KISS CHAMPION'S HELMET TO BE PRESENTED AT BLOOMINGTON FRIDAY

September 11, 2011 -- The King of Indiana Sprint Series Champion's Helmet will be presented to 2011 King of Indiana Dave Darland at Bloomington Speedway on Friday, September 16. Darland earned his first KISS championship, over Jon Stanbrough and Chris Windom, with finishes of second and third at Paragon and Kokomo Speedways, in the final weekend of the series. This is the fifth champion's helmet presented by the KISS track promoters, as Jon Stanbrough owns three from his 2007, 2008 and 2010 titles, and Brady Short, the 2009 champion, also has one.

2011 KISS Winners
May 6 Bloomington Speedway Brady Short
May 13 Gas City I-69 Speedway Rain
May 21 Lawrenceburg Speedway Daron Clayton
June 19 Tri-State Speedway Rain
June 25 Paragon Speedway Shane Cottle
June 26 Kokomo Speedway Blake Fitzpatrick

Final KISS Points: 1. Dave Darland 703, 2. Jon Stanbrough 687, 3. Chris Windom 668, 4. Robert Ballou 633, 5. Shane Cottle 526, 6. Keith Bloom Jr. 467, 7. Chad Boesplfug 441, 8. Daron Clayton 390, 9. Blake Fitzpatrick, 10. Anderw Elson (382)

The KISS Champions Helmet has been sponsored by Sprint Car & Midget Magazine and Simpson Performance Products since its inception. Whether he chooses to wear it regularly or display it in his trophy case, the Vudo model Simpson racing helmet provides top-of-the-line safety equipment for Darland. Jeff Van Horn, Van Horn Tint & Accessories, created the distinctive artwork that makes the helmet unique. Both Simpson Performance Products and Sprint Car & Midget Magazine are recognized as established leaders in their fields, with Simpson’s broad safety and racing product base, and the magazine’s reputation for strong feature articles, photos, editorials and race reporting for nearly a decade.

The September 16 racing program at Bloomington Speedway will feature the MSCS sprint car series in a big $5,000-to-win sprint car event. The evening’s card also includes the UMP super stocks and hornets. The schedule of events and additional details are available athttp://www.bloomingtonspeedway.com/.

The King of Indiana Sprint Series is organized and conducted by the individual Indiana sprint car race track promoters to provide the best sprint car racing and more information is available at our website, http://www.kissracing.com/. Many thanks to the series sponsors, including Simpson Performance Products,Sprint Car& Midget Magazineand Van Horn Tint & Accessories for the KISS champion’s helmet, Elliottbrand Web Designs,in Westport, IN, and Kiva Networkingin Bloomington for the KISS website (www.kissracing.com).

More information about KISS sponsors can be obtained directly from their websites at:
Elliottbrand Web Designs- http://www.elliottbrand.com
Simpson Performance Products – http://simpsonraceproducts.com/
Sprint Car & Midget Magazine - http://www.sprintcarandmidget.com/
Van Horn Tint& Accessories –http://www.vanhorn1.com

June 26, 2011 - It was to be expected. The 2011 King of Indiana Sprint Series came down to the final weekend, the last two races, and wasn't decided until the last 30-lap feature race was checkered. The feature race was dramatic at Paragon Speedway on Saturday, hugely changing the complexion of the title battle. Then, at Kokomo Speedway on Sunday, the final hands were played out. The winner was Dave Darland, one of Indiana's most respected sprint car veterans, who is this year's King of Indiana Sprints.

Shane Cottle took advantage of a rare opportunity to drive for Jeff Walker and scored the victory at Paragon, while young Blake Fitzpatrick showed the fast way around Kokomo Speedway, leading flag-to-flag. With finishes of second and third, Darland earned his first KISS championship, by 16 points, over Jon Stanbrough and Chris Windom.

“We thought it was going to be around the bottom and the bottom went away and the top came in and we got up there before somebody got past us and that was the key to the whole situation,” Cottle said after his victory lane celebration. He had only driven once before for Walker, as a last minute replacement when Ricky Stenhouse was injured, for a single race. This was one neither will forget anytime soon, Cottle admitted, “You've got Jeff Walker hiring you to do it. You know his track record, somebody's always going to win in it, so you're pressured to win. He gave us a good car tonight.”

Chris Windom led early, from the pole, running the bottom, while Cottle, Darland and Stanbrough barked at his tail. Darland moved to the top and tried Cottle in turn three on the third circuit, but the caution flew, slowing the field. When they restarted, Cottle quickly went to the top and charged past Windom going into turn three on the next lap. Darland also got past Windom before he, too, moved up to the top groove, which had begun to take rubber and became very fast.

After racing most of the next 20 laps dodging through traffic, Windom tried a slide job on Darland on lap 23. He said later that Darland hadn't gone into turn three as quickly as he anticipated and he had to change his line slightly and just got in too hard. In any event, as they came through turn four, Windom got crossed up right as he slid in front of Darland, and they made contact. For a second, the track was blocked with both cars sideways, fighting for their tires to bite. It was at this time that Stanbrough arrived, with a full head of steam, and turning his car as much as he could to avoid a direct hit, he plowed into both machines. This turned Darland's to continue down the straightaway, but both Windom and Stanbrough were stopped in the turn.

While Cottle charged brilliantly to the victory in the Jam-It-In Storage Maxim, Stanbrough and Windom fought their way from the tail of the field to ninth and tenth at the finish. The impact on the points was dramatic. Stanbrough held a 25-point lead over Brady Short coming into the race, and 37 over Darland. Short had decided to skip the last weekend to be with his wife, who had just delivered a new baby. But Darland had closed the gap to a narrow two point margin with just one race remaining.

Once the track took rubber like it did, it was hard to pass under conditions like that,” Darland said. “We were lucky to get into second before the track got one-lane. We're pretty happy with the second place and it will help us in the KISS points. The car was good, we just didn't set up for the rubber like it went, we set up for the slick, especially there late. The tire got bald and the car just got super tight.”

Blake Fitzpatrick started Sunday's feature, at Kokomo Speedway, from outside the front row, and quickly charged into the lead. It is easy to note that he led every lap, and wasn't really challenged. But he tells the story differently.

