O'Reilly Sprint Bandits TNT Draws Near!
Lonnie Wheatley

TULSA, Okla. (July 27, 2007) – As the month of July winds down, that can only mean one thing: the Third Annual O'Reilly Sprint Bandits Tour 'N Topless Midwest Swing is drawing near!

The third edition of the popular tour will attract the nation's top 410-ci non-wing Sprint Car drivers to five different tracks throughout Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas for six nights of explosive racing action from August 7 to August 18.

It all kicks off in the middle of Iowa Sprint Week with Southern Iowa Speedway's $30,000-to-win Searsboro Telephone Ultimate Challenge in Oskaloosa, IA, on Tuesday night, August 7. Jerry Coons, Jr. reigns as defending champion of the Ultimate Challenge, with Levi Jones winning the first Sprint Bandits TNT sanctioned event at Oskaloosa in 2005.

Then, one week later, five consecutive nights of action commence with more than $85,000 up for grabs in the feature events along with another $7,350 doled out to the top five point earners over the five-night stretch. The champion will pick up a $2,500 bonus, with the balance of the top five receiving $1,500, $1,250, $1,100 and $1,000, respectively.

For the third consecutive year, the post-Knoxville stretch of wingless action kicks off at Greenwood, Nebraska's I-80 Speedway on Tuesday night, August 14, with the Third Annual Huskerland Non-Wing 410 Sprint Car Nationals. The TNT troops will be joined on the card by the ASCS Midwest Region for an Open Wheel Spectacular.

Levi Jones topped a wild TNT affair at I-80 in 2005, with California's Robert Ballou pulling off a surprise win in 2006.

Following the Tuesday night stop at Nebraska Raceway Park's I-80 Speedway, which has featured two and three-wide racing throughout over each of the past two years, the O'Reilly Sprint Bandits TNT Midwest Swing moves on to a pair of new venues.

On Wednesday night, August 15, the series takes to Mid-America Speedway in South Coffeyville, OK. Then on Wednesday night, the first bullring in TNT history is on tap in the form of Creek County Speedway's ¼-mile clay oval in Sapulpa, OK.

It will mark the first time for the powerful, wingless sprint cars to invade either track, as neither Mid-America nor Creek County has ever hosted wingless 410-ci Sprint Cars.

The events at I-80 Speedway, Mid-America Speedway and Creek County Speedway each offer up $4,000 to win.

The week of action wraps up with Lakeside Speedway's annual Wingless Clash in Kansas City, KS, on August 17 and 18, with Saturday night's Ron Shuman Classic feature winner pocketing a $10,000 winner's share along with the coveted pedal car trophy.

California's Brad Sweet is the reigning Ron Shuman Classic winner at Lakeside, with other winners including Bud Kaeding (2005 and 2002), Jesse Hockett (2004 and 2003) and Troy Rutherford (2001).

Missouri's Jesse Hockett is the reigning champion of the O'Reilly Sprint Bandits TNT Midwest Swing, with Levi Jones of Olney, IL, capturing the inaugural title in 2005.

Jones dominated the 2005 edition, winning four of five feature events. Last year, six different drivers reached TNT victory lane in as many Midwest Swing feature events, with Hockett edging Mat Neely for the crown. Jon Stanbrough and Dickie Gaines, the only two drivers to compete in all 17 events in TNT history (including Florida events), tied for third in last year's Midwest Swing. Shane Hollingsworth rounded out the top five.

Tickets for Southern Iowa Speedway's Non-Wing Ultimate Challenge are available by calling McTwo Promotions at 515-957-0020. Southern Iowa Speedway is located in Oskaloosa, IA, 0.5 miles west of US 63 on SR 92, then 0.3 mile north on N. I Street.

The semi-banked, 4/10-mile I-80 Speedway dirt oval is located in Greenwood, NE, off I-80 Exit 420 between Lincoln and Omaha. For more information, contact the track at 402-342-3453, 402-944-2233 or check http://www.neracewaypark.com/I80/index.php.

The semi-banked, 3/10-mile Mid-America Speedway dirt oval is located one mile south of the Oklahoma-Kansas state line on US 169, then 0.7 miles west. For more information, contact the track at 918-255-6698 or check http://www.midamericaspeedway.com.


The semi-banked, ¼-mile Creek County Speedway dirt oval located southwest of Tulsa, OK, off I-44 Exit 211, then 0.3 miles south on State Road 33, then one mile west on State Road 66, then south. For more information, contact the track at 918-247-6675 or check www.creekcountyspeedway.com.

The semi-banked, ½-mile Lakeside Speedway dirt oval is located in Kansas City, KS, off I-435 Exit 18, then one mile northwest on State Road 5. For more information, contact the track at 913-299-2040 or check www.lakesidespeedway.net.

Additional information regarding the O’Reilly Sprint Bandits is available at www.sprintbandits.com.