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Wyatt Captures Penton Track Championship
Matthew Wyatt shown above with the hammer down while racing his way to becoming the 2008 Penton Track Champion.
11.17.08 When the Slingshot teams rolled in to Penton, AL back in March, returning track champion Shawn Cater was certainly the favorite in the chase for the track championship. However, newcomer Matthew Wyatt was determined to make his mark in his first year of Slingshot racing. Wyatt did exactly that by notching the Penton track championship in his first year piloting a Slingshot.
Wyatt a 12 year old from Cumming, GA and a student at Little Mill Middle School got his start behind the wheel running quarter midgets as a member of the North Georgia Quarter Midget Association. Matthew posted four wins in the 2008 season in addition to his track championship. Not only did Wyatt have the other Gulf Coast drivers to contend with during his first season, he also had older sister Montana who notched her first National win in her first season of Slingshot racing. When not behind the wheel of a Slingshot, Matthew spends his time out in the woods with his dad James during their many weekends of hunting together. Matthew is anxious to jump back in the car for his second season as Wyatt Racing is making plans on attending the February National in FL and making a stop in PA during the 2009 season.
Finishing second in the Penton track championship was Shawn Cater in the United Rental, C&C Motorsports Slingshot followed by Chris Achenbach in the Lucas Oil, Martins Restaurants, CMA Motorsports Slingshot.
Ray Evernham and Kenny Francis contribute to structural and safety advancements in SpeedSTR race cars.
Left Photo: shows some additions to the cage and side rails to prevent intrusion by another car. This was how Sprint Car Driver Jeff Shepard was severely hurt recently. Right Photo: Ray Evernham and Kenny Francis discussing SpeedSTR's at Friendship Speedway in NC.
11.16.08 The Inaugural SpeedSTR season concluded in November with great success. Rich "Toby" Tobias Jr. launched a new series for 2008 to give the Slingshot teams a natural progression into a larger more powerful race car and for race teams in other divisions that are finding their program getting to costly with poor purse structures. The SpeedSTR series combines economics and excellent purses that allow racing to actually "Make Sense". These cars perform on both Dirt and Asphalt giving drivers the experience and opportunity to be become more diverse. The SpeedSTR's have proven to be an excellent transition for young drivers and experienced drivers to hone their skills in front of National coverage on both surfaces. 2008 found Nascar's Ray Evernham, Kenny Francis (Kasey Kahne's crew chief), and Erin Crocker all competing in the series. With these Nascar Influences involved in the STR series the opportunities=2 0are astronomical.
A SpeedSTR is self starting, open wheel race car that is constructed of 1020 DOM tubing, has a 72" wheel base, and are powered by a 2.4 liter dual overhead cam Mopar engine with Hilborne injection, fueled with Methanol. A complete race ready STR retails for only $17,466.30. These race cars feature safety items such as full containment seats, a larger cockpit, a wider wheel base, and a lower center of gravity than traditional midgets. An aluminum top wing is designed to allow the cars to perform like a wingless racecars, but gives the drivers an added safety item with crushability in the event of getting upside down. The upper cage halo has a smaller opening than the width of the front bumper to prevent intrusion in the event of an accident. No brake rotor under your seat, one Wilwood caliper is located in the left rear wheel area. After a full season of competition, Tobias decided a couple of upgrades would be a good idea for the division. Because all cars are created equal, these upgrades are easily transitioned into the rules, where most divisions have various rule systems. 2009 upgrades will see STR's with higher side rails and a higher side cage bar, both improvements are designed to be safer in the event of side impacts. The front nose area is designed with more crush to absorb head-on impacts, and the cockpit has even more room and will be equipped with foot plates.
The parity in the SpeedSTR's was shown with 10 different winners in 13 events. The STR's were designed to be equal and these stats prove it. Only 2 drivers won more than one race all season. The graduates from the Slingshot division captured a very impressive 4 victories and claimed 3 out of the top four spots in the final points standings. Dirt Modified drivers who competed in the series captured 5 checkered flags.
In just one season this20division has expanded to 2 new regions for 2009 showing their stability. Ray Evernham has decided to bring the STR's to the Charlotte area, while Martin Roy and Carl Labonte of RevStar have brought the STR's to Canada for the 2009 season. With these additional regions in place, 2009 will surely be exciting. Plans are in motion to have National events in which all three regions will compete. To become the 2009 National Champion, a team will have specified requirements to compete in a percentage of these National events.
With today's tough economy the SpeedSTR's are the answer to "Affordable Racing". When Tobias designed these cars, he set out to answer these 9 complaints in auto racing and after the inaugural season the STR's have proven to accomplish that and Tobias is determined to continue this tradition for a long time.
