By Zach Hiser
Merril, MI – In 2015, the 360 Winged Sprint Car scene in and around Michigan was floundering with no true regional 360 Sprint Car Tour offering teams and fans a place to race. By 2016, Barry Marlow had formed the Great Lakes Super Sprints (GLSS) – a 360ci exclusive Tour with races in Michigan the first season before expanding in the years to come. In 2023, the Great Lakes Super Sprints acquired the NRA Sprint Invaders expanding its footprint event further into the Ohio and Indiana region. Now, in 2025, the Ohio CAT/Michigan CAT Great Lakes Super Sprints Presented by Engine Pro and ARP gear up for its 10th season of racing.
On Friday, June 17th GLSS held their first event at Mt Pleasant Speedway in northern Michigan – 22 cars unloaded that night hoping to be the first-ever winner of a GLSS contest and Dustin Daggett was able to get the job done. The next night, Greg Dalman won at Thunderbird Raceway as the season rolled into the summer. Jared Horstman, Kyle Sauder, Dustin Daggett (x3), Linden Jones, and Chase Ridenour (x4) were winners in the first season with Ridenour being crowned the inaugural Champion in a season that nearly 20 cars at each event.
The sophomore season for GLSS featured co-sanctioned events with the NRA Sprint Invaders for the first time. Jared Horstman (x11), Randy Hannagan (x4), Michael Burkin, Chase Ridenour (x2), Nate Dussel, and Dustin Daggett (x2) collected feature wins before Horstman collected his first championship title. An average of 22 cars unloaded with the Super Sprints in 2017 with a series-high 32 to finish the season at Waynesfield Raceway Park.
In 2018, GLSS got back to basics with sole sanctioning of events across the region. Dustin Daggett (x6), Max Stambaugh (x2), Phil Gressman (x2), and Gregg Dalman (x2) were feature winners in 2018 with Daggett collecting his first GLSS Championship of his career. Another strong season of growth brought GLSS an average of over 28 cars that season as the schedule returned to racing in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.
The 2019 season was arguably one of the best seasons for the Great Lakes Super Sprints with a kick-off in May that saw former NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Tony Stewart break the track record and go to victory lane. The following weekend, the American Sprint Car Series co-sanctioned a two-day weekend at I-96 Speedway with a record-setting 79 cars registered for both nights. Sam Hafertepe Jr. swept the weekend joining Stewart on the wins list along with Jared Horstman (x4), Danny Sams III, Phil Gressman (x6), Ryan Ruhl (x2), Gregg Dalman (x3), and Dustin Daggett (x4). The six-win season was enough for “The Ohio Gasman” of Gressman to capture the championship during a season where an average of 26 cars competed for wins.
Most remember what kicked off the 2020 season of racing across the country – despite the global challenges, 11 events were contested that season with five different feature winners. From the end of June to the end of September, Jared Horstman made the most of the year collecting his second series championship after earning four wins. Ryan Ruhl (x3), Dustin Daggett, Chase Ridenour (x2), and Ricky Peterson collected wins as well. Despite the challenges of the world, an average of over 25 cars attended each GLSS event that season.
Back to some sort of normal in 2021 where an average of 26 cars raced during a season beginning at the end of April and rolling through until early September. Ryan Ruhl won five feature events en route to his first series championship and first for Smith Motorsports. Matt Covington, Dustin Daggett (x4), Brad Lamberson (x2), Max Stambaugh (x3), Dan McCarron, Gregg Dalman, and Danny Sams III were all winners in 2021.
Dylan Westbrook kicked off the 2022 season a winner at Crystal Motor Speedway with Danny Sams III (x3), Gregg Dalman (x2), Nate Dussel (x2), Cole Macedo (x2), Dustin Daggett (x2), Jared Horstman (x2), Phil Gressman (x2), Max Stambaugh (x3), and Brad Lamberson all found victory lane during the 20 race season that averaged over 25 cars per race. Max Stambaugh collected his first championship with GLSS.
The 2023 season marked the first year of the Great Lakes Super Sprints in a tri-series format with three potential championships on the line – the Great Lakes Super Sprints Michigan Division which earned points from events contested in Michigan, the Great Lakes Super Sprints Ohio Divisions which compiled points from race in Ohio, and the Great Lakes Super Sprints Tour which collected points from all events held by the Great Lakes Super Sprints. Max Stambaugh earned the Tour and Michigan region title while Jared Horstman was crowned the Ohio region champion, the final under the NRA Banner.
Last season, the Ohio CAT and Michigan CAT divisions again raced within the overall GLSS Tour. Max Stambaugh nearly completed the clean sweep, locking up the Tour Championship and Michigan CAT title without much drama. The Ohio CAT Division, however, went down to the final weekend at Waynesfield Raceway Park and Millstream Speedway. Stambaugh and Daggett entered the final feature event of the season tied for the Ohio CAT title, with the driver who finished higher earning the Championship. Daggett, who lost the spot to Stambaugh at one point in the race, held on for his second championship with GLSS.
After a total of 180 races sanctioned by the Great Lakes Super Sprints Presented by Engine Pro and ARP 40 different drivers have gone to Victory Lane with the Series. Fans can expect more of the same in 2025 with great car counts, intense racing, and an exciting fight to become a GLSS Champion. More details on the 2025 season, including a schedule of events, will be released in the coming weeks. Follow the Great Lakes Super Sprints on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.