77 Joe Rokos - Interlochen, Michigan. (Michigan Dirt Cup Photo)Interlochen, Michigan (Wednesday, May 16th, 2012): This Friday, May 18th has been a date circled on all the calendars of the entire Joe Rokos Racing Team since the 2012 Cherry Raceway Schedule was released. This is the day that Interlochen, Michigan driver, Joe Rokos will pull his rig into the pit area at his home track in near-by Fife Lake, Michigan for the first time in 2012 as the Defending Track Champion and this is also the day that his title defense begins.

“This team has been waiting for this day all season long. It is such an honor to have the tagline of ‘Defending Track Champion’ attached to my name every time I hit the track. It also carries a lot of responsibility too,” Stated the 29-year-old. “Everyone is going to be gunning for us every Friday night, but I look forward to the challenge and this entire team is ready.” He added.

Opening Night 2012 / Best Looking Car contest will highlight the season openers’ festivities at the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile semi-banked dirt oval. Rokos will have plenty of competition setting their sights on him throughout his title defense and that applies everywhere he goes while carrying the moniker of a Track Champion.

In Rokos’ last race on May 12th, the J.R.R. Team ventured over at the fast ¼ (0.250) mile semi-banked dirt oval of Merritt Raceway, located only an hour southeast of home in Lake City, Michigan. After finishing fifth in his heat race, he then started ninth in the Feature after the inversion draw. “The track was slick in the heat. We tried a couple things that kind of worked. Then after watching the B Mains and seeing how the track was, we decided to try something that we never have yet and it worked real well.” He continued.

“The car was great in the feature, I just needed a caution to bunch the field back up. It took a couple laps to get my tires to fire off, but when they did the car was real good. I think we might have found the problem we have been having on dry slick tracks.” Rokos optimistically offered.

There’s the possibility of a return trip to Merritt after the Cherry Season Opener the next night on Saturday, May 18th and looking down the road, Race #2 in the Allstar Performance Michigan Dirt Cup Modifieds Tour Presented by Lane Automotive is on Saturday, June 16th at Butler Motor Speedway in Quincy, Michigan.

AMA Motocross First Open Practice / Open House on Sunday, May 20th

Lake Odessa, Michigan (Monday, May 14th, 2012): History will be made THIS Saturday, May 19th as the Inaugural race for the Allstar Performance Michigan Dirt Cup Late Models Tour Presented by Lane Automotive will bring 40+ Miller Lite UMP Super Late Models to I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan! The weekly competitors of the United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) DIRTcar Racing Series will take on the traveling stars from the Flint, Michigan based series in their first Official race of the tour.

The series held three season preview races a year ago and now it’ll all count for points for the very first time on May 19th as Defending Track Champion and 7th annual Ice Breaker Feature Winner, Tom Sprague Jr., as well as former Two-Time Track Champion, Eric Spangler, plus Zack Olger, Dona Marcoullier, Brandon Thirlby, Sammy Epling, Rich Neiser, Billy Bray, Kris Patterson Jr., and many more will all have a say in the outcome of the first official MDC Late Models Tour event.

Joining the Allstar Performance Michigan Dirt Cup Late Models Tour Presented by Lane Automotive / Miller Lite UMP Super Late Models will be the Rudd’s Septic Service UMP Street Stocks, Smyrna Bar & Restaurant UMP Sport Compacts, Spectator Drags and a special Stunt Show to be held at Intermission. The Accurate Engines UMP Modifieds will have the night off.

Ticket Prices for the Inaugural Michigan Dirt Cup Late Models Tour event on Saturday, May 19th are: Adults (13-61): $15.00 – Seniors (62 and Over): $12.00 – Children (6-12) $8.00 – Kids (5 and Under): FREE – Family Pass $35.00 (*A family pass will get 2 adults and 2 children into the races. Once inside, the Kid’s Club is Free for the Kids!) – Pit Passes: $25.00 (for any age that can walk, infants are free). Get your tickets exclusively with ShowClix! Click on the link for more information: http://www.showclix.com/event/223081

Every Saturday nights; Pit Gates will Open at 3:00p.m., the Grandstand Gates will open at 5:00p.m., Practice will start at 6:00p.m. and will go until 6:25p.m., as each division gets one Practice Session apiece. Then after the Drivers Meeting at 6:30p.m., followed by Pre-Race Ceremonies / Invocation / National Anthem(s), Racing will begin at 7:00p.m.

