2012kiss

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Darland Earns Thrilling KISS Victory at Gas City


May 12, 2012 -- The defending King of Indiana, Dave Darland scored a thrilling win in the King of Indiana Sprint Series feature at the Gas City I69 Speedway, Friday. Grabbing the lead from Scotty Weir on the 24thcircuit, Darland outran Jerry Coons Jr., Bobby East, Tracy Hines and Coleman Gulick over the final laps for the victory.

When the promoters of several Indiana tracks formulated the King of Indiana Sprint Series, they may have had a vision of what the ideal KISS race would be like. It's easy to believe that Friday's event at the Gas City I69 Speedway was very close to that vision. The skies were clear, grandstand full, 33 teams were in the pits, and the track was racy. By the end of the 30-lap feature, the fans had been amply rewarded.

“It was a great night for me, driving Jeff Walker's Maxim with the Claxton,” Darland said with a grin after the victory ceremonies. “The race track was great. You could run high or low, either one. You could do what you had to do to get by if you were faster. It was just a fun night.”

With Walker's Jam It In Storage Claxton-powered Maxim starting fifth, Darland worked past Hunter Schuerenberg and Nic Faas to claim third as pole-starter Scotty Weir beat Bobby East off turn two on the first lap. Weir had opened a half straightaway lead when Darland took second from East on the sixth circuit.

The track was good no matter where drivers chose to run, but the bottom was still the shortest way around and most of the cars stayed on the inside line. Although Weir appeared to have everything under control early, when they caught the tail of the field Darland quickly closed the gap. For the next five laps they darted through the pack of backmarkers, Darland ready to pounce on the error that Weir never made. Then a caution on lap 18 bunched the field and gave the leaders a clear track again.

After hustling from tenth to fourth, Shane Cottle's race came to an end three laps back into the green. East looked under Darland in turn two, and was jammed when Darland quickly closed the door. Cottle couldn't avoid East and got turned around, suffering front end damage.

On the next restart, both Coons and Hunter Schuerenberg went to the top immediately while Weir and Darland opened several car lengths. Billy Puterbaugh passed Coons for fourth as Darland also tried the top a lap later, but another caution slowed the action on lap 24.

Liking what he had found, Darland quickly charged past Weir, using the cushion in turn one on the restart. “It got slicker and slicker off of two on the bottom and you couldn't run down there anymore,” Weir said later. “Leading the race, I wasn't going to just volunteer to the top first. I wish we could have stayed green after that because I just got my momentum built up on the top and was coming back to him.”

While Weir chased Darland, and Coons worked past East for third, another caution re-stacked the cars again on lap 27. This time Darland opened eight car lengths after the green, working the top at one end and the bottom at the other, while Coons charged around Weir on lap 28. Darland had a half straightaway lead at the checkers, as East and Weir fought for third on the last turn, with Weir scrambling through the infield to cross finish line, losing several more positions.

It was Darland's first KISS victory since a 2010 win at the Gas City facility. He had been able to use the top and bottom of the oval to his advantage, and knowing when to go where was crucial.

“I followed him through one and two on the restart before I got him and he was just kind of protecting the bottom so much that he was getting kind of slow down through there,” he explained. “If you got just a little bit wide, you got out of the slick and you were kind of hanging for a long time and you had a good possibility of getting passed. So I kind of set him up and talked myself into going to the top in one and two on the next restart and try to get back to the bottom on three and four. Everything worked out great for me and I was just back and forth to keep him behind me.”

“You can see where it was getting blacker and slicker on the bottom. But leading the race the whole time, you don't want to just take off to the top for no reason. I guess I should have,” the disappointed Weir offered. He had led much of the race, but only delivered seventh. Not what he had expected.

Coons was the first of the front runners to go to the top, and it had paid off. He said, “I didn't have a lot of choice. We were just really tight. The track was better than I thought it was going to be. They ran the Thunder Cars out first and it did kind of bring the track back. So we were just a little bit tight for the race track I think and just couldn't run the bottom very well. I pretty much had to run the top. It was a good race. On one yellow I tied the shocks down tight and tried to get the car freer, and that worked. And late in the race the top started to kind of slicken off, so I was able to back off a little bit and keep up with it. So, sixth to second, Darland was obviously very fast and there for awhile I figured we were about a fifth or sixth place car. I'm very happy with second.”

