Midwest Sprint Car Series

Haubstadt, IN - May 10, 2008. Sprint car driver Jon Stanbrough of Brownsburg, IN, drove to victory Saturday night in the opening event for the season at the Tri-State Speedway. He piloted the Fox Brothers DRC Sprinter sponsored by Jarvis Enterprises, Fatheadz.com, and Advance Racing Systems.

Jon Stanbrough became the second winner in as many shows this season for the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series. The veteran started out side pole and led all but 5 laps of the 30 lapper. The win was worth $3,000 and marked his 5th career win in the series moving him up to 4th on the MSCS All Time Winners List.

The runner-up to Stanbrough in the feature was Chad Boespflug of North Vernon, IN. Boesfflug stayed in the top five throughout the race and moved into second as the leader Daron Clayton dropped off the pace and retired his car to the pits. Boespflug drives for Bob Gatten Motorsports. Clayton had led laps 18 through 21 in quest of another Haubstadt win. Hud Cone finished third, AJ Anderson fourth, and Chase Stockon was fifth. Cone, Anderson, and Stockon moved from back in the pack into contention.

The second five included defending series champion Kyle Cummins, Dickie Gaines, Thomas Meseraull, Kevin Thomas Jr, and Ricky Williams. The feature was eventful. Only 11 of the 20 starters finished the event. Williams was involved in one of the 4 or 5 accidents that interrupted the green flag laps. His car turned over in turn two but officials righted it and he returned to action.

All seven drivers on hand who had MSCS provisional starting spot available made the starting field in the qualifying races. Kevin Thomas Jr. of Cullman, AL, was the MSCS-Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hard Charger of the Race in finishing 9th after starting nineteenth. The Keizer Wheel Tuff Brakes Award went to Bret Tripplett. Tripplett, from Lincoln, IL, was on the move after starting tail spot and just missed finishing in the top ten in the main.

Chad Boesflug finished just ahead of Daron Clayton in the first heat which started a few minutes early to get a jump on the rain projected to move over the speedway during the evening. The rain moved in with the B-Main winding down causing a delay in the program between the B and the A. Jerry Ruble won the B-Main over 10 other hopefuls. The other two heat races were won by Thomas Meseraull in the Truckers 24 Hr. 10T and Jon Stanbrough. Stanbrough used a last lap pass in a battle with Danny Holtsclaw for his heat win after starting in the last row of the third heat.

In two weeks the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series will return to Tri-State Speedway for the annual Memorial Day Weekend race. The event will be held on the May 25th, a Sunday evening, and pay $3,000 to the winner. The defending Memorial weekend winner from 2007 is Daron Clayton.

Haubstadt, IN. May 7, 2008. Opening night at Tri-State Speedway will feature the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series along with the UMP Open Wheel Modifieds. The race scheduled for Saturday May 10th will be the first at the oval which is set to begin the 51st year of operation. It will be the second outing for the MSCS Sprint car series which will appear at the Speedway just 6 days after an eventful opening round at the Terre Haute Action Track this past Sunday.

The MSCS sprint car pilots are a perfect match for the high banks of Tri-State Speedway. The track is fast, the turns challenging, and the competition always keen. Terrific Track preparation and race night vigilance by Tom Helfrich and crew combined with the lore and tradition of decades of racing excitement at the speedway combine to draw the best competitors from throughout the Midwest and beyond.

The hottest driver on dirt and on the MSCS circuit right now is Robert Ballou. The 19 year old driver currently has three consecutive feature wins in the MPHG Prpmptions Maxim Sprinter. The streak continued at Terre Haute this past Sunday evening and started with victories last fall at Florence, KY, and Lawrenceburg, IN. This young driver who used to call Rocklin, CA, home has earned $16,000 in just over a 100 laps around 3 different tracks. He now races out of Camby, IN, and leads the MSCS Points.

Waiting for Ballou and or any other combatants of equal and near equal talent are the 120 turns in the feature at Tri-State Speedway Saturday night. The feature is 30 laps and pays $3,000 to win. The same purse at Terre Haute attracted 42 cars! The last 5 laps at Terre Haute were worth the price of admission thanks to a determined Jesse Hockett.