7 Joe Rokos - Interlochen, Michigan. (Michigan Dirt Cup Modifieds Tour Photo)Interlochen, Michigan (Wednesday, May 9th, 2012): The first race of the 2012 racing season for the Allstar Performance Michigan Dirt Cup Modifieds Tour Presented by Lane Automotive on Saturday, May 5th at the fast and newly revamped I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan started off well enough for Joe Rokos, who already had a lot on his mind heading into the first big event of the season for UMP Modifieds in the Midwest.

“After two weeks off racing and struggling the first two nights out this year I was already sweating what was going to happen at the MDC opener,” Explained the Interlochen, Michigan driver. “We got our big motor done and in the car last week and we were on the way to I-96 before the show was postponed. Knowing I couldn't make it anywhere on Friday also had us nervous. Not knowing how it was going to run, or if we even had the car back to normal going in to the MDC opener was a lot to think about.” He added.

The 29-year-old would win his Qualifier Heat going away after starting shotgun on the field due to drawing a 73 out of a possible 75 numbers. Last season he drew a 96 out of 100 pills. In turn, he locked himself safely into the 40-lap Feature amidst an impressive 49-car field. Things were looking even better when he drew the number two pill for his starting spot in the Feature and would start on the outside of the front row in an extremely stacked field. A field many observers referred to as one of the best assembled in several seasons anywhere in the state of Michigan. After leading the first two laps of the main, Jacob Poel slipped by on lap three relegating Rokos back to second.

“The Motor ran awesome and the car was great in the heat. In the Feature, we jumped to an early lead until Jacob (Poel) got by.” He continued. “Then we raced door to door with Zack Olger until the first caution. I was pretty happy with the way the car was and was just thinking it’s a long race don't get stupid. But then after the restart we got freight trained by most the field. The tires just wouldn’t re-fire.”

“We’re still struggling a little on the slick. But I think we have made some progress. This week I think we had the car real close but missed it on tires.” He stated. Rokos would be shown 12th on the results list for the first MDC race. Now the Joe Rokos Racing Team will have some time between now and the second race of the season for the series which is on Saturday, June 16th at Butler Motor Speedway in Quincy, Michigan.

82 Jacob Poel - Spring Lake, Michigan. (Randy Ellen Photo)Spring Lake, Michigan (Tuesday, May 1st, 2012): When the formation of the Michigan Dirt Cup Modifieds Tour became a reality on April 30th, 2011 with the inaugural race at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan. 63 Teams answered the call for the brand new series. This was also the season opener at the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked dirt oval and little did Jacob Poel know, that the start of the 2011 campaign would be a race season only dreams are made of.

Now the Spring Lake, Michigan driver hopes a repeat is in the works as all of the same logistics are in place this Saturday, May 5th as I-96 Speedway hosts the 7th annual Ice Breaker / Opening Night 2012. In addition it’s also the 2012 Door Opener for the Michigan Dirt Cup Modifieds Tour. At the end of 2011, the 25-year-old would be crowned both the 2011 Michigan Dirt Cup Modifieds Tour Champion as well as the 2011 I-96 Speedway UMP Modifieds Track Champion.

"The 82 crew has built confidence in their program and is ready to take on the numbers the Dirt Cup will offer," Stated the Reigning UMP DIRTcar Racing Series Michigan State Champion. "We’re excited! The last couple weeks we have been really fine tuning the car and feel it’s going to be the best its’ been so far this season.” He added. In seven races he’s raced in early on in the 2012 season, Poel has recorded Two Feature Wins, Four Top Five’s, and Six Top 10 finishes.

