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After being rained out Saturday, Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP headlined the first-ever race on Fort Wayne, Indian’s Baer Field Motorsports Park new dirt track on Sunday night for the first race of SOD’s MAHLE/Clevite Beyond KLimits Challenge five-race series.  Numerous facts about the event make it a truly historical event for both Baer Field Motorsports Park and Sprints On Dirt.

New ¼ mile trrack
The track crew put out a massive effort to make sure the Sunday race could take place.  Several inches of rain resulted in the track being referred to as “Baer Lake” Sunday morning, then more rain came.  The infield was pumped out and against all odds, the track was prepped for racing.  Promoter Dave Muzzillo could have easily thrown in the towel, but was determined to get the race in.

Andrew Scheid

Thirteen-year-old Andrew Scheid, SOD sprint car rookie of the year contender, raced a full-size sprint for the first time and drew many compliments.  After qualifying seventh in his heat group, Scheid finished last in his heat.  He then grabbed a fourth in the B Main to advance to the feature where he finished eighteenth, dropping out early in consideration of the fast field.  Andrew dodged a few incidents that developed in front of him.  He even executed a successful 360 degree spin to avoid a car that had spun to a stop in front of him.

Scheid has extensive racing experience and numerous wins in karts and lightning sprints.

Diverse field
The SOD “beyond limits” format continues to have broad appeal for race teams from many segments of sprint car racing.

Winner Valenti and Dan McCarron are currently regulars in the 410 class at Attica Raceway Park and Fremont Speedway.  Valenti has has had great success in thunderstocks and dirt trucks in Ohio and Indiana.

2nd-place finisher Joe Swanson, 5^th place Steve Irwin, and 6^th place Brad Wyatt have had success in winged sprint pavement racing.  Irwin has won pavement championships and #71H car owner Steve Smith has also won pavement championships as an owner.

3^rd place Landon Simon is a successful USAC competitor who ran his first winged sprint race Sunday.  Irwin and Wyatt also have extensive non-wing experience.

4^th place Thomas Schinderle previously raced modifieds, then was a regular in the Attica/Fremont FAST 305 class.

Matt Prieur

SOD rookie announcer Matt Prieur got his first SOD race in Sunday.  The former World of Outlaws late model announcer is also the announcer for the American Ethanol Late Model Tour, the American Ethanol Modified Tour, and occasional pavement races.

Prieur has been a hockey referee for 24 years.  He has also been the color commentator for an Ontario Hockey League game.

Prieur has been announcing since 1989.

MCRP/SOD Safety Crew

SOD competitors got their first look at the MCRP safety crew.  They were quick to assist in any on-track incidents.

For more information about Engine Pro go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.

Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP is brought to you in 2017 by many important sponsor partners including: Engine Pro (Title Sponsor), ARP (Title Sponsor), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official SOD Tire), MAHLE/Clevite (Beyond Limits Challenge Sponsor), Driven Racing Oil (Battlegrounds Bash Sponsor), King Engine Bearings (King of Michigan Sponsor), Lane Automotive/MSD Ignition (Fast Masters Sponsor), Engler Machine & Tool (Heat Race Sponsor), COMP Cams (Heat Race Sponsor), RockAuto.com (Heat Race Sponsor), The Perfit Corporation (Lucky Dog Sponsor), KSE Racing Products, and XYZ Machining.  In addition, SOD contingency sponsors include: Allstar Performance, ATL Racing Fuel Cells, BR Motorsports, Diversified Machine Inc. (DMI), K2W Precision/Keizer Aluminum Wheels, King Racing Products, Kistler Racing Products, Maxim Racing, Motor City Racing Promotions, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Schoenfeld Headers, Simpson Racing Products, Walker Performance Filtration.

Erie, Michigan (May 22, 2016) – Doug Zimmerman led 99.5% of the race, but Fremont, Ohio’s Brian Smith pulled off a dramatic finish line win in the Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP WWIII feature at Butler Speedway Saturday night.

The feature got off to a rocky start when Quentin Blonde spun in turn three on the first lap and Brad Lamberson had no place to go and collided with Blonde. Both cars had to be towed off the track and race officials called a fuel-only red flag due to the twenty-lap clean up delay. A second attempt to start the feature didn’t fare much better, but cleanup was quick, and the restart had Doug Zimmerman charge into the lead from the pole position ahead of Bill Jacoby after original pole-starter Quentin Blonde was eliminated in the first lap crash.

