Steve Irwin (Fenton, MI) is the 2017 Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge champion.  The four-race Challenge had four different winners with Irwin finishing in the top five in all four races to take the championship.

The MAHLE/Clevite  BLC was scheduled for five different speedways; Baer Field Motorsports Park, Thunderbird Raceway, Merritt Speedway, Crystal Motor Speedway, and Manistee County Fairgrounds Speedway.  The final scheduled BLC race at Manistee was rained out on August 4^th, and the make-up date of August 18^th also fell victim to inclement weather.

Shawn Valenti (Delta, OH) took the first BLC race at Baer Field Motorsports Part on May 21^st after an exciting battle with Joe Swanson.  Irwin finished 5^th.  Chad Blonde took race #2 at Thunderbird Raceway on June 10^th with a last lap pass of Thomas Schinderle.  Irwin finished 3^rd.  Ryan Ruhl won the 3^rd BLC race at Merritt Speedway on July 8^th.  Brad Lamberson finished 2^nd, Gregg Dalman 3^rd, Mike Astrauskas 4^th, and Irwin 5^th.  The 4^th race, at Crystal Motor Speedway on July 15^th, was just what Irwin needed.  He drove to a convincing win on one of his favorite speedways over Thomas Schinderle and Shawn Valenti.

Irwin collected $1,000 for winning the MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge championship.  Thomas Schinderle (2^nd), Gregg Dalman (3^rd), Chris Jones (4^th), and Robert Bulloch (5^th) also shared in the point fund.  Irwin is now guaranteed a starting spot in the Mike Olrich Memorial Race at Crystal Motor Speedway on September 2^nd.

MAHLE Original is the “Global Star” within the MAHLE Aftermarket brand portfolio. The brand MAHLE stands for engine parts, filters, thermo management and mechatronics of uncompromising quality – in original equipment and aftermarket.  Clevite is an American brand with one of the oldest pedigrees and supplies pistons, assemblies, cylinder liners, bearings and valves for American commercial vehicles as well as construction and agricultural equipment applications.

Competitors may debate who is the best on the track, but under the hood, there is no debate that Clevite and MAHLE are the one constant of winning teams throughout American grass roots racing.  For more information about MAHLE/Clevite, click HERE.

Meet 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.

Thomas Schinderle (Berkley, MI) put together top five finishes in all three 2017 Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP races at Butler Motor Speedway to take the Driven Racing Oil Battlegrounds Bash championship.

Schinderle followed Chad Blonde and Ryan Ruhl to finish 3^rd on June 17 at Butler.  On July 22, Schinderle had his worst Bash finish, 5^th, behind winner Joe Swanson, Jay Steinebach, Ryan Ruhl, and Boston Mead.  Parked in 4^th place in Bash points going into the finale, the 4^th annual Butler Bash, on August 12^th,  Schinderle didn’t seem to be in a good position to take the championship.  That didn’t faze him, though, as he charged to the win from 6^th after an exciting, crowd-pleasing battle with Joe Swanson.

Schinderle took the $1,000-to-win championship with 410 points.  Joe Swanson (388) finished 2^nd followed by Chad Blonde (385), Jay Steinebach (367), and Steve Irwin (366), winning a share of the point fund.  As the Driven Racing Oil Battlegrounds Bash champion, Schinderle now has a guaranteed starting spot in the Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP Mike Olrich Memorial Race at Crystal Motor Speedway on September 2.

Schinderle is currently 2^nd in SOD championship points.  He also leads the Sprints On Dirt Series Rookie of the Year standings for drivers with full size sprint car experience, but are first-year full time competitors with SOD.

Driven Racing Oil shares the same leadership spirit in the highly competitive field of racing lubricants that drives SOD in sprint car racing.  Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP is proud to have Driven Racing Oil partner with SOD for 2017.  No oil is tested in competition like Driven Racing Oil, and no oil that you can buy has proven itself in Victory Lane like Driven Racing Oil. That’s a track record of a leader that you can believe in.

The Driven Racing Oil Battlegrounds Bash series, along with the King Engine Bearings King of Michigan series and the MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits challenge gave competitors an opportunity to focus on mini-championships and payouts during the pursuit of the full Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP 2017 season championship.

Read more about Driven Racing Oil at http://www.drivenracingoil.com.  For more information about Butler Motor Speedway, go to www.butlerspeedway.net.

Meet 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.

Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP invaded Merritt Speedway for the annual Allstar Performance Open Wheel Spectacular with Dan McCarron (Britton, MI) picking up his second career win at “Michigan’s Premier Dirt Track.”

“Danny Mac” started second, but was moved back one row for jumping the start.  All that did was give him a chance to prove he was the class of the field as he took the lead on lap nine.  Thirteen-year-old Andrew Scheid (Sparta, MI), leading SOD sprint car rookie, started on the pole and led the first lap before Gregg Dalman (Bellevue, MI) grabbed the lead.  After McCarron took command, Dalman held second until lap sixteen when Steve Irwin (Fenton, MI) took the position.  At times, it looked like Irwin had the speed in the low groove to overtake McCarron, but McCarron was up to the task and used the middle groove to perfection to pull away.

Lap eighteen saw a quick caution for a spin by Tyler Bearden , then disaster struck for Chris Jones when he flipped while trying to evade a spinning Mike Burkin.

Ryan Ruhl and Thomas Schinderle also looked like they could challenge for the win, but finished third and fourth respectively.  2016 SOD champion Brian Smith finished fifth.

Steve Irwin did double duty and won the non-winged portion of the Allstar Performance Open Wheel Spectacular over Brian Smith.

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

Heat Races – Winners $100 each

Feature

KSE Racing Products Hard Charger – Jay Steinebach (+8)
BR Motorsports Contingency (feature top 10 draw) – Andy Chehowski
DMI (Diversified Machine) Contingency (feature 12-16 draw) – Robert Huisken
Perfit Corporation Lucky Dog – Dan McCarron

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.

Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP will be racing at the Manistee County Fairgrounds in Onekama, Michigan, this Friday, for the first time since July 18, 1999.  The race, originally scheduled for August 4th rained out, will be the fifth and final race of the 2017 MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge, determining the BLC champion.

The MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge offers drivers the opportunity to focus on a mini-championship with its own point fund within the full Sprints on Dirt series points chase.  The champion will receive $1,000; 2nd, $600; 3rd, $400; 4th, $300; 5th, $200; 6th, $100.  All Manistee SOD competitors who do not receive point fund money will receive a $100 bonus.

Steve Irwin (Fenton, MI) leads Thomas Schinderle (Berkley, MI), Gregg Dalman (Bellevue, MI), Chris Jones (Allen, MI), and Robert Bulloch (Pittsford, MI).

The Allstar Performance Open Wheel Spectacular is next this Saturday.  It will be the second 2017 appearance of Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP at Mike Blackmer’s Merritt Speedway in Lake City, Michigan, “Michigan’s Premier Dirt Track.”  2007 Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP Rookie of the Year Ryan Ruhl won the July 8th caution-free feature at Merritt.

For the second time this year, SOD competitors will have the opportunity to race with SOD and in non-winged competition in the same program Saturday.  Steve Irwin will race in both divisions and 2016 Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP Champion Brian Smith are expected to race in both divisions Saturday.  Smith won the non-winged portion of the dual program at Hartford Speedway on July 9th.

For more information about MAHLE/Clevite, go to https://catalog.mahle-aftermarket.com/eu/home/index.xhtml?l=EN.  To learn more about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  For more information about Sprints on Dirt, visit www.sprintsondirt.com and the Sprints On Dirt Facebook page.

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.

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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