By Mike O’Leary
May 1, 2014 – If King of Indiana Sprint Series events were decided on paper, we could easily declare last year’s KISS champion Brady Short the winner of tomorrow’s run at Bloomington Speedway. However we don’t run races on paper, we make the drivers belt in, push off and compete wheel-to-wheel for the victory on the banked clay oval.
However, just to complete the point that is at hand, it is valuable to note that Short is already 3-for-3 at the Bloomington quarter-mile this spring. Additionally, he captured the last two KISS events at the quarter mile clay oval, in 2011 and last year. It is easy to see why he can feel confident when the Pottorff Logging / Short team unloads tomorrow night.
Some of the hotdogs will be out of town tomorrow, which makes the event even more intriguing. Bloomington has a strong contingent of racers every Friday night, and any of them would definitely like to add their names to the list of KISS race winners as the feature pays $2,500 to win, and the winner will be out in front of the KISS points, which will award the series champion $1,200.
Included in the list of outstanding drivers competing at Bloomington this spring are Casey Shuman, Carson Short, Nick Bilbee, Jeff Bland, Jordan Kinser, Jared Fox, Kent Christian, Dakota Jackson, Seth Parker, Bub Cummings and Bradley Sterrett. The program can also be expected to attract other drivers who compete at KISS tracks around the state as they begin the chase for the 2014 KISS crown.
As stated, the race will be fought out on the track tomorrow night. Who will step in and upset Short’s streak? Bloomington Speedway is located just an hour south of Indianapolis, off of State Route 37. General admission for the program is only $20 and kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult; pit passes are $30. The night’s events will include UMP Super Stocks, Modifieds and Hornets. The main grandstand opens at 5:30, with hot laps at 6:30 and racing beginning at 7:30. The pit gate will open at 4:30. More information is available at www.bloomingtonspeedway.com.
The KISS racers will roll north of Indianapolis for the King of Kokomo competition on Sunday. The 30-lap KISS main event will pay $2,500 to win and $250 to start. The point fund is a total of $4,200, with the series champion earning $1,200. Second in points will collect $900, and third through fifth will receive $800, $700 and $600.
Gas City/I-69 Speedway will compete their KISS event on the following Friday. The next weekend, KISS will travel to the southeastern corner of the state for Lawrenceburg’s competition. As has become their tradition, Tri-State Speedway will host the KISS sprinters on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, just hours after the completion of the Indy 500. The 2014 KISS championship will be finalized at Paragon Speedway on Saturday, May 31 at Paragon Speedway.
2014 KISS SCHEDULE
April 27 Terre Haute Action Track – Rain
May 2 Bloomington Speedway
May 4 Kokomo Speedway
May 9 Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 17 Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 25 Tri-State Speedway
May 31 Paragon Speedway