The battling was hard nosed, but that's what the KISS promoters had envisioned. Almost unnoticed, Gulick ran a marvelous race from 17thto fifth. Although he had missed the Bloomington show, and didn't get the “show up” points when it rained out, Darland closed within 24 points of Robert Ballou, who ran ninth after transferring through the B-Main.

The KISS series will continue with the next event at Lawrenceburg Speedway, Saturday, May 19, followed by Tri-State Speedway, in Haubstadt on May 27. This year's King of Indiana will then be crowned after the finale, at Paragon Speedway on June 2.

King of Indiana Sprint Series, Round 2
Gas City I69 Speedway, Gas City, Indiana
Friday, May 11, 2012
(33 cars)

Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. Bobby East 2b (2), 2. Billy Puterbaugh Jr. 16 (4), 3. CJ Leary 30 (6), 4. Justin Grant 40 (8), 5. Adam Brykett 78 (5), 6. Chris Windom 5 (7), 7. Casey Shuman 22 (9), 8. Brandon Petty 42g (3), 9. Logan Jarrett 29j (1)

Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. Scotty Weir 10e (2), 2. Ryan Pace 44 (4), 3. Shane Cottle 2e (6), 4. Travis Welpott 18 (1), 5. Coleman Gulick 14 (7), 6. Jon Sciscoe 57 (5), 7. Todd Gnat 51g (3), 8. Jamie Fredrickson 58 (8)

Heat 3 (8 laps): 1. Dave Darland 11 (4), 2. Nic Faas 53 (2), 3. Jon Stanbrough 21x (3), 4. Wes McIntyre 83 (7), 5. Andrew Elson 27a (5), 6. Ted Hines 12 (8), 7. Matt Goodnight 39 (1), 8. Travis Hery 21 (6)

Heat 4 (8 laps): 1. Hunter Schuerenberg 35 (1), 2. Jerry Coons Jr. 71p (3), 3. Tracy Hines 24 (2), 4. Jonathan Hendrick 68 (6), 5. Thomas Meseraull 41 (7), 6. Robert Ballou 12 (4), 7. Joshua Clemons 71c (5), 8. Nick Drake 55 (8)

B-Main (12 laps): 1. Gulick (2), 2. Ballou (8), 3. Brykett (1), 4. Meseraull (4), 5. Windom (5), 6. Shuman (9), 7. Elson (3), 8. Clemons (12), 9. Ted Hines (7), 10. Goodnight (11), 11. Fredrickson (14), 12. Gnat (10), 13. Drake (16), 14. Hery (15), 15. Jarrett (17), 16. Petty (13), 17. Sciscoe (6)

A-Main (30 laps): 1. Dave Darland (5), 2. Jerry Coons Jr. (6), 3. Bobby East (2), 4. Tracy Hines (12), 5. Coleman Gulick (17), 6. Billy Puterbaugh Jr. (7), 7. Scotty Weir (1), 8. Ryan Pace (8), 9. Robert Ballou (18), 10. Hunter Schuerenberg (3), 11. Nic Faas (4), 12. Thomas Meseraull (20), 13. Justin Grant (13), 14. CJ Leary (9), 15. Jon Stanbrough (11), 16. Wes McIntyre (15), 17. Adam Brykett (19), 18. Travis Welpott (14), 19. Jonathan Hendrick (16), 20. Shane Cottle (10)

KISS Points: 1. Robert Ballou 374, 2. Dave Darland 350, 3. Coleman Gulick 344, 4. Jon Stanbrough 340, 5. Jerry Coons Jr. 331, 6. Hunter Schuerenberg 318, 7. Wes McIntyre 316, 8. Thomas Meseraull 297, 9. Justin Grant 285, 10. Jonathan Hendrick 282


2012 KISS SCHEDULE

April 22 - Terre Haute Action Track – Robert Ballou
April 29 - Kokomo Speedway - Rain
May 4 - Bloomington Speedway - Rain
May 11 -Gas City I-69 Speedway – Dave Darland
May 19 - Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 27 - Tri-State Speedway
June 2 - Paragon Speedway

 

Gas City I69 Speedway Hosts KISS Racers This Friday

May 6, 2012 – The top sprint car racers in the Midwest will head north to Gas City I69 Speedway for Friday's King of Indiana Sprint Series program. The fast quarter-mile has earned the reputation as one of the best prepared and most competitive racing facilities in the state.

