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Elko Spring Dirt Nationals Opens UMSS Season

HEADLINE: ELKO SETS DATES AND TIMES FOR SPRING DIRT NATIONALS

By Jim Burns, Elko Speedway

Elko, MN January 12, 2012--Officials at Elko Speedway have announced the dates, times and competing classes for the 2012 SPRING DIRT NATIONALS at the 3/8ths mile speed plant! The opening action of the 2012 racing season will be held on Friday and Saturday April 20th and 21st and includes GREAT RACING action in the UMSS Winged Outlaw Sprint Cars along with the Elko Modifieds, IMCA-style Stock Cars, Legends and Hornets both nights! The racing schedule for each night is the same with Pit Gates set to open at 2pm, Spectator Gates opening at 5pm with a Drivers Meeting set for 5:30pm, Hot Laps at 6pm and the Green Flag flying at 7pm. Of special note for Legends drivers, the Saturday night racing program will be a National Dirt Qualifying event, so expect big car counts and awesome side by side action in all divisions!

For competitors and crew members, a special 2 DAY pit pass is available for $55 or $30 per day. Spectator tickets are available for $15 per day general admission or $20 per day for a reserved seat. For directions or other event questions, feel free to visit the Elko Speedway website at www.elkospeedway.com or call the Racing Office (Saturdays only in the off-season) at (952) 461-7223. Join us for "down and dirty" action at the Midwest Center for Speed as we kickoff the 2012 racing season with the Spring Dirt Nationals on April 20th and 21st!

Addendum by Greg Parent, UMSS Media Director...

The UMSS Sprints put on two fantastic racing programs last fall at the inaugural Fall Dirt Nationals, and area fans can expect more exciting UMSS action this spring on the dirt at Elko. Each night will feature a complete racing program high-lighted by a 25-lap feature event. The Friday night feature will pay $1,000 to win while the Saturday night show will pay $2,000 to win based on 20 (or more) car fields. The Friday program will consist of heats and a feature while the Saturday program will utilize the standard UMSS format of heats, challenge races and a feature event. Contact Elko Speedway for further information regarding the Spring Dirt Nationals or UMSS CDO Ron Bernhagen at 612-363-5302 for questions pertaining to the UMSS portion of the event. Visit the UMSS website at www.umsprints.com for more info about the series.

Click on the following link for the Spring Dirt Nationals poster and event information.

http://www.elkospeedway.com/spring-dirt-nationals/

I'm looking forward to kicking off the UMSS season next weekend at the Elko Spring Dirt Nationals. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can get two full shows in with some entertaining winged sprint car racing action on the dirt at Elko. See you at the track!

Me to Greg, will give you a call later this week to let you know about Elko for help. I should be receiving my new Microphone this week, so we can do interviews, and now I will be plugged into the announcer so we can here the race being called on the videos. I think the go pro camera will be a hit this year as well, and things should be alot better this year than last!!!!!!

If the car holds together after my Amature repairs I'll be there on Saturday. Friday is out of the question though. Road work on I35e and the cost of parking along with car problems nixed any chance of both nights. Plan B will be CLS if I don't feel like I can trust the Merc to drive back through the Cities at Midnight. Risking a break down in the country closer to home at an earlier hour is preferred.

Stan Meissner

How many sprints can we expect?

My car repair seems to be holding together so I plan on being at Elko on Saturday. I see that it's a five class program with hotlaps at 6 and racing at 7. Preliminary forecast sunny with a high of 55 and a low of 38 so it sounds like it will be a little cool later on but it should be decent.

Stan Meissner

If it's sunny I'll be able to take some photos from the nosebleed section like the one in GRP's press release. Gotta have good light for those but I love that angle.

Stan Meissner

Forecast is shaping up to be overcast on Saturday as we get closer to the weekend. There will be no affect on the racing (probably better if the track retains more moisture) but the light conditions might not be conducive to grandstand shots. Plan B in the works...

Stan Meissner

These early season shows are not easy to predict car counts. There are always a few cars waiting on motors, etc. We are hearing of several different cars/drivers that could be heading to Elko, but I won't post names and then have fans say the famous "but you said he/she would be there and they weren't" saying. Heard some interesting names, and I have even chatted with a few. I am thinking around the 20 mark on Friday and likely a few more than that on Saturday. Nearly all of the Elko shows have produced decent car counts (for this area). Several of our area regular competitors will be strong contenders, as they typically are. I'm looking forward to some exciting winged sprint car racing at Elko this weekend. For the most part, when the UMSS has raced at Elko during the past couple of years, we've been able to put on an entertaining show. Those two UMSS races last fall were some of the best sprint car racing I've seen in recent years, and that is most definitely thanks to the drivers that were on hand. Hope we can see more of the same this weekend with decent weather and safe racing for all. It' about having fun, and we are fixing to do that on Friday and Saturday.

Let me know what you need Mark. What time will you be out at the track on Friday?