By Adam Mckay
Winged sprint car fans throughout Illinois and beyond have had Friday, May 20 marked on their calendars since the 2016-Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions schedule was announced. This year’s schedule includes an Illinois date and that race is coming up at Lincoln IL Speedway at the Logan County Fairgrounds. Joining one of the longest running car organizations will be the UMP Pro Late Models, UMP Midwest Technical Institute Modifieds, and the POWRi/Illini D-II Midgets Presented By Nutech Seed.
NASCAR driver, Tony Stewart, purchased the series from Guy Webb one year ago, becoming the fourth owner of the 46-year old series. This year, the tour has already made visits in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania with races in Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and New York also scheduled. The Illinois visit is the first in many years for the popular midwest series.
So far this season, veteran open wheel star, Dale Blaney, of Hartford, Ohio leads the standings, claiming wins at Attica Raceway Park and Port Royal Speedway. Blaney has also taken top fives at Wayne County and Selensgrove with a top ten at Bedford. Blaney will be one of the favorites, no doubt, at the Lincoln Speedway event.
Fellow Ohio driver, Chad Kemenah, trails Blaney by 34 points early in the season. Kemenah has been outstanding as well, winning recently at Bedford, while claiming top fives at Attica, Wayne County, and Port Royal. A 24th at Selinsgrove is what put the deficit where it is now.
The top five in series standings are finished off by Sheldon Haudenschild, Ryan Smith, and Cap Henry. Others in the top ten include T.J. Michael, Tim Shaffer, Lee Jacobs, Danny Holtgraver, and Caleb Helms. Expected travelers with the series also include Brent Marks, Andrew Palker, Kraig Kinser, Caleb Armstrong, and Bradley Howard who find themselves in the top 15.
Leading up to next Friday’s event at Lincoln Speedway, the series will be racing this weekend at Lernerville and Mercer, two Pennsylvania tracks.
Joining the strong contingent of Arctic Cat All Star Circuit Of Champion regulars will be a barrage of Illinois competitors, normally seen with MOWA and at other big events throughout the area. The field will definitely be stout, as the fastest cars of the season visit the track.
Pits will open next Friday at 3:00, while grandstands will open at 4:00. The driver meeting for All Star Sprints is scheduled for 5:30, while the local division pill draw will end at 6:00. Hotlaps are set for 6:20 with qualifying to follow and racing to take the green around 7:00. Grandstand admission will be $30 with kids 11 and under free. Pit admission will be just $5 more at $35.
For more information, follow Lincoln Speedway online at www.lincolnspeedwayil.com, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/LincolnILSpeedway), and Twitter (@LincolnILSpdwy). Updates are also available by calling the Track Enterprises office at 217-764-3200.
Lincoln Speedway is located at the Logan County Fairgrounds, in Lincoln, IL. The physical address is 1408 Short 11th St., Lincoln, IL 62656. Lincoln Speedway races a number of UMP classes as well as specials on a near bi-weekly schedule of Friday and Sunday evenings.
Additional Series Info:
Those seeking additional information regarding the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions should visit their official online home at www.allstarsprint.com. Series updates and breaking news will be posted regularly on the official Twitter account of the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions: https://twitter.com/ASCoC. Find full text results from each and every event, as well as an up-to-date schedule, online at www.allstarsprint.com/schedule/.
About the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions:
All Star Enterprises, LLC, wholly owned by Tony Stewart, d/b/a the All Star Circuit of Champions, is a winged sprint car series. The All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series is one of the oldest traveling 410 sprint car organizations and is a staple of grassroots, open-wheel racing. Formed in 1970 by Bud Miller, the series has largely been considered the first ‘outlaw’ Sprint Car organization of the modern era. After a 10 year stint as owner of the All Stars, Miller passed control of the series to Bert Emick in 1980; a reign that would continue through 2002. Guy Webb then purchased the series from Emick in the summer of 2002 and served as the series President for the next 12 years. Motorsports entrepreneur Tony Stewart agreed to terms with Guy Webb to become the sole owner of the original winged sprint car tour in January of 2015.
About Arctic Cat:
The Arctic Cat brand is among the most widely recognized and respected in the recreational vehicle industry. The company designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), side-by-sides and snowmobiles, in addition to related parts, garments and accessories under the Arctic Cat® and Motorfist® brand names. Arctic Cat Inc.’s world headquarters is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “ACAT.” More information about Arctic Cat and its products is available at www.ArcticCat.com.