2009 Archives

By Eldon Butcher

Haubstadt, IN - Sept. 6, 2009. Scotty Weir of Marion, IN, would prevail in an action packed program of Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series racing Sunday night at Tri-State Speedway. Weir led every lap of the feature event in the Ron Gorby owned, Ohio based sprint car sponsored by Benic Enterprises and Claxton Engines. It was Weirs first career win on the MSCS circuit. The win was worth $3,000!

The feature drew a red flag on the very first lap. Ricky Williams, who started on the outside pole and had the lead, flipped in turn three. That put Scotty Weir on the front row for the restart. He had originally started fourth on the field. Weir capitalized by taking the point at the green and then leading ever lap of the feature. Williams had visited the work area to replace a tire and a shock and restarted at the tail of the field. But then he was involved in another crash on the front stretch with Danny Holtsclaw on lap 21 with the Williams car landing upside down. Both cars were out of action.

Runner-up honors in the feature went to Brady Short of Mitchell, IN. He was in a race long battle to keep the spot. Robert Ballou had a very fast car and got by Short on lap 17. Ballou would be forced to drop out with damage to his car. Kyle Cummins, who had been closing in on the two, then got by Short to hold second spot for 4 circuits. Short would retake the hotly contested spot on lap 24. Cummins finished third with Hud Cone running fourth and Blake Fitzpatrick next to round out the top five.

The remainder of the top ten included Jeff Bland Jr, A.J. Anderson, Adam Nigg, Kurt Gross, and Chase Briscoe. J.C. Bland would realize the Wilwood Tuff Brakes Award with an eleventh place finish. Anderson was the MSCS Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hard Charger of the Race with a drive from 17th to 7th. Gross in ninth was the last car on the lead lap. With rain in close proximity to the track and lightning across the skies the feature was reduced to 25 laps to help ensure that the show could be completed.

Heat races for the 29 sprints in competition became qualifying event victories for Kurt Gross, Ricky Williams, and Robert Ballou. The top five cars from each transferred to the feature along with five from the B-main. The B-main was won by Chad Boespflug. Driver A.J. Clark was injured during the third heat and transported to a hospital for treatment. Another accident in the B-main sent the two cars of Brandon Mattox and Craig Budde into a series of flips on the backstretch. No injuries were reported. J.C. Bland who was also involved in the crash was able to restart and earn the 20th and final feature starting spot.

The Midwest Sprint Car Series will have a weekend off before drivers encounter the biggest racing weekend of the season. On September 18th and 19th two Southern Indiana tracks will team up to host the series and create the biggest sprint car racing weekend of the season. Bloomington Speedway will pay $5,000 to win on Friday night September 18th and Tri-State Speedway will pay $10,000 to the winner on Saturday September 19th for the second annual Haubstadt Hustler Sprint 50.

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Florence, KY - August 29, 2009. Hud Cone won the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series feature at Florence Speedway Saturday night. Cone was behind the wheel of the Cone/Corry Chevy sprinter. The victory was worth $3,000! The sponsors for the car include Boxell Trucking, Corry Welding, Bell, Hinchman, and AFCO Shocks. The Oakland City, IN, veteran driver led all 30 laps in an ultra smooth run that stayed under green flag conditions for the complete distance.

Hud Cone started on the outside pole alongside Dickie Gaines and quickly checked out on all the competition. His lead was as much as a straightaway at times and lapped traffic beginning on lap nine did little to impede his progress. The runner-up spot came into focus for the fans. The spot would go to Scotty Weir of Marion, IN. Weir passed Nic Faas on the fourth lap of the feature to take second but he would have to hold off a strong mid race challenge by Robert Ballou. Ballou crossed the finish line third.

Chris Windom was fourth. It marked his return to competition following an injury he sustained in a race back in June. Windom was one of the movers picking up spots after starting at mid pack. MSCS Points leader Kyle Cummins was fifth. Cummins picked up the MSCS - Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hard Charger Award after starting fifteenth in the eighteen car field. The emerging Cummins - Williams dual to become the 2009 series champion continued with Ricky Williams finishing one spot behind Cummins in the feature. There were three distinct lines around the half mile track and Williams used one of the higher lines in search of extra speed.

California drivers Nic Faas and Justin Grant were seventh and eighth. It was Grants first appearance with the series. Rookie Adam Nigg and Dickie Gaines rounded out the order for the top ten. Kurt Gross of Washington, IN, picked up the Wilwood Tuff Brakes Award with an eleventh place finish. Sixteen cars were running at the finish with eight still on the lead lap.

