From SOD

Kalamazoo, MI — (November 8, 2014) — Grand Ledge, MI driver Dustin Daggett celebrated his fifth Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt Presented by ARP Championship during Saturday evening’s festivities which were held at The Kalamazoo Holiday Inn Banquet Center in Kalamazoo, MI.

Daggett, the racer who has the most feature victories in the 35 year history of the winged sprint car group and now the most championships, thanked his car owner Phil Mott and the incredible crew that helped him take the 2014 championship. The 2014 season was an incredibly close race between Daggett and runner-up Ruhl with only seven points separating the duo after 20 series events were completed. Dustin scored four feature wins on his way to the 2014 title and an amazing 19 top ten finishes!

A total of eleven different drivers were awarded with trophies and a share of the $20,000 cash point fund. After an opening video presentation celebrating the past year, Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt Series Director Mike Strevel gave a short review of the 2014 season and then it was time to award the top eleven point finishers, the 2014 rookie of the year and several special awards to cap the 35th season for the Michigan based sprint car group.

The complete 2015 series schedule is expected to be released late winter, follow the series at www.sprintsondirt.com.

Awards that were presented Saturday evening November 8, include the following-

2014 Engine Pro Rookie of the Year- Kyle Pitts

2014 Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt favorite race track- Hartford Speedway

2014 Engine Pro Engine Builder of the Year- Gaerte Engines

2014 MAHLE/Clevite Short Track Challenge Winner-Ryan Ruhl

2014 Engine Pro Sportsmen of the Year- Joe Geibe

2014 Crew Chief of the Year- Tom Daggett

2014 Car Owner of the Year-Phil Mott

2014 Driver of the Year- Ryan Ruhl

2014 Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt Presented by ARP top eleven points’ finishers that were recognized on Saturday November 8, 2014

11. Troy Chehowski Coldwater MI 1334
10. Brett Mann Goshen, IN 1557
9. Jim Lingar South Bend, IN 1607
8. Shawn Dancer Delphos, OH 1734
7. Andy Chehowski Coldwater, MI 1833
6. Chase Ridenour Perry, MI 2259
5. Gregg Dalman Bellevue, MI 2326
4. Brad Lamberson Parma, MI 2363
3. Kyle Pitts Mulberry, FL 2413
2. Ryan Ruhl Coldwater, MI 2820
1. Dustin Daggett Grand Ledge MI 2827

A reminder that the deadline for Banquet tickets is next Friday October 31st. Don’t be left holding the bag after trick or treating.

The Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt Presented by ARP will complete its 35th year with the Champions Banquet set for Saturday November 8, 2014. The location for this year’s festivities will be the Holiday Inn Kalamazoo West in Kalamazoo, MI.

The cost is $35 per ticket which includes a tremendous catered. The address of the banquet facility/hotel is 2747 South 11th Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49009. Tickets are available until November 1. The hotel is also holding a block of rooms at a discounted price, the hotel website is www.holidayinn.com/kalamazoo.

To order tickets for this year’s Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt Presented by ARP banquet please contact Mike Strevel at mlstrevel@gmail.com or 616-204-0622. Tickets will be available at both the Berlin and Plymouth races also.

Awards ceremony will start with doors opening at 5:30, Happy Hour at 6:00, Dinner served at 7:00 and banquet ceremonies at 8:00PM.

Trophy sponsor’s for final point positions 3 through 11 plus rookie of the year are available for $ 50.00 each.

Sponsor will receive mention at the banquet, have their name or company name placed on the trophy  and be mentioned in championship banquet press release.

Please contact Mike Strevel at mlstrevel@gmail.com or 616 204 0622.

The 2014 Champions banquet will be at the Kalamazoo Holiday Inn Conference Center on Saturday November 8. The hotel is at the Stadium Dr exit off of US 131 in Kalamazoo.

Banquet tickets will be available until the deadline of Nov. 1st  by contacting Mike. They are $35 each.

