East Bay Media PR Photoby East Bay Media PR
Night number two of the 36th Annual Winternationals kicked off with qualifying for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Models with 50 cars on hand. Fast Time went to David Earl Gentry from Murfreesboro, TN with a time of 15.627 from Group one. Group two went to Pierce McCarter with a 16.258. Group three went to Shane Hitt with a 15.881 and Group 4 went to Steve Cooke with a 16.035.

Next up was three heat races for the 2nd Annual World Street Stocks as 23 cars set to qualify. Heat Race number one was Tim Powers, Ritchie Stephens, Tim Gay, Del Powell and Donnie Reed. Heat Race number two went to Brian Morgan, Justan Rodgers, Terry Jones, Thomas Burnside and John Kinsey. Heat Race number three’s top five were Jeff Rodgers, Calvin Cook, Eric Moon, Kevin Durden, Brian Hansford.

Heat race action was next up for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model series with the top four from each heat race qualifying to the A-Main. The first heat race went to David Earl Gentry earning him the pole for the 40 Lap A-Main Event. Heat race number two went to Shane Hitt earning the outside front row starting spot. Doug Horton, Jack Nosbisch, Jr., Chris Cantrell, William Thomas were your top five.

The first of two 15 lap B-Mains were next with William Thomas picking up the win and for the second night in a row, Shannon Lee picked up a provisional. B-Main number 2 went to Doug Watson and picking up provisional were Mark Tice and Kyle Mussleman.

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.

Bubba Raceway Park Media PR Photoby Bubba Raceway Park Media PR
Again the UMP DirtCar Open-Wheel Modifieds took to the clay as did the V-8 Thunderstocks and this time was for glory.

The V-8 Thunderstocks kicked off action with a 20 lap event. Davey Kinsey pulled out to a lead while Jason Gamble pushed his #02 to the front. Lap 3 slowed the action when James Sullivan slowed in turn 3 and came to a halt in 4. Kinsey had his hands full with hard charging drivers such as Mike Stalnaker, Justin Durbin, Brian Shea, and Eddie Lake behind him. Kinsey, however, pressed on and pulled away while Stalnaker, Lake, and Shea battled for P2. On lap 17 things got crazy as Lake got loose out of turn 4. Lake made slight contact with Mike Stalnaker who tapped Brian Shea towards the wall and on to his brakes. Shea barely missed the wall but lost his track position when the yellow came out. Kinsey kept the field at bay giving him the flag-to-flag victory giving the Big Frog Motorsports team a reason to smile. Justin Durbin took advantage of other's mistakes and his own skill to finish 2nd while Lake took a well deserved 3rd. Mike Stalnaker and Jason Gamble completed the top 5. Daniel Laird finished a quiet 6th, Jason Blackmer kept it in one piece and still finished 7th, with William Edwards, Gordon Cade, and Brian Shea completing the top 10.

Kyle Bronson, Jeff Mathews, and Scott Mooers were the top 3 qualifiers. Bronson set fast time with an 18.004 around Bubba Raceway Park. The first yellow, however, belonged to Buzzie Reutimann who came to a stop on the Infield 'X' on lap 4. Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. began to pull away while Jeff Mathews, Kyle Strickler, and Kyle Bronson began pushing through the field. At the 1/3 mark of the 30 lapper David McWilliams slowed and brought the yellow out once more. Lloyd again pulled away but was slowed on lap 18 for the Thursday night version of "The Big One" which involved Garret Stewart, Nick Hoffman, Dylan Shafer, Curt Myers, Chad Olsen, Rob Fuqua, and Scott Mooers. Some continued and some went no further. On lap 21 the battle for P2 ended when Kyle Bronson made incidental contact with Bart Hartman, albeit after Bronson had the car 90 degrees sideways, and hindered Kevin Adams. Lloyd and Bronson restarted 1-2 while Kenny Wallace and Jeff Mathews sat 3rd and 4th waiting. Bronson wasted no time and passed Lloyd on lap 22. Green to the end for Kyle Bronson while Lloyd, Wallace, Mathews, and Kyle Strickler completed the top 5. Olsen managed to fight back to 6th, Adams was 7th, Collin Thirlby put his #47T 8th, Hoffman finished 9th, and Scott Mooers put #10 in P10.

