Archive for July, 2018

ERIE, MI (July 30, 2018) –Butler Motor Speedway hosts the annual Butler Bash this Friday and Saturday (August 3 and 4) and Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP will headline both nights of the Bash.

The Butler Bash presents fans and competitors with a complete race program each night.  Each night will also include the King Engine Bearings Kids Feature Draw that determines the order of the first six feature positions.  Each kid gets a toy for being part of the draw.  A 24” x 24” SOD sign autographed by all the sprint drivers will be given away each night also.

Butler Motor Speedway and Sprints On Dirt continue to work together for a strong future for sprint car racing in Michigan.  The Butler Bash races are the third and fourth races of the four-race 2018 SOD Hog Creek Showdown series that pays the top five in points.  Chad Blonde currently leads the Hog Creek Showdown points over Shawn Valenti, Josh Turner, Ricky Ferkel, and Jay Steinebach.

Last year, only the Saturday portion of the Bash was a SOD race.  The race was part of the four-race Driven Racing Oil Battlegrounds Bash series.  Thomas Schinderle picked up his first SOD feature win over Joe Swanson and Boston Mead.  Schinderle was the Driven Racing Oil Battlegrounds Bash champion over Joe Swanson, Chad Blonde, Jay Steinebach, and Steve Irwin.

For more information about Butler Motor Speedway, go to www.butlerspeedway.net and the speedway’s Facebook page at https://goo.gl/csxUkX.  To learn more about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  Follow SOD at www.sprintsondirt.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt.

ERIE, MI (July 28, 2018) – Litchfield, Michigan’s Chad Blonde followed up his July 13 King of Michigan win by taking the King Engine Bearings KoM Race #3 at Hartford Speedway Friday.  Thrilling the crowd with an epic battle with Ryan Ruhl (Coldwater, Michigan) for much of the race, Blonde powered his Krieger Racing Engines, Maxim to victory.

The SOD Kids Feature Draw put Blonde, the current SOD point leader, on the pole for the feature with Shawn Valenti (Fostoria, Ohio), second in points, starting outside front row.  Fourth starter Ruhl took second on lap two with Blonde already with a big lead.  Although Blonde officially led every lap, Ruhl actually nosed ahead of the leader three times.  With Blonde running the high side of the track, Ruhl found speed at the bottom.  Blonde finally pulled out to a three-car length lead when on lap twenty-one Ruhl made contact with the inside wall in turns three and four.  Ruhl went to the work area and changed his damaged left front tire and wheel, but the contact also caused brake damage, ending his impressive race.

Ricky Ferkel, third in SOD championship points, got caught up in a turn four melee, rolling on lap 12.  Trey Smith was also involved and could not restart, and Quentin Blonde also dropped out.

Chase Ridenour (Perry, Michigan) took second from his sixth place starting position.  Gregg Dalman finished third, Brad Lamberson drove Ryan Kirkendall’s 27K to fourth, and Joe Swanson took fifth.  Shawn Valenti lost ground in the SOD championship points battle with a seventh-place finish.

Three 360s and one crate sprinter finished in the top ten.  Canadian visitor Josh Shantz, driving Michael Summers crate sprinter was the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger, advancing eleven spots to finish ninth.  Shantz is a regular competitor at Ohsweken Speedway,

Qualifying – Lane Automotive/MSD Ignition Fast Masters (fast qualifiers) $50 each

Heat Races

B-Main

Feature

KSE Racing Products Hard Charger – Josh Shantz (+11)
BR Motorsports Contingency (feature top 10 draw) – Mike Schumacher
DMI (Diversified Machine) Contingency (feature 12-16 draw) – Ryan Ruhl
Perfit Corporation Lucky Dog – Mark Aldrich
Allstar Performance Better Luck Next Time – Ricky Ferkel

For more information about Engine Pro go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  The full 2017 Sprints on Dirt schedule, rules, current news, and other information are available at www.sprintsondirt.com.

ERIE, MI (July 23, 2018) –Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP returns to Hartford Speedway this Friday, July 27^th, for the third of five 2018 King Engine Bearings King of Michigan races.

Ryan Ruhl took KoM race 1 on July 6^th over Chad Blonde and Gregg Dalman after it had been rained out twice.  Chad Blonde took the KoM win on July 13th with Steve Irwin finishing second and Shawn Valenti taking third.

With outstanding racing in the first two KoM races, this Friday promises to be a real crowd pleaser.  The wide track’s multiple grooves provide plenty of room and three-wide racing.

The rest of the 2018 King Engine Bearings KoM series at Hartford includes race #4 presented by Merritt Speedway and Ti22 Performance on August 10^th and the King Engine Bearings King of Michigan finale on August 31st.

The 2018 King Engine Bearings King of Michigan champion will receive $1,000.  The top five drivers that meet eligibility requirements will share in the point fund.  Current top five are:

iiiiiiiiiiiii1          5B        Chad Blonde                292
iiiiiiiiiiiii2          7          Shawn Valenti              251
iiiiiiiiiiiii3          49T      Gregg Dalman             227
iiiiiiiiiiiii4          0          Ricky Ferkel                 226
iiiiiiiiiiiii5          10S      Jay Steinebach            225

The 2018 Sprints On Dirt Championship point fund will pay the top twelve SOD members in points that meet eligibility requirements.  Current SOD Championship top five are:

iiiiiiiiiiiii1          5B        Chad Blonde                976
iiiiiiiiiiiii2          7          Shawn Valenti              926
iiiiiiiiiiiii3          0          Ricky Ferkel                 786
iiiiiiiiiiiii4          10S      Jay Steinebach            779
iiiiiiiiiiiii5          8          Justin Ward                  689

The 2018 Motul Leader of the Pack divides the season into four stages.  Each stage finish is based on SOD points earned during the stage.  The Motul Leader of the Pack Champion will be the driver that meets eligibility requirements with the best average finishing position for all stages.  The LoP will pay a five-place point fund with the champion earning $1,000.  Chad Blonde was the winner of Stage 1 and Shawn Valenti won Stage 2.  The July 27^th KoM is the last race of Stage 3.  Current Stage 3 standings are:

iiiiiiiiiiiii1          5B        Chad Blonde                422
iiiiiiiiiiiii2          7          Shawn Valenti               401
iiiiiiiiiiiii3          0          Ricky Ferkel                  348
iiiiiiiiiiiii4          10S      Jay Steinebach             315
iiiiiiiiiiiii5          24        Eric Smith                     304

All current, complete SOD point standing can be found on the Sprints On Dirt website.

