50th ANNIVERSARY OF USAC RACING TO BE CELEBRATED IN GRAND STYLE

Minimum $10,000 Payday Awaits Victor of 50-Lap Main Event

ROSSBURG, OH (Feb. 3) – In celebration of the 50th anniversary of USAC (United States Auto Club) Sprint Car racing at Eldora Speedway, one giant night of racing, Saturday July 28, has been inked.     It will live up to the traditional Eldora standards of greatness, complete with a 50-lap finale to honor the benchmark occasion.  Completing the doubleheader program will be the winged National Racing Alliance Sprint Invaders, as announced this week by Eldora general manager Roger Slack.

“Fifty years of history, memories and traditions just can’t go unobserved – this calls for another fabled Eldora Experience,” stated Slack.

A whopping minimum $10,000 payday awaits the victor of the grueling chase around Eldora’s fabled high banks with $2,000 earmarked for a tenth place finish and a minimum of $1,000 to start the historic main event.    In continuing with Eldora’s respected trend of putting showmanship and excitement to the forefront, a special event format is being developed and will be released soon.

“The partnership between Eldora and USAC has been magic; one that has produced multiple storylines since that initial April 1962 event won by Stan Bowman.  Non-winged Sprint Car fans have been clamoring for more USAC Sprint racing at Eldora and this will certainly whet their appetite,” continued Slack in making the announcement.

Kevin Miller, CEO/President at USAC shared the excitement, "Eldora Speedway has seemed like home to USAC participants since its first USAC race in 1962," says Miller. "The history established there in the past 50 years is incredible and we certainly look forward to another 50 years of the same type of excitement the track has always generated. We salute Eldora for this initiative of honoring this rich tradition and expect a stellar field of drivers and cars for what will most certainly be one of the track's signature events."

Since Bowman took that checkered flag in April of 1962, another 180 USAC National Sprint Car races have been contested, with 70 different drivers tasting the flavor of an Eldora victory.

That win list is populated with many of the greatest names in open wheel, non-winged Sprint Car racing; including drivers that have gone from USAC events at Eldora to heralded National events such as the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500.   Recognized names include Gary Bettenhausen, Mario Andretti, Roger McCluskey, Johnny Rutherford, Larry Dickson and of course, current Eldora Speedway owner and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart.

Atop the list is a name even more common and recognizable to grassroots fans – Jack Hewitt from nearby Troy, Ohio.  The colorful and outspoken Hewitt has amassed 13 USAC Sprint Car wins at Eldora, four more than his nearest rival, Larry Dickson.

Additional details and ticket information for the storied event will be released through the track’s website www.EldoraSpeedway.com.    The targeted date for ticket sales is Monday, March 19; through the Eldora box office at (937) 338-3815 or online.

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SPRINTS RETURN TO MICHIGAN’S I-96 SPEEDWAY AUGUST 10

The USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series returns to Michigan August 10 for a race at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa. The race will be the first for the series on dirt in the Great Lakes State in 16 years!

The August 10 date is coupled with an already-announced August 11 race at Hartford Motor Speedway. Jay Drake won USAC’s last Sprint race at Hartford in 2000.

Mark Cassella won the last USAC Sprint race on the dirt in  Michigan, a 30-lapper at I-96, which has hosted the series five times. Jack Hewitt won three of those and is one of only two drivers to record multiple USAC wins in Michigan in 25 previous appearances. The other is Eric Gordon, who also won three features.

Michigan has proven to be one of the most unpredictable states in USAC history. IN 25 races there, 21 different winners have emrged! Jud Larson won the inaugural at Berlin Raceway in 1959 and Clauson won the most recent, also at Berlin in 2010. In all classes, a total of exactly 100 different drivers have won USAC races in the state of Michigan.

"We are incredibly excited to bring these guys back to Michigan,” adds I-96 race organizer Mike Mouch. “We know it will be a spectacular night of dirt track racing! This weekend will be a big deal for Michigan racing!"

“We hope this starts a new era of USAC racing in the state,” says USAC’s Jason McCord, who has competed at the Lake Odessa oval. “

The 2012 AMSOIL National Srrint Car Series opens February 9-11 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla. and encompasses nearly 50 races across the country.

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DYNAMICS FIELDING OCALA SPRINTS FOR BACON & HAGEN; BENIC SELECTS EAST; WALKER & DARLAND TEAM FOR 2012 OPENERS

New driver/car combinations are expected to be highlights of next week’s 2012 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car openers at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla.

“Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” presented by eBay Motors will showcase USAC’s finest in three consecutive nights of racing on the one-third-mile dirt oval and a healthy list of entries has already revealed some new combinations.

