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NEWTON, KNOXVILLE & OSKALOOSA PARTNER TO FORM 2009
COX DESIGN & METAL FABRICATION IOWA SPEEDWEEKS
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (June 15, 2009) - “Collaboration” is a popular strategy in
corporate America these days and it is no different in the sport of sprint
car racing. For the past seven years, the dirt tracks in Knoxville and
Oskaloosa in south central Iowa have partnered to present ten consecutive
nights of sprint car racing each summer. In 2009, those two tracks, with
title sponsor Cox Design & Metal Fabrication and trophy sponsor National
Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, will join forces with the paved Iowa
Speedway in nearby Newton to present the eighth annual Iowa SpeedWeeks of
sprint car racing, July 31 through August 15. The “Mr. Sprint Car” title
will be determined by points earned over twelve races in eleven nights of
non-winged and winged, 360- and 410-cubic-inch sprint car racing at the Iowa
Speedway in Newton, the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa and the
Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville.
The 12-race series will kick-off on Friday, July 31, with the running of the
Casey’s General Stores-sponsored United States Auto Club (USAC) non-winged
sprint car race on the Iowa Speedway paved track in Newton. This race is
being held in conjunction with the inaugural NASCAR Nationwide Series race
at the 7/8-mile speedway on Saturday, August 1. Interestingly, former NASCAR
racers Tyler Walker and Erin Crocker, and current NASCAR superstar Kasey
Kahne, have all finished in the ‘top five’ of the Iowa SpeedWeek points in
the past. Ironically, Erin Crocker came the closest of that trio to
capturing the “Mr. Sprint Car” title in 2003 with her runner-up finish in
the points.
The Cox Design-sponsored Iowa SpeedWeeks will resume less than one week
later on Thursday, August 6, with the first $3,000-to-win preliminary night
of the 19th annual Arnold Motor Supply-sponsored 360 Knoxville Nationals
presented by Vermeer Manufacturing. The second $3,000-to-win preliminary
night of the winged 360 c.i. Knoxville Nationals will take place on Friday,
August 7, at the half-mile Knoxville Raceway on the Marion County
Fairgrounds. Saturday, August 8, will feature two Iowa SpeedWeeks
points-paying races, the finale of the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS)
$10,000-to-win 360 Knoxville Nationals and the $3,000-to-win winged 410 c.i.
sprint car feature. The Knoxville Raceway will host the inaugural
$5,000-to-win Casey’s General Stores Non-Winged Knoxville Nationals on
Sunday, August 9, featuring many of the same stars that competed on July 31
at Newton.
The focus of the “Mr. Sprint Car” title hunt will then head 26 miles east to
the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds in Oskaloosa for the Monday, August 10, 14th
annual Musco Lighting Front Row Challenge for the winged 410 c.i. sprint
cars of the All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC). The wildly successful
event is promoted by Terry McCarl and Bill McCroskey of McTwo Promotions and
will pay $10,000 to the winner. However, it will pay $50,000-to-win if one
of the front row drivers accepts the challenge to start at the back of the
pack. On Tuesday, August 11, the same Osky track hosts the USAC-sanctioned
non-winged 410’s for the $15,000-to-win eighth annual Searsboro Telephone
Ultimate Challenge. Combined with the USAC rounds at Newton and Knoxville,
this event will give the traditional sprint car racers a real chance at the
“Mr. Sprint Car” title and money.
The twelve-night series of sprint car racing is concluded back on the Marion
County Fairgrounds with the 49th annual SuperClean Knoxville Nationals
presented by Lucas Oil, on August 12-15. The prestigious event will pay
$150,000 to the winner of the finale on Saturday, which will again be seen
live on the Speed Channel. The Wednesday and Thursday preliminary night
features pay $12,000 to win each, while the Friday night Knoxville World
Challenge invitational for the best drivers from Australia, Canada, New
Zealand and the United States, pays $10,000 to win.