With a pair of rainouts the last two weekends, Robert Ballou heads the KISS standings, with some of the hardest drivers close on his tail. Five-time KISS King Jon Stanbrough trails by only 15 points, and Damion Gardner is 20 behind. Just behind these hard chargers sit four of the best young drivers in the area, Wes McIntyre, Blake Fitzpatrick and Coleman Gulick and Hunter Schuerenberg. Veterans Bud Kaeding, Dave Darland and Jonathan Hendrick fill out the top ten. With four races remaining and only 61 points separating them, the door to the throne is still wide open.

One reason for the popularity of the KISS series is the variety of tracks that the series competes on, and thus the range of challenges facing the drivers. The four ovals still ahead provide a good example of the differences that the racing teams face. While all four are classic banked dirt tracks, there are critical differences in not only the length of the straightaways, the angle and radius of the turns, and the composition of the clay surface that define the racing at that track.

In the northeastern part of the state, Gas City is the shortest and the racing is always wheel-to-wheel throughout the pack. With the well-groomed surface and fan-friendly track operation, it remains one of state's most popular racing facilities. The next two venues, Lawrenceburg Speedway and Tri-State Speedway, are high-banked and much faster, and always provide several good lines for racing. The fourth track, Paragon Speedway, is known for it's long, fast straightaways and tight, but quick turns. As each of these powerplants require different approaches and provide unique challenges, they showcase the skill of both the crew and the drivers.

Jon Stanbrough is the only driver to have earned more than one KISS victory at Gas City I69 Speedway, having won in 2007 and 2008. While Tony Elliott, John Wolfe, J.J. Yeley and Michael Burthay claimed wins during the first four KISS years, the most recent events have been claimed by Bryan Clauson (2009) and defending KISS champion Dave Darland (2010).

Gas City I69 Speedway is located 1/4 mile west of I-69 at Exit 59, on Highway 2. Grandstand admission for the KISS program is only $20 and kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult; pit passes are $30. The program will include Gas City's modifieds, street stocks and thunder cars. The track opens at 4:00, with the draw closing at 6:30 and racing beginning at 7:30. More information is available atwww.gascityi69speedway.com.

All KISS main events pay $2,500 to win, and $250 to start. This year, the KISS promoters have also included tow money, where any car that does not transfer to the feature will collect at least $100. Additionally, the point fund has increased to $4,200, with the series champion earning $1,200. Second in points will collect $900, and third through fifth will receive $800, $700 and $600.

KISS Points: 1. Robert Ballou 230, 2. Jon Stanbrough 215, 3. Damion Gardner 210, 4. Wes McIntyre 194, 5. Blake Fitzpatrick 187, 6. Coleman Gulick 184, 7. Hunter Schurenberg 178, 8. Bud Kaeding 175, 9. Dave Darland 170, 10. Jonathan Hendrick 169

2012 KISS SCHEDULE

April 22 - Terre Haute Action Track – Robert Ballou
April 29- Kokomo Speedway - Rain
May 4 - Bloomington Speedway - Rain
May 11 - Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 19 - Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 27 - Tri-State Speedway
June 2 - Paragon Speedway

Thunderstorm Interrupts KISS Program at Bloomington Speedway

May 4, 2012 – Bloomington Speedway dodged thunderstorms for several hours Friday evening, but couldn't avoid all of them. A heavy rain, mixed with hail and lightning, struck just as the third heat race concluded, washing out the King of Indiana Sprint Series program. By KISS series rules, rainouts are not rescheduled.

The KISS series will continue with a race scheduled each weekend, the I-69/Gas City Speedway hosting next Friday's program. It will be followed by events at Lawrenceburg, Haubstadt, and Paragon Speedway.

KISS Points: 1. Robert Ballou 230, 2. Jon Stanbrough 215, 3. Damion Gardner 210, 4. Wes McIntyre 194, 5. Blake Fitzpatrick 187, 6. Coleman Gulick 184, 7. Hunter Schurenberg 178, 8. Bud Kaeding 175, 9. Dave Darland 170, 10. Jonathan Hendrick 169

2012 KISS SCHEDULE

April 22 - Terre Haute Action Track – Robert Ballou
April 29- Kokomo Speedway - Rain
May 4 - Bloomington Speedway - Rain
May 11 - Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 19 - Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 27 - Tri-State Speedway
June 2 - Paragon Speedway

Focus Shifts to Bloomington Speedway With Friday's KISS Event

April 30, 2012 – The racing spotlight turns to Bloomington Speedway Friday night for the second thrilling round of the King of Indiana Sprint Series. Californian Robert Ballou won the opener at the Terre Haute Action Track, and after the weather-related cancellation at Kokomo, leads the KISS racers with a narrow 5-point advantage over another West Coast racer, Bud Kaeding. Defending KISS King Dave Darland and five time champion Jon Stanbrough are close behind, while Damion Gardner holds fifth in the points.