Overall Costs Are Out Of Hand – A complete SpeedSTR Race Car costs less than most division’s entire engine packages; also the cost to compete on a week-to-week basis is designed to be more economical than most divisions. See the attached comparison sheet showing the economics of the engine, roller, shocks, tires, wheels, etc. to other divisions
Big Dollar Teams Always Run Up Front – You will have the peace of mind that you have what every other SpeedSTR team has on a week-to-week and year-to-year basis. No more complaining that the big dollar teams have something better than you
Rules Are Different Everywhere I Go - Owner Rich Tobias will “NEVER” allow any non SpeedSTR specific racecars to compete within his series; there will be “Continuity of the Rules” at all tracks in all States. No more Track Promoters lining their pockets by making rule changes to benefit them.
Purses Have Been The Same Forever – One of owner Rich Tobias’s pet peeves is that drivers of yesterday and today are simply “Circus Performers”. The owners are always in the RED at season's end, unless they have sufficient marketing dollars. Rich’s goal is to have a series where the owners can actually earn a positive cash flow with their race team. SpeedSTR Purses will be structured accordingly.
Can’t Pass! To Many One-Groove Tracks – It is not generally the tracks fault. The cars of today are so technologically equipped which allows them to lock down on certain areas of the track, which produces one fast groove. The SpeedSTR on the other hand uses simple basic equipment so it is up to the teams Chassis Knowledge and the Drivers Ability to make their cars competitive, allowing multiple grooves of racing. All SpeedSTR’s are created equal
Dirt vs. Asphalt - The SpeedSTR gives teams the ability to compete on both Dirt and Asphalt without having 2 different race cars. For those of you who have aspirations on moving up to professional levels of Motorsports, you must get asphalt experience and the SpeedSTR allows you to compete on both surfaces.
Resale Value –Spec racecars such as the Legends and the Slingshots generally only loose 20-30% of their value where most open division cars loose 50-60 %.
Lack Of Time To Prepare Racecars – For those of you currently racing full body cars, there is no verbiage to express the ease of working on an open wheel car versus a full body car. For you open wheel guys, you know what we are talking about.
Self-Starting – The SpeedSTR is a self-starting car with a clutch system. A self-starting car provides numerous conveniences at the shop and track. For most of you full body owners you know what we mean, and for you open wheel guys you will soon see.
Look for a full press release with all the details about this exciting 3 day Winter get away in Florida!
SpeedSTR's and Slingshot's to appear at The National Parts Peddler Show
11.10.08 Speedway Entertainment will have both of their feature divisions on hand at the National Parts Peddler Show in Syracuse, NY November 21, 22, and 23. This exciting event draws fans, teams, and promoters from the Northeast Region for the past 29 years. Come see Rich Tobias (owner of Speedway Entertainment), Martin Roy and Carl Labonte (Co-owners of RevStar, Canadian SpeedSTR dealers). These guys will be on hand to answer any questions of both the Slingshot and the SpeedSTR divisions. There are allot of exciting plans being worked on for 2009, take time to attend this show to get all the inside information.
Slingshot "Odds and Ends"
11.08.08 Special thanks to anyone and everyone who raced a Slingshot at a weekly track or any of the tour races during the 2008 season. Entrant participation increased again in 2008 and with new tracks looking to make Slingshots part of their regular program in 2009 an increase is again likely. Congrats to all track and tour champions. A hearty clap of the hands to our 2 new National Champions, Ben "Flipper' Whitaker in the Regular Class and Joseph Kata III the 2008 Junior National Champion. Great job by everyone.
A special mention to one of the youngest regular class champions in the history of the Slingshots. Tucker Rae took home the track champion honors at Paradise Speedway in Geneva, NY. The young speedster started the season as a 13 year old looking to go fast and ended the season as a 14 year old champion. Tucker looked right at home in the Paradise National wheeling it out with some of the best Slingshot drivers in the country.
Shellhammers has taken the Slingshots on as a semi-regular class in 2009 with 9 dates being scheduled with the opening night tentatively slated as a tour race. With these dates, Shellhammers track points can be used toward the National Championship points at season's end.
Bridgeport has contacted SE about having the Slingshots there once a month from April to Sept. for Friday night racing action. More info when received.
The Special Award nominees were named and all nominees will be mentioned at the Awards Banquet. The winner will be named at the banquet and not earlier. As many of you know the date was moved to Feb.14th to eliminate any problems with anyone attending the Linda's Banquet on Feb.7th.
Slingshot merchandise is available as a nice Christmas item. T-shirts and caps are on sale.Shirt sizes range from adult S to adult XXXL. Caps are adjustable.
Nice reply from Rumble Series promoter Tony Barhorst thanking everyone that made the effort to tow to Columbus for the Buckeye Bowl. Fans complimented Tony on his scheduling of the Slingshots and the added excitement they presented to the overall program.
