by Tommy Goudge
– Ohsweken, Ontario – September 14, 2011 – The long wait is over, and it’s time for Ohsweken Speedway’s signature event – the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals. The big weekend officially begins on Thursday, and finishes Saturday night with the $11,000-to-win feature event.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
The Nationals activities get underway Thursday night at Ohsweken when ESSO Speedway Variety presents Fan Appreciation Night featuring the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Cars, Lighthouse Tattoos Thunder Stocks, HRW Automotive Mini Stocks, and Pierced Parts Bombers.
All four divisions crowned new champions last Friday night including Jim Huppunen in the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Cars, Mike Thorne in the Lighthouse Tattoos Thunder Stocks, Karl Sault in HRW Automotive Mini Stocks, and Rodney Rutherford in the Pierced Parts Bombers.
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, while it’s the last chance for Ohsweken’s regular stock car divisions to compete in 2011.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
The Night Before the Nationals at Ohsweken has a busy slate including twin fifteen lap features for the Sprint Cars, plus the 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 Glenn Styres and Dustin Daggett did last year.
The Ohsweken Shootout will feature sixteen drivers in a ten lap dash for cash on Friday night. Top drivers from selected ASCS Sprints on Dirt, Patriot Sprint Tour, Empire Super Sprints, Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division, Southern Ontario Sprints, and National Racing Alliance events 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 some “Wild Card” entries.
A good field of Vintage Cars is also expected to be on hand to compete as the support division on Friday night.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Saturday features the seventh 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 Brownsburg, Indiana, Wayne Johnson of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Steve Poirier of Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, Quebec.
The successful affiliate sanctioning program is 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 Patriot Sprint Tour 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 again features a purse increase, with the winner now set to take home eleven thousand dollars, and every feature starter guaranteed at least eight hundred dollars. The feature race length remains at thirty-five laps, and the starting field at thirty cars.
Time trials will be utilized, with the same format as last year. 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 fastest driver overall in time trials will receive the Lane Automotive Fast Time award, while the fastest Canadian driver will receive the Bicknell Racing Products Fastest Canadian award.
The top three finishers in each heat race will qualify for the feature, and 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.
Sicard RV has joined the growing list of Nationals supporters by posting a one thousand dollar payday to the winner of the Little Feature, and the highest finishing Canadian driver in the A-Feature on Saturday night will again be rewarded this year by Inside Track Motorsport News with a healthy bonus.
The Mod-Lite Stars Championship Tour North will also make its final appearance at Ohsweken for 2011 on Saturday night. Shawn Sliter has claimed three feature wins for the Mod-Lites at Ohsweken this season, but Paul Klager is the most recent winner as he visited the Engine Pro Racing Winner’s Circle on August 26.
CAMPING
Plenty of un-serviced camping space is once again available at the Speedway all weekend for a nominal one-time fee of ten dollars. The pit area washrooms and concession stand will also 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 custom-built two-seater Sprint Cars available each race night for rides during intermission and after the races. Please visit www.OhswekenTwoSeater.com to learn how you can take the ride of your life with one of the stars of the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division!
OUR SPONSORS
About Corr/Pak Merchandising: Founded in 1997, Corr/Pak Merchandising Inc. is based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, and is a designer and producer of Point of Purchase (POP) displays for retail. Strong emphasis on creative design and speed of response has seen Corr/Pak achieve great success in a very competitive industry. Their in-house capabilities and broad range of trusted suppliers enable them to develop any sort of effective solution for your retail display needs, no matter the materials used – whether corrugated, wood, boxboard, plastic, wire, steel, or any combination of those. Corr/Pak’s support of the Sprint Car division at Ohsweken continues for a fourth consecutive season in 2011. Please visit www.CorrPak.ca for more information on the title sponsor of Sprint Car racing at Ohsweken Speedway.
About Lighthouse Tattoos: The friendly and knowledgeable staff at Lighthouse Tattoos are there to assist you in choosing a tattoo from thousands of in-store designs, or they can create a custom tattoo using your own idea. Lighthouse Tattoos is a clean and sterile environment, and is health department inspected and approved. They provide a fun and relaxing atmosphere to make sure your tattoo experience is a memorable one. Visit the title sponsor of Thunder Stock racing at Ohsweken at 245 Lakeshore Road East in Mississauga, or online at www.LighthouseTattoos.com.
About HRW Automotive: HRW was founded by Robert Workman in 1990. By providing good old-fashioned customer service, HRW has gained a loyal following in the community. You can entrust all of your vehicle’s service and repair needs to the team of automotive professionals at HRW Automotive. Visit the title sponsor of Mini-Stock Racing at Ohsweken Speedway at 163 Baptist Church Road in Caledonia, or on the web at www.HRWAutomotive.com.
About Pierced Parts: Operators of Silver Dragon Alternative Body Fashion retail stores in Brantford, Waterloo, London, and Port Stanley, Pierced Parts offers wicked selections of body jewelry, crazy contacts, and hair dye for the alternative lifestyle. Pierced Parts Studios will also open soon, offering the best jewellery from Silver Dragon, plus professional body piercing services, other fashion accessories, and apparel. Visit the title sponsor of Bomber racing at Ohsweken on the web at www.PiercedParts.com.
Ohsweken Speedway welcomes RNB Restorations, BMRS, and Slade Shock Technology to the list of Canadian Sprint Car Nationals contingency sponsors, which also includes Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel, BS&B Radiator, Wiseco Piston, Diversified Machine Incorporated, King Racing, Rod End Supply, Pancho’s Racing Products, XYZ Machining Inc., Rocket Headers, Butlerbuilt, Manton Pushrods, ISC Racer’s Tape, J&J Auto Racing, Hoosier Tire, Kinser Air Filters, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, KSE Racing Products, Awesome Racewear, Hepfner Racing Products, Saldana Racing, Zemco Speed Equipment, Winters Performance, and Seals-It.
THIS WEEK AT OHSWEKEN
ESSO Speedway Variety presents Fan Appreciation Night on Thursday, September 15 featuring the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Cars, Lighthouse Tattoos Thunder Stocks, HRW Automotive Mini Stocks, and Pierced Parts Bombers. Spectator Gates open at 5:00 p.m., with the first race taking the green flag at 7:45p.m.
The Night Before the Nationals on Friday, September 16 features Twin 15’s for the Sprint Cars, the Ohsweken Shootout, and Dave MacLeod Memorial Mr. Sprint Car Challenge, plus Vintage Cars. Spectator Gates open at 5:00 p.m., with the first race taking the green flag at 7:45p.m.
Arrow Express presents the seventh annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals this Saturday, September 17, plus the Mod-Lite Stars Championship Tour North. Time trials begin at 6:30p.m., with the first race getting underway at 7:45p.m.
Ohsweken Speedway offers affordable, exciting, family entertainment just a short drive from many Mid-Western Ontario locations. Please visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com and Feel The Excitement!