Dixie Motor Speedway moves to Friday nights! The ASALMS Northern Division and USPRO Cup Series will invade on Friday, August 15, 2008!
By Matt Prieur-ASA Late Model Series
Lexington, Michigan (Tuesday, July 1, 2008): The ASA Late Model Series Northern Division Presented by GM Performance Parts and USPRO Cup Series Presented by Drive Train Specialists will both invade the fast 4/10s Mile Progressively Banked Paved Oval of the Dixie (MI) Motor Speedway, located North of Flint and South of Saginaw in Birch Run, Michigan.
The 2008 USPRO Cup Series Season Championships as well as the ASALMS Northern Divisions seventh race of the season were both originally scheduled for Saturday, August 16th, but after the recent announcement by the track of their move back to Friday nights, that will change the date for the ASALMS North / USPRO Doubleheader as well!
The new date for the USPRO Season Championships and ASALMS North’s seventh race of the 2008 racing season is Friday, August 15, 2008!
The USPRO Cup Series will crown their 2008 Champion and Rookie of the Year in the running of the 2008 USPRO Cup Series Season Championships / Michigan 75 while the ASALMS Northern Division will race in the Mid-Michigan Dixie Challenge 100.
Joining the ASALMS Northern Division and USPRO Cup Series will be Dixie Support Divisions of Modifieds, Factory Stocks, and Bombers. Both Entry Forms will be available beginning on
Wednesday, July 30, 2008.
“Although we expected it to take two or three years to see the full benefit of our move to Saturdays, most think that we may do more harm than good in the short term and that we should switch back to Fridays.” Explained Dixie Motor Speedway Promoter, Mike Kern in a track press release.
“Especially considering how fragile the state of affairs are in Michigan! Timing is everything and it turned out this was not the right time (To move to Saturday nights). Plainly, the economic factors we were experiencing last fall look rather rosy by today’s standard and the impact on the racing community was not properly anticipated.”
Kern then ended; “Most feel that if Dixie were to move back to Fridays that it would be best for everyone. Therefore, as of Friday, July 11th, we will be moving back to Friday nights. There will be a handful of events that will run on other nights but no more than what we have had over the last four or five seasons.”
In the ASALMS Northern Divisions’ only appearance back on August 17, 2007 a packed house on hand witnessed a very entertaining 100-lap Feature in Eastern Michigan as Wyoming, Michigan driver, Brian Campbell passed race long leader, Peter Cozzolino with six laps to go.
Then after a thrilling battle that also involved eventual 2007 ASALMS Northern Division Champion, Trent Snyder, Campbell finally got by Cozzolino for the lead, Cozzolino and Snyder, who came up to challenge both drivers, collided coming down the front stretch resulting in Snyder turning sideways and tagging the Turn One wall.
Campbell would then hold off Jesse Saunders and a then 15-year-old Alex Kennedy too win the Wolverine 100 for what was his second ASALMS Northern Division Feature Win of the 2007 season.
Saunders, the eventual 2007 ASALMS Northern Division Rookie of the Year, had to fight off a last second charge from Kennedy for second as both drivers posted career high finishes at the time! Nick Neville finished a season high Fourth while 2006 ASALMS Northern Division Champion, Jesse Smith rounded out the Top Five.
Troy Hintzsche powered the only Mopar Powered Crate Engine in the field to his first career Fast Qualifier Award over the 27-car field as the Malta, Illinois driver in his Dekalb Seed / Dodge Charger turned a 15.487 which measures out to a fast 103.669 MPH.
Dixie Motor Speedway is located North of Flint and South of Saginaw at 10945 Dixie Highway in Birch Run, Michigan 48415. For more information, please call during normal business hours at: 1 (989) 624-9778. You can also log onto the tracks website at:
http://www.dixiemotorspeedway.com