Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP will return to the popular I-96 Speedway for two races in 2016.

Prior to 38-year-old Mike Mouch’s ownership, the speedway was known by several names over its long history, including Clark’s Motor Speedway, Ionia Raceway Park, Ionia County Speedway, and New 96 Speedway.  Today, I-96 Speedway is a growing part of Ionia County with its rich history and steady growth.

Mouch purchased the Lake Odessa, Michigan, speedway and started his promotional career 12 years ago.  He was the Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club Promoter of the Year in 2015.  Past awards include the Refurbishment Award from the Ionia Area Chamber of Commerce.  He attributes his success to his employees and his family.  His children, 12-year-old Jaden and 9-year-old Evan, spend a lot of time at the track with him, helping with clean up and other tasks.

I-96 Speedway is very family oriented, with a kids’ area for arts and crafts that includes their own rest room, and a huge playground complete with licensed aides.  They also boast the best food in the state for short tracks, including being known for their hamburgers. “Our burgers are the best,” said Mouch. “When you pay, you get a bun, and then go get the burger, hot off the grill.”

Mouch, began racing go-karts at age seven, then moved to sprint cars at age fifteen. He raced go karts at Flat Rock, Michigan, and in Florida; he was the Ford Thunderbird Cart Club champion at Flat Rock. Ironically, his first sprint car race was at I-96.

Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP will race at I-96 Speedway on Friday, July 8 and Friday, August 19.

As we roll toward the 2016 season, inquiring minds would like to get the inside scoop on Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP drivers.  With this in mind, we have started a series of driver spotlight posts on the Sprints On Dirt Facebook page.  You can go there at https://www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel to like your favorite driver’s spotlight and read each one as they are posted.

Additionally, the Driver Spotlights tab above will take you to a list of the driver spotlights already posted.

ERIE, Mich. (January 15, 2016) – Butler Speedway owner/promoter Denny Donaldson and promoter partners Bob and Karen Garrett have announced that the two leaders in sprint car racing in Michigan, Butler Speedway and Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP, will continue their partnership that began in 1982 by teaming up for two races this season.

Louis Heyward built Butler Speedway in 1952.  Louie Freeburn, along with his brother and father Virgil, bought the track from Heyward in 1957.  Butler was a dying track and they proceeded to turn it around and into one of the most successful short tracks in Michigan and the birthplace of sprint car racing in the state.  Freeburn was the promoter of Butler Speedway for nearly 25 years.

Legendary driver Denny Donaldson is now into his twentieth year as the owner of Butler Speedway, continuing the speedway’s rich history as the home of weekly sprint car racing in Michigan.

Donaldson raced for twenty years and won six track championships at Butler Speedway and 150 feature events overall before retiring in 1991.  Donaldson was a winner whether racing sprint cars, modifieds, or late models.  Denny’s father, Ralph Donaldson was also a standout driver; both Ralph and Denny are members of the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame.  The next two generations, Derek Donaldson and Nick Nelson, are carrying on the family tradition, following Ralph and Denny with micro sprint careers of their own.

Butler Speedway will host Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP races on Saturday, May 21, and Saturday, August 13.

For more information about Butler Speedway, go to www.butlerspeedway.net.  For more information about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about Sprints On Dirt, go to www.sprintsondirt.com.

For the first time in several years, Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP will be returning to Muskegon, Michigan’s Thunderbird Raceway in 2016.

Thunderbird Raceway began life in 1958 as Birchwood Speedway under the ownership of Wink Bleich.  SOD raced at Thunderbird under Roger Joneson for the first time in 1982.  SOD last raced at Thunderbird in 2008 and the track closed after the 2012 season.

In September 2015, Tom Sprague, current owner of Winston Speedway in Rothbury, purchased the track.  Dalton Township’s planning commission gave preliminary approval for a special racing use permit to Sprague, and township commissioners voted unanimously in favor of reopening the track.  Numerous updates and improvements are underway, and the township is expected to give their final stamp of approval once the racetrack is back up to code.  The track is scheduled to open in mid-May.

Sprague has turned a few laps himself.  He raced street stocks; dirt and pavement late models; sportsmans; and IMCA and Michigan modifieds.  Among the tracks Sprague raced at are Thunderbird Raceway, Winston Speedway, Crystal Motor Speedway, I-96 Speedway, Berlin Raceway, and Kalamazoo Speedway.

Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP will race at Thunderbird Raceway on Saturday, July 9^th.

For more information about Thunderbird Raceway, go to www.thunderbirdracewaymi.com.  For more information about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.