This Summer Race Engines Roar Back to Life on the Historic Half Mile at Sedalia's State Fair Speedway!

By Sam Stoecklin

Track Announcer/PR

November 9, 2009

(Sedalia, MO) The wait is over; weekly dirt racing makes its return to the Historic Half Mile track at State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Missouri in 2010!  Jason Bodenhamer and Reid Millard, two familiar names within the racing community, will handle promotions and race operations at the speedway.  Bodenhamer's name is synonymous with racing.  As the son of legendary area driver and track owner Al Bodenhamer, Jason has carved out a successful driving career of his own piloting late models and modifieds on tracks throughout the Midwest and now he will add the title of promoter to his resume.  Reid Millard is a well-known area late model driver himself and a successful businessman based out of Jefferson City, Missouri.  Bodenhamer stated, "Race fans have longed for the return of racing to the historic half mile for quite some time and we are committed to providing fans and drivers a full schedule of weekly racing and special events."

Weekly racing kicks off on opening night, Friday, April 16th at the speedway in three race divisions, which include 360 Sprint Cars, Late Models, and A-Modifieds.  A week prior, on Saturday, April 10th, the track will hold a Test and Tune practice session for all competitors and is planning a car show for the same day.  "We have fourteen regular weeks scheduled at this time and we are furiously working to schedule various special events" said Bodenhamer.  He also stated "Our 360 Sprint Car division's rules are based off the WoW sprint car rules and we are currently working on finalizing rules for the late models.  Modified rules will fall right in line with standard A-Mod rules in the area with the exception of allowing the use of aluminum heads with fifty pounds of weight added in front of the engine mid plate.  Local driver Brian 'Ziggy' Ziegler will serve as the track's official technical inspector." 

 Bodenhamer is also well known in the racing community for holding the annual Bodee's Racer's Auction and Trade Show on the fairgrounds in Sedalia.  This year he will tie in several items on the agenda for the speedway with the annual event, which takes place on the weekend of January 30-31, 2010.  "We will have our rules, registration forms, and schedule of events ready to go by the time the auction comes around" stated Bodenhamer.  Karen Darling will serve as official scorer for the speedway; Darling brings with her over thirty-five years experience scoring race events.  Hershel Thompson will handle the flag stand at the speedway, like Darling, Thompson has well over thirty years of experience at various speedways serving as flag man.  Glenn Portzen will take care of track preparation at the speedway.  Additional track personnel are currently being lined up for the speedway.

The speedway will use a passing-points system and straight up pill draw to set lineups for regular Friday night action.  General admission will be $12 with special discounted rates for military personnel, senior citizens, and children.  Regular event start times include hot laps at 6:30 and racing getting underway at 7 P.M.

In the coming weeks, the speedway will make additional announcements regarding competition rules, an official track Web site, driver registration, and special events.  E-mail PRatSFS@live.com for additional information.  Potential business partners are urged to call Bodenhamer during normal business hours at (816) 230-8322 or by calling his mobile phone at (816) 522-8343 to make business arrangements.  Don't miss your chance to be part of the fast-approaching race season at Sedalia's State Fair Speedway!

-end-

Bryan Howland Crowned as First Three-Time Lucas Oil ASCS Patriot Champion

Over $30,000 Cash Handed Out at 2009 Awards Banquet

Rich Vleck, RUSH, NY (November 14, 2009)- In what turned out to be a banner year for the Lucas Oil ASCS Patriot Region, Bryan Howland was able to repeat as series champion and was able to take home nearly double the money he did last year.

Over 100 people were in attendance at the Wildwood Country Club in Rush, NY to see Bryan Howland take the Lion’s share of the $30,000 cash point fund paid out with the support of Lucas Oil, A-Verdi Storage Containers, Insinger Race Fuels, Hoosier Tire Canada, PJ Motorsports and Riverside Bar and Grill.

Howland, 22, of Auburn, NY, his family and his team sat at the front table once again Saturday Night at the 2009 Lucas Oil ASCS Patriot Awards banquet, as he became the first driver to ever collect a third series title with the Patriots.  In the process, Howland would collect a check of $6300 in year end point funds.

“There was a lot of tough competition this year,” admitted Howland about his path to his third title.  “Every race out was tough and Jared (Zimbardi) was strong for most of the year.”

After capturing $3205 as 2008 Champion, the pilot of the Filtrec Corporation/Maxim/ Jimmy D’s No. 51 nearly doubled that total in 2009 due in large part to his consistency in all areas of the tour.  With the inception of the “Lucas Oil Five Crown Tour” this season, $13,000 in mini-series money was up to grab, and Howland made sure to get a good slice of each.

