), June 19th at the Spoonriver Speedway (Banter, IL.), and June 20th at the Lincoln Speedway (Lincoln, IL.).
In it's first full season, the O'Reilly All Star Late Modified Series has been exciting. Boom Briggs (926 points) leads Colby Frye (872 points) by 54 points in the race for this year's O'Reilly All Star Late Modified Series Championship. Sitting in third is Robbie Blair with 866 points on the season. Jared Miley (856 points) is in fourth, while Rod Conley occupies fifth place with 816 points this season. It's beginnng to get down to the wire, as the late mods travel to Michigan this weekend. On May 29th, the Late Mods race at the Hartford Speedway (Hartford, MI.), then on May 30th at the Butler Battle Grounds (Butler, MI.). Then the Late Mods get two weeks off, before they hit the Tri City Speedway in Franklin, Pennsylvania on June 14th.
There are exciting racing in and around the midwestern part of this great nation we live in. They could be hitting a city near you, so don't delay. Please check out www.oreillyallstars.com for more informaiton on each of the three series, and the racing venues they will be hitting soon.
The first series, The O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions started in the late 1960's (1968-1969), when businessmen Wellman Lehman, Bud Miller, Chris Economaki, and many others were developing plays to build a big super speedway in the south of Youngstown, Ohio. After many meetings with town officials, the plans were dropped, because the developers couldn't find land suitable for their proposed super speedway. The meetings didn't all go to the waistside however, because Bud Miller came up with an idea, for a traveling outlaw series for sprint cars. The traveling series came to be known as the All Star Circuit of Champions in 1970.
Over the early 1970's, the All Star Circuit became very popular, under the direction of Miller. The All Star Circuit went national, and started to sanction their events, which included the Knoxville Nationals. Despite the successes of the series, Miller stopped the series, when the first gasoline crisis began. In 1980, the All Star Circuit of Champions returned under the direction of Miller.
In the early 1980's, the All Star Circuit joined forces with Bert Emrick and the newly formed Midwest Outlaw Super Series. With the addition of the new sprint series, the All Star series added races and strengthened their schedule in the early 1980's. The first Ohio Outlaw Sprint Speedweek came in 1983, and featured the Eldora Nationals. The popularity and prestige of the All Star Series continued throughout the 1980's. The idea for the 410 cast iron engine rule came about in 1985.
The race payouts increased to 1 million dollars in 1986, with 360 drivers racing, in 53 races in 9 different states. The race schedule grew to 59 races by 1990. 1991 saw the arrival of the aluminum engines being allowed to compete, amidst a tight battle for the Championship. The 1991 crown came down to 3 very strong drivers in Rickey Hood, Kevin Huntley, and Frankie Kerr. The race schedules, pay outs and amount of racers all increased over the 1990's.
Illinois car owner Guy Webb bought the series in 2002. Webb wanted to race in more states. Since then the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions have added two more sprint series to their arsenal. The O'Reilly Midwest All Star Series is it's third year of existance. The third series, the O'Reilly Late Model Series is in it's first series.
Big racers to watch for in the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Series include Dale Blaney (brother of Nascar driver Dave Blaney), current All Star Circuit of Champions Series points leader Tim Shaffer, and Stevie Smith. The O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions points race is heating up. Tim Shaffer (1867 points) leads veteran Dale Blaney (1822 points) by only 45 points. Stevie Smith is sitting in third place with 1699 points. Smith leads fourth place Greg Wilson (1695 points) by only 4 points. The fifth place in the chase is Daryn Pittman, who has 1673 points on the season. The O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Series hits the Big E, Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio on May 30th. Then they have a few days, before they travel to Sarver, Pennsylvania, to race at the Lernerville Speedway on June 5th.
There's a battle for the Champion and Rookie of the Year in the O'Reilly All Star Midwest Series. Rookie Midwest racer Kaley Gharst is leading rookie Jordan Goldesberry in both the Championship race and the Rookie of the Year standings. In both the Championship battle and the Rookie of the Year race, Gharst (203 points) leads Goldesberry (183 points) by just 20 points. Third place in points belongs to A.J. Bruns (182 points), while Paul May is in fourth place with 178 points. Rounding out the top five is Jerrod Hull with 176 points on the season. The points race is tighting up as the Midwest racers race in and around the great state of Illinois. Upcoming Midwest races to mark on your schedule are; June 13th at the Vermillion County Speedway (Danville, IL.), June 19th at the Spoonriver Speedway (Banter, IL.), and June 20th at the Lincoln Speedway (Lincoln, IL.).
