By Rich Vleck
TULSA, Okla. (September 13, 2010)- The 2010 season is almost complete, but before it is, there are three big nights of racing at Ohsweken Speedway this weekend that could define a driver’s season.
The Sixth Annual Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals hits a milestone this Saturday as a potentially record-high car count will go after the $10,000 top prize. The ASCS Patriots have been part of this event since it’s inception in 2005 and this year will run the Thursday event.
The Thursday show will not be run for overall series points but it will settle the Fine Touch Collision King of the Golden Horseshoe Crown. With only two complete races run in this region, the list of contenders is massive.
Newly-crowned 2010 Patriot Champion Bryan Howland leads Travis Cunningham by just seven points heading into Thursday. Track owner Glenn Styres is just 13 points back and has a real opportunity to snag this crown.
The Thursday show will use all of the standard Patriot formats, including passing points in heats, the Four Laps of Fame dash and a top-8 redraw for the A-Main. All teams are eligible to compete under the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals rules, with the only exception being that those with dished top wings are not permitted to use a wicker bill.
Friday’s “Night Before the Nationals” has always been a fan favorite, with a number of unique events spread out throughout the night. Twin 15-lap feature events cap off the night with the winner of each picking up a guaranteed spot for Saturday’s A-Main. The events beforehand will feature top Patriot competitors though.
Bryan Howland, of Auburn, NY, and Bubba Broderick, of Brookfield, CT, are set to represent the Patriots in the Village Pizza Ohsweken Shootout. This 10-lap dash event features the top-two finishers from each sanctioning bodies individual race. Howland and Broderick were the top two Patriots in the August 20th A-Main. Broderick’s attendance on the weekend is in doubt after hurting his engine last weekend; if he can not attend, Don Adamczyk, of Williamsville, NY, will be the first alternate.
Howland will also be in the Dave MacLeod Memorial Mr. Sprint Car Challenge 1-on-1 Shootout. This unique event is also scheduled to have Jared Zimbardi, of Little Valley, NY, representing the Patriots for this event as he was second in points once again this season. After Zimbardi’s flip at Black Rock Saturday his attendance is in question after he suffered a broken nose. Tim Kelly, of Rock Stream, NY, would take the spot in this event if Zimbardi can not make it.
Saturday’s event will feature group time trials, heat races, B-Mains and the “Little Feature” before running the $10,000-to-win A-Main. This race will reward competiting teams with show-up points towards the final season total. Winning Saturday’s race will put a driver amongst the elite in Northeast sprint car racing.
Along with drivers previously mentioned, other Patriot representatives expected include Blake and Bobby Breen, Dylan Swiernik, Devin Caron, Ross Vleck and Brad Knab.
For more information, visit www.ASCSpatriotsprints.com or www.ASCSracing.com
ASCS Patriot History at Ohsweken:
Races: 5
9/25/2004- Rick Wilson
5/6/2005- Kyle Wilson
7/14/2006- Bryan Howland
7/6/2007- Bobby Breen
8/14/2009- Trevor Lewis
ASCS Patriot History at Ohsweken with Multiple Sanction:
Races: 10
9/17/2005- Kenny Jacobs (Canadian Sprint Car Nationals)
9/16/2006- Steve Poirier (Canadian Sprint Car Nationals)
9/15/2007- Steve Poirier (Canadian Sprint Car Nationals)
7/3/2008- Dustin Daggett (ASCS Northern Summer Nationals)
7/4/2008- Bryan Howland (ASCS Northern Summer Nationals)
9/27/2008- Wayne Johnson (Canadian Sprint Car Nationals)
7/3/2009- Tom Huppunen (Northern Summer Nationals)
9/19/2009- Shane Stewart (Canadian Sprint Car Nationals)
7/2/2010- Dustin Daggett (Northern Summer Nationals)
8/20/2010- Dustin Daggett
Fine Touch Collision King of the Golden Horseshoe Standings
Bryan Howland 407
Travis Cunningham 400
Glenn Styres 394
Jim Huppunen 370
Tim Kelly 370
Bubba Broderick 369
Don Adamczyk 365
Dain Naida 363
Jared Zimbardi 354
Todd Hoddick 313
Mitchell Brown 305
Dustin Daggett 300
Doug Banks 280
Mikey Kruchka 280
Keith Dempster 280
Stan Zanchin 280
Alain Bergeron 263
Dave Dykstra 260
Dylan Swiernik 254
Chris Jones 244
Ryan Grubaugh 243
Brad Malloy 239
Mike Ling 235
Ross Vleck 215
Devin Caron 215
Chris Steele 215
Kevin Job 206
Gregg Dalman 190
Jamie Turner 179
Kyle Moffit 174
Tom Huppunen 173
Kyle Patrick 161
James Evans 155
Rob Pietz 150
Vern Wasson 150
Alan Blanchard 150
Shane Butler 130
Steve Goldner 130
Steve Garry 130
Derek Jonathan 130
Chris Durand 130
John Burbridge Jr 130
Bobby Breen 125
Blake Breen 106
Ben Rutan 102
Justin Martin 92
Tyler Rand 88
Darren Long 84
John Burbridge Sr. 65
Adam West 65
Gavin Hunyady 65
Doug Bowman 65
Wayne Ashton 65
Frank Baranowski 65
Bob Crawford 65
Jim Munsie 65
Dick Mahoney 65
Brad Lodge 65
John Riegling 65
Jamie Collard 65