AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: February 8, 2010 – Gibsonton, Florida – East Bay Raceway Park - “Bubba Army Sprint Nationals”

QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Brady Short, 36, Short-15.027; 2. Bryan Clauson, 2B, RWB-15.115; 3. Damion Gardner, 71, DG-15.275; 4. Shane Cottle, 10E, Edison-15.395; 5. Casey Riggs, 37, Indiana Underground-15.437; 6. Thomas Meseraull, 4G, Cook-15.483; 7. Chris Windom, 11, Walker-15.589; 8. Caleb Armstrong, 7, Tucker-15.590; 9. Shane Hmiel, 17, 56 Inc.-15.596; 10. Jon Stanbrough, 53, Fox-15.672; 11. Ricky Williams, 11w, Williams-15.809; 12. Jerry Coons Jr., 69, Dynamics-15.818; 13. Dave Darland, 67k, Kunz-15.828; 14. Jeff Bland Jr., 38, Bland-15.951; 15. Levi Jones, 20, Stewart-15.982; 16. Robert Ballou, 81, MPHG-16.055; 17. Tracy Hines, 24, Parker-16.128; 18. Kyle Cummins, 4u, Wild Ride-16.297; 19. Justin Grant, 5B, Baldwin-16.303; 20. Hunter Schuerenberg, 2, Epperson-16.323; 21. Kent Christian, 1c, Christian-16.329; 22. Henry Clarke, 67, Kunz-16.360; 23. Brett Burdette, 17B, Burdette-16.437; 24. Alex Shanks, 39w, Wade-16.439; 25. Bobby East, 5, Klatt-16.513; 26. Kurt Gross, 1x, Gross-17.061; 27. Mike Weber, 22w, Weber-17.226; 28. Eric Smith, 14, Smith-17.415; 29. Shane Wade, 66, Wade-17.427; 30. Rob Chaney, 9x, SC-17.460; 31. Frank Carlsson, 20x, Carlsson-17.738; 22. Dwayne Spille, 71s, Spille-18.154.

FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Hmiel, 2. Hines, 3. Christian, 4. Short, 5. Darland, 6. East, 7. Wade, 8. Riggs. 4:26.00

SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Clarke, 2. Clauson, 3. Cummins, 4. Bland, 5. Stanbrough, 6. Meseraull, 7. Gross, 8. Chaney. 4:58.00

THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Grant, 2. Williams, 3. Jones, 4. Gardner, 5. Burdette, 6. Windom, 7. Weber, 8. Carlsson. NT

FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Schuerenberg, 2. Coons, 3. Ballou, 4. Cottle, 5. C.Armstrong, 6. Shanks, 7. Smith, 8. Spille. 4:29.00

SEMI: (12 laps) 1. Riggs, 2. Windom, 3. Stanbrough, 4. C.Armstrong, 5. Darland, 6. Burdette, 7. East, 8. Gross, 9. Smith, 10. Chaney, 11. Shanks, 12. Wade, 13. Weber, 14. Carlsson, 15. Spille, 16. Meseraull. NT

FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Damion Gardner, 2. Bryan Clauson, 3. Brady Short, 4. Shane Cottle, 5. Jon Stanbrough, 6. Casey Riggs, 7. Levi Jones, 8. Robert Ballou, 9. Dave Darland, 10. Shane Hmiel, 11. Tracy Hines, 12. Jerry Coons Jr., 13. Henry Clarke, 14. Chris Windom, 15. Justin Grant, 16. Hunter Schuerenberg, 17. Kent Christian, 18. Brett Burdette, 19. Caleb Armstrong, 20. Bobby East, 21. Kyle Cummins, 22. Ricky Williams, 23. Jeff Bland Jr. NT

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Gardner.

NEW AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT POINTS: 1-Gardner-69; 2-Clauson-69; 3-Short-65; 3-Cottle-59; 5-Riggs-51; 6-Stanbrough-50; 7-Jones-48; 8-Ballou-45; 9-Hmiel-41; 10-Hines-38.

