Tri-State Speedway Front Page News

Saturday, July 4th is the next event here at Tri-State Speedway. The Midwest Sprint Car Series (MSCS) and the Poweri Midgets will be the featured divisions.

Ticket Prices: Adults $18 - Students (13-18) $12 - Children 12 & under Free

Times: Pit Gate 3:30 PM, Grandstands 4:30 PM
Hot Laps 6:30 PM
Races: 7:30 PM

By Eldon Butcher

Haubstadt, IN - June 21, 2009. The UMP Summer Nationals made its annual stop at the Tri-State Speedway Sunday night. Forty-three late model teams gathered for the seventh race on this seasons Midwest Dirt Car tour. Michigan driver Jeep Van Wormer took the win in the main event and the $6,000 first place prize.

The 40 lap feature was one hard fought contest. Shannon Babb and Rodney Melvin started on the front row. Melvin took the lead initially but by lap 5 Jeep Van Wormer had moved to the front. Shannon Babb then took second and was in contention. The race tightened. Babb took a turn leading the event beginning on the 14th lap. The two exchanged the lead another time until contact brought out the yellow flag on lap 25. The two leaders were working traffic when the incident occurred. Babb pulled into the infield and out of competition. Van Wormer was able to continue despite the right side of the car having extensive body damage.

The sheet metal stayed attached and Van Wormer held off Rodney Melvin and Randy Korte to take the win. Melvin and Korte kept Van Wormer in reach while dueling for the second spot. Melvin gained in the corners while Korte powered up on the straightaways. Rodney Melvin took second followed by Korte, Scott James, and Jason Feger. Kevin Weaver, the Summer Nationals Points leader entering the event, was 7th in the feature.

Jeep Van Wormer brought his battered race car the victory lane. Shannon and I had a heck of a battle going! I tore the car up a little bit. We have been fighting it for a couple of days. I didnt make the show last night. You might say that we went from zero to hero in one night! Van Wormer became the third different driver to repeat as a feature winner so far on the 27 event schedule.

The five heat races were won by Jeep Van Wormer, Shannon Babb, Rodney Melvin, Randy Korte, and Kevin Claycomb. The heats were exciting with the fifth and final heat sending the leaders three wide off the fourth corner to the checkers. Kenny Carmichael won the C Main. Brian Shirley won the B Main over quick timer Donny Walden.

In UMP Modified action Paul Miles pulled off a surprise victory. Miles was running third with 3 laps to go. He had been making gains running a lot higher line than the two leaders. A yellow flag tightened the field for a restart and he quickly shot by Ed Shamhart and then Levi Kissenger to take the lead. Clayton Miller followed Miles and took second on the last lap. Kissenger ended up third after leading for 15 laps. Shamhart was fourth with Randall Sweeney fifth.

Heat races in the modifieds were qualifying victories for Kent Robinson, Ed Shamhart, Paul Miles, Clayton Miller, and Levi Kissenger. The two B Mains were won by Chris Moore and Jimmy Westerfield. Over 40 modifieds produced one of the strongest feature fields for the season.

The next event scheduled for Tri-State Speedway will be on Saturday night July 4th. The MSCS Sprints and POWRi Midgets will provide the action!

The next event on the 2009 schedule is the annual UMP Late Model Summernationals set for Sunday, June 21st. Also featured will be the UMP Modifieds.

Ticket prices:
Adults $20 - Students (ages 13-18) $15 - Children 12 & under FREE
Pit pass $30

Times: Pit Gate 3:30 PM - Grandstands 4:30 PM
Qualifying for Late Models - 6:30 PM
Races - 7:30 PM

By Eldon Butcher

Haubstadt, IN - June 6, 2009. Brady Short emerged as the victor in a hotly contested main event Saturday night at the Tri-State Speedway. It was the annual KISS/MSCS 30 lap Match-up that was made to order for racing excitement. The race became a three way battle for supremacy over the last 13 laps. Blake Fitzpatrick used every inch of the quarter miles track circumference to keep both Short and Bryan Clauson at bay until the 27th circuit. Fitzpatrick was in a continual fight to keep control of his machine with the walls virtually closing in. It would be contact with the wall in turn two that would cost him a victory. Brady Short blasted by as Fitzpatrick recovered along the backstretch to finish third. Clauson kept the pressure on and was still looking for a clear shot to get past Short as the two crossed the finish line. Clauson would remain second.