The three qualifying heat races were won by Hud Cone, Dickie Gaines, and Nic Faas. The third heat could have doubled as a special dash with a lineup that contained the top two in points, two of the top three in rookie points, and two former feature winners at the track. The only yellow flag during the entire evening of sprint car racing came out after Blake Fitzpatricks car threw a front wheel during the second heat race. The wheel bounded over the retaining wall in turn 4 but Fitzpatrick kept the sprinter on all three and was back in competition for the feature.

The next MSCS event will be held at Tri-State Speedway Sunday night September 6th. That event will also be paying $3,000 to win. The program will consist of the Midwest Sprint Car Series and the UMP modified class. It promises to be another memorable Labor Day Classic at Haubstadt. Just four races remain on the MSCS 2009 schedule.

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Florence, KY - August 29, 2009. Hud Cone won the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series feature at Florence Speedway Saturday night. Cone was behind the wheel of the Cone/Corry Chevy sprinter. The victory was worth $3,000! The sponsors for the car include Boxell Trucking, Corry Welding, Bell, Hinchman, and AFCO Shocks. The Oakland City, IN, veteran driver led all 30 laps in an ultra smooth run that stayed under green flag conditions for the complete distance.

Hud Cone started on the outside pole alongside Dickie Gaines and quickly checked out on all the competition. His lead was as much as a straightaway at times and lapped traffic beginning on lap nine did little to impede his progress. The runner-up spot came into focus for the fans. The spot would go to Scotty Weir of Marion, IN. Weir passed Nic Faas on the fourth lap of the feature to take second but he would have to hold off a strong mid race challenge by Robert Ballou. Ballou crossed the finish line third.

Chris Windom was fourth. It marked his return to competition following an injury he sustained in a race back in June. Windom was one of the movers picking up spots after starting at mid pack. MSCS Points leader Kyle Cummins was fifth. Cummins picked up the MSCS - Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hard Charger Award after starting fifteenth in the eighteen car field. The emerging Cummins - Williams dual to become the 2009 series champion continued with Ricky Williams finishing one spot behind Cummins in the feature. There were three distinct lines around the half mile track and Williams used one of the higher lines in search of extra speed.

California drivers Nic Faas and Justin Grant were seventh and eighth. It was Grants first appearance with the series. Rookie Adam Nigg and Dickie Gaines rounded out the order for the top ten. Kurt Gross of Washington, IN, picked up the Wilwood Tuff Brakes Award with an eleventh place finish. Sixteen cars were running at the finish with eight still on the lead lap.

The three qualifying heat races were won by Hud Cone, Dickie Gaines, and Nic Faas. The third heat could have doubled as a special dash with a lineup that contained the top two in points, two of the top three in rookie points, and two former feature winners at the track. The only yellow flag during the entire evening of sprint car racing came out after Blake Fitzpatricks car threw a front wheel during the second heat race. The wheel bounded over the retaining wall in turn 4 but Fitzpatrick kept the sprinter on all three and was back in competition for the feature.

The next MSCS event will be held at Tri-State Speedway Sunday night September 6th. That event will also be paying $3,000 to win. The program will consist of the Midwest Sprint Car Series and the UMP modified class. It promises to be another memorable Labor Day Classic at Haubstadt. Just four races remain on the MSCS 2009 schedule.

Provided as Information and Publicity - MSCS - From E. Butcher

Haubstadt, IN - August 1, 2009. The Hoosier Sprint Nationals scheduled to be held Saturday night at Tri-State Speedway was rained out. Rain began about a half hour before the first heat race was set to take the green flag. By 8 oclock continuing rain had forced the cancellation of the program. Fans arriving early did get to watch the three hot lap sessions for the MSCS Sprint cars plus the UMP Modified hot laps.

This is the third MSCS event in a row to be rained out. Rain checks for the race will be honored at any of the three September events remaining on the 2009 schedule at Tri-State Speedway.

The next event on the 2009 MSCS schedule will be held Saturday August 29th at Florence Speedway in Union, Ky. The MSCS Sprints will return to Tri-State Speedway on Labor Day Weekend with a Sunday September 6th appearance. Both of those programs offer 30 lap features paying $3,000 to win. Seven big events still remain on this years MSCS schedule.

