Lane Automotive MTS Sprint Series makes its annual Memorial weekend appearance at Crystal Motor Speedway

Sunday May 26^th The MTS sprint cars will do battle at the 3/8 mile dirt of Crystal Motor Speedway.

Last year’s race had an exciting feature with the thrill of victory when Steve Irwin Passed Tim Evilsizer with a couple laps to go to take the win, and the agony of defeat when Jay Stienabach took a nasty flip on the front straight in the main event.

This year expects to see more of the regulars from the MTS sprints including former champions Joe Bares, Mike Galadja, and Steve Irwin. Divers from 3 states and 2 countries plan to do battle Sunday for the top prize in this Memorial weekend showdown.

Grandstand tickets : Adult $12 Kids 5-11 $5 Pitpass $25

Crystal Motor Speedway is located at 8315 E Sidney Rd Crystal, Mi. The gates will open at4:30p.m. and racing begins at 7:30 p.m. ET.  For ticket and pit pass information, visitwww.crystalmotorspeedway.com

MTS  Sprint Car Series
www.mtsprints.com
mtsprints@aol.com

Keeping up with Colin Thirbly



Collin Thirlby In Search Of UMP DIRTcar Racing Series National Modifieds Championship In 2013
Aggressive 2013 Schedule Already in progress

Traverse City, Michigan (Wednesday, May 22, 2013): There's only one goal that 23-year-old Collin Thirlby has in mind when it comes to his aggressive 2013 schedule; That is the United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) DIRTcar Racing Series Modifieds National Championship. Since February when the Traverse City, Michigan driver began the current season in Florida during Speedweeks, it's been wide open ever since for him and his Thirlby Automotive Racing Team.

So far in 2013 in 19 events, Thirlby has scored three Feature Wins with the biggest coming at Peoria Speedway in Peoria Illinois back on April 14th for a $2,000 payday. His other two Feature victories have occurred at Montpelier Motor Speedway in Montpelier, Indiana on April 5th and at Quad City Speedway in East Moline, Illinois on May 12th, which is his most recent triumph. Up until recently, Thirlby has been showing the way on top of the UMP DIRTcar Racing Series National Modifieds Points Standings, but was passed by 2012 National Champion, Devin Gilpin after this past weekend.

"I'm pretty happy with how we've started the season so far. We started off in Florida with a brand new Diamond Race Car and ran pretty well with it. We made all the shows down there and came away with some knowledge that has helped us thus far. " Thirlby stated as he prepares for a four race weekend over the Memorial Day Holiday. "My expectations for the year are to finish in the top 10 in national points and get double digits in the win column." He added.

For the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend, Thirlby will be in action for four straight nights starting at M. Pleasant Speedway in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan on Friday, May 24th. From there it's on to Butler Motor Speedway in Quincy, Michigan on Saturday, May 25th while the third race of the weekend will be at the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio on Sunday, May 26th. The fourth and final race of the weekend on Memorial Day Monday, May 27th is tentatively planned for either Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, Indiana or Macon Speedway in Macon, Illinois.

The weekend of May 16-18th wasn't what Thirlby was hoping for as he explained; " I was passing for fourth at Charleston Speedway (Charleston, Illinois) on Thursday and a radiator mount broke and the radiator ended up going into the fan." Thirlby explained. Then on Saturday at Fairbury American Legion Speedway (Fairbury, Illinois) I was passing for the lead in the heat race when I clipped an infield tire and broke the bumper off and put a hole in the oil pan. We're definitely looking for some better luck this holiday weekend."

Thirlby started his racing career just three years go in 2011 when we began driving for Donnie Roberts of Homestead Motorsports. He was impressive right from the get-go by Winning the Rookie of the Year titles in the Michigan Dirt Cup (MDC) Modifieds Tour as well as at Mt. Pleasant Speedway.

In 2012, he ran an impressive 76 nights at 32 different race tracks while concentrating on points only within the MDC Mods Tour where he scored One Win at Butler Motor Speedway and finished fifth in points. He also grabbed three more Feature Wins with one more coming at Butler while the other two occurred at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan. Overall he finished 32nd in the UMP DIRTcar Racing Series National Modifieds Points Standings

"I really need to thank Ryan and Heather Thomas at Diamond Race Cars. They have been a huge help to my racing operation both on and off the race track." Thirlby continued. "If it wasn't for those two, we wouldn't be doing near as good as we are at this point. Ryan went to Florida with us and was my crew guy almost the whole time we were down there. I don't know too many chassis builders that would do that." He ended.

For the remainder of the 2013 racing season, Thirlby’s familiar black #47 UMP Modified will carry sponsorship decals from: Thirlby Automotive as well as Homestead Motorsports, Corrigan Race Fuel, The Turn 3 Gang, Diamond Race Cars, Dargie Racing Engines, Malcuit Race Engines FK Rod Ends and M.P.H. Promotions.

