ASCS Sprints on Dirt Weekend Double on Tap!

From Lonnie Wheatley

TULSA, Okla. (August 9, 2011) – The Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP title chase continues this weekend with a pair of events in Michigan on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday night, the series takes to the high-banked, 3/8-mile Cherry Raceway clay oval in Fife Lake, MI. Then, on Saturday night, it’s off to I-96 Speedway’s semi-banked, 3/8-mile dirt oval in Lake Odessa, MI.

It marks the second Cherry Raceway / I-96 weekend double of the year, with defending series champion Ryan Grubaugh picking off his lone win of the season at Cherry on June 18 before current points leader Dustin Daggett claimed the third of six series wins thus far in 2011 the following night.

Friday’s card at Cherry Raceway marks the fifth round of the MAHLE/Clevite Short Track Challenge. Daggett has won three of four previous STC rounds and holds a 98-point advantage in the STC points race over Brett Mann, with Joe Bares, Davey Brown and Ryan Ruhl also among the top five.

Friday’s card at Cherry Raceway will mark the series final stop of the year at the Fife Lake oval, will Saturday’s card at I-96 is the final event at Lake Odessa until the season championship card on September 24.

There have been six different winners in the last six ASCS Sprints on Dirt events at Cherry Raceway, with Grubaugh the most recent winner in June after Dustin Daggett and Darren Long won the 2010 events. Previous to that, the 2009 scheduled event was rained out, Gregg Dalman and Ben Rutan claimed Cherry wins in 2008 and Brett Mann won the July event in 2007 after Daggett scored in June.

The series has only tackled the 3/8-mile at I-96 on just two occcasions, with Daggett taking the victory in last September’s SOD season finale and then backing it up with a June win.

With six wins in the initial 11 events of the season, Daggett has amassed a 254-point lead over Brett Mann, with Robert Huisken, Ryan Grubaugh and Davey Brown rounding out the current top five. The balance of the current top ten includes Jim Lingar, Matt Lumbert, Ryan Ruhl, Joe Bares and Marques Huffer.

After Friday’s event at Cherry Raceway, Saturday’s card at I-96 Speedway fires off at 7:00 p.m.

Fife Lake, Michigan’s Cherry Raceway is located 3.1 miles northwest of US 131 on SR 113. For more information, contact the track at 231-468-1477.

Lake Odessa, Michigan’s I-96 Speedway is located off I-96 Exit 64, then 0.5 miles south, then 0.7 miles west. For more information, contact the track at 616-642-0555.

The 32nd year of competition for the Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP consists of 27 scheduled nights of action at 13 different tracks throughout Michigan, Ohio and Ontario.

The 2011 season marks the 20th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series, with approximately 200 nights of competition at tracks throughout the nation and into Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.

Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.