For the first time in a quarter-century, the well respected Bloomington facility is under new leadership. During the off-season, Mike and Judy Miles turned the reins over to a management group that includes local businessman Dan Roberts. With a long-term lease, the new promoters are upbeat after their first couple of weeks at the helm.

“We had a really good night the first night, even though we had some pretty dicey weather with the rain coming,” Roberts said. “The second night it was pretty much inevitable that we were going to get rained out. But we had to try to get it in.”

The new team inherited a full schedule that includes the May 4th KISS event. It is one that they are looking forward to. Roberts, who is co-owner of the Leer Racing sprint car driven by Jon Stanbrough, said that the KISS race has extra importance to him. “One reason is that the KISS series always produces great racing, and for two, we will get to run our own car there that we normally won't run there on local shows. So we are looking forward to a real good turnout on KISS night and hopefully we'll have the track just the way that the guys like it.”

Stanbrough has three KISS victories at Bloomington. Other winners include Tony Elliott and Kevin Briscoe in 2003 and 2004, and more recently, Chris Windom (2009) and last year's winner Brady Short. One of the founding tracks of both Indiana Sprint Week and the KISS series, Bloomington's new promotional team understands the leadership role the facility has been known for, and feels ready for the challenges ahead.

“Basically I'm doing the same thing that Mike Miles did. I'm the competition director and I take care of the track. Mike's been working with me on how to keep it nice and keep the place nice. We intend to improve upon it every chance we get,” Roberts said. The other members of the management group include Bruce Leer, Jack Craig and Dale Dillon, and Roberts explained, “I was pretty much tired of the construction business. I’d been doing it for 31 years and this opportunity became available and we had a really good group of guys that wanted to get involved with us. I never would have done it on my own.”

General admission for the KISS program is only $20 and kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult; pit passes are $30. The racing will include UMP modifieds and street stocks. The main grandstand will open at 5:30, with hot laps at 6:30 and racing beginning at 7:30. The pit gate opens at 4:30. More information is available atwww.bloomingtonspeedway.com.

All KISS main events pay $2,500 to win, and $250 to start. This year, the KISS promoters have also included tow money, where any car that does not transfer to the feature will collect at least $100. Additionally, the point fund has increased to $4,200, with the series champion earning $1,200. Second in points will collect $900, and third through fifth will receive $800, $700 and $600.

The KISS series will continue with a race scheduled each weekend, with the I-69/Gas City Speedway the next Friday, May 11, followed by events at Lawrenceburg, Haubstadt, and the finale at Paragon Speedway on June 2.

KISS Points: 1. Robert Ballou 180, 2. Bud Kaeding 175, 3. Dave Darland 170, 4. Jon Stanbrough 165, 5. Damion Gardner 160, 6. Jerry Coons Jr. 156, 7. Brady Bacon 152, 8. Mike Spencer 148, 9. Wes McIntyre 144, 10. Kyle Cummins 140

2012 KISS SCHEDULE

April 22 - Terre Haute Action Track – Robert Ballou
April 29- Kokomo Speedway - Rain
May 4 - Bloomington Speedway
May 11- Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 19 - Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 27 - Tri-State Speedway
June 2 - Paragon Speedway

Kokomo Speedway King of Indiana Sprint Series Event Canceled Due to Wet Conditions

April 29, 2012 – The Kokomo Speedway KISS race scheduled for tonight has been canceled due to wet grounds. Following several days of heavy rains, Kokomo's promoters are not able to make the track safe for sprint car competition.

The KISS series will continue with a race every weekend, with Bloomington Speedway next, on Friday, May 4. It will be followed by the tracks at Gas City, Lawrenceburg, and Haubstadt, until the King of Indiana is crowned at Paragon Speedway on June 2.