Zimmerman, rejoining former car owner Tom Dale this season after taking 2015 off, quickly developed a huge lead and masterfully worked through heavy traffic. With everyone watching Zimmerman’s impressive drive, no one noticed Fremont, Ohio’s Brian Smith, top contender for 2016 SOD RockAuto.com Series Rookie of the Year quietly moving forward to second. A late race caution erased Zimmerman’s huge lead, and Smith, now in second, started pressuring the leader, but in spite of pulling alongside Zimmerman once when Zimmerman bobbled coming out of turn 2 late in the race, Smith couldn’t overtake the leader.

With five laps to go the last caution flew, and on the restart, it looked like Zimmerman’s race long advantage coming off turn two would be enough to hold off Smith. About four car lengths behind Zimmerman going into turn three on the last lap, the large crowd was on its feet as Smith made a seemingly impossible charge high through the corner and out raced Zimmerman to the win by .068 of a second!

The excited crowd was ecstatic when Smith did a “dirt angel” (you know, like a snow angel) on the front straight.

The new Sprints On Dirt spec Hoosier Racing Tire rear tires have produced exciting racing in the first two races, Friday at Hartford and Saturday at Butler, and have received rave reviews from competitors. Not only did the tires perform flawlessly, but Butler winner Smith ran the same set of tires Friday on Hartford’s big track and for his Butler win.

Butler Speedway, May 21 results:

Engler Machine & Tool Heat 1 (4 transfer to feature, top 2 redraw) – 1. 19Z Doug Zimmerman, 2. 4T Joshua Turner, 3. 4K Craig Karazim, 4. 3 Kyle Locke, 5. 47 Robert Bulloch, 6. 1 Eric Smith, 7. 6 Tyler Bearden

Lane Automotive Heat 2 (4 transfer to feature, top 2 redraw) – 1. 44J Bill Jacoby, 2. 12 Mike Baker, 3. 5 MaxStambaugh, 4. 81 John Gall, 5. 49T Gregg Dalman, 6. 19J Linden Jones, (DNS) 10J Jarrod DeLong

COMP Cams Heat 3 (4 transfer to feature, top 2 redraw) – 1. 19 Brett Mann, 2. 5QB Quentin Blonde, 3. 71H Brad Lamberson, 4. 27 Shelby Bilton, 5. 0 Stevie Irwin, 6. 4X Brady Locke, 7. 52 Zac Broughman

Engine Pro Heat 4 (4 transfer to feature, top 2 redraw) – 1. 25M Ken Mackey, 2. 2+ Brian Smith, 3. 20A Andy Chehowski, 4. 1A Mark Aldrich, 5. 46 Robert Huisken, 6. 8 Justin Ward

B Main (4 transfer to feature) – 1. 49T Gregg Dalman, 2. 47 Robert Bulloch, 3. 0 Stevie Irwin, 4. 19J Linden Jones, 5. 10J Jarrod DeLong, 6. 4X Brady Locke, 7. 46 Robert Huisken, 8. 8 Justin Ward, 9. 1 Eric Smith, 10. 52 Zac Broughman, 11. 6 Tyler Bearden

Feature – 1. 2+ Brian Smith, 2. 19Z Doug Zimmerman, 3. 3 Kyle Locke, 4. 4K Craig Karazim, 5. 25M Ken Mackey, 6. 27 Shelby Bilton, 7. 49T Gregg Dalman, 8. 20A Andy Chehowski, 9. 81 John Gall, 10. 0 Stevie Irwin, 11. 12 Mike Baker, 12. 47 Robert Bulloch, 13. 19 Brett Mann, 14. 44J Bill Jacoby, 15. 19J Linden Jones, 16. 1A Mark Aldrich, 17. 5QB Quentin Blonde, 18. 71H Brad Lamberson, 19. 5 MaxStambaugh, 20. 4T Joshua Turner

Engine Pro Lucky Dog Award – Gregg Dalman
KSE Race Products Hard Charger Award – Kyle Locke
Kistler Racing Products contingency awards: Josh Turner, Brett Mann
COMP Cams contingency award: Mike Baker
BR Motorsports contingency award: Craig Karazim
Keizer Aluminum Wheels contingency award: Mark Aldrich, Andy Chehowski
Allstar Performance contingency award: John Gall
Schoenfeld Headers contingency award: Quentin Blonde
Rod End Supply contingency awards: Brian Smith, Doug Zimmerman
Racing Optics contingency award: Craig Karazim
ATL Fuel Cells contingency award: Ken Mackey
King Racing Products contingency award: Andy Chehowski
Ti22 Performance contingency award: Brian Smith
DMI contingency award: Brett Mann

