12/22/2012
2013 UMSS Schedule Is Loaded With Great Races
2013 UMSS Sprint Car Schedule Has Several Big Events
The fifth season for the Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS) may turn out to be the best in series history, as several big events highlight the 2013 racing season. Working in conjunction with the race fan group known as the Minnesota Mafia and the Jackson Speedway Touring Series (JSTS), the UMSS will participate in a number of Minnesota Mafia Point Fund races. Several of these events will be full UMSS point nights. "Working together with Jon McCorkell of the Jackson Speedway and with members of the Minnesota Mafia, sprint car drivers in the Upper Midwest should have several marque nights to showcase their talents in front of a large group of sprint car fans," stated UMSS CDO Ron Bernhagen. Further details on this series of races can be found in a separate press release from the Minnesota Mafia or by checking their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheMinnesotaMafia for additional information.
The UMSS will kick off the 2013 season with a doubleheader weekend on Friday April 26 at the St. Croix Valley Raceway and Saturday April 27 at the Cedar Lake Speedway. The April 26 event will be a Minnesota Mafia point night. The following weekend brings another big doubleheader at the Elko Speedway on Friday May 3 and Saturday May 4 for the 2nd Annual Elko Spring Dirt Nationals featuring an increased purse. The Saturday night portion of the Spring Dirt Nationals will also be a Minnesota Mafia point night.
On Friday May 24, the 2nd Annual Davey Tabor Memorial will run at the St. Croix Valley Raceway. The UMSS will race on Saturday May 25, but the final details on where that race will be held are not yet available for publication. It may be at a track the UMSS has raced at in past years or possibly could be at a new track for the UMSS.
The month of June starts out with another two-race weekend, as the 12th Annual Billy Anderson Memorial will be held at the Princeton Speedway on Friday June 7. Princeton Speedway has a new promotional team for 2013. The next night, the UMSS makes the short trek to the Ogilvie Raceway for the 3rd Annual Big O Sprint Showdown on June 8. The UMSS is currently working on a couple of race dates for June 21-22. June concludes with a big two night show at the St. Croix Valley Raceway for the 2nd Annual Open Wheel Nationals. This event has the potential to be the "crown jewel" for the UMSS with a large purse. Last year, the event was a one day show with the Kouba Memorial part of the event. An overflow crowd filled the speedway grounds to capacity to watch the four division program featuring UMSS winged sprints, traditional sprints, modifieds and midwest modifieds. Further details will be released at a later date regarding the Open Wheel Nationals.
July will see the UMSS head north on the first weekend for the 3rd Annual Rumble on the Range at the Hibbing Raceway on Saturday July 6. For the second year in a row, the UMSS will stop at the Proctor Speedway on Sunday July 7. The annual Northern Tour this year will not only feature the winged sprints, but the traditional non-winged sprints will also be a part of the Hibbing and Proctor shows. Each night should see a pretty good number of sprint cars in the pits.
July continues with the Minnesota Mafia series for the JSTS Speedweek running from July 17-20. On Wednesday July 17, the JSTS Speedweek kicks off at the Sioux Speedway in Sioux Center, Iowa. The following night is still to be determined, but efforts are underway too ink an event at another northwest Iowa track. On Friday July 18, the series rolls into the Fairmont Raceway. The four night tour concludes at the Jackson Speedway on Saturday July 20. Jackson Speedway promoter Jon McCorkell is still in the process of determining if July 20 will be the Sprint Car Jackson Nationals or not. UMSS show points will be determined for the July Speedweek races. Each one of them is a point race for the Minnesota Mafia series.
The busy month of July concludes just like the season opening weekend with another twin bill featuring the UMSS sprints at the St. Croix Valley Raceway on Friday July 26 and the Cedar Lake Speedway on Saturday July 27. The TSCS non-winged sprints will run at both tracks also on the final weekend in July.
After taking the first two weekends in August off, the UMSS will try for a triple play. Returning to the 2013 schedule after a successful debut in 2012, the UMSS sprints will race at the KRA Speedway in Willmar on Thursday August 15. On Friday August 16, the UMSS will make its second appearance of the season at the Princeton Speedway. This night will be a Minnesota Mafia series point night. The big three-day run will conclude on Saturday August 17 with the running of the prestigious 21st Annual Kouba Memorial at the St. Croix Valley Raceway. The Kouba Memorial will also be part of the Minnesota Mafia Point Fund series. The Kouba Memorial is typically one of the best paying sprint car shows each season on the UMSS schedule thanks to a tremendous effort by the Kouba family.