NEXT AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT RACE: February 9 – Gibsonton, FL – East Bay Raceway Park – “Bubba Army Sprint Nationals”

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2ND ANNUAL COWTOWN MIDGET CHAMPIONSHIPS OPEN 2010 USAC/SMRS “GREAT PLAINS” SERIES

The 2010 USAC/SMRS “Great Plains Midget Series” opens this weekend at Cowtown Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas and Brad Loyet of Sunset Hills, Mo. is the defending series champion.

A 30-lap feature caps Saturday’s activities at the “fastest li’l dirt track in Texas.” A 35-lapper is on tap Sunday at the quarter-mile dirt oval. Racing starts at 4 pm Saturday and at 1 pm Sunday.

Brady Bacon and Bryan Clauson won last year’s inaugural Cowtown features. Last year’s USAC/SMRS series produced a dozen different feature winners, with Loyet grabbing six checkered flags.

In addition to the spectacular racing action, the popular “fan fest” returns to Cowtown Speedway on Saturday from noon until 1:15 pm. Ticket holders for Saturday’s race will be allowed into the pit area during that time to meet with the race teams, get autographs, apparel, pictures and much more.

This year’s USAC/SMRS series then continues April 30 in conjunction with the National series at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill.

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9 WINNING DRIVERS FROM 2009 IN FIELD FOR “BUBBA ARMY SPRINT NATIONALS” AT TAMPA

At least nine drivers who posted USAC feature victories during 2009 are among entered drivers for the “Bubba Army Sprint Nationals” starting tonight at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla. The Amsoil USAC National Sprint Cars take to the 3/8-mile dirt oval for three straight nights of competition opening the 2010 USAC National racing calendar.

The nine aforementioned drivers accounted for 30 USAC victories a year ago. They include Jerry Coons, Jr. of Tucson, Ariz., whose six wins topped the list. Coons will be trying to add an all-time record 74th National Sprint victory for the Dynamics, Inc. racing team from Milford, Ohio.

Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ind. won five USAC races in 2009, Followed by Bobby East of Brownsburg, Ind. and defending National Sprint Champ Levi Jones of Olney, Ill. (4 each). Caleb Armstrong and Tracy Hines of New Castle, Ind. each scored three wins last year, while Jon Stanbrough of Avon, Ind. and Damion Gardner of Concord, Calif. won twice. Shane Hmiel of Pleasant Garden, N.C. won once. Not all of these victories were in Sprint cars, but sprinkled through USAC’s various racing series.

A 30-lap feature race is on tap tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday at the track located in southern Tampa. It marks the first time USAC’s Sprint cars have ever competed at East Bay and the first time they’ve appeared on dirt in Florida since 1987.

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JULY 31 “FREEDOM 40” MARKS USAC SPRINT RETURN TO K-C

The “Freedom 40” on July 31 will mark the return of USAC Sprint car racing to K-C Raceway in Alma, Ohio. The race is part of the 2010 Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series.

Dave Darland, who won the last race at K-C 16 years ago, is excited about the return engagement at the 3/8-mile dirt oval.

“I remember it was a real nice track,” says Darland, who hasn’t been back to K-C since his victory. “It had a nice cushion and a lot of banking. That night, the cushion was the place to be and it worked for me. I don’t remember passing a lot of people so I must have led most of the race. It’ll be fun to go back and I’m sure we’ll put on a great show for the fans.”

Jeff Schrader, the track owner, is also excited about the return of USAC racing to his track. “Our fans are really ready for this,” he says. “We’re getting a lot of chatter about this event and they all say they can’t wait to see the USAC stars return. I was at the Four Crown Nationals at Eldora last September and was really impressed with the competition there. Our fans are familiar with the “Freedom 40” since the race name has a 10-12 year history here at K-C.”

The July 31 race will be the sixth USAC Sprint race at K-C. Jack Hewitt won races there in 1992 and 1993, while Kelly Kinser won in 1991 and Kenny Jacobs won the inaugural in 1987.

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2010 USAC “NATIONAL DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP” ANNOUNCED

The United States Auto Club announced today a new “National Drivers Championship” which will recognize extraordinary performance in 2010 for drivers competing in USAC Racing’s National Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midget Championships. The new National Driving Championship is being instilled to complement the tradition of awarding Championships in each of USAC’s three pillar series.

