(Photo by Patrick Grant)
Inside Line Promotions – SOMERTON, Ariz. (Dec. 28, 2015) – All five winners, including the champion, of the inaugural Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown are slated to return to Cocopah Speedway for the second edition of the premier offseason winged sprint car event, which kicks off this Friday.
Defending champion Danny Lasoski, who also earned the inaugural FVP National Sprint League championship as well as his record 10th track title at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, in 2015, leads a stout field of nearly 50 pre-entered drivers into the event that features a purse of approximately $250,000 as well as a $10,000 points fund.
“We’re going to go out there and see if we can repeat,” he said. “We know it’ll be as tough or tougher than last year. We hope we can repeat to start the year off on the right note.
“We can’t thank everyone at Cocopah enough for doing this. Most of us scramble to put together an opportunity to race in Australia or New Zealand during the offseason. Now we can focus on staying over here, putting our program together and racing for some good money.”
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series veteran Paul McMahan, NASCAR star Kyle Larson, ‘The King’ Steve Kinser and 2015 breakout driver Aaron Reutzel joined Lasoski in the Winner’s Circle during the first-ever Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown last January and all have committed to competing at the 3/8-mile oval starting this weekend.
The action begins on Friday with a $12,000-to-win, $1,000-to-start event with Speed Shift TV broadcasting live Pay-Per-View of all five nights.
“We should have a great car count featuring some of the top racers in the world throughout the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown,” Cocopah Speedway General Manager Greg Burgess said. “We are all very excited to kick off five races in nine days at Cocopah Speedway. The inaugural event set a high standard and we’re looking to building on that.”
In addition to Larson, fellow NASCAR standout Kasey Kahne has announced he will compete. Kahne is scheduled to race during the final weekend – Jan. 8-9 – of the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown after returning to the United States from a trip to Australia.
Additionally, Rico Abreu and Christopher Bell, who are both climbing the NASCAR ranks after breaking out on the dirt scene in recent years, will compete throughout the five-race spectacle.
Also of note, approximately two thirds of the 2015 World of Outlaws roster has stated an intent to tackle the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown, including Shane Stewart, Daryn Pittman, Joey Saldana, McMahan, David Gravel, Logan Schuchart, Jason Johnson and Jacob Allen.
A tentative driver roster of competitors who have either sent in preregistration forms or verbally committed to competing is posted at http://CocopahWinterHeat.com/fan-info/driver-roster/.
Tickets for the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown, which include a free fan pit pass, are on sale at http://www.CocopahWinterHeat.com.
2016 WINTER HEAT SPRINT CAR SHOWDOWN –
Dates: Jan. 1-2, Jan. 5 and Jan. 8-9, 2016
Track: Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, Ariz.
Prize: $12,000-to-win, $1,000-to-start each night (Jan. 1-2, 8-9); $5,000-to-win (Jan. 5); approximately $250,000 total prize money
Type: 410ci sprint cars
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.CocopahWinterHeat.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CocopahShowdown
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WinterHeatSprintCarShowdown
TICKETS –
General admission tickets for the event are on sale by visiting http://www.CocopahWinterHeat.com. Kids 12 and under get in free. There is a discount for military members and senior citizens.
PAY-PER-VIEW –
Speed Shift TV will be broadcasting live Pay-Per-View video of the 2nd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown for only $24.95 per night. Also, a 20-percent discount is available for those who purchase all five nights. Visit http://www.SpeedShiftTV.com/WinterHeat for more information.
THE EVENT –
The 2nd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown will showcase the top sprint car drivers in the world in sunny Southwest Arizona during the first two weeks of January in 2016. The four weekend races pay $12,000 to the winner and at least $1,000 to every driver who advances to the main event with the midweek show paying $5,000 to win.
POINTS FUND –
The 2nd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown features a $10,000 points fund thanks to Cometic Gasket, JE Pistons and K1 Technologies. The driver who garners the most overall points throughout all five races receives $4,000 for winning the championship with drivers finishing second through fifth each recording a $1,500 bonus.
COCOPAH SPEEDWAY –
Cocopah Speedway is a semi-banked, 3/8-mile dirt track located in Somerton, Ariz. It has a concrete wall perimeter, television-quality lighting and the pits are located outside turns three and four. There is also dry camping free of charge on the property. For more information, visit http://www.CocopahSpeedway.com.
COMETIC GASKET –
Cometic Gasket, Inc., is a leading worldwide supplier of gaskets and engine sealing solutions for the Automotive Performance, Powersports, Original Equipment and Remanufactured Engine Industries. Housed in a 70,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing center in Concord, Ohio, Cometic Gasket has maintained its deep roots in the powersports industry while expanding to service the Automotive Performance, Domestic Automotive, Sport Compact, V-twin, Marine, Diesel, Agricultural, Industrial and Stationary Power markets. Today, Cometic Gasket offers over 85,000 SKUs, shipping gaskets and engine sealing solutions across the globe. All Cometic products are made in the United States with materials manufactured on American soil. For more information, visit http://www.Cometic.com.
JE PISTONS –
JE Pistons is the leader in high performance forged pistons. Based in Irvine, Calif., the company has more than 60 years of experience and has a history of manufacturing the highest quality pistons and components that professional engine builders, race teams and high-performance enthusiasts trust and rely on. For more information, visit http://www.JEPistons.com.
K1 TECHNOLOGIES –
K1 Technologies produces “RACEREADY” connecting rods and crankshafts at very affordable prices. K1’s connecting rods and crankshafts are made to our designs and are held to some of the tightest accepted tolerances in the racing industry. More attention is shown to finish work than comparable products. A wide variety of sizes and applications are available, from Sport Compact sizes through Small Block and Big Block Chevy and Mopar, including some custom and specialty sizes. Our unique design, which is original to the K1 Technologies line of connecting rods, saves weight without sacrificing strength. K1 Technologies strives to bring our customers a high-quality connecting rod at an affordable price, while providing world-class customer service. For more information, visit http://www.K1Technologies.com.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Dec 28, 2015
- Article Date: 12/28/2015 by Inside Line Promotions