2012 KISS SCHEDULE

April 22 - Terre Haute Action Track – Robert Ballou
April 29- Kokomo Speedway - Rain
May 4 - Bloomington Speedway
May 11- Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 19 - Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 27 - Tri-State Speedway
June 2 - Paragon Speedway

Kokomo Speedway Opens Season With Round Two of King of Indiana Sprint Series

April 24, 2012 – The second stop for the King of Indiana Sprint Series 2012 tour will be at the Kokomo Speedway on Sunday, April 29. The home-grown KISS series is the opening act for Kokomo's racing season, which includes several noteworthy events, the biggest of which is the inaugural Sprint Car Smackdown. The Smackdown features USAC's national sprint car series racing for a projected purse exceeding $100,000 over three nights, August 23 – 25, with $10,000 payday for wining the grand finale.

Sunday's event will be the KISS series' eighth visit to the popular northern Indiana dirt track and it will be interesting to see if the racers continue a peculiar trend. Illustrating the competitiveness of both the KISS racing and the Kokomo oval, there have been seven different winners in the seven previous KISS races, beginning with Kent Christian's victory in 2002. Mat Neely captured the next race, in 2005, and has been followed by Shane Cottle, Hunter Schuerenberg, Billy Puterbaugh Jr., Jon Stanbrough and Blake Fitzpatrick. While any of these drovers are capable of scoring a second victory, with the exception of Neely, who hasn't raced much in recent years due to business interests, there are many others poised to extend the trend to eight winners in eight years, including Robert Ballou, who took the checkers in the first round of the 2012 KISS tour.

The Kokomo Speedway pit gate will open at 3:30, the front gate at 4 pm, with hot laps at 5:45 and racing at 6:15. General admission is only $20 and kids 10 and under are free with a paying adult. Pit passes are $30. The Sunday night racing program includes Kokomo's street stocks and thunder cars.

All of this year's KISS races will pay $2,500 to win, and $250 to start the feature. This year, the KISS promoters have also included tow money, where any car that does not transfer to the feature will collect at least $100. Additionally, the point fund has increased to $4,200, with the series champion earning $1,200. Second in points will collect $900, and third through fifth will receive $800, $700 and $600.

The KISS series will continue with a race every weekend, with Bloomington Speedway next, on May 4. It will be followed by the tracks at Gas City, Lawrenceburg, and Haubstadt, until the King of Indiana is crowned at Paragon Speedway on June 2.

2012 KISS SCHEDULE

April 22 - Terre Haute Action Track – Robert Ballou
April 29 - Kokomo Speedway
May 4 - Bloomington Speedway
May 11 - Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 19 - Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 27 - Tri-State Speedway
June 2- Paragon Speedway

KING OF INDIANA SPRINT SERIES
Public Relations Contact: Mike O’Leary Phone: 812-400-0021
Email: lugnut86@comcast.net
Website:www.KissRacing.com

Robert Ballou Captures KISS Opening Night at Terre Haute

April 22, 2012 – Robert Ballou towed into the Terre Haute Action Track with a new sprint car on a borrowed open trailer, and drove out with the winner's trophy after capturing the opening event of the 2012 King of Indiana Sprint Series. Ballou took the lead from Bud Kaeding with six laps remaining for his first KISS win, followed by Dave Darland, Jon Stanbrough and Damion Gardner.


From victory lane, the emotional Ballou told the crowd that he and his wife built up the car together in the last year and that he“burned up five tires tonight, so I'm probably going into the hole”.


Pole starter Chris Windom outran Kaeding through the first turn of the historic half mile oval, and quickly opened a comfortable advantage. Gardner hustled around Kaeding for second place on the third circuit, but couldn't keep up with Windom, who stretched his lead to a full straightaway. By the halfway mark, Ballou had raced from seventh starting spot to fourth, and was closing on Kaeding in third. On lap 14, Windom caught up to several slower cars, but he appeared to lose speed as Gardner closed within a dozen car lengths over the next circuits. Then, Windom's engine erupted into a ball of flame and the leader rolled to a stop and jumped from his car at the top of turn four.