Many Slingshot drivers this season have found the calling as Ryan Smith found success in the USAC Silver Crown series and in a 410 sprint car in the highly competitive Central PA region. "Nitro" Nick Pecko was the 2008 SpeedSTR Champion as well as getting some asphalt modified track time with Billy VanInwegen, Jr getting seat time in a 305 sprint car and also being a SpeedSTR threat. Kyle Rohner and Anthony Perrego are quickly becoming forces in the sportsman classes at Accord and Orange County Fair Speedway. Kevin Albert has been getting his seat time in a 358 small block modified at Big Diamond with Paul Lotier,Jr also finding time to run the ATQMRA Series and Ben Whitaker getting his Late Model around Penn Can on Friday nights. Mike Mahaney has become one of the Young Guns in modified competition in the Central NY area. The Slingshots have launched many racing careers, hopefully yours will be next.
The 2009 Slingshot by Tobias Rule book is near completion with no real drastic changes.
Gulf Coast dealer Keith Achenbach is looking to get a few new tracks in GA to entertain the thoughts of having select Slingshot events in 2009 as part of their programs.
Working to revamp the tour schedule in 2009 with the possibility of having a National or 2 near the beginning of the season to eliminate the chances of rainouts leaving everyone short of the recommended 4 races.
Battle on the Boardwalk entries have been mailed out by Sammons Racing Productions. There will be a maximum number of entries for the Slingshot event. Please enter ASAP to avoid being left out.
Slingshot drivers find great success in the SpeedSTR Series
Photo 1:Kenny Francis (Kasey Kahne's crew chief), Willy Evernham, Nick Pecko, and Billy VanInwegen.
Photo 2: Paul Lotier, Kyle Hieber,
and Steve Hicks have some laughs with Ray Evernham at his race shop. 11.07.08 The Slingshot by Tobias graduates have found great success in the SpeedSTR series. Rich Tobias the founder of the Slingshot division launched his newest creation in 2008, the SpeedSTR's. SpeedSTR's were designed to give Slingshot teams a natural progression to a larger more powerful vehicle with the same economical aspects along with a purse structure that makes better sense than most full size vehicles. An added bonus also came along in '08, Ray Evernham an icon in the Nascar world fielded 2 cars for both himself and his nephew (Willy). Evernham's presence in the STR fields gave Slingshot graduates an added perk of performing in front of Nascar influences. 5 Slingshot teams took full advantage of this series and one would find himself earning the first ever SpeedSTR series presented by Weikel Racewear National Championship.
Steve Hicks - Competed in the Slingshot division for 8 years gaining 15 feature wins, won the '06 North East Regional Championship, second in the '05 Southern series points, second in the '06 Speedweeks, and third in the '07 Weikel Warrior series. Hicks was the first to purchase an STR for '08. He would open the season with a solid second place run on the pavement at the Shenandoah Speedway behind a USAC Silver Crown Superstar, Gary Hieber. Hicks was on the podium 3 times in '08 and would finish the season 4th in the series point standings.
Billy VanInwegen Jr. - The 2007 Slingshot National Champion fielded an STR this past season as part of the Evernham Racing for a Reason program. VanInwegen had great success in the Slingshot division during his 4 year presence. In '04 he became the youngest ever feature winner at the Penn Can Speedway at age 11, VanInwegen won the Hamlin Speedway points title in '06. Overall he captured 21 victories and 2 championships. The VanInwegen's are a showcase of family and racing. On opening night of the '08 season at Hamlin Speedway Billy Jr. won the Slinger feature, his sister Emily won the "B" Main, and good ole dad (Billy Sr.) won the Super-Slinger feature. Billy V's progression to the more powerful STR's was natural, he would be on the podium 5 times and finished just 4 points out of second behind Willy Evernham in the overall points standings. Billy V. was a threat in so many events, but the victory just eluded him by the slimmest of margins.
Paul Lotier Jr. - The son of legendary 410 sprint car driver, Paul Lotier Sr. powered a Slingshot for 3 seasons and earned 10 feature wins, which included 3 tour events (Borger's Nationals, Shenandoah, and Linda's). Lotier Jr. jumped in a SpeedSTR after the 3rd race of the season and took his Slinger background to the track with him. Lotier Jr. would claim an STR victory at the 5/8 superspeedway of Selinsgrove. He was flawless the entire night, winning the shootout and the feature events. Lotier Jr. joined the STR series a bit late but would secure 8th in the series points standings.
Kyle Hieber - The son of USAC Sliver Crown standout Gary Hieber Sr. competed in the Slingshot division for 3 seasons. Kyle would produce 3 feature wins and this season ('08) he would claim the Weikel Warrior and the Weikel Select championships. '08 certainly was Hieber's breakout year, he would be nominated for Driver of the Year, 3rd in MA Silver series points, 2nd in the Empire series, 10th in the MA Gold series, and would win a feature event on both the dirt and the pavement. Mid way through the SpeedSTR season, Hieber would get the opportunity to get behind the wheel of an STR on the pavement at Shenandoah Speedway and would come home a very respectable 6th. When the STR's headed down south to the Friendship Speedway, Hieber would show everyone how talented this young man is. Friendship Speedway would be just Hieber's second time on the dirt in an STR and he would take home the victory in the qualifying shootout event and would lead the first 13 laps of the 20 lap feature event.