Of further interest is the fact that in 2007 five of the MSCS races at Haubstadt produced 5 different feature winners. It is a difficult place to bring a streak to or start one. Those five winners were Mat Neely, Daron Clayton, Jon Stanbrough, Hunter Schuerenberg, and Chris Windom.

Daron Clayton in winning the MSCS-KISS Challenge at mid season in 2007 was the only driver to eek out a second MSCS victory at Haubstadt. Tri-State Speedway continues to be the stronghold for the mighty and bold, the bastion of the underrated or sometimes overlooked, and the training ground and launch pad for the young guns in the sport. The 2007 MSCS Champion Kyle Cummins and 2007 MSCS Rookie of the Year John Memmer launched sprint car careers off these same banks to the delight of the local fans.

The pit gates will open at 3 o’clock for competitors. The stands are to open about 4:30 for the fans in line. Hot laps are at 6:30 with racing getting underway at 7:30. The new season brings new opportunities presented with a sound that is the ultimate roar, the glimmer of new paint and familiar numbers, and a renewed acquaintance with the thrill and speed of each and every lap. That is sprint car racing!

Haubstadt, IN - May 9. Chase Stockon could not have drove a more convincing race than he did in capturing the first MSCS-Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hard Charger of the Race Award for 2008 during Sunday’s competition at the Terre Haute Action Track. The heat race to begin the day under the late afternoon sun spelled disappointment for the Sullivan, IN, driver. He failed to finish high enough to transfer to the A-main. Five others in the 11 car field made the show. Chase would have one last chance to make the field for the feature in the B-main.

The 20 year old driver would line up thirteenth in a field projected to start 22 cars with little promise of actually making the field. It is only an opportunity that the top three finishers in the event could capitalize on. The drivers that almost made it in the heats were up front in the lineup. Chase would need to pass 9 cars in just 12 laps to catch a final transfer spot and overtake and pass a dozen cars to win.

That is exactly what he did. He stormed around the half mile oval to win the B-Main. It turned into an exciting event. The A- Main itself would follow an on track introduction of the 24 drivers who made the show. Chase was introduced 21st. He would start in row eleven. He had everything to gain and very few spots to lose. Ahead lay 30 grueling laps but more points and a chance at a higher payoff with an improved finish. The former MSCS Series 2004 Support Champion has been around the wide turns at Terre Haute before and he would again bring that experience into play. The green flag waved and the crowd’s attention turned to the leaders.

Terre Haute, IN - May 4th, 2008. The Terre Haute Action Track opened for the season with the Clabber Girl Don Smith Classic presented by Indiana State University. The event held in tribute to former track promoter Don Smith, originally scheduled for Friday evening, was postponed to Sunday afternoon due to storms. Smith was honored in a pre- race ceremony and later presented a special trophy to the winner following the 30 lap feature. The event also marked the return of the Action Track to the Midwest racing scene through the efforts of DHK Promotions LLC. The group had the facility ready for the 42 Hoosier Tire MSCS Sprint teams and the fans that support the series and the track.

Robert Ballou of Camby, IN, won the feature in a spirited contest with Jesse Hockett of Indianapolis, IN. A yellow flag with just 5 laps to go set up the final confrontation. Hockett led at the outset of the race while Ballou worked his way forward. Hockett had started outside pole in the 24 car field while Ballou started back in row six.

Jesse Hockett and Brady Short paced the field for the first third of the event. Ballou caught and passed them to lead from the 14th lap on. Hockett battled to stay close to the leader and was still campaigning using a lower line when the checkered flags ended the chase. Brady Short finished third with a strong run. Damion Gardner and Levi Jones completed a talented top five.

Ballou drives for MPHG Promotions with Jimmy Jones serving as the crew chief. Sponsors include Behavior Consultants, J.C Plew Inc., and Builders Solutions Alliance.

Ballou drove a Maxim sprint with engine power from John Ott. The victory was Ballou’s third in a row during MSCS competition in a winning streak which began last fall.

Drivers finishing sixth through tenth included Mitch Wissmiller, Danny Holtsclaw, Bill Rose, Chase Stockon, and Neil Shepherd. Bill Rose was involved in the crash that shut down the feature on lap 10. At least five drivers were involved as cars collected at the scene, some flipping. Rose was the only driver in the group that was able to make repairs and rejoin the field at the tail.