Gardner pushed high in turn two on the restart and Kaeding dove to his inside, taking the lead, with Ballou close on his tail. While Ballou pressed Kaeding, Darland worked past Gardner on the next lap. On the 19th lap, Ballou swept under Kaeding going into the first turn. Kaeding tried to fight back, driving to the inside of the next turn, but Ballou held his position. At the finish, Kaeding was on Ballou's tail, with Darland, the defending series champion, just behind, in third. Five-time King of Indiana Jon Stanbrough took fourth, while Gardner slipped to fifth.


The KISS series will continue with a race each of the next six weekends, with Kokomo Speedway scheduled next Sunday, followed by the tracks in Bloomington, Gas City, Lawrenceburg, and Haubstadt, in successive weeks until the King of Indiana is crowned at Paragon Speedway on June 2.


King of Indiana Sprint Series, Round 1
Terre Haute Action Track, Terre Haute, Indiana
Sunday, April 22, 2012
(32 cars)


Heat 1: 1. Brady Bacon 99 (3), 2. Mike Spencer 53 (8), 3. Casey Shuman 21 (2), 4. Thomas Meseraull 41 (1), 5. Kyle Cummins 3c (6), 6. Chase Stockon 32 (7), 7. Braylon Fitzpatrick 3f (4), 8. Patrick Budde 90 (5)


Heat 2: 1. Damion Gardner 71 (2), 2. Chris Windom 5 (1), 3. Jon Stanbrough 21x (8), 4. Jonathan Hendrick 68 (5), 5. Bill Rose 6 (4), 6. Dickie Gaines 70 (6), 7. Jason Soudrette 44 (7), 8. Mitch Wissmiller 1 (3)


Heat 3: 1. Wes McIntyre 83 (1), 2. Bud Kaeding 29 (3), 3. Dave Darland 11 (5), 4. Seth Parker 38p (2), 5. Blake Fitzpatrick 10f (7), 6. Coleman Gulick 14 (6), 7. Justin Grant 40 (4), 8. C.J. Leary 30 (8)


Heat 4: 1. Robert Ballou 12 (3), 2. Levi Jones 57 (2), 3. Jerry Coons Jr. 71p (6), 4. Hunter Schuerenberg 35 (5), 5. Dakota Jackson 3 (4), 6. Brandon Mattox 28 (1), 7. Brady Short 36 (7), 8. Mark Perry III (8)


B- Main: 1. Cummins (1), 2. Blake Fitzpatrick (3), 3. Stockon (5), 4. Gulick (7), 5. Grant (11), 6. Rose (2), 7. Short (12), 8. Jackson (4), 9. Gaines (6), 10. Mattox (8), 11. Wissmiller (14), 12. Braylon Fitzpatrick (9), 13. Leary (15), 14. Soudrette (10), 15. Budde (13), Perry (DNS)


Feature (25 laps): 1. Robert Ballou (7), 2. Bud Kaeding (2), 3. Dave Darland (11), 4. Jon Stanbrough (10), 5. Damion Gardner (5), 6. Jerry Coons Jr. (12), 7. Brady Bacon (8), 8. Mike Spencer (3), 9. Wes McIntyre (4), 10. Kyle Cummins (17), 11. Blake Fitzpatrick (18), 12. Coleman Gulick (20), 13. Casey Shuman (9), 14. Hunter Schuerenberg (16), 15. Chase Stockon (19), 16. Levi Jones (6), 17. Jonathan Hendrick (14), 18. Seth Parker (15), 19. Thomas Meseraull (13), 20. Chris Windom (1)


KISS 2012 Points: 1. Robert Ballou 180, 2. Bud Kaeding 175, 3. Dave Darland 170, 4. Jon Stanbrough 165, 5. Damion Gardner 160, 6. Jerry Coons Jr. 156, 7. Brady Bacon 152, 8. Mike Spencer 148, 9. Wes McIntyre 144, 10. Kyle Cummins 140


2012 KISS SCHEDULE

April 22 - Terre Haute Action Track – Robert Ballou
April 29- Kokomo Speedway
May 4 - Bloomington Speedway
May 11 - Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 19 - Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 27 -Tri-State Speedway
June 2 - Paragon Speedway

King of Indiana Sprint Series Opens Sunday Terre Haute Action Track Drops Green Flag

April 15, 2012 – The King of Indiana Sprint Series returns to action on Sunday, April 22, with the inaugural event of the 2012 season at the Terre Haute Action Track. The Spring Fling racing program is co-sanctioned by the Midwest Sprint Car Series, and will feature the area's top sprint car stars.


