ERIE, MI (January 21, 2018) – The King is back!  Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP has announced that King Engine Bearing has returned as the title sponsor of the King of Michigan to be contested at Hartford Speedway once again this season.

After several years as a premier event at Hartford Speedway, the King of Michigan became a four-race series under King Engine Bearing’s sponsorship last year.  This year, with King Engine Bearings support, the series has expanded to five races.  The KoM opens on May 8, followed by June 8, July 6, July 27, and the finale on August 31.

Hartford owner Tim Dibble’s reconfiguration of the track, the expansion of the KoM to a series, and King Engine Bearings backing, proved to be an unbeatable combination last year.  The 2017 KoM races drew Hartford’s largest crowds and SOD’s highest car counts.

Phillip Data, National Sales Manager for King Engine Bearings, announced renewal of the King of Michigan saying: “King Engine Bearings is excited to once again partner with the prestigious Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP series.  Hartford Speedway proved to be an excellent venue for racing while their new track configuration made for truly exciting racing that kept fans on the edge of their seats.  We look forward to the fast paced action in 2018 at the Hartford Speedway during the King of Michigan races.”

Chad Blonde was the one to beat in last year’s KoM, winning the first three races including a 5 minute and 25 second, non-stop feature on August 11^th.  Ryan Ruhl, a previous, single-race KoM winner, 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 1^st.  The King Engine Bearings King of Michigan will pay a point fund to the top five in KoM points at the 2018 Awards Banquet.

The King Engine Bearings team are bearing specialists. King Engine Bearings was founded in 1960 with one simple objective: to supply the highest quality bearings available in the marketplace. By specializing in engine bearings, King has built an extensive product offering that includes a wide range of engine bearings for automobiles, light duty and heavy duty trucks, marine, aviation, standby power and many other types of internal combustion engines. Every King bearing utilizes the highest quality materials and the most advanced designs to ensure complete customer satisfaction.

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

ERIE, MI (January 19, 2018) – It may be frigid outside, but things are warming up in the Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP office as the 2018 season takes shape.  Sponsorships are being renewed and race date contracts are being signed as SOD works to complete preparation for the 2018 schedule.

SOD has a long-standing practice of publicly releasing only race dates that have been agreed to, and we continue to do so.  Dates considered to be tentative, TBA, TBD, etc. are not listed.  With this in mind, these are the signed dates for 2018 at this time:
iiiiiiiiiiiiiSaturday, April 28 – Crystal Motor Speedway, Crystal, MI (May 5 rain date)
iiiiiiiiiiiiiFriday, May 18 – Hartford Speedway, Hartford, MI
iiiiiiiiiiiiiFriday, June 8 – Hartford Speedway, Hartford, MI
iiiiiiiiiiiiiSaturday, June 9 – Butler Speedway, Quincy, MI
iiiiiiiiiiiiiFriday, June 22 – Tri-City Motor Speedway, Auburn, MI
iiiiiiiiiiiiiFriday, July 6 – Hartford Speedway, Hartford, MI
iiiiiiiiiiiiiSaturday, July 14 – Crystal Motor Speedway, Crystal, MI
iiiiiiiiiiiiiFriday, July 27 – Hartford Speedway, Hartford, MI
iiiiiiiiiiiiiFriday, August 3 – Butler Speedway, Quincy, MI
iiiiiiiiiiiiiSaturday, August 4 – Butler Speedway, Quincy, MI
iiiiiiiiiiiiiSaturday, August 25 – Merritt Speedway, Lake City, MI
iiiiiiiiiiiiiFriday, August 31 – Hartford Speedway, Hartford, MI
iiiiiiiiiiiiiSaturday, September 1 – Crystal Motor Speedway, Crystal, MI
Additional dates are under consideration and will be announced when finalized.

SOD’s numerous promotional and contingency programs are being finalized for 2018.  The fast qualifier (Fast Master) in each heat, heat race top finishers, and the random draw (Lucky Dog) winners will receive cash awards.  The crew chief and sportsman of the year will receive cash awards at the 2018 awards banquet.  Other promotional and contingency programs are being worked on also.