For more information about King Engine Bearings, go to www.kingbearings.com.  Check out Hartford Speedway at www.hartfordspeedway.net.  To learn more about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  Follow SOD at www.sprintsondirt.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt.

ERIE, MI (July 15, 2018) – Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP took on the racy 3/8 mile Crystal Motor Speedway last night for the second time in 2018 for the MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge Race #3.  Fostoria, Ohio’s Shawn Valenti drove an impressive race to take the victory, his second SOD win of the year utilizing a Gressman Powersports engine.

In spite of challenging hot, sunny weather, speedway owner/promoter Ron Flinn had the track surface ready for fast qualifying times.  Jay Steinebach, Hudsonville, Michigan; Steve Irwin, Fenton, Michigan; and Thomas Schinderle, Berkley, Michigan; were heat race fast qualifiers.  Irwin was overall fast-timer at 12.303.

Brad Lamberson, Parma, Michigan, took the Engler Machine & Tool heat over Steinebach and John Gall, Elsie, Michigan.  Chad Blonde, Litchfield, Michigan, Friday’s King Engine Bearings King of Michigan feature winner, looked strong, winning the COMP Cams heat over Irwin and Valenti.  Robert Huisken, Marne, Michigan, in his first 2018 SOD race, took the RockAuto.com heat over Ricky Ferkel, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and Schinderle.

The twenty-five-lap feature started with pole sitter Steve Irwin grabbing the early lead.  Fourth starter Jay Steinebach showing some early speed, but a rear end issue ended his race early.  It was eighth starter Valenti quickly driving to the front and after a couple laps challenging Irwin; he then set a torrid pace, opening up a several car-length lead over Irwin.  The race was slowed by a pair of cautions, but it had little effect on Valenti as he motored away from the field, each time.  Eleventh place starter Boston, Mead, Onsted, Michigan quietly cut through the field and passed Steve Irwin for second late in the race.  Valenti charged to a straight away win over Mead and Irwin.

Qualifying – Lane Automotive/MSD Ignition Fast Masters (fast qualifiers) $50 each

Heat Races

Feature

KSE Racing Products Hard Charger – Boston Mead (+9)
BR Motorsports Contingency (feature top 10 draw) – Jay Steinebach
ARP Lucky Dog – Zac Broughman
Allstar Performance Better Luck Next Time – Jay Steinebach, Josh Ward

For more information about Engine Pro go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  The full 2018 Sprints on Dirt schedule, rules, current news, and other information are available at www.sprintsondirt.com.

ERIE, MI (July 14, 2018) –The King Engine Bearings King of Michigan Race #2 at Hartford Speedway on Friday the 13^th was just what Litchfield, Michigan’s Chad Blonde needed.  After being the bride’s maid several times this season, Blonde drove his Krieger Racing Engines powered Maxim to victory to the delight of the large, enthusiastic crowd that braved sweltering temperatures to see a great night of racing.

Steve Irwin, Fenton, Michigan, won the Engler Machine & Tool heat over Jay Steinebach, Hudsonville, Michigan, and Dustin Shriver, South Bend, Indiana.  Andy Teunessen, Kalamazoo, Michigan, looked strong, winning the COMP Cams heat over Shawn Valenti, Fostoria, Ohio, and open-wheel standout Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, California.  The RockAuto.com heat was worth the price of admission as Gregg Dalman (360 ci engine), Bellevue, Michigan, and Chad Blonde (410 ci engine), Litchfield, Michigan, put on a spectacular show swapping the lead numerous times with Dalman finally claiming the win over Blonde and 2016 SOD champion Brian Smith, Fremont, Ohio.

Pole starter Jay Steinebach led lap one before Blonde took the lead on lap two from his outside front row starting position.  Blonde was in command, opening up a big lead as Steve Irwin, moved into second on lap six.  Gregg Dalman, running a strong third, brought out the caution on lap twelve trying to avoid contact with a lapped car, ending his race.  The caution gave Irwin a chance to challenge Blonde, and he momentarily inched ahead between turns one and two a lap later.  Blonde was too strong though and motored away to a decisive win.

Sprints On Dirt returns to Hartford Speedway, July 27, August 10 for KoM race #4 presented by Merritt Speedway and Ti22 Performance.  The King Engine Bearings King of Michigan finale takes place on August 31.

Qualifying – Lane Automotive/MSD Ignition Fast Masters (fast qualifiers) $50 each

Heat Races

Feature

KSE Racing Products Hard Charger – Thomas Meseraull (+4)
BR Motorsports Contingency (feature top 10 draw) – Thomas Meseraull
DMI (Diversified Machine) Contingency (feature 12-16 draw) – Tyler Fitzpatrick
ARP Corporation Lucky Dog – Justin Ward
Allstar Performance Better Luck Next Time – Mark Aldrich

For more information about King Engine Bearings, go to www.kingbearings.com.  Check out Hartford Speedway at www.hartfordspeedway.net.  To learn more about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  Follow SOD at www.sprintsondirt.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt.