Inaugural Twister Nationals presented by The Oil Medics - Entry List and Final Preview Cody Morris I44 Riverside Speedway Public Relations Tuesday, October 8th, 2013 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma In just three short days, I44 Riverside Speedway will feature to Sooner State race fans the biggest event in the 15 year history of the 1/5th mile, high banked, red clay oval. The road from May 20th to this day has been full of adversity, for the nearby communities that were leveled on that fateful day, as well as the last remaining auto racing venue in Oklahoma City and the entire central Oklahoma region. Over 1,200 homes and businesses were destroyed by the massive EF5 tornado that leveled portions of Newcastle, Oklahoma City, and Moore. Twenty three Oklahomans were taken from our community on that fateful day. The scene at the Oklahoma City’s dirt oval home was as surreal as it was devastating. With the exception of the 1/5th mile oval, all landmarks were gone, massive heaps of metal replacing where uprooted trees once were. Family keepsakes from the homes of our neighbors scattered among the remnants of the catch fence. Speedway promoter Mark Banister resolved to save auto racing in central Oklahoma. With track closings seeming to become and unfortunate routing, Banister looked upon both his home and his business and was resolute in his commitment to both family and business. The next two months were filled with adversity and 20 hour work days, but several communities and the racing family rallied to #Restore44, a campaign that culminated in the reopening of the speedway less than 10 weeks after the tornado decimated it. Each race we run is a testament to the human condition that fights for both survival and victory. I44 Riverside Speedway has exceeded every expectation, repelling every doubt anyone had about what was possible. What no one would have believed on May 21st is now just 72 hours away, I44 Riverside is not only restored, we are set to launch the biggest race in the history of the speedway. Established in Fort Worth, Texas by Bill Jewell in 2007, The Oil Medics is an industry leader in enhancing oil life, using innovative techniques with oil and lubricants of all kinds, as well as boasting as one of the largest distributors of Schaeffer Oil and servicing class 7-8 trucks in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. An Albuquerque, New Mexico native, Bill was introduced to dirt track racing in 1966, and began racing in 1975 with the help of the Albuquerque Police Athletic League. Jewell raced through 1992 before relocating to the Fort Worth area shortly thereafter. As The Oil Medics was launched in 2007, so too was Jewell’s quest to support racing of all kinds. The Oil Medics has sponsored racers from the Camping World NASCAR Truck Series to local kart racing. But at the core of Jewell’s and The Oil Medics passion for racing - lies the ultra-competitive circle dirt ovals. Sponsoring one race team in 2007, The Oil Medics now sponsored approximately 31, led by a pair of sprint car standouts in Oklahoma City native and current Knoxville, Iowa resident Wayne Johnson, as well as Liberal, Kansas native and current Owasso, Oklahoma resident Tony Bruce Jr. The most active participant of any racing business in the region, The Oil Medics are at the forefront of a continual development of open wheel dirt track racing and the incredible talents that battle on them each week. The Oil Medics clearly have an eye to the future as Bill Jewell and co. expand their efforts into mini sprint and Midget racing. Jewell elaborates on the fast growing role of The Oil Medics in regional racing “We have found our home in dirt track racing. We find it most gratifying to help out the weekend racer. That is part of what drew us to the Inaugural Twister Nationals! Also we would like to help out a little bit after the tornado cut through the area and almost wiped out I44 Riverside”. The 2013 campaign at I44 Riverside Speedway is unprecedented in the annals of auto racing. Never before has a speedway been leveled by an EF5 tornado and reopened in less 10 weeks. I44 Riverside did not just survive, with one of the best speedway captains in dirt track racing at the helm and the support of such a prized and prestigious sponsor as The Oil Medics…….I44 Riverside is primed to thrive. We encourage all of the I44 Riverside Speedway, indeed all patrons of mini sprint and Midget racing, to show Bill Jewell and The Oil Medics how much we appreciate their support! Please visit theoilmedics and also Like and Follow The Oil Medics on Facebook. Go show The Oil Medics how thrilled mini sprint and Midget racing is to have him on board and how welcome they are to remain involved for 2014!! NAPA Auto Parts and Bob Howard Jeep-Chrysler-Dodge-Ram