Nick Pecko - Has a Slingshot resume that most drivers would trade anything for. Pecko's 5 1/2 year career in the Slingers brought him 66 feature wins, 4 championships (3 at Hamlin Speedway and the '06 National Championship), also was honored with the '04 Openwheelracers.com driver of the year. Two of Pecko's favorite feature wins were the "Spring into Summer 60 lapper" at Hamlin and the "Outten Chevrolet 50 lapper" at Linda's Speedway. With this impressive resume it was no surprise he would also captured the first ever SpeedSTR series Championship. Pecko was on the podium an impressive 8 times, most of any driver in '08, he would secure 3 victories (1 on pavement and 2 on dirt). The diversity of this youngster was impeccable all season long.
The
Slingshot series is nationally known for "Launching Racing Careers."
Now the Slinger teams have a vehicle that is a perfect transition
for advancing those established abilities. The SpeedSTR's have
proven to be an excellent transition for young drivers to hone their
skills in front of National coverage on both the dirt and the
pavement. With the Nascar Influences involved in the STR series the
opportunities are astronomical.
Carman Finds Silver Lining on Slingshot Tour
2008 Mid-Atlantic Silver Point Champion, Matt "The Flemington Flyer" is shown above after a recent Feature win at The Outback Oval at Oswego, NY. Photo by Mike Feltenberger © 2008 www.StrappedInRacing.com
11.06.08 "The Flemington Flyer" Matt Carman was a contender in every northeast Slingshot by Tobias Tour in 2008. The immaculate # 2 could be counted on to be near the front of every race he entered. An astonishing 8 of Matt's feature finishes were in the top 4 with 3 of them being "A" Main wins. This is an incredible feat considering there were only 14 Mid-Atlantic Silver events on the 2008 schedule. Wins at Shenandoah, Borgers and the nationally recognized Nostalgia Nationals at the Reading Fairgrounds bolstered his climb to the top. With only 2 finishes outside the top 10,it was apparent, the Carman Racing Team had the right setups on the big tracks, small tracks, dirt tracks and asphalt tracks. Coincidentally Matt's 2 worst finishes were at Linda's, but he had enough to lay claim to the $250 point champion money to be dispersed at the Slingshot Banquet.
Honey Brook, PA's "Flyin' Female" Kaitie McCardle's move to the regular class gave her a chance to mix it up with some of the most feared veterans in the Slingshot division and she proved to be a feared competitor as well with wins at Shenandoah and Bridgeport on her way to a runner-up finish in the final point chase.With 4 other top 3 finishes added to her wins, she showed her driving talents were ready for the promotion. The Dave McCardle prepared Marsh Creek / BTM # 11 was dialed in on the asphalt tracks with 3 top 3 finishes on that type of track surface. Kaitie's Silver Tour finish will see her accepting a check for $150 at the February 14th Awards Banquet.
The orange 66 of Kyle Hieber slotted in at 3rd when the final MA Silver Tour tally was completed and "The Langhorne Laser" used a win at Shenandoah along with 5 other top 5 finishes to get the final podium spot after the 14 tour races were completed.2 off-weeks for Kyle at Borgers and Reading quite possibly prevented him from making headway into the top 2 spots when the final points were counted. The 2008 Weikel Select and 2008 Weikel Complete Champion will see an additional $100 added to his point fund total for his 3rd place run.
Making an impact on the MA Silver Tour in 2008 were opening night tour winner Gary Hieber who added 4 more top 6 runs to settle in at 4th for the 2008 MA Silver season. Mike Carman used a top 3 run at Borgers and Bridgeport along with his consistent top 10 finishes to round out the top 5.
Returning to Shellhammers as a Slingshot runner former karter Rob Marino remembered how he got around the Leesport, PA oval in his April 12th run to the front. Marino, the Empire Region Champion also had 3 strong runs at Shenandoah to end his MA Silver season 6th.
The always well maintained 77H of "The Kid from Kutztown" Jordan Henn saw a 4th place finish at Borgers as his best finish in the MA Silver Tour but steady runs at the remaining 10 races entered logged him in with a final points finish of 7th.
Paul Lotier,Jr. had a demanding race schedule in other classes of racing forcing this Lebanon, PA charger to be satisfied with 8th at the conclusion of the season. Nate "The Meat Man" Christman had to juggle a tough workload at the family meat business and his schedule was adhered to accordingly. A few scheduled events on the Christman schedule were rained out thus finding Nate 9th when it was over. "Dyno" Dave McCullough, the roofer from Horsham, PA gave it everything he had aboard the County Roofers 7X and his 4 top 6 runs in 7 events were just enough to give the 2007 Co-Sportsmanship of the Year Award winner a fitting end with 10th in points.
Other MA Silver tour winners not making the final 10 were Mike Glass who won the June 27th Linda's main, Shannon Smith put the hot pink 23 to the front of the pack at Kutztown on May 21st and Jim Housworth laid claim to the August 30 triumph at Greenwood Valley.