For 2010, the “National Drivers Championship” will calculate points earned based on performance in all three National Series combined. Of the eighty-eight potential races between the three national series (Silver Crown, Sprints & Midgets), USAC will tally points for the best 25 finishes of competitors for recognizing the new overall National Driving Champion.

The National Drivers Champion will be awarded with a year-end payout of $40,000 for the first place alone. A large fund has been established for the top 10 finishing competitors of the National Driving Championship. The total point fund for the three National series combined is being increased by 35% in 2010, with the increase benefitting both car owners and drivers with USAC’s 50/50 points fund structure.

“The new National Drivers Championship has been established to bring fan focus to our top drivers and allow for expanded marketing efforts,” stated Kevin Miller, CEO of USAC Racing. “During 2009, we ran a parallel points structure which proved to have a close top 10 race and dramatic finish for the season. This will now allow a competitor with just a dirt sprint car or midget, or one with a pavement concentration, to compete for a USAC Championship.”

Also for 2010, along with the overall National Sprint Car and Midget Championships, USAC will recognize dirt and pavement points leader car entrants in each of these series at their annual “Night of Champions” banquet scheduled for December 3 at the eloquent Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis.

USAC Championships have a storied past and are recognized among the sports most iconic thresholds. Past USAC National Champions include Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Al and Bobby Unser, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne.

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JEFF STOOPS ELECTED USAC RACING CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

The United States Auto Club (USAC Racing) announced today significant changes to its Board of Directors, including the election of Jeff Stoops as Chairman, replacing the retiring John Capels.

Stoops is a long-standing USAC Board Member and former car owner whose achievements include the 1987 and 1988 USAC National Sprint Car Owner championships. He fills the seat vacated by Capels, who ends an eight-year tenure as Chairman. Capels served as USAC’s President from 1998-2002. Stoops is President of Stoops Freightliner, one of North America’s largest dealers with locations throughout Indiana and Ohio.

Additionally, the Board nominated Charlie Mancuso, President of Feld Motorsports, to the USAC Board of Directors. Mancuso oversees one of the world’s leading producer and promoter of motorsports, including Monster Jam Series, AMA Supercross Series, AMA Arenacross Series, Freestyle Motocross, Nuclear Cowboyz and Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series sanctioned by IHRA.

Mr. Mancuso joins many prominent members which comprise the current USAC Board of Directors including Tony George, Brett Frood, EVP of Stewart-Haas Racing, Curt Brighton, CEO of Hulman & Company, Sterling Pratz, CEO of Autonet Mobile, Peter Morse, Partner at Barnes & Thornburg, and Ricky Johnson, seven time AMA Motorcyle Champion.

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NEW RIDES ABOUND FOR TAMPA SPRINT OPENERS

Several drivers will be in new or relatively new seats when the 2010 Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series arrives at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla. for the “Bubba Army Sprint Nationals” February 8-10.

Dave Darland, Bryan Clauson, Tracy Hines, Chris Windom, Cole Carter, Kyle Cummins and Justin Grant are among early entries who will be “sorting out” new rides in the three-night non-winged spectacular at the 3/8-mile dirt oval on the south side of Tampa.

Darland will make his first appearance in the Keith Kunz sprinter in six years, while Clauson hops into the RWB Motorsports #2B vacated by Darland after the 2009 season. Hines will pilot an entry for Bob Parker, for whom he drove selected Midget races in 2009. Cole Carter and Kyle Cummins are entered in Steve Stapp entries and Justin Grant makes his debut in the Baldwin Brothers entry. Carter’s father Pancho and uncle Dana both piloted Stapp entries during their USAC Sprint car careers.

The “Bubba Army Sprint Nationals” are part of the track’s 34th Winternationals and mark the first time USAC Sprint cars have raced on dirt in the Sunshine State since Rich Vogler’s victory at the Florida State Fairgrounds 23 years ago.

Stapp’s entries continue a long tradition of family involvement in the sport. Steve ranks second all-time in terms of USAC National feature wins with 51, while Dynamics, Inc., who will field a car for Jerry Coons Jr. at East Bay, is the all-time leader at 74.

