SPRINTS: Bloomington Readies for 12th Pennzoil Indiana Sprint Week

8 July 1999

BLOOMINGTON, IN (July 8, 1999) - For more than a decade, Bloomington Speedway has been a cornerstone in the building of Indiana Sprint Week. On Friday, July 23, Bloomington will host its twelfth Sprint Week feature race, featuring the USAC Stoops Freightliner sprint cars, a record only shared with Kokomo Speedway.

Racers will be competing for $5,000-to-win each night of the 1999 Pennzoil Indiana Sprint Week series. The series will pay an additional $5,000 to the winner of the Sprint Week title as part of the $16,000 point purse.

The Sprint Week event brings one of the largest group of sprint cars to Bloomington each year. Even though it is still early, entries of the top non-wing sprint car racers in the Midwest have been arriving daily at the southern Indiana oval. They include last year's champion, Dave Darland; the winningest driver in the history of Indiana Sprint Week, Kevin Thomas; defending USAC sprint car champion Tony Elliott; California's professor Jimmy Sills; Ohio's Jack Hewitt; Bloomington's own Pennzoil Cup sprint car champion, Derek Scheffel, Tracy Hines, Eric Gordon, Billy Puterbaugh, Kevin Doty and Justin Marvel.

Last summer, Bloomington's Indiana Sprint Week round was claimed by Tony Elliott, who was enjoying a spectacular season that culminated with the USAC Stoops Freightliner sprint car title. In '97, it was Brad Fox who claimed the Sprint Week feature. Kevin Thomas has won two ('95, '96) of his five Sprint Week features at Bloomington. Kelly Kinser has a pair ('88, '94) of Bloomington wins during Sprint Week. Bob Kinser ('92), Chuck Amati ('89), Kevin Briscoe ('90), Danny Smith ('91) and Cary Faas ('93) have also earned Sprint Week feature wins at Bloomington.

Bloomington's Sprint Week main event pays tribute to one of the busiest people in racing with the seventh annual "Larry Rice Classic". During his racing career, Rice earned USAC championships in both champ dirt cars and midgets, and was elected to the AAA/USAC Midget Hall of Fame. He has built multiple careers outside the cockpit, one as an executive in the insurance industry, specializing in racing insurance. Rice has also become one of the most visible color commentators in racing, primarily as co-host of ESPN's Thunder series racing telecasts, but also on many other motorsports related television shows.

The Indiana Sprint Week program at Bloomington will include UMP Modifieds racing for $500-to-win. General admission is $20, and kids 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. There is no advance ticket sales or reserved seating. Pit admission is $25. Grandstand gates will open at 5:30, with hot laps and qualifying at 6:30 and racing beginning at 7:45.

This summer's Pennzoil Indiana Sprint Week opening and closing events will be televised live on ESPN2. The complete Sprint Week schedule is:

July 21 - Terre Haute Action Track (ESPN2)
July 22 - Lawrenceburg Speedway
July 23 - Bloomington Speedway
July 24 - Lincoln Park Speedway, Putnamville
July 25 -Evans Kokomo Speedway, Kokomo
July 28 - Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, Ohio (ESPN2)

Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.