98 drivers earned points on the MA Silver Tour giving this a turnaround of 27 new faces earning points from 2007.
2008 Mid-Atlantic
Silver Final Points:
1. 1305 Matt Carman # 2 Flemington, NJ 2. 1097 Kaitie McCardle # 11 Honey Brook, PA 3. 1071 Kyle Hieber # 66 Langhorne, PA 4. 1036 Gary Hieber # 56 Langhorne, PA 5. 1013 Mike Carman # 747 Flemington, NJ 6. 876 Rob Marino # 13 Frenchtown, NJ 7. 821 Jordan Henn # 77H Kutztown, PA 8. 607 Paul Lotier,Jr # 7L Lebanon, PA 9. 606 Nate Christman # 37 Oley, PA 10 579 Dave McCullough # 7X Horsham, PA 11. 566 Mike Glass # 2 Womelsdorf, PA 12. 534 Brett Bieber # 32 Oley, PA
***IMPORTANT UPDATE***
Speedway Entertainment Awards Banquet has been Rescheduled and will be held, Saturday February 14th, 2009 for both Slingshots and SpeedSTR's.
11.06.08: 2008 was an exciting year for auto racing and everyone involved in Speedway Entertainment built race cars. This was the inaugural season for the new SpeedSTR by Tobias Series and was the biggest and most attended Slingshot tour season ever. The young talent improved with every outing and those "Lady Racers" who won several events has done a lot for the future of the Slingshots.
All Weekly, Regional, an d National Champions for the Slingshots, the SpeedSTR National, Pavement, and Dirt Champion and all Special Awards winners for both Divisions will be honored at the 2008 Speedway Entertainment Awards Banquet.
Location, Costs, and RSVP
Contact
· The 2008 Awards Banquet will be held on Feb. 14th, 2009 at the Lantern Lodge Conference 20 Center from 5 PM to 11 PM. The Lantern Lodge is located on Rt 501 about 200 yards north of Rt 422. Actual Address is: 411 North College Street, Myerstown, PA 17067. Phone is 717-866-6536, 717-866-9345, 800-262-5564.
· Tickets are $ 42.00 each.
· Seating capacity is 350 people. There will be no limit to the number of tickets that can be purchased. Will be a first come first serve basis, so do not delay.
· The tables will be in groups of 8. It will be open seating and seats can be held for family and team members, please do not hold more than needed.
· There is no minimum age. In an effort to keep banquet costs down, we have worked out an agreement with the Lantern Lodge for Under 13 banquet tickets. Any person 13 and under will receive a reduction of $10.00 for their banquet ticket. Please contact Mike at Speedway Entertainment via email, phone, or FAX with the number of guests in your party under 13 it will help in getting an approximate count for soft drinks.
· There will be a cash bar, Soda is included.
· Special room rates are available at the Lantern Lodge upon request. When making your reservation, please ask for the Speedway Entertainment rate which will be 81.00. To view the Lantern Lodge rooms and banquet facilities please go to www.thelanternlodge.com.
· For more banquet info, please call Mike at 717-866-7450 or email him at speede61@aol.com. Reminder we will need an email, call, or FAX with the number of guests in your party under 13.
Order of Events and Menu
(times are approximate)
· Doors will open at 5 PM
· Food to be served at 5:30 until 7 PM. Food menu will consist of: Soup / Salads / Roasted Red Potatoes / Carrots in butter / Rice Pilaf / Chicken Picatta / Sliced Virginia Ham / Top Round Beef / Cakes, pies, puddings / Rolls, bread & butter / coffee of hot tea
· Awards starting at 6:45.
· Door prizes, Chinese Auction, and Music promptly after the awards.
· Dancing will be until 11PM. Banquet will also close at 11 PM.
Entertainment
· Music and DJ service will be provided by PJ Knap Productions.
· "The Voice of Choice" Barry Angstadt to oversee the banquet MC'ing.
· Ray Nemeth Jr, Lisa Gray, & Speedway Entertainment have all confirmed donations to the door prizes or the Chinese Auction. Any donations for either are greatly appreciated. The Chinese Auction amassed over $600 for the National Champion's Charity of Choice.
Important Information
· Business/Casual dress will be asked of for all guests. We strongly suggest everyone portrait themselves in a professional manner. Please no torn jeans, t-shirts, or hats.
· All winners will be getting their photos taken.
· Some of the auto racing writers will be in attendance, please do not be afraid to give any team news to them or make yourself available for interviews.
· Last year we made Ernie Saxton's column in AARN regarding our appearance for photos and the casual dress code and it made for some complimentary responses from other press members.
· Both Regular and Junior Champions will have photos taken for racing publications and websites. Last year's champions had photos taken alone, with crew and with family. We will do the same thing this year as well as the top finishers in the Tour events and the weekly track champions.