have both proudly joined as Associate sponsors of the Inaugural Twister Nationals, as have Outlaw Wings and Prelude to Nationals Midget winner Cody Brewer. And now we present, to our beloved racing family and fans across the region - the Inaugural Twister Nationals presented by The Oil Medics! WHAT: Inaugural Twister Nationals presented by The Oil Medics WHEN: Thursday, October 10th (practice) / Friday, October 11th / Saturday October, 12th WHERE: I44 Riverside Speedway / Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Total event purse: $35,000 Classes in action: Midgets, Outlaw, A Class, Non Wing, Restricted, Junior Sprints A huge draw across the country, the wildly popular Midget class will be racing for a $13,000 event purse. The Midgets will run a complete show both Friday and Saturday night, with $1,000 to win, $100 to start on Friday / $2,000 to win, $200 to start on Saturday. Weekend entry is a staggeringly low $100 (does NOT include pit pass). RACECEIVERS ARE MANDATORY (Midget class only) Lightning Sprints are ineligible to compete. Owasso’s Jeff Foster will be the Director of Competition for the Midget division. The Outlaw, Non Wing, and A Class divisions will compete each night as well, racing for $6,500 event purse in each class. Complete show both nights with payout both nights. Friday will pay weekly purse, with each class racing for $1,000 to win / $100 to start on Saturday. Entry fee for each class is $75 (does NOT include pit pass). The Restricted and Junior Sprint divisions will run full shows both Friday and Saturday, racing for $2,100 event purse. Entry fee for Restricted and Junior Sprint is $40 (does NOT include pit pass). Top 4 of each Friday night feature will lock in to Saturday night’s Twister Nationals presented by The Oil Medics main events. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: - Thursday, October 10th: Practice 6-8pm $20 pit passes - Friday, October 11th: Gates open at 3pm. Midget draw/meeting at 5pm. Hot laps (all classes) 530pm. Drivers meeting 645pm. Racing at 7pm. General admission $12. Pit admission $30 - Saturday, October 12th: Gates open 3pm. Midget draw 450pm. Hot laps (all classes) 515pm. Driver meeting 615pm. Racing at 630pm. General admission $12. Pit admission $30. OFFICIAL MIDGET EVENT PREVIEW A pair of Tulsa standouts will be making their first starts in Midget action. A multiple winner of just about every major mini sprint event in the state, as well as last year’s $10,000 to win 66 Memorial in Illinois, Chris Andrews will pilot a 2nd Andrew Felker/A&J Auto Salvage Entry, while Owasso’s back to back defending Non Wing champ Ty Hulsey will make his first Midget start aboard a 2nd Fenton Motorsports entry. 2012 Lucas Oil POWRi Nationals Midget Champ Andrew Felker heads an all-star cast that includes four time POWRi winner Tyler Thomas and a former ASCS Sooner Region champ Brian McClelland. Over 30 cars are expected to compete in the Midget class over the weekend. Tentative entry list as of Monday: Eric Fenton - Jenks, Oklahoma Ty Hulsey - Owasso, Oklahoma Alex Sewell - Tulsa, Oklahoma Johnathon Halford - Tulsa, Oklahoma Cody Brewer - Choctaw, Oklahoma Matt Johnson - Edmond, Oklahoma Ricky Pearson - Santa Cruz, California Wesley Smith - Nixa, Missouri Andrew Felker - Carl Junction, Missouri Chris Andrews - Tulsa, Oklahoma Brian McClelland - Tulsa, Oklahoma 2nd McClelland/Fode entry Nick Bailey - Cabot, Arkansas Tyler Thomas - Owasso, Oklahoma Danny Smith - Sapulpa, Oklahoma Kyle Clark - Sapulpa, Oklahoma Matt Sherrell - Owasso, Oklahoma Dakota Gaines - Little Rock, Arkansas Brian Harvey - Durant, Oklahoma Patrick Stasa - Fort Worth, Texas Jeff Stasa - Kingman - Kansas Jay Mounce - Clinton, Illinois Doug McCune - Colleyville, Texas John Sawyer - Strafford, Missouri Coby Hughes - Collinsville, Oklahoma Pat Schudy - Springfield, Missouri Bill Allen - Independence, Missouri Andrew Deal - Caney, Kansas Mark Chisolm - Cheyenne, Wyoming Still receiving word from several teams and final inquiries have been made for dozens more. This should be a very amazing, special event for both the local and racing communities. Thank you to The Oil Medics, Danny Dewberry and Bob Moore Jeep-Chrysler-Dodge-Ram, NAPA Auto Parts, Outlaw Wings, and Cody Brewer for helping us make this event possible! I44 Riverside Speedway Information I44 Riverside Speedway is located at 4100 SW 149th Street in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We are located just ¼ mile east of Interstate 44 on SW 149th St. To contact the speedway directly, please call speedway line at 405.633.1583, visit i44riversidespeedway, or Like and Follow I44 Riverside Speedway on Facebook.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Oct 2013 15:05:29 +0000
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