Brady Short drove the Don Short owned Maxim sponsored by Indiana Stoneworks and powered by a Spec Engine. The victory lane ceremony marked an opportunity to pay tribute to the late Mike Cunningham whose family had contributed $2,200 in his name to increase the overall purse for the race. Shorts victory was worth $3,000. Winning was Just Awesome! The victory came in his first attempt at the track this year. He started fourth on the 20 car field. Short had missed the MSCS season opener at Tri-State in May due to a wedding in the family.

The top five for the feature included Hud Cone who placed fourth and Nic Faas who ran fifth. The second five included Robert Ballou, Ricky Williams, Jeff Bland Jr., Matt Goodnight, and Kyle Robbins. Robbins improved 8 spots to be the MSCS Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hard Charger of the Race. Jonathan Hendrick finished just outside the top ten to become the winner of the Wilwood Tuff Brakes Award. Cone, Fitzpatrick, and Ryan Kaplan won the heat races for the 28 entries.

Ryan Kaplan ran strong. He led the first half of the feature before contact in lapped traffic sent him to the pits with a damaged car. A red flag on the first lap of the feature brought about a complete restart. Four cars were removed from the track after a multiple crash in turn three. Kyle Cummins, Ron Gerhardt, Kevin Thomas Jr., and Brandon Mattox would miss the restart.

MSCS rookie Chase Briscoe won the B-main. Jonathan Hendrick was second. Only five of the 11 starters would finish the 12 lap event. All five would transfer to the feature. Jon Stanbrough was actually leading the B-main when a rear tire shredded on his sprint. He kept the car on all fours but missed a last chance opportunity to make the starting field for the feature as a result.

UMP Modifieds

Ed Shamhart won the UMP Open Wheel Modified feature. Despite encountering a field of top notch modified drivers Shamhart took his third feature victory in a row. He has won every feature held for the division at Haubstadt this season. Paul Miles ran second with Zach Fair, Levi Kissinger, and Danny Claycomb rounding out the top five.

The event was timely with lots of close green flag racing. The three preliminary heat races were won by Shamhart, Claycomb, and Miles.

[SEE ALL EVENT PHOTOS]

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.

The UMP Modifieds were on the race card with the MSCS Sprints. They arrived in force this week and fans were treated to an expanding field of drivers that offered new faces to the lineups.

However the ultimate result was the same as two weeks ago. Illinois driver Ed Shamhart swept the show winning in his heat race as well as in the 25 lap feature. It was his second victory at the track in as many races this season. The runner-up was Everett Bradham. Jamie Cobb was third, the highest finish for one of the new faces at the track. He was followed by Willie Madison and Danny Claycomb in rounding out the top five.

Drivers winning heat races in addition to Shamhart included Claycomb, Chris Moore, and Shawn Simpson. Michael Lee took thefirst Consolation race. Will Krup was victorious in the second consy. Thirty-six mods lined the pits and their presence added to the already exciting atmosphere of open wheel racing at the track.

SUMMARY

First Heat - Ed Shamhart
Second Heat - Danny Claycomb
Third Heat - Chris Moore
Fourth Heat - Shawn Simpson
First Consy - Michael Lee
Second Consy - Will Krup

Feature (25 Laps) - Ed Shamhart, Everett Bradham, Jamie Cobb, Willie Madison, Danny Claycomb, Shawn Simpson, Zac Fair, Dustin Christie, Levi Kissinger, Jesse Snyder

Haubstadt, IN. (May 3, 2009) The next event on the 2009 schedule at Tri-State Speedway will feature the dazzling drivers of the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series. Although it is actually the second race to be held at the track this season, it will be the first appearance of the MSCS sprints anywhere this season. The postponement of the Don Smith Classic scheduled at the Terre Haute Action Track on May 3rd now moves the MSCS season opener to Tri-State Speedway. It will be the first of seven scheduled MSCS appearances at the quarter mile track this summer.

