FULL SEASON OF ACTION AWAITS
OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY FANS IN 2009
For Immediate Release - Ken Pelkie, Ohsweken Speedway
Fast paced, non stop excitement will be on tap beginning May 15th as Ohsweken Speedway will open its gates to another action packed season of the finest dirt track stock car racing Ontario has to offer. In what continues to be a pace setting schedule, Ohsweken Speedway is set to turn up the heat and melt the winter away as they announce the schedule for the upcoming season. Winged Sprint Cars will once again headline the weekly action for the second year. Strong fields of cars filled the pit area all last season and this year promises more of the same as the finest sprint car teams in the entire north east find their way to Ohsweken. The entry level class named “Fun Stocks” introduced last season has under gone a name change although nothing is different in their rules package. Now called Bombers, they will join the Corr/Pak Sprint Cars along with ESSO Thunder Stocks and ESSO Mini Stocks as the “Family Affordable” Friday Night Thunder action packed program greets the fans at 7:45 PM.
Fans will just have to wait a little over three months before a practice session that is open to all classes of cars who will compete at the speedway during 2009 takes place on Friday night, May 8th. The season then officially gets underway on Friday night, May 15th when Corr/Pak Merchandising presents the opening round in the season long points championship race for the weekly Sprint Car on the fast 3/8 mile clay oval. Grisdale Racing Products will host the action on May 22nd before the first special event of the season takes to the track May 29th. The Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel will present the “Empire Super Sprints” will compete in their first of two appearances in 2009 with the winner taking a guaranteed starting position in the 5th Annual Village Pizza – Ohsweken Shootout” scheduled as part of the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals weekend in September. Joining ESS will be a full program of ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini Stocks, and Bombers while the Vintage racers will stop in for their first of two appearances.
June racing gets underway on the 5th as Lone Wolf Pit Stop hosts another action packed program of Corr/Pak Sprints, ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini Stocks, and Bombers. Engine Pro Racing who presents the weekly Winners Circle interviews will bring the Michigan based “Sprints On Dirt” series to the speedway. Once again the program will be anchored by the ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini Stocks, and Bombers. Arrow Express steps to the front again on Thursday, June 18th as the “World of Outlaw” Late Models return to Ohsweken for the 2nd Annual “Six Nations 50”. The 50 lap feature event will cap the night of racing as teams from all over the United States and Ontario try to claim the $10,000 top prize and dethrone defending race champion Tim McCreadie. Corr/Pak Sprints will also be on the evening program. The following night, June 19th the sprint cars will have the night off as Outhouse Image & Designs will bring the action of the UMP Modifieds to the speedway for the first time in the running of the ”UMP Modified Summer Sizzler” – an Ohsweken / South Buxton co-sanctioned event. They will be joined by the first of three appearances in 2009 of the Mod Lite Star Championship Tour North series. An autograph session will also be part of the intermission activities. And to close out June, Grand River Electronics along with BS&B Radiator will present “Twin 15’s” for the ESSO Thunder Stocks while Corr/Pak Sprints, ESSO Mini Stocks, and Bombers will join the affair.
July 3rd will see the 2nd running of the Northern Summer Nationals for 360 Sprints. Corr/Pak Merchandising will present the program which has been reduced to one day from its two day format last year. A series of heat races followed by four qualifying races and a 25 lap “A” Main will see the winner pocket $3,000 from the Friday night show. ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini Stocks, and Bombers will round out the racing program.
Wiseco Pistons will present mid-Season Championship night for Corr/Pak Sprints, ESSO Thunder Stocks, and Bombers on Friday July 10th. Evers Financial will host the Mini Stock portion of the evening’s action while Vintage racecars will also be on hand. Then on Friday, July 17th its Christmas in July the Southern Ontario Sprints will make their stop at the speedway with Santa Claus. Again the ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini Stocks, and Bombers will support the program brought to you by Gales Auto Aftermarket. An autograph session will be held during intermission on the track and a Toy Drive will offer reduced admission to each adult donating one new unwrapped toy for under privileged children during Christmas 09. A qualifying position for the SOS feature winner awaits for the “Village Pizza – Ohsweken Shootout” as part of the September Canadian Nationals weekend.
