JOHNSON WORST TO FIRST IN INAUGURAL UPIR EVENT

FULL RESULTS AVAILABLE AT UPIR MOTORSTATS PAGE: www.motorstats.com/TrackResults.php?trackId=251

ESCANABA, Mich. (June 12, 2010) – Over 2,500 fans and 73 competitors convened to show their support for the Upper Peninsula International Raceway opener Saturday despite inclement weather. Although the skies stayed murky all evening, at the end of the night one thing was clear – racing belongs in Escanaba.

Adam Johnson raced from a last-place starting spot in the small car division to win the curfew-shortened, mayhem-filled feature event. Johnson raced his way to second in the 18-car field and inherited the win after Luke Sanville tangled with a lapped racer to bring out the final caution of the race.

Due to the two inches of rain received Friday, the newly-deposited clay surface had its rough portions, which led to a caution-marred feature for the small cars. Scheduled for 25-laps, the field was led to green by pole sitter Guy Hubble, who led the first three circuits of the event. Hubble had to survive several early cautions for stalled machines.

After a lap-two restart Sanville had charged into the top three. Sanville swung to the outside of Hubble on lap three and snatched the lead exiting turn four. As Sanville hit the stripe, Rodney Lemerand’s machine stalled entering turn three, brining out the third caution of the race. On the restart, Johnson, who had worked his way through traffic using the high line, swiped the second spot from Hubble using the high groove.

Two more cautions ensued due to stalled cars. On each restart, Adams was able to challenge early, but faded off the back bumper of Sanville. While the two leaders broke away from traffic, John Bordeau used the high line to work his way to third by lap seven.

Another caution for the stalled racer of Kyle Adams set up a final chance for Johnson to surpass Sanville. As he did on the prior restarts, Sanville broke away from Johnson and the remainder of the pack. Sanville’s luck turned sour, however, when he tangled with the lapped car of Bradley Osterman. The caution flew for Sanville, the lead was given to Johnson and officials were forced to end the race on lap ten due to curfew.

Bordeau was credited with second, Kim Sanville was third, Steve Labre fourth and Robbie Iverson rounded out the top five.

Small Car winner Adam Johnson (Cathy Winling photo)

The Micro Sprints split into three divisions for their feature events. The highlighting division was the 600 class, which contained several former asphalt late model drivers.

After winning the heat race earlier in the evenings, Nick Pinar proved tough to beat in the 600 class feature. With an invert after the heat race, Pinar watched Jason Kressin and Ben Ives lead the field to green. Kressin marched away from Ives at the drop of the green. Ives brought out the lone caution in the 12-lap feature when he looped his Micro Sprint exiting turn four on lap two.

Pinar restarted alongside Kressin, but was unable to capture the lead on the restart. After tucking behind Kressin on lap three, Pinar decided to test the outside. Exiting the final turn, Pinar took the lead for good at the start/finish line on lap four. Watching Pinar speed away, Kressin held on for second and Scott Degnan secured third.

Micro Sprint 600 winner Nick Pinar (Cathy Winling photo)

The 650 class of Micro Sprint saw a less decisive margin of victory by Paul Hoskings. Cole Possi used his outside-front-row stating position to secure the initial lead. On lap three, Possi spun exiting turn two, handing the lead to Hoskings. Hoskings held a comfortable lead until lap six when Trenton Stone moved into second.

A lap-seven caution for a Bill Gagne spin erased Hoskings’ lead. On the restart Hoskings disposed of Stone, only to see Stone regenerate with two laps remaining in the 15-lap feature. Although he was close enough to strike, Stone was unable to mount an attack on the lead spot and was forced to settle for second. John Mathias finished third.

Micro Sprint 650 class winner Paul Hoskings (Cathy Winling photo)

Just as in the 600 class, there was a sweep by the feature winner of the Kids’ class. Jordan Ives won his heat race and lapped the other two competitors in the 10-lap feature event.

The Tough Truck/Car division determined the final feature of the evening. After the 18 entrants wowed the crowd in their first runs, times dropped in the second time trips for all but four drivers. Dan Arts recorded the fastest time, completing the course in 21.79 seconds. Scott Lamarche (22.46 seconds) and Bill Quarfoot (22.48 seconds) rounded out the top three.

