(Photo by Justin Brester)
Inside Line Promotions – SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 13, 2016) – The 2nd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown was another huge success.
The average car count for the marquee 410ci winged sprint car event at Cocopah Speedway increased from 32 to 43.8 per night in addition to a noticeable growth in fans attending the five-race series the first two weeks of the year.
“When we decided to create the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown we knew the first year people would be wary of a new event,” Cocopah Speedway General Manager Greg Burgess. “We knew if we did a good job that it would show incredible growth into the second year, which it did. We are very grateful for the fans, drivers, teams and media who chose to spend the first part of the new year racing in the desert with us.”
Shane Stewart became the first driver to win multiple Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown features in the same event en route to claiming the 2016 championship and $4,000 prize thanks to Cometic Gasket, JE Pistons and K1 Technologies.
Dale Blaney, who finished eight points behind Stewart, ranked second with Daryn Pittman, Greg Hodnett and Danny Lasoski rounding out the top five, respectively. Those four drivers received a $1,500 bonus for placing second through fifth in the championship standings.
Here 2 Wire, Inc., awarded Hodnett a $1,000 bonus for scoring the most passing points throughout the event and Shark Racing a $500 bonus for the long haul award.
Drivers from 19 states as well as two Canadian provinces tackled the event with 31 competitors winning at least one heat race, qualifier, B Main or main event.
NASCAR star Kyle Larson was the only driver to have won a heat race, qualifier and main event.
Craig Dollansky and Ryan Smith were the only competitors to register a heat race, qualifier and B Main triumph.
Terry McCarl was the only racer with multiple heat race and qualifier victories.
Here is a look at some of the numbers for the 2016 Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown:
Average Car Count Per Night: 43.8
States Represented: 19 (plus two Canadian provinces)
Feature Winners: Shane Stewart – 2, Dale Blaney, Kyle Larson and Danny Lasoski
Feature Laps Led: Danny Lasoski – 54, Kyle Larson – 47, Dale Blaney – 30, Shane Stewart – 11 and Greg Hodnett – 8
Average Starting Position for Winner: 4.2
Hard Charger Awards: Shane Stewart – 2, D.J. Netto, Tasker Phillips and Joey Saldana
Average Positions Advanced for Hard Charger: 7.8
Heat Race Winners: Logan Forler – 3, Danny Lasoski – 3, Kyle Larson – 2, Terry McCarl – 2, Rico Abreu, Christopher Bell, Roger Crockett, Willie Croft, Craig Dollansky, Justin Henderson, Greg Hodnett, Jason Johnson, Steve Kinser, Austin McCarl, D.J. Netto, Daryn Pittman, Ryan Smith, Jason Solwold and Danny Wood
Qualifier Winners: Bill Balog – 2, Christopher Bell – 2, Bud Kaeding – 2, Terry McCarl – 2, Joey Saldana – 2, Jason Solwold – 2, Seth Bergman, Craig Dollansky, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Greg Hodnett, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Larson, Austin McCarl, Daryn Pittman, Logan Schuchart, Ryan Smith, Trey Starks, Shane Stewart and Tanner Thorson
B Main Winners: Rico Abreu – 3, Aaron Reutzel – 2, Dale Blaney, Roger Crockett, Craig Dollansky, Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Ryan Smith
Contingency Awards:
• Here 2 Wire, Inc. Hard Charger ($500 on Jan. 6): Tasker Phillips
• SpeedMart Hard Charger ($250 on Jan. 1, Jan. 2, Jan. 8, Jan. 9): Shane Stewart – 2, D.J. Netto, Joey Saldana
• Ron’s Lawn Service First Nonqualifier in a B Main ($150 on Jan. 6, Jan. 8, Jan. 9): Jacob Allen, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Parker Price-Miller
• Carlile Transportation Heavy Haul Division for Finishing Sixth in a B Main ($100 on Jan. 6, Jan. 8, Jan. 9): Brian Brown, Craig Dollansky, Logan Forler, Paul McMahan, Ryan Smith, Henry Van Dam
• TiLUBE Motorsport Lubricants Hard Charger ($75 each night): Shane Stewart – 2, D.J. Netto, Tasker Phillips, Joey Saldana
• TiLUBE Motorsport Lubricants First Nonqualifier in a B Main ($50 each night): Logan Forler – 2, Rico Abreu, Danny Lasoski, Henry Van Dam
Stay tuned to http://www.CocopahWinterHeat.com for news about potential dates and details about a 3rd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown.