The young driver from West Terre Haute said that it was a much needed win for his First Financial Spike machine. “To be up front with the guys that we're running with and finally pick up a win this year is really good. We lost brakes there two laps into the feature and just kind of rode around. On the last yellow I was able to put a few laps together to get ahead of Windom. I knew he was coming.”

He noted that with a nearly round shape, the Kokomo track allows a driver to carry a lot of speed, but it also has a good cushion. “You can really lean on it and depend on it. I really used that to my advantage, with no brakes.”

Starting side-by-side with Stanbrough, Darland held third early, before taking second from Tracy Hines on lap 3. While Fitzpatrick built a full straightaway lead, Windom was scrapping his way to the front. On the ninth circuit, Darland caught the cushion in turn four and biked-up on two wheels and Windom grabbed second. At the finish, Fitzpatrick had a half-straightaway lead over Windom, while Darland held off Keith Bloom for third.

“He started on the front row and we started fifth,” Windom said later. “He had a good car, probably a little better than us. We caught him about halfway through the race and we hung with him, we just didn't have enough to get around him.”

After the victory photos and celebration, Darland talked about being the new King of Indiana. “Me and my team are really proud of it. Daryl (Tate) hasn't won the championship before either and he's been sprint car mechanic and owner for years and they have given me a good race car day in and day out. All of us are pretty happy about this championship.”

The veteran from Lincoln, Indiana, explained that in the past he had always been committed to competing in USAC events and hadn't been able to run all of the KISS races in any season. This had been his first chance, and it paid dividends.

Heat 1 (10 laps): 1. Chris Windom 5 (5); 2. Ty Deckard 48 (1); 3. Matt Mitchell 2x (3); 4. Robert Ballou 81 (9); 5. Kyle Cummins 3c (8); 6. Tony Reed 8 (7); 7. Ryan Tusing 16 (6); 8. Kyle Wissmiller 29 (4) ; 9. Adam Beliles 66 (2);

Heat 2 (10 laps): 1. Shane Cottle 11 (8); 2. Bub Cummings 71 (4); 3. Aric Gentry 10 (3); 4. Rob Botts 33b (5); 5. Cody Gentry 2x (7); 6. Buddy Lowther 31 (9); 7. Doug Heck 55 (6); 8. Dale Dillon 36l (2); 9. Kerry Kinser 99 (1)

Heat 3 (10 laps): 1. Jon Stanbrough 53 (3); 2. Jared Harris 81h (1); 3. Chase Briscoe 5b (5); 4. Josh Cunningham 6s (7); 5. Jake Scott 22 (2); 6. Mark Perry 3m (4); 7. Randy Johnson 48j (9); 8. Warren Perkins 30 (6); Wesley Hickman 23 DNS

Heat 4 (10 laps): 1. Dave Darland 21x (1); 2. Jeff Miller 33m (3); 3. Eric Edwards 44 (4); 4. Nick Johnson 15j (8); 5. Joe Liguori 6rr (6); 6. Drew Tarr 3x (2); 7. A.J. Francis 21f (7); 8. Johnny Johnson 72 (5)

B Main (12 laps): 1. Cummins (1); 2. Heck (10)l 3, Reed (5); 4. Liguori (4); 5. Perry (7); 6. Kinser (18); 7. R. Johnson (11); 8. Francis (12); 9. Perkins (15); 10. Tarr (8); 11. J. Johnson (14); 12. Tusing (9); 13. Scott (3); 14. Wissmiller (13); 15. C. Gentry (2); 16. Lowther 6)

Feature (30 laps): 1. Shane Cottle (3); 2. Dave Darland (5); 3. Bub Cummings (2); 4. Robert Ballou (13); 5. Ty Deckard (8); 6. Jeff Miller (4); 7. A. Gentry (10); 8. Doug Heck (18); 9. Chris Windom (1); 10. Jon Stanbrough (6); 11. Eric Edwards (12); 12. Jared Harris (7); 13. Joe Liguori (20); 14. Tony Reed (19); 15. Rob Botts (14); 16. Nick Johnson (16); 17. Josh Cunningham (15); 18. Chase Briscoe (11); 19. Kyle Cummins (17); 20. Matt Mitchell (9)

Heat 1 (10 laps): 1. Chris Windom 5 (4); 2. Jon Stanbrough 53 (3); 3. Hunter Schuerenberg 2e (5); 4. J.R. Douglas 09 (1); 5. Shane Cottle 10e (6); 6. Andrew Elson 27a (9); 7. Kyle Robbins 17r (2); 8. Seth Parker 38p (7); 9. Jake Blackhurst 7 (8)

Heat 2 (10 laps): 1. Tracy Hines 24 (2); 2. Dave Darland 21x (4); 3. Daron Clayton 69 (3); 4. Robert Ballou 81 (5); 5. Chad Boespflug 98 (7); 6. Josh Spencer 66j (1); 7. Wes McIntyre 83 (9); 8. Conner Donelson 42 (6); Logan Jarrett 29 DNS

Heat 3 (10 laps): 1. Keith Bloom Jr. 27 (2); 2. Blake Fitzpatrick 10 (4); 3. Thomas Meseraull 57 (6); 4. Matt Mitchell 2 (1); 5. Justin Grant 40 (3); 6. Kyle Larson 11 (8); 7. Jamie Fredrickson 58 (5)

B Main (12 laps): 1. Elson (1); 2. McIntyre (5); 3. Larson (3); 4. Parker (7); 5. Fredrickson (6); 6. Donelson (8); 7. Spencer (2); 8. Blackhurst (10); 9. Robbins (4)

Feature (30 laps): 1. Blake Fitzpatrick (2); 2. Chris Windom (5); 3. Dave Darland (4); 4. Keith Bloom Jr. (6); 5. Daron Clayton (8); 6. Robert Ballou (11); 7. Jon Stanbrough (3); 8. Kyle Larson (18); 9. Shane Cottle (13); 10. Tracy Hines (1); 11. Chad Boespflug (14); 12. Thomas Meseraull (9); 13. Andrew Elson (16); 14. Matt Mitchell (12); 15. Justin Grant (15); 16. Wes McIntyre (17); 17. J.R. Douglas (10); 18. Hunter Schuerenberg (7); 19. Jamie Fredrickson (20); 20. Seth Parker (19)

Final KISS Points: 1. Dave Darland 703, 2. Jon Stanbrough 687, 3. Chris Windom 668, 4. Robert Ballou 633, 5. Shane Cottle 526, 6. Keith Bloom Jr. 467, 7. Chad Boesplfug 441, 8. Daron Clayton 390, 9. Blake Fitzpatrick, 10. Anderw Elson (382)

The King of Indiana Sprint Series is organized and conducted by the individual Indiana sprint car race track promoters to provide the best sprint car racing. Many thanks to the series sponsors, including Sprint Car & Midget Magazine, Simpson Performance Products and Van Horn Tint & Accessories for the KISS champion’s helmet, Elliottbrand Web Designs, in Westport, IN, and Kiva Networking in Bloomington for the KISS website (www.kissracing.com).