Howland was one of just two drivers to finish in the top-10 in each of the Five Crown Series, and he was no worse than third in any of them.  Along the way he captured the King of OH/ PA $heriez and the Riverside Bar and Grill King of the St. Lawrence.

“At Eriez (after he won and locked up the regional and overall title), it was nice to finally sit back and reflect and celebrate on the season,” added Howland.  “It was a grueling tour out there and was non-stop until that point.”

As part of a new program in 2009, Howland captured a stunning trophy given to this year’s champion courtesy of Ohsweken Speedway and the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals.

Howland was able to secure the championship due in large part to his top-level performance in the final five races as he recorded two wins and three runner-ups to pull away to win by 149 points over Jared Zimbardi in what had been the tightest points race in Patriots history.

“I just can’t thank my dad for all of his work this year.  He is in the shop every night and makes sure the cars are ready to go”, added “Flyin Bryan, about his father who, John, who was recognized as the 2009 Mechanic of the Year.

Jared Zimbardi was the runner-up in the overall standings for the third straight season, but this year took home more money than he did in the last two years combined.  The Little Valley, NY driver was also formally crowned as the PJ Motorsports King of the Southern Tier.

Don Adamczyk and Bubba Broderick were third and fourth in the final standings, respectively, and joined Howland and Zimbardi in receiving awards for perfect attendance in 2009.  Adamczyk’s No. 21 was named the best appearing car for the sixth time in seven years and Broderick’s team was named the Patriots of the Year for their never-ending commutes from Connecticut.

The Breen Brothers, Bobby and Blake, took fifth and sixth in the standings, respectively.  Bobby also became the third different driver to capture the lucrative and prestigious A-Verdi Storage Containers King of Central New York, while Blake, the older of the Savannah, NY duo, was recognized as King of the Golden Horseshoe as well as having the worst average when drawing for heat races.

Gordy Button, Derek Jonathan, Chris Muhleisen and Scott Kreutter rounded out the top-10 in the overall point standings, with Kreutter also receiving an award to acknowledge his bad luck on the season.

Dave Wickham took home 11th in points, along with an award for perseverance while Brandan Warner completed the dedicated dozen and was declared the Most Outstanding Newcomer to the tour.

Devin Caron, of Cornwall, Ontario, was named the Insinger Racing Fuels Rookie of the Year and was presented his rookie jacket and eagle trophy.  Caron made a late season push to become Rookie of the Year Eligible.

Trevor Lewis was also in attendance to receive a number of honors, including being the Gater Racing News Hard Charger of the Season.  Despite missing more than half of the shows, the Upper Black Eddy, PA driver consistently went forward in A-Main competition.  Lewis was also presented a bonus check for capturing two events in the Holiday Weekend Bonus Program contested at Sharon and Eriez Speedways.

Photographer Jay Fish was awarded for his continued dedication to motorsports.  Gordy Button won a new set of Brodix Cylinder Heads and Bobby Breen took home a ratchet from PJ Motorsports as part of a random draw amongst the top-12 in points.

A good time was had by all in attendance as Hot Wings TV DVD’s allowed for some great story swapping before jumping in to one of the four Quicktime Simulators present to take on one another while after the season was over.

Regional Director Mike Emhof made it clear that the Patriot ship is sailing in the correct direction in 2010, with many of the same speedways and sponsors returning heading in to the next decade.  A number of new high-paying shows were also confirmed to get everyone excited for next spring.

The next stop during the off-season will be next week at the National Parts Peddler Trade Show and Auction in Syracuse, NY, where once again Bryan Howland’s No. 51 will be on display in the Lucas Oil ASCS Patriot Booth Friday through Sunday with Bryan making an appearance on Saturday.

For more information, visit www.ASCSpatriotsprints.com or www.ASCSracing.com

-end-

HUPPUNEN, PIERCE, BROWN, AND SAULT HONOURED AS 2009 OHSWEKEN CHAMPIONS

By Tommy Goudge (November 14, 2009) - The 2009 Ohsweken Speedway season was capped off in fine fashion on Saturday night with the annual awards banquet at the new Marritt Hall in Ancaster. Tom Huppunen was honoured as the second champion of the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division, while Shayne Pierce was crowned ESSO Thunder Stocks champion, Mitchell Brown claimed the ESSO Mini-Stock title, and Karl Sault was honoured as champion of the Bomber division.

CORR/PAK MERCHANDISING SPRINT CARS - AWARDS

HARD CHARGER
Tom Huppunen (passed 56 cars in feature race action)

“HARD LUCK”
Brad Malloy

DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION
Mikey Kruchka

BEST APPEARING CAR
Dain Naida

TEAM OF THE YEAR
Fred Cade and crew of the #12c

MOST IMPROVED DRIVER
Jamie Collard

SPORTSMANSHIP
Kevin Job

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Travis Cunningham

The Top 10 in the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Cars were:

1st – Tom Huppunen, Fenwick…Huppunen’s first year driving for Fred Cade went very well.  “The Fenwick Flyer” won six times in Corr/Pak action, including the $3,000 Northern Summer Nationals.  He also recorded nine top fives, and finished seventh or better in all twelve features, with an average feature finish of 2.92.