The second leg of the 2010 UPIR Triple Crown is scheduled for Saturday, July 31 at 7 p.m. (EST) with the same three divisions competing toward an overall win. The final leg is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 21 in conjunction with the U.P. State Fair with a start time scheduled for 1 p.m.

UPIR is an abbreviated 1/8-mile clay-surfaced course carved out of the existing course at the Delta Co. Fairgrounds. A Triple Crown in 2010 will be used to gauge the interest of race fans in the area and to fund the efforts of reopening the facility featuring a 3/8-mile asphalt oval in 2011.

Rules and registration are available by contacting Boyd Widdis at 906-450-5112. For more information visit upirracing.blogspot.com or http://www.deltami.org/.

UPIR READY FOR SATURDAY’S OPENER

ESCANABA, Mich. (June 9, 2010) – The clay is down, the wall and flag stand are up and the city is abuzz with excitement. The Delta County Fairgrounds in Escanaba is ready for its first race in almost ten years this Saturday, June 12.

Volunteers have worked tirelessly in weekly work bees to get the track prepped. On Wednesday they watched the flag stand go up as the finishing touch on the 1/8-mile Upper Peninsula International Raceway.

Boyd Widdis, UPIR volunteer coordinator, said he could not be more pleased with the response he has received so far. “We have a bunch of people I didn’t think cared about racing, but now they want to be involved,” he said.

Over the final two days before the opener, volunteers will add bleachers in the pit area, paint the front stretch wall and manicure the track to ensure that it is race ready. Rain in the Escanaba area has presented a challenge for the volunteers, but the use of some heavy duty track prep equipment has Widdis confident the track will be ready.

Widdis said he expects the track to be in perfect condition Saturday, and plans to run the event rain or shine. He said he knows that the weather could present a challenge, but he and UPIR officials have every intention of giving race fans a show regardless of conditions.

With the response of drivers and entry forms received, fans can expect plenty of racing action at UPIR. Officials from the venue expect well over 30 competitors in the Small Car division, over a dozen in the Micro Sprint division and anywhere from 15 to 20 in the Tough Truck/Car division.

The Small Car and Micro Sprint Divisions will run heat races, a last chance race (if necessary) and a feature race. Each of the Tough Trucks/Cars will take two timed runs through their specialized course. The best time will be taken for each competitor with the fastest qualifier named the winner.

UPIR expects a few drivers from other tracks such as Norway Speedway and Thunder Valley Raceway in Sands, Mich. Among them will be Bobby Rose of Cornell, who is a top competitor in the 4 cylinder division at both venues. Bret Widdis who races in the Mid-American Stock Car Series and boasts a win at the Milwaukee Mile with the United State Super Trucks also plans on fielding an entry. Nick Pinar of Escanaba won a championship on the ice this winter, and will head the contingent of Micro Sprint drivers.

After the racing concludes, the entertainment will continue below the grandstand. Local band Rock, Stock and Loaded will play a concert for no additional charge.

Admission prices for Saturday’s first round of the 2010 UPIR Triple Crown will be $5. The grandstand will open at 4 p.m. (E.S.T). Racing is scheduled to begin at 7.

UPIR is an abbreviated 1/8-mile clay-surfaced course carved out of the existing course at the Delta Co. Fairgrounds. A Triple Crown in 2010 will be used to gauge the interest of race fans in the area and to fund the efforts of reopening the facility featuring a 3/8-mile asphalt oval in 2011.

The UPIR Triple Crown will take place on three Saturday evenings in 2010. The dates are June 12, July 31 and Aug. 21. Racing is slated to begin at 7 p.m. on June 12 and July 31 and at 1 p.m. on Aug. 21.

Rules and registration are available by contacting Boyd Widdis at 906-450-5112. For more information visit upirracing.blogspot.com or www.deltami.org.

UPIR JOINS MOTORSTATS NETWORK

ESCANABA, Mich. (June 7, 2010) – Upper Peninsula International Raceway has partnered with the internet database site Motorstats.com Motorstats.com allows a framework for race tracks and sanctioning bodies to enter their data and receive instantaneous results. Joining the Motorstats network is completely free.

UPIR volunteer consultant Doug Strasburg has utilized Motorstats with his series, the Mid-American Stock Car Series, for the past three seasons.

