From Tommy Goudge
London, ON — (January 27, 2012) — Ryan Litt is pleased to announce that he will be joining the TNT Promotions #42 Sprint Car team for the 2012 racing season.
The 2012 season will see Ryan racing full time in the Michigan-based Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints series, with Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famers Butch Dowker (crew chief), and Bill Tyler (team driver) on board with TNT Promotions owner Tony Nosal. A press release on the AVSS website this week brought more exciting news, with the announcement that Randy Sweet – another MMHoF inductee – will also be racing with AVSS with the same engine and chassis combination.
“I’m really pumped to have a fresh start in 2012,” says Ryan. “We decided to run for Tony Nosal & Butch Dowker and go after the AVSS championship. I will still be running my familiar #07 in the Little 500, and in some of the Must See Racing events. Working with legends such as Bill Tyler and Randy Sweet will be great, and I’m looking forward to learning as much as I can from them.”
The Dowker shop is now a dealer for Dave Steele’s Diablo chassis, and sales have been brisk. Steele is recognized in racing circles as one of the best ever open wheel drivers on pavement, and his chassis have quickly gained that same reputation. Ryan is excited about the opportunity to drive top-notch equipment this season.
“This year we will have a lot less work to do during the week on cars,” says Ryan. “We will be able to jump in the pickup truck and drive to the track. It should be a lot of fun, and running the new Diablo chassis with Dowker power will be a great combination. I have some experience driving the Hurricane cars down in Florida, so it should be an easy transition into the new Diablo.”
Despite finishing second in the Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Car series drivers standings, and winning the car owner title with his family-owned team, Ryan and the London, Ontario-based #07 team weren’t happy with their 2011 season. The 2012 Xtreme series schedule involves still more travel, making it even more difficult for teams without large budgets.
“We had a tough season last year,” says Ryan. “It was really stressful chasing points and trying to keep up with the big money teams from the Indy area, all while trying to run two businesses back home in Canada. It took the fun out of racing for us. This year the MSR schedule is twice as tough to follow. We can’t afford to travel that far and miss that many days of work for the amount the races pay.”
Ryan and his family’s #07 team still have their eyes on a big prize that has eluded them – the Little 500.
“This will also allow us to spend a lot more time preparing for the Little 500,” says Ryan. “Instead of rushing to get everything together, we can really spend a lot of time and smooth everything out on the car and pit equipment.”
Crew chief Butch Dowker operates Dowker Engines in Charlotte, Michigan in partnership with brother Terry. Butch has had a hand in 11 racing championships as a crewman and mechanic.
“Having someone like Butch Dowker behind you is awesome,” says Ryan. “With Dave Steele only a phone call away, we should be able to get this car up front every race.”
Dowker is looking forward to working with Ryan too, and can’t wait for the season to start.
“It’s going to be a good year, no doubt about it,” says Dowker. “We’re just looking forward to having some fun. (Ryan) is a nice kid. He’s matured a lot in the last two or three years.”
RIDE WITH RYAN
Make sure to check out Ryan’s new HD in-car camera footage. The latest edition finds Ryan flat-out in qualifying around Bristol’s high-banks. Just go to Ryan’s official YouTube profile at www.youtube.com/user/RyanLittRacing to watch the videos…and crank up the volume!
Ryan and the teams would like to thank all their sponsors for their support during the 2012 season, including BS&B Radiator, Linton Media, Linde Gases, Xtreme Metal Worx, Dowker Engines, Sweet Manufacturing, Hoosier Racing Tire, and Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oils.
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