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2008 Ultimate Challenge Flies under the USAC Banner!

(Bill W) January 22, 2008 – For the first time in its seven year history, the popular Searsboro Telephone Company Ultimate Challenge will be sanctioned by the United States Auto Club (USAC)! The partnership ensures that the best in the non-wing sprint car business will be on hand, Tuesday, August 5, at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa!

The richest single day event in non-wing racing has become a staple for sprint car fans that descend on Iowa for Southern Iowa Sprintweek in early August. The popular event has been dubbed the "One Night Stand for 30 Grand" by many. The annual winner's share of $30,000 is unduplicated in non-wing sprint car racing.

"USAC is extremely excited to partner with the Ultimate Challenge," says USAC President Kevin Miller. "This is one of the most prestigious open wheel events in the country. The week of the Ultimate Challenge is obviously a great week for sprint car racing in Iowa, and USAC is proud to be a part of it. It's significant for our growth and our racers and takes us to another level. It gives our drivers a shot at a big purse. USAC has the premier drivers in open wheel racing today, and we want to make sure iconic races like this one are under the USAC banner."

The popular promoters of the event are Bill McCroskey and Terry McCarl, who together comprise McTwo Promotions. McCarl believes this is another shot in the arm for an event that is already popular. "We're assured of the greatest non-wing racers in the world with the greatest non-wing series," he says. "Bill and I have always strived to do what we can for the fans at Oskaloosa, and I feel this is going to be huge for them. The gentlemen that have me excited are Kevin Miller and (USAC Senior Vice-President of Race Operations) Jason Smith. They are both young, intelligent, and I believe they have a great vision for the future of USAC. Hopefully, we're giving them a premier event on their sprint car schedule. Bill and I started this event back in 2002 because we love non-wing racing. We could probably pay out a lot less than we do and still get a lot of cars, but we wanted to make this the biggest event in the non-wing world. I think this partnership will help us, and help USAC as well."

Past entries in the Ultimate Challenge have not been devoid of talent, but being on the USAC schedule assures that the best will be present. There have been nine USAC sprint car champions crowned in the past thirteen years, and all have competed at the Ultimate Challenge. Tony Stewart (USAC champ in '95), Brian Tyler ('96, '97), Tony Elliott ('98, '00), Dave Darland ('99), JJ Yeley ('01, '03), Tracy Hines ('02), Jay Drake ('04), Levi Jones ('05, '07) and Josh Wise ('06) have all tested themselves in the Ultimate Challenge. Of those champions, only Jones has risen above the stellar fields assembled to take home the $30,000 to win prize (2006).

Other Ultimate Challenge winners have included Travis Rilat ('02), Boston Reid ('03), Dickie Gaines ('04) and Jerry Coons Jr. ('06). This year's Ultimate Challenge is expected to be like the rest in that a variety of drivers from different forms of motorsports will test their mettle against the best.

McTwo Promotions hopes to attract race fans of all kinds in August. "I think this event holds a lot for any sprint car fan," says McCarl. "I know there are a lot of hardcore USAC fans out there, and we welcome them as well. Maybe they haven't made it to our event before. We want to attract them to this venue. Bill and I are sprint car historians just like many of the fans, and we'd love to have them! It also can give the winged fans a chance to see just as good or maybe better racing while they're in town!"

Unfortunately, the 2007 version of the Ultimate Challenge succumbed to heavy rains. Those who held tickets can renew them beginning February 19. All other seats become available April 1. Call McTwo Promotions Tuesday-Thursday beginning from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 515 957-0020 to renew your seats!

Infield Party Passes for the August 5 event will be $20 in advance or $25 the day of the race!

For more information on the Challenges or on TMAC Motorsports, visit www.TerryMcCarl.com.

If this post isn't results, stories or something c
constructive, it isn't me! 
@BillWMedia
www.OpenWheel101.com

Yes it does, that was the author's fault. Whoever that was...

If this post isn't results, stories or something c
constructive, it isn't me! 
@BillWMedia
www.OpenWheel101.com

How will this affect the car count?

This is good news!  Hope this increases the car count being under the USAC banner.  The big names have been there anyway over the years.  But it can't hurt anything by making it a points race.  Just hope T-Mac doesn't have to pay too much for a sanctioning fee.  He needs to make his fair share too.

Eric Arnold
Social Media Manager & Track Historian
Knoxville Raceway

Not sure about sanction fee but it will make all the drivers buy a USAC membership!

Drivers can run USAC Sprint Cars with a temporary permit.

I'm not sure how the rules will be affected, but I'm sure that USAC is more stringent with body panels. That might discourage a few winged guys from running.

Honestly, last year's field was probably one of the top couple fields I saw all year in sprint car competition. One heat lineup had Dustin Morgan, Robert Ballou, Levi Jones, Chad Boat, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Hunter Schuerenberg, Dave Darland, Rob Chaney, Cory Kruseman, and Dickie Gaines. I really hope that everyone shows up at this race like they did last year...

I thought Terry was an Outlaw? Heck, it happened to Jan too.;)

The Oval Nationals is a 3 day show.  The Ultimate Challenge is a single day event.

Don't matter who's in charge .... that race over the years is the hi-lite of my week. Dickie Gaines and Jesse Hockett bangin' wheels all the way down that long ol' front straightaway for a photo finish at the checkers is still one of the greatest races anyone will ever see. Hockett bailing out of his car and sprinting over to Gaines' for what everyone thought was "game on" so he grabbed him and instead shook his hand, that was class on Hockett's part and made him a whole bunch of new fans.

R. A.

S.H.S.

Thus, "A one night stand for 30 Grand"

Save your butt, get a colon screening TODAY

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How will the USAC sanctioning affect the qualifying format? Does McTwo still get to choose the method in which they determine which 24 get to start the race or is that now in USAC's hands?

How about provisionals?

lol

Just Curious, have some of recieved your rain date tickets or refund yet from last year? I was going to try and e-mail Lori yesterday but couldn't find the e-mail address.

Just recieved my refund tickets this week.

I love the non-wing stuff. Attica used to have a USAC sprint and midget show together. It was great. I don't know why they dropped them. it looked like a decent crowd. I received my refund months ago from the UC. I thought I read on one of Mctwo's press releases that you needed them sent in by the first of the year.

OK SO WHY MESS WITH ONE OF THE BEST RACES OUT THERE. IT WAS ONE OF THE FEW RACES LEFT LIKE THE OLD DAYS WHERE YOU NEVER KNEW WHO WOULD BE THERE WINGED GUYS NON WINGED GUYS NASCAR GUYS. I DONT KNOW ALL THE BIG USAC GUYS ALWAYS SHOWED UP ANYWAYS. HELL ITS 30K IT MADE IOWA SPEEDWEEK I SURE HOPE I AM WRONG. HOW MUCH IS A TEMP USAC LICENCE ANYWAY AND DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW DIFFERENT THE USAC PANNELS ARE COMPARED TO MOST OF THE WINGED CARS THAT RUN DURING THE WEEK.USAC IF YOU WANT TO KILL YOUR SILVER CROWN SERIES KNOCK YOUR SELF OUT BUT LEAVE OSKY ALONE

I am thinking like you are Moran. Why fix what isn't broke. It has been a true Outlaw deal in the fact that you never know who you were going to see there. The Ultimate Challenge & Wed Thur of the Nationals are the best races of the week. (All 3 days of the 360 Nationals would be next in order).