A special “match race” for the news media in four-cylinder stocks is planned during Monday night’s (Feb. 8) activities, with the participants to be announced soon.

The Tampa races officially open USAC’s 2010 National racing calendar, which continues with a Silver Crown/Sprint/Midget tripleheader February 19-20 at USA Raceway Park in Tucson, Ariz. (the “Copper on Dirt”) and Sprint/Midget doubleheaders February 25 at Las Vegas, Nev. and Feb. 27 at Perris, Calif.

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CLAUSON TRIPLES HIS ODDS FOR COPPER ON DIRT VICTORY

Bryan Clauson will triple his chances for a victory at USA Raceway’s 4th Annual Copper on Dirt as he enters the event with a seat for all three divisions.  While he is among many drivers planning to do triple duty, Clauson is arguably the guy to beat in 2010.
 
Notably one of the hottest open wheel drivers in the country going into 2010, Clausen will look to resume his success of 2009 and likely gain distance from a field of some of the best open wheel racers in the country.  Twenty year old Clauson has the accomplishments of a seasoned veteran after racking up an incredible year filled with more than 20 victories in Sprint Car and Midget competition including the Belleville Midget Nationals, USAC Indiana Midget Week Champion, The Night Before the Brickyard, The Turkey Night Grand Prix and the Glenn Howard Memorial to name a few.
 
The 2009 National Midget Driver of The Year will come to Tucson driving the familiar Corey Tucker owned Parker Stone Company/Esslinger Midget entry that has been a stable of success. Clauson will add to his arsenal by joining the stout RWB Sprint Car team fielded by Scott Benic and a very powerful Tony Stewart Silver Crown team.  This will mark the first Copper on Dirt start for the Sprint car portion of the event and the first ever Silver Crown start for Clauson.
 
“I can’t wait for this event,” commented Clauson.  “I am really excited to get down to Tucson and get the 2010 season under way.”
 
The 4th Annual “Copper on Dirt” featuring USAC Silver Crown, USAC National/CRA Sprint Cars and USAC National/Western States Midgets all taking part in a sensational racing spectacle at Tucson’s USA Raceway’s for two nights on February 19thand 20th marking USA Raceway as one of only two dirt track venues to host USAC’s Triple Crown all in one event.
 
As the 2010 racing season goes into to full swing, USAC championship hopefuls will make their way west to start the year off at one of the premier events of the season.  More than a hundred of the nations top open wheel teams are anticipated to take part in the 4th Annual “Copper on Dirt” making this a must see event of 2010. 
 
Ticket pricing, seating charts and purchasing information can be found online at http://www.usaraceway.net/Uploads/CopperOnDirtTicketForm.pdf or by calling the USA Raceway office at 520-574-8515
 
Hotel Information can be found at www.usaraceway.net/lodging.php or by calling the Tucson Airport Courtyard by Marriott at 520-573-0000
 
USA Raceway is located east of Tucson off I-10 exit 265, then 1.6 miles south on Craycroft Road, which turns into Los Reales. 

For more information please, contact the track at 520-574-8515 or additional information regarding USA Raceway can be found at http://www.usaraceway.net
 
Mississippi’s Ricky Stenhouse became the first and only driver to win multiple “Copper on Dirt” features in a single year.  Stenhouse set the bar high at the inaugural “Copper on Dirt” by winning back to back races in the 40-lap sprint car feature and finishing off the night by capturing the 50-lap USAC Silver Crown Feature.
 
California native, Darren Hagen, is the only other driver to win in two divisions with a midget victory in 2008 and a sprint car win in 2009.  Hagen will lead the USAC trio into Tucson as the defending “Copper on Dirt” Sprint Car Champion while Brad Sweet and Bud Kaeding will likely set out to defend the USAC Midget and Silver Crown titles respectively.  Hagen also leads the “Copper on Dirt” stats with 8 of 9 feature starts (Did not participate in 2007 Silver Crown portion) and an average finish of 5th in 8 total events.