From Mike Strevel

Plymouth, IN — (October 4, 2014) — In front of a frigid and dedicated Plymouth Speedway crowd ; the Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt Presented by ARP feature was picked up by Rico Abreu of Rutherford, CA who captured his first ever feature win with the Michigan based sprint car sanctioning body.

A field of 20 winged sprint cars signed in at the tricky3/8 mile oval. Ryan Ruhl lead the first 11 laps of the feature event hoping to score his first ever SOD championship only to be involved with a couple of slower cars that caused extensive front end damage to the Coldwater, MI drivers car. A red flag was thrown for the cleanup and with this short window the Ruhl team was able to make repairs and return to the race track. Ruhl restarted in the rear and over the final 14 laps Ruhl was able to work his way to an eighth place finishing position.

Wisconsin racer Scotty Thiel inherited the lead from Ruhl and held the lead and looked to be the victor of his first ever SOD feature event. However Abreu who started 10th in the feature was making his move through the field and was running third at the half way point of the feature. Abreu took second place from Ohio driver Devon Dobie on lap 17 and started his charge on Thiel. Over the next four laps an incredible battle developed between Abreu and Thiel with the two drivers exchanging the lead three times before Thiel got tangled with a lapped car and came to a stop in turn three on lap 23. Abreu restarted with the lead and held off Shawn Dancer and Dustin Daggett for the win for the final race of the 2014 season.

The battle for the 2014 points championship came down to the final laps with Daggett taking a third place finishing position and Ruhl digging his way back to eighth. This finish allowed Daggett to gain 19 points on Ruhl and end up with a seven point lead over Ruhl to capture his record breaking fifth series championship in the 35 year history of the group.

The top five finishers of the evening for the Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt Presented by ARP feature were- Abreu, Dancer, Daggett,Dobie and Chase Ridenour.

Heat race wins were captured by Thiel, Daggett and Dancer.

Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt Presented by ARP Results-Plymouth Speedway
Saturday October 4, 2014
Plymouth Speedway—Plymouth, IN
Car Count 20

Heat Races (Top 16 in passing points transfer to the “A” Feature)

Hoosier Racing Tire Heat Race #1 (8 laps):1. 64 Scotty Thiel 2. 10s Jay Steinbach, 3. 77 Zane Default, 4. 16 Ryan Ruhl 5. 49t Gregg Dalman, 6. 27 Brad Lamberson 7. Andy Chehowski

Lane Automotive/Comp Cams Heat Race #2 (8 Laps): 1.2m Dustin Daggett 2. 21t Troy Chehowski, 3. 11R Chase Ridenour 4. 27K Ryan Kirkendall 5. 94 Fred Wordedn IV 6. 23 Joe Giebe

Speed Pro Heat Race #3 (8 Laps): 1. 49 Shawn Dancer, 2. 23 Devon Dobie, 3. 24 Rico Abreu, 4. 19 Brett Mann, 5. 19z Doug Zimmerman, 6. 7K Kyle Pitts, 7. 70 Jim Lingar

Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt Presented by ARP “A” Feature
“A” Feature (25 Laps):1. 24 Rico Abreu, 2. 49 Shawn Dancer, 3. 2m Dustin Daggett, 4.23 Devon Dobie, 5. 11R Chase Ridenour, 6.49T Gregg Dalman, 7. 21T Troy Chehowski, 8. 16 Ryan Ruhl, 9. 19 Brett Mann,10. 7k Kyle Pitts, 11. 27 Brad Lamberson, 12.Zane Devault,13. 20a Andy Chehowski, 14.23g Joe Geibe, 15. 64 Scotty Thiel, 16. 70 Jim Lingar, 17. 19Z Doug Zimmerman, 18. 10s Jay Steinbach, 19. 27k Ryan Kirkendall 20. 94 Fred Worden IV
Engine Pro Lucky Dog-No Winner

We just talked to the race director at Plymouth. The sun is peeking through the clouds and their practice is on for tonight. Saturday’s race is still on. We will post more updates as we receive them.