FINAL POINTS STANDINGS –
.1. 2-Shane Stewart 920; 2. 1b-Dale Blaney 912; 3. 9k-Daryn Pittman 887; T4. 121-Greg Hodnett 864; T4. 33-Danny Lasoski 864; 6. 83-Joey Saldana 852; 7. 24-Terry McCarl 803; 8. 88n-D.J. Netto 777; 9. 1g-Christopher Bell 767; 10. 21b-Brian Brown 738; 11. 3c-Craig Dollansky 730; 12. 24r-Rico Abreu 725; 13. 9-Ryan Smith 716; 14. 7-Paul McMahan 714; T15. 41-Jason Johnson 702; T15. 7t-Tasker Phillips 702; 17. 18-Jason Solwold 685; 18. 17a-Austin McCarl 672; 19. 11c-Roger Crockett 671; 20. 49-Tanner Thorson 666; 21. 2l-Logan Forler 664; 22. 68-Chase Johnson 642; 23. 55-Aaron Reutzel 626; 24. 21-Robbie Price 614; 25. 2c-Wayne Johnson 597; 26. 33v-Henry Van Dam 584; 27. 11-Steve Kinser 578; 28. 4s-Michael Kofoid 570; 29. 1a-Jacob Allen 562; 30. 57-Kyle Larson 561; 31. 99-Skylar Gee 554; 32. 17b-Bill Balog 552; 33. 55t-Trey Starks 550; 34. 41s-Dominic Scelzi 537; 35. 1s-Logan Schuchart 500; 36. 97-Parker Price-Miller 499; 37. 6g-Bryan Gossel 485; 38. 26-Bud Kaeding 448; 39. 5h-Willie Croft 429; 40. 23-Seth Bergman 420; 41. 15h-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 392; 42. 81w-Danny Wood 385; 43. 1m-Jim Moughan Jr. 358; 44. 45x-Johnny Herrera 346; 45. 17w-Bryan Clauson 321; 46. 4-Kasey Kahne 294; 47. 1-Justin Henderson 202; 48. 9r-Reece Goetz 2.
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.
POINTS FUND –
The 2nd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown features a $10,000 points fund thanks to Cometic Gasket, JE Pistons and K1 Technologies. The driver who garners the most overall points throughout all five races receives $4,000 for winning the championship with drivers finishing second through fifth each recording a $1,500 bonus.
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 gaskets and engine sealing solutions for the Automotive Performance, Powersports, Original Equipment and Remanufactured Engine Industries. Housed in a 70,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing center in Concord, Ohio, Cometic Gasket has maintained its deep roots in the powersports industry while expanding to service the Automotive Performance, Domestic Automotive, Sport Compact, V-twin, Marine, Diesel, Agricultural, Industrial and Stationary Power markets. Today, Cometic Gasket offers over 85,000 SKUs, shipping gaskets and engine sealing solutions across the globe. All Cometic products are made in the United States with materials manufactured on American soil. 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 produces “RACEREADY” connecting rods and crankshafts at very affordable prices. K1’s connecting rods and crankshafts are made to our designs and are held to some of the tightest accepted tolerances in the racing industry. More attention is shown to finish work than comparable products. A wide variety of sizes and applications are available, from Sport Compact sizes through Small Block and Big Block Chevy and Mopar, including some custom and specialty sizes. Our unique design, which is original to the K1 Technologies line of connecting rods, saves weight without sacrificing strength. K1 Technologies strives to bring our customers a high-quality connecting rod at an affordable price, while providing world-class customer service. 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.