BROWNSBURG, Ind. — It’s about to get busy in the Buckeye State, as the 41st edition of Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by Cometic Gasket is set to fire off Friday night, June 9, at Attica Raceway Park.
The newest edition will take the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 to eight events across a nine-day span, all of which culminating with the 6th annual Dean Knittel Memorial at Portsmouth Raceway Park.
The eight-race campaign will witness Ohio’s finest and the All Stars compete for a total winner’s share equaling $78,554, with $22,554 of it up for grabs during the aforementioned Dean Knittel Memorial on Saturday, June 17.
In addition, a $12,000 Ohio Sprint Speedweek points fund will be spread among the top-five in the final Speedweek standings — $5,000 will be awarded to the champion, while $2,500, $2,000, $1,500 and $1,000 will be awarded to second through fifth, respectively.
On behalf of Tony Stewart Store, a victory bonus will also be up for grabs during Ohio Sprint Speedweek. If a driver wins three or more events, an extra $1,000 will be awarded per win.
After the Speedweek opener at Attica, action will resume with a $10,000-to-win program at Fremont Speedway on Saturday, June 10, followed by a doubleheader at Wayne County Speedway on Sunday and Monday, June 11-12. Wayne County’s opener will award a $6,000 payday, followed by a $10,000-to-win finale on Monday evening.
Traveling further east, weekday Speedweek competition will continue on Tuesday, June 13, with a one-night, $6,000-to-win stop at the always-exciting Sharon Speedway. Sharon’s program will conclude the first segment of this year’s edition of Ohio Sprint Speedweek, as an off day will follow on Wednesday, June 14.
Should an event be affected by Mother Nature prior to the off day, Wednesday will be utilized as the respective rain date.
The second half of Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by Cometic Gasket will commence with a takeover of southern Ohio, invading the highbanks of Atomic Speedway on Thursday, June 15. The $6,000-to-win showstopper will be flanked by a $12,000-to-win visit to the World’s Greatest Dirt Track, Eldora Speedway on Friday, June 16.
As mentioned, Ohio Sprint Speedweek will conclude with the Dean Knittel Memorial at Portsmouth Raceway Park on Saturday, June 17. A sought-after prize on the All Star campaign trail, the Dean Knittel Memorial features the second-highest payday on the All Stars’ entire June slate, following only the $26,000-to-win Rayce Rudeen Foundation Race that was contested on Saturday, June 3.
The “Myerstown Missile” Brent Marks is the reigning Dean Knittel Memorial champion, after beating fellow Pennsylvania native, Danny Dietrich, to the final checkers, followed by Buch Motorsports’ Justin Peck.
Peck, a former full-time competitor with “America’s Series,” was last year’s Ohio Sprint Speedweek champion, earning two victories along the way. He won the first at Wayne County Speedway and the second at Atomic Speedway. The Speedweek title was a first-ever for the Monrovia, Ind., native, adding his name to an impressive list of former champions that includes six-time Ohio Sprint Speedweek titleholder, Dale Blaney.
The All Star Circuit of Champions will enter Ohio Sprint Speedweek fresh off of a two-day contest with the IRA Outlaw Sprint Series in the Badger State, visiting Dodge County Fairgrounds and Plymouth Dirt Track on June 2-3.
California’s Cory Eliason opened the weekend with a triumph at Dodge County, followed by a perfect display by Rico Abreu at Plymouth Dirt Track. Abreu, who secured the $26,000 Rayce Rudeen Foundation Race title in his Plymouth takeover, led all 35 circuits, becoming the fifth different winner of the prestigious event.