BRIAN GERSTER TO SUPPORT NATIONAL SPRINT CAR MUSEUM
AT NEARBY IOWA SPEEDWAY THIS WEEKEND IN USAC RACE
by: Thomas J Schmeh

KNOXVILLE, IA (September 14, 2006) - The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum in Knoxville will be supported by United States Auto Club (USAC) National Sprint Car Series driver Brian Gerster of Fishers, Indiana, this weekend at the new Iowa Speedway in nearby Newton. According to museum executive director Tom Schmeh, “It isn’t often that we have a driver come to us and say, ‘I’d like to volunteer to have a National Sprint Car Museum decal on my car this weekend to help promote attendance at your facility.’ We really appreciate Brian’s gesture, and you can bet we’ll find a big museum decal for his Winchester Furniture Showroom, Jet Star, Claxton Racing Engines number 27 sprinter!”

The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum is located on Iowa Highway 14, just 26 miles south of the Iowa Speedway in Newton. The non-profit museum opened in late 1991 and is closed on just four holidays each year (New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day). Admission is only three dollars per adult, two dollars per student or senior citizen, with free admission for pre-school children and annual supporting museum foundation members. Besides Gerster’s high-speed billboard on the track, the museum will also have a booth this weekend on the grounds of the Iowa Speedway, whereby fans can stop and pick up free museum brochures and decals.

Brian Gerster finished third in the Dan Davis-owned, Bill Gerster-wrenched machine in the last USAC televised sprint car race, which was the 49th annual Jasper Engines “Joe James/Pat O’Connor Classic” at the Salem, Indiana, Speedway on August 12. The USAC sprint cars will qualify this Saturday in preparation for their 30-lap championship feature on Sunday at the brand-new 7/-8-mile asphalt track in Newton. Josh Wise of California leads Levi Jones of Illinois in the current USAC National Sprint Car Series point standings. USAC sprints have not competed in the Hawkeye State since 2004 when current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Bobby East won at Hawkeye Downs, which is Iowa’s only other paved oval in Cedar Rapids.

USAC action gets underway at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, September 16, at 1 p.m. (CT) with practice taking place for all three divisions: sprint cars, midget cars, and Silver Crown cars. Heat races for the midgets, and qualifying for the other two divisions starts at 4:30 p.m. (CT). On Sunday, September 17, the gates open at noon, with a pre-race concert by Josh Turner starting at 1 p.m. Feature events for all three USAC classes start at 3 p.m. (CT) with the 30-lap midget main event, followed by a 30-lap sprint car feature and the 100-lap Silver Crown main event.

Those seeking more information on the museum are urged to visit their web site at www.sprintcarhof.com . Those seeking more information on the Iowa Speedway and USAC are urged to visit www.iowaspeedway.com  and www.usacracing.com , respectively.