By Tyler Altmeyer
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (June 9, 2021) – Perhaps the most grueling nine days in all of motorsports, as well as the pinnacle of the FloRacing All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 season, the 39th edition of Cometic Gasket Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by Hercules Tires is set to blast off on Friday evening, June 11, activating an eight-race/nine-day brawl across the Buckeye State.
Set to face-off against a stout contingent of local and regional competition, the traveling All Stars will compete at eight different ovals during their 2021 Ohio Sprint Speedweek campaign, battling for a total winner’s share equaling $59,554. In addition, a $12,000 Ohio Sprint Speedweek points fund will be spread among the top-five in the final Speedweek standings; $5,000 awarded to the champion and $2,500, $2,000, $1,500, and $1,000 awarded to second through fifth, respectively.
Ohio Sprint Speedweek will kick-off, officially, with a visit to Attica Raceway Park on Friday, June 11, followed by a stop just 45 minutes northwest at Fremont Speedway on Saturday, June 12. The only off day on the schedule, Sunday, June 13, will also be utilized as a rain date for the Attica and Fremont events. Speedweek competition will resume on Monday, June 14, with a visit to “Orrville’s Historic Oval” at Wayne County Speedway, flanked by a stop further east at Sharon Speedway in Hartford on Tuesday, June 15.
Back-to-back visits to Waynesfield Raceway Park in Waynesfield and Muskingum County Speedway in Dresden will take up the mid-week segment of the Ohio Sprint Speedweek agenda on Wednesday and Thursday, June 16-17, followed by an appearance at the bullring at Limaland Motorsports Park on Friday, June 18. The first seven stops on the schedule will award $6,000 top prizes.
Concluding the 39th running of Ohio Sprint Speedweek, the annual Dean Knittel Memorial, once again contested at Portsmouth Raceway Park in Portsmouth, will cap the eight-race march with a $17,554-to-win blockbuster on Saturday, June 19; a $2,000 bump from the year prior. Boasting a total purse exceeding $60,000, the Dean Knittel Memorial will guarantee a minimum of $954 to each A-Main starter. Elk Grove, California’s Kyle Larson is the defending Knittel winner; one of 14 All Star victories for “Yung Money” in 2020.
Three-time All Star champion and Clute, Texas-native, Aaron Reutzel is the defending Ohio Sprint Speedweek titleholder, scoring a Fremont Speedway win along the way before capping his championship run by 82 markers over Vienna, West Virginia’s Cale Conley. Nashville, Tennessee’s Paul McMahan was third in the 2020 Ohio Sprint Speedweek standings, followed by Cory Eliason and Zeb Wise.
Kyle Larson, the aforementioned defending champion of the Dean Knittel Memorial/Speedweek finale, scored two Speedweek victories in 2020, the first occurring just two nights prior of the Knittel at Brushcreek Motorsports Complex.
Republic, Ohio’s Cap Henry, who has since returned to the road as a full-time All Star competitor, also scored a pair of Speedweek victories last season; first during opening night at Attica Raceway Park and the second just three starts later at Wayne County Speedway.
A pair of Californians in Buddy Kofoid and Rico Abreu each scored one Speedweek win in 2020, doing so at Fremont Speedway and Muskingum County Speedway, respectively.
National Sprint Car Hall of Famer and Hartford, Ohio-native, Dale Blaney is the all-time leading champion of Ohio Sprint Speedweek, scoring a total of six titles between 1995 and 2019, three of which accomplished in four years. Other multi-time Ohio Sprint Speedweek champions include Frankie Kerr (4), Tim Shaffer (3), Stevie Smith (2), Sammy Swindell (2), Joey Saldana (2), and Chad Kemenah (2).
The only active All Star who has earned a Speedweek championship is Paul McMahan. The pilot of the CJB Motorsports entry, who is currently eighth in the All Star driver standings despite a late start in establishing “full-time” status for CJB, earned his Speedweek title in 2018, opening the week with a victory at Attica Raceway Park.
“Sunshine” Tyler Courtney will lead the traveling All Stars into Ohio Sprint Speedweek competition as the leading Series championship contender, scoring five victories to date with his most recent at Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, Wisconsin, on Friday, June 4. Ian Madsen, who is on a stretch of three consecutive runner-up finishes, is second in the title chase, followed by Hunter Schuerenberg, Bill Balog, and Cory Eliason.
Courtney may be the championship leader, but the “Northpole Nightmare” Bill Balog is the hottest competitor on tour currently, scoring the last two All Star victories, the first two of his career, while jumping ahead to fourth in the driver standings. Balog earned his All Star triumphs at Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, Wisconsin, and Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, on Saturday and Sunday, June 5-6, respectively.
For those who can not witness the All Star Circuit of Champions live and in person, FloRacing.com, the official media partner and broadcast provider of the All Stars, has you covered. To access live and on-demand racing action from the All Star Circuit of Champions, visit FloRacing.com and become an annual PRO subscriber. Race fans can see all the USAC and dirt late-model action they want in addition to Eldora Speedway’s slate of races and those of the All Star Circuit of Champions. The subscription unlocks access to premium content across the entire FloSports network. Watch the events across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.
Weekend Outline:
Friday, June 11:
Attica Raceway Park
Attica, Ohio
Driver’s Meeting: 5:30 p.m. | Hot Laps: 6 p.m.
$6,000-to-win
Saturday, June 12:
Fremont Speedway
Fremont, Ohio
Driver’s Meeting: 5:15 p.m. | Hot Laps: 6 p.m.
$6,000-to-win
Sunday, June 13:
Off Day | Rain Date
Monday, June 14:
Wayne County Speedway
Orrville, Ohio
Driver’s Meeting: 5:45 p.m. | Hot Laps: 6:15 p.m.