“Having the first Michigan Dirt Cup race at one of our home tracks should play into our favor." Poel continued as he and the entire Jacob Poel Racing Team continue to prepare for the all-important first race of the season for the Flint, Michigan based series. "We want to start the MDC Tour out right and that means with a win and to be on top of the point’s right from the first race!" He ended.

Prior to the Michigan Dirt Cup Modifieds Tour Season Opener at I-96, Poel hopes to continue his quest for the 2012 UMP Modifieds Track Championship at Winston Speedway in Rothbury, Michigan on Friday nights and the team will head out to the 3/8s (0.375) mile semi-banked paved oval this Friday, May 4th. Poel is currently second in the season long points chase by just a single point behind current points leader, Andy Sprague.

28 Sammy Epling battles with 91 Rusty Schlenk at Mt. Pleasant Speedway during the first Michigan Dirt Cup Late Models Tour Preview in 2011. The MDC Late Models Tour will begin their inaugural season on Saturday, May 19th, 2012 at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan. (Mt. Pleasant Speedway Photo)by Team Media PR
Every driver in any form of motorsports goes through a phase of ups and downs, and perhaps even a little sideways both on and off the track. How they respond and react is the key to bouncing back should those trials and tribulations become burdensome. For Sammy Epling, the off-season has been anything but a walk in the park, but in the end he hopes it’ll all be worth it.

“A lot of things have happened this year with some business and some personal issues. We all go through them. I’m just hoping when all is said and done, it will make me even stronger for the race season.” The Perry, Michigan veteran offered. “All I can do and all this team can do is move forward, not look back, and prove that in the end, it really was all worth it.”

By moving forward, the 42-year-old has a plan for the upcoming 2012 racing season, and that is to walk away at the end of the season as the Inaugural Michigan Dirt Cup Late Models Tour Champion. “We’re focused on that Championship without a doubt. Andy Stebbins and Bill Long have put together a great program with that series and watching how successful the Modifieds deal was last year, I can’t wait for this season to get going. We want that Championship without a doubt and that is our #1 goal!” Epling continued.

The 2012 racing season will tentatively begin for the S.J.E. Motorsports crew on Friday, April 14th at the fast 1/3 (0.333) mile semi-banked dirt oval of Winston Speedway, located north of Muskegon in Rothbury, Michigan for the tracks Opening Night. “We’re a little behind in getting the car done, I want to say that we’ll be ready for opening night, but I can't promise that just yet,” He laughed. “The Crew and I are thrashing as much as we can to be ready for that show. If we don’t make it out for that, we’ll definitely be there the following Saturday (April 21st) for the Player Hater 50.”

43 Mark Anderson - Lowell, Michigan. Lane Automotive UMP Modifieds / Michigan Dirt Cup Modified Tour Feature Winner for Saturday, April 30th. (Randy Ellen Photo)by Matt Prieur
The 2011 racing season is officially here as I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan opened the doors with a bang! The Inaugural Event for the brand new Michigan Dirt Cup Allstar Performance Modified Tour powered by Lane Automotive, Aeroquip, and ARP Fasteners highlighted Opening Night 2011 / 6th Annual Ice Breaker. The Tinney Automotive UMP Late Models, UMP Street Stocks, and UMP Sport Compacts were also on the card as a stellar crowd on hand witnessed a thrilling night of racing highlighted by a whopping 146 cars jamming the pit area.

The first Feature of the 2011 racing season on the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked dirt oval would be the 20-lap main event for the Jim’s Auto Body of Portland UMP Sport Compacts. Formerly known as the Four-Cylinders / Road Beaters, and new for 2011, the beginners division at the track now falls under the guidelines of the United Midwest Promoters (UMP) organization beginning this season and the response was tremendous with 21 machines on the grounds.

Harley Farkle and Jaret Allen led the field to the green flag but it would be Rick Peck diving underneath the front row heading into the first corner to grab the early lead. Rich Lieb followed Peck by the front row starters and the two drivers pulled away to battle. Lieb took the lead on lap seven and held it for two laps until defending track champion, Dan Reimersma went by the top two cars to take over the top spot and pull away from the rest of the pack.