Arrow Express once again hosts the World of Outlaw Sprint Car series when they return on July 28th and 29th. Last year heavy and persistent rain drowned out any possibility of on track action when the series invaded Ohsweken. This year the much anticipated return will be reality as they prepare to present two complete programs. The ESSO Thunder Stocks will be the support card on the program Tuesday night while the ESSO Mini Stocks will compete on Wednesday night. Friday night, July 27th will see the Corr/Pak Sprints taking the night off as Awesome Racewear brings the action of the UMP Late Models to the speedway for the first time in the running of the ”UMP Late Model Summer Sizzler” – an Ohsweken / South Buxton co-sanctioned event. The ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini Stocks, and Bombers will support the program along with Box Car Races.
The Rochester Knighthawks will host a couple of prestigious events on August 4th with the first being the annual Art Hill Memorial going 42 laps for the Mini Stocks. The ESSO Thunder Stocks, Bombers, and Corr/Pak Sprints will also see action while the Inaugural Ohsweken Speedway Hot Dog Eating Championship will be staged in the spectator area under the Flag Stand. ASCS Patriot Sprints will make their annual invasion of Ohsweken on August 14th as Trailers by Jim Bray presents the night’s activities. Once again a qualifying position is up for grabs for the “Village Pizza - Ohsweken Shootout” for the Patriots when they return on Canadian Nationals weekend in September. ESSO Speedway Variety presents the weekly action packed program of Corr/Pak Sprints, ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini Stocks, and Bombers on August 21st as the final of three Autograph nights for the season takes place. August closes out with the running of Twin 15’s for Corr/Pak Sprints with Café 54 hosting the evening’s action. ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini Stocks, and Bombers will be joined by the Mod Lite Star Championship Tour North on the program.
The Season Championship contest for the ESSO Thunder Stocks will headline the program on September 4th when HRW Automotive night comes to the track. The action of the Corr/Pak Sprints, ESSO Mini Stocks and Bombers will precede the annual Mechanics Races for Thunder Stocks and Mini Stocks. The season finals for the kids Box Car Races will also be held. With the ESSO Thunder Stocks having the night off, September 11th will see the Rochester Americans present the Season Championship events we close out the point races for the other three regular divisions. Extra laps and cash will be on the line for all Championship events.
Friday, September 18th the 5th Annual Village Pizza – Ohsweken Shootout returns to headline the Night Before the Nationals. Along with twin 15 lap features for the Sprint Cars presented by Sit-N-Bull Construction and Village Café that guarantee the winners a starting position in the Saturday feature event, the Ohsweken Shootout provides an opportunity to see qualified cars from the sanctioning bodies compete head to head in a 10 lap showdown. The 3rd Annual Dave MacLeod Memorial – Mr. Sprint Car Challenge is also scheduled to run on Friday night. The Bracket style elimination event to honour the life long competitor from the western New York region has become a fixture on the Friday night portion of Nationals weekend.
Then the season closes on Saturday, September 19th as the 5th Annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals presented by Arrow Express takes to the speedway. In its four year history, the Canadian Nationals has provided some of the finest fields of competitors anywhere and has quickly become the flagship event of Ohsweken Speedway while ranking among the top events for 360 Sprint Cars in North America. Paying $9,000 to win the 30 lap Feature event, twenty- eight cars will line up for the green flag with $650 going to the last place finisher. As an added incentive for teams to compete again this year, a non-Qualifiers Second Chance “Little Feature” which will see the winner locked into the 28th starting position of the Main Event.
Several other sponsors have returned to support Ohsweken Speedway in a major way throughout the season including Zemco Speed Equipment, HRP Racing Products, Canton Racing Products, Saldana Racing Products, DMI, VMAC Racing Products, The Brakeman, Winters Performance, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Kinser Air Filters, and Metal Works who combined will expand the Corr/Pak Sprint Car point fund to over $25,000 in cash and product. Advanced Ticket Sales for all events where reserved seating will be utilized which include the three World of Outlaws shows and the Canadian Nationals continues daily, Monday through Thursday during normal business hours at 1-888-720-7223. Please follow instructions to obtain your tickets as posted on the official website at www.ohswekenspeedway.com . Any questions should be directed to Cheryl or Ken Pelkie at (1-888) 720-7223 or email to pelkiekj@ebtech.net.
VIEW FULL SCHEDULE HERE:
http://ohswekenspeedway.com/schedule.htm