For the 38^th year, the Crystal Motor Speedway/Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP partnership will continue in 2017. SOD is proud to return to Crystal Motor Speedway on three dates.  The SOD season opening race is scheduled for April 29^th followed by July 15th, and September 2^nd dates.

Crystal Motor Speedway and Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP both hope that Mother Nature is much kinder to them in 2017 than she was in 2016.  SOD suffered five rain outs, three of them at Crystal.  The three SOD rain outs were just a piece of Crystal’s weather woes.  All told, Crystal lost nine events in 2016, eight due to rain and one due to extreme heat.

Long one of the favorite stops each season for SOD competitors, SOD did manage to complete two shows in 2016, even with the three rain outs.  Steve Irwin picked up the win on July 16^th.  SOD then finished the 2016 season in spectacular fashion at Crystal with the September 3^rd Nitro Black Mike Olrich Memorial Race in support of RacingAwareness.com.  Ryan Ruhl dominated the race with his 360 cubic inch motor in front of a full grandstand of enthusiastic fans.

For more information about Crystal Motor Speedway, click here to its Facebook page and go to the speedway website at www.crystalmotorspeedway.com.

For more information about Engine Pro, go to www.enginepro.com.  For more information about ARP, go to www.arp-bolts.com.  Follow Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP on the Sprints On Dirt Facebook page and at www.sprintsondirt.com.

Each year, Engine Pro recognizes the Sprints On Dirt Engine Builder of the Year.  Gressman Powersports is the 2016 recipient of the award for its high level of craftsmanship and dedication to the Sprints On Dirt racing community. Scott Gressman was presented with the award at the 2016 Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP Awards Banquet by Engine Pro representative Dain Naida.

Gressman Powersports, located in Fremont, Ohio, provided Brian Smith with the power and durability to win the 2016 Sprints On Dirt championship.

Gressman Powersports is a full service engine shop specializing in cutting edge engine technology.  It has the necessary resources to make your engine program competitive, and your racing season successful.  Gressman Powersports builds a variety of engines in a wide range of cubic inches.  Each engine is designed around the customer’s specific needs, whether it’s a strictly regulated class specific competition engine, or a warmed over street engine.  SOD’s new, unlimited format opens up new possibilities and an expanded market for Gressman Powersports.

Gressman Powersports sprint car engine

From its modest beginnings in 1998, founder and owner Scott Gressman has seen his business grow from a one man shop, to a high tech engine development facility with a full staff of very talented and dedicated employees.  Each employee has their own area of expertise, and everyone works as a team to ensure that each engine meets the customer’s expectations, as well as their project deadline.

Gressman Powersports understands the investment racers make, not only in your engine, but in their racing program as a whole. They design your engine to be the best value for your intended budget.  As  a Gressman Powersports customer, you will get the service you expect, and the quality you demand.  Gressman Powersports takes great pride in every project that passes through its doors, and will settle for nothing less than optimum performance.

For more information about Gressman Powersports, go to the Gressman Powersports Facebook page and its website at http://www.gressmanpowersports.com/.  For more information about Sprints on Dirt, go to the Sprints On Dirt Facebook page and www.sprintsondirt.com.

The Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP 2016 Awards Banquet took place at the Battle Creek (MI) Holiday Inn on Saturday, November 5.  A night packed with light-hearted fun and heavy-weight awards capped off a great 2016 season with the crowning of Brian Smith as champion.

Merritt Speedway 2016 SOD Championship Trophy

The drivers honored at the banquet will forever be remembered as those who made the new, unlimited Sprints On Dirt one of the most memorable changes in sprint car racing history.

SOD president John Naida served as event host and emcee and opened the festivities by recognizing SOD promoter partners Butler Speedway, Crystal Motor Speedway, Hartford Speedway, I-96 Speedway, Merritt Speedway, Thunderbird Raceway, and Winston Speedway.  Lexi Adgate, a competitor in a handful of 2016 SOD events herself, then began the presentation of trophies and awards.

Special Awards

Each year, Engine Pro recognizes the Engine Builder of the Year award for its high level of craftsmanship and dedication to the Sprints On Dirt racing community.  The 2016 recipient is Gressman Powersports from Fremont, Ohio.  Gressman is the engine builder for SOD Champion Brian Smith.

Engine Pro’s Dain Naida presents SOD Engine Builder of the Year Scott Gressman with his award

Rod End Supply and Keizer Aluminum Wheels recognized Brian Smith, Steve Irwin, Mark Aldrich, John Gall, Justin Ward, and Eric Smith for participation in every 2016 SOD event.

The Engine Pro Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge, formerly the MAHLE/Clevite Short Track Challenge, had a very different look for 2016.

The five-race 2016 MAHLE/Clevite Beyond Limits Challenge mini-series gave SOD competitors an opportunity to compete for a separate point fund within the full SOD season series.  The final standings for the BLC Championship are:

The top twelve SOD competitor members in points were introduced and presented with trophies and awards by Lexi Adgate.

Trophy Presentations

Contingency Awards

Hoosier Racing Tire awarded jackets to Champion Brian Smith, RockAuto.com Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Justin Ward, XYZ Machining Sportsman of the Year Mark Aldrich, and XYZ Machining Crew Chief of the Year Nathan Whitney.