“When I met with Chris Graner (from Motorstats) in Florida in February of 2008, I could tell he was someone who was passionate about the sport. His program added a strong new dimension to our Mid-American Web site,” Strasburg said.

Graner notes the simplicity of the program. “Using the Motorstats.com Web Tools, it's free and easy to get race results, point standings, pictures, video and other racing information to the racing fans,” he said.

Motorstats also looks to help organizations expand their ability to advertise. “Fans can continue their racing experiences beyond the track gate to the internet using Motorstats.com. We help turn those fan eyeballs into additional sponsorship opportunities,” Graner added.

Another unique aspect of Motorstats is the ability for a driver to have his or her own website. Drivers can sign up, fill out their information and sell their own ad space on Motorstats.com. They can also keep track of all of their finishes and the amount of points they received at each event.

A newer feature of Motorstats will allow UPIR to add widgets to a future web site. Featuring the Motorstats widgets, UPIR’s site will give real time results and up to the second point standings placed directly on the site’s main frame.

"When Mid-American joined Motorstats, it was very important that our Web site was on the cutting edge of web technology,” said Strasburg. “We didn’t want to be just another face in the crowd. By joining the Motorstats network, we hope to give UPIR the same advantage," he said.

The UPIR Motorstats page is available by following this link:

http://www.motorstats.com/TrackHome.php?trackId=251

UPIR is an abbreviated 1/8-mile multi-surfaced course carved out of the existing course at the Delta Co. Fairgrounds. A Triple Crown in 2010 will be used to gage the interest of race fans in the area and to fund the efforts of reopening the facility in 2011 on a full-time basis as a multi-purpose motorsport facility featuring a 3/8-mile asphalt oval.

The UPIR Triple Crown will take place on three Saturday evenings in 2010. The dates are June 12, July 31 and Aug. 21. Racing is slated to begin at 7 p.m. on all three dates.

Rules and registration are available by contacting Boyd Widdis at 906-450-5112. For more information visit upirracing.blogspot.com or www.deltami.org.

Racing ready for test drive in Esky

By Todd Guerne
Daily Press

http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/news/story.aspx?id=465455&sms_ss=facebook - cut and paste for video of UPIR practice

ESCANABA - After a nine-year hiatus, stock car racing is returning to Escanaba next month.

Escanaba Speedway closed in 2001, but the U.P. State Fair authority is looking to reopen the speedway on a full-time basis next year. Whether that happens will depend on the interest generated from a triple crown of exhibition races this summer. The first event is June 12 on a 1/8 mile clay oval track at the fairgrounds. The other races are July 31 and Aug. 21. Racing begins at 7 p.m. each night.

"The fair authority wanted information last September on putting a track in the Escanaba area," said Boyd Widdis of Manistique, who started racing at the Escanaba Fairgrounds in 1963 when he was 14 years old. His son Bret is part of an illustrious group of racers who have won at the Milwaukee Mile, the nation's oldest continually operating auto racing track.

Boyd Widdis and several former board members of the Upper Peninsula Racing Association got together and proposed an idea on building a track, which the authority would own and manage.

"For the exhibition races, we're building the clay track in front of the grandstand," Widdis said. Last week, the group put some finishing touches on the track, including a layer of fresh clay.

To help get stock car racing back on track in Escanaba, the group is leaning on volunteer advisor and consultant Doug Strasburg of Fort Atkinson, Wis. Strasburg has been involved in racing almost all of his life in one capacity or another. He and wife Julie own the Mid-American Stock Car Series, which returned to the U.P. last June for an event at Norway Speedway.

"I'm honored and flattered they asked me to help and I'll give them all the help I can," said Strasburg, who has family in Manistique.

Although the clay oval track race fans will see for the exhibitions is sure to bring excitement, the ultimate goal is to build a 3/8 mile blacktop oval at the fairgrounds.

"Although we're gearing up for this summer, we've also been looking ahead at what it will take to put a state-of-the-art paved course here in Escanaba," Strasburg said.

The races will consist of three different divisions: small car, micro sprints and tough trucks/cars. The small car division will have four or six cylinder vehicles under 192 inches in overall length to compete. However, safety modifications must be made to the vehicle, and a street legal vehicle will not be permitted to run in this division.

Street legal vehicles will be allowed to compete in the tough truck/car division.