Dynamics, Inc. of Milford, Ohio, the winningest team in USAC Sprint Car history, will seek wins #79, 80 or 81 and will field a pair of entries, driven by Oklahoma hot-shoe Brady Bacon and USAC Pavement Midget Champion Darren Hagen. Hagen has six career USAC Sprint wins and Bacon two.

Scott Benic of Fairmount, Ind., returns as a full-time car owner with driver Bobby East, whose 14 career wins include his first on dirt which came last year at Bechtelsville, Pa. Benic earned USAC’s “Chief Mechanic of the Year” honors in 2005 as he orchestrated the first of Levi Jones’ record five USAC titles.

Jeff Walker Racing of Noblesville, Ind. has selected Dave Darland to pilot its Ocala entry. Darland has 34 career USAC Sprint feature victories and won the series crown in 1999. Dave is one of only five USAC “Triple Crown Champions” who own championships in all three USAC National racing series.

Another newcomer to watch at Ocala will be C.J. Leary of Greenfield, Ind., the son of 1997 Hoosier Hundred winner Chuck Leary, who will make his series debut in a family-owned car.

“Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” presented by eBay Motors unfolds Thursday through Saturday (Feb. 9-11) following an open practice session at the track on Wednesday night and a special Wednesday pre-race party at the Ocala WingHouse restaurant.

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LEVI JONES OPENS PURSUIT OF USAC TITLE #8 WITH A.J. FOYT’S ALL-TIME RECORD OF 11 THE TARGET

Levi Jones of Olney, Ill. appears ready to challenge one of USAC’s most revered all-time records. That pursuit begins February 9-11 when the AMSOIL National Sprint Cars open their 2012 campaign with ‘Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla.

The 2011 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Champion and Traxxas Silver Crown king now owns seven USAC National Championships and only one driver stands between him and the top of the pyramid – A.J. Foyt.

Driving for NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart, Jones has reeled off four titles in the past two years and is tied with Mel Kenyon and Rich Vogler with seven National crowns, four behind Foyt’s record of 11. Foyt owns seven National Championships in Indy cars, three in Stock Cars and one in Silver Crown. Jones has two Silver Crown titles in addition to his five in the Sprint cars.

Jones scored three victories on his way to the 2011 Sprint title and now has 27 career wins in USAC’s tough Sprint series. He has yet to win in the Sunshine State, however, finishing seventh and fifth in two 2010 races at East Bay Raceway Park and a fourth, ninth and third at Ocala last year.

“Just having a chance to challenge A.J. on the all-time list is something I never even dreamed about,” admits Levi. “I’m sure when he was winning all those races and championships back then he probably didn’t think much about all-time records either, so it’s not something I dwell on. I’ve had a great run the past couple of years but it’s hard to stay on top. The team Tony has assembled has sure made my job easier and it’s a pleasure to approach each race with a chance to win. Ocala offers a challenge unlike some other tracks we go to, with a different type surface which makes car set-up a primary objective. We’ve qualified well there but things seem to change by the time the feature rolls around. This year we have a different game plan so we’ll see how it works out.”

Levi has plenty of competition in the upcoming Ocala races, with drivers like USAC National Drivers Champion Bryan Clauson and Damion Gardner, the winners at Ocala last year, plus drivers like Tracy Hines, Jon Stanbrough, Dave Darland and others.

“Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” open the 2012 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car calendar, which spans nearly 50 events across America.

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HINES, DARLAND RESUME “ACTIVE” VICTORY LEAD BATTLE IN “BUBBA’S WINTER DIRT GAMES” FEBRUARY 9-11 AT OCALA

Tracy Hines and Dave Darland will resume their battle for the all-time USAC National feature victory lead among “active” drivers when the 2012 USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series opens February 9-11 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla.

“Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” will feature three complete nights of sprint car action on the exciting 3/8-mile dirt oval. The races are the first of nearly 50 on the 2012 USAC AMSOIL calendar.

Hines sits atop the “active” lead with 77 total wins (41 in Sprints, 28 in Midgets and eight in Silver Crown). Darland is just one back with 76 (34 in Sprints, 28 in Midgets and 14 in Silver Crown). Hines ranks seventh on the all-time USAC list, while Darland is tied with Jack Hewitt for eighth. They are chasing Bob Wente’s total of 79, then will challenge Tom Bigelow’s total of 81 and Gary Bettenhausen’s total of 82. Mel Kenyon has 111, Rich Vogler 134 and A.J. Foyt 154.

Hines failed to crack the “top-10” in his three Ocala appearances last year. Darland likewise was unable to crack the “top-10” in his two 2011 Ocala starts.