In it's first full season, the O'Reilly All Star Late Modified Series has been exciting. Boom Briggs (926 points) leads Colby Frye (872 points) by 54 points in the race for this year's O'Reilly All Star Late Modified Series Championship. Sitting in third is Robbie Blair with 866 points on the season. Jared Miley (856 points) is in fourth, while Rod Conley occupies fifth place with 816 points this season. It's beginnng to get down to the wire, as the late mods travel to Michigan this weekend. On May 29th, the Late Mods race at the Hartford Speedway (Hartford, MI.), then on May 30th at the Butler Battle Grounds (Butler, MI.). Then the Late Mods get two weeks off, before they hit the Tri City Speedway in Franklin, Pennsylvania on June 14th.
There are exciting racing in and around the midwestern part of this great nation we live in. They could be hitting a city near you, so don't delay. Please check out www.oreillyallstars.com for more informaiton on each of the three series, and the racing venues they will be hitting soon.
Friday, May 22, 2009
3rd Annual Salute to the Troops Race at Miami County Speedway
Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Miami County Speedway hosted the 3rd annual Salute to the Troops race on Saturday, May 16th. It was a very special race for many reasons. We were able to give thanks to all the service men and women that have fought or continue to fight for our freedom. Admission to grandstand seating was free to all current or retired service men and women, including auxiliary members.
"The men and women that fight for our freedoms don't receive the thanks they deserve. This is our small way of saying thanks," said Miami County Soeedway co-owner Julie Bailey. Miami County Speedway co-founder and promoter Dwayne McIntire echoed this appreciation. "It's a great way to honor our service men and women," McIntire said.
The racers that was racing in rememberance or honor of a service man or woman, displayed the American flag on their micro sprint cars, throughout this special night of racing.
The regular four classes (Juniors, Restrictor, Nonwing and Open) were run on the dirt oval, but with a special twist.
The four classes ran with sponsors. The sponsors were as follows: Nonwing (Marine Corps League), Open (Air Force), Junior (Alcardi Angels), and Restrictor (Lucky Bill Racing). The feature winner received an additonal bonus of $50 along with the winner's purse.
There was also special sponsors for the leaders of laps No. 9 and No. 11, to honor the 9/11 victims, the hard charger from each class, and the first car out of each class feature.
"In each class, the car that leads laps 9 and 11 will receive a bonus of $25. The hard charger from each class will receive a $20 bonus, and the first car out of each feature will receive a $20 bonus," said Bailey.
There were many sponsors that helped with donations and sponsorship for this special race. The main sponsorship came from Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Kokomo. Other big sponsors included: Gamester Racing Products, Frederic's Photography, C&D Racing Supply, Red Dot Trophy, and C&K Trucking.
Bailey said, "We appreciate all the sponsors that came on board for this race."
It was an action-packed race on Saturday, May 16th, as we saluted the troops, under the lights of the one and only Miami County Speedway.
Kokomo native No. 36S Halen Shafer raced to his fourth straight victory in the open class feature. "It feels good to win tonight...We ran the top, where I'm always at," Shafer said. "The top line is known as the Cottle (Shane "The Throttle" Cottle) line", Shafer explained. Second place went to No. 4 Sam Kimmel, while No. 29 Logan Jarrett rounded out the top three finishers.
Kokomo racer No. 95 Garrett Miller ran away with the feature win in the restrictor class. "It feels good to win," Garrett said after picking up the big win. Taking a strong second place finish was No. 29 Nick Abbott, while the No. 44 restrictor sprint of Barbie Kimmel brought home a third place finish.
Francesville's No. 66G Jerod Glasford dominated en route to picking up his third straight junior class feature win. "I'm glad to win my third straight feature, and I would like to thank Flaco for their support," Glasford said. Kaleb Kinsler rocketed his way to a second place showing, while MCS newcomer No. 6 Parker Price-Miller took home a third place finish.
In the Nonwing feature, No. 15 Joe Leek raced his way to a big win. No. 2J Jacob Moore took second place honors, while No. 92 brought home a third place finish.
The last feature of the night was the seniors feature. The senior features victory went to Brookston's No.1 Bob Harrington. "It felt great to win tonight. This was my first win in five years," Harrington said. No. 22 Bob Baker raced to a strong second place showing, while No. 40 Mike Stahl brought home a third place finish.