Past Copper on Dirt Winners:
2007 USAC Midgets - Cory Kruseman
2007 USAC Sprint Cars - Ricky Stenhouse
2007 USAC Silver Crown - Ricky Stenhouse
2008 USAC Midgets – Darren Hagen
2008 USAC Sprint Cars – Shane Cottle
2008 USAC Silver Crown – Jerry Coons Jr.
2009 USAC Midgets – Brad Sweet
2009 USAC Sprint Cars – Darren Hagen
2009 USAC Silver Crown – Bud Kaeding

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4 CALIFORNIA DIRT TRACKS HOST NEW “360 SPRINT” SERIES

The brand-new USAC 360 Sprint Car Series debuts in 2010 at four California dirt tracks and with a $20,000 point fund race fans are assured of extremely competitive racing.

USAC, Hoosier Racing Tire and SouthWest Contractors have joined to present the new series, which is expected to continue to elevate non-wing sprint car racing in the Golden State.

“We expect some heavy hitters to compete in this new series,” says coordinator Chris Kearns. “I am excited about the possibilities this series presents and I expect west coast racing to benefit from the opportunities it will create.”

Santa Maria Speedway, Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Bakersfield Speedway and Giant Speedway in Hanford are the venues for the 20-race series, which will include a four-race SouthWest Contractors Mini-Series featuring one race at each track. The mini-series will carry its own $5,000 point fund.

In 1998 USAC last conducted dirt-track 360 Sprint races in California under the banner “Regional Rebels” and Hanford’s Monte Faccinto earned the championship with seven feature victories.

The series opens on March 6 at Tulare and is scheduled to conclude October 2 at Tulare. In between are three additional Tulare dates, six races at Santa Maria, five at Hanford and four at Bakersfield.

The 2010 USAC 360 Sprint Series calendar is as follows:

March 6 – Tulare, CA – Thunderbowl Raceway
March 13 – Hanford, CA – Giant Speedway
March 27 – Bakersfield, CA – Bakersfield Speedway
April 3 – Tulare, CA – Thunderbowl Raceway
April 10 – Tulare, CA – Thunderbowl Raceway
April 17 – Santa Maria, CA – Santa Maria Speedway
May 8 – Santa Maria, CA – Santa Maria Speedway
May 15 – Tulare, CA – Thunderbowl Raceway
May 29 – Bakersfield, CA – Bakersfield Speedway
June 5 – Hanford, CA – Giant Speedway
June 19 – Bakersfield, CA – Bakersfield Speedway
June 26 – Santa Maria, CA – Santa Maria Speedway
July 17 – Hanford, CA – Giant Speedway
July 24 – Santa Maria, CA – Santa Maria Speedway
August 7 – Bakersfield, CA – Bakersfield Speedway
August 21 – Hanford, CA – Giant Speedway
August 28 – Santa Maria, CA – Santa Maria Speedway
September 11 – Hanford, CA – Giant Speedway
September 25 – Santa Maria, CA – Santa Maria Speedway
October 2 – Tulare, CA – Thunderbowl Raceway

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HUT HUNDRED RETURNS, MOVES TO TRI-STATE SPEEDWAY

The 58th running of one of America’s most traditional short-track races is scheduled for May 8 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind. It will be the “Hut Hundred at Haubstadt” featuring the nation’s top Midget racers in 100 laps of thrilling action on one of the country’s most exciting quarter-mile dirt ovals.

Although absent from the 2009 calendar, the race dates back to 1954 and has been held at four different Indiana speedways. The Terre Haute Action Track, which hosted the inaugural event, was the site for most of the races, while the Indiana State Faigrounds in Indianapolis hosted the 1987 running, Lawrenceburg Speedway was the venue in 1989 and Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville hosted the race in 1988, 2000 and 2001.

Race organizer Tom Helfrich, who is responsible for maintaining one of America’s best-manicured dirt ovals, is excited about not only the return of the tradition, but the competition his track should provide. “We are glad to be a part of this historic event,” says Helfrich. “We’ve cultivated a new generation of open-wheel fans here and this is the type of racing they want to see at our track. We want to put on a race people will not forget and with the traditional three-abreast start of eleven rows we are sure we will give them just that.”

