From MSCS
Haubstadt, IN. The Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series will present the 2011 season opener for the series at the Legendary Lawrenceburg Speedway on Saturday night May 14. The 25 lap feature that evening will pay $2,000 to win.
This appearance will be the seventh visit of the MSCS sprints at the track since 2006. The last MSCS feature to be held at Lawrenceburg was completed Memorial Day Weekend of 2010 with Brady Short of Bedford, IN, winning after leading the last 12 laps. Jonathan Hendrick finished second to Short and got a jump start on his successful quest of the 2010 MSCS Rookie of the Year honor.
Blake Fitzpatrick of West Terre Haute, IN, led half of the feature that particular night thus signaling a competitive presence in the series that would propel him to the 2010 MSCS Points Title. Fitzpatrick dominated the action early but was involved in an unfortunate crash. The eighteen year old driver would move on to overcome this and other setbacks during the season to become the youngest driver to win the primary MSCS Driver Championship.
The first race of any season is always exciting. Opportunities start anew! Another season of experience combined with work over the winter in the garage could place different drivers in the hunt. A new list of determined rookies will form. Drivers who have done well in the series in the past sometimes reappear and comebacks can begin to take shape. In MSCS drivers receive 40 Season Bonus Points when they have 100% attendance for the season. That requires being in the field and present from day one!
A big change coming to the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series this season is the advent of passing points. The sixteen drivers who earned the most passing points in the heat races will transfer to the A-Main with the remainder of the drivers making up the B- Main(s). The top four from the B will be added at the rear of the starting field for the feature. A 21st starter, if any driver not making the starting field is eligible, would come from the list of 12 MSCS drivers on the provisional list for 2011.
Although it will be the first of the twelve races that make up the MSCS schedule it could be the fifth, weather permitting, to be held at the track for sprint cars. Local drivers that race at Lawrenceburg Speedway regularly as well as drivers from other tracks, different racing series, and MSCS will have had several opportunities to become acclimated to the fast 3/8 mile speed plant. Last season six Lawrenceburg Speedway regulars finished amongst the top ten in competition with MSCS regulars. Drivers who do not hold annual MSCS licenses often compete having purchased a temporary race permit. Event line-ups can have a surprise element as the tour moves from track to track.
The MSCS sprints will be making the first of two appearances at Lawrenceburg Speedway this season. The series will be on the card on Saturday, October 1st along with the USAC Sprints in a co-sanctioned event paying $10,000 to the winner.