Paragon Speedway Hosts King of Indiana Sprint Series Tonight

June 24, 2011 – Saturday's King of Indiana Sprint Series event at
Paragon Speedway will be crucial in determining this year's King. With
two of the first four events being rained out, every tour of the 3/8
mile Paragon clay has added importance. With a total of 60 green flag
laps left this weekend, any great run can pay big dividends, but even a
small slip could have devastating consequences.

Jon Stanbrough, the winningest driver in KISS history and a 5-time
champion, currently holds a narrow, 25-point edge over Brady Short.
Stanbrough followed up his third place finish in the opening event at
Bloomington Speedway, with a second place result in the rain-shortened
feature at Lawrenceburg. Short, the 2009 KISS champ, claimed the win at
Bloomington, but was only tenth when the rain hit at the 'Burg. While
both drivers know how challenging the Paragon track can be, both have
found success there. Stanbrough has won the last three KISS features at
Paragon, but Short captured last weekend's MSCS-sanctioned Chuck Amati
Classic 68.

Dave Darland, Chris Windom and Damion Gardner aren't far behind the lead
duo in points. Darland is a dozen points behind Short, Windom just 9
points further back and Gardner 4 points more back. If Stanbrough and
Short stumble, any of the three is well positioned to contend for the
title when the series convenes at Kokomo on Sunday.

Saturday's event will be Paragon Speedway's eighth KISS race. The pit
gate will open at 4:00, the grandstands at 5:00, with hot laps at 6:00
and racing at 7:30. Grandstand admission is $15, pit passes are $30, and
children 12 and under are admitted free in the Grandstand with a paying
adult. The program includes Paragon's super stock, bomber and pure stock
divisions. More information is available at http://www.paragonspeedway.com.

The King of Indiana Sprint Series is organized and conducted by the
individual Indiana sprint car race track promoters to provide the best
sprint car racing. Many thanks to the series sponsors, including Simpson
Performance Products, Sprint Car & Midget Magazine and Van Horn Tint &
Accessories for the champion’s helmet, Elliottbrand Web Designs, in
Westport, IN, and Kiva Networking in Bloomington for the KISS website
(www.kissracing.com).

2011 KISS SCHEDULE

May 6 Bloomington Speedway Brady Short
May 13 Gas City I-69 Speedway Rain
May 21 Lawrenceburg Speedway Daron Clayton
June 19 Tri-State Speedway Rain
June 25 Paragon Speedway
June 26 Kokomo Speedway

Current KISS Points: 1. Jon Stanbrough 395, 2. Brady Short 370, 3. Dave
Darland 358, 4. Chris Windom 349, 5. Damion Gardner 345, 6. Casey Shuman
318, 7. Robert Ballou 312, 8. Chad Boespflug 304, 9. Keith Bloom 302,
10. Brett Burdette 288

Current KISS Points: 1. Jon Stanbrough 395, 2. Brady Short 370, 3. Dave Darland 358, 4. Chris Windom 349, 5. Damion Gardner 345, 6. Casey Shuman 318, 7. Robert Ballou 312, 8. Chad Boespflug 304, 9. Keith Bloom 302, 10. Brett Burdette 288

June 19, 2011 – The King of Indiana Sprint Series (KISS) race co-sanctioned KISS/Midwest Sprint Car Series at Tri-State Speedway has been canceled because of rain.

The 2011 KISS tour will re-convene at Paragon Speedway next Saturday, June 25, and will conclude the following night, Sunday, June 26, at Kokomo Speedway.

KISS Series Back In Action Tri-State Speedway Hosts Huge KISS/MSCS Night

June 15, 2011 – The King of Indiana Sprint Series (KISS) heads to the final stretch for 2011, and the next event, the co-sanctioned KISS/Midwest Sprint Car Series program at Tri-State Speedway will have everyone sitting up in their seats. For the racers, the Father's Day, Sunday, June 19, event will be triply important as it not only pays at the pay window, but also pays both KISS and MSCS points for those respective championships. So, if the drivers are sitting up in their seats, then the fans will be as well, as this event unfolds at one of the raciest ovals in the Hoosier state.

This year's KISS competition has had some odd twists and turns. Brady Short won Bloomington's opening race, which isn't unusual, he has been on a hot streak since the first green flag dropped in April. A week later, the fans were ready and the cars were on the track when the skies over Gas City let loose. As they loaded up, everyone there received “show up” points, including the fans. The third event, at Lawrenceburg Speedway, saw good close racing, with Jon Stanbrough and Daron Clayton battling for the lead. With Clayton out front, the weatherman once again spoiled the fun when rain caused the main event to be stopped after completing a dozen laps. The standings at that point were ruled to be the final finishing order.

To set the stage for Sunday night as they head for Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana, just north of Evansville, the 5-time KISS champion Stanbrough holds a narrow lead over Short, who is gunning for his second title. Dave Darland, Chris Windom and Damion Gardner are lurking behind Short, each of them poised to join the fray at the top. Only two events after Tri-State occur a week later, as the KISS series wraps up with an exciting doubleheader, at Paragon Speedway and Kokomo Speedway on June 25 and 26.

While Brady Short currently trails in the KISS standings, he sits atop the MSCS points on the strength of his win in the series opener at Lawrenceburg. Chase Stockon and Casey Riggs have also garnered MSCS victories, and the standings show Mark Perry III, Chase Briscoe, Riggs and Chad Boespflug as close behind Short. Before Sunday's event, MSCS will compete the Chuck Amati Classic 68 at Paragon Speedway on Saturday.

