(Image Credit: Black Hills Race Talk)
by Andrew Kunas - COEUR d'ALENE, Idaho - The Brodix Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series is just over a week away from kicking off its 2017 season, and at least one of its drivers won't have to go very far for the first race.
Mike Sires, out of Rapid City, South Dakota has declared his intentions to race as much as possible with the Frontier Region of ASCS this season. Friday, June 2 will be an easy tow for him as the season starts up at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City before a trip west on Interstate 90 to Gillette Thunder Speedway in Wyoming the next night.
Sires is entering his eighth season as a race car driver, all in sprint cars. He's been out mostly to have fun, but is always hoping to do his best as well. In 2016 Sires and his No. 7 Schnee appeared at nine ASCS Frontier Region events, four of them being with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MAVTV Motorsports Network. He appeared in five A-Features with 13th place being his best finish. He ended up finishing 12th in the Brodix ASCS Frontier Region point standings.
"Last season was a lot of fun for me. We did a lot of traveling and got to go to a lot of new tracks that we hadn't raced on. Everything went really well and the car stayed in one piece, which is always a plus," said Sires, who normally has raced with the Frontier Region at least a handful of times a season since its 2013 inception.
Sires will have his usual sponsors back for 2017, including Sires Trucking, Ace Steel & Recycling and Cow Country Equipment. He describes his crew as a small bunch, as he included his wife Tara, son Chase and friend Ben Holmberg's father Mike, at least whenever he's not helping with Ben's No. 14 machine.
"This season I would like to try to catch as many of the Frontier Region series races as possible," Sires said this week, noting that a possible distraction from racing may be coming in August. He and Tara are expecting a baby boy. Family, obviously, comes first.
"I would definitely like to continue to improve on my driving skills and speed this year, and maybe move up in the placings for finishes and points," Sires continued. "I always hope to do well each night, but I'm in it for fun first and foremost. I enjoy spending time and traveling with the family."
Sires will get to stay at home for Brodix ASCS Frontier Region events three additional times in 2017. The Frontier Region will clash with the ASCS National Tour for two nights on Friday and Saturday, July 14th and 15th and the Frontier Region will return for another Friday night show on July 28th.
Next weekend's races will be the first two of 15 scheduled events at five dirt tracks across Idaho, Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming for the Brodix ASCS Frontier Region in 2017. Four of those events will be will the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by MAVTV Motorsports Network in July. Rod End Supply has stepped up to be the presenting sponsor of victory lane celebrations on the Frontier Region circuit in 2017.
More information on the ASCS Frontier Region, National Tour and other ASCS regional tours, including schedules and results, can be found onine at ascsracing.com. You can also find the series on Facebook.
- Bryan Hulbert on May 31, 2017
- Article Date: 5/31/2017