For the first-time ever, the UMSS sprint cars will venture up Interstate 94 to the Viking Speedway on Saturday August 24 for a fast-paced program on the big half mile dirt track. On the final night in August, the UMSS heads into a busy Labor Day Weekend. The 12th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals features two nights of UMSS sprint car racing on Saturday August 31 and Sunday September 1 with complete shows each night at the North Central Speedway in Brainerd. On Labor Day, Monday September 2, the second three-race stretch of the season concludes at the Granite City Speedway in Sauk Rapids.
Running once again as part of the Jerry Richert Sr Memorial at the Cedar Lake Speedway, the UMSS sprints share the spotlight with the IRA 410 Outlaw sprint cars on Saturday September 7. The 13th Annual gathering for what is a tremendous night of sprint car racing honors the memory of a true Minnesota champion. After a busy start during the first week in September, the UMSS currently has the remainder of the month off.
The fifth UMSS season concludes at what has become an exceptional weekend of racing action on the dirt at the Elko Speedway. The 3rd Annual Elko Fall Dirt Nationals are slated for Friday October 4 and Saturday October 5. In the first two years of this event, the UMSS sprints have provided some outstanding races and 2013 should be no different. The final night of the season is also the final night for the Minnesota Mafia Point Fund series, as the UMSS season champion and Minnesota Mafia series champion will be crowned on Saturday night at Elko. Race fans will certainly want to make this a must-see weekend event at the popular and spacious racing facility located south of the Twin City metro area just off of Interstate 35 at the Elko-New Market exit.
The 2013 season is full of excellent opportunities for fans and competitors to be a part of the exciting and entertaining world of winged sprint car racing at several dirt tracks throughout the area. Two-time and defending series champion Jerry Richert, Jr. will seek a third title, but a number of talented drivers will try and prevent that from happening. Fans can stay up-to-date on the latest news from the Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series on the UMSS Website at www.umsprints.com or by following the UMSS on their Facebook page. Stay tuned for further announcements regarding the 2013 season.
Tentative 2013 UMSS Winged Sprint Car Series Schedule:
April 26 - St. Croix Valley Raceway (Season Opener)*
April 27 - Cedar Lake Speedway (Spring Sprint Special)
May 3 - Elko Speedway (Spring Dirt Nationals)
May 4 - Elko Speedway (Spring Dirt Nationals)*
May 24 - St. Croix Valley Raceway (2nd Annual Davey Tabor Memorial)
May 25 - TBD
June 7 - Princeton Speedway (12th Annual Billy Anderson Memorial)
June 8 - Ogilvie Raceway (Big O Sprint Showdown)
June 21 - TBD
June 22 - TBD
June 28 - St. Croix Valley Raceway (2nd Annual Open Wheel Nationals)
June 29 - St. Croix Valley Raceway (2nd Annual Open Wheel Nationals)
July 6 - Hibbing Raceway (3rd Annual Rumble on the Range)
July 7 - Proctor Speedway (2nd Annual Twin Ports Sprint Special)
-------------------JSTS SPEEDWEEK----------------------
July 17 - Sioux Speedway, Sioux Center, IA*
July 18 - TBD*
July 19 - Fairmont Raceway*
July 20 - Jackson Speedway*
-------------------UMSS show points TBD------------------
July 26 - St. Croix Valley Raceway (Thunder in the Valley)
July 27 - Cedar Lake Speedway (Summer Sprint Special)
August 15 - KRA Speedway (King of KRA Sprint Challenge)
August 16 - Princeton Speedway (Battle at the Bullring)*
August 17 - St. Croix Valley Raceway (21st Annual Kouba Memorial)*
August 24 - Viking Speedway (Viking Sprint Special)
August 31 - North Central Speedway (12th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals)
September 1 - North Central Speedway (12th Annual Mighty Axe Nationals)
September 2 - Granite City Speedway (Granite City Sprint Special)
September 7 - Cedar Lake Speedway (13th Annual Jerry Richert Sr Memorial)
October 4 - Elko Speedway (3rd Annual Elko Fall Dirt Nationals)
October 5 - Elko Speedway (3rd Annual Elko Fall Dirt Nationals)*
*Indicates Minnesota Mafia Series point fund race.
Note: Schedule is subject to change.
Article Credit: Greg Parent, UMSS Media Director
