by Lucas Dirt Late Model Media PR
Officials of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series are excited to announce the 36th Annual DART Winternationals being held Feb 12-18th at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL will pay out over $200,000 in purse monies alone for the week. This year’s events at the famed “Clay by the Bay” will start on Sunday night Feb 12th with an open practice session for racers to shake down their cars in preparation for the week-long events.

For the 7th straight year DART Machinery will return as the title sponsor of the 36th Annual DART Winternationals. DART Machinery's Technology Center in Troy, MI now houses the company's administrative offices, the R&D headquarters, and inspection, machining and warehouse operations. A separate production facility in nearby Melvindale, MI houses the thundering CNC machining centers that produces heads and blocks from raw castings. Twenty five years ago, it all began with a desk, a telephone and a dream. Today DART is the acknowledged leader in aftermarket components for racing engines. For more information on DART you can visit their website at www.dartheads.com.

The 36th Annual DART Winternationals officially gets started on Monday Feb 13th with a complete show starting at 6:00PM EST each night with drivers competing for $5,000 to win on both Monday and Tuesday nights. Then on Wednesday and Thursday nights events drivers will compete for $7,000 to win each of those two nights with the final two nights Friday and Saturday nights events paying $10,000 to win respectively. The final two night’s events on Friday and Saturday will be the first points paying events of the 2012 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Each night’s events will include Hot laps, RedBuck Cigars Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, PRC Strawberry Dash, presented by DirtonDirt.com and the A-Main feature event each night.

by Joe Verdegan
Three northeast Wisconsin-based businesses, all with ties to dirt track racing, have signed on to back the Badger Mod Tour during its inaugural season in 2012.

The tour will be referred to as“The Custom Windows Plus Badger Mod Tour presented by Floors By Design & Directional Drilling Services.” The series will host modified races at clay ovals in the eastern half of Wisconsin this year. “With the support of these three businesses, we can secure the guaranteed point fund for the drivers and that’s a big step for our first year,” said series director Joe Verdegan. “Our point fund will pay 20 spots deep to tour members and guarantees the winner a minimum of $1500 cash, along with other contingencies we’re currently working on. We’re new and we’re taking “baby steps” so to speak in our first year. We want to be around for the long haul.”

Custom Windows Plus owner Jon Courchaine owns an IMCA stock car and also sponsors several other teams in many divisions in the area. “I love the concept of a touring modified series in Wisconsin and it’s long overdue,” said Courchaine. “We’re glad to support it.” With locations in Green Bay, Madison and Wausau, Custom Windows Plus specializes in window sales and replacement. Please check out their website at customwindowsplus.com, or call (920) 855 6555.

Floors By Design is co-owned by Ashwaubenon native Ricky Lemmen. Floors By Design has sponsored many NASCAR drivers over the years, among them Johnny Sauter, Kyle Busch and Kenny Wallace. They specialize in residential homes and commercial interiors with functional designs that reflect their clients’ personality and lifestyle. They handle carpet, ceramic tile, hardwood, vinyl, laminate, commercial, residential and everything else in between.

Track Rat Photo | UMSS Media PR Photoby Greg Parent
The Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS) celebrated their 2011 season and honored the top drivers at its annual awards banquet at the Mermaid Entertainment and Event Center in Mounds View, MN on Saturday night January 28. The multi-purpose facility provided a great venue for the UMSS banquet with well over 100 people in attendance. Several drivers were honored with various awards in both the winged and the new non-winged sprint car divisions.

The third champion of the UMSS was crowned, as Jerry Richert, Jr. from Forest Lake earned the 2011 title. Richert, often referred to as Sonny by his friends and family, had an incredible 2011 season with 3 wins, 16 top five finishes, and 18 top ten finishes during the 19-race campaign. With over 30 seasons of sprint car racing experience dating back to his first win at Centuria, WI in 1981, Sonny continues to add impressive accolades to his famous racing family's accomplishments and advance his own already stellar racing career.

The travelling Barry Kettering Memorial trophy for the UMSS now includes the names of Leigh Thomas, Cody Hahn and Jerry Richert, Jr. as the first three series champions. Jerry thanked his family, crew, co-owner Joe Kouba, and his many sponsors for their support. Sonny stated, "My dad would have been especially proud tonight." Richert's famous father earned numerous championships throughout his racing career and is still thought of as one of the best to hail from the Upper Midwest. Presenting the Barry Kettering Memorial trophy this year to Jerry Richert, Jr. was Warren Kettering from Thunder Bay, Ontario.

The inaugural champion in the new upstart Traditional Sprint Car Series (TSCS) was a rookie in the sprint car ranks in 2011. Kevin Bradwell moved up from the hornet and pure stock classes to try his hand at sprint car racing in 2011. When the 15-race TSCS season had concluded, Kevin Bradwell earned an impressive first championship title. A brand new travelling trophy was unveiled at the awards banquet and will be for the TSCS division champion to hold each year.

by Kari Shear-Carlson
The American Speed Association® Midwest Tour announces it’s biggest year of incentives yet with the announcement of the 2012 Champions Awards.

by Lonnie Wheatley
The 2012 schedule of events for the Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region has been set as the series gears up for its eighth year of competition.

UARA Champion Brennan Poole | UARA Media PR Photoby UARA Media PR
The UARA's top ten drivers converged at the Crowne Plaza in Hickory NC. It was Saturday January 14, 2012 they gathered to receive the honor they were due. With drivers, families, sponsors and UARA staff on hand to show their support the UARA handed out a whopping $66,000 in cash, prizes and trophies to their well deserving drivers, sponsors and staff.

Many thanks go out to the series sponsors with a special mention to Goodyear and Sunoco for their support of the UARA and the UARA point fund. Scott Junod and Jeff Munro of Goodyear, Randy Rabinowitch with Circle Wheels, Mike Delahanty with Ford Racing Technology, Tracy Dockery and Brian Hall with ARbodies, Richard Mellentine from G Force South, Kevin Piercy and the MTP Tire gang, David Mercer with Phantom Racing, Wayne Ingram and Ashlee Sieveke with Tiger Rear Ends, Mike Leake with Unifirst and Ron Crane with Xtreme Trophies and More were all on hand to celebrate with the UARA and the top ten drivers as presenting sponsors.

Brennan Poole received the UARA's highest honor as the 2011 UARA Champion. Poole gathered up a generous check of $10,000.00 for his seasons efforts along with a host of contingency awards. His awards included not only the Championship goodies but also awards from ARbodies, DJ Safety, Tilton, Circle Wheels, WP Racing Shocks and a prize package from Safety Kleen.

Poole received a Miller Welder for being Car Owner of the Year along with a replica diecast car from the UARA. Announcer Tony Stevens pointed out, "Although Brennan was listed as the official car owner on the number seven team, we all know it is his father Tom who is the man backing the team". David King received a Miller welder as well as Crew Chief of the Year and Poole's spotter Jerry Dickerson was awarded a two way headset from Racing Electronics as spotter of the year.