Provided as News, Information, & Publicity for MSCS/ERB

Jacksonville, IL - June 5, 2009. The Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series made its first stop of the season at the Morgan County Speedway Friday night. Casey Shuman of Indianapolis, IN. took the victory with his first MSCS appearance of the season. Shuman led wire to wire in the 30 lap feature. The victory could have not been more timely to the Barnhill Racing Team and its driver. An accident the week before had car owner Eric Barnhill and crew busy rebuilding during the work week. The win on Friday night at Jacksonville was worth $3,000. It was the first of three consecutive $3,000 to win MSCS shows scheduled to be held which includes the upcoming June 13th MSCS visit to the Terre Haute Action Track.

Kyle Cummins placed second in the feature. He was a presence during the entire distance after starting fourth on the field. Shuman and Cummins had also ran one-two in the first qualifying heat race. It would be Shumans night as he hit the mark on every restart and stayed in control. Hud Cone spent the entire race going forward. After starting 7 rows deep in the pack he was up to third and still moving at the checkers. Cone was the MSCS Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hard Charger of the Race. A last corner pass brought Bret Tripplett around in fourth ahead of Blake Fitzpatrick.

The other two preliminary heat races were won by Craig Budde and Hunter Schuerenberg. Budde spent the feature race battling for position in the largest pack of cars that formed behind the leaders and he finished tenth. Schuerenberg had already encountered mechanical concerns. Nic Faas, J.C. Bland, Adam Nigg, and J.C. Bland finished sixth through ninth. Gary Altig finished 11th - the first car a lap down - and was the Wilwood Tuff Brakes Award Winner.

Two red flags were needed for the feature. On lap four Ricky Williams flipped end for end in turn one in an accident that also involved Korey Weyant. A single car flip on lap 16 took Terry Babb for a wild ride down the front stretch and then into the exit lane. Caution flags appeared twice. One was for a spin by Brandon Mattox and a second was needed as Mitch Wissmillers car came to a stop on the backstretch with a tire problem.

As a result of the nights racing Kyle Cummins took over the MSCS points lead and became the third different driver to lead the points this year. Cummins is now looking at the possibility of a third consecutive MSCS Sprint Car title.

The MSCS Sprint Cars will be back at Morgan County Speedway on September 25th for the Shaheens Back From the Past event.

By Eldon Butcher
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Haubstadt, IN. (May 24, 2009) The special Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series program scheduled for Tri-State Speedway Sunday night was cancelled due to rain. Rain began at the track some 90 minutes before the pit gates were set to open. The decision to cancel the Memorial Day Weekend show was made at 3:30 in the afternoon. The weather forecast offered nothing in the way of relief as a slow moving storm system had already blanketed the area. Several early arrivals were already lined up to enter the pits but the trip to the track this time would end in disappointment. Mother Nature was in control! There would be no racing. . . . . .

The next event at Tri-State Speedway is on Saturday night June 6th. That night the King of Indiana Sprint Series will visit the Haubstadt oval. The MSCS Sprinters will also be racing. Fans will see the best drivers following both circuits battle it out for a $2,500 first place prize. Drivers racing that night will receive valuable KISS points. The race is the fifth of six to be held in Indiana. Drivers with MSCS licenses or permits will receive MSCS show-up & bonus points. A number of drivers are involved in both pursuits!

The next event for the MSCS Sprints is set for Friday night June 5th at the Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, IL. This is the night before the KISS-MSCS race at Tri-State and provides for the first weekend where two MSCS races are to be held this season. Morgan County and Tri-State are both quarter mile ovals. The feature in Illinois on Friday night will pay $3,000 to win.

MSCS does not have any races scheduled for the last weekend of May. The month of June in total offers four races. Two additional dates include the June 13th make-up date at the Terre Haute Action Track and a June 27th appearance at the Vermilion County Speedway in Danville, IL.

MSCS News, Information and Publicity / ERB

Union, KY. (May 16, 2009) Chris Windom of Canton, IL, won the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car feature Saturday night at the Florence Speedway. Windom was behind the wheel of the Windom Motorsports Maxim owned by Preston Windom and wrenched by Jeff Walker. The Claxton powered sprinter is sponsored by Central Abrasives and Jeffs Jam it In Storage. It was MSCS career victory number two for the 18 year old driver.

The 25 lap feature was Windoms to win after the 15th lap. He had started on the pole but it was Nic Faas, to his outside on the first row, that would take the initial lead. Both had won qualifying heat races. The engine in Faas car flamed out after 5 laps and he parked it on the infield crossover road. Brady Short grabbed the lead on the restart. He led 9 fast laps before giving way to Chris Windom with Kyle Cummins challenging.

