Thomas Schinderle tops SOD Driven Racing Oil Battlegrounds Bash

Boston Mead (3rd), winner Thomas Schinderle, Joe Swanson (2nd)

Thomas Schinderle was dialed in as Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP invaded Butler Motor Speedway for the Driven Racing Oil Battlegrounds Bash finale/4^th Annual Butler Bash Saturday night.  The spectacular show, the last 2017 SOD race at Butler, put an exclamation point on the three-race series.  The Driven Racing Oil, Butler Motor Speedway, Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP partnership was a huge success.

Schinderle (Berkley, MI) not only picked up his first sprint car feature win, but also the $1,000 check as the 2017 Driven Racing Oil Battlegrounds Bash points champion.  He started the night in fourth place in the points, but a combination of several factors, including his stellar performance, propelled him to the championship.  Joe Swanson, Chad Blonde, Jay Steinebach, and Steve Irwin will also share in the point fund payout.

It was the “younger generation” in the front row to start the feature, thirteen-year-old leading SOD sprint car rookie of the year candidate Andrew Scheid (Sparta, MI) started from the pole.  Butler competitor nineteen-year-old Quentin Blonde (Litchfield, MI) started outside front row.  After a first lap caution for a Tony Bures spin, Scheid took the lead on the start and looked like anything but a sprint car rookie.

On lap five Joe Swanson (Etna Green, IN) used his experience to grab the lead from Scheid.  Swanson looked fast, but sixth place starter Thomas Schinderle drove by Swanson, winner of the second Driven Racing Oil Battlegrounds Bash race, on lap 9 after a crowd-pleasing back and forth battle.

Once out front, Schinderle skillfully worked his way through traffic and maintained a small lead over Swanson.  For a lap twenty-one restart, Chad Blonde had moved into third and all eyes were on him as the race went green.  Schinderle and Swanson were up to the challenge though.  Blonde’s charge ended as he ran over the top of turn three, losing six places.

Josh Shantz , a regular at Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario, entered his first Engine Pro Sprints On presented by ARP.  Former Michigander Chad Goff, now an Olathe, Kansas, resident and longtime winged and non-winged, pavement and dirt sprint car competitor also competed in the program.

Qualifying – Lane Automotive/MSD Ignition Fast Masters (fast qualifiers) $50 each

Heat Races – Winners $100 each

B-Main

Feature

KSE Racing Products Hard Charger – Gregg Dalman (+6)
BR Motorsports Contingency (feature top 10 draw) – Steve Irwin
DMI (Diversified Machine) Contingency (feature 12-16 draw) – Gregg Dalman
Perfit Corporation Lucky Dog – Tim Evilsizer

For more information about Engine Pro go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  The full 2017 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 in 2017 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), Driven Racing Oil (Battlegrounds Bash Sponsor), King Engine Bearings (King of Michigan Sponsor), Lane Automotive/MSD Ignition (Fast Masters Sponsor), Engler Machine & Tool (Heat Race Sponsor), COMP Cams (Heat Race Sponsor), RockAuto.com (Heat Race Sponsor), The Perfit Corporation (Lucky Dog Sponsor), KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Sponsor), XYZ Machining (Season Sportsman & Crew Chief Sponsor).  In addition, SOD contingency sponsors include: Allstar Performance, ATL Racing Fuel Cells, BR Motorsports, Diversified Machine Inc. (DMI), K2W Precision/Keizer Aluminum Wheels, King Racing Products, Kistler Racing Products, Maxim Racing, Motor City Racing Promotions, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Schoenfeld Headers, Simpson Racing Products, Walker Performance Filtration.

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