by Tommy Goudge
(July 12, 2016) – Ohsweken, Ontario – Ohsweken Speedway’s 21st season of racing continues this Friday, July 15 when Strickland’s GMC presents Ken Schrader, UMP Modifieds, a full weekly racing card, and the track’s annual Sponsor Night activities.
The UMP (United Midwestern Promoters) Modified division is a fixture at hundreds of North American dirt tracks including South Buxton Raceway, but Ontario’s UMP drivers rarely venture east of the Chatham-area facility. Anticipation is high among the drivers and teams, and many will be racing at Ohsweken for the first time. The first and only UMP Modified event at Ohsweken to date was held on June 19, 2009 when Tim Richardson took the A-Feature win. Richardson will be part of a large and competitive field this Friday; at least 24 UMP Modified teams were on their way to Ohsweken last September before wet weather intervened. (Competitors note: One driver and one crew member from each UMP Modified team will be admitted to the pits at the Ohsweken member price on Friday by presenting their South Buxton Raceway membership credentials at the pit sign-in booth.)
Ken Schrader will bring his own UMP Modified to race at Ohsweken in the July 15 event, following a corporate event at the track earlier in the week. His first and only Ohsweken visit to date came in 2009, when he scored an 8th place finish in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series “Six Nations 50”. The 60 year old from Fenton, Missouri is known for the wide variety of racing divisions in which he has competed and seen success. Before making his debut in what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 1984, Schrader claimed the USAC Silver Crown series championship in 1982, and the USAC National Sprint Car series championship in 1983. He later became the first driver to win in all three of NASCAR’s major series, and started 763 Sprint Cup Series events before “retiring” in 2013. Ken Schrader Racing Inc. now fields entries in the ARCA series, and in various dirt modified events. Schrader himself still competes in more than 70 races each season, mostly in dirt modifieds, and claimed 5 feature wins last year.
Each registered 2016 race team will have the opportunity to provide free passes to their sponsors to attend the races on Friday. Teams interested in this event can contact General Manager Clinton Geoffrey at clinton@ohswekenspeedway.com for more information, and fill out the application form by clicking on the following link: http://ohswekenspeedway.ca/?page_id=4933
The UMP Modifieds will join Ohsweken’s weekly racing divisions, including the Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars, Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars, Affordable Towing & Recovery Thunder Stocks, HRW Automotive Mini Stocks, and Gale’s Auto Aftermarket Bombers. An average of 119 drivers have signed in for each of the first 8 rounds of Ohsweken’s 2016 season. Racing will take the green flag at 7:30pm this Friday, July 15. Visit the official Ohsweken Speedway website at www.OhswekenSpeedway.com for ticket prices and more information.
TICKETS PLEASE!
Reserve your seats now for the Burger Barn Northern Crate Nationals, Arrow Express Six Nations Showdown featuring the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, and 12th annual Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals weekend. Call 519 717-0023 or visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com for more information about Special Event Tickets, Gift Certificates, Season Tickets, Parking Passes, Pit Passes, Memberships, and more.
About Strickland’s GMC: Strickland’s is a family owned and operated business that has been serving Southwestern Ontario for over 30 years. They have never been afraid to change in order to better serve their customers, but one thing has remained the same – they have always run their company based on the old proverb “Treat others the way you wish to be treated”. Strickland’s is the only full-line General Motors dealer in Brantford and the surrounding area, serving the community for over 90 years. Strickland’s returned as the title sponsor of the Crate Sprint Car division for a third consecutive season in 2016. Strickland’s GMC is located at 19-21 Lynden Road in Brantford, at the intersection of Lynden Road and Wayne Gretzky Parkway, and just 15 minutes from Ohsweken Speedway. Visit Strickland’s GMC online at www.Stricklands.com or call them at 1-800-599-5558.
SEASON STATS
-Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars
Championship points leader: Mitch Brown
Rookie of the Year leader: Jake Brown
A-Feature Winners: Mitch Brown – 2 (May 27, June 17); Jake Brown – 1 (May 20); Mikey Kruchka – 1 (June 3); Jared Zimbardi – 1 (June 10); Steve Poirier – 1 (June 24); Dave Dykstra – 1 (July 1)
-Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars
Championship points leader: Ryan Hunsinger & Jesse McDonald (tie)
Rookie of the Year leader: Jesse McDonald
A-Feature Winners: Ryan Hunsinger – 3 (May 20, May 27, June 3); Jesse McDonald – 2 (June 24, July 1); Josh Shantz – 1 (June 10); Mack DeMan – 1 (June 17)
-Affordable Towing & Recovery Thunder Stocks
Championship points leader: Dave Bailey & Karl Sault (tie)
Rookie of the Year leader: Jason Lungaro
A-Feature Winners: Ryan Dinning – 4 (May 27, June 17, June 24, July 1); Dave Bailey – 2 (May 20, June 10); Wyatt Van Wart – 1 (June 3)
-HRW Automotive Mini Stocks
Championship points leader: Brandon Janssens
Rookie of the Year leader: Brandon Crumbie
A-Feature Winners: Mark Bazuin – 3 (June 10, July 1, July 8); Jon Janssens – 2 (June 3, June 24); Brandon Janssens – 1 (May 27); Brandon Crumbie – 1 (June 17)
-Gale’s Auto Aftermarket Bombers
Championship points leader: Paul Longboat
Rookie of the Year leader: Joey Wilcox
A-Feature winners: Wayde Thorne – 4 (May 27, June 3, June 17, July 8); Jerry Burnham – 2 (June 24, July 1); Jake Maas – 1 (May 20); Dustin Longboat – 1 (June 10)
About Ohsweken Speedway:
Founded in 1996, Ohsweken Speedway is a motorsports complex which includes a 3/8 (0.375) mile clay oval track. The facility is owned by the Styres family, and located in the village of Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada. Ohsweken’s weekly Friday night racing program runs from May to September each year, featuring 360 Sprint Cars, Crate Sprint Cars, Thunder Stocks, Mini Stocks, and Bombers, while the season finishes each year with the annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals. Ohsweken Speedway also hosts weekly Micro Sprint racing on Thursday nights, and has been a yearly stop on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car series schedule since 2007.
Website: www.OhswekenSpeedway.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/OHSWEKENSPEEDWAY
Twitter: @OhswekenSpdway
YouTube: www.YouTube.com/user/OhswekenSpdway
Ohsweken Speedway thanks the following partners for their support: Arrow Express, Kool Kidz Ice & Water, Corr/Pak Merchandising Inc., Renway Energy, Case IH O’Neil’s Farm Equipment, Hoosier Tire Canada, EPIC Racewear, McDonald’s Restaurants of Paris & Brantford, Ackland Insurance, Strickland’s GMC, Mobil 1, Burger Barn, Pinty’s Delicious Foods, Creative Edge Signs & Graphics, Insta-Insulation, Affordable Towing & Recovery, HRW Automotive, and Gale’s Auto Aftermarket.