(Image Credit: Electric City Speedway)
Andrew Kunas - COEUR d'ALENE, Idaho - The Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series closes its third season of competition with the rescheduled Montana Round-Up at Electric City Speedway in Great Falls, featuring two nights of sprint car racing this weekend.
With two events remaining, Phil Dietz of Laurel, Montana has clinched the series championship for 2015, his fifth sprint car title in Montana and second under the ASCS banner. Dietz carries a 359-point lead over Billings, Montana driver David Hoiness, with 300 points being the maximum a driver can earn over two nights.
While a championship has been clinched, there is still racing to be done and races to be won. After it was cancelled due to poor weather on Labor Day weekend, the series and Electric City Speedway agreed to reschedule the Montana Round-Up for two nights on September 25th and 26th and give the fans in Great Falls one more weekend of sprint car action this season.
The events scheduled for May 15th and 16th at Electric City Speedway were cancelled due to bad weather as well and were rescheduled for June 5th and 6th. Washington's J.J. Hickle extended his season opening win streak to three on the 5th before Joe Perry of Billings scored his first career sprint car main event win the next night.
The series returned for regularly scheduled events two weeks later. Dietz saw his nearly two year dry spell finally end on June 19th when after crossing the line second he was awarded the victory after the post-race disqualification of another driver. Oregon's Garen Linder earned his first career ASCS Frontier Region triumph the next night. On July 17th, Aaron Reutzel of Texas won the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour event at Electric City Speedway.
Dietz is the only driver to have qualified for every single ASCS Frontier Region main event, including National Tour races. Along with three wins Dietz has been insanely consistent, missing the Top 5 only a couple of times all season. Combine that with everyone else having a few bad nights and Dietz has an early lock on the championship. Along with his June 19th win, Dietz picked up wins at Gallatin Speedway on August 14th and again September 12th at the Big Sky Supernationals.
Solid runs can secure second place for Hoiness, who earned wins on June 12th at Gallatin Speedway, and on June 13th and August 1st at Billings Motorsports Park. He currently sits 51 points ahead of Alberta's Skylar Gee. Bryan Brown of East Helena, Mont. and Josh Ostermiller of Billings currently sit fourth and fifth and are looking to lock up Top 5 points finishes this weekend.
Cars from Montana, Wyoming, Alberta and elsewhere are expected both nights in Great Falls. Street stocks, super stocks and two classes of modifieds will be on the card with the ASCS Frontier Region sprint cars both nights. Tickets each night are $15 for adults, $12 for kids ages 12 to 17 and just $3 for the younger kids. Racing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. both nights.
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 www.facebook.com/ascsfrontier. The national website of the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MAVTV Motorsports Network is www.ascsracing.com.
ASCS Frontier Region
Top 10 points (after 9/19)
- Phil Dietz, 2355
- David Hoiness, 1996
- Skylar Gee, 1945
- Bryan Brown, 1890
- Josh Ostermiller, 1818
- J.J. Hickle, 1696
- Jeremy McCune, 1644
- Trever Kirkland, 1631
- Roger Cummings, 1484
- Joe Perry, 1479
ASCS Frontier Region
Upcoming events
September 25 - Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, MT (Montana Round-Up)
September 26 - Electric City Speedway - Great Falls, MT (Montana Round-Up)
ASCS Frontier Region
2015 winners
May 29 - J.J. Hickle at Billings Motorsports Park
May 30 - J.J. Hickle at Billings Motorsports Park
June 5 - J.J. Hickle at Electric City Speedway
June 6 - Joe Perry at Electric City Speedway
June 12 - David Hoiness at Gallatin Speedway
June 13 - David Hoiness at Billings Motorsports Park
June 19 - Phil Dietz at Electric City Speedway
June 20 - Garen Linder at Electric City Speedway
July 17 - Aaron Reutzel at Electric City Speedway (with National Tour)
July 18 - Johnny Herrera at Billings Motorsports Park (with National Tour)
July 31 - Travis Rilat at Gallatin Speedway
August 1 - David Hoiness at Billings Motorsports Park
August 14 - Phil Dietz at Gallatin Speedway
August 15 - Travis Rilat at Billings Motorsports Park
September 12 - Phil Dietz at Gallatin Speedway
September 18 - J.J. Hickle at Billings Motorsports Park
September 19 - Travis Rilat at Billings Motorsports Park
American Sprint Car Series - Frontier Region
frontier.ascsracing.com
Billings Motorsports Park
www.billingsmotorsportspark.com
Electric City Speedway
www.electriccityspeedway.com
Gallatin Speedway
www.gallatinspeedway.com
Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MAVTV Motorsports Network
www.ascsracing.com
ASCS Frontier Region on Facebook
www.facebook.com/ascsfrontier
Speedmart Inc. - presenting sponsor of ASCS Frontier Region
www.speedmartinc.com
- Bryan Hulbert on Sep 22, 2015
- Article Date: 9/22/2015