A-Verdi Sprint Championship Brings Big Field to Black Rock

From Rich Vleck

Rochester, NY — (August 6, 2012) — There are a lot of unknowns heading in to this Friday’s final sprint car race at Black Rock Speedway this season; one thing that is for sure is the winner will walk away with $4,000. One thing that is not is who that will be.

For the third time this season, the Patriot Sprint Tour will invade Dundee; for the second time this year, the United Racing Company will join in on the fun and there presence only makes this event more exciting.

Each year since 2001, the 4/10-mile oval has hosted a sprint car event on the second weekend in August. This likely has something to do with the presence of the stock car community just down the road, which has brought in some big names throughout the years and may very well again this Friday. A-Verdi Storage Containers has been title sponsor of this event for many of those years, with S.P. Wilson/ Lakes Gas continuing their support of sprint car events in Dundee as they have for decades.

Recently, winning this marquis event has translated into a Patriot championship. This has occurred the last two years with Bryan Howland (2010) and Jared Zimbardi (2011) dominating their respective events. Chuck Hebing also pulled off this accomplishment back in 2006.

Howland would love nothing more than to score his first win on American soil this Friday and put a major exclamation point in his quest for his fifth PST Championship. Howland leads local favorite Tim Kelly of Rock Stream by just 16 points with three races remaining and Kelly has been extremely steady over the last six races, finishing in the top five in each of those events. A win for the No. 12 would be a popular one in the pits, in the stands, and especially for their team.

Last time the PST was in Yates County, it was George Suprick, the winningest sprint car driver in BRS history, getting redemption for his crash in May and scoring the win. In Victory Lane though, the 2004 Track Champion mentioned that was just a tune-up for this Friday’s race, an event he won in 2005.

Bobby Breen, the winner of the May PST/URC Challenge will make his return now that he has completed his college courses in Ohio. Breen will have a plethora of drivers that are looking to thwart is attempt at a repeat of May though, and will be invading from all over.

Scott Kreutter, the most recent winner on the PST Tour on Saturday McKean County will be on hand, as will Tommy Wickham, Don Adamczyk, Steve Collins, Brandan Warner, Steve Hutchinson Jr., Clint Ide, Dave Wickham, Bruce DeWick, Charlie Donk, Tracy Potter and Jessica Zemken.

The United Racing Company contingent is also sure to be strong this Friday. Robbie Stillwaggon leads the standings with fellow New Jersey driver Davie Franek closely in second. Other URC drivers expected include Josh Weller, Kevin Darling, Randy West, Joey Biasi, Ed Aikin, Chad Trout, Art Liedl, Tim Hogue, Andy Best, Jonathan Swanson, Troy Betts and Dan Mazy.

Other drivers may also be invading on the night, but those will not be confirmed until race night. Gates will swing open at 5:00 P.M., with racing getting underway at 6:45. For more information, visit www.PatriotSprintTour.com.

Patriot Sprint Tour History at Black Rock

Races: 33

9/6/2003- Scott Bonnell

4/24/2004- Rich Swarthout

5/22/2004- Lance Yonge

6/5/2004- George Suprick

6/12/2004- George Suprick

6/19/2004- George Suprick

6/26/2004- Bobby Breen

7/2/2004- Rick Wilson

7/10/2004- Chuck Hebing

7/17/2004- George Suprick