The group of drivers were battling inside the top ten when the chain reaction accident developed in turn three. Factors included close competition, mechanical parts, a car into the wall, and dust compounded by the glare of the sun which was setting above and beyond the turn three wall. After discussions officials of MSCS and the Action Track decided to go to a brief open red to allow just enough time for the sun to finish setting before continuing. Kenny Biro, Dusty Wright, Daron Clayton, and Ricky Williams were the drivers involved that had cars that were unable to continue racing.

The 42 car field produced a 22 car B-Main that was a terrific race in itself. Chase Stockon of Sullivan, IN, took the event. He started 13th passing 12 cars in 12 laps in a picture perfect performance. He then proceeded to climb through the ranks in the feature finishing ninth after starting 21st. Preliminary heat races were won by Neil Shepherd, Jesse Hockett, Daron Clayton, and Brady Short.

The Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series will be in action Saturday night May 10th at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN. It is the season opener at the track and the feature pays $3,000 to win.

Haubstadt, IN. April 4, 2008. Gamester Racing Products LLC completed an agreement with the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series to become a contingency sponsor for the 2008 season. The business is located in Peru, Indiana, and serves as a manufacturer of sprint car frames and bodies. Several drivers ran a GRP Chassis in MSCS competition last season and more are expected on the circuit this season.

George and Tammy Gamester of Gamester Racing Products, has agreed to become involved with MSCS in a sponsorship role that contributes to the series and its drivers on two different levels. Officials at MSCS welcome this new and enthusiastic approach to sponsorship as well as the generous nature of GRP’s offers.

First Gamester Racing Products will provide as a giveaway prize a sprint car frame built by GRP Chassis with a complete sprint car body. One driver will be the lucky winner of the Gamester‘s GRP Chassis Award for 2008!. That winner will be determined at a drawing to be held on September 27^th at the Haubstadt Hustler Sprint 50. To be eligible for the drawing a driver must have competed in 60% of the races held at that point in the season. The GRP chassis and body have a retail value of $2,900.

Once a driver has made enough appearances for the season they must request that their name be added to the list of eligible drivers. Based on the current race schedule the number required would be nine! Their name will be put in the box for the drawing. From that point on the driver must display a GRP decal on both sides of their car.

The purpose of the giveaway is to offer an incentive for drivers to support MSCS shows with regular and/or more frequent appearances. Full, competitive fields of sprint cars would serve as an instant reward for track promoters and sprint car fans. And as an additional reward one of the drivers working to make that possible with regular attendance will win a new GRP sprint car frame and body. In 2007 14 drivers would have been eligible for the award had it been offered with another 17 drivers just a race appearance or two short of being eligible. The odds in winning the car are pretty good!

Secondly, GRP will offer a second contingency award to be given away at mid season. The award will be known as Gamester’s Hard Luck Get a Grip on Dirt Award. A $500 discount product certificate will be given towards the purchase of a GRP sprint frame with body panels.

The hard luck award offered by GRP will be made to a driver who’s name is drawn from all those filing for and receiving an eligibility ruling from MSCS using an accident report form. The driver must have also competed in 60 per cent of the races held up to the time of the incident in which he or she had the misfortune of demolishing a car.

The date for the drawing will be announced later and will not be held until after the seventh race of the season. By GRP providing a sprint car frame and body at a significant savings it is hoped that a driver can get back into competition and reverse some of the ill effects of hard racing and tough luck.

Specific terms of the two GRP contingency sponsorships will be posted at MSCS pit headquarters during each race. The above information is intended as an announcement and not a full disclosure of the process involved in winning either contingency award.

Haubstadt, IN. April 3, 2008. During the off season the MSCS central office has been involved in the process of renewing active sponsors as well as reaching out for new sponsorships. Financial support for the continued operation of the series combined with reward and incentive programs for the drivers creates a solid base from which a traveling organization such as MSCS can operate. Cash
sponsorship allows the series to not only exist but to grow in prominence and expand geographically. Other prizes and various contingency awards motivate the drivers and provide added incentives for each to follow the series from track to track the for entire season.

The Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series would like to acknowledge the continued involvement of various sponsors. Hoosier Tire Midwest with offices in Springfield, IL, continues in a chief sponsorship role with MSCS. The series will compete again this season using a spec tire on the right rear of each sprint car. The Hoosier DT-3 is the required tire. MSCS also recommends that Hoosier tires be used on the other 3 corners. Hoosier Racing Tires are designed for Champions. Hoosier will one again serve as the chief sponsor for the MSCS Point Fund which will be paid out to the top drivers following the completion of the season.