Cole Whitt won the 2008 race on his way to that year’s USAC National Midget Championship and the race history contains names of many of America’s finest oval track stars. Four-time Indianapolis 500 Champion A.J. Foyt won it twice, seven-time USAC Midget Champ Mel Kenyon is a former winner and NASCAR champions Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon are also listed among the former race winners. But nobody can come close to what Rich Vogler achieved, winning the Hut Hundred eight times on his way to becoming the winningest driver in USAC racing history. Those eight wins came at three different tracks!

Tri-State Speedway’s USAC history dates back to 1978 when Sleepy Tripp was victorious in a Midget there. Last year the track was the scene of the closest finish in the history of Indiana Sprint Week, as Levi Jones edged Bryan Clauson by a single point for the series title!

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DARLAND-KUNZ SPRINT TEAM DEBUTS AT TAMPA

Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ind., whose 28 career USAC Sprint Car wins trail only Tracy Hines’ 37 on the all-time National victory list among active drivers, has switched teams for the 2010 season. He will pilot one of two Keith Kunz Motorsports/Advanced Racing entries in the “Bubba Army Sprint Nationals” February 8-10 at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Fla.

Darland, who finished third in the 2009 standings, won the 1999 series championship and is one of only five USAC “Triple Crown Champions.” His Sprint car career includes victories in the Tony Hulman Classic, Joe James/Pat O’Connor Classic, Rich Vogler Classic, Glen Niebel Classic, Robbie Stanley Classic, Four Crown Nationals and the Ultimate Challenge at Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Darland and teammate Henry Clarke of Villa Park, Calif., who claimed the 2009 series “Rookie of the Year” honors, will try to give the Kunz Motorsports team their first USAC National Sprint Car owner’s crown. The team finished second in the 2009 standings and were second in 2003, fourth in 2007 and 2008 and fifth in 2006.

The Kunz team ranks fifth on the all-time USAC Sprint car feature winners list, with 35 wins to their credit, including three with Cole Whitt in 2009.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to Florida,” says Dave, who admits his first outings at East Bay a few years ago were less than successful. “It’s a hard track to figure out and has an odd shape,” he adds. “I’m glad to be in a Kunz car because they always field top-notch equipment. I have to thank Cory Kruseman for suggesting that I call Kunz and it should be a fun 2010 for us.”

In 2004 Dave dominated to win the “Four Crown Nationals” Midget race at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio in a Kunz entry, then finished second in the same race in a Kunz car in 2008. His only previous outings in a Kunz Sprinter were at Joliet, Ill. in 2003 where he did not qualify and at the Mopar Million at Eldora in 2004 where he finished 12th in a field of 138 cars!

The three back-to-back National Sprint races at East Bay, located in Gibsonton, Fla., serve as the 2010 Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car series openers and are part of the track’s 34th “Winternationals.”

In an effort to generate maximum participation at what he considers his “home track,” an added bonus for pre-registered USAC car entrants at Tampa will be a free right rear Hoosier tire compliments of Bubba “The Love Sponge” for any appearing car entrants whose entries were filed prior to the entry deadline.

Each night (Monday through Wednesday) contains a complete racing program capped by a 30-lap feature on the very competitive 1/3-mile dirt oval located in Gibsonton, a Tampa suburb.

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AMSOIL TO SPONSOR USAC SPRINT SERIES IN 2010

Amsoil, “The First in Synthetics,” will serve as the entitlement sponsor for the 2010 USAC National and CRA Sprint Car Series, it was announced today by principals of USAC and Amsoil.

Top finishing Amsoil users in each series will be rewarded with cash bonuses at the completion of the 2010 racing season.

The 2010 Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series will debut February 8-9-10 at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton (Tampa), Fla. and the CRA Sprint Car Series debuts February 19-20 at USA Raceway Park in Tucson, Ariz.

“It’s natural that a company with Amsoil’s motorsports products and tradition of excellence serve as the series sponsor for one of America’s most competitive racing series,” says USAC President/CEO Kevin Miller. “Their commitment to our sport has been well documented and we are extremely pleased they have chosen our series to support. We anticipate tremendous competition for the 2010 championships and look forward to a mutually rewarding relationship with Amsoil.”

