ERIE, MI (June 19, 2018) – Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP returns to Tri-City Motor Speedway, Auburn, Michigan, on Friday, June 22 for the first time since 2015.

The race will be the second of five SOD MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge races.  The first BLC race was at Crystal Motor Speedway on April 28 where recent high school graduate Zane DeVault drove his 360 cubic inch sprinter to a narrow victory over Chad Blonde.

Tri-City is a slightly banked 3/8-mile track that is a fan favorite.  It is recognized for its emphasis on family-focused entertainment, fan involvement, and efficiently run race programs.

Sprints On Dirt last raced at TCMS twice in 2015.  Ryan Ruhl won his third SOD feature of the season on June 4.  Floridian Kyle Pitts, now a Polk County, Florida, deputy sheriff, picked up his only SOD win on July 17.

Chad Blonde (Litchfield, Michigan) currently leads SOD Championship points over Shawn Valenti (Fostoria, Ohio) and Josh Turner (Osseo, Michigan).  Zane DeVault (Plymouth, Indiana) leads MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge points.  Blonde is in second and Matt Foos (Fremont, Ohio) is in third.

Check out the Tri-City Motor Speedway website at www.tricityracetrack.com and its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/tricitymotorspeedway.  Check out Engine Pro online at www.enginepro.com and ARP atwww.arp-bolts.com.  Go to www.sprintsondirt.com for rules, schedule information, member forms, and other information and follow SOD on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt.

Josh Turner with his 2018 WWIII winner trophy.  Photo by Jim DenHamer

ERIE, MI (June 17, 2018) – Josh Turner (Osseo, MI) drove to a spectacular Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP win at Butler Speedway’s WWIII, the second Hog Creek Showdown race Saturday night.

Top Shelf Turner utilized his Gressman Powersports engine and J&J Auto Racing chassis and the track’s top ridge, often slipping over it, blasting by Chad Blonde to the delight of the huge crowd for the win.  Former multi-time Butler champion car owner Tom Dale, turned the wrenches to fine tune Turner’s machine.

Turner started on the pole for the feature with Shawn Valenti.  Valenti took the early lead as Turner was down to third by the end of the first lap and eventually fell to fifth place.  On lap seven, Chad Blonde blasted by Valenti who dropped to fourth by lap 13.

While there was plenty of action up front, all eyes were on Ryan Ruhl.  Ruhl, forced to start twentieth due to a heat race issue, made an impressive charge to fifth by lap twelve before a cut right front tire ended his race early.  It was deja vu with a flat tire taking Ruhl out of contention at the Butler SOD race on May 19.

Meanwhile, back up front, Turner was searching for a way to correct his backslide.  In fifth place on lap nine, Turner moved to fourth on lap ten, third on lap 13, and second on lap 16.  On lap twenty-two, Turner charged past Chad Blonde and withheld cautions and Blonde’s attempts to retake the lead, driving off to a three-car length win.

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

Heat Races

Feature

KSE Racing Products Hard Charger – Ricky Ferkel (+7)
BR Motorsports Contingency (feature top 10 draw) – Chad Blonde
DMI (Diversified Machine) Contingency (feature 12-16 draw) – Kyle Stepke
Perfit Corporation Lucky Dog – Josh Ward
Allstar Performance Better Luck Next Time – Tyler Bearden

ERIE, MI (June 11, 2018) – A fan-favorite special event at Butler Motor Speedway, the WWIII race, will be run this Saturday in partnership with Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP.  The race will also be the second Hog Creek Showdown.

This year’s WWIII winner will be awarded a unique trophy custom designed and built by Tylar Rankin.  The polished stainless steel and black wood 4’-7” tall trophy is topped off by a large globe and accented by small glass globes and black graphics.

Going into the second of the four Hog Creek Showdown races, Chase Ridenour (Perry, Michigan) leads Boston Mead (Onsted, Michigan), Chad Blonde, Shawn Valenti, and Dan McCarron (Britton, Michigan).  The 2018 Hog Creek Showdown will conclude with the two-day Butler Bash on Friday, August 3, and Saturday, August 4.

In SOD season championship points, Litchfield, Michigan’s Chad Blonde holds the early lead over Plymouth, Indiana’s Zane DeVault.  Shawn Valenti (Fostoria, Ohio), Gregg Dalman (Bellevue, Michigan), and Ryan Ruhl (Coldwater, Michigan) complete the top five.

Butler Motor Speedway and Sprints On Dirt continue to work together to ensure a strong future for sprint car racing in Michigan.  In a move that is sure to benefit fans and competitors alike, Butler reduced the track banking by about one-third and widened the racing surface over the offseason.