In its 11th year, the seven-race series will compete at the best dirt power plants in the Hoosier state as it sets the stage for crowning this year's King. Last year's championship wasn't resolved until the final checkered flag, as Dave Darland claimed the title with thrilling second and third place runs in the last two events to edge five-time King Jon Stanbrough by a mere 16 points.


With the first KISS and MSCS points on the line and a healthy purse, many drivers will step up to the challenges of the historic half mile Terre Haute oval. It's been a busy off-season as Stanbrough moved to the Roberts/Tate 21x, Darland joined Jeff Walker's 11, and Bobby East picked up the ride in Scott Benic's 2B. While most drivers have only a couple of races under their belts, as the are tracks just getting things going, Casey Shuman (Bloomington), Scotty Weir (Gas City), have already collected feature wins this year. Over the winter, Tracy Hines picked up a couple of wins in Arizona, and both Damion Gardner and Darren Hagen notched USAC victories in Florida. Brady Short, the 2009 KISS King, is the defending MSCS champion.


With the larger half mile oval, Sunday's main event will be 25 circuits, rather than the standard 30 laps for KISS events. The pits open at 2 pm, the grandstand and infield at 4, and racing starts at 6 o'clock. Grandstand admission is $20, the infield is $15, and pit passes are $30. The program includes UMP modifieds with the sprint cars.


All KISS races will pay $2,500 to win, and $250 to start the feature. This year, the KISS promoters have also included a minimum payoff, where any car that does not transfer to the feature will collect at least $100 tow money. Additionally, the point fund has increased to $4,200, with the series champion earning $1,200. Second in points will collect $900, and third through fifth will receive $800, $700 and $600.


With the opening event ready at Terre Haute, the KISS racers will compete weekly for the next seven weeks, with races at Speedways in Kokomo, Bloomington, Gas City, Lawrenceburg, and Haubstadt, until the King of Indiana is crowned at Paragon Speedway on June 2.


2012 KISS SCHEDULE

April 22 Terre Haute Action Track
April 29 Kokomo Speedway
May 4 Bloomington Speedway
May 11 Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 19 Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 27 Tri-State Speedway
June 2 Paragon Speedway

KISS Series To Open 2012 Campaign at Terre Haute Action Track‏

March 25, 2012 – No matter which sanctioning group is involved, the Terre Haute Action Track gets every racer's attention when it is on the schedule. The Action Track is big, wide and very, very fast. When conditions are right, it can have quick bottom and mid-track grooves, and also a very fast line around the top, which leads to great side-by-side racing action.


This year, the King of Indiana Sprint Series returns to the Action Track after a five year absence, on Sunday, April 22, in a double-header with the Midwest Sprint Car Series. The Spring Fling is the opening event for both groups. With KISS and MSCS points on the line and a healthy purse, many drivers will step up to the challenges of the historic half mile dirt oval.


The Action Track is under new management, with veteran promoters Bob Sargent and the O'Connor family signing a five year lease over the winter. Reece O'Connor has been responsible for track preparation at the O'Connor's Kokomo Speedway, and also groomed the Action Track for the last couple of events last year. He says that they got the idea for the KISS/MSCS co-sanctioned program from Tri-State Speedway. “We were going to run a few MSCS shows and when I saw the way that Tommy (Helfrich) was doing it, I noticed he had a KISS/MSCS race.”


As they prepare for the coming season, with a seven race schedule ahead at the Action Track, O'Connor notes that their partner, Bob Sargent, brings a unique depth of experience. “He's been in the business forever, ever since he was a kid. He's just real knowledgeable from top to bottom in this business. From track prep to selling hot dogs, he knows the ins and outs of all of it.”


“We're going to spruce it up, do some painting,” O'Connor advises of the facility that was built in 1949, and has been one of the country's top dirt ovals for 60 years. “Probably you will see more, not this year, but next. We just got the contract signed less than a month ago and we got a lot of stuff thrown at us in a short amount of time.”


Recognized as one of the most competitive areas in the country for short track racing, KISS and MSCS feature the best home-grown sprint car racing. Reigning King of Indiana Dave Darland has rejoined car owner Jeff Walker for the 2012 season, and five time KISS champion Jon Stanbrough is now teamed with Dan Roberts and Daryl Tate. Brady Short, KISS's 2009 champ, will be defending last year's MSCS championship.


