From Andrew Kunas
Coeur D’Alene, ID — (March 30, 2015) — The Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series has made a big addition to its 2015 schedule as the Montana-based winged 360 sprint car series will race in the state of Wyoming for the first time when it visits Sheridan Speedway on Friday, September 11th.
With a fourth track on the schedule, the third season of competition for the series is 21 races strong now. The ASCS Frontier Region is also racing at Billings Motorsports Park, Electric City Speedway and Gallatin Speedway, all in Montana.
Sheridan Speedway, a 3/8-mile clay oval not far off of Interstate 90 in northern Wyoming, is re-opening in 2015 after being closed for several years. Promoter Cary Smith and S.O.I Racing, the team managing the track, have been working tirelessly over the past several weeks rehabilitating what had become a completely rundown facility that had endured several hot summers and as many brutal winters while sitting unused. A number of volunteer work parties have been held, with people helping remove old debris and clean up the grounds around the track.
In addition to being the first Wyoming event for the ASCS Frontier Region, the September 11th show at Sheridan Speedway now gives the series two races on that weekend. All ten race weekends scheduled now have at least two events. Race teams will have a bit of a tow the next day, Saturday, Septmeber 12th, as they have a rougly 285-mile journey to Gallatin Speedway in Belgrade, Mont. for the annual Gibson Guitar Big Sky Supernationals.
Gallatin Speedway’s signature event for several years had stood as a standalone Saturday event for the Frontier Region and its predecessor tours in Montana. That will now not be the case.
“This is a really cool deal for us, being able to go to a track that’s actually re-opening,” ASCS Frontier Region series director Mike Quigley said on Wednesday. “It’s also good for us as we now have two races that weekend. It’s tough sometimes getting folks out for just one event, so this could get us more cars for that weekend, and all of our race weekends are two nights or more now. Our first show at Sheridan and the Supernationals at (Gallatin) the next night. It should be a good deal.”
With Sheridan Speedway having been closed for years, many of the drivers in the ASCS Frontier Region tour will be racing at the facility for the first time, one of them being defending series champion Joe Ramaker of Boise, Idaho.
Helena, Mont. driver Trever Kirkland, one of the few who had seen the place before, described Sheridan Speedway as fast, fun and unique, with the “unique” remark referring to Sheridan Speedway not having any seats for fans back then. Fans tailgated out of their vehicles around the race track at the time. Sheridan Speedway’s Facebook page has stated that new grandstands will be added to the facility.
With Sheridan Speedway’s event falling on the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, the track is running a special promotion that evening. Everyone in public service, including police and sheriffs officers, EMT’s, firefighters and those in the Armed Forces will be getting in free of charge in recognition of their service to the community.
Efforts by the ASCS Frontier Region to schedule events in North Dakota were also made, with numerous tracks showing interest in hosting the series. While no events were officially scheduled for this season, the series will try to put together a string of events in North Dakota in 2016 in addition to its events in Montana and Wyoming. The ASCS Frontier Region kicks off its 2015 season with a two-night event at Billings Motorsports Park, located north of the city, on Friday and Saturday, May 8th and 9th.
The Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series, presented in part by Speedmart Inc. is a winged 360 dirt sprint car tour racing around the state of Montana and beyond. More information on the ASCS Frontier Region can be found online at frontier.ascsracing.com or you can follow the series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ascsfrontier. The national website of the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MAVTV American Real is www.ascsracing.com.