By Brian Liskai
All Star Circuit of Champions-
Racing kicks into full swing over the next few weeks for the drivers of the
O’Reilly Auto Parts All Star Circuit of Champions. The teams will be tested
as there are plenty of racing dates with little time off, beginning Monday,
June 7 as the All Stars export their exciting racing to Quebec, Canada. The
next month of racing could very well determine who wears the All Star crown
and the $50,000 champion’s share at the end of the season.
The All Stars will visit Autodrome-Grandby, a half-mile dirt oval located
on the west side of Grandby, Quebec, Canada. While the residents speak
French-Canadian, they will understand the speed and excitement of the All
Star sprint cars. The track normally plays host to DIRTcar Modifieds on
Friday nights. The track is known to produce two solid grooves of racing.
Sprint cars raced at Autodrome just this past Friday, June 4, with Jessica
Zemken taking the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints victory. Zemken has raced
several times in 2010 with the All Stars and could battle the likes of
current All Star point leader Tim Shaffer, two-time series champion Greg
Wilson and fast rookies Cap Henry, Jared Ridge, David Gravel and veterans
Bill Rose.
The All Stars will travel on Tuesday and race on Wednesday, June 9 in their
first stop in New York at Fonda Speedway. Fonda is a half-mile dirt oval
located at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Fonda, N.Y. The famous
egg-shaped oval has been thrilling fans for over 50 years and is located
just off Exit 28 of the New York State Thruway, less than a 30-minute drive
from Albany, N.Y.
Normally a weekly Saturday night track, the action usually includes big
block modifieds, sportsman, 602 limited crate sportsman, pro stock, street
stock and other UMP sanctioned divisions. The ESS sprints were recently at
Fonda with Justin Barger taking the win.
Some of the biggest names in racing have competed at the famed half-mile of
Fonda including Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Shirley Muldowney, Steve
Kinser and Brett “The Hitman” Hearn.
In All Star racing history, the series has raced at three different tracks
in the Empire State, including Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Fulton Speedway
and Ransomville Speedway. The All Stars last raced in New York at
Ransomville Speedway in May 2000 with Kelly Kinser taking the victory.
Following Wednesday’s action, there will be another travel day as the All
Star teams head to the historic Williamsgrove Speedway in Mechanicsburg,
PA. to take on the Pennsylvania Posse once again on Friday, June 11.
Pennsylvania’s Lance Dewease took the checkered flag the last time the All
Stars visited Williamsgrove on April 30.
The next night, Saturday, June 12, it’s back to Lincoln Speedway in
Abbottsown, Pa., where Fast Freddie Rahmer took the win on May 1 when the
All Stars came calling.
Then on Sunday, June 13, the All Stars head to Big Diamond Raceway in
Minersville, Pa. A wide, banked three-eighths mile clay oval, the track
normally plays host to NASCAR Modifieds, sportsman and roadrunners. The
track will also play host to the O’Reilly Auto Parts All Star Late Models
in July.
Just this past Friday, Big Diamond hosted the USAC Amsoil National Sprint
Cars for the first time in the track’s history.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts All Star Circuit of Champion Sprint Car teams will
get a bit of a “vacation” – if you can call five days off before embarking
on nine straight nights of competition a vacation!
The 27th Annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek kicks off Friday, June 18 at Attica
Raceway Park. The next night it’s off to K-C Raceway in Chillicothe, Ohio,
followed by racing at Millstream Speedway in Findlay, Ohio the next night.
On Monday the All Stars head to Wayne County Speedway near Orrville, Ohio
before travelling to the Hilltop Speedway near Millersburg, Ohio on
Tuesday. Wednesday finds the All Stars at the competitive quarter-mile high
banks of Waynesfield Motorsports Park near Lima, Ohio. On Thursday, the All
Stars make their return to the historic Sharon Speedway near Hartford,
Ohio. Friday finds the All Stars at another fast, high-banked quarter-mile
of Limaland Motorsports Park. Then, it’s off to Fremont Speedway on
Saturday, June 26 for the Speedweek finale – the 92nd visit of the All
Stars to “The Track That Action Built” – which will pay the feature winner
$10,000.
So over the next 20 days, the All Star Circuit of Champion teams will race
14 times in three states and two countries!
“This stretch of racing will bring our exciting brand of motorsports to
many new race fans. We’re excited about the opportunity for our teams to
visit new tracks and to be ambassadors of sprint car racing,” said Guy
Webb, President and CEO of the All Stars.
“This is the point in the season when you find out who the championship
contenders are…it’s going to be exciting to watch how the next three weeks
unfold,” added Webb.
For more information go to www.allstarsprint.com