Sunday's KISS program at Tri-State Speedway will see hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:30. The pit gate opens at 3:30, the grandstand gates at 5:30. Admission tickets are $15, students 13 – 18 are just $10, while those 12 and younger are admitted free. Pit passes are $30. The program will include UMP modifieds in competition. More information and directions to Tri-State Speedway can be found on the web at www.tristatespeedway.com.

KISS events pay $2,500 to win, $250 to start the feature and the B-Main pays $100 to the first six drivers who do not transfer to the feature and $50 to all remaining B-Main starters. Drivers draw for heat race starting positions, and features will be 30 laps. Under KISS guidelines, each track is responsible for conducting the event in accordance with their track rules. The $3,600 point fund awards the top five point finishers, with $1,000 going to the 2011 King of Indiana Sprints. For the fifth year, Sprint Car & Midget Magazine is sponsoring the KISS Champion's helmet, with original artwork by Van Horn Tint & Accessories.

May 22, 2011 – Although it took until the next day to make it official, Daron Clayton has been awarded the King of Indiana Sprint Series victory for his run at Lawrenceburg Speedway on Saturday. Jon Stanbrough finished second, ahead of Damion Gardner, Chris Windom and Keith Bloom Jr.

After the KISS redraw, Clayton was slated to start the 30-lap feature on the pole in the Hoffman Mean Green Mopar-powered F-5. But with a miscue on the start, Clayton was ruled to have jumped and moved one row back, and Stanbrough took over the pole. Although the next start was smoother, a first turn tangle took Joshua Clemons out of the race, and sent Dave Darland and Brett Burdette to the work area to change tires. Although a light drizzle started while the track was being cleared, the Lawrenceburg staff was anxious to get the race in and the third start was good enough.

Stanbrough led the field into the first turn and built a dozen car length advantage in the early laps. Chad Boespflug quickly hustled from eighth to challenge Windom for third, using the high groove. On the eighth circuit, Stanbrough appeared to slip slightly going into turn four and Clayton took the lead around the outside as they came off the turn. While Clayton opened eight car lengths, Gardner battled Windom for third, and suddenly cars began slipping and the track became too treacherous to continue. The race was stopped on the 13^th lap and cars sent to the pits.

It took until Sunday for officials to declare the race complete. Lawrenceburg Speedway has announced that checks for competitors will be mailed in the coming week.

From a historical perspective, it is Clayton's third KISS win, having scored back-to-back at Tri-State Speedway in 2007 and 2008. When Brady Short won at Bloomington two weeks ago, it was also his third KISS victory. Clayton and Short join Tony Elliott and Kevin Briscoe with three wins, while only Jon Stanbrough has earned more, 17.

The next KISS event will held be Sunday, June 19^th at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt. The 2011 King of Indiana Sprint Series will conclude with a doubleheader at Paragon Speedway and Kokomo Speedway on June 25 and 26.

Heat 1: 1. Blake Fitzpatrick 10 (1), 2. Damion Gardner 71 (4), 3. Brady Short 36 (6), 4. Andrew Elson 27a (3), 5. Justin Grant 40 (8), 6. Shawn Westerfeld 89 (2), 7. Michael Fischesser 4 (5), 8. John Race 42 (7)

Heat 2: 1. Chris Windom 5 (1), 2. Scotty Weir 1g (3), 3. Keith Bloom Jr. 27 (4), 4. Jonathan Hendrick 68 (6), 5. Casey Shuman 4g (7), 6. Adam Strausser 65 (2), 7. Mark Perry III 3m (5), Evan Gindling 21e DNS

Heat 3: 1. Chad Boespflug 98 (3), 2. Daron Clayton 69 (4), 3. Logan Hupp 9h (2), 4. John Memmer 4m (5), 5. Robert Ballou 81 (7), 6. Joss Moffatt 5j (1), 7. Mike Weber 22w (6)

Heat 4: 1. Joshua Clemons 71c (3), 2. Jon Stanbrough 53 (7), 3. Dave Darland 21x (6), 4. Casey Riggs 37 (5), 5. Brett Burdette 17b (2), 6. Coleman Gulick 14 (4), 7. Jason Soudrette 44 (1)

B Main: 1. Grant (1), 2. Ballou (3), 3. Shuman (2), 4. Burdette (4), 5.Moffatt (7), 6. Westerfeld (5), 7. Soudrette (12), 8. Fischesser (9), 9. Perry (10), 10. Strausser (6), 11. Gulick (8), 12. Race (13)

Feature (12 laps completed): 1. Clayton (3), 2. Stanbrough (1), 3. Gardner (5), 4. Windom (4), 5. Bloom (10), 6. Fitzpatrick (2), 7. Darland (12), 8. Weir ((7), 9. Boesoflug (8), 10. Short (9), 11. Grant (17), 12. Hendrick (14), 13. Ballou (18), 14. Shuman (19), 15. Memmer (15), 16. Riggs (16), 17. Elson (13), 18. Burdette (20), 19. Hupp (11), 20. Clemons (6)

Current KISS Points: 1. Brady Short 230, 2. Bobby East 225, 3. Jon Stanbrough 220, 4. Dave Darland 206, 5. Shane Cottle 202, 6. Jerry Coons Jr. 194, 7. Casey Shuman 190, 8. Bryan Clauson 187, 9. Chris Windom 184, 10. Robert Ballou 181

May 15, 2011 – With one round in the books and another washed out by spring rains, the King of Indiana Sprint Series travels to Lawrenceburg Speedway for the third round on Saturday, May 21. A couple hours north, at a race track celebrating its 100th anniversary, they call it Pole Day. But on the 3/8-mile dirt oval just minutes west of Cincinnati, it's Race Night.

Brady Short, the defending race winner at Lawrenceburg, tops the KISS points following his victory at Bloomington this year. But a year ago, Short took the checkers after a thrilling battle with Jon Stanbrough and Justin Grant. Stanbrough ran second, and John Memmer third, as Grant was forced to retire after bouncing off the wall and then losing his hood. Short is the only driver to have edged Stanbrough for a KISS championship in the last five years, earning his crown in 2009.