There is more micro sprint racing this weekend. It's a special weekend of racing, as we race both Saturday (May 23th) and Sunday (May 24th). On Saturday, May 23th, MCS will run the Denny Miller Memoria Race. There's an additional bonus of $75 for the nonwing and open class winners. There's a $50 bonus, for the feature winners of juniors, restrictors, and seniors. Each class will pay a $15 bonus to the hard charger of each class. Each class pays $25 to start. We run our regular five feature program on Sunday, May 24th. Please bring the family and come watch great racing at the Miami County Speedway this weekend.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Miami County Speedway hosted the 3rd annual Salute to the Troops race on Saturday, May 16th. It was a very special race for many reasons. We were able to give thanks to all the service men and women that have fought or continue to fight for our freedom. Admission to grandstand seating was free to all current or retired service men and women, including auxiliary members.
"The men and women that fight for our freedoms don't receive the thanks they deserve. This is our small way of saying thanks," said Miami County Soeedway co-owner Julie Bailey. Miami County Speedway co-founder and promoter Dwayne McIntire echoed this appreciation. "It's a great way to honor our service men and women," McIntire said.
The racers that was racing in rememberance or honor of a service man or woman, displayed the American flag on their micro sprint cars, throughout this special night of racing.
The regular four classes (Juniors, Restrictor, Nonwing and Open) were run on the dirt oval, but with a special twist.
The four classes ran with sponsors. The sponsors were as follows: Nonwing (Marine Corps League), Open (Air Force), Junior (Alcardi Angels), and Restrictor (Lucky Bill Racing). The feature winner received an additonal bonus of $50 along with the winner's purse.
There was also special sponsors for the leaders of laps No. 9 and No. 11, to honor the 9/11 victims, the hard charger from each class, and the first car out of each class feature.
"In each class, the car that leads laps 9 and 11 will receive a bonus of $25. The hard charger from each class will receive a $20 bonus, and the first car out of each feature will receive a $20 bonus," said Bailey.
There were many sponsors that helped with donations and sponsorship for this special race. The main sponsorship came from Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Kokomo. Other big sponsors included: Gamester Racing Products, Frederic's Photography, C&D Racing Supply, Red Dot Trophy, and C&K Trucking.
Bailey said, "We appreciate all the sponsors that came on board for this race."
It was an action-packed race on Saturday, May 16th, as we saluted the troops, under the lights of the one and only Miami County Speedway.
Kokomo native No. 36S Halen Shafer raced to his fourth straight victory in the open class feature. "It feels good to win tonight...We ran the top, where I'm always at," Shafer said. "The top line is known as the Cottle (Shane "The Throttle" Cottle) line", Shafer explained. Second place went to No. 4 Sam Kimmel, while No. 29 Logan Jarrett rounded out the top three finishers.
Kokomo racer No. 95 Garrett Miller ran away with the feature win in the restrictor class. "It feels good to win," Garrett said after picking up the big win. Taking a strong second place finish was No. 29 Nick Abbott, while the No. 44 restrictor sprint of Barbie Kimmel brought home a third place finish.
Francesville's No. 66G Jerod Glasford dominated en route to picking up his third straight junior class feature win. "I'm glad to win my third straight feature, and I would like to thank Flaco for their support," Glasford said. Kaleb Kinsler rocketed his way to a second place showing, while MCS newcomer No. 6 Parker Price-Miller took home a third place finish.
In the Nonwing feature, No. 15 Joe Leek raced his way to a big win. No. 2J Jacob Moore took second place honors, while No. 92 brought home a third place finish.
The last feature of the night was the seniors feature. The senior features victory went to Brookston's No.1 Bob Harrington. "It felt great to win tonight. This was my first win in five years," Harrington said. No. 22 Bob Baker raced to a strong second place showing, while No. 40 Mike Stahl brought home a third place finish.
There is more micro sprint racing this weekend. It's a special weekend of racing, as we race both Saturday (May 23th) and Sunday (May 24th). On Saturday, May 23th, MCS will run the Denny Miller Memoria Race. There's an additional bonus of $75 for the nonwing and open class winners. There's a $50 bonus, for the feature winners of juniors, restrictors, and seniors. Each class will pay a $15 bonus to the hard charger of each class. Each class pays $25 to start. We run our regular five feature program on Sunday, May 24th. Please bring the family and come watch great racing at the Miami County Speedway this weekend.