$6,000-to-win
Tuesday, June 15:
Sharon Speedway
Hartford, Ohio
Driver’s Meeting: 5:45 p.m. | Hot Laps: 6:15 p.m.
$6,000-to-win
Wednesday, June 16:
Waynesfield Raceway Park
Waynesfield, Ohio
Driver’s Meeting: 5:45 p.m. | Hot Laps: 6:15 p.m.
$6,000-to-win
Thursday, June 17:
Muskingum County Speedway
Dresden, Ohio
Driver’s Meeting: 5:45 p.m. | Hot Laps: 6:15 p.m.
$6,000-to-win
Friday, June 18:
Limaland Motorsports Park
Lima, Ohio
Driver’s Meeting: 6:15 p.m. | Hot Laps: 7 p.m.
$6,000-to-win
Saturday, June 19:
Portsmouth Raceway Park
Portsmouth, Ohio
Driver’s Meeting: 6:15 p.m. | Hot Laps: 7 p.m.
$17,554-to-win
*Rain Date set for June 20
2021 All Star Circuit of Champions Winners:
1. Screven Motor Speedway, Georgia (January 29, 2021): Donny Schatz
2. Screven Motor Speedway, Georgia (January 30, 2021): Aaron Reutzel
3. East Bay Raceway Park, Florida (February 2, 2021): Donny Schatz (2)
4. Volusia Speedway Park, Florida (February 3, 2021): Logan Schuchart
5. Volusia Speedway Park, Florida (February 4, 2021): Carson Macedo
6. Attica Raceway Park, Ohio (April 3, 2021): Justin Peck
7. Virginia Motor Speedway, Virginia (April 15, 2021): Tony Stewart
8. Williams Grove Speedway, Pennsylvania (April 16, 2021): Kyle Larson
9. Port Royal Speedway, Pennsylvania (April 17, 2021): Logan Wagner
10. Bedford Speedway, Pennsylvania (April 18, 2021): Anthony Macri
11. Sharon Speedway, Ohio (May 1, 2021): Justin Peck (2)
12. Tri-City Raceway Park, Pennsylvania (May 2, 2021): Sam Hafertepe Jr.
13. I-96 Speedway, Michigan (May 14, 2021): Tyler Courtney
14. Dirt Oval at Route 66, Illinois (May 15, 2021): Kyle Reinhardt
15. Circle City Raceway, Indiana (May 20, 2021): Tyler Courtney (2)
16. Circle City Raceway, Indiana (May 21, 2021): Tyler Courtney (3)
17. Gas City I-69 Speedway, Indiana (May 22, 2021): Cap Henry
18. Kokomo Speedway, Indiana (May 23, 2021): Zeb Wise
19. Port Royal Speedway, Pennsylvania (May 31, 2021): Lance Dewease
20. Fairbury Speedway, Illinois (June 3, 2021): Tyler Courtney (4)
21. Wilmot Raceway, Wisconsin (June 4, 2021): Tyler Courtney (5)
22. Plymouth Dirt Track, Wisconsin (June 5, 2021): Bill Balog
23. Angell Park Speedway, Wisconsin (June 6, 2021): Bill Balog (2)
2021 All Star Circuit of Champions Driver Standings (as of 6/6/21):
1. Tyler Courtney – 2508
2. Ian Madsen – 2416
3. Hunter Schuerenberg – 2370
4. Bill Balog – 2328
5. Cory Eliason – 2322
6. Zeb Wise – 2302
7. Cap Henry – 2256
8. Paul McMahan – 2188
9. Kyle Reinhardt – 2080
10. Rico Abreu – 1990
About the 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. 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 FloSports:
Founded in 2006, FloSports is a subscription video streaming service dedicated to sports, offering live and on-demand access to hundreds of thousands of competition events across 25+ vertical sport categories in the US and abroad. FloSports’ mission is to give underserved sports the love they deserve. With a growing library of more than 300,000 hours of premium content including news, expert commentary, films, documentaries and more, FloSports has established itself as an innovator and leader in sports streaming. Finally, your sport has a home. For more information, please visit: flosports.tv.
About Mobil 1:
The world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, Mobil 1™ features anti-wear technology that provides performance beyond our conventional motor oils. This technology allows Mobil 1 to meet or exceed the toughest standards of car builders and to provide exceptional protection against engine wear, under normal or even some of the most extreme conditions. Mobil 1 flows quickly in extreme temperatures to protect critical engine parts and is designed to maximize engine performance and help extend engine life. For more information, visit mobiloil.com, on Twitter @Mobil1 and, on Facebook, www.facebook.com/mobil1. Mobil, Mobil 1 and Mobil 1 Racing are registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries.
About Cometic Gasket:
Cometic Gasket is the Official Gasket of the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions. Cometic is a leading worldwide supplier of gaskets and engine sealing solutions for the Automotive Performance, Powersports, Original Equipment and Remanufactured Engine Industries. Cometic gaskets are must-haves for championship-winning teams across the globe. Cometic Gaskets are proudly made in the USA. For more information, log on to www.cometic.com. Cometic Gasket. Sealing championships since 1989.
About Hercules Tires:
Hercules Tires is widely recognized as the industry’s premier value brand with a comprehensive selection of passenger, UHP, light truck, medium truck and specialty tires. Since 1952, independent tire dealers and distributors have trusted Hercules to deliver outstanding quality, exceptional support, and unsurpassed value. Hercules is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Tire Distributors, Inc. American Tire Distributors is one of the largest independent suppliers of tires in the North American replacement tire market. The company offers an unsurpassed breadth and depth of inventory, frequent delivery and value-added services to approximately 80,000 customers across the U.S. and Canada.