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Blaney Edges Larson Atop Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown Championship Standings After First Weekend

(Photo by Matt Hill)

Inside Line Promotions – SOMERTON, Ariz. (Jan. 3, 2016) – Dale Blaney has risen to the top of the 2nd annual Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown championship standings following a strong opening weekend at Cocopah Speedway.

Blaney claimed Friday’s opener before earning a fourth-place finish on Saturday, making him the only driver out of 46 competitors who has registered two top fives. That gives the Ohio native a 14-point lead over NASCAR star and Saturday feature winner Kyle Larson with Washington resident Jason Solwold rounding out the podium five points behind Larson.

“The main thing is we’ve ran really good both nights and I’ve been consistent,” Blaney said. “The points can change in a hurry. I’m not really too worried until next Saturday after the races. I’m just trying to race good and do as best as we can. Our main goal coming out was to win a race. We did that right away so the next main goal would be to win another one.”

The Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown champion will receive $4,000 with drivers finishing second through fifth in the championship standings each earning $1,500 thanks to Cometic Gasket, JE Pistons and K1 Technologies.

Oklahoma native Shane Stewart, who finished the 2015 season ranked second in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series championship standings, used a runner-up result on Saturday to climb into fourth in the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown standings – 29 points out of the lead. Defending event champion Danny Lasoski, who placed third on Saturday, ranks fifth and is only 32 points behind Blaney.

The event resumes on Tuesday with Opening Ceremonies set for 7 p.m. (Mountain).

UNOFFICIAL POINTS AFTER NIGHT 2 –

.1. 1b-Dale Blaney 382; 2. 57-Kyle Larson 368; 3. 18-Jason Solwold 363; 4. 2-Shane Stewart 353; 5. 33-Danny Lasoski 350; 6. 83-Joey Saldana 349; 7. 9k-Daryn Pittman 336; 8. 24-Terry McCarl 335; 9. 11c-Roger Crockett 334; T10. 1g-Christopher Bell 330; T10. 121-Greg Hodnett 330; 12. 88n-D.J. Netto 315; 13. 3c-Craig Dollansky 311; 14. 11-Steve Kinser 307; 15. 41-Jason Johnson 297; 16. 17b-Bill Balog 285; 17. 21b-Brian Brown 278; 18. 7-Paul McMahan 274; 19. 9-Ryan Smith 273; 20. 23-Seth Bergman 265; 21. 7t-Tasker Phillips 262; 22. 49-Tanner Thorson 260; 23. 15h-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 257; 24. 68-Chase Johnson 256; 25. 24r-Rico Abreu 250; 26. 2l-Logan Forler 249; 27. 41s-Dominic Scelzi 246; 28. 17a-Austin McCarl 242; 29. 97-Parker Price-Miller 233; 30. 5h-Willie Croft 232; 31. 81w-Danny Wood 231; 32. 2c-Wayne Johnson 229; T33. 55t-Trey Starks 228; T33. 45x-Johnny Herrera 228; 35. 21-Robbie Price 227; 36. 6g-Bryan Gossel 225; 37. 4s-Michael Kofoid 220; 38. 33v-Henry Van Dam 214; 39. 99-Skylar Gee 202; 40. 1-Justin Henderson 166; T41. 26-Bud Kaeding 162; T41. 1s-Logan Schuchart 162; T43. 55-Aaron Reutzel 160; T43. 1a-Jacob Allen 160; 45. 1m-Jim Moughan Jr. 19; 46. 9r-Reece Goetz 2.

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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