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David Smith, Jr. NCRA Press/Contingencies (405) 740-4769 NCRA Sprint Opener at Dodge City/81 Speedway on Tap FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 26, 2009 - Park City, Kansas - The 20th anniversary season for the O'Reilly/NCRA sprint car division kicks off this coming Saturday night (May 2) at the beautiful Dodge City Raceway Park in Dodge City, Kansas and will be part of the "Steve King Foundation Sprint Car Nationals." From there the series will pick up and head east to 81 Speedway in Park City, Kansas for a special Sunday night service of dirt track sprint car racing. With the dawning of yet another race season under the NCRA banner, several story lines, intriguing ride changes and competitive crop of rookies are now planted to make this yet another competitive year for the NCRA sprint car series. Coming back to defend his first ever NCRA sprint car title and second ever series championship, 58 years young Mike Peters of Wichita, Kansas will again bring the family owned #51 back to the tour with Mid-America Millwright sponsorship. After taking a year off from the tour in 2008, Garry Lee Maier of Cimmaron will be back full time, this year teaming with the famed Ochs Brothers #1x in search for a fifth NCRA sprint car championship. Garry leads the series in career victories with sixty-one. 2001 National champion Zach Chappell of Talala, Oklahoma will be making his first career attempt at a NCRA season title as he has teamed up with veteran Jetmore, Kansas car owner Danny King and his #E85/Ethanol sponsored team. After some brief trial runs towards the end of the 2008 race season with good success, car owner Mark Burch of Lincoln, Nebraska will have a new driver aboard his Banana Wagon #1m as Giltner, Nebraska's Chad Humston will be his pilot with the focus on a NCRA championship run. And while some things change, others will remain the same as several drivers will once again be back with NCRA in 2009. They include the following drivers: Quinters C.J. Johnson who scored one feature victory and nine, top five finishes last year in his runner up finish in points. Mike Chadd of Lincoln, Nebraska considered retirement after the 2008 race season but upon learning that him and his father would be celebrating 25 years of racing in 2009, are back for one more shot at a second NCRA championship. 2008 NCRA rookie of the year Koby Barksdale from Norman, Oklahoma will once again hit the road with the series in 2009. Kobys lone feature victory during his Freshman season came at Dodge City Raceway Park on July 19th when he spun early, then found the top side of the track to his liking and shocked on lookers with his veteran performance. Other notable drivers who have made the NCRA sprint car division a success throughout recent years include J.D. Johnson, Gavin Punch, Jon Freeman, Luke Cranston, David Wheeler, A.J. Selenke, Marc Robe, Roger Lundquist, Cody Forshee, Allan Unruh, Jason Schroeder and Steve Richardson. Once again there will be a strong rookie presence with the series in 2009 as several drivers have indicated their intentions on competing for rookie of the year. They include Kansas drivers T.J. Cain of Wellington, Ty Williams of Liberal, Jordan Whitehead of Andover and brothers Patrick and Jeff Stasa of Kingman, Kansas. Also Oklahoma driver Kris Miller of Arnett and Trevor Grossenbacher of Holland, Nebraska. It all begins on Saturday night with the Steve King Foundation Sprint Car Nationals at Dodge City Raceway Park with pit gates set to open at 4:00 PM, hot laps at 6:00 PM and green flag racing set to begin at 7:30 PM. Dodge City Raceway Park is located at the corner of 14th Ave. and US 56 in Dodge City. For race information contact the track office (620) 225-3277 or promoter Ed Beckley (620) 789-0329 or via email [email protected]. You can also check out their website on the world wide web http://dodgecityraceway.com/. Sunday nights encounter at the home of NCRA, 81 Speedway in Park City, will see pit gates open at 4:00 PM with heat races set to begin at 7:00 PM. The new NCRA 305 sprint car series will also make its debut along with the Kansas Antique Racers. For more information concerning the 81 Speedway event, contact the track office (316) 755-1781 or look them up on the world wide web at http://www.81speedway.org/. In 2009, the O'Reilly/NCRA will begin their 39th consecutive season sanctioning races across the midwest. This year will see the series once again sanction races for the 360 sprint cars, late models and modifieds and also the new Oklahoma modified, sport modified and 305 sprint car divisions. For more information on the National Championship Racing Association, contact them at (316) 755-1781. To learn more on NCRA including schedules and rules for all six divisions, current point standings, driver profiles and the history of NCRA, check them out on the world wide web at http://www.ncraracing.org/. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dodge City Raceway Park Past NCRA sprint car feature winners: Koby Barksdale 07/19/08, Don Droud, Jr. 05/03/08, Garry Lee Maier 06/03/06, Gary Wright 08/19/05, Jason Martin 07/09/05, Gary Wright 05/25/05, Michael Woodruff 10/02/04, Michael Woodruff 07/02/04 Total: Michael Woodruff (2), Gary Wright (2), Garry Lee Maier, Koby Barksdale, Don Droud, Jr., Jason Martin (1). 81 Speedway Past NCRA sprint car feature winners: Brian Brown 09/27/08, Mike Peters 08/16/08, Derek Drown 06/14/08, Mike Chadd 06/07/08, J.D. Johnson 04/19/08, Garry Lee Maier 07/27/07, Andy Shouse 07/03/07, Garry Lee Maier 06/04/06, Preston Peebles 08/18/05, Danny Wood 05/02/05, Andy Shouse 05/09/04, Michael Woodruff 06/15/03, Steve King 05/26/02, Garry Lee Maier 09/01/01, John Blurton 09/02/00, Steve King 09/04/99, Clay Bontrager 10/11/98, Mike Peters 08/02/97, Kirby Hagens 10/06/96, Clay Bontrager 08/03/96, Garry Lee Maier 07/29/95, Mike Peters 08/13/94, Garry Lee Maier 07/09/94, Mike Peters 06/18/94, Clay Bontrager 10/02/93, Mike Peters 09/04/03, Clay Bontrager 08/14/93, Garry Lee Maier 07/03/93, Mike Chadd 06/12/93, Larry Neighbors 05/30/93, Garry Lee Maier 10/03/92, Scott Brown 07/18/92, Garry Lee Maier 07/18/92, Clay Bontrager 05/24/92, Garry Lee Maier 10/12/91, Garry Lee Maier 07/06/91, Garry Lee Maier 05/26/91, Garry Lee Maier 10/14/90, Jim Selenke 10/06/90, Jon Johnson 07/03/90, Garry Lee Maier 06/24/90 Total: Garry Lee Maier (13), Clay Bontrager, Mike Peters (5), Mike Chadd, Andy Shouse, Steve King (2), Jon Johnson, Jim Selenke, Scott Brown, Larry Neighbors, Kirby Hagens, John Blurton, Michael Woodruff, Danny Wood, Preston Peebles, J.D. Johnson, Derek Drown and Brian Brown (1). Past NCRA 360 Sprint Car Champions: 2008 Mike Peters 2007 Garry Lee Maier 2006 Garry Lee Maier 2005 Garry Lee Maier 2004 Michael Woodruff 2003 Steve King 2002 Steve King 2001 Dennis Park 2000 C.J. Johnson 1999 Jon Johnson 1998 Jon Johnson 1997 Dennis Park 1996 Dennis Park 1995 Larry Neighbors/Kirby Hagens 1994 Kevin Ramey 1993 Mike Chadd 1992 Scott Brown 1991 Garry Lee Maier 1990 John Blurton
David Smith Jr.
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