For more information about Butler Motor Speedway, go to www.butlerspeedway.net and the speedway’s Facebook page at https://goo.gl/csxUkX.  To learn more about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  Follow SOD at www.sprintsondirt.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt.

ERIE, MI (June 4, 2018) – The King is back!  The KoM opener was rained out on May 18, so we will try again, traveling to Hartford Speedway for the first 2018 King Engine Bearings King of Michigan race this Friday, June 8.

This year, with King Engine Bearings returning as the KoM title sponsor, the series has expanded to five races, the rained-out May 18 race, this Friday, June 8, July 6, July 27, and August 31.

Chad Blonde won the first three 2017 KoM races including a record 5 minute and 25 second, non-stop feature on August 11th; Ryan Ruhl won the KoM finale.  Blonde won the KoM points championship over Steve Irwin (2001 & 2017 SOD champion), Gregg Dalman (2015 SOD champion), and Thomas Schinderle (2017 SOD Series Rookie of the Year).

The 2018 KoM Champion will be crowned at the series finale on August 31.  The champion will have a guaranteed starting spot in the Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP Mike Olrich Memorial Race at Crystal Motor Speedway on September 1st.  The King Engine Bearings King of Michigan will pay a point fund to the top five at the 2018 Awards Banquet.

For more information about King Engine Bearings, go to www.kingbearings.com.  Check out Hartford Speedway at www.hartfordspeedway.net.

The race will be the first of three races of the Motul Leader of the Pack Stage 2.  The LoP consists of four stages including all SOD races through September 1.  Each stage finish is based on SOD points earned during the stage.  The Motul Leader of the Pack Champion will be the driver with the best average finishing position for all stages and will pay a five-place point fund at the 2018 Awards Banquet.  Chad Blonde won Stage 1 of the LoP.

Blonde currently leads SOD championship points over Zane DeVault, Shawn Valenti, Gregg Dalman, and Ryan Ruhl.

For more information about King Engine Bearings, go to www.kingbearings.com.  Check out Hartford Speedway at www.hartfordspeedway.net.  Learn more about Engine Pro at www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  Follow SOD at www.sprintsondirt.com  and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt.

ERIE, MI (May 29, 2018) – The first month of the Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP 2018 season closes out, and we head into June, hoping that we have better luck with weather.  May was a struggle, as weather caused cancellation of two races and wasn’t helpful in getting two races in.

For the first time in several years, we got in the season opener at Crystal, not under the best of condition though, as the temperatures were frigid. It didn’t discourage the SOD fans as they filed the stands. In typical SOD fashion, the racing was exciting and caution free. Zane DeVault (360 engine), from Plymouth, Indiana, did an excellent job to take the feature win over Litchfield, Michigan’s Chad Blonde (410 engine) by just 0.03 seconds. Matt Foos (305 engine), Fremont, Ohio, finished third followed by Ryan Ruhl (410 engine), Coldwater, Michigan, and Bellevue, Michigan’s Gregg Dalman (360 engine).

The season opener was the first race of the five-race MAHLE/Clevite 2018 Beyond Limits Challenge. It was also the first race of stage one of the four-stage Motul Leader of the Pack.  Saturday, May 12, was to be the opening race of the four-race Hog Creek Showdown, but a relentless rain system resulted in the race being canceled early and rescheduled for May 19.  The fan-favorite King Engine Bearings King of Michigan at Hartford Speedway was scheduled to open on May 18. Promoter Tim Dibble put his best effort forward, but eminent bad weather caused him to pull the plug late in the afternoon. The decision proved to be the right one as the rain started and continued until early the next morning.

May 19 at Butler Speedway looked doubtful as wide spread rain caused many speedways to cancel, but promoter Bob Garrett was determined to get the race in, that he did. Chase Ridenour (Perry, Michigan) was the class of the field, mastering the newly reconfigured track. Boston Mead (Onsted, Michigan) grabbed second, followed by Chad Blonde, Shawn Valenti (Fostoria, Ohio), and Dan McCarron (Britton, Michigan).

With the month of May now in the books, Chad Blonde leads Sprints On Dirt Championship points, Zane DeVault leads MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits points, and Chase Ridenour leads Hog Creek Showdown points. Blonde won stage one of the Motul Leader of the Pack.

June will see SOD at three different speedways consisting of one race for each of the three mini-series. The finishes of the June races will determine the winner of the Motul Leader of the Pack Stage 2.

Hartford Speedway will once again try to open the King Engine Bearings 2018 King of Michigan on Friday, June 8. SOD returns to Butler on Saturday, June 16, to contest the Hog Creek Showdown race 1, Butler’s annual WWIII race. Friday, June 22, the MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge visits Tri-City Motor Speedway, Auburn, Michigan, for the first time since 2015.

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