Andrew Kunas - COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho - The 2014 racing season was one of frustration at times for Phil Dietz Racing, but a late season run of strong finishes and some changes has people looking at him as one of the drivers to beat in the Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series in 2015.
The 30-year-old Laurel, Montana driver endured a rare winless season in 2014, which saw the four-time Montana sprint car champion struggle in particular in the first half of the season. And when he did have a good car some bad luck would happen or he'd come up just short in the main event. It wasn't for a lack of effort though, as Dietz finished second five times last year and he still managed to finish third in the final ASCS Frontier Region point standings, just one tally behind Kelly Miller.
Dietz's toughest 2014 defeat was probably the August 15th event at Gallatin Speedway, where he led most of the way but lost in the end to eventual series champion Joe Ramaker after a thrilling late race duel that many felt was one of the best races of the year in Big Sky Country. However, that race and his run of Top 5 finishes in the latter half of the season has Dietz feeling confident going into 2015.
Some changes have been made still to the Prevost Dietz Racing No. 72. After the final events in Montana in September, the team switched over to Maxim Chassis before going down to Cocopah Speedway in Arizona for the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour's final races in November. After struggling the first night, Dietz qualified for the main event the second night and actually made the Top 8 re-draw after a strong showing in his heat race. The team will also have Kistler engines under the hood now.
"We struggled earlier last season but we got a lot better. We're hoping to build on our strong finishes toward the end of last season and have ourselves a great season this year," Dietz said. "Excited to try our new Maxims at some tracks we're familiar with. We have a great team here and everyone has worked really hard."
Prevost Racing returns as a sponsor of the No. 72 machine along with Dietz Auto & Truck Salvage, Pacific Recycling, Staley's Tire & Automotive, The Chassis Works and Kaeding Performance.
Dietz won the inaugural ASCS Frontier Region title in 2013, but had already seen much success over the years with the Frontier Region's predecessor tours based in Montana. Dietz was the 1999 Rookie of the Year at just 15 years of age with the old Montana Open Wheel Racing Association, which was later known as the Montana Sprint Tour that he won his first championship under in 2003.
After the Big Sky Sprint Tour took MST's place a few years later Dietz won a championship for that series in 2007. An ownership change in the series took place after the 2009 season and it became simply known as "Big Sky Sprints," and Dietz was that tour's last champion in 2012. In addition to his third championship that season, Dietz closed things out by winning the Dan Laber Memorial, one of Montana's signature sprint car events, at Billings Motorsports Park. Dietz took the checkered flag on the first night of the event and was the overall top points scorer for the weekend, getting his name put on the permanent trophy on display at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum in Iowa.
After the Frontier Region of ASCS was started up in 2013, Dietz picked up two victories at Electric City Speedway and another at Gallatin Speedway en route to the title, his fourth championship under four different banners. Over the years, Dietz has picked up numerous main event wins at all three currently operating Montana dirt tracks as well as events in Idaho and Wyoming.
Dietz and his team have not been strangers to travel either, participating in the Knoxville 360 Nationals in Iowa and venturing to races in Texas, California and Oregon just last year. Their past travels to see different tracks and face different competition has proved invaluable to one of Montana's top sprint car teams.
The ASCS Frontier Region sprint car tour kicks off its third season of competition with a two-night show at Billings Motorsports Park on Friday and Saturday, May 8th and 9th. That is followed by a two-night stand at Electric City Speedway in Great Falls on May 15th and 16th.
The Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series, presented in part by Speedmart Inc. is a winged 360 dirt sprint car tour racing around the state of Montana and beyond. More information on the ASCS Frontier Region can be found online at frontier.ascsracing.com
or you can follow the series on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ascsfrontier. The national website of the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MAVTV American Real is http://www.ascsracing.com.
American Sprint Car Series - Fronter Region
2015 schedule subject to change
May 8 - Billings Motorsports Park - Shepherd, MT
May 9 - Billings Motorsports Park - Shepherd, MT
May 15 - Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, MT
May 16 - Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, MT
June 12 - Gallatin Speedway - Belgrade, MT
June 13 - Billings Motorsports Park - Shepherd, MT
June 19 - Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, MT
June 20 - Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, MT
July 17 - Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, MT (with ASCS National Tour)
July 18 - Billings Motorsports Park - Shepherd, MT (with ASCS National Tour)
July 31 - Gallatin Speedway - Belgrade, MT
August 1 - Billings Motorsports Park - Shepherd, MT
August 14 - Gallatin Speedway - Belgrade, MT
August 15 - Billings Motorsports Park - Shepherd, MT
September 4 - Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, MT (21st Annual Montana Roundup)
September 5 - Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, MT (21st Annual Montana Roundup)
September 6 - Electric CIty Speedway - Great Falls, MT (21st Annual Montana Roundup)
September 11 - Sheridan Speedway - Sheridan, WY
September 12 - Gallatin Speedway - Belgrade, MT (Gibson Guitar Big Sky Supernationals)
September 18 - Billings Motorsports Park - Shepherd, MT (Dan Laber Memorial)
September 19 - Billings Motorsports Park - Shepherd, MT (Dan Laber Memorial)
American Sprint Car Series - Frontier Region
frontier.ascsracing.com
Billings Motorsports Park
http://www.billingsmotorsportspark.com
Electric City Speedway
http://www.electriccityspeedway.com
Gallatin Speedway
http://www.gallatinspeedway.com
Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MAVTV American Real
http://www.ascsracing.com
ASCS Frontier Region on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/ascsfrontier
Speedmart Inc. - presenting sponsor
http://www.speedmartinc.com
- Bryan Hulbert on Apr 30, 2015
- Article Date: 4/30/2015