With his victory in the opening round, Short holds a slight, five-point lead over Bobby East, with Stanbrough only five points behind them. Dave Darland and Shane Cottle fill the top-5 and remain within 30 points of the leader. With four events still remaining, any of the drivers in the top ten are still in the race for the KISS champion's helmet. The second five includes drivers extremely capable of winning not only any race, but also the KISS title: Jerry Coons Jr., Casey Shuman, Bryan Clauson, Chris Windom and Robert Ballou. Tracy Hines and Hunter Schuerenberg have to be considered among the favorites when the teams unload on Saturday, as both have already scored victories at the 'Burg this year.

Saturday's KISS program at Lawrenceburg Speedway is a special event, Youth Sports Night at the Races. Any youngster who is a youth sports player and wears their uniform will receive free admission. The action begins with hot laps at 6 pm. The pit gate opens at 4 o'clock, and general admission at 5. Admission tickets are $15, youngsters 7 – 12 are just $7, while those 6 and younger are admitted free. Pit passes are $30. The program will include UMP modifieds and AMSA mini-sprints. Information and directions can be found on the web at www.lawrenceburgspeedway.com.

KISS Event at Gas City Rained Out

May 13, 2011 – Friday's King of Indiana Sprint Series program at the Gas City I-69 Speedway was rained out. Sprint cars were on the track just minutes before hot laps when the rain began. With heavy rains over the last several days, track workers were not able to save the surface for racing. The 44 drivers on hand received KISS show-up points. Brady Short remains on top of the standings after his victory at Bloomington Speedway, as the series travels to Lawrenceburg on Saturday, May 21.

KISS 2011 Points: 1. Brady Short 230, 2. Bobby East 225, 3. Jon Stanbrough 220, 4. Dave Darland 206, 5. Shane Cottle 202, 6. Jerry Coons Jr. 194, 7. Casey Shuman 190, 8. Bryan Clauson 187, 9. Chris Windom 184, 10. Robert Ballou 181

2011 KISS SCHEDULE

May 6       Bloomington Speedway       Brady Short
May 13    Gas City I-69 Speedway       Rain
May 21     Lawrenceburg Speedway
June 19   Tri-State Speedway
June 25   Paragon Speedway
June 26   Kokomo Speedway

KING OF INDIANA SPRINT SERIES
Website: www.KissRacing.com
Public Relations Contact: Mike O’Leary
Email: [email protected]

Short Leads KISS Racers to Gas City Friday

May 9, 2011 – With a commanding victory in last Friday's King Of Indiana Sprint Series opening event, 2009 champion Brady Short leads the series to the Gas City I-69 Speedway for the second stop on this year's trail. But for Short, the popular Gas City oval could be the biggest challenge he faces, and it doesn't have anything to do with Friday The 13th.

Last week, Short found a line midway up Bloomington Speedway's banks that his car really liked, and swept from third to first, passing Bobby East and Kent Christian. But while the Bedford driver showed everyone the fast way around, the racing was wheel-to-wheel and the track proved tricky for the cars behind him. Jon Stanbrough charged from 14th to third, and several others also showed the mettle to dig from the deep in the pack, including Casey Shuman and Bryan Clauson.

But Gas City could be a different story for Short. Each track on the KISS schedule is unique, with its own nuances and challenges. Each one has to be raced differently. Frankly, Gas City is a track that has allowed Short little success. Take last year's opening event, where Short came into the race as the 2009 KISS champion, but left without making the feature. The I-69 facility can be tough. Short drew a sixth place starting spot for his heat, quickly moved to fourth, but while battling Matt Westfall for third on the seventh lap, they made contact and Short lost a position, finishing sixth. When there are 44 cars in the pits, the B-Main is usually a real scrap. Short started eighth, but got caught up in an opening lap wreck and restarted on the tail. Even though he passed enough cars to finish tenth, it was still several slots shy of the transfer. This year, Brady is determined to turn his Gas City luck around and come out strongly at the end of the night.

While Gas City has been a real thorn for some drivers, it is always action packed and filled with drama. Dave Darland is the defending winner of Gas City's KISS event, scoring a huge triumph a year ago for his second KISS victory. But just behind Darland, Levi Jones and Bryan Clauson put on a memorable show as Clauson fought to get past Jones for second for much of the race. Then, on the final lap, the two made contact going into turn three and both cars spun. Clauson was able to keep his car running and took the checkers, while Jones sat sideways in the groove.

Demonstrating the challenge that drivers face when unloading at Gas City, several track champions have scored KISS wins there, including John Wolfe and Michael Burthay, but only one driver has won the race more than once. Jon Stanbrough scored back-to-back wins in 2007 and 2008. A driver with more recent success is Missourian Hunter Schuerenberg, who captured the April 29th USAC race at the track.

Friday's racing program at Gas City I-69 Speedway includes UMP modifieds, street stocks and thunder cars. The track opens at 4:00 and racing is scheduled for 7:30. General admission is $15, and pit passes are $30, while kids (6 and under) are admitted free general admission with a paid adult. Track rules, and more information and directions are available at www.gascityi69speedway.com.

KISS events pay $2,500 to win, $250 to start the feature and the B-Main pays $100 to the first six drivers who do not transfer to the feature and $50 to all remaining B-Main starters. Drivers draw for heat race starting positions, and features will be 30 laps. Under KISS guidelines, each track is responsible for conducting the event in accordance with their track rules. The $3,600 point fund awards the top five point finishers, with $1,000 going to the 2011 King of Indiana Sprints. For the fifth year, Sprint Car & Midget Magazine is sponsoring the KISS Champion's helmet, with original artwork by Van Horn Tint & Accessories.

2011 KISS SCHEDULE

May 6     Bloomington Speedway        Brady Short
May 13    Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 21    Lawrenceburg Speedway
June 19    Tri-State Speedway
June 25    Paragon Speedway
June 26     Kokomo Speedway

KISS Points: 1. Brady Short 180, 2. Bobby East 175, 3. Jon Stanbrough 170, 4. Jon Sciscoe 165, 5. Kent Christian 160, 6. Dave Darland 156, 7. Shane Cottle 152, 8. Danny Holtsclaw 148, 9. Jerry Coons Jr. 144, 10. Casey Shuman 140

Short Claims KISS Opener at Bloomington

May 6, 2011 – Brady Short opened the King of Indiana Sprint Series with a brilliant victory at Bloomington Speedway, Friday night. Short hustled his Indiana Stone Works Maxim past Kent Christian to take the lead on the tenth circuit and never looked back, claiming the win by 1.5 seconds, as Bobby East collected second and Jon Stanbrough third.