Erie, MI (May 10, 2016) – Engine Pro sprints On Dirt presented by ARP heads to Crystal Motor Speedway this Saturday for the season-opening MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge Race #1.   Originally scheduled for April 30, Mother Nature had other ideas and persistent rain forced promoter Ron Flinn to postpone the race. The rescheduled date of May 14, however, keeps Crystal’s tradition of holding the SOD season opening race intact.

Competitors will waste no time getting things going in a big way for 2016. Engler Machine & Tool, Lane Automotive, and COMP Cams will each pay $100 to win for their respective heat races. The first race of the MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge five-race mini-series will pay $400 to start the feature. The BLC five-race series will pay the top five drivers in points with the driver who scores the most points collecting $1,000.

Racers needing methanol fuel before Saturday should call Allen Walblay @ Corrigan Oil (810-625-1170).   Hoosier SOD spec tires will be available at the track Saturday.

Discover how MAHLE Aftermarket technology makes the difference in your vehicle today at https://catalog.mahle-aftermarket.com/na/home/index.xhtml. To learn more about Crystal Motor Speedway, visit www.crystalmotorspeedway.com. For more information about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.   For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.

Erie, MI (April 28, 2016) – Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP is partnering with Motor City Racing Promotions (MCRP) to provide live timing and scoring for all 2016 SOD events.

MCRP’s Scott Menlen and Justin Sharp will manage all race control activities including the electronic scoring process; MCRP will install necessary equipment at tracks that are not yet equipped with it. MCRP will rent transponders to all competitors that do not own their own for $15.00 per SOD event. The event scorer, an MCRP trained and experienced official, will perform all event scoring activities and stream races live. Race results will then be processed by SOD Event Manager Pat Holzinger for race payouts.

To access the Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt at Crystal Motor Speedway live stream, go to www.sprintsondirt.com and click on the “Live Scoring” tab.  Timing & scoring will air live immediately following Cabin Fever 100 practice at Springport Motor Speedway at approximately 6:00 PM EST.

To learn more about Motor City Racing Promotions, go to www.motorcityracing.co. For more information about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com. For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com. The full 2016 Sprints on Dirt schedule, rules, current news, and other information are available at www.sprintsondirt.com.

ERIE, MI (March 29) – Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP is proud to announce that long-time SOD supporters Tim and Cindy Norman’s XYZ Machining will be part of the SOD family as a sponsor partner for 2016.  XYZ Machining will sponsor this season’s Sportsman of the Year Award and Crew Chief of the Year Award.

Warsaw, Indiana’s Tim Norman was a SOD competitor for many years.  He first raced with Sprints on Dirt in 1984 and won rookie of the year honors.  Tim went on to win Sprints On Dirt championships in 1985, 2005, and 2007.

Tim and wife Cindy own XYZ Machining.  Tim uses his years of racing knowledge to produce CNC manufactured aluminum and titanium racing components, as well as custom products for other industries, that are distributed worldwide.  XYZ’s parts are used by some of the leading sprint car manufactures as original equipment.  XYZ Machining pays close attention to the three things important to its customers: on-time delivery, quality work, and excellent customer service.

To learn more about XYZ Machining, go to www.xyzmachining.com.  For more information about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  The full 2016 Sprints on Dirt schedule, rules, current news, and other information are available at www.sprintsondirt.com.

Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP is brought to you by many important sponsor partners including: Engine Pro (Title Sponsor), ARP (Title Sponsor), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official SOD Tire), MAHLE/Clevite (Beyond Limits Challenge Sponsor), Engine Pro (Lucky Dog Sponsor), Lane Automotive (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), Engler Machine & Tool (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), COMP Cams (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), RockAuto.com (SOD Series Rookie of the Year Sponsor & SOD Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Sponsor), XYZ Machining (Sportsman of the Year Sponsor & Crew Chief of the Year Sponsor), KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Sponsor).  In addition, SOD contingency sponsors include: ATL Racing Fuel Cells, Kistler Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Schoenfeld Headers, K2W Precision/Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Ti22 Performance, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Simpson Racing Products, Rod End Supply, Diversified Machine Inc. (DMI), Racing Optics.