Maxim Racing provided Mark Aldrich, Brett Mann, Eric Smith, Robert Huisken, and Tyler Bearden with contingency awards.  In addition, birthday boy Josh Turner was presented with a birthday cake during his introduction.

SOD recognized RacingAwareness.com for its efforts RacingAwareness.com and Racing Awareness Inc. are two separate entities that were created with the sole intent of providing children and their families from Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, of West Michigan, who are experiencing or have experienced an illness or injury of a child, a diversion from the healthcare process utilizing the sport of auto racing.  Banquet trophies and awards presenter Lexi Adgate was one of the original kids that Racing Awareness “adopted.”

Attendees were presented with a few facts about the 2016 season.  There were five rain outs and threatening weather on five other dates, but the first season under the new unlimited format was still a great success.  Car counts were equal to 2015 in spite of several no-shows due to weather. The on-track product was exceptional with only one spin out for every 986 laps run.  Seven drivers, Brian Smith (3), Ryan Ruhl (2), Chad Blonde, Stuart Brubaker, Steve Irwin, Max Stambaugh, and Doug Zimmerman, won features.

In spite of only ten events completed, competitors were well rewarded.  Brian Smith was awarded $6,440 in cash and awards.  $1,295 in cash and awards was the least amount awarded to the member drivers present.  Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP awarded competitors $41,110 above and beyond purse payouts in 2016.

Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP would like to thank everyone whose extra effort made the banquet a perfect close to the 2016 season. Thank you to Motor City Racing Promotions Scott Menlen and Laura Tucker for set-up and tear-down.  Thank you to Pat Holzinger and Kathie Naida for handling registration.  Thank you to Wendy Rominger and the staff of the Battle Creek Holiday Inn for their superb facilty and services.  Thank you to Thomas Michael for photographing the banquet.  A very special thank you also goes out to Lexi Adgate for her hard work in distributing the cash and contingency awards.

To see two great photo albums of the historic banquet, click here and here.

2016 race event sponsor partners were Engine Pro (Title Sponsor), ARP (Title Sponsor), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official SOD Tire), MAHLE/Clevite (Beyond Limits Challenge Sponsor), Engine Pro (Lucky Dog Sponsor), Lane Automotive (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), Engler Machine & Tool (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), COMP Cams (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), RockAuto.com (SOD Series Rookie of the Year Sponsor & SOD Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Sponsor), XYZ Machining (Sportsman of the Year Sponsor & Crew Chief of the Year Sponsor), KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Sponsor).  In addition, SOD event contingency sponsors included: Allstar Performance, ATL Racing Fuel Cells, BR Motorsports, Diversified Machine Inc. (DMI), Keizer Aluminum Wheels, King Racing Products, Kistler Racing Products, License 2 Play, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Schoenfeld Headers, and Ti22 Performance.

Mr & Mrs SOD Champ Brian & Kimberly Smith

Check out banquet pics by clicking here.  Check back as new ones are added.

Full story and details to follow.

Center, Brian Smith; top left, Steve Irwin; top right, Mark Aldrich; bottom left, John Gall; bottom right, Justin Ward

When the 2016 Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt by ARP 37^th annual awards banquet commences this Saturday, November 5^th in Battle Creek, Michigan, it will have quite a different look.  Each of the top five drivers have come together from different segments of sprint car racing in 2015.  Excitement and anticipation are increasing as the top twelve drivers will close out the 2016 season in a big way.

When the new Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP “beyond limits” format was introduced in September 2015, many people questioned whether competitors would support it.  Long-time Sprints On Dirt Series title sponsor Engine Pro, understandably skeptical, pledged its full support.  Hoosier Racing Tire worked diligently to design and develop tires that would make the format a success.

SOD season champion Brian Smith was a regular primarily at Fremont (OH) Speedway, but also at Attica Raceway Park in the FAST 410 series.  Second place Steve Irwin ran mostly non-wing shows with only an occasional wing event. Third place veteran Mark Aldrich ran with the 360 SOD sprints.  Fourth place John Gall raced at Butler Motor Speedway in the 410 winged sprints.  Justin Ward was a lightning sprint champion.  Numerous drivers from several states competed in 2016 SOD events as wide-spread interest in the new format increased.

The ability to attract drivers from a variety of backgrounds in just its first season shows the strength and acceptance of SOD’s unlimited format.  Careful, precise planning helped SOD create the format that remained unchanged and stable throughout the entire season; it will also remain unchanged for 2017.

For more information about Engine Pro, go to here.  For more information about ARP, go to here.  Read all about Sprints On Dirt at here.

Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP is brought to you 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), Engine Pro (Lucky Dog Sponsor), Lane Automotive (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), Engler Machine & Tool (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), COMP Cams (Primary Heat Race Sponsor), RockAuto.com (SOD Series Rookie of the Year Sponsor & SOD Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Sponsor), XYZ Machining (Sportsman of the Year Sponsor & Crew Chief of the Year Sponsor), KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Sponsor).  In addition, SOD contingency sponsors include: ATL Racing Fuel Cells, Allstar Performance, Kistler Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, K2W Precision/Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Ti22 Performance, J&J Auto Racing, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, License 2 Play, Maxim Racing, Simpson Racing Products, Rod End Supply, Diversified Machine Inc. (DMI), Racing Optics.