· The Special Award nominees will be announced shortly.
· All tour monies will be paid at this banquet.
Additional Speedway Entertainment News:
The 2009 Rule Book and Tour Schedule will be worked on beginning Nov.3rd.
FYI. The BCTV Strapped In TV show about Slingshot Racing was a MAJOR SUCCESS. Studio calls, website hits and overall viewer ship was one of the highest in Strapped In's 4 year history. To watch it go to www.bctv.org and hit the Archived Programs find Strapped In Sept 24 and hit the View Link.
Best Appearing Car Most Improved Award Rising Star Mechanic of the Year # 1c Branden Clauss Brad Arnold Cody Kline Darryl Carman # 20 Jan Acker Rob Marino Seth Wilson Gary Hieber # 7L Paul Lotier,Jr Rick Allen Bobby Hackel, Jr John Schott # 121 John Mann Brett Bieber Kaitie McCardle Dave Christman # 1 Bill Weaver Jordan Henn Emily VanInwegen Dave McCardle # 89 Nia Gardner Mike Carman Alex Schoffstall Mike English # 72 Jim Housworth Tucker Rae Matt Mertz Randy Smith # $ Dillon Emmons Alan Whitaker
Hard Luck Award Sportsmanship Award Driver of the Year Travis Bieber Jake Smith Matt Carman Jake Smith Jim Housworth Jim Housworth Gary Hieber Mike Carman Nate Christman Mike Sabo Fred Cannock Mike Glass Tiffany Wambold Shannon Smith Kyle Hieber Rich Sachetta Dave Osterhout Lucas Schott Matthew Wyatt Ben Whitaker
JR ROY JR.Hard Luck JR Mechanic of the Year JR.Driver of the Year Michelle Campbell Kenney Johnson Joseph Kata II Matt Reiley Kevin Predmore Cait Chambers Mike Horton Dustin Sorensen Jacob Hendershot Troy Langendoerfer Bill Taylor Joseph Kata III Colin White AJ Gerhart Mike Hoffmaster Mike Horton, Jr Zach Azzalina Jackson Koster Tom Hendershot Brandon Azzalina Parker Hale Brett Hoffmaster
Best New Promotion Promoter of the Year Dealer of the Year WVMP Junior Series Randy Queensland S&S Speedways Hartland National Randy & Denise Smith Action Engineering Rumble Series Kerry Meitzler Florida Slingshots Snydersville Lap-a-Thon Caroga Creek LLC J& R Motorsports Return to Shelly's
Writer of the Year Photographer of the Year Mass Media Kyle Hardner Bill Hess So. Jersey Dirt Racing John LeVan Barry Boyd Strictly Slingshots Mike Batz Bob Snyder Racers Roundtable Dan Culhane BK Photo Carquest Gasoline Alley Bill Nelson Buck Monson BCTV
Another great season for the Slingshot by Tobias Series. All weekly, regional and Elite 11 will be honored as well as the Junior National Top 8.The National Champion and Junior National Champion will have their photos taken separately and individually. Family and friends wishing to take photos are asked to be ready when taking photos of their driver(s). All award winners will not be named until the Feb.14th Banquet which will again be MC'd by "The Voice of Choice" Barry Angstadt. We realize it will be held Valentine's Day. Wearing something red will not be mandatory, but where else can you be with your loved ones, dine and dance with friends and receive awards all in the same night. Thanks so much. Mike
08 National Slingshot Crown to the "Flipper"
2008 National Slingshot Point Champion Ben "Flipper" Whitaker shown above in a recent Victory Lane visit. Photos by Jim Young Race Photos © 2008 www.racesongs.com
11.04.08 The Briggs & Stratton National Point Championship for the Slingshot by Tobias Series has become a must-have for many local small car racers and with the combination of national tour races and weekly or regional tour races counting, driver ability and car maintenance are very important in getting that recognition at season's end. The Elite 11 will be honored at the Slingshot by Tobias Banquet with over $5500 in point money being distributed with the Champion getting $1200 for their efforts as well as many Special Awards to be distributed.
Eynon, PA's Ben "Flipper" Whitaker has been a mainstay in National Points for the past few years aboard his famous black 13X.Ben's talents have branched out to other forms of racing but his love for the Slingshots still have him strapping in weekly at Hamlin Speedway and hitting the National events he had penciled in at the beginning of the season.
This season saw many National events lose out to Mother Nature and it took some serious wheeling and dealing to become a member of the Elite 11.Rainouts at some of the favorite stops such as Selinsgrove Raceway Park, Kutztown, Oswego, Talladega Short Track and all scheduled Nationals at Button Buck in Minnesota found tracks working OT on rain dates and teams scrambling to get the much needed 4 races in for their best chances at the title.