Jack Nosbisch Jr. Wins Opening Night Of The 36th Annual Winternationals (East Bay Media PR Photo)by East Bay Media PR
The first night of the 36th Annual Winternationals kicked off tonight with the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Models Series with 53 cars qualifying for the A-Main event. It was Chris Cantrell picking up the fast time of the night from group one with a time of 15.865. That time put him on the pole for the first of four heat race events. In Group #2 it was Doug Horton picking up fast time, Group 3 went to Walker Arther and Group 4 went to Doug Watson.

Next up was the 2nd Annual World Street Stock Championship. Three heat races were ran with Ritchie Stephens, Donnie Reed and Brian Hansford all picking up the wins.

Then it was four heat races for the NeSmith Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series. Dennis “Rambo” Franklin won heat race number one, which put him on the pole for the A-Main event. Doug Horton won heat race number two and put him on the outside pole. David Earl Gentry and Jack Nosbisch, Jr. won heat races three and four respectively. Top four finishers in each heat event advanced to the A-Main.

Next up were two B-Mains taking the top three from each race. William Thomas and Austin Hubbard won their B-Mains. Shannon Lee and Mark Tice picked up the provisional.

It was time for the 25 lap A-Main for the Street Stocks. Twenty three cars started the feature and starting on the pole was last years $3,000 Feature Winner, Calvin Cook from Pace, FL. On the outside pole was Terry Jones. When the green flag waved, it was Cook taking the early lead. But on the next lap, Tim Powers drove his way past Cook on the outside taking over the top spot on lap one.

by Oshkosh Media PR
Oshkosh Speedzone Raceway opened it's doors in 1999 as the third-mile clay oval roared to life with a Tuesday Night racing program. During it's pivotal first few seasons, the track was sanctioned by International Motor Car Association (IMCA). One of the longest running and most effective short track sanctioning bodies in the nation IMCA sanctioned both the Modified and Stock Car divisions at the raceway through the 2000 season.

The following year the track became an independent raceway following area rules which mimicked the IMCA classes. The track has remained one of the most successful independent tracks in the state in the state of Wisconsin.

During the 2011 season, the Leon's Frozen Custard Sport Modified made it's debut at Oshkosh Speedzone Raceway. Based off the IMCA Sport Modified class the division was a welcomed addition to the raceway and the class put on highly competitive racing events. While the management was pleased with the division as 50 different drivers took to the raceway during the season, there were some concerns in the number of participants which competed on a nightly basis.

The addition of IMCA sanctioning will result in the drivers not only competing for track points, but they will also be competing for statewide, regional and national IMCA points.

It's believed with the addition of the IMCA sanction an even stronger weekly car count can be expected for the 2012 season.

Last year the season high car count occurred on May 27th when 24 participants checked into the pit area. However for the balance of the year the fields stayed in the mid to high teens, while the regular Modified division often was on the high side of 30 participants.

Slinger Media PR PhotoLepak, Freimund, Swan, Goetzke, Welter, Wagner

by Todd Thelen and Gregg Paul
The Slinger Speedway awards banquet was held Saturday January 28 at the Schauer Arts Center in Hartford, Wisconsin. Drivers, car owners, crews, fans and track staff were on hand to honor the champions and all the racers in each division. There was an added treat with the new venue at the Schauer Center it also allows fans to take in the SE Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame, housed in the same building. LeRoy Meats of Horicon catered the evening’s dinner.

Long time Slinger Speedway Announcer and Host of The LTN Hour Todd Behling was the MC for the event, and he got things going by introducing Slinger Speedway MRO Track Chaplain Jim Zierke. Jim opened with a prayer and asked to remember Tom Powell, Wes Biswell and others we lost during 2011.

The Slinger Bee’s were the first division to accept their awards for the 2011 season. Nick Wagner captured his first track championship in dominating fashion. Wagner recorded 16 fast times and 17 feature wins on his way to the title. Rounding out the top five were Braison Bennett, Brandon Tackes, Allen Maher, and Marty Tackes. Allen Maher would also collect the Rookie of the Year honors in the Slinger Bee Division.

2011 Thunderstock Champion Andy Welter continued his steady climb up the ladder in this division. He went from 5th in 2009, 3rd in 2010 to Champion in 2011, but there won’t be another Thunderstock championship for him next year because he is moving up to the Late Model division in 2012. Welter collected 15 top fives and 5 feature wins on his way to the title. Brad Hetzel, John Daley, Ken Schrafnagel, and Nate Fick rounded out the top 5 with Tyler Schley taking home Thunderstock Rookie of the Year honors.