Shawn Valenti (3rd), winner Chad Blonde, Ryan Ruhl (2nd)

Chad Blonde picked up his fourth Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP feature win of 2017 Friday night. It was his second King Engine Bearings King of Michigan series win at Hartford Motor Speedway and gives him a commanding lead in the KoM points.

Delta Ohio’s Shawn Valenti took the lead over pole-sitter Linden Jones at the start of the feature from the outside front row before Mark Aldrich took over second.  Then leading SOD sprint car rookie Andrew Scheid climbed the wall in turn three as the leaders completed lap one; with his car staying upright, Scheid slid along the top of the wall before dropping off the back of the wall and coming to a stop with what appeared to be nothing more than two bent front radius rods.  Before another lap could be completed, Robert Huisken and D. J. Lamance tangled in turn three with Huisken flipping hard.  Both drivers were okay, but their cars sustained heavy damage.

Back under green, Valenti held a small lead over Aldrich until Ryan Ruhl took over second on lap 5, and a lap later, Blonde moved into third from his seventh starting spot.  Blonde took second place on lap 7, then a caution for Austin Nemire’s shredded left rear tire on lap ten gave the leaders a clear track.  A crowd-pleasing battle followed, as Blonde pulled alongside Valenti twice, but Valenti found his groove and began opening up his lead.  However, the leaders got into traffic again on lap fifteen.  Valenti struggled with lapped cars and on lap 19, Blonde took the lead and drove away.  Ryan Ruhl charged into second on lap twenty-one as Valenti continued to have trouble in heavy traffic.  Blonde then cruised to a fifteen car-length over Ruhl and Valenti.

26 cars were on hand for the second of four King Engine Bearings King of Michigan races at Hartford Motor Speedway

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

Heat Races – Winners $100 each

Feature

KSE Racing Products Hard Charger – Boston Mead (+8)
BR Motorsports Contingency (feature top 10 draw) – Shawn Valenti
DMI (Diversified Machine) Contingency (feature 12-16 draw) – Chris Jones
Perfit Corporation Lucky Dog – Eli Lakin

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.

Today (Saturday, July 8^th) is Race Day! The Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP return to action after an extended period of time off and are at Merritt Speedway, located west of Houghton Lake in Lake City, Michigan for the Lake City SOD Rumble. This event is the postponed date from June 24^th that was rained out and also the first of two appearances by the fire breathing, winged warriors of SOD at the fast ¼ (0.250) mile semi-banked dirt oval. This event will be the 45^th appearance all-time by SOD at Merritt.

The third round of the MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge Series see Perfit Corporation Rookie of the Year points leader, Thomas Schinderle leading not only the freshman title chase, but the Overall points and the MAHLE/Clevite standings as well. A trio of former SOD Champions, Steve Irwin (2001), Dain Naida (1999) and Gregg Dalman (2015 & 2012) are all chasing him down. The winner of the last three SOD Features, Chad Blonde will look to extend that winning streak with a potential fourth Feature win in a row as the SOD teams have made the trek to the “Great White North.”

Schedule of Events – Saturday, July 8^th, 2017 – Merritt Speedway – Lake City, Michigan

4:00p.m. – Pit Gates Open / SOD Draw Opens
4:50p.m. – SOD Draw Closes
5:00p.m. – SOD Drivers Meeting
5:15p.m. – SOD Engine Heat
6:00p.m. – SOD Hot Laps/Group Qualifying

6:55p.m. – Pre-Race Ceremonies
7:00p.m. – Racing Begins

Click on the link provided for more event information: merrittspeedwaymi.com

Click on the link provided to follow live timing and scoring, via MCRP & Race Monitor:
motorcityracing.co/livetiming

Follow SOD on Twitter for exclusive live updates throughout Race Day at:
Twitter.com/SprintsOnDirt

Like SOD on Facebook for pictures and more from behind the scenes throughout Race Day at:
Facebook.com/sprintsondirt

Merritt Speedway has announced that Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt will make up last Saturday’s rain out on July 8^th.  With the announcement, SOD has been able to move the MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge back to Merritt, maintaining the series’ format of five races at five different speedways.

SOD competitors eagerly looked forward to the first 2017 race at Merritt last Saturday, but Mother Nature had other plans.  It is with heightened excitement that they now plan on making up the rain out at “Michigan’s Premier Dirt Track.”

Thomas Schinderle and Joe Swanson are tied for the MAHLE/ Clevite BLC point lead after two races.  Steve Irwin, Dain Naida, and Chris Jones are 3^rd through 5th.

The first MAHLE/Clevite BLC race, scheduled for May 20^th, was rained out, but run the next day at Baer Field Motorsports Park and was won by Shawn Valenti.  The 2^nd race was at Thunderbird Raceway where Chad Blonde made a last lap pass of Schinderle to take home the win.

Beside the completed Baer Field Motorsports Park and Thunderbird Raceway races, 2017 MAHLE/Clevite BLC races are the Merritt Speedway race, one at Crystal Motor Speedway, and the last one at the Manistee County Fairgrounds Speedway.  The BLC also includes its own point fund with $1,000 going to the champion.

To learn more about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  For complete information about all 2017 SOD events, follow SOD at www.sprintsondirt.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt.

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 (Fast Masters Sponsor), MSD Ignition (Fast Masters Sponsor), Engler Machine & Tool (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), COMP Cams (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), RockAuto.com (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), The Perfit Corporation (Lucky Dog Sponsor), KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Sponsor), and 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), Hepfner Racing Products (HRP), 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.

June 25, 2017 – Early morning sunshine gave way to a narrow but heavy band of showers that zeroed in on Lake City, Michigan’s Merritt Speedway, forcing afternoon cancellation of the Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt SOD MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge race yesterday.

Merritt Speedway did not reschedule the race.  As a result, the Sprints On Dirt September 2nd race at Crystal Motor Speedway has been added to the MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge series.

To learn more about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  For complete information about all 2017 SOD events, follow SOD at www.sprintsondirt.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt.

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 (Fast Masters Sponsor), MSD Ignition (Fast Masters Sponsor), Engler Machine & Tool (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), COMP Cams (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), RockAuto.com (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), The Perfit Corporation (Lucky Dog Sponsor), KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Sponsor), and XYZ Machining (Season Sportman & Crew Chief Sponsor).  In addition, SOD contingency sponsors include: Allstar Performance, ATL Racing Fuel Cells, BR Motorsports, Diversified Machine Inc. (DMI), Hepfner Racing Products (HRP), 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.