Headquartered in Superior, Wisc., Amsoil introduced its synthetic motor oil in 1972, setting all-new standards for motor oil quality. Amsoil’s experience and technological know-how are considered industry leaders.

Amsoil also serves as the Official Motor Oil for the Traxxas TORC Off-Road Championship, which debuted under USAC sanction in 2009.

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AMSOIL ANNOUCES MAJOR CONTINGENCY FOR USAC SPRINT CAR SERIES

Amsoil announced today a significant contingency program for USAC competitors in both the National and CRA sprint car series for 2010. Amsoil recently signed on with a three year series commitment for 2010 – 2012.

Amsoil will award $1000 to the Top 10 USAC car entrants in both the USAC National Sprint Car series AND the Top 10 car entrants in the CRA Sprint Car Series who use Amosil products throughout the season. Additionally, Amsoil will recognize the top points leaders in both the Western Sprint and West Coast 360 series who qualify for the contingency program (see below).

All USAC Licensed Car Entrants will automatically receive a “Preferred Customer” status with Amsoil qualifying for wholesale purchase pricing at 20-25% off retail. Further discounts are eligible for Car Entrants who enroll in the Amsoil dealer Network, open to all USAC Licensed participants.

To qualify for the Amsoil $1000 contingency, you must show proof of purchase, through your Preferred Customer account, of a minimum of $250 of Amsoil product by August 1, 2010 (any Amsoil branded product qualifies). You must also feature an Amsoil decal on both sides of your registered race car competing in the USAC National or CRA series.

Amsoil will present the awards at the 2010 USAC Night of Champions Banquet, scheduled for Friday, December 3rd, in conjunction with the International Motorsports Industry Show in Indianapolis.

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JONES EYES USAC NATIONAL SPRINT TITLE #4 AS 2010 SEASON OPENS IN TAMPA FEBRUARY 8-10

Levi Jones of Olney, Ill. hopes to add his name to a short list of drivers who have won four championships in a single USAC National racing series. The 2010 Amsoil USAC Sprint Car season opens February 8-10 with the “Bubba Army Sprint Nationals” at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., a Tampa suburb.

The three-night racing program showcases USAC’s spectacular open-wheel competition on one of America’s most exciting short dirt ovals where wheelstands, bicycling and wheel-to-wheel competition are all part of the game, producing more passing in one night than many racing series provide in an entire season!

Jones earned his third USAC National Sprint car title last year and would become only the sixth driver to reach four titles in a single National series, joining A.J. Foyt (7 Championship Cars), Mel Kenyon (7 Midgets), Butch Hartman (5 Stock cars), Steve Butler (4 Sprints) and Rich Vogler (4 Midgets).

Jones will pilot the Bass Pro Shops/Chevy Tony Stewart Racing entry in the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night portions of East Bay’s 34th Winternationals, marking USAC’s first dirt-track Sprint races in the Sunshine state since Vogler’s victory at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa in 1987.

The 2005, 2007 and 2009 champion also finished second in the 2006 standings behind Josh Wise and his four wins last year brought his career total of USAC Sprint feature triumphs to 16. He also earned his second Indiana Sprint Week title last year, edging Bryan Clauson by a single point!

“It’s always nice to get out of Indiana in the winter time and enjoy the sunshine,” says Levi, who won a non-winged feature at East Bay three years ago. “It’s a racy track but it can change from one night to the next so you have to be at the top of your game to adjust to the conditions. I’m anxious to get back in the swing of things and it would be nice to get that fourth title.” He’ll be in a brand-new Maxim chassis to start the 2010 campaign.

Jones will face a formidable field in the three Florida events. Expected to compete are 2008 Sprint Champ Jerry Coons Jr., 2006 Champ Wise, 2002 Champ Tracy Hines and 1999 Champ Dave Darland. Hines won USAC’s last race in Florida, a Silver Crown event at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2007.

Other former USAC Sprint winners in Florida include Larry Dickson (two in 1970), and Bob Sweikert, Chuck Weyant and Pat O’Connor in USAC’s initial year, 1956. Sweikert’s win came in the first USAC Sprint race ever held, at Southland Speedway in West Palm Beach.

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