“It's huge,” Short said afterward. “We won the KISS points two years ago and I'd really like to win again. It's a fun deal and it's hard competition running these different race tracks. It's a good way to start off this KISS deal, coming to my favorite race track. I've never won a KISS race here at Bloomington and it's pretty special.”

Kent Christian took the early lead from the pole, ahead of East, Short, Jon Sciscoe and Dave Darland. As drivers ran both high and low, looking for an advantage on Bloomington's quarter-mile oval, Short moved up to a mid-track line and quickly powered into the lead. Once out front, Short was able to build a sizable advantage, extending it to a third of a lap as the race ran all 30 laps without a caution. When Short caught the tail of the field with a handful of laps remaining, East cut into the gap, but didn't get close enough to challenge for the win.

Jon Stanbrough showed why he is a five-time champion of the KISS series, racing to third from a seventh row start. Stanbrough worked steadily around and between cars on the busy oval, getting to ninth in the first six laps and into the top five by lap 20. Other drivers with notable runs included Casey Shuman, who battled from 18^th to tenth, and Bryan Clauson, finishing right behind Shuman after starting 17^th.

Racing on his home track, Short, who is from nearby Bedford, Indiana, noted that he predicted what the track was going to be like and where he needed to run. “I always say that when Bloomington Speedway it gets slick and I can run my lane through the middle, it's the fastest way around here. It's tough to do and there's very few people who can do it, I chose it real quick and the car really liked it. It was probably the best handling race car I've had here in a long time. I kind of cruised around and when I got to lapped traffic, at the end, I kind of slowed down. It had a lot more in it, I was just trying to be smart, you know, and not get around those lapped cars and get in a wreck.”

Back in the pits, East allowed that he was pleased with his runner-up finish in his own Beast sprinter. “It was blown off all the way from the bottom to the top and I started running about three quarters up, and just kind of moved around from there. I went to the bottom and was sizing the leader up and Brady went by us both. That's what happens when you start in the front. We wound up second and there's fifty some cars here, so we're fairly happy and its a pretty small operation, really.”

“I really would have liked to have won that deal, especially starting on the front row, but Brady is really fast here and he had a good car. We had a really good car, too, we just were a little off at the start and made a couple of adjustments halfway through the race.”

It was Short's third KISS series victory, with previous wins coming at Tri-State Speedway in 2009, and at Lawrenceburg Speedway last year. With 54 cars on hand, heat races were won by Short, East, Danny Holtsclaw, Darland, Ty Deckard and Robert Ballou. Jordan Kinser claimed the C-Main, and Bub Cummings outran Levi Jones in the B-Main.

The KISS series continues on Friday, May 13^th, at Gas City I-69 Speedway, in Gas City, Indiana. Dave Darland won last year's Gas City round.

King of Indiana Sprint Series, Round 1
Bloomington Speedway, Bloomington, Indiana
Friday, May 6, 2011

Heat 1: 1. Danny Holtsclaw 3 (1), 2. Brett Burdette 17b (2), 3. Chris Windom 5 (9), 4. Casey Riggs 37 (4), 5. Mark Perry III 3m (7), 6. Arin McIntosh 34m (8), 7. Seth Parker 38p (6), 8. Jared Harris 81h (5), Lance Grimes (DNS)

Heat 2: 1. Brady Short 36 (3), 2. Jon Sciscoe 7 (6), 3. Jon Stanbrough 53 (8), 4. Bub Cummings 71 (1), 5. Chase Briscoe 5 (4), 6. Jonathan Vennard 9t (2), 7. Jordan Kinser 5k (7), 8. A.J. Clark 3ac (5), 9. Dakota Jackson 3 (9)

Heat 3: 1. Dave Darland 21 (3), 2. Shane Cottle 10e (1), 3. Bobby Stines 88 (5), 4. Levi Jones 57 (9), 5. Jesse Cramer 12t (6), 6. Coleman Gulick 14 (7), 7. Troy DeCaire 82 (2), 8. Tracy Hines 24 (4), 9. Kurt Gross 1x (8)

Heat 4: 1. Ty Deckard 48 (1), 2. Kent Christian 1c (5), 3. Chris Babcock 35 (4), 4. Logan Hupp 9h (3), 5. Jonathan Hendrick 68 (8), 6. C.J. Leary 30 (7), 7. Seth Motsinger 44 (6), 8. Wes McIntyre 83 (2), 9. Logan Jarrett 29 (9)

Heat 5: 1. Robert Ballou 81 (5), 2. Chad Boespflug 98 (3), 3. Bryan Clauson 7 (9), 4. Ethan Barrow 15 (4), 5. Keith Bloom 27 (7), 6. Kevin Studley 57 (8), 7. Andrew Elson 27a (6), 8. Nick Bilbee 17 (2), 9. Braylon Fitzpatrick 3f (1)

Heat 6: 1. Bobby East 5 (1), 2. Jerry Coons Jr. 71p (2), 3. Casey Shuman 4g (5), 4. Damion Gardner 71 (7), 5. Hunter Schuerenberg 35 (6), 6. Joe Liguori 6rr (3), 7. Eric Edwards 44 (4), 8. Brent Beauchamp 11 (9), 9. Jeremy Giles 3g (8)

C Main: 1. Kinser (2), 2. Elson (5), 3. Bilbee (11), 4. Parker (1), 5. Beauchamp (12), 6. DeCaire (3), 7. Harris (7), 8. Edwards (6), 9. Fitzpatrick (16), 10. Jackson (13), 11. Jarrett (15), 12. McIntyre (10), 13. Clark (8), 14. Giles (17), 15. Motsinger (4)

B Main (12L): 1. Cummings (2), 2. Jones (3), 3. Gardner (6), 4. Hupp (4), 5. Briscoe (8), 6. Riggs (1), 7. Barrow (5), 8. Vennard (14), 9. Perry (7), 10. Hendrick (10), 11. Bloom (11), 12. Liguori (18), 13. Kinser (19), 14. McIntosh (13), 15. Studley (17), 16. Elson (20), 17. Gulick (15), 18. Leary (16), 19. Cramer (9), 20. Schuerenberg (12)

