MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Mach 1 Chassis of Mechanicsburg will be the title sponsor of the Mid-Atlantic 360 Sprint Car Championship Series, a $120,000 six-race tour that will include five shows at Selinsgrove Speedway and one event at Lincoln Speedway in 2012, according to an announcement this week by company president Brian Scandle and chief fabricator Mark Smith.
“We are very excited to make this official announcement for the Mach 1 Chassis 360 sprint car series at Selinsgrove and Lincoln Speedways,” said Scandle. “Since last fall when word started to spread that we were in talks to put this together, Mark and I have been fielding many calls from teams interested in racing a 360 sprint car series in Pennsylvania. Indications are that we can expect a lot of support from teams from the Mid-Atlantic states and beyond.”
Selinsgrove Speedway will open the series at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 24, with a 25-lap main event paying $2,500 to win and $250 to start. A lucrative $15,000 purse has been posted for five of the six events.
“360 sprint car racing is gaining momentum in other parts of the country,” said former sprint car champion Smith. “More and more teams here in Pennsylvania bought or have access to a 360 motor and see this as a more cost-effective, competitive alternative. The series will offer strong purses and will be a great opportunity to test the waters here in the hotbed of sprint car racing.”
Other Selinsgrove dates include the United Racing Company (URC)-sanctioned Jack Gunn Memorial Challenge Race Saturday, May 12; Friday, June 29; and Sunday, Aug. 5. Lincoln Speedway will host the tour on Wednesday, June 20.
The series finale will be the 12th Annual National Open for 358-360 sprint cars at Selinsgrove Speedway on Sept. 1. For the third consecutive year, the Open will pay $8,000 to win out of a $36,000-plus purse.
Mach 1 Chassis also posted an $8,400 point fund for the top 10 finishers in the series standings. The champion will collect a $2,000 bonus.
The series will follow the 360 sprint car technical rules set forth by the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS). All series races will be open tire events and institute a 1,500-pound weight rule (including car and driver). Central PA 358 sprint car teams as well as members of URC and the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) organizations are invited to participate in the series.
The unique qualifying format that was developed and introduced in the 2011 National Open will be utilized for all but the Lincoln event and the Jack Gunn Memorial Challenge Race. Tentatively, qualifying for four of the events will include two rounds of heat races, with points being awarded for a driver’s finish in each qualifier to ultimately determine his or her starting position in the main event.
In lieu of a pill draw, times from the practice lap sessions will be utilized to determine which drivers start in each heat. The starting lineup for the second round of heats will be a complete inversion of the starting positions from the first round. Qualifiers from the B-main will round out the starting grid for the A-main.
Race sponsor Mach 1 Chassis, located at 10 North Frederick Street in Mechanicsburg, engineers and builds race car chassis that are known for safety, strength, durability, and performance. In addition to chassis fabrication and repair, Mach 1 Chassis also manufactures front and rear bumpers, nerf bars, front axles, wing posts, and wing trees.
Mach 1 Chassis Mid-Atlantic 360 Sprint Car Championship Series associate sponsors include Creasy Signs, Middleswarth Potato Chips, Penske Racing Shocks, Rider Racing Engines, Wings Unlimited, Custom Metal Coating, Hoosier Tire, Fastner Specialties, Pancho’s Racing Products, Dave Franek Auto Sales, and Moose Blocks.
For additional information, please contact Mach 1 Chassis at 570.898.8018 or e-mail mach1chassis@yahoo.com.
Participating speedways can be contacted through their respective Web sites at SelinsgroveSpeedway.com and Lincolnspeedway.com.
Mach 1 Chassis Mid-Atlantic 360 Sprint Car Championship Series Event Payoffs (March 24, May 12, June 20, June 29, Aug. 5): 1) $2,500 2) $1,500 3) $1,200 4) $1,100 5) $1,000 6) $925 7) $825 8) $725 9) $650 10) $600 11) $500 12) $400
13) $300 14) $275 15-24) $250
12th Annual Mach 1 Chassis National Open for 358-360 Sprint Cars (Sept. 1): 1) $8,000 2) $5,000 3) $3,400 4) $3,100
5) $2,550 6) $1,600 7) $1,450 8) $1,300 9) $1,225 10) $1,000 11) $650 12) $600 13) $550 14-24) $500
Mach 1 Chassis Mid-Atlantic 360 Sprint Car Championship Series Point Fund: 1) $2,000 2) $1,500 3) $1,000 4) $800
5) $600 6-10) $500
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