From Jim Hanks
HOLLY, Mich. – As the Trufuel Must See
Racing Xtreme Sprint Series finishes the
initial busy stretch of the 2012 campaign,
competitors can look back upon a sensational
display of speed at the first five venues.
At each stop, series competitors unloaded
their equipment and prepared to test the limits
of man and machine on an oval track. At each
stop, a New Track Record was established.
Action began in April at Five Flags Speedway
in Pensacola, Fla., where Jason Cox set a new
speed record and Tanner Swanson won the
first round of the Southern Shootout. Next was
Alabama’s Mobile Intl. Speedway, where Todd Fayard shattered the existing track record and
Brian Olson scored the finale of the Southern Shootout. The daunting hills of Indiana’s Winchester Speedway was next in May, where JoJo Helberg laid down a record-setting lap of 12.669 seconds on the legendary half-mile, and defending series champion Troy DeCaire prevailed in the Xtreme Speed Challenge. Three days later at Anderson Speedway Helberg again broke the track record and Jason Blonde won the MustSeeRacing 60. In June Brian Gerster exhibited a flawless performance at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, setting a new track record and winning the 25-lap Night of Speed feature event.
With five races in the books and nine remaining, Helberg holds a 13-point lead over Jacob Wilson. The series next outing takes them to Auto City Speedway in Flint, Mich. on July 3 for the MustSee Twin 20’s.
The season has brought an interesting array of personalities to the point standings. The intense nature of competition has reshuffled the fortunes of several XSS competitors, and consistency has emerged as the key. Helberg and Wilson, for example, have qualified for every feature race thus far, and hope to continue their strong performances at Auto City.
Helberg finished second at the most recent outing at Lucas Oil Raceway, and appears to be on the cusp of his first victory of the season. Wilson has also been strong, earning top-10 finishes at every event thus far. Olson rides third in points and continues to gain strength, while Cox has been a strong presence at every outing.
Several stalwart XSS racers find themselves deep in the series standings, leaving them eager to win and improve their lot. Gerster hopes to build on his victory at Lucas Oil Raceway, returning to Auto City as the defending race champion. Aaron Pierce has experienced a malady of mechanical woes, and finds himself highly motivated. Dave Baumgartner posted a season-best finish of fourth at Lucas Oil Raceway, while Jimmy McCune rallied for a hard-fought fifth-place finish. Both hope to continue to gain ground on the series leaders.
Ten of the 14 XSS events in 2012 will be broadcast on national television to over 166 million American homes. In addition, viewership continues to be boosted by video streaming on the series website. XSS cars are officially the “World’s Fastest Short Track Cars”, drawing fans and viewership from across the USA to see the cars racing at over 150 mph on some of the most prestigious tracks in America.
More information is available at www.mustseeracing.com.
DRIVER POINT STANDINGS
1. JoJo Helberg (Rohnert Park, Calif.) 379
2. Jacob Wilson (Crawfordsville, Ind.) 366
3. Brian Olson (Indianapolis, Ind.) 365
4. Jason Cox (Park City, Ill.) 359
5. Mike Larrison (Brownsburg, Ind.) 350
6. Dave Baumgartner (Ottawa Lake, Mich.) 341
7. Hank Lower (Angola, Ind.) 320
8. Jimmy McCune (Toledo, Ohio) 296
9. Troy DeCaire (Tampa, Fla.) 292
10. Aaron Pierce (Daleville, Ind.) 283
UPCOMING XTREME SPRINT SERIES EVENTS
July 3 – Auto City Speedway (Flint, Mich.)
July 5 – Shangri-La II Speedway (Tioga Center, N.Y.)
July 7 – Oswego Speedway (Oswego, NY)
July 14 – Kalamazoo Speedway (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
Aug. 11 – Salem Speedway (Salem, Ind.)
Aug. 18 – Anderson Speedway (Anderson, Ind.)
Aug. 19 – Winchester Speedway (Winchester, Ind.)
Aug. 25 – Berlin Raceway Park (Marne, Mich.)
Aug. 31 – Oswego Speedway (Oswego, N.Y.)