|
|
|
Stevie Smith Eyes 2nd Straight Ohio Speedweek Championship for TeamRAACE
By Brad Brickel
Fri, Jun 18, 2010 02:19 AM CST
RAACE Foundation Family of Drivers member Stevie Smith
Twenty-seven years ago, former Eldora Speedway owner Earl Baltes sat down with then All Star president Bert Emick to discuss the idea of a week-long series of races to highlight the great tracks and race teams who call Ohio home. Thus came about Ohio Sprint Speedweek.
The first eight nights of Ohio Sprint Speedweek will pay the All Star sprint feature winner $5,000 with the final night at Fremont Speedway offering up a big $10,000 to win payday. It all kicks off Friday, June 18 at Attica Raceway, for more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.com. Saturday finds the All Stars returning to the high banks of KC Raceway near Chillicothe, Ohio, gates will open at 3:30 p.m. with racing underway at 7:30 p.m., for more information go to www.kc-raceway.com.
Sunday, June 20 brings the All Stars back to the half-mile of Millstream Speedway near Findlay, Ohio. The track roared back to life in 2008 after having sat idle for nearly nine years. The Speedweek show will be the first of 2010 for the track. Last year's Ohio Sprint Speedweek show at Millstream drew the highest car count as over 60 sprints jammed the pits, for more information go to www.millstreamspeedway.com.
On Monday, the fans of Wayne County Speedway will pack the stands for night #4 of Ohio Sprint Speedway. A part of Speedweek since its inception, the three-eighths mile oval located near Orrville, also draws a pretty good contingent of Pennsylvania drivers, for more information go to www.waynecountyspeedway.com.
Tuesday finds the All Star sprints at Hilltop Speedway near Millersburg, Ohio. The one-third mile high banks offer plenty of racing room "on the hill, for more information go to www.hilltopspeedway.org. From one bullring to another - night #6 of Ohio Sprint Speedweek heads to Waynesfield Motorsports Park near Waynesfield, Ohio on Wednesday, June 23. The high-banked third-mile has produced some of the closest finishes in Speedweek history, for directions and more information go to www.waynesfieldmotorsportspark.com.
On Thursday, June 24, the All Stars had to Sharon Speedway. It's been several years since the All Stars competed at the three-eighths mile high banked clay oval located near Hartford, Ohio. Several Pennsylvania teams will no-doubt head to Sharon to battle the All Stars, for more information log onto www.sharonspeedway.com. Night #8 finds the all stars at the high banks of Limaland Motorsports Park.
Ohio Speedweek wraps up at the historic Fremont Speedway with a big $10,000 to win event. It will be the 92nd appearance of the All Stars in the 59-year history of "The Track That Action Built."The tough weekly competitors will give the All Star travelers all they can handle, for more information go to www.fremontohspeedway.com
The roster of drivers expected to compete during Ohio Sprint Speedweek will include defending and current All Star point leader Tim Shaffer; two-time All Star champion Greg Wilson; 2009 defending speedweek champion and TeamRAACE driver Stevie Smith; four-time Ohio Sprint Speedweek champion Dale Blaney; Pennsylvania Posse members Lance Dewease, Fred Rahmer and possibly TeamRAACE driver Brian Leppo, Brian Monteith, Greg Hodnett and others; and young guns like Cap Henry, Jared Ridge, David Gravel, Jessica Zemken and more. When they come up against some of the strongest weekly 410 sprint drivers in the nation, just making the A-main will be a challenge. Last year nearly 100 different drivers competed during Ohio Sprint Speedweek.
"We were excited about last years Ohio Speedweek, this championship was important for our Zemco team, as well as for The RAACE Foundation and TeamRAACE. Anytime you can get on the podium and talk about The Race Against Abuse of Children Everywhere that I am engaged in with The RAACE Foundation is a bonus."said Smith with a big smile. "We have won the Florida Speedweek title before and The Keystone Cup at Pennsylvania Speedweek, so to add Ohio Speedweek to the list was amazing.
During the week Smith proved to be one of the most consistent drivers, not placing out of the top ten once, in fact his worst finish came Friday night at Limaland Motorsports Park. Several times over the week Smith raced at few tracks for the first time, taking each one in stride. "The key to running well at a lot of the tracks and winning was to get a good qualifying number,"stated Smith. "If you can do that, have a good lap, and then qualify through your heat race, then you start at the front of the pack which is key in any type of racing, especially sprint cars these days. With fifty to sixty other guys, it is hard getting and staying up front. You have to put yourself in position for a good finish.
Smith began his quest for the Championship at Eldora Speedway with a second place finish. He lost a little momentum on the second night at Millstream Speedway finishing fifth. It was midweek when Smith hit his stride winning at both Hilltop Speedway and Waynesfield Motorsports Park, the latter he had not raced at previously. The only night he would place out of the top-five was at Limaland Motorsports Park where he finished ninth. Then to take the title, he finished third at Fremont Speedway.
"That week was fun for us,"Smith commented. "Looking back, we would have really liked to win at Eldora. That was the one thing that was in the back of my mind as well as the team's that whole week, but I had to put it behind me. I do best when I put everything behind me and focus on one night at a time and doing the best I can. That's what we will be doing this year - focusing one night at a time. It will be a long trip as after Ohio Speedweek is over we move to PA Speedweek for 9 races in 10 days. It sure will be a test but I am very confident in my Zemco team that we will do our best to put TeamRAACE in victory lane again this year."
By winning 2009 Ohio Speedweek, Stevie Smith added his name to the list of winners including greats such as: Jack Hewitt, Frankie Kerr, Sammy Swindell, Steve Kinser, Dave Blaney, Kenny Jacobs, and Bobby Allen.
For all the information you could ever want on both Ohio Speedweek and the All Star series, visit www.allstarsprint.com. For information on TeamRAACE and The RAACE Foundation visit www.raace.org.
|
|
|  |
 |
|
|
 |
|
