Rich Vleck, TULSA, Okla. (June 29, 2009)- For the second consecutive year, two of the most prominent regions in ASCS will celebrate the American Independence Holiday North of the Border at one of North America’s finest dirt tracks.
The Lucas Oil ASCS Patriot Region and Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP meet halfway between the regional bases at Ohsweken in Southern Ontario. Friday, July 3 will be the Second Annual Northern Summer Nationals, this year presented by Corr/Pak Merchandising.
The Patriot Region will tabulate points for only the competitors that have run a Patriot event already in 2009 while the Sprints on Dirt will not run for points this Friday. With $3,000 still on the line for the winner, this is sure to be one of the biggest events of the year.
This year, a unique and exciting format will accompany the Northern Summer Nationals. Heat races will use the standard ASCS Passing Points formula, but it will then be followed by qualifying races, which will also use passing points. After those two sets of events, the top 24 in total points will be set for the A-Main. Only two more spots will be available after that point via the B-Main.
Along with the $3,000 top prize, the 26 cars to start the feature will get $300 U.S. All cars failing to transfer through the B-Main will receive $150 U.S.
The list of potential winners is endless, too long for this release, but a few names are simple choices as frontrunners.
Dustin Daggett is great at Ohsweken and has been on an absolute tear in 2009 with SOD. The Portland, MI has four wins at “The Big O”, including the preliminary night of last year’s Northern Summer Nationals. Daggett was runner-up to Wayne Johnson in the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals.
Bryan Howland won the finale of the Northern Summer Nationals at the 3/8-mile in 2008 to score his second win on the Six Nations Reservation. The Auburn, NY hot shoe also finished third in the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals last year.
While Howland has led the Patriots for the last year and a half, he now trails Jared Zimbardi by two points following Saturday’s race at Stateline. Jared Zimbardi, from Little Valley, NY, won his first race of the year at the 1/3-mile and picked up his first victory since picking up the checkered flag at Ohsweken last season in weekly competition.
Zimbardi was second in Corr/Pak points at Ohsweken last year and was a strong third his last time up there. In that race, Track Owner Glenn Styres picked up the win, his second of the year in his front yard. The first win for “The Ohsweken Flyer” was when the Sprints on Dirt swung through Southern Ontario.
Tom Huppunen currently leads the weekly point standings at Ohsweken and will go after his first career ASCS win in Fred Cade’s No. 12c.
While only drivers with a Patriot start will get points towards the 2009 Patriot Championship, all drivers will get points as part of the King of the Golden Horseshoe Series, another leg of the Lucas Oil Five Crown Tour on the Patriot Tour in 2009 which begins on Friday.
For more information, visit www.ASCSpatriotspirnts.com, www.SprintsOnDirt.com or www.ASCSracing.com.
Lucas Oil ASCS Patriot History at Ohsweken:
Races: 4
9/25/2004- Rick Wilson
5/6/2005- Kyle Wilson
7/14/2006- Bryan Howland
7/6/2007- Bobby Breen
Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP History at Ohsweken:
Races: 5
6/20/2003- Darren Long
9/27/2003- Keith Dempster
6/18/2004- Dustin Daggett
8/27/2004- Dustin Daggett
8/26/2005- Dustin Daggett
6/12/2008- Glenn Styres
Canadian Sprint Car Nationals at Ohsweken with PSR/SOD Sanction:
Races: 6
9/17/2005- Kenny Jacobs (Canadian Sprint Car Nationals)
9/16/2006- Steve Poirier (Canadian Sprint Car Nationals)
9/15/2006- Steve Poirier (Canadian Sprint Car Nationals)
7/3/2008- Dustin Daggett (ASCS Northern Summer Nationals)
7/4/2008- Bryan Howland (ASCS Northenr Sumemr Nationals)
9/27/2008- Wayne Johnson (Canadian Sprint Car Nationals)