CAMARGO, IL (July 16, 2012) By Brian Liskai – The teams of the University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions got a little time off after the 30th Annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek. But they will go full throttle soon as the series gets ready for its annual “Thunder Through the Plains.”
The UNOH All Stars will “get back to work” with two shows in the Eastern Region points battle – Wednesday, July 18 at Brewerton Speedway in Brewerton, N.Y. and Thursday, July 19 at Fonda Speedway in Fonda, N.Y.
Daryn Pittman leads the UNOH All Stars’ Eastern Region points over three time and defending national UNOH All Star Champion Tim Shaffer, with Greg Hodnett in third, David Gravel fourth and three time national UNOH All Star champion Dale Blaney fifth. The Eastern Region champion will earn $20,000 at year’s end.
Shaffer and Blaney are tied atop the UNOH All Star’s national point standing with Paul McMahan third, Cap Henry fourth and David Gravel fifth.
Brewerton Speedway (www.brewertonspeedway.com) is known as “The D-Shaped Dirt Demon.” The one-third mile clay track has never hosted an All Star sanctioned event. Racing with the UNOH All Stars will be the SUNY Canton Sportsman division. Racing is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Adult general admission tickets are $25 and students aged 10 -16 are $10 with those 9 and under getting in free.
Last year at Fonda Speedway, Shaffer charged from his 11th starting spot to pass Fred Rahmer on the last lap to take the victory. In 2010, Pittman claimed the UNOH All Star win at Fonda over Tyler Walker and Jessica Zemken.
Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart, who scored his first UNOH All Star win earlier this year, is expected to compete at Fonda.
Earlier this year Zemken scored an Empire Super Sprints victory at Fonda (www.fondaspeedway.net).
Pit gates will open Thursday, July 19 at Fonda at 4 p.m. with front gates opening at 5 p.m. General admission is $30 with kids five and under free and those ages 6-11 at $3.
From New York, the UNOH All Stars will then head west for the traditional Thunder Through the Plains, which features at least nine races and carries its own $10,000-to-win point fund for the Great Plains Region.
It kicks off Saturday, July 21 at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wisconsin, in the Kenosha County Fairgrounds (www.wilmotraceway.com). The track is a semi-banked 3/8-mile oval
The UNOH All Star event at Wilmot is co-sanctioned with the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series. Tickets are $25 for adults with kids ages 8-11 $5 and those 7 and under getting in free.
The IRA sprints have raced at Wilmot three times in 2012 with multi-time series champion Billy Balog scoring two wins and Tommy Sexton taking the other.
The UNOH All Stars then head to Hibbing Raceway in Hibbing, Minnesota (www.hibbingraceway.com) for a Tuesday, July 24 event. There is a rain date of July 25 for this event. Motter Equipment is the night’s sponsor.
This is another new track for the UNOH All Stars. The track is a 3/8 mile semi-banked clay oval.
Tickets are $30 for those 12 and older; $5 for ages 6-12; and kids five and under get in free. Hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. with racing underway at 7 p.m.
The UNOH All Stars then make a return appearance to the Red River Co-Op Speedway in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on Thursday, July 26 (www.victorylane.mb.ca). The high-banked 4/10 mile dirt oval hosted the All Stars in 2011 with Shaffer snagging the victory over Blaney and Greg Wilson.
Racing is scheduled to begin at Red River at 7:30 p.m.
On Friday, July 27, the UNOH All Stars head to Jackson Speedway in Jackson, Minnesota (www.jacksonspeedway.com). The event will also feature the JSTS Sprints and 305 sprints. Hot laps are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with tickets $20 for adults; $15 for students ages 13-17 with kids 12 and under getting in free.
The UNOH All Stars will next visit the Red River Valley Speedway in Fargo, North Dakota (www.redrivervalleyspeedway.com) on Saturday, July 28. Last year, Shaffer passed four-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz and went on to score the All Star victory. The previous year, Schatz passed Shaffer late for the series’ win.
Earlier this year Sammy Swindell won the World of Outlaws event at Red River Valley.
Husets Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota, will be next up for the UNOH All Stars on Sunday, July 29. It is the first of two shows for the UNOH All Stars during Thunder Through the Plains at Husets, the other coming Sunday, August 12. Gates will open for both shows at 5 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. Go to www.husets-speedway.com for more information.
Husets boasts some very strong weekly competition. Terry “TMAC” McCarl leads the track’s point standings with three feature wins and is the track’s all-time winningest driver. Last year at Husets, McCarl passed race-long leader Cap Henry on the last lap to score the UNOH All Star victory.
Mark Dobmeier, who sits second on Huset’s all-time win list, sits second in the track’s 2012 points with one victory, that coming against the World of Outlaws. He scored his first career All Star win last season a Husets, holding off Shaffer and Blaney.
Gregg Bakker sits third in the track’s points and has one feature win. Jody Rosenboom, who is sixth in the points at Husets, has a pair of feature wins. Justin Henderson also has a win at Husets in 2012.
Following the first Huset’s show, the UNOH All Stars will once again be a part of the 17th Annual Musco Lighting Front Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The event is a big crowd hit with a party atmosphere in the big infield. If the driver scheduled to start on the pole of the feature takes the challenge and goes to the tail and comes back to win, he will take home $50,000!
Last year Sammy Swindell scored his third straight Front Row Challenge victory in 2011 over Brad Sweet and Shane Stewart.
Following the running of the Knoxville Nationals, the UNOH All Stars travel back to Husets on Sunday, Aug. 12.
The Thunder Through the Plains wraps up on Wednesday, Aug. 15 at Red River Valley Speedway in Fargo, North Dakota. There is a rain date of Thursday, Aug. 16.
Last season, Donny Schatz, coming off the Knoxville Nationals victory, took the victory over Brad Sweet and David Gravel.
While the Thunder Through the Plains is wrapped up, the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions will continue to battle, as they travel back east to the Butler Motor Speedway in Quincy, Michigan for an Ohio Region points race on Saturday, Aug. 18.
For more information go to www.allstarsprint.com.