AFCO Racing Products in Boonville, IN, will once again be presenting 4 product gift certificates to eligible MSCS drivers at the end of the season. In 2008 drivers are eligible that compete on AFCO shocks and other brands as long as they run with a required AFCO sticker on their cars. The top three drivers plus the highest eligible rookie will split the $500 in certificates with the top prize totaling $200 in AFCO products.

Bell Racing Company will continue in its long time involvement in the series. Two MSCS drivers can look forward to an opportunity to go racing with a new Bell helmet. A $300 certificate towards the purchase of a Bell racing helmet will be presented to the driver that finishes fourth in the MSCS Championship Points Chase. This award will be known as the Bell 4 Safety Award. A second $300 certificate will be awarded to the MSCS Rookie driver that finishes highest in the Rookie Points battle. That award will be known as the Bell Safety First Rookie Award.

Hinchman Racing Uniforms out of Indianapolis has also offered a $500 contingency award to be given at the end of the season to an MSCS participant. The Hinchman MSCS Driver Award will be given towards the procurement of a custom fitted racing uniform.

Keizer Aluminum Wheels of Orange City, Iowa, is offering $1,000 in contingencies which will be sent out the week following each race. These $50 certificates will mark the achievements of the Keizer MSCS Hard Charger of the Race. The driver advancing the most positions in the feature will receive the certificate.

Saldana Racing Products in Brownsburg, IN, will be presenting the winner of each feature a $50 certificate towards the purchase of a radiator, oil tank, or fuel tank. However with this Saldana Winning Driver Award, a driver can only receive one certificate. If a driver should win a second feature the award would go to the next eligible driver with the highest finish.

Wilwood Brakes, headquartered in Camarillo, CA, is the sixth and final continuing sponsor. The Wilwood Tuff Brakes Award will present a $50 redeemable product certificate to the 11th place finisher in each feature held during the 2008 season. Missing the top ten and running in the middle of the pack can make for a tough night. Drivers can always count on new brakes from Wilwood.

Haubstadt, IN - March 24, 2008. The MSCS season opener is already set for April 12th at Brownstown Speedway at Brownstown, IN. This will be the first official visit of the series to the quarter mile oval which is located on the premises of the Jackson County Fairgrounds.

It is in just this type of picturesque atmosphere that sprint car racing evolved here in the Midwest early in the last century. Those open wheel race cars entertained throngs of fans who watched the excitement unfold from covered wooden grandstands. The expansive stands now at Brownstown certainly display a resemblance to those of yesteryear. In 2008 MSCS non wing sprints will provide the excitement expected to make this a memorable event. The feature will pay $2,000 to win.

In preparation for this event and the upcoming season, the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series is releasing its list of provisional drivers for 2008. Normally the feature consists of 20 cars who have earned starting spots in qualifying heats and a last chance race heralded as the B-main. In addition MSCS rules allow for a provisional driver to be added to the field. The MSCS Provisional List consists of 12 drivers. The drivers named each season are the top 12 drivers from the prior year’s MSCS final points standings.

For 2008 the list of drivers begins with 2007 MSCS Kyle Cummins and continues with runner-up and 3 time champion Alex Shanks. Third on the list is 2007 Engler Machine and Tool Rookie of the Year John Memmer followed by veteran Jerry Ruble and Arin McIntosh. The list from sixth through 12th includes Kevin Thomas Jr., Mitch Wissmiller, Dave Mallady, Hunter Schuerenberg, Kevin Briscoe, Jeff Bland Jr., and Kyle Wissmiller.

After the B has concluded officials contact drivers on this list who have yet to make the show beginning with the driver highest on the list. Each driver on the list has two provisional starts to use during the season. The possible provisional is a both a benefit to the drivers and the fans. Drivers who have supported the series are rewarded and fans expecting to see these drivers in the field have an added guarantee that one of their favorites will get a long shot during the feature with a 21st starting spot.

