By Andrew Kunas
GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The Brodix Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series will finally get its 2022 season underway with the Montana Spring Round-Up this Friday and Saturday in its long-awaited return to Electric City Speedway.
The 3/10-mile clay oval on the north end of Great Falls will be hosting the ASCS Frontier Region for the first time since August 2018, that last event being won by Logan Forler, who incidentally was last year’s ASCS Frontier Region champion. The two races this weekend are the first of seven total events at Electric City Speedway for the series this year. Friday’s event will pay $1,500 to win with Saturday’s winner getting a cool $2,000 payday.
The Montana-based regional 360 sprint car series was set to open the season with a two-night event last weekend at Desert Thunder Raceway in Price, Utah but was forced to postpone due to the tire supply issue affecting all of racing and the automotive industry. There will be an effort to reschedule the event if possible. Tires will be available this weekend, but with the tire supply situation remaining uncertain the series is requesting that those who need tires get only what they need as we try to make sure anyone who needs them is able to acquire them.
With Logan Forler moving on to racing 410 sprint cars on the west coast, he won’t be around to defend the ASCS Frontier Region championship this year. That leaves several talented drivers from around the region competing to take his place as champion. Phil Dietz, a two-time ASCS Frontier Region champion and five-time overall sprint car champ, is expected to be in the mix as he runs a full schedule after taking two wins in part-time action last year. Trever Kirkland, a former champion of the Big Sky Sprints – a predecessor to the ASCS Frontier Region – looks to be a major factor, building off of momentum in the latter half of the season that included two wins and several top 5 finishes after a disastrous start earlier.
2021 series Rookie of the Year Tyler Driever is back also, having also finished second in the points with two wins and looking to use what he learned last year to challenge for a championship. Kelly Miller, a former winner at Electric City Speedway and of several ASCS Frontier Region events, will be one to watch as well. Kory Wermling, from Great Falls, won his first ASCS Frontier Region main event last year and finished third in points, and looks to deliver a big weekend in front of the hometown crowd. Drivers from Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Washington, western Canada and elsewhere will be competing.
The Brodix Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series will open its 2022 season with the Montana Spring Round-Up at Electric City Speedway in Great Falls, Montana this Friday and Saturday, May 27th and 28th. Pit gates each day open at 4:00 with spectator gates opening at 5:30 and racing scheduled for 7:00. Tickets each night are $20 for adults, $14 for military, juniors ages 13 to 17 and adults 55 and over. Kids 12 and under are only $5. The series will be joined by WISSOTA Midwest modifieds and WISSOTA street stocks on Friday, and then by IMCA modifieds, WISSOTA street stocks and WISSOTA super stocks on Saturday.
More information on the ASCS Frontier Region can be found online at www.ascsracing.com. Stagg Motor Sports, the promoting company of the ASCS Frontier Region, can be found at www.staggmotorsports.com.