From the May 17 opening National at Penton Raceway in Alabama to the twice rescheduled National at Linda's on October 31st,Mother Nature tried her best to become the champion in 2008. With an incredible 134 drivers gaining points this year,there was no clear cut frontrunner during any stages of the season. The Gulf Coast trio of Seth Wilson, Kurt English and Shawn Cater and the Great Lakes Dynamic Duo of Lucas Schott and Parker Hale were giving the Mid-Atlantic regulars something to worry about.
Whitaker's season was a crowning gem as he made the most of his visits to Hamlin in notching the coveted track crown by only 9 points over the "Sassy" one,Shannon Smith. Ben had to juggle a Friday night schedule of LM racing at Penn Can with occasional tour stops and his Saturday nights at Hamlin. Ben used a win at Paradise,a third at Hamlin and a fourth at Reading to combine with his 146 points earned from Hamlin in achieving the 2008 National Champion honors.Even during some regional events Ben was still successful as he headed to the Greenwood Valley Action Track and headed home a winner on August 9th.The Alan Whitaker prepared, Ben Whitaker driven 13X took on all challenges and withstood all comers in claiming their first National Championships as owner and driver.
"The Riegelsville Racer" Jim Housworth had the McNichol Lawn 72 to as many National stops as his schedule would allow and with use of his MA Gold Championship points and top 3 finishes at Paradise, Borgers and Linda's he gave Whitaker the strongest challenge as the season was winding down in settling in as the National runner-up.Jim also had a few regional race wins with his crew celebrating at GVAT twice in 2008.
"Sassy" Shannon Smith not only was noticed for her hot pink # 23 but for her on track ability to wheel the 39 HP race car around any track surface. The points runner-up at both Hamlin and Linda's, Shannon had a second half of the 2008 season that some drivers hope for in a career. Two National wins at both Hamlin and Linda's put over $2,000 in her bank account and moved her from 8th to a final standing of third.
Bangor, PA's Bill "The Dream" Weaver had a previous National standing of 7th.Bill knew he had the talent and the equipment to move up the ladder and with strong runs at Borgers and Linda's, Bill accomplished his 2008 goal as he jumped into the top 5 with some help along the way as Cody Kline relinquished his seat in the 59 for Bill to wheel at the always tough Reading Fairgrounds Nostalgia National. The MA Gold runner-up points did nothing to hurt Bill's chances either with the additional 127 points used wisely.
Rounding out the Famous 5 for the Slingshot National standings was "The Flemington Flyer", Matt Carman. Matt's season was one of determination and family togetherness. Matt could be found at the front of every race along the way and if not for some bad breaks, could've been a top 3 contender. The 2008 MA Silver Point Champ also laid claim as the winner of one of the closest National races in a long time as he and Emily VanInwegen raced side-by-side for 16 laps during the Nostalgia National at Reading. The Darryl Carman 2 was third in Weikel Complete standings, fourth in Empire standings and fifth in MA Gold as Matt's family was there to root him on and help as much as was humanly possible.
Sixth through eleventh in the National Points Standings could be referred to as the "who are they?" Truth be told, all of the drivers from 6th to 11th had to battle back from some adversity to get to where they were in the prestigious "Elite 11".
Cody Kline, "The Captain", came to the Slingshots with the hopes of some top finishes, but after a 4th place in points at Hamlin and a few wins, his stock just started to rise. A second place run at the Hamlin National and a third at Borgers put the Captain in the drivers seat for a top National finish. His sportsmanship at Reading quite possibly cost Cody a Famous 5 spot, after turning the drivers seat of the 59 to Bill Weaver.
The # 32 was seen at many weekly and tour stops during the 2008 season and for good reason, Brett "The Oley Jet" was good at wheeling this car around the speedways. Brett became a household name in Slingshot circles after his charge to the top 3 at Reading and also his working traffic at Linda's for a 4th place run after the 50 lap National was completed. If not for some mechanical problems at Borgers ,Brett could also have moved up a few spots in the final tally.
Rob Marino got his nickname "Rapid" for one reason....he was fast. Rob a former kart winner at Shellhammer's returned in a Slingshot and without losing a step won the return of the Slingshots to the popular karting oval in Leesport, PA. Rob had the 13 out in front at the Outback Oval at Oswego and also used his 2008 Empire Region Championship to add to his point totals in slotting in at a final tally of 8th.The crew member for modified star Ryan Godown hopped into the S&S rental near season's end and didn't miss a beat.
Going from Juniors to the regulars is not an easy step for many teenagers and after seeing the blue 19 leading the way at Reading it was apparent that "Amazing" Emily VanInwegen has what it takes to become a successful wheel twister. The runner-up finish in the Nostalgia National was a springboard for the SparrowBush, NY lass as she combined her 11th place Hamlin points run with her steady National runs to garner 9th.One of Emily's favorite tracks, Selinsgrove's Raceway Park suffered a rainout of which Emily had high hopes of winning.