In 2007 there were 11 races run in which the provisional spot was made available. Six different drivers took provisional spots those nights. There were 4 races at which all the drivers eligible made the feature and no one needed provisional starts. Only once did a having an available provisional not help. A driver could have used a provisional but his car had to be scratched after being damaged in a heat. 86% of the drivers using a provisional exceeded start money and moved forward to finish higher in the pack thus also earning more points. Jerry Ruble’s gain of 9 spots on 6/09 was the best effort of the past season

Haubstadt, IN - March 10, 2008. Officials of the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series are pleased to announce the addition of two more race events to the schedule for the coming season. Both races will be held at Union County Speedway at Liberty, Indiana.

The first event will be on Thursday night July 3rd and embrace the coming July 4th Holiday Weekend in exciting fashion. The 25 lap feature that night will pay $2,000 to win. The event should be virtually conflict free in attracting top race teams!

The second date added to the schedule is set for Friday night September 12th and that date will be a key race in the final countdown of events held to decide the MSCS Season Championship. The 30 lap feature on the 12th pays $3,000 to win.

Union County Speedway is a 3/8’s mile dirt track located on Indiana State Route 24 3.3 miles west of Liberty and U.S. 27. The last time the non wing 410 sprinters of MSCS appeared at the track was back in 2005. These two events add to the increasing presence of MSCS in Eastern Indiana along the Ohio border.

Long time race promoter Tom Wieck has become the new promoter at the Union County Speedway and has contracted for these two special sprint car races. The Midwest Sprint Car Series and its entire operation welcomes the opportunity to be an integral part of the overall plans for the season ahead at Union County.

Provided by Eldon Butcher, MSCS Director of Operations (Information & Publicity)

Haubstadt, IN - Feb 4, 2008. The Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series 2008 Season schedule has been released to the public. The series is entering into its eighth season of operation. The initial schedule includes 14 dates at tracks across a three state area. Those states include Illinois, Kentucky, and Indiana.

The season is set to open on Saturday night April 12th with a visit to Brownstown Speedway in South Central Indiana. That quarter mile facility is located at the Jackson County Fairgrounds on State Road 250 a mile south of Brownstown, IN. Racing has been held at the fairgrounds since 1955 but it will be the first event to be held there for the MSCS series. This season will start early on what would appear to be neutral ground with very little advantage to any of the teams.

Friday May 2nd promises a return visit to The Action Track at Terre Haute, Indiana. MSCS has appeared at the track as recent as 2006. The date is tentative and their new promotional team is working to complete all business arrangements in regards to operating the track. Then the final arrangement can be made with MSCS officials and more details including the purse will be released.

The first of 7 Midwest Sprint Car Series races to be held at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN, is set for Saturday night May 10th. This is the first of three MSCS races at Haubstadt that will pay $3,000 to the winners. The Memorial Day weekend race at Tri-State as well as the Labor Day weekend race also pay $3,000 to the winner. Both of those programs are on Sunday nights with Monday an official holiday. Expect travelers and campers due to the ease of distant travel!

June 6th the MSCS series will return to the Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, IL. That night it is also $3,000 to win the feature. The POWRI Midgets will also be on the program that night with the sprint cars. This arrangement with two sanctioning bodies racing will also take place at Paducah International Raceway in Kentucky on June 27th and on the following night June 28th at Haubstadt, IN. On these three night fans will get an opportunity to see some of their favorite MSCS sprint drivers also compete in a midget. For these drivers it is a double opportunity to take home a feature purse.

The June 7th date at Tri-State Speedway is a combined KISS and MSCS sprint car show. The KISS drivers will be at the halfway point in their series and the addition of the MSCS contingency should provide for a strong rivalry. The feature pays $2,500 to win! The King of Indiana Sprints series is also entering its eighth season and Jon Stanbrough is the three time and defending KISS Champion.

In August things will heat up. The 3rd annual Hoosier Sprint Nationals is set for Tri-State Speedway on Saturday night August 2nd. The 50 lapper will pay $10,000 to win. It has drawn 42 cars each year and 2008 promises even more driver interest.

As in 2007 the night before the Hoosier Sprint Nationals the MSCS series will visit Paducah International Raceway. That would be Friday August 1st. The high banked 3/8 mile track is a thrill a lap. MSCS will race there twice in 2008.

The Midwest Sprint Car Series will venture to Twin Cities Raceway Park in North Vernon, IN, on Saturday August 23rd. That race will be one of 5 shows during the season paying $2,000 to win. The track has hosted several sprint car and open wheel organizations over the years. The track is readily accessible to Eastern Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky drivers and fans.

