by Tommy Goudge
(September 15, 2010) – When Shane Stewart took the checkered flag in the 2009 Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, the countdown was on for the next edition of the must-see event. That countdown is now getting close to finished as the sixth annual Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals begin Thursday night at Ohsweken Speedway with the first of three big nights!
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
The Nationals activities get underway with Thursday morning’s Styres Bros. Golf Classic at Sundrim Golf Course in Caledonia, and Fan Appreciation Night at Ohsweken Speedway presented by Speedway Variety on Thursday night.
Thursday night at Ohsweken features the ASCS Patriots vs. Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car Challenge, plus the last appearance of the season for the ESSO Thunder Stocks. The Sprint Car portion of Thursday’s event figures to have a large car count as drivers and teams prepare for Friday and Saturday’s events. The Thunder Stocks will also put on a show with a Crack The Whip race, on top of their heat races and twenty lap feature.
The first five hundred paid spectators will receive a free Fan Appreciation gift on Thursday night!
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
The Night Before the Nationals at Ohsweken has a busy slate including twin fifteen lap features for the Sprint Cars, plus the Village Pizza Ohsweken Shootout, and Dave MacLeod Memorial Mr. Sprint Car Challenge.
The winner of each fifteen lap feature will receive a guaranteed starting spot in Saturday night’s Canadian Sprint Car Nationals feature race, as Shane Stewart and Brian McDonald did last year.
The Village Pizza Ohsweken Shootout will feature ten drivers in a ten lap dash for cash on Friday night. Two qualifiers from each of the ASCS Sprints on Dirt, ASCS Patriots, Empire Super Sprints, and Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division, plus one driver each from the Southern Ontario Sprints and National Racing Alliance will make up the Shootout field.
The Dave MacLeod Memorial Mr. Sprint Car Challenge is back again this year with one-on-one match races for the top drivers in points from each affiliate sanction, plus the winner of July’s Northern Summer Nationals at Ohsweken, and three “Wild Card” entries.
The ESSO Mini Stocks and Bombers both have their final events of 2010 on Friday night as well, and the ESSO Mini Stocks will be competing in a Crack The Whip race.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Saturday features the sixth annual Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, with well over seventy of the best Sprint Car drivers from all over North America expected in competition including former winners Shane Stewart of Pittsboro, Indiana, and Steve Poirier of Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, Quebec.
The successful affiliate sanctioning program is once again in place this year, with teams slated to participate from Ohsweken’s weekly Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division, the Empire Super Sprints and ASCS Patriots tours based in New York, Michigan-based ASCS Sprints on Dirt, the National Racing Alliance from Ohio, and the Southern Ontario Sprints club.
This year’s edition of the Nationals once again features a purse increase, with the winner now set to take home ten thousand dollars, and every feature starter guaranteed at least six hundred dollars. The feature race has also been lengthened to thirty-five laps, and the starting field extended to thirty cars.
Time trials will be utilized but a new twist has been added. Group time trials will now be in effect, as opposed to the single-car method used in years past. The field will be split into six groups which will run time trials and heat races together. The fastest driver from each group will draw to determine the inversion for the start of his or her heat race.
The top three finishers in each heat will qualify for the feature; while each heat race winner will participate in an “Outlaw style” redraw for feature starting positions. Three B-Mains and the Non-Qualifiers Little Feature will fill out the remainder of the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals feature field.
The highest finishing Canadian driver in the A-Feature on Saturday night will once again be rewarded this year by Inside Track Motorsport News with a five hundred dollar cheque.
The Vintage Cars will also make their final appearance at Ohsweken for 2010 on Saturday night.
CAMPING
Plenty of un-serviced camping space is once again available at the Speedway all weekend! The pit area washrooms and concession stand will be open twenty-four hours a day during the Nationals and the concession will feature breakfast and lunch menus.
RIDE WITH THE PROS
Ohsweken Speedway has two 410 cubic inch two-seater Sprint Cars available each race night for rides! Please visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com for more information.
THIS WEEK AT OHSWEKEN
Speedway Variety presents Fan Appreciation Night on Thursday, September 16 featuring the ASCS Patriots vs. Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car Challenge, plus ESSO Thunder Stocks. Spectator Gates open at 5:00 p.m., with the first race taking the green flag at 7:45p.m.
Village Pizza with Sit-n-Bull Construction and Village Cafe present the Night Before the Nationals on Friday, September 17 featuring Twin 15’s, the Village Pizza Ohsweken Shootout, and Dave MacLeod Memorial Mr. Sprint Car Challenge, plus ESSO Mini Stocks and Bombers. Spectator Gates open at 5:00 p.m., with the first race taking the green flag at 7:45p.m.
Arrow Express presents the sixth annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals this Saturday, September 18, plus Vintage Cars. Time trials begin at 6:30p.m., with the first race getting underway at 7:45p.m.
Please visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com and Feel The Excitement!