Several major sponsorship partnerships have been finalized for 2018:

• Engine Pro (enginepro.com) and ARP (www.arp-bolts.com) continue their long-time partnership with Sprints On Dirt as title sponsor partners once again.
• Hoosier Racing Tire (hoosiertire.com) and Hoosier Tire Midwest (www.racetires.com)continue as major sponsor partners.
• Engler Machine and Tool, Inc. (englermachine.com) returns as a primary heat race sponsor partner.
• RockAuto.com (www.RockAuto.com)also returns as a primary heat race sponsor partner.
• Lane Automotive (laneautomotive.com) is returning as Fast Masters co-sponsor.
• MSD Ignition (msdperformance.com/brands/msd) is returning as Fast Masters co-sponsor.
• The Perfit Corporation (engineproparts.com) will once again sponsor the Lucky Dog Award.
• XYZ Machining, Inc. (goo.gl/vUNns4) will recognize the Crew Chief of the Year.
• XYZ Machining, Inc. will also recognize the Sportsman of the Year.

Hoosier Racing Tire will once again provide the SOD spec tires that have proven to equalize competition among various engine sizes and configurations and provide exciting side by side racing.  The tires, utilized since the inaugural 2016 season of the SOD “beyond limits” format will remain unchanged through the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Watch for more 2018 updates at www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt.

ERIE, MI (December 23, 2017) – Building on its successful Driven Racing Oil Battlegrounds Bash series in 2017, Butler Motor Speedway will once again host Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP for three dates in 2018.  The first Butler Motor Speedway Sprints On Dirt race will be June 9^th.  The 2^nd and 3^rd races will be part of the annual Butler Bash on Friday, August 3^rd and Saturday, August 4^th.

The 2017 Driven Racing Oil Battlegrounds Bash series was hallmarked by exciting racing.  Chad Blonde picked up the win on June 17 over Ryan Ruhl and Thomas Schinderle.  On July 22, Joe Swanson took the lead with two laps to go and won over Jay Steinebach and Ryan Ruhl.  On August 12^th , Thomas Schinderle won his first SOD feature after passing early leader Joe Swanson.  Swanson held on for 2^nd and Butler’s Rookie of the Year Boston Mead finished 3^rd.

The partnership between Butler Motor Speedway and Sprints On Dirt goes far beyond the SOD races at Butler to ensure a strong future for sprint car racing in Michigan as exemplified in the recent announcement implementing a common rule for the Butler sprint car class and Sprints On Dirt competitors requiring full containment seats in 2018.

Butler Motor Speedway has undergone several major changes over the years.  One was moving the pit area out of the infield; another was replacing the racy oiled dirt track with the current watered clay surface.  When racing begins at the speedway in the spring there will be another change, the track banking will be reduced by about one-third.

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 on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt.

Erie, MI (December 19, 2017) – Hartford Speedway will host Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP for five races in 2018.

The 2018 SOD Hartford events, all Friday dates, are May 18, June 8, July 6, July 27, and August 31.

Sprints On Dirt has been a fan favorite at Hartford Speedway, drawing the best crowd for several years now.  Track owner/promoter Tim Dibble’s reconfiguration of the track before the 2017 season has proven to be a big hit, blending perfectly with SOD’s beyond limits format.  Fans and competitors alike are reaping the benefits.

Hartford Speedway formally became a race track 86 years ago, but there are records of racing there dating back twenty years earlier.  The speedway began as the Van Buren County Fair race track before Hartford Motor Speedway was born from a vision of Betty Lue Cross.

Click here to follow Hartford Speedway on Facebook and check out its website at www.hartfordspeedway.net.

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

ERIE, MI (December 18, 2017) – Another piece of the 2018 Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP season is now in place as RockAuto.com has announced its return as a SOD primary heat race sponsor next season.

RockAuto.com’s heat race partnership with SOD, and Engler Machine & Tool’s recently announced partnership, make it possible for SOD to continue rewarding drivers for heat race performances throughout the 2018 season.  Typical of SOD’s highly competitive “beyond limits” format, 2017 SOD Champion Steve Irwin, in his Flying Zero, led all competitors with just three RockAuto.com heat race wins last season.

RockAuto.com ships thousands of auto parts from over 300 manufacturers to millions of customers worldwide. RockAuto.com has everything from maintenance parts like filters and wiper blades to completely remanufactured transmissions and engines. RockAuto.com carries bumpers, door handles, engine computers, headlight assemblies, carpet and other parts that traditionally were only available from car dealers.

To learn more about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  To follow Sprints on Dirt, visit www.sprintsondirt.com and the Sprints On Dirt Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sprintsondirt/.