MERCER, PA(5-12-12)By Brian Liskai – Sometimes you just need to go home.

For Aliquippa, Pennsylvania’s Tim Shaffer it was just what the doctor ordered. The three time and defending champion of the University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champions travelled just up the road from his residence Saturday and proceeded to dominate the 30-lap series event at Mercer Raceway Park to score his first All Star win of 2012.

by Brian Liskai
After a highly successful and exciting beginning of the 2012 season, the University of Northwestern Ohio All Star Circuit of Champion Sprint Car Series will blast open the gates for the Ohio Region with the 21st Annual Spring Nationals at Attica Raceway Park on Friday and Saturday, April 6 and 7.

“Attica Raceway Park kicks off our very competitive Ohio Region point’s battle and is one of the most exciting tracks the All Stars compete at. With the level of competition that races there every week, and the loyal, intelligent fans that come there, coupled with is its history and proximity to other hot beds of racing….the Spring Nationals has become a ‘must see’ event in the Midwest region,” said Guy Webb, of All Star Championship Racing. “We could see drivers like NASCAR stars Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart or Pennsylvania Posse racers or World of Outlaw drivers….it’s early enough in the season you just don’t know who will show up.”

Pittsboro, Indiana’s Daryn Pittman, who finished a close second to Lance Dewease in the battle for the All Star’s Eastern Region Championship in 2011, currently leads the UNOH All Star’s National and Eastern Region point standings after seven events, which featured two races in Georgia and five in Florida. Pittman scored a win to open the series in 2012 and picked up a pair of runner-up finishes and has not finished out of the top 10. Danny “The Dude” Lasoski started strong in 2012 with three All Star wins and currently sits second in the national and Eastern Region point standings. Three time series champion Dale “The Low Rider” Blaney, who scored a win at Ocala, Florida in February to run his career series’ total to 85, sits third in the point standings while Sam Hafertepe Jr., in his new Zemco Racing ride, resides in the fourth spot in the points while young charger David Gravel, who finished third in the series’ national point standings in 2011 and was the 2010 Ohio Sprint Speedweek champion, sits fifth.

Tim Shaffer, who has won the past three All Star championships, is working in with his Janet Holbrook/Aaron Call owned team to pick up some momentum. The Steel City Outlaw sits sixth in the UNOH All Star point standings, but past history dictates, once the Midwestern races begin, he will be a force to be deal with.

by Brian Liskai
Sammy Swindell continues to to amaze sprint car fans. The Germantown, Tenn. driver came from ninth to victory Wednesday, Feb. 9 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts All Star Circuit of Champions event to open the 40th Annual DIRTcar Nationals by the University of Northwestern Ohio at Volusia Speedway Park.

Donny Schatz (R.E. Wing Photo)by Ocala Speedway Media
Race fans crowded into Ocala Speedway on Friday night to see the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions break in the clay to begin their 2011 racing season, and those fans were not only treated to a fantastic show, but also were graced with a warm and rainless night that was near perfect for dynamic racing action. Joining the All Stars on the night were the always competitive Florida Mini Sprint Association, who provided quite the battle up front in their feature event.

From the start of the night it appeared that the man to beat might be Tony Stewart Racing's Donny Schatz. Schatz qualified next to last and turned a blistering 13.039 on his second lap to take the Kistler Engines Fast Qualifier Award, then gave last year's Rookie of the Year, Aaron Ott, major fits in the Dash race for starting positions. But Donny Schatz's night would end early with a spectacular front stretch flip in the feature race as he became entangled in some lapped traffic. After racing ended Tony Stewart himself was spotted assessing the damage to Schatz's machine in the pit area, as the team attempted to regroup.

Tim Shaffer may not have set the fastest qualifying time, but in the Dash for starting positions he rose to the top and remained there to nab the pole position for the feature race. Traffic is always a problem in the tight and odd shaped confines of Ocala Speedway, but between cautions that gave Shaffer clear track ahead, and Shaffer's own skill at dealing with slower machines, he managed to avoid obstacles and maintain his lead. Early chasers like Aaron Ott and Donny Schatz slipped back and were replaced by Daryn Pittman and Tyler Walker late in the race, but Shaffer held on to claim victory in the 25 lap event.

On the strength of 16 wins - including 10 of the final 12 events - Tim Shaffer earned the 2010 All Star Circuit of Champions title. (Ginny Heithaus Photo)by Ocala Speedway Media
The eve of yet another Ocala Speedway Winternational event has arrived and anticipation is high that this will be the best Winternational season yet at Florida's oldest speedway. The O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions will open the 2011 festivities tomorrow, Friday, February 5th, with a wild night of alcohol fueled 410 sprint car action on Ocala's D- shaped layout. And as was the case in 2010, the Florida Mini Sprint Association will join the All Stars, providing their usual brand of competitive competition. An affordable admission price coupled with a weather forecast for little to no chance of rain and warmer temperatures, make this year's Winternationals at Ocala Speedway THE event to see in the state of Florida this weekend.Speedway owner Mike Peters has made it his mission over the past three years to make the Winternationals at Ocala Speedway the most affordable chance that race fans will have to see the best of the best in 410 sprint car racing all in one place on one fantastic weekend of racing. Friday night's grandstand admission is a mere $20 for adults, and for that $20 every fan will get to see personalities from both the O'Reilly All Stars and the World of Outlaws compete together on the most challenging racetrack in the region. Saturday's admission is only $25 for adults, still well below what other venues are charging for practically the exact same show.

Fans who have come to Ocala's last two Winternationals events will remember that the elements are as much a part of the memories as is the racing and the personalities. Cold weather has been the norm so far in two previous Winternationals, but that will change for 2011 as temperatures are expected to be quite moderate. According to Weather.com, Friday's high temperatures will be up to a full 10 to 12 degrees higher than the high temperatures recorded on Thursday. In addition, the showers and overcast skies that have been in the area for days are predicted to move out for Friday, allowing the warmer temperatures and letting the sun bathe the clay before rubber hits the dirt on Friday night.