Explosive Sprint Bandits TNT Action Fires off Monday at East Bay!
by: Lonnie Wheatley

TULSA, Okla. (Jan. 28, 2007) – The racing action will be explosive at East Bay Raceway Park's 31st Annual Winter Nationals as the O'Reilly Sprint Bandits TNT series kicks off the second segment of the Fast Lane Apparel Triple Crown Challenge atop the 1/3-mile dirt oval on Monday night.

Approximately 40 of the nation's top wingless Sprint Car aces will converge upon the Tampa turf, battling through a full card of events on both Monday night, January 29, and Wednesday night, January 31, before squaring off in Friday night's $10,000 to win O'Reilly Sprint Bandits Tour 'N Topless wingless showdown.

With the Fast Lane Apparel Triple Crown Challenge in effect, Hooks, TX, ace Gary Wright is eligible for the $75,000 bonus after winning Saturday night's O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour "King of the 360's" finale at East Bay. Wright can earn the bonus by winning Friday night's Sprint Bandits finale and Saturday night's 410-ci Winged Sprint Car main event.

Wright wasn't positive of this week's plans after his Saturday night score. "At my age, it takes a little longer to recover if you wreck without a wing. I hadn't really planned on running it and don’t have the right kind of 410-ci engine, but I'll think it about it tomorrow," Wright concluded as he pondered the $75,000 carrot being waved at him.

If a driver other than Wright wins Friday night's wingless feature, then both that driver and Wright have the opportunity to pick up an extra $5,000 with a win in Saturday's winged sprint finale.

Last year, California's Cory Kruseman held off a late charge from Daron Clayton, who raced from deep in the field, to pick up the $10,000 victory. This was one night after Kruseman fought off a heroic charge from veteran shoe Roger Rager, who came from the tail of the field as well. Indiana's Brady Short won last year's opener.

All three nights of O'Reilly Sprint Bandits Tour 'N Topless action on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, get under way at 7:00 p.m.

East Bay Raceway Park is located off I-75 Exit 250, then two miles west, then 1.2 miles north on US 41, then right 1.3 miles on Old US 41, then right on Burts Rd. For more information, contact the track at 813-677-7223 or 1-877-457-5611.

Additional information regarding the O’Reilly Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless series is available at www.sprintbandits.com.