Collin Thirlby T-Shirts are available for purchase at every track Thirlby will race at throughout the 2013 tour. To learn more about Collin Thirlby and the Thirlby Automotive  Racing Team and to find out about sponsorship opportunities for the remainder of the 2013 racing season, check out the Collin Thirlby Facebook Fan Page at: www.facebook.com/fansofcollinthirlby You can also go to the Thirlby Automotive website as well located at: www.thirlbyautomotive.com

Mielke Takes Checkers in Dirt Cup Modified Opener @ I-96

Mielke Takes Checkers in Dirt Cup Modified Opener @ I-96

Lake Odessa, Michigan (Saturday May 18^th, 2013): The United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) sanctioned Allstar Performance Michigan Dirt Cup Modifieds presented by Lane Automotive made their way to the I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan on Saturday night for their first race of the 2013 season. Meanwhile, the Rudd’s Septic Service UMP Street Stocks, and the Smyrna Bar & Restaurant UMP Sport Compacts continued their battle for the local track championships. The car drivers were also joined by a special Motocross invitational for individuals 16yrs & up.

The Motocross riders were the first to hit the track for features. It would be Dan Petrie who would get the win in the 16yrs and up division, while Gatlin Combs went on to take the 60-85cc division checkered flag. The heats were won by Tyler Neros, and Petrie in the 16 & Up’s and Combs in the 60-85cc.

The Rudd’s Septic Service UMP Street Stocks were out next for their 20-lap main event. The front row was made up of Ben Hidy and Rob Sternberg. Dan Dykman would lead much of the early stretch of the race. Then on lap 12 Josh Frye would fight his way to the front and would go on to victory lane.

This was the second win of the season for the defending track champion Frye in his Driftwood Bar & Grill Chevrolet Monte Carlo. 2011 track champion Bill Brandt Jr. finished as the runner up. Hidy was third, Dykman, and Marty French made up the top five. Robb Sternberg, Ron Wiers, Ron Harper, Jim Beltz, and Robert Erickson capped off the top ten. The heats were won by Ron Harper, Derek Poland, Hidy, and Frye. French won the B-Main.

Up next were the Smyrna Bar & Restaurant UMP Sport Compacts for their 20-lap A-Main. Randy Larabee and Nick Jenema made up the front row. Jenema would take the advantage early on. He would trade the lead with 2-time and defending track champion Rick Peck. When it was all said and done it would be Peck vistiting the P.A.T Landscaping Victory lane.

Peck took his Frisbee & Son’s Plastering / Saturn SC2 to the winners circle for the first time of the season. The runner up position was filled by Chuck Peterson II. Jenema followed him in third, Chad Tomczak, and Christian Wynbelt rounded out the top five. Rick Edsall, Kyle Woodward, Christopher Joyce, Randy Larabee, and Dillion Gentry completed the top ten. Jenema and Peck were the heat winners.

The Allstar Performance Michigan Dirt Cup Modified Tour Presented by Lane Automotive feature was the last of the night, with $2000 on the line. The field was brought to chief starter Brett Farmers green flag by Andy Sprague and Travis Stemler. Sprague would jump out to the early lead. However on lap 33 David Mielke would make a strategic pass to take over the top spot, and he would go on to get the win in the dirt cup season opener.

This was the first win of the season both for the dirt cup and at I-96 speedway for the Krompetz Elevator / Rocket Chassis of Mielke. Meanwhile, Stemler would end up in the second spot, Jeff Erickson Jr. was third, Sprague, and Joe Rokos were the top five. Jacob Poel finished sixth, with Curt Spaulding, Aaron Morey, Mark Anderson, and Adam Thrush ended the top ten finishing spots. Erickson, Sprague, Rokos, and Stemler won the heats. Poel, and Morey won the B-Mains.

I-96 Speedway will be taking next weekend off, in order to prepare for their next show which will be in two weeks on Saturday June 1^st. The show will be headlined by none other than the world famous World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series. This will be the outlaws first and ONLY stop in the state of Michigan, and they will take to the famous 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked dirt oval. All of the top sprint car drivers including; Joey Saldana, Daryn Pittman, Steve Kinser, Craig Dollansky, and defending series champion Donny Schatz will be in attendance. The Carbon Green Bio-Energy UMP Modifieds will also be in action, on what should be a thrilling night of racing. To pre order tickets for this show visit this link:

http://slspromotions.ticketforce.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=43

I-96 Speedway is located at 3823 Portland Road in Lake Odessa, Michigan. For more information about the on-going 2012 racing season, please call: 1 (616) 642-0555 or visit the website at: www.i96speedway.com You can also follow along all season long by becoming a fan on the tracks Facebook Fan Page. Just go to: www.facebook.com/i96speedway and click on “Like” button. You can even follow us on Twitter as well, just go to: www.twitter.com/i96speedway and “Follow” us today.