Damion Gardner won twice at Ocala in 2011 and Bryan Clauson also was victorious. Both are expected to be in the field Hines and Darland will face.

Both Hines and Darland are former series champions (Hines in 2002 and Darland in 1999). Hines’ last USAC Sprint win came at Dodge City, Kans. Last August. Darland won at Gas City, Ind. last July.

Defending five-time AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Champion Levi Jones holds the 1-lap Ocala track qualifying record of 14.758 seconds set last year. He recorded a third, fourth and ninth in last year’s three Ocala events.

A practice session on Wednesday night, followed by a pre-race party for participants and fans at the Ocala WingHouse kick off the activities prior to the Florida openers.

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Dirt Midget Association Finalizes Details, Plans Full 2012 Schedule at Bear Ridge Speedway
 
BY MARK McKEON
 
ELLINGTON, CT – The USAC Dirt Midget Association (DMA) held its final pre-season meeting at Seals-It headquarters on Sunday and reviewed plans for an every-other-week schedule at Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, VT.  More than 60 current and potential members were on hand.
 
New drivers and car owners were introduced, technical issues were discussed and a question and answer period was held, prior to a complimentary lunch.  “We came a long way in our first season,” New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame Member and DMA leader Ray Miller said, “and with additional cars, our second season should be even better.”
 
The additional members from Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut provide every indication that weekly fields should run between 20 and 25 cars.
 
“We need to take the momentum that we ended with last season, and carry it forward to the start of next season,” Bear Ridge owner/operator Butch Elms observed.  “I know that your organization has grown and I can promise that the track will be ready for you.”
 
The USAC DMA season will begin on Saturday May 5 with the Jiffy Mart of Bradford Car Show, followed by KDD NAPA of Bradford Opening Night with double points at the speedway.
 
“Butch Elms and April May Preston have given DMA a home at Bear Ridge Speedway, and I just can’t wait to get back home on May 5th,” said DMA leader and Hall of Famer Skip Matczak.
 
Check out the Bear Ridge Speedway website at bearridgespeedway.com and the USAC DMA website at dmaracing.org for the latest info and updates.

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TRI-CITY SPRINT DATE MOVED TO AUGUST 31

The USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car date originally tentatively set for September 7 at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill. has been moved one week to August 31 due to scheduling conflicts.

The date change sets up a back-to-back weekend of racing at Tri-City and the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track, which has the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Cars scheduled on September 1. The September 7 date will continue to be reserved for a possible event at another venue.

The 3/8-mile dirt Tri-City oval, which has hosted the USAC Gold Crown Midget Nationals since 2008, is no stranger to USAC Sprint Car racing. A total of 20 races have been held there since 1967, with Greg Weld and Ralph Liguori winning in 1967 and Weld again in 1968. Subsequent races have been won by Rick Hood (1984), Randy Standridge (1985), Kelly Kinser (1988), Steve Butler (1989), Sammy Swindell and Jack Hewitt (1990), Doug Wolfgang (3), Danny Smith (2) and Hewitt (1991), Tony Stewart (1995), Jay Drake (2000), Troy Rutherford (2003), Drake again in 2005 and most recently Josh Wise in 2006.

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1 MONTH TO USAC’S 2012 DEBUT AT OCALA

The debut of the 2012 USAC racing season is only a month away and defending USAC National Drivers Champion Bryan Clauson and AMSOIL National Sprint Car Champion Levi Jones are ready for action.

“Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” presented by eBay Motors at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Florida is the venue for three nights of action-packed competition beginning on Thursday night, February 9 and concluding on Saturday night, February 11.

Clauson is aiming at a third consecutive NDC title, while Jones hopes to extend his record Sprint car championship success to a sixth crown. Clauson started the 2011 campaign with a win, a third and an 11th in the three Ocala races, while Jones had a third, fourth and ninth.

Damion Gardner won the Thursday and Saturday races at Ocala last season and was fourth on Friday. He’ll aim for a “clean sweep” this time around, having won four of the last five USAC Sprint features conducted in the state of Florida. His next win will make him the winningest USAC driver ever in the state, surpassing Andy Linden’s four Midget wins, a record which has endured since 1957.

“I can’t wait to get back to Ocala,” admits The Demon (Gardner). “It has that special event feeling and always gives the race fans a great show. As far as doing well in Florida I guess it relates to being hungry at the start of the season. After the layoff it’s always good to get re-charged and I’ve always seemed to do well right out of the box at new venues. Being quick out of the gate certainly puts us in the position of contending for the championship and with my team intact from last year I plan to make another run for it. I’ve heard there have been some track changes so that should make for some interesting racing.”