2nd – Kevin Job, Campbellville…Job took the win on September 4, and has now recorded a feature win in each of his four sprint car seasons.  Kevin competed in eleven Corr/Pak events in 2009, finishing in the top five on six occasions, and out of the top ten just twice.  His average feature finish was 5.64.

3rd – Glenn Styres, Ohsweken…Styres competed in eleven Corr/Pak events, finishing fifth or better seven times.  He recorded three runner-up finishes and an average feature finish of 7.18

4th – Dave Dykstra, Port Colborne…After a strong rookie season last year, Dykstra continued to improve in 2009.  He recorded ten straight finishes of ninth or better until a crash on September 4.  Dykstra returned the following week with a vengeance, taking his first ever sprint car feature win in dominating fashion.  His average feature finish was 7.08.

5th – Ryan Hunsinger, Brantford…”The Gunslinger” found victory lane twice in 2009 Corr/Pak action, and also recorded more heat race wins (five) than any other driver.  He found the top ten in half of his twelve races, and recorded an average feature finish of 8.08.

6th – Jamie Collard, Burford…After almost an entire season away from sprint car racing, Collard took the controls of Ray Ballantyne’s #27 in 2009 and came out flying.  Despite some mechanical trouble in May, Collard still recorded seven top ten finishes, and an average feature finish of 7.4.

7th – Keith Dempster, Alton…Dempster struggled in defense of his 2008 championship, but did take a feature win and seven top ten finishes in 2009.  The veteran driver recorded an average feature finish of 9.83.

8th – Mikey Kruchka, Hamilton…The sophomore sprint car driver looked poised to record his first career feature win in 2009, but a wild flip on August 7 was a setback.  Kruchka finished the year with six top ten finishes, and improved his position in the final standings after finishing ninth last year.  His average feature finish was 9.27.

9th – Travis Cunningham, Grimsby…Cunningham prevailed in a close race for the Rookie of the Year award, and became a threat for feature wins as the season progressed.  The former Modified competitor recorded eight top tens and an average feature finish of 10.5 this year.

10th – Dain Naida, Belleville, MI…The only American to finish in the top ten, Naida fought through some mechanical failures and a serious crash to record seven top ten finishes and a feature win this year.  His average feature finish was 10.0.

SPECIAL AWARDS

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY
Glenn Styres

ART HILL MEMORIAL AWARD
Mitchell Brown

Ohsweken Speedway would like to thank all the racers, fans, staff, sponsors, and everyone else who made 2009 the best season yet!  Weekly Friday Night Thunder action is again on tap for the fifteenth anniversary season in 2010.  It all begins on Friday, May 14, 2010.  Please visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com for more information.

-end-

Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Tour Champion Justin Barger to Appear at the National Parts Peddler Trade Show and Auction

SYRACUSE, NY – It’s the 30th annual National Parts Peddler Trade Show and Auction, a November tradition held at the New York State Fairgrounds.  Each year the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) makes an appearance and for this year’s version fans will get a special treat.

The 2009 tour champion will be making an appearance along with his title winning #32 Maxim sprinter.  Montrose, NY’s Justin Barger just collected his first ever ESS championship and he will be at the ESS booth for much of the weekend.  In a joint venture with Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Barger will have his Cortlandt Auto Body mount in display along with many safety gear that Behrent’s sells every day.

For the first time in many years, the annual awards banquet for the Lucas Oil backed tour will be the same weekend as the Parts Peddler.  Fans and vendors alike will find many ESS teams walking the aisles throughout the weekend as they will already be in town for the awards ceremony held at the Holiday Inn Carrier Circle on Saturday night.

Corky Stockham is one of the original, pioneer sponsors for ESS backing the group during the very first year in 1983 and many seasons beyond.  His National Parts Peddler Newspaper is a monthly publication that is favored among many in the motorsports fraternity.  Corky will be on hand all weekend greeting friends and competitors as well as thank vendors for making his show the largest of its kind in the Northeast.

November 20-22, are the dates, The Center of Progress Building is the site.  Parts Peddler, Lucas Oil ESS…the continued tradition of excitement guaranteed!!  For more information, please log on to www.partspeddlernews.net and www.empiresupersprints.com  

-end-

OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY ANNOUNCES MAJOR DATES FOR 2010

Reserved Seating Renewals Available Until December 31

Ohsweken Speedway is please to announce the gates will once again swing open to greet race fans for “Friday Night Thunder”. 360 Sprint Cars will headline the weekly program for the third year with the backing of Corr/Pak Merchandising Inc. Also returning to the regular program will be the Thunder Stocks and Mini Stocks on a weekly basis along with our entry level “BOMBERS” who will compete on the smaller inside oval.