A Main (30L): 1. Brady Short (3), 2. Bobby East (2), 3. Jon Stanbrough (14), 4. Jon Sciscoe (6), 5. Kent Christian (1), 6. Dave Darland (8), 7. Shane Cottle (7), 8. Danny Holtsclaw (4), 9. Jerry Coons Jr. (10), 10. Casey Shuman (18), 11. Bryan Clauson (17), 12. Chris Windom (13), 13. Robert Ballou (9), 14. Levi Jones (20), 15. Damion Gardner (21), 16. Brett Burdette (5), 17. Bub Cummings (19), 18. Logan Hupp (22), 19. Bobby Stines (15), 20. Chad Boespflug (12), 21. Chris Babcock (16), 22. Ty Deckard (11)

KISS 2011 Points: 1. Brady Short 180, 2. Bobby East 175, 3. Jon Stanbrough 170, 4. Jon Sciscoe 165, 5. Kent Christian 160, 6. Dave Darland 156, 7. Shane Cottle 152, 8. Danny Holtsclaw 148, 9. Jerry Coons Jr. 144, 10. Casey Shuman 140

The King of Indiana Sprint Series is organized and conducted by the individual Indiana sprint car race track promoters to provide the best sprint car racing. Many thanks to the series sponsors, including Sprint Car & Midget Magazine and Van Horn Tint & Accessories for the KISS champion’s helmet, Elliottbrand Web Designs, in Westport, IN, and Kiva Networking in Bloomington for the KISS website (www.kissracing.com).

2011 KISS SCHEDULE

May 6     Bloomington Speedway     Brady Short
May 13     Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 21     Lawrenceburg Speedway
June 19    Tri-State Speedway
June 25     Paragon Speedway
June 26     Kokomo Speedway

KING OF INDIANA SPRINT SERIES
Website: www.KissRacing.com
Public Relations Contact: Mike O’Leary
Email: [email protected]

King of Indiana Sprint Series Quick Look
Round 1
Bloomington Speedway - Friday, May 6, 2011
 
 
Feature race results:
 
1. Brady Short
2. Bobby East
3. Jon Stanbrough
4. Jon Sciscoe
5. Kent Christian
6. Dave Darland
7. Shane Cottle
8. Danny Holtsclaw
9. Jerry Coons Jr.
10. Casey Shuman
11. Bryan Clauson
12. Chris Windom
13. Robert Ballou
14. Levi Jones
15. Damion Gardner
16. Brett Burdette
17. Bub Cummings
18. Logan Hupp
19. Bobby Stines
20. Chad Boespflug
21. Chris Babcock
22. Ty Deckard
 
54 cars in the pits
 
Complete results will be provided later in the weekend.

Bloomington Speedway Hosts KISS Opener Friday

May 1, 2011 – The 2011 King of Indiana Sprint Series gets underway this
Friday with the lead round at Bloomington Speedway. In its eleventh
year, KISS has grown to one of the best known sprint car series,
competing at the toughest tracks in the Midwest. This year's series is
comprised of six events through May and June.

Friday night will see the return of the Midwest's top racers to an oval
that has been part of the KISS series from the beginning. For the past
five years, reigning KISS champion Jon Stanbrough has had a stranglehold
on the KISS events at Bloomington, winning three in a row from 2006 –
2008. But that changed when Chris Windom claimed the victory in 2009,
and the weatherman took last year's event.

King of Indiana in 2009, Brady Short is hoping that Bloomington
Speedway's move to the top of the schedule works to his benefit. With
terrible luck during last year's opening night at the Gas City I-69
Speedway, Short was among a handful of top drivers that didn't make the
transfer to the feature race. Although he ran strong enough in the rest
of the races to claim third in the final point standings, Short had
given up too many points to contend for a second title. But he has a
strong start this year, claiming the victory at Bloomington's opening event.

With this win, Short has to be considered one of Friday's favorites, and
among a strong group of contenders that will challenge Stanbrough for
the KISS crown. In addition to Stanbrough, Short and Windom, other top
sprint car racers may challenge for Friday's KISS feature win, among
them the most recent USAC winner, Hunter Schuerenberg, and previous KISS
race winners Dave Darland, Levi Jones, Daron Clayton and Bryan Clauson.

Friday's racing program at Bloomington Speedway includes UMP modifieds
and UMP super stocks. The pit gate opens at 4:30 and the main grandstand
at 5:30, with hot laps at 6:30 and racing at 7:30. General admission is
$15, and pit passes are $30, while kids (12 and under) are admitted free
general admission with a paid adult. More information and directions are
available at www.bloomingtonspeedway.com.

KISS events pay $2,500 to win, $250 to start the feature and the B-Main
pays $50 to all starters who do not transfer to the feature. Drivers
draw for heat race starting positions, and features will be 30 laps.
Under KISS guidelines, each track is responsible for conducting the
event in accordance with their track rules. The $3,600 point fund awards
the top five point finishers, with $1,000 going to the 2011 King of
Indiana Sprints. For the fifth year, Sprint Car & Midget Magazine is
sponsoring the KISS Champion's helmet, with original artwork by Van Horn
Tint & Accessories.

2011 KISS SCHEDULE

May 6 Bloomington Speedway
May 13 Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 21 Lawrenceburg Speedway
June 19 Tri-State Speedway
June 25 Paragon Speedway
June 26 Kokomo Speedway

KING OF INDIANA SPRINT SERIES
Website: www.KissRacing.com
Public Relations Contact: Mike O’Leary
Email: [email protected]

April 24, 2011 – The green flag for the eleventh consecutive King of Indiana Sprint Series (KISS) is less than two weeks away. Racers have been working all winter, track preparations have been busy for months, and fans are anxious for the season to get rolling. KISS racing has become a traditional harbinger of spring, and now we can officially say that it is just around the corner.

For decades, dirt sprint car racing has been acknowledged as one of the toughest forms of American motorsports. Clearly the rich history of Indiana's sprint car wars has helped build the reputation that the KISS series has gained for old fashioned, bare knuckle, wheel-to-wheel competition. The format is simple: six races at six different tracks. Each feature race rewards the winner that night with a good payday and pays points toward the championship. Then after the final checkered flag, the champion is crowned King of Indiana's sprint cars and recognized after that as among the best of the best.

