Three $5,000 prizes plus $3,000 point fund on the line
Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / ASCOC MEDIA Photos By: TOMMY HEIN / RACERSGUIDE.COM
INDIANAPOLIS, IN- July 28, 2016- For the final time in 2016, the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions will make their presence known in Western Pennsylvania, this time challenging the best of the best in the Keystone State, as well as a number of regional invaders, during the inaugural I-79 Summer Shootout presented by Classic Ink USA on Friday through Sunday, July 29-31.
The I-79 Summer Shootout will feature three consecutive days of Arctic Cat All Star competition at three different Western Pennsylvania facilities. The trio of tracks on the shootout agenda include Eriez Speedway, Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, and Tri-City Raceway Park. It will be the first and only Arctic Cat All Star appearance of the 2016 season at each of the scheduled destinations, with only Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway hosting All Star competition during the last five years. Each event will award $5,000 top prizes, with an added $3,000 point fund also thrown into the mix. The point fund, awarding $1,200, $800, $500, $300, and $200 to positions one through five, respectively, will only come into play if two out of three events are contested.
The I-79 Summer Shootout presented by Classic Ink USA will kick start officially on Friday night, July 29, at the Eriez Speedway near Erie, Pennsylvania. It has been 35 years since the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions made an appearance at the Erie oval, with only two recorded starts in series history. Smokey Snellbaker and Lee Osborne each earned main event victories with the most recent occurring in 1981.
Once competition at Eriez Speedway is complete, I-79 Summer Shootout competition will move south and continue at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway near Imperial, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 30. Arctic Cat All Star teams made two appearances at “Dirt’s Monster Half-Mile” in 2015 and welcomed two different winners to victory lane. Dale Blaney and Greg Wilson were each victorious with Blaney earning the most recent on Saturday, August 2.
The I-79 Summer Shootout presented by Classic Ink USA will come to a close at the Tri-City Raceway Park in Franklin, Pennsylvania, on Sunday evening, July 31. It has been six years since Arctic Cat All Star teams invaded the Franklin facility with the “Steel City Outlaw” Tim Shaffer earning the high honors. In terms of the I-79 Summer Shootout schedule, Tri-City Raceway Park has the richest history with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions, hosting 17 prior events dating back to 1970.
The entire Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions roster is expected to be on hand during the inaugural I-79 Summer Shootout presented by Classic Ink USA including current series point leader Chad Kemenah. Kemenah, pilot of the Hunter Racing/Seneca Energy/No. 10H, owns one victory on the season, as well as 18 top-five finishes – the most of any competitor on tour in 2016. Defending series champion Dale Blaney will enter the weekend tripleheader currently second in the championship chase with five victories to his credit on the season, followed by fellow five-time main event winner Sheldon Haudenschild. “Downtown” Danny Holtgraver and Cap Henry round out the top-five.
Eriez Speedway in Erie, Pennsylvania, will open pit gates at 12-noon on Friday afternoon, July 29. A mandatory drivers meeting will be conducted at 6, followed by hot laps at 7. Those seeking additional information should visit Eriez Speedway online at www.eriez-speedway.com.
Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway will open its pit gates at 3:00 pm on Saturday afternoon, July 30. The drivers meeting is set to begin at 5:30 pm, followed by hot laps at 6:30 pm. More news and information can be found on the Web at www.ppms.com.
Tri-City Raceway Park will allow pit access beginning at 3:00 pm on Sunday afternoon, July 31. The final I-79 Summer Shootout drivers meeting of the weekend will begin at 5, followed by Arctic Cat All Star hot laps at 6. Visit www.tricityracewaypark.com for more information.
Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions Standings (July 27, 2016):
Chad Kemenah: 3254
Dale Blaney: 3196
Sheldon Haudenschild: 3154
Danny Holtgraver: 3046
Cap Henry: 3042
Kraig Kinser: 2972
T.J. Michael: 2930
Lee Jacobs: 2788
Caleb Helms: 2786
Andrew Palker: 2580
Additional Arctic Cat All Star Series Info:
Those seeking additional information regarding the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions should visit their official online home at www.allstarsprint.com. Series updates and breaking news will be posted regularly on the official Twitter account of the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions: https://twitter.com/ASCoC. Find full text results from each and every event, as well as an up-to-date schedule, online at www.allstarsprint.com/schedule/.
About the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions:
All Star Enterprises, LLC, wholly owned by Tony Stewart, d/b/a the All Star Circuit of Champions, is a winged sprint car series. The All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series is one of the oldest traveling 410 sprint car organizations and is a staple of grassroots, open-wheel racing. Formed in 1970 by Bud Miller, the series has largely been considered the first ‘outlaw’ Sprint Car organization of the modern era. After a 10 year stint as owner of the All Stars, Miller passed control of the series to Bert Emick in 1980; a reign that would continue through 2002. Guy Webb then purchased the series from Emick in the summer of 2002 and served as the series President for the next 12 years. Motorsports entrepreneur Tony Stewart agreed to terms with Guy Webb to become the sole owner of the original winged sprint car tour in January of 2015.
About Arctic Cat:
The Arctic Cat brand is among the most widely recognized and respected in the recreational vehicle industry. The company designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), side-by-sides and snowmobiles, in addition to related parts, garments and accessories under the Arctic Cat® and Motorfist® brand names. Arctic Cat Inc.’s world headquarters is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “ACAT.” More information about Arctic Cat and its products is available at www.ArcticCat.com.
