Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (April 21, 2009) – The Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters will break new ground when action resumes at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, IL, next Friday night, May 1.

It will mark the series first ever stop atop the semi-banked, 3/8-mile Tri-City Speedway dirt oval located just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis and the first series stop in Illinois since 1997.
Oklahoma native Shane Stewart retains a two-point lead over defending series champion Jason Johnson of Eunice, LA, in the Lucas Oil ASCS $60,000 championship points chase with four-time series king Gary Wright of Hooks, TX, just six points off the lead pace in third.

In operation since the 1960's, the Tri-City Speedway oval should prove to be an equalizer, as only a handful of the thirty or so title contenders have turned a lap at the track since it was reconfigured from a sprawling ½-mile to its current 3/8-mile layout prior to the 2007 season.

Shane Stewart, Paul McMahan, Brian Brown, Tony Bruce, Jr., and Jesse Hockett have each turned Sprint Car laps around the current rendition of Tri-City Speedway, while Dustin Morgan, Brady Bacon and Gary Taylor have each toured the Tri-City oval in Midget competition.

California native McMahan, out to the early lead in the series Brodix Rookie of the Year chase, ranks as the only series points chaser to have ever recorded a feature win at Tri-City Speedway with a Gumout triumph in 2000 followed by an Outlaw score in 2003. Both of those triumphs came on the old ½-mile.

With the Lucas Oil ASCS forces joined on Friday night, May 1, by the Winged Outlaw Warriors, either the Hoosier 105×16.0-15 Medium, Hoosier 105X18.0-15 Hard or the Hoosier SC-25 may be used on the right rear. No mufflers are required.

The $6,000-to-win Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters event will headline a twinbill of open wheel racing action that also includes a $2,000-to-win POWRi Midget event.

The Series:

Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters

When & Where:

Friday night, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. – Tri-City Speedway

Track Information:

Tri-City Speedway (Pontoon Beach, IL) – 3/8-mile semi-banked dirt oval located off I-270 Exit 4 then 0.5 miles south on SR 203 by Granite City. For more information, contact the track at 800-617-9077.

Lucas Oil ASCS Tri-City Speedway History:

The first page in series history at the track will be written on May 1 when Kevin and Tammy Gundaker bring the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series to Tri-City Speedway for the first time. It marks just the fourth event within the state of Illinois in series history and the first since a Terry Gray triumph at Peoria in August of 1997.

Current Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters Points:

Top Twenty: 1. Shane Stewart (Bixby, OK) 296, 2. Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) 294, 3. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 290, 4. Johnny Herrera (Albuquerque, NM) 282, 5. (tie) Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK) and Danny Wood (Norman, OK) 260, 7. Paul McMahan (Hendersonville, TX) 258, 8. (tie) Brian Brown (Grain Valley, MO) and Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX) 248, 10. Michael Dupuy (Amite, LA) 240, 11. Tony Bruce, Jr. (Liberal, KS) 238, 12. Sean McClelland (Tulsa, OK) 232, 13. Mike Chadd (Lincoln, NE) 226, 14. Dustin Morgan (Collinsville, OK) 222, 15. Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) 215, 16. Joe Wood, Jr. (Oklahoma City, OK) 211, 17. (tie) Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) and Zach Chappell (Talala, OK) 209, 19. (tie) Tim Crawley (Benton, AR) and Trevor Lewis (Upper Black Eddy, PA) 205.

Brodix Rookie of the Year Points (Top Five): 1. Paul McMahan (Hendersonville, TN) 258, 2. Brian Brown (Grain Valley, MO) 248, 3. Dustin Morgan (Collinsville, OK) 222, 4. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) 209, 5. Trevor Lewis (Upper Black Eddy, PA) 205.

2009 Lucas Oil ASCS Feature Winners:

Jason Johnson 1, Shane Stewart 1.

Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters – A Look Ahead:

May 9 – I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR)
May 23-24 – Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS – $10,000 to win Steve King Memorial)

Lucas Oil ASCS on the Web:

Those unable to catch all the action in person can listen to every Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters live at www.racinboys.com.

Also, the Lucas Oil ASCS Show airs on www.racinboys.com each Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. ET, recapping the previous week's events while also previewing upcoming action.

Official results, championship point updates, photos and race notes will be available at www.ascsracing.com.

Lucas Oil ASCS on TV:

The Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters will be featured in ten one-hour shows broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on the VERSUS Network

Events to be aired on VERSUS include the following:

Event Date – Track (Location) – Air Date & Time (All Times Eastern)
March 20 – Devil's Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – 5/2/09 @ 6:00 p.m.
March 21 – Devil's Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – 5/9/09 @ 6:00 p.m.
May 23 – Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS) – 7/4/09 @ 6:00 p.m.
May 24 – Jetmore Motorplex (Jetmore, KS) – 7/11/09 @ 6:00 p.m.
August 6 – Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA) – 9/12/09 @ 6:00 p.m.
August 7 – Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA) – 9/26/09 @ 6:00 p.m.
August 8 – Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, IA) – 10/31/09 @ 6:00 p.m.
September 26 – Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO) – 11/14/09 @ 6:00 p.m.

The Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters is currently slated for approximately 33 nights of racing action at 16 different tracks throughout the nation, with the country's top Sprint Car drivers set to battle it out for their share of the $250,000 points fund.

The American Sprint Car Series, in its 18th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing events, brings the best of Sprint Car racing to nearly 100 different tracks throughout 25 states and Canada in 2009. Anchored by the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of a dozen different Regions throughout the nation.

Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.