By
Brian Liskai
Columbus
OH (6/19/02) - The 20th Annual $200,000 Ohio Sprint Speedweek,
which will kick off Sunday, June 30th and run through
Saturday, July 6,
2002, already has 35 drivers on the pre-entry list for
the All Star
Circuit of Champions sanctioned event.
Those
drivers who entered early will share in the largest point
fund ever
paid in Speedweek history with the Champion collecting
a cool $5,000 for
earning the most points during the hottest summer series
in the country.
There
has never been a clean sweep of all seven features by
any driver,
however, if that should happen this year, it would be
worth $43,000 just
in purse money alone.
Five
drivers on this year's pre-entry list know what it's like
to win the
opener and will be trying to recapture that glory. They
include - Jack
Hewitt, Mark Keegan, Kenny Jacobs, Jeff Shepard and Byron
Reed. Of these
drivers, Reed, was the one on top of his game for last
year's Speedweek -
collecting two wins, two second place finishes and one
fast time award.
The
action starts at Attica Raceway Park on Sunday, June 30
with a
$5,000-to-win show and moves to Wayne County Speedway
at Orrville for
equal pay on Monday night, July 1. First place money gets
bumped up to $6,000
for the Tuesday , July 2 show at Fremont as a result of
a previously rained
out All Star show.
On Wednesday, July 3, the tour swings down to K-C Raceway,
south of
Chillicothe, then the July 4th Holiday show on Thursday
returns to Fremont
for another $6,000 prize. The high banks of Limaland Motorsports
Park
will host the Friday night activities, again with the
winner pocketing $6,000.
The
whole Ohio Speedweek concept was laid out and put in motion
20 years
ago by Eldora's owner Earl Baltes and he has chosen Portsmouth
Raceway
Park as the site for the Saturday wrap-up show paying
$10,000 to win.
Because
the event is open to all cars that meet All Star specs,
drivers
may choose to run one or all nights. Close to 50 cars
are expected nightly
with a complete show of time trials, qualifying heats,
a dash and a C, B and
A-Main feature at each track. Overnight campers are welcome
at all
facilities.