Cox Design & Metal Fabrication, Inc. is an Iowa corporation formed in
January of 1988 specializing in the design and fabrication of a variety of
metals, and whose web-site address is www.cox-design.com. For information on
the July 31 event in Newton, fans are urged to visit www.iowaspeedway.com or
call 641-791-8000. For ticket information about the August 10-11 events in
Oskaloosa, fans are urged to call 515-957-0020 or visit the new web site
www.oskychallenges.com. For information regarding the August 6-9 and August
12-15 events at Knoxville, fans can call 641-842-5431 or visit the track’s
web site at www.knoxvilleraceway.com.
The schedule for the twelve-round 2009 Cox Design & Metal Fabrication Iowa
SpeedWeeks is as follows:
Round One, Friday, July 31, Newton, USAC Non-Winged 410 Sprint Cars
Round Two, Thursday, August 6, Knoxville, ASCS Winged 360 Sprint Cars
(Prelim.)
Round Three, Friday, August 7, Knoxville, ASCS Winged 360 Sprint Cars
(Prelim.)
Round Four, Saturday, August 8, Knoxville, Winged 410 Sprint Cars
Round Five, Saturday, August 8, Knoxville, ASCS Winged 360 Sprint Cars
(Finale)
Round Six, Sunday, August 9, Knoxville, USAC Non-Winged 410 Sprint Cars
Round Seven, Monday, August 10, Oskaloosa, ASCoC Winged 410 Sprint Cars
Round Eight, Tuesday, August 11, Oskaloosa, USAC Non-Winged 410 Sprint Cars
Round Nine, Wednesday, August 12, Knoxville, Winged 410 Sprint Cars
(Prelim.)
Round Ten, Thursday, August 13, Knoxville, Winged 410 Sprint Cars (Prelim.)
Round Eleven, Friday, August 14, Knoxville, Winged 410 Sprint Cars
(Invitational)
Round Twelve, Saturday, August 15, Knoxville, Winged 410 Sprint Cars
(Finale)
The history of the Cox Design & Metal Fabrication Iowa SpeedWeeks, crowning
“Mr. Sprint Car”, is as follows:
2008 - 1., Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma, 314 points ($2,500); 2., Billy Alley,
Nebraska, 274 ($1,000); 3., Brooke Tatnell ($500), New South Wales,
Australia, 271; 4., Tyler Walker, California, 261; 5., Jason Johnson,
Louisiana, 233.
2007 – 1., Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma, 266 points ($2,500); 2., Kaley Gharst,
Illinois, 252 ($1,000); 3., Brian Brown, Missouri, 249 ($500); 4., Shane
Stewart, Oklahoma, 192; 5., Jonathan Allard, California, 182.
2006 – 1., Jason Johnson, Louisiana, 309 points ($2,500); 2., Billy Alley,
Nebraska, 247 ($1,000); 3., Brian Brown, Missouri, 227 ($500); 4., Don Droud,
Jr., Nebraska, 201; 5., Gary Wright, Texas, 187.
2005 – 1., Billy Alley, Nebraska, 303 points ($2,500); 2., Kerry Madsen, New
South Wales, Australia, 258 ($1,000); 3., Daryn Pittman, Oklahoma, 235; 4.,
Jesse Hockett, Missouri, 227; 5., Jesse Giannetto, Iowa, 214.
2004 - 1., Shane Stewart, Oklahoma, 217 points ($3,000); 2., Kerry Madsen,
New South Wales, Australia, 183; 3., Zach Chappell, Oklahoma, 182; 4., Tim
Kaeding, California, 165; 5., Wayne Johnson, Oklahoma, 160.
2003 – 1., Shane Stewart, Oklahoma, 238 points ($2,500); 2., Erin Crocker,
Massachusetts, 186; 3., Travis Rilat, Texas, 183; 4., Kerry Madsen, New
South Wales, Australia, 177; 5., Terry McCarl, Iowa, 175.
2002 – 1., Ricky Logan, Arkansas, 202 points ($1,500); 2., Jason Johnson,
Louisiana, 186; 3., Daryn Pittman, Oklahoma, 171; 4., Brad Furr, California,
170; 5., Kasey Kahne, Washington, 160.
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