(Photo by TeeJay Crawford)
Inside Line Promotions – SOMERTON, Ariz. (Dec. 1, 2015) – A handful of the top 360ci competitors in the country will be venturing to Cocopah Speedway next month for the 2nd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown.
Aaron Reutzel, Wayne Johnson, Johnny Herrera and Seth Bergman, who finished first through fourth, respectively, in the 2015 ASCS National Tour championship standings, have indicated to event officials they are planning to tackle the marquee 410ci event at the 3/8-mile oval Jan. 1-2, Jan. 5 and Jan. 8-9.
“I’ve been counting down the days to this event since we left last January,” said Reutzel, who captured his first career 410ci feature victory during the final race of the inaugural Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown. “Getting a win out there was pretty special. It’s pretty cool knowing I’ve won one of them. It put my name out there. I wasn’t known. In the 410 world it’s a different deal. That event did a lot for my career. It’s definitely a great event.”
Reutzel capitalized on a standout performance during the first-ever Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown, which spring boarded him to his first career national championship.
Johnson and Herrera were on Reutzel’s heels all season long in the chase for the title with Johnson edging Herrera for the runner-up result. The two veterans will now return to Cocopah Speedway, where Herrera has several races under his belt but hasn’t competed in a 410.
“You can move around and there’s a lot of racing (at Cocopah Speedway),” he said. “Plus, the format is good. Sometimes you don’t qualify well and you get behind. At Winter Heat you have the qualifier so if you draw bad you can put yourself in position for the feature by passing some cars.”
Bergman, who registered his career-best season on the ASCS National Tour in 2015, will also take momentum into the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown, which features $12,000-to-win, $1,000-to-start races on Jan. 1-2 and Jan. 8-9 with a $5,000-to-win midweek event on Jan. 5.
“It’s important to stay fresh and there’s no better way to do that during the offseason than to race against the top drivers from across the country,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed racing at Cocopah Speedway and I think Winter Heat is turning into a can’t miss event. The money is great and you know the track will be racy. It’s also great from a learning standpoint to race five times in nine days at the same track. There are a lot of advantages to competing during this event.”
A tentative driver roster of competitors who have either sent in preregistration forms or verbally committed to competing is posted at http://CocopahWinterHeat.com/fan-info/driver-roster/.
Tickets for the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown, which include a free fan pit pass, are on sale at http://www.CocopahWinterHeat.com.
2016 WINTER HEAT SPRINT CAR SHOWDOWN –
Dates: Jan. 1-2, Jan. 5 and Jan. 8-9, 2016
Track: Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, Ariz.
Prize: $12,000-to-win, $1,000-to-start each night (Jan. 1-2, 8-9); $5,000-to-win (Jan. 5); approximately $250,000 total prize money
Type: 410ci sprint cars
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.CocopahWinterHeat.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CocopahShowdown
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WinterHeatSprintCarShowdown
TICKETS –
General admission tickets for the event are on sale by visiting http://www.CocopahWinterHeat.com. Kids 12 and under get in free. There is a discount for military members and senior citizens.
PAY-PER-VIEW –
Speed Shift TV will be broadcasting live Pay-Per-View video of the 2nd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown for only $24.95 per night. Also, a 20-percent discount is available for those who purchase all five nights. Visit http://www.SpeedShiftTV.com/WinterHeat for more information.
THE EVENT –
The 2nd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown will showcase the top sprint car drivers in the world in sunny Southwest Arizona during the first two weeks of January in 2016. The four weekend races pay $12,000 to the winner and at least $1,000 to every driver who advances to the main event with the midweek show paying $5,000 to win.
COCOPAH SPEEDWAY –
Cocopah Speedway is a semi-banked, 3/8-mile dirt track located in Somerton, Ariz. It has a concrete wall perimeter, television-quality lighting and the pits are located outside turns three and four. There is also dry camping free of charge on the property. For more information, visit http://www.CocopahSpeedway.com.
COMETIC GASKET –
Cometic Gasket, Inc., is a leading worldwide supplier of shelf stock, custom and short-run gaskets for the performance aftermarket, original equipment and motor sports industries. The company, which is located in Concord, Ohio, was created in 1989 and ships out more than 5,000 types of gaskets to customers worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.Cometic.com.
JE PISTONS –
JE Pistons is the leader in high performance forged pistons. Based in Irvine, Calif., the company has more than 60 years of experience and has a history of manufacturing the highest quality pistons and components that professional engine builders, race teams and high-performance enthusiasts trust and rely on. For more information, visit http://www.JEPistons.com.
K1 TECHNOLOGIES –
K1 Technologies, which is located in Mentor, Ohio, has many years in the field of designing, engineering and manufacturing connecting rods and crankshafts. For more information, visit http://www.K1Technologies.com.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.