With the larger half mile oval, the April 22, Sunday night feature race will be 25 circuits, rather than the standard 30 laps for KISS events. The payoff will be $2,500 to win, and $250 to start the feature. This year, the KISS promoters have also included a minimum payoff, where any car that does not transfer to the feature will collect at least $100. The point fund has increased to $4,200, with the series champion earning $1,200. Second in points will collect $900, and third through fifth will receive $800, $700 and $600.


2012 KISS SCHEDULE

April 22 Terre Haute Action Track

April 29 Kokomo Speedway

May 4 Bloomington Speedway

May 11 Gas City I-69 Speedway

May 19 Lawrenceburg Speedway

May 27 Tri-State Speedway

June 2 Paragon Speedway



KING OF INDIANA SPRINT SERIES

Public Relations Contact: Mike O’Leary Phone: 812-400-0021

Email: lugnut86@comcast.net

Website: www.KissRacing.com

Terre Haute Action Track Joins KISS Tour
Paragon Speedway Adjusts Schedule
 
 
March 4, 2012 – The Terre Haute Action Track has been added to the King
Of Indiana Sprint Series schedule this season, hosting the opening event
on Sunday, April 22. The final race, at Paragon Speedway, has also
changed dates, moving to Saturday, June 2.
 
With seven tracks now on this year's tour, the point fund has increased
to a total of $4,200, with the series champion earning $1,200. Second in
points will get $900, and third through fifth will receive $800, $700
and $600. The KISS promoters have also included a minimum payoff, where
any car that does not transfer to the feature will collect at least $100.
 
The event at Terre Haute will be a co-sanctioned KISS and MSCS program.
This will be the seventh KISS event held at the Action Track, however it
will be the first since Jon Stanbrough captured the 2006 race.
Stanbrough also won in 2001 and 2003, with Tony Elliott, Shane Cottle
and Levi Jones collecting KISS victories in the intervening years.
 
 
2012 KISS SCHEDULE
 
April 22 Terre Haute Action Track
April 29 Kokomo Speedway
May 4 Bloomington Speedway
May 11 Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 19 Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 27 Tri-State Speedway
June 2 Paragon Speedway
 
 
 

2012 KISS Schedule Change

January 4, 2012 – The KISS series schedule has changed and the opening curtain is now mere 118 days away. Kokomo Speedway will welcome the first race of the 2012 KISS tour, on Sunday, April 29.

Bloomington Speedway will follow on Friday, May 4, and a week later, Gas City/I-69 Speedway hosts the racers on Friday, May 11. The next Saturday, May 19, Lawrenceburg Speedway will be the site of the fourth round. Tri-State Speedway will host KISS racers and fans in Haubstadt, on May 27, the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Then, the 12th King of Indiana will be crowned at Paragon Speedway, Saturday, June 30.

2012 KISS SCHEDULE

April 29 Kokomo Speedway
May 4 Bloomington Speedway
May 11 Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 19 Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 27 Tri-State Speedway
June 30 Paragon Speedway
KING OF INDIANA SPRINT SERIES 
Public Relations Contact: Mike O’Leary Phone: 812-400-0021
Email: lugnut86@comcast.net
Website: www.KissRacing.com
KING OF INDIANA SPRINT SERIES 
Public Relations Contact: Mike O’Leary Phone: 812-400-0021
Email: lugnut86@comcast.net
Website: www.KissRacing.com

2012 KISS Schedule Set

January 2, 2012 – While most of the Hoosier state is a frigid winter wonderland, promoters of the King of Indiana Sprint Series are pleased to announce that the opening round of the 2012 KISS series is a mere 124 days away.

KISS returns to six of the most challenging dirt ovals in the country for its twelfth campaign. Bloomington Speedway opens the program on Friday, May 4. A week later, Gas City/I-69 Speedway hosts the second stop on Friday, May 11. The KISS racers will contend two rounds the next weekend at Lawrenceburg Speedway on Saturday, May 19, and Kokomo Speedway on Sunday, May 20. Tri-State Speedway will host KISS racers and fans in Haubstadt, on May 27, a Sunday. Then, the 12th King of Indiana will be crowned at Paragon Speedway, Saturday, June 30.

2012 KISS SCHEDULE

May 4 Bloomington Speedway
May 11 Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 19 Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 20 Kokomo Speedway
May 27 Tri-State Speedway
June 30 Paragon Speedway