The Ocala races open an ambitious 45-race calendar for the AMSOIL Sprint Cars in 2012, appearing at 26 different tracks in 16 states. A special practice session and welcoming party are planned at Ocala on Wednesday night, February 8 and the Florida Mini Sprints will also compete all three nights on the 3/8-mile dirt oval.

USAC’s first-ever Sprint race occurred in Florida in 1956, with Bob Sweikert winning at Southland Speedway in West Palm Beach.

Tickets for “Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” are now available online at www.usacracing.com. Click on the “online store” and then click on “tickets” for a special $60 three-night pass.

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2012 USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR PREVIEW & SCHEDULE
by Lance Jennings
 
SANTA MARIA, CA – DECEMBER 21, 2011... Series Promoter Chris Kearns has released the 2012 Schedule for the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars. The Central California based group is poised for seventeen nights of action, starting with their debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In addition to Tulare, Hanford, and Santa Maria, the series will return to Bakersfield and make their first "official" appearance at Peoria, Arizona's Canyon Speedway Park.
 
The "Sin City Showdown" at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway will kickoff the campaign on Thursday, March 8th. Held during NASCAR weekend and showcased with the famed World of Outlaw Sprint Cars, the non-point event opens a three race mini-series with the ASCS Canyon Sprints. Featuring a $2500-to-win and $300-to-start purse, the mini-series dates will be a "must see" for race fans. For more information on the Las Vegas race, visit lvms.com.
 
Steve Faria's Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare has four dates on the schedule. In addition to the March 17th show with the World of Outlaws, the non-wing 360s will share the spotlight with the King of the West Sprint Cars on April 14th and June 2nd. For details on the Tulare events, visit tularethunderbowl.com.
 
Scott Schweitzer's Bakersfield Speedway will feature the USAC West Coast 360s on March 24th. This will mark the group's first race at “The West’s Fastest 1/3-Mile High Banked Clay Oval" since June 19, 2010 when local favorite Ricky Kirkbride scored the win. For more information on the Bakersfield show, visit bakersfieldspeedway.com.
 
Starting on April 7th, Scott Woodhouse's Kings Speedway in Hanford has five shows on the calendar. The 3/8-mile facility will host the popular "Jim Evett Memorial" on July 14th with the winged 410 King of the West Sprint Cars. The "Jim Turner Memorial" is set for September 8th and the 27th Annual "Cotton Classic" will close out the schedule on October 13th. For more details on the Hanford events, visit giantchevroletspeedway.com.
 
Chris Kearns' Santa Maria Speedway will host five dates of the 2012 campaign. The $2500-to-win "War at the Shore" on July 7th will be the second co-sanctioned "challenge" with the ASCS Canyon Sprints. The "Billet Cup" on September 29th is a special non-point race that will add spice to the schedule. For information on the Santa Maria shows, visit racesantamariaspeedway.com.
 
Kevin Montgomery's Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Arizona will host their first "official" date for the USAC West Coast 360s on September 22nd. The non-point "Brawl for it All" closes out the mini-series with the ASCS Canyon Region and has a $2500-to-win and $300-to-start purse. The 3/8-mile facility is also home to the "Winter Challenge," a series starting on January 27th that showcases six races in nine days. For more details on the Canyon event and the "Winter Challenge" series, visit canyonspeedwaypark.com.
 
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series would like to thank 2011 series sponsors Southwest Contractors, Hoosier Tire, Amsoil, BR Motorsports, ButlerBuilt, Competition Suspension Inc., Cory Kruseman's Sprint Car & Midget Driving School, Crow Enterprizes, DJ Safety, Extreme Mufflers, Hilborn Fuel Injection, Hinchman-Indy Racing Uniforms, Integra Shocks, Kaeding Performance, Keizer Wheels, King Racing Products, Port City Racing, Rod End Supply, Saferacer.com, Saldana Racing Products, and Sander Engineering for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series for the upcoming 2012 season, please email PR Director Lance Jennings at lwjennings@earthlink.net.
 
For more information on the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series, please visit westcoastsprintcars.com, usacracing.com, racesantamariaspeedway.com, or follow the series on facebook.
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2012 USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
 
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
March 8: *Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Las Vegas, NV (Non-Points)
March 17: Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
March 24: Bakersfield Speedway - Bakersfield, CA
April 7: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA
April 14: Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
April 21: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA
May 5: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA
May 12: Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
June 2: Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway - Tulare, CA
June 23: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA
July 7: *Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA
July 14: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA
August 4: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA
September 8: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA
September 22: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Non-Points)
September 29: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA (Non-Points)
October 13: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event With ASCS Canyon Region Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.

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