The fastest division is the micro sprints, which are powered by a 650 motorcycle engine and compete during the winter on the ice course in Escanaba.

According to Vickie Micheau, Executive Director of the Delta County Chamber of Commerce, there has been a constant request from fans to bring racing back to the area.

"The response has been better than expected," said Micheau. "We knew based on the number of questions we were getting people were interested in racing."

The fair board authority passed a resolution May 21, stating the net income from the three races this summer will go toward construction of a new track. Micheau would not commit, however, any net income from this year's U.P. State Fair toward a race track.

"The racing will have to be self-sustaining," she said. "We have a huge obligation toward making sure the fairgrounds are profitable. I would expect any fair revenues would be used strictly for fairground improvements and operation."

No plans for racing at the fairgrounds in 2011 have been finalized. Widdis estimates it would cost $500,000 for a state-of-the-art blacktop facility.

"If built, it would probably be the premier short track facility in the Midwest and draw drivers from all over," said Widdis, who added it would be a multi-motor sports facility with three configurations of the paved oval that could be used.

The biggest issue is arranging financing for such a track. Micheau says the county and the fair board are exploring many options.

"We'll pursue all possible funding and grant opportunities," she said. "But the only way to put in the track is if the grant requests come through. It would be very difficult to service the debt if we don't have grants."

Widdis says this might be the best chance there has been to bring stock car racing back to Escanaba full-time.

"The people involved are the best people you can get involved," Widdis said. "The Chamber of Commerce is behind it because they realize you can't make money if the grandstand (at the fairgrounds) is sitting empty."

If all parties involved have anything to say about it, the grandstands won't be sitting empty much longer and racing fans will be happy once again.

THREE WEEKS BEFORE OPENER, UPIR RECEIVES UNEXPECTED FINAL TOUCH

ESCANABA, Mich. (May 24, 2010) – As the first leg of the inaugural UPIR Triple Crown inches nearer, volunteers have been working frantically to prepare the Midwest’s newest racing facility. Last week, the group put some of the final touches on the raceway – including a layer of fresh clay as a surface.

The layer of clay will provide a smoother, much more consistent surface for the racers. It will also significantly decrease the possibility of small rocks or debris becoming unearthed during a racing event.

“It is very clean clay,” said volunteer coordinator Boyd Widdis. “There were no rocks or debris for us to pick out of it.”

Funding for the clay was provided by several of the Micro Sprint teams. Degnan Motorsports, Steve Ives, Jason Kressin, Jesse and Justina Liss, John Mathias and Nick Pinar made donations to purchase the clay. Ed Brunette of Brunette and Sons Construction dug out the clay and hauled it to the Upper Peninsula Fairgrounds.

Placing the clay, was icing on the cake for UPIR volunteers, who have been working on a weekly basis to prepare the 1/8-mile facility. Thanks to the long list of volunteers, over the past month UPIR has undergone a complete facelift. What was once an empty field in front of a grandstand is now fully capable of hosting an event on Saturday, June 12.

“It already looks like a race track,” said Widdis after the latest volunteer work day, or work bee. “The enthusiasm is great. The Wednesday work bees have worked out really well for us.”

The first work bee was held to pick rocks off the surface and lay the concrete wall. Since that time the front stretch wall has been completed, fencing for the front stretch wall and the pits have been placed and the facility has been prepped for race fans.

“It's pretty exciting at the fairgrounds,” said Vickie Micheau, Executive Director of the Delta County Chamber of Commerce. “I think even Boyd is surprised at all the work the volunteers have done. They're excited and so are we.”

Racing is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on June 12 and will feature the Micro Sprints, Small Cars and Tough Trucks. The second leg of the Triple Crown is scheduled for Saturday, July 31 and the third for Saturday, Aug. 21. All funding that is raised during the Triple Crown races will be used for track development.

UPIR is an abbreviated 1/8-mile multi-surfaced course carved out of the existing course at the Delta Co. Fairgrounds. A Triple Crown in 2010 will be used to gage the interest of race fans in the area and to fund the efforts of reopening the facility in 2011 on a full-time basis as a multi-purpose motorsport facility featuring a 3/8-mile asphalt oval.

Rules and registration are available by contacting Boyd Widdis at 906-450-5112.