This season will end with not one but two huge sprint car races. The third annual Lawrenceburg Nationals will unfold at the new and larger Lawrenceburg Speedway on Saturday October 4th. It pays $10,000 to win and that location and purse has combined to draw 70 or more sprint cars the past two years.

The week before, on Saturday Sept. 27th Tri-State Speedway will be presenting the first ever Haubstadt Hustler Sprint 50. It will also pay $10,000 to win! Both those events are 50 lappers and provide a maximum amount of racing to close out the season and decide the Midwest Sprint Car Season Championship. The defending MSCS Champion is Kyle Cummins of Princeton, IN.

It will be another exciting season of non-wing sprint car racing. For the first time this year there will be three $10,000 to win National Championship events. Fans have watched closely during the last two seasons as the point championship was decided at the final race! The final point spread was just 40 points last season.

For updates, changes, or more detailed information on the schedule or the operation of the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series visit the website at www.mscssprints.com . There is a possibility that one or two more races could materialize before the season gets underway. Talks are still underway with a few promoters. Track promoters seeing an opportunity in what MSCS is doing and can do yet with open dates are encouraged to call the MSCS office at 812-768-6025 or 812-749-9715

Haubstadt, IN - Dec. 28, 2007. The top spot on the updated Midwest Sprint Car Series All Time Feature Winners List is now deadlocked in a tie between two drivers who also rank as fan favorites. Both have managed to accumulate 7 wins in the 7 year history of the series. Their driving styles could be described in terms of contrast as well as comparison. Risky and Darin’ would lead all the superlatives that could be used! The collective 14 wins by two of sprint car racing’s elite, Kevin Briscoe and Daron Clayton, have certainly helped raise the excitement and competition in this sport to an intense level. They lead a pack of over 40 drivers who have won a MSCS feature.

Briscoe also finished the 2006 season tied in all time wins with former MSCS Champion Mitch Wissmiller. Clayton was just one victory behind them with 5 wins. A victory by Clayton on Memorial Day weekend at Haubstadt in 2007 had made it a three way tie. A month and a week later Clayton found victory at Tri-State Speedway in the KISS-MSCS Challenge to assume the outright lead in victories with 7. Briscoe then took the August 18th feature at Jefferson County Raceway at Mt. Vernon, IL, and the two were tied once more. That tie would not be broken again in 2007!

The last three races produced two new winners. Chris Windom won his very first MSCS feature Labor Day weekend. Then Robert Ballou won at Florence and Lawrenceburg in a successful fall campaign in the region that included these two MSCS races. Windom joined 22 other drivers who have earned one feature win. Ballou became the 21st driver to have 2 or more MSCS career victories.

In the 12 main events held in 2007 six were solo victories on the season for drivers. Mat Neely won the season opening event for MSCS which was held at Tri-State Speedway. Kyle Cummins followed in May with a win at Western Kentucky Speedway and he was on his way to the series driving championship. Cory Kruseman picked up a win in a MSCS appearance at PIR in Paducah, KY, in August. Hunter Schuerenberg took $10,000 at the Hoosier Sprint Nationals at Haubstadt the next night. Briscoe and Windom, mentioned previously, complete the solo list.

The other six races converted into multiple 2007 wins for three drivers. Twelve races produced 9 different winners. Jon Stanbrough, Daron Clayton and Robert Ballou were the repeat winners. Stanbrough was the first to do so in sweeping the June 8th & 9th weekend on a tour into Illinois to Morgan County Speedway and then back to Indiana for the Tri-State Speedway 50th Anniversary race. He won both!

MSCS as a series has a history of producing a new face in victory lane every 2.2 races. In 2008 that could mean 5 or 6 new faces! Those drivers could emerge from the regulars already battling up through the pack at every stop, from various talent pools that feed into the local, weekly events at Midwestern tracks, or from the rookies that appear at the beginning of each new season to compete for the Rookie of the Year honors!

That first win is a tough conquest in MSCS competition. Runner-ups in 9 of the 12 features held in 2007 had been previous winners. That left 3 other drivers who missed a first win by just one position. That last pass is sometimes the toughest to make. Preparation leading to that last pass in 2008 is already underway in the team garages. The date of the first Midwest Sprint Car Series race this spring and the entire MSCS schedule for 2008 is expected to be released in a few weeks. Officials hope to have it completed by February.