The welcome call is out for all non wing sprint fans to attend and enjoy the best in dirt track racing. Since its origin in 2001 the Midwest Sprint Car Series has grown to become one of the most exciting forms of motor sports to ever take a green flag. The emergence of Tri-State Speedway as a home base for the traveling series now provides an unparalleled opportunity for area race fans to see the stars of today and tomorrow on a regular basis. They will be back again Memorial Day weekend.

Drivers usually take the track around 6 o'clock to warm up their engines. Shortly thereafter practice will begin. These hot laps are over quickly but very important in the preparation for the preliminary events ahead. Racing gets underway by 7:30. Drivers in this series draw for heat race positions so time trials are not needed or held. Every spot all night long will be achieved or held through racing the competition and not the clock!

The United Midwestern Promoter's open wheel modified cars will add to the impact of this show. Double the entertainment value of this program as the modified cars pack up and battle wheel to wheel for twenty-five laps to conclude the race program. Illinois driver Ed Shamhart won the opener April 25th driving for an Indiana based team. The fields of modifieds are sure to include some of the best driving shoes in Illinois and Kentucky as well as Southern Indiana.

For live racing action and the most excitement that a race track can provide the place to be is Tri-State Speedway on U.S. Highway 41 at Haubstadt, IN.

Ticket prices for May 9th: Adults $15. - Students (ages 13-18) $10 - Children 12 & under free Hot Laps 6:30 PM - Races 7:30 PM

Haubstadt, IN. (April 25, 2009) - Tri-State Speedway opened for the 2009 season with the World of Outlaws sprint cars as the special attraction. A great crowd of race fans watched as veteran Hoosier racer and 20 time World of Outlaw Champion Steve Kinser captured the 40 lap feature. The pass for the lead came off turn four and to the outside between Terry McCarl and the front stretch wall. Kinser crossed the line on the 38th lap with the lead and McCarl’s car flipped as the two drivers tried to stay clear of each other.

The flip so late in the race produced a situation where an open red was needed to refuel cars. Turns one and two filled with activity as crews attended to their cars before a green, white, checker finish could be attempted. Steve Kinser would be the third and final leader in the race. Randy Hannagan had led the first 21 laps before retiring to the infield. It was then that the race for second became a race for first. At the finish another close race for second was resolved as Joey Saldana passed Jason Sides at the checkers.

Kerry Madsen and track record holder Sammy Swindell rounded out the top five.

In victory lane Kinser assessed the race from the beginning to finish. “The car was slow to take off. It was actually set up for later in the race. It was tight coming off of 4 but I had a good run on him and it looked like it might be my only chance. I thought that was clear until he came up at the last second.” In a night full of challenges the Kinser eleven also had to have an engine change between the heat and the dash. “I was darn glad to win a race!”

The win was number 551 in Steve Kinser’s career but the first in 2009. It was his 7th WoO victory at Tri-State Speedway to lead all drivers. It also moved him into the WoO points lead. He was 8 points behind Donny Schatz going into the event. Schatz pitted after being involved in a 4 car collision on lap 8 but was not able to restart. Danny Lasoski, Danny Smith, Craig Dollansky, Tony Bruce Jr., and Daron Clayton finished 6th through 10th. Clayton was the Hard Charger of the Race with a drive from 24th to 10th.
Thirty three WoO drivers battled through 4 heats, a dash, and a last chance race. Kerry Madsen, Danny Lasoski, Jason Sides, and Kraig Kinser won the heats. Steve Kinser took the dash after finishing second to Sides in the third and most competitive heat. Sam Hafertepe won the last chance race held to add the final 4 cars to the feature.

The 25 lap UMP Modifed feature was a four car battle. Ed Shamhardt kept digging until he found a way under Everett Bradham and he led from the 18th lap on. The battle for top spots continued with Zac Fair moving up to take second from Bradham as the two battled to the finish line. Levi Kissinger rode the cushion to a fourth place finish and was often the second or third car in the side by side competition that developed. Chris Moore came from deep in the pack to finish fifth.

Bradham, Kissinger, and Fair won the three heats. Brandon McDowell won the B-Main. The UMP Modifieds will be on the card again on May 9th when the Hoosier Tire Midwest Sprint Car Series makes its first appearance at Tri-State Speedway this season.

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