With Bloomington Speedway opening the racing curtain on Friday, May 6, the 2011 schedule reflects some date juggling by the tracks. Jon Stanbrough held a stranglehold on the KISS races at the Bloomington quarter mile oval from 2006 through 2008, until Chris Windom captured the 2009 event. On May 6, the racing starts with a clean page and several dozen drivers will strap into their machines with the goal of standing in Victory Lane 30 laps later.

A week later, the KISS contingent will travel to the northeastern part of the Hoosier state to do battle at the Gas City I-69 Speedway. Stanbrough was victorious at the Gas City oval in 2007 and 2008, but the past two seasons saw Bryan Clauson and Dave Darland capture thrilling wins. While some could be put off by the Friday the 13th race date, the busy pit lane will guarantee a full compliment of racing action.

The following weekend, Lawrenceburg Speedway hosts the Saturday night KISS party. The interesting thing about KISS history at Lawrenceburg is that after five years of competition, no one has won more than once. Before Brady Short collected last year's victory, Stanbrough, A.J. Anderson, Brandon Petty and Californian Nik Faas celebrated triumphs. Situated along the Ohio River, only minutes west of Cincinnati, May 21 will be a big night for Lawrenceburg Speedway regulars and KISS followers alike.

Haubstadt, Indiana's Tri-State Speedway is the next stopping point for the KISS series, on Sunday, June 19. The site of Justin Marvel's victory during the inaugural season of KISS competition, Daron Clayton scored back-to-back victories in 2007 and 2008, with Brady Short and Jeff Bland Jr. joined the KISS winners list at the past two events. Deep in the state's southwestern corner, just outside Evansville, Tri-State is another oval that attracts a strong contingent of racers from outside Indiana's borders.

Less than an hour's drive south from the capital city of the Hoosier state, Paragon Speedway opens a doubleheader weekend wrapping up this year's KISS tour on Saturday, June 25. While Paragon has been the site of the season finale in recent years, this time the facility sets the table for the concluding round. Jon Stanbrough and the Fox Brothers team has three consecutive wins in KISS competition at Paragon, but each event has demonstrated the enthusiasm of Paragon's regular racers.

Topping off a big weekend of racing, the 2011 KISS series concludes the next night, Sunday, June 26, at Kokomo Speedway. After the final laps are run and the points counted, a new King Of Indiana Sprint car racing will be crowned. Known as one of the toughest ovals in the Midwest, Kokomo is the only other track on the KISS itinerary that hasn't had a repeat winner. Stanbrough collected last year's victory, and before him, Billy Puterbaugh, Hunter Schuerenberg, Shane Cottle, Mat Neely and Kent Christian registered wins.

KISS isn't a touring series as each track is responsible for conducting the event in accordance with their track rules and the guidelines agreed-to by the promoters. Drivers draw for heat race starting positions, and features will be 30 laps. KISS events pay $2,500 to win and $250 to start the feature. The B-Main pays $50 to all starters who do not transfer to the feature. The $3,600 point fund awards the top five point finishers, with $1,000 going to the 2011 King of Indiana Sprints.

2011 KISS Schedule -- Kokomo Speedway Date Change

January 29, 2011 – As racing tracks continue to build their racing schedules, it isn't unusual for important dates to be juggled in order to maximize their programs for the upcoming season. With this in mind, Kokomo Speedway has moved their King of Indiana Sprint Series date to Sunday, June 26, creating a thrilling, back-to-back, Paragon Speedway - Kokomo Speedway finale to settle the upcoming KISS championship. Additional information regarding this year's KISS program will be promulgated at a later date.

2011 KISS SCHEDULE

May 6    Bloomington Speedway
May 13     Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 21     Lawrenceburg Speedway
June 19     Tri-State Speedway
June 25   Paragon Speedway
June 26    Kokomo Speedway

2011 KISS Schedule Change‏

2011 KISS Schedule Change January 17, 2011 – Most racing fans know that at this time of the year, when you begin compiling a schedule of what you plan to do in the coming summer, you write it in pencil. Things are always going to change. Lawrenceburg Speedway has changed the date of their 2011 King of Indiana Sprint Series event to Saturday, May 21. This move creates an exciting weekend of racing action, with the Lawrenceburg program leading into the next night's KISS event at Kokomo Speedway; a doubleheader featuring two of the Hoosier state's best known ovals. Additional information regarding the 2011 KISS program will be promulgated at a later date.

2011 KISS SCHEDULE

May 6 Bloomington Speedway
May 13 Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 21 Lawrenceburg Speedway
May 22 Kokomo Speedway
June 19 Tri-State Speedway
June 25 Paragon Speedway

2011 KISS Schedule Set

January 13, 2011 – With most of the Hoosier state resembling a frigid winter wonderland, promoters of the King of Indiana Sprint Series are pleased to announce that the opening round of the 2011 KISS campaign is only 112 days away.

This year's KISS program will be competed on six of the most challenging dirt ovals in the country, each an integral part of the series for the past three seasons. However, this year, the sequence of the races has changed. The curtain will lift at Bloomington Speedway on Friday, May 6. A week later, Gas City/I-69 Speedway hosts the second round, on Friday, May 13. The next weekend, Kokomo Speedway will be the site of the third event, Sunday, May 22. Lawrenceburg Speedway is next on the schedule, the following Saturday, May 28. After a short three week break, the KISS tour returns to Tri-State Speedway, in Haubstadt, on June 19, a Sunday. The King of Indiana will again be crowned at Paragon Speedway, Saturday, June 25.

May 6 Bloomington Speedway
May 13 Gas City I-69 Speedway
May 22 Kokomo Speedway
May 28 Lawrenceburg Speedway
June 19 Tri-State Speedway

KISS isn't a touring series; each track is responsible for conducting the event in accordance with their track rules and the agreed-to guidelines. Drivers draw for heat race starting positions, and features will be 30 laps. Other information will be promulgated at a later date.

KING OF INDIANA SPRINT SERIES
Public Relations Contact: Mike O’Leary Phone: 812-825-9614
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.KissRacing.com