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Strong Northwest Contingent Set for Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown

(Photo by Malcolm White Photography)

Inside Line Promotions – SOMERTON, Ariz. (Dec. 10, 2015) – More than a half dozen drivers from the Northwest are expected to make the long haul south to the 2nd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown at Cocopah Speedway on Jan. 1-2, Jan. 5 and Jan. 8-9.

“My roots began in the Northwest so it’s great to see so many drivers head to the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown,” Cocopah Speedway General Manager Greg Burgess said.

Oregon resident Roger Crockett, who placed fifth in the championship standings during the inaugural Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown, is excited about the opportunity to test himself against some of the best drivers in 410ci winged sprint car racing with a premier purse on the line.

“Last year it was cool because we were one of only a few cars to make the A Main every night and never run a B Main,” he said. “It’s nice to see how we stack up against those guys. It’s great to be able to race that time of the year. It’s a good time to get away for a week, the purses are really good and the track is good and has a lot of good people involved. I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

Washington native Trey Starks leads a strong contingent of drivers from his home state who will be heading south. Starks claimed a career-high eight feature victories from coast to coast as well as the inaugural Western Sprint Tour championship in 2015.

“I’ve been looking forward to racing the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown for a long time,” he said. “We had a breakout year and have a lot of confidence going into the event. Hopefully we can continue our momentum from 2015 into Winter Heat, do well all five nights and then go into the 2016 season on a positive note.”

Fellow Washingtonian Henry Van Dam, who captured the track title at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash., will return to Cocopah Speedway after he picked up four top 10s during the inaugural five-race event.

“The Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown is just a great event,” he said. “It’s always fun when you can race against some of the best drivers in racing and it’s helpful to run at the same track five nights during a nine-day span. The weather should be great and you can’t beat the purse. It’s definitely an event that is circled on the calendar.”

The overall purse for the event on the semi-banked, 3/8-mile oval is approximately $250,000, including $12,000-to-win and $1,000-to-start main events on Jan. 1-2 and Jan. 8-9. The midweek feature on Jan. 5 pays $5,000 to win.

Several other Northwest stars have also indicated they will tackle the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown. Jason Solwold, who won the 2015 Summer Thunder Sprint Series championship, has pre-entered and fellow Washington native Reece Goetz also confirmed he will be competing.

Washington based Rudeen Racing, which fielded a car for Joey Saldana during the inaugural event, will have Bud Kaeding as the driver.

Additionally, Canadian sprint car drivers Skylar Gee and Robbie Price, who mostly compete in the Northwest and along the West Coast, are slated to return to the event.

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.

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