Only one factor remained as the finish neared. That was Robert Ballous late race charge. Ballou moved into second on the 21st lap. Windom and Ballou both went topside with lapped cars producing the next challenge. Although Ballou closed in no real opportunity presented itself. Windom and Ballou crossed the finish line one- two with one lapped car still in the mix.

Two time MSCS Champion Kyle Cummins would finish third after running with the frontrunners all night. Brady Short was fourth and Dickie Gaines was fifth. Short and Gaines were making their first MSCS appearances of the season. Jerry Coons Jr. paced the second five. Bub Cummings was seventh.

A couple of determined veterans were making time back in the pack. Dave Darland would earn the Keizer Aluminum Wheels MSCS Hard Charger of the Race by driving from a 20th starting spot to 9th. Damion Gardner, who finished eighth, started back in the ninth row. The two were involved in a multi car second heat, second turn crash that prevented either from obtaining a higher starting spot for the main. Instead of restarting, the cars were taken to the pits for repairs needed before the feature.

During the feature one red flag was displayed on lap 3 for an incident involving 3 cars in the third turn. The one driven by Kyle Wissmiller rolled over. The reinstituted MSCS work area rule was put to use with several cars requiring service. The feature also had two caution periods. The first yellow flag had been brought out as Faas slowed. The second came out when Hud Cone spun. Hud was able to restart and finished tenth. From lap seven on it was all green flag racing. Rookie Brandon Mattox of Terre Haute, IN, finished eleventh and earned the Wilwood Tuff Brakes Award. ____________________

The next event on the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car schedule this season will be the Memorial Day Weekend card at Tri-State Speedway. The feature to be held there on Sunday night May 24th pays $3,000 to win. The UMP Open Wheel Modifieds are also on the race card.

by Eldon Butcher

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Haubstadt, IN. (May 9, 2009) Levi Jones of Olney, IL, took the season opening race for the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series Saturday night at the Tri-State Speedway. The 30 lap feature evolved into a terrific contest up front and on back through the top ten.

Jones took the lead on lap 28 in what had developed into a three way battle with Nic Faas and Chris Windom. Faas actually led the vast majority of the race. That is after Bryan Clauson, who led the first 4 laps, flipped and engaged the wall in turn one. As the remaining lap count became short, Jones closed in and found racing room at the bottom in the turns. Levis mastery of turns three and four paid off.

The win was worth $2,000 to Levi Jones and car owner Jeff Walker. Jones even pulled a wheel stand while fending off Chris Windom at the finish line. Windom was second with Faas then finishing third. Blake Fitzpatrick finished fourth in a solid run. Ricky Williams finished fifth after some wheel to wheel racing between five different competitors.

A jubilant crew greeted Jones as the driver emerged from the sprint car at the finish line. Driver and car owner shared the microphone. Both expressed a broad view that encompassed more than the victory just achieved. Levi first indicated the obvious in that the win definitely wasnt easy. Walker recollected first putting Levi in one of his cars at Haubstadt. Levi has run off and on for me since he was 18 years old. Levi recalled another time when he attended Tri-State Speedway as a fan. I remember coming here to watch Chuck Amati when I was 8 years old. A special and moving memorial tribute had been paid to Chuck Amati during opening ceremonies.

The remainder of the top ten in the feature included Kyle Wissmiller, Danny Holtsclaw, Kyle Cummins, Ty Deckard, and Brandon Mattox. Mattox is one of the candidates for this years Gross Enterprises Rookie of the Year Award. Deckards drive up from 19th at the start earned him the MSCS Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hardcharger of the Race Award. Eleventh on the field was Bub Cummings. Cummings was the race Wilwood Tuff Brakes Award Winner.

The feature was not trouble free. At the very start Hunter Schuerenberg was bumped from behind flattening a tire and ending his chances for the evening. There was a red flag on lap three when Jeff Bland Jr. flipped on the front stretch. The only other red flag was for Clausons accident. Damage to cars driven by Hud Cone and Chase Stockon resulted somewhere behind that wreck and both retired their cars from the race. A late race yellow when Ryan Kaplan spun tightened the field a last time.

In preliminary action Kurt Gross won the B-Main which included 17 hopeful drivers. Thirty-six cars were in competition during the evening. The four heat races were won by Levi Jones, Bryan Clauson, Nic Faas, and Chris Windom.

The next race for the Midwest Sprint Car Series is set for Saturday May 16th at Florence Speedway in Union, KY. The feature that night will also pay $2,000 to win. The MSCS Sprints will return to Tri-State Speedway on May 24th. That date is on Memorial Day Weekend and will be a Sunday night event.

By Eldon Butcher

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Updated November 11, 2009