ERIE, MI (June 14, 2016) – Long -time Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP supporter XYZ Machining, located in Warsaw, Indiana, is providing increased awareness for two prestigious SOD awards for 2016 by sponsoring the Sportsman of the Year Award and Crew Chief of the Year Award.

The sportsman of the year award does not receive the recognition it deserves. The award goes to the SOD driver who best exemplifies the basics of sportsmanship.  Adults and children alike  who see a driver behaving in a sportsmanlike way come to understand that the real winners in racing are those who know how to persevere and to behave with dignity — whether they win or not.  Veteran SOD competitor Mark Aldrich won the 2015 Sportsman of the Year Award.

It is readily seen who the winning driver is for each race, but what did it take to win?  There are very talented crew chiefs that know their drivers and equipment, and make crucial changes and adjustments that result in wins.  Two-time SOD champion Gregg Dalman’s son, Keegan Dalman, received the 2015 Crew Chief of the Year Award.

XYZ Machining owners Tim and Cindy Norman have been a part of SOD since 1984.  Tim, who started his career as a sprint car driver in 1983, was SOD rookie of the year in 1984, and won his first Sprints On Dirt championship the next year.  He then went on to win two more SOD championships in 2005 and 2007 and collected over 40 career feature victories during his career.  Tim was inducted into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

Tim Norman in his familiar 5J

XYZ Machining produces CNC manufactured aluminum and titanium racing components, as well as custom products for other industries, that are sold worldwide.  If you race a sprint car, it is a good bet that you use XYZ parts, either with XYZ’s own name on them or the name of one of many leading sprint car racing manufactures that XYZ produces parts for.

To learn more about XYZ Machining, go to www.xyzmachining.com.

Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP is brought to you by many important sponsor partners including: Engine Pro (Title Sponsor), ARP (Title Sponsor), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official SOD Tire), MAHLE/Clevite (Beyond Limits Challenge Sponsor), Engine Pro (Lucky Dog Sponsor), Lane Automotive (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), Engler Machine & Tool (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), COMP Cams (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), RockAuto.com (SOD Series Rookie of the Year Sponsor & SOD Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Sponsor), XYZ Machining (Sportsman of the Year Sponsor & Crew Chief of the Year Sponsor), KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Sponsor).  In addition, SOD contingency sponsors include: Allstar Performance, ATL Racing Fuel Cells, BR Motorsports, Diversified Machine Inc. (DMI), Kistler Racing Products, King Racing Products, K2W Precision/Keizer Aluminum Wheels, License 2 Play, Maxim Racing, Racing Optics, Schoenfeld Headers, Simpson Racing Products, Rod End Supply, and Ti22 Performance.

Erie, MI (June 12, 2016) – Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP rolls into Merritt Speedway this Saturday, June 18^th, for the first race of the five-race MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge (BLC).

The five-race MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge (BLC) has its own point fund paying the top five.  The driver earning the most total points in this 5 race mini-series will be awarded $1,000.

Merritt Speedway has been turned into one of the premier dirt tracks in Michigan by owner/promoter Mike Blackmer, former track manager of Berlin Speedway in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The speedway ran its first Sprints On Dirt race in 1980, SOD’s first season.  Last year’s August SOD race was won in exciting fashion by Dan McCarron who came from his sixth starting position to the win with his 305 cubic inch motor.

For more information about MAHLE/Clevite, go to https://catalog.mahle-aftermarket.com/eu/home/index.xhtml?l=EN.  For more information about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  The full 2016 Sprints on Dirt schedule, rules, current news, and other information are available at www.sprintsondirt.com.

Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP is brought to you by many important sponsor partners including: Engine Pro (Title Sponsor), ARP (Title Sponsor), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official SOD Tire), MAHLE/Clevite (Beyond Limits Challenge Sponsor), Engine Pro (Lucky Dog Sponsor), Lane Automotive (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), Engler Machine & Tool (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), COMP Cams (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), RockAuto.com (SOD Series Rookie of the Year Sponsor & SOD Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Sponsor), XYZ Machining (Sportsman of the Year Sponsor & Crew Chief of the Year Sponsor), KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Sponsor).  In addition, SOD contingency sponsors include: ATL Racing Fuel Cells, Kistler Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Schoenfeld Headers, K2W Precision/Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Ti22 Performance, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, License 2 Play, Simpson Racing Products, Rod End Supply, Diversified Machine Inc. (DMI), Racing Optics.

