Camargo, IL (June 16, 2012) When former Eldora owner Earl Baltes, former All Star president Bert Emick, promoter Jean Lynch and a handful of Ohio dirt track promoters sat down over 30 years ago and dreamed up the Ohio Sprint Speedweek, they probably had no idea how popular the event would become. It has often been imitated by other racing organizations in other states, but nothing can match the excitement of Ohio Sprint Speedway.
The 30th Annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek featuring the University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions will kick off Friday, June 22 and will feature nine straight nights of racing across the Buckeye State. Each event will pay the feature winner $5,000 with the exception of the finale on June 30 at Fremont Speedway, which pays $10,000 to win.
The Friday Speedweek opener at Attica marks the 96th visit of the UNOH All Stars at “Ohio’s Finest Racing” venue since the track opened in 1988. As an incentive for the tough weekly competitors at Attica, the track has put up some bonus incentives. Kistler Engines is offering a $1,000 bonus to the feature winner if that driver is using a Kistler power plant. And, Attica Raceway Park is adding a $1,000 bonus if the winning driver is in the track’s top 10 in points after the June 15 Mid-Season Championship event.
There have been two UNOH All Star events at Attica in 2012, with three time series champion and current point leader Dale Blaney scoring a win with Craig Mintz getting a last lap pass of Blaney to score the other. Blaney and Mintz have both won three features at Attica in 2012 with Bryan Sebetto claiming the only other victory as of June 8.
Attica first began playing host to an Ohio Sprint Speedweek event in 1990. After falling victim to rain outs in 2008 and 2009, six-time track champion Byron Reed scored the speedweek win in 2010 with three time and defending All Star champion Tim Shaffer taking the victory in 2011 on route to the 2011 Ohio Sprint Speedweek championship. Blaney – a four time Ohio Sprint Speedweek champion – has two speedweek victories at Attica.
Defending Attica track champion Dean Jacobs – the 2001 Ohio Sprint Speedweek champion – scored a speedweek victory at Attica in 1998 and has two wins at Fremont Speedway in 2012.
Gates will open at 4 p.m. with racing underway at 7 p.m. Tickets are $22 for adults; $20 for senior citizens; $10 for teens ages 11-15; kids 10 and under get in free. Pit passes will be $30. For more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.com
On Saturday, June 23, the UNOH All Stars move to Waynesfield Motorsports Park (near Lima, Ohio). Last year the Ohio Sprint Speedweek event fell victim to rain. However, traditionally, the one-third mile bullring has provided some of the most exciting racing during Speedweek.
The last Ohio Sprint Speedweek event at “The Field” in 2010 saw NASCAR driver Brad Sweet pick up the win aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing machine. Sweet recently picked up his first ever World of Outlaws win in Iowa.
Pit gates will open at 4 p.m. with grandstand gates open at 5 p.m. and racing underway at 7 p.m. Go to www.waynesfieldmotorsportspark.com for more information.
Sunday, the UNOH All Stars head to Cannonball Motor Speedway near St. Clairsville, Ohio, on the Ohio River.
The newly reconfigured 3/8 mile track located off State Route 40 near the Morristown exit of I-70, has not hosted the UNOH All Stars in many, many years.
Gates will open at 4 p.m. with racing to get underway around 6 p.m. For more information about Cannonball Motor Speedway go to www.cannonballspeedway.com
The fourth leg of the Ohio Sprint Speedweek finds the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions back at the NAPA AUTO PARTS Wayne County Speedway near Orrville, Ohio. The track has not hosted a speedweek event for a couple of years, but was one of the original speedweek destinations when the concept began 30 years ago.
The NAPA Wayne County Speedway, a 3/8 mile oval with long straights and wide, tight turns, was an important part of the creation of the All Stars in the 1970s. When the All Stars last competed at Wayne County for a speedweek event in 2010, Blaney scored the win.
So far in 2012, winners at Wayne County have included Andrew Palker, Caleb Helms, Danny Mumaw and Sheldon Haudenschild.
Gates will open Monday at 3 p.m. with racing underway at 7 p.m. For more information go to www.waynecountyspeedway.com
Come out early to NAPA AUTO PARTS Wayne County Speedway on Friday, May 25th! We will have some cool things going before the races as WQKT will be on hand doing a live remote. Also Nationwide will have a NATIONWIDE NASCAR on display with a driving simulator. Thanks to our friends at Trent Insurance.
More than 85 years ago, the National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA) was created to meet America’s growing need for an effective auto parts distribution system.
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