Expect a Wild Indy 500
Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Friday, May 22, 2009
From the crowds of screaming fans to Jim Nabor's traditional singing of "Back Home in Indiana", the 500 is a spectacular event. This year's 500 is no different. There are 33 drivers that are jumping at the chance to win the biggest race in the world.
Penske took the first two spots on the starting grid. Helio Castroneves had a blistering qualifying session, taking the pole with a 224.864 MPH lap average. Teammate Ryan Briscoe took the second spot, running a fast average of 224.083 MPH. Target Chip Ganassi racer and 2007 Indy 500 winner Dario Franchiti starts third, with an qualifying average of 224.010 MPH.
Going through the field, last year's Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon is starting 5th. "TK" Tony Kanaan took the 6th starting spot. Marco Andretti starts 8th, while Danica Patrick rolls out the top ten starters.
Indianapolis native Ed Carpenter will start 17th. 2005 Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon qualified his Panther Racing entry in the 18th place. I feel the 7th row will be the row to watch. It features AJ Foyt IV (19th), Indy 500 veteran Scott Sharp (20th), and Indiana racer Sarah Fisher (21st).
Tomas Scheckter put his #19 entry in the 26th starting spot, while another Indy veteran John Andretti will start 28th. Ryan Hunter-Reay was a last minute qualifier. He will occupy the 32th starting spot. There is a run down of highlighted IRL racers to watch for during the 2009 Indy 500.
Things to watch for are how the new drivers do in traffic. There are many newcomers to the Indy 500 this year, and it will be interesting to see how the newcomers do when they are flying down the front stretch at 220-225 MPH. It will be an exciting experience, that's for sure. Another thing to worry about is tire wear. This is always a big issue in racing, and it should be. Tire wear was great for the most of the teams during qualifying runs this month. I am excited to see how the wear holds up to race conditions. Another thing to look for in the late stages of the race is pit strategy. Every team wants to give their driver a chance at the checkers. This is a big race, so the front runners might try to employ some pit strategies.
It has been a great month of May. Now it's time to get the command and hit the big pedal on the left, otherwise known as the GAS!!! Bucket up and get ready to see one heck of an Indy 500!!!!
Friday, May 22, 2009
From the crowds of screaming fans to Jim Nabor's traditional singing of "Back Home in Indiana", the 500 is a spectacular event. This year's 500 is no different. There are 33 drivers that are jumping at the chance to win the biggest race in the world.
Penske took the first two spots on the starting grid. Helio Castroneves had a blistering qualifying session, taking the pole with a 224.864 MPH lap average. Teammate Ryan Briscoe took the second spot, running a fast average of 224.083 MPH. Target Chip Ganassi racer and 2007 Indy 500 winner Dario Franchiti starts third, with an qualifying average of 224.010 MPH.
Going through the field, last year's Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon is starting 5th. "TK" Tony Kanaan took the 6th starting spot. Marco Andretti starts 8th, while Danica Patrick rolls out the top ten starters.
Indianapolis native Ed Carpenter will start 17th. 2005 Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon qualified his Panther Racing entry in the 18th place. I feel the 7th row will be the row to watch. It features AJ Foyt IV (19th), Indy 500 veteran Scott Sharp (20th), and Indiana racer Sarah Fisher (21st).
Tomas Scheckter put his #19 entry in the 26th starting spot, while another Indy veteran John Andretti will start 28th. Ryan Hunter-Reay was a last minute qualifier. He will occupy the 32th starting spot. There is a run down of highlighted IRL racers to watch for during the 2009 Indy 500.
Things to watch for are how the new drivers do in traffic. There are many newcomers to the Indy 500 this year, and it will be interesting to see how the newcomers do when they are flying down the front stretch at 220-225 MPH. It will be an exciting experience, that's for sure. Another thing to worry about is tire wear. This is always a big issue in racing, and it should be. Tire wear was great for the most of the teams during qualifying runs this month. I am excited to see how the wear holds up to race conditions. Another thing to look for in the late stages of the race is pit strategy. Every team wants to give their driver a chance at the checkers. This is a big race, so the front runners might try to employ some pit strategies.
It has been a great month of May. Now it's time to get the command and hit the big pedal on the left, otherwise known as the GAS!!! Bucket up and get ready to see one heck of an Indy 500!!!!
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