Erie, MI (May 31, 2016) – Last September, when SOD announced its new Hoosier spec tires, there were numerous dire predictions of disaster and mayhem.  Now that a week has gone by since the opening races, one on the biggest, fastest track and the other on a high banked 3/8 mile, how did the predictions fare?  Well, not very well, actually terrible!  Not one of the negative predictions came close to becoming reality.

The fast-car dash on the big, fast Hartford Speedway was an exciting duel between Brian Smith’s 410 and Ryan Ruhl’s 360.  They raced side by side racing, Ruhl passed Smith for the lead, but a bobble out of turn 2 gave Smith a final shot at regaining the lead and he took advantage of it and drove off to the win.  The feature quickly put to rest the prediction that a 360 wouldn’t beat a 410 regardless of the tires.  Once again, contrary to popular opinion, Ruhl’s 360 not only won, but dominated the caution-free race.  Then, at Butler, 410s finish first and second, but a 360 finished third, passing more cars that anyone else in the feature.  It does appear as if SOD has delivered engine parity as promised.

Both nights had exciting racing and did not deliver on the prediction that racing on the new tires would be full of crashes.  Drivers quickly adapted to the new tires and became comfortable with them.  Originally leery of the new tires, numerous drivers gave rave reviews after using them.

Consistent with what Hoosier Racing Tire and SOD had told racers all along, the top finisher both nights opted to use standard right rear (17”) and left rear (15”) wheel widths even though some had narrower wheels ready to use.  Tire temperatures, as monitored by Hoosier Racing Tire, were well within the optimal range for top performance.  As with any racing tire, tire management is the key to success and air pressure requirements, whether or not to sipe the tires, etc. are all important factors in getting the most out of the new tires.

So why was the racing so good on the new SOD tires?  Maybe the drivers who had the courage to give them a try are more skillful than people give them credit for.  Or maybe the Hoosier Racing Tire engineers were more than capable of transforming SOD’s requirements into a top performing reality.  Both probably contributed to the successful debut of the tires.  Competitors are comfortable with the new SOD tires and are saving 10% per set compared to last year’s tires and tires being run elsewhere.

Yes, there was plenty of talk about the Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP Hartford and Butler races, but none of it had to do with the tires.  Fans will long remember the great racing they saw the first time SOD went beyond limits.  The spec tires are destined to have a significant impact on the sport of sprint car racing for years to come.

On this day we remember and honor those who gave
all so that we can now do what we like to do.

May our heroes rest in the peace of God.

Erie, Michigan (May 22, 2016) – Doug Zimmerman led 99.5% of the race, but Fremont, Ohio’s Brian Smith pulled off a dramatic finish line win in the Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP WWIII feature at Butler Speedway Saturday night.

The feature got off to a rocky start when Quentin Blonde spun in turn three on the first lap and Brad Lamberson had no place to go and collided with Blonde. Both cars had to be towed off the track and race officials called a fuel-only red flag due to the twenty-lap clean up delay. A second attempt to start the feature didn’t fare much better, but cleanup was quick, and the restart had Doug Zimmerman charge into the lead from the pole position ahead of Bill Jacoby after original pole-starter Quentin Blonde was eliminated in the first lap crash.

Zimmerman, rejoining former car owner Tom Dale this season after taking 2015 off, quickly developed a huge lead and masterfully worked through heavy traffic. With everyone watching Zimmerman’s impressive drive, no one noticed Fremont, Ohio’s Brian Smith, top contender for 2016 SOD RockAuto.com Series Rookie of the Year quietly moving forward to second. A late race caution erased Zimmerman’s huge lead, and Smith, now in second, started pressuring the leader, but in spite of pulling alongside Zimmerman once when Zimmerman bobbled coming out of turn 2 late in the race, Smith couldn’t overtake the leader.