Several major events appear on the 2010 schedule which is being prepared for release in its entirety early in the New Year.

Among them will be the return visit of the World of Outlaw Sprint series contesting the “Six Nations Showdown” on Friday & Saturday, July 30th and 31st for a pair of complete programs including qualifying, heats, dash, and main.

Closing out the season will be the 6th edition of the “Canadian Sprint Car Nationals” to be contested on the weekend on September 17th and 18th. This year $10,000 of a posted $65,000 plus purse awaits the winner of the main event that has been lengthened to 35 laps. The “A” Main will for the first time feature 30 of the finest 360 sprint cars in the north east paying $700 to take the green flag.

Please take note that fans who held reserved seat tickets for any or all of the above three races in 2009 will have until December 31st to renew the same seats for 2010. PLEASE CALL (1-888) 720-7223 or email Cheryl at pelkiekj@ebtech.net FOR ASSISTANCE.

Remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public January 5th on a first come, first serve basis.

Several other specials including the second annual “Northern Summer Nationals” on July 2nd dot the calendar. This year’s edition of the Summer Nationals will again feature a one day format using a passing point system through a series of qualifying events. Other sanctioned sprint car races for the Southern Ontario Sprints, the Empire Super Sprints, and the ASCS Patriots will also be featured during the summer with a new twist as CORR/Pak Sprints will be on each of these programs as a co sanctioning body pitting their best against our own. An Ontario Thunder Stock Open Championship is also in the early planning stages that will offer a huge payoff. And the return of the popular Dwarf Cars along with Vintage Car racing is also on tap.

Noticeably absent from the schedule are World of Outlaw Late Models and both UMP Late Models and Modifieds.

2010 rules for all classes will be posted on the official Ohsweken Speedway website at www.ohswekenspeedway.com in the near future. Ohsweken Speedway will also be participating in several off season shows including the CPT Racing Expo in London January 16 /17. Be sure to visit the website often for all of the latest news on these and other happenings as work continues toward opening day. Any questions should be directed to Ken Pelkie at (1-888) 720-7223 or email to pelkiekj@ebtech.net.

And finally, everyone is reminded that the annual awards banquet will take place on Saturday night, November 14th in Ancaster at the Merritt Hall located at the fairgrounds. Accomplishments of the 2009 season will be recognized with champions in all 4 divisions being crowned. Ticket information is available on the speedway website.

-end-

6th ANNUAL “VILLAGE PIZZA – OHSWEKEN SHOOTOUT” TO HAVE A NEW LOOK

When the Village Pizza – Ohsweken Shootout takes to the track to kick off weekend action September 17 / 18, 2010 for the 6th Annual “Arrow Express – Canadian Sprint Car Nationals”, fans will have a look at the best that all affiliate sanctioning bodies have to offer. For the first time, affiliate sanctioning bodies that do not have a chance to race a standalone show during the season at Ohsweken will be given an opportunity to hold a qualifier within their own region and send two representatives to the Shootout. Previously, each affiliate who held a standalone show during the season at Ohsweken would qualify the top three regulars as they crossed the finish line for the Shootout. The new format will give all affiliates an opportunity to select a race on their schedule as their qualifier and send their top two finishing regulars. “It opens the door for sanctioning bodies such as the NRA from Ohio or the Edmonton based ASCS CAN West Region to get in on the action” stated race organizer Ken Pelkie. “The race will now potentially have fourteen entries and remain 10 laps with $500 US going to the winner. The starting line-up will be determined by an “Outlaw Style” draw on the front stretch as part of the weekends opening ceremonies” Pelkie concludes.

The 6th annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals are scheduled to take place at Ohsweken Speedway on Saturday, September 18, 2010”. The Shootout will be first up as the cars gather for “The Night Before The Nationals” on Friday, September 17th.

The Friday portion of the weekend will once again feature the “Village Pizza – Ohsweken Shootout” for the sixth year along with a pair of 15 lap “A” Main’s that will guarantee the winners a position in the Saturday feature starting grid. Also on the Friday night card will be the fourth annual, Dave MacLeod Memorial – Mr. Sprint Car Challenge” which has proved to be a popular addition to the program since 2007.

Make your plans now to join us at Ohsweken Speedway on September 17 & 18, 2010 for the “Arrow Express - Canadian Sprint Car Nationals” weekend. Keep checking the official website of Ohsweken Speedway for more information that will be released in the coming months as event details are finalized.

-end-