"Cool Hand" had the hot hand as Button Buck Speedway was built inside Deer Creek Speedway to give the Great Lakes Region racers a chance to mix it up on a spacious 1/5 mile. Lucas Schott who is still a relative newcomer came east with his family in 2007 to get an idea of how to make the car go faster. His father John's mechanical ability and Lucas' driving talents jelled as he waged a season long battle with Parker Hale to get himself the Great Lakes Region Championship which gave him the needed points to make the Elite 11.The Schott Hardwood Floors 69 knew how to get to the front and stay there with "Cool Hand" at the controls. Lucas also notched the inaugural season points at Button Buck for the Slingshots in both the Regular and Junior classes.
Crandall, GA just added a celebrity to it's town greeting sign as "The Crandall Charger" Seth Wilson becomes the 2nd Gulf Coast region driver to make the Elite 11 after an exciting run between him and another newcomer Kurt English to see who could get to the area Nationals victory lane the most. His final assault on Penton and the season ender at Dawgwood found the 99 winning both of them and climbing into the Elite 11 by just that margin. Seth's smooth driving style was evident at Penton when he got caught up in a minor spin, went to the rear and charged back for 2nd.
Just missing the Elite 11 and having much to be proud of were Parker Hale from Grand Meadow, MN who saw victory lane on a few occasions at Button Buck and Mike Carman from Flemington, NJ who could not transfer his luck from Regional events to National events.
All in all with 134 drivers being a part of this tour, these drivers had to make due with their bad nights and take notes from their good nights in their quest for perfection.
2008 Briggs
& Stratton Slingshot by Tobias Elite 11
1. 547 Ben "Flipper" Whitaker / # 13X Eynon, PA 2. 528 Jim "The Riegelsville Racer" Housworth / #72 Riegelsville, PA 3. 489 "Sassy" Shannon Smith / # 23 Kunkletown, PA 4. 477 Bill "The Dream" Weaver / # 1 Bangor, PA 5. 475 Matt "The Flemington Flyer" Carman / # 2 Flemington, NJ 6. 441 "Captain" Cody Kline / # 59 Bangor, PA 7. 418 Brett "The Oley Jet' Bieber / # 32 Oley, PA 8. 414 "Rapid" Rob Marino / # 13 Frenchtown, NJ 9. 412 "Amazing" Emily VanInwegen / # 19 Sparrow Bush, NY 10. 403 "Cool Hand" Lucas Schott / # 69 Chatfield, MN 11. 389 Seth "The Crandall Charger" Wilson / # 99 Crandall, GA
Open Wheel Star Aces Slingshot Vets
Open wheel ace Matt Westfall stands with Rumble series promoter Tony Barhorst after winning his first ever Slingshot by Tobias event at Columbus. Photo by Mike Feltenberger © 2008 www.StrappedInRacing.com
11.02.08 An 8 hour ride after the Linda's National could not deter some Slingshot by Tobias teams from competing in the first ever indoor racing event at Columbus, OH Expo Center. Tony Barhorst's Buckeye Bowl had drawn plenty of attention from teams planning on heading to the 1/10th concrete indoor speed plant, but scheduling a rainout for the Linda's National had teams making last minute decisions. A veteran field of 10 Slingshots assembled for the 20 lap A Main with a newcomer trying to make an impression on the Briggs & Stratton vets.
A past friendship between Slingshot founder Rich Tobias and Matt Westfall resumed at Columbus as Rich installed Westfall to man the controls of the Rick Nicholas owned 12X and the rest as they say ....is history. The dual heat format saw all cars run for the feature starting rights with all 10 cars drivers making the call for this special invitation event. A caution for Paul Lotier, Jr. and Gary Hieber as the green was waved still put the field back to double file with 20 laps still left to run.
Westfall, Billy "The Blast" VanInwegen Jr, "Broadway" Bill VanInwegen Sr. and Kyle Hieber all were getting some great bite off the corners and the racing was very intense with no one giving up positions easily. "Dyno" Dave McCullough had the long way to go as he started in the rear of the field but used his brief experience from the Friday night practice to slowly pick cars off 1 lap at a time and was dueling with Tobias for the 4th spot. Laps were moving at a quick pace and Westfall saw the 5 to go but still had to cope with Billy V, Jr. as Billy Sr. bobbled off of turn 2 set him back 3 spots in the running. With 1 to go Kyle Hieber manhandled the 66 to the low side of VanInwegen Jr. to get 2nd but ran out of time as Westfall's 1st Slingshot ride put him in victory lane with Rumble Series promoter Tony Barhorst enjoying the victory lane celebration. The 20 laps went non-stop after the initial green flag caution. This was a testament to the driving ability of the starting field and the durability of the Slingshot by Tobias race cars.
Discussions for future events are forthcoming as the crowd response to the Slingshots was highly positive.
Special thanks to everyone that braved the late night hour to make the Slingshots a rousing Buckeye Bowl success. Results (20 Laps): 1.Matt Westfall (20 laps) 2. Kyle Hieber(20) 3. Billy VanInwegen Jr.(20) 4. Rich To |
AFFORDABLE RACING TECHNOLOGY
