 Matt Hein begins NSRA title defense this weekendFor the teams of the ASA-sanctioned Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association, it has been a very long off-season. The NSRA historically has usually started its season around the end of March or in April, but in 2009 it is this, the last weekend of May, that the NSRA finally opens its season.For young Matt Hein of Roseburg, Oregon it also marks the beginning of his NSRA championship defense. Barely old enough to legally drink alcohol, Hein was crowned the champion in the winged 360 pavement sprint car series in 2008 after a late season surge that saw him win three races.In 2009, Hein will again be behind the wheel of the Hein Racing No. 98 Shaver-powered Beast, sponsored by Independent Motor Rebuilders, Tonka Excavation LLC, Long's Building Supply, C&R Striping Company and Oregon Tool & Supply. After his late season success earned him a championship, Matt Hein will be a marked man this year.That third win came at the same track where Hein will be racing this Friday and Saturday night, Meridian Speedway. The virtually flat, tight 1/4-mile oval sits a short drive west of downtown Boise, Idaho. The championship-clinching victory came on the first night of the two-night NSRA season finale last September.Matt finished the season 50 points ahead of season runner-up Sierra Jackson, and had four podium finishes, seven Top 5 finishes and nine Top 10 finishes in 13 races. He set quick time in qualifying five times, including setting a new all-time track record at Stateline Speedway in Post Falls, Idaho.Hein scored his first career NSRA victory on July 26th in the annual Art Pollard Memorial at Douglas County Speedway in his hometown of Roseburg. Hein got his second win on a bittersweet evening, taking the checkers in the Rory Price Memorial at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington on September 13th. That race was run in honor of the longtime respected racer whose fatal accident at the same track in 2006 still stings the Northwest racing community.This weekend is Meridian Speedway's annual Diamond Cup, where the race teams of the NSRA will take part in two nights of racing action. The NSRA schedule, in total, consists of 11 nights of action at six different tracks in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia. The bullring-style Meridian Speedway is by far the smallest track with Evergreen being the largest as an intimidating .646-mile factory of speed. Last year, Hein conquered both the smallest and largest tracks on the schedule.Hein and the NSRA will race at his hometown Douglas County Speedway twice, first on June 13th in the Casey Diemert Classic and again on August 29th in the Don Hein Memorial, which is raced in memory of his grandfather. Matt will race in eastern Washington twice, first on July 18th at the newly re-opened Spokane County Raceway and on August 1st at Ephrata Raceway Park for the annual Rebel Jackson event. The Rory Price Memorial will also be run again at Evergreen Speedway on September 12th. Matt and the NSRA teams are also scheduled to take a boat ride across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Vancouver Island for the prestigous two-night Daffodil Cup show, one of western Canada's biggest races, at Western Speedway in Victoria, British Columbia on August 14th and 15th.Matt also hopes to remove the wings and take part in some USAC Western States races when the opportunity arises. His focus for this weekend however, will be the NSRA season opening events at Meridian Speedway. Matt would like to thank all of his sponsors who are supporting him in 2009.- - -Matt Hein's sponsorsIndependent Motor Rebuilders
Tonka Excavation LLC.
Long's Building Supply
C&R Striping Company
Cam Cat Tractor
Oregon Tool & Supply
Dirksen & Sons Oil
Double R Powdercoatings
Shaver Race Engines
Kaedings Performance
Bell Helments
Douglas Welding Supply ASA/NSRA: http://www.nsraracing.com
Meridian Speedway - Meridian, ID: http://www.meridianspeedway.com
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