With five laps to go the last caution flew, and on the restart, it looked like Zimmerman’s race long advantage coming off turn two would be enough to hold off Smith. About four car lengths behind Zimmerman going into turn three on the last lap, the large crowd was on its feet as Smith made a seemingly impossible charge high through the corner and out raced Zimmerman to the win by .068 of a second!

The excited crowd was ecstatic when Smith did a “dirt angel” (you know, like a snow angel) on the front straight.

The new Sprints On Dirt spec Hoosier Racing Tire rear tires have produced exciting racing in the first two races, Friday at Hartford and Saturday at Butler, and have received rave reviews from competitors. Not only did the tires perform flawlessly, but Butler winner Smith ran the same set of tires Friday on Hartford’s big track and for his Butler win.

Butler Speedway, May 21 results:

Engler Machine & Tool Heat 1 (4 transfer to feature, top 2 redraw) – 1. 19Z Doug Zimmerman, 2. 4T Joshua Turner, 3. 4K Craig Karazim, 4. 3 Kyle Locke, 5. 47 Robert Bulloch, 6. 1 Eric Smith, 7. 6 Tyler Bearden

Lane Automotive Heat 2 (4 transfer to feature, top 2 redraw) – 1. 44J Bill Jacoby, 2. 12 Mike Baker, 3. 5 MaxStambaugh, 4. 81 John Gall, 5. 49T Gregg Dalman, 6. 19J Linden Jones, (DNS) 10J Jarrod DeLong

COMP Cams Heat 3 (4 transfer to feature, top 2 redraw) – 1. 19 Brett Mann, 2. 5QB Quentin Blonde, 3. 71H Brad Lamberson, 4. 27 Shelby Bilton, 5. 0 Stevie Irwin, 6. 4X Brady Locke, 7. 52 Zac Broughman

Engine Pro Heat 4 (4 transfer to feature, top 2 redraw) – 1. 25M Ken Mackey, 2. 2+ Brian Smith, 3. 20A Andy Chehowski, 4. 1A Mark Aldrich, 5. 46 Robert Huisken, 6. 8 Justin Ward

B Main (4 transfer to feature) – 1. 49T Gregg Dalman, 2. 47 Robert Bulloch, 3. 0 Stevie Irwin, 4. 19J Linden Jones, 5. 10J Jarrod DeLong, 6. 4X Brady Locke, 7. 46 Robert Huisken, 8. 8 Justin Ward, 9. 1 Eric Smith, 10. 52 Zac Broughman, 11. 6 Tyler Bearden

Feature – 1. 2+ Brian Smith, 2. 19Z Doug Zimmerman, 3. 3 Kyle Locke, 4. 4K Craig Karazim, 5. 25M Ken Mackey, 6. 27 Shelby Bilton, 7. 49T Gregg Dalman, 8. 20A Andy Chehowski, 9. 81 John Gall, 10. 0 Stevie Irwin, 11. 12 Mike Baker, 12. 47 Robert Bulloch, 13. 19 Brett Mann, 14. 44J Bill Jacoby, 15. 19J Linden Jones, 16. 1A Mark Aldrich, 17. 5QB Quentin Blonde, 18. 71H Brad Lamberson, 19. 5 MaxStambaugh, 20. 4T Joshua Turner

Engine Pro Lucky Dog Award – Gregg Dalman
KSE Race Products Hard Charger Award – Kyle Locke
Kistler Racing Products contingency awards: Josh Turner, Brett Mann
COMP Cams contingency award: Mike Baker
BR Motorsports contingency award: Craig Karazim
Keizer Aluminum Wheels contingency award: Mark Aldrich, Andy Chehowski
Allstar Performance contingency award: John Gall
Schoenfeld Headers contingency award: Quentin Blonde
Rod End Supply contingency awards: Brian Smith, Doug Zimmerman
Racing Optics contingency award: Craig Karazim
ATL Fuel Cells contingency award: Ken Mackey
King Racing Products contingency award: Andy Chehowski
Ti22 Performance contingency award: Brian Smith
DMI contingency award: Brett Mann