To VIEW the complete list of MSCS All Time Feature Winners and see all the totals CLICK HERE!

Haubstadt, IN - November 19, 2007. Officials of the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series are pleased to announce that they have completed the task of presenting season awards following the conclusion of the 2007 sprint car racing campaign. Series point fund checks were mailed in October previous to MSCS Awards Week which was observed this year beginning on Monday, November 12th.

Sprint Car driver Kyle Cummins of Princeton, IN, received the trophy for being the 2007 MSCS Series Champion. First he was presented with a 5 foot Championship trophy with the Cummins’ Racing Team’s primary sponsors present. Sponsors in attendance included Billy and Karen Hobgood of Trusses by Hobgood, Tim and Jan Mason of ReMax in Princeton, and Mark Cummins of Cummins Racing Engines.

Mark Cummins also received an identical championship trophy for owning the car driven to the championship this season. The car was a Maxim powered by a Cummins Racing Engine. Hoosier Tire Midwest awarded Hoosier championship jackets to both the driver and owner.

Twenty year old Kyle Cummins also received a plaque courtesy of Bill’s Trophy Shop of Brazil, IN, as the 2007 Hard Charger of the Year. Three times during the season he gained the most positions in feature events held. He is also eligible to receive a Bell racing helmet or racing uniform. In addition he received a product certificate for $200 as the AFCO Racing Shocks Top Performer of the season.

The new MSCS Champion Kyle Cummins is currently enrolled at Vincennes University where he is majoring in Machine Trades Technology and Advanced Manufacturing. He has been driving sprint cars since 2003 and was the runner-up in MSCS points in 2006.

Trophies were presented to the remaining top five drivers in points. Thirty-three year old Alex Shanks received the runner-up trophy in the MSCS Championship battle this season. The Marion, IL, driver ran an Eagle Chassis with a Gaerte engine. His car owners were Scott and Rae Long of Springfield, IL. In four years of racing with MSCS in an eighteen season driving career, Alex has accumulated three MSCS Driving Championships and this one runner-up finish. In addition to receiving the MSCS trophy, Alex was the first of 10 drivers who received $250 product certificates from Bell Helmets.

John Memmer of Evansville, IN, had an outstanding rookie season. He finished third overall in MSCS points and earned the Engler Machine and Tool MSCS Rookie of the Year honor in the process. The sixteen year old high school student fielded a DRC sprinter with the capable assistance of his father and crew chief Brent Memmer. John came to the sprint cars after success with go karts and legends cars. Sponsors included Louisville Tile, Daltile, Simpson, Mapei, Engler Machine and Tool, Costello Auto Body, Tri-State Repair, and Tony Hall DNB Insurance.

Jerry Ruble of Vincennes, IN, finished fourth in MSCS points and has become a fixture in the top five season after season. In a dozen years behind the wheel of a sprint car he has spent the last 5 on the MSCS tour. In those 5 seasons he has not missed a MSCS sanctioned race. This season Jerry competed in a Stealth with a Cummins Racing Engine for power. The primary sponsor was Ruble Oil Company with Miriam and Nelson Ruble being the car owners. Jerry also received an AFCO Top Performer Award as well as the fourth place trophy.

Arin McIntosh received the fifth place trophy. This young lady was in the Rookie of the Year Chase all season and battled her way up to a fourth place tie going into the last race at Lawrenceburg Speedway. She concentrated on MSCS shows this season after winning Rookie of the Year honors at 2 Indiana tracks in 2006. Arin attends high school in Mitchell, IN, where the McIntosh’s reside. Her father Robert McIntosh served as the crew chief. The Primary sponsor is Arcretia Products. Others on the “On the Edge Racing, Inc.“ car include Bell, A-1 Storage, Hamilton Chiropractic, and BG Products.

A few awards were mailed to drivers who finished outside the top five. MSCS appreciates the series sponsors who have provided monetary support as well as incentive programs during and as a follow-up to the season. Included are Hoosier Tire Midwest, Engler Machine & Tool, Bell, AFCO, Hinchman Indy, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Saldana Racing Products, and Bowler’s Apparel and Trophies now known as Bill’s Trophy Shop.