The COMP Cams® Sooner Speedweek Presented By Racing Head Service made its debut in Oklahoma and Kansas in July of 2010, and in the end the fans, the tracks, and the drivers emerged as winners.
The COMP Cams® Southern Modified Promotions (SMP) Series was founded in 2008 by Michael Luna and Brandon Crawford, who each recognized the need for a touring Dirt Open Wheel Modified tour in the South. For the first two years of the tour’s existence, races were sanctioned in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. The results were mixed as the tour searched for its identity, and also battled issues such as the demise of the Dirt Open Wheel Modified division in the South due to various reasons including escalating costs.
As a result of its hardships in 2008 and 2009, the tour made the decision for the 2010 season to take a completely different direction. One of the tour’s officials, Jason Markewitz, who hails from Oklahoma, indicated that he thought that an Oklahoma Speedweek would be highly successful. Over the last few months of 2009, several phone calls from series’ officials were made to tracks in Oklahoma and southern Kansas. Despite not having a previous presence in the region, many of the tracks were receptive to the idea, and by December 2009, a schedule consisting of six dates was booked for July 12th-17th, 2010. The Speedweek included five events in Oklahoma and one in Kansas with each event paying $1,500 to win and $125 to start.
With the tracks on board, the tour began looking for a title sponsor, and Memphis, Tennessee based, COMP Cams®, stepped up to fill the roll with Racing Head Service coming on board as the tour’s presenting sponsor. With the title and presenting sponsors in place, the tour also solidified several associate sponsors as things began to fall into place for the inaugural COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek Presented By Racing Head Service.
By early July 2010 the COMP Cams® SMP staff was eagerly preparing for their first trip to Oklahoma, but just a few days before the start of the tour, discouraging news was received. Officials with Clinton Motorsports Park in Ada, Oklahoma notified series’ officials that flooding had incurred damage at the facility, and the event scheduled for July 12th would have to be canceled. The COMP Cams® SMP staff was disappointed by the news, but turned their focus to the remaining five events.
As a result of the scheduled opener being canceled, the first actual event of the 2010 COMP Cams® SMP Speedweek was held on Tuesday, July 13th at Brill’s Motor Speedway in Meeker, Oklahoma. The event drew an impressive field of 52 Dirt Open Wheel Modifieds, representing eight states as well as a large turnout of fans. The crowd on hand for the event was treated to a great feature event, which saw three and four wide racing throughout the pack. By the time that the checkered flag dropped it was Oklahoma City’s Randy Timms, who claimed the win from the eighth starting position.
With confidence on their side, the COMP Cams® SMP tour moved to the legendary Thunderbird Speedway in Muskogee, Oklahoma on Wednesday, July 14th. The ½ mile oval, which was built as a horse track in 1906, saw a field of 32 cars enter the event. Speeds in excess of 120 mph reigned supreme, and Westville, Oklahoma driver, Jason Hughes, put on a masterful, driving display to claim the victory.
The difference that one night can make as Thursday, July 15th found the COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek leaving the huge ½ mile from the night before in favor of the extremely tight confines of Creek County Speedway in Kellyville, Oklahoma. Once again a solid field of 30 competitors entered the event, and for the first time in the 2010 campaign, one of the pioneer members of the COMP Cams® SMP tour claimed the win as Randy Todd from Lexington, Tennessee fought off a late race, three wide battle for the lead to claim the feature win.
Round #5 of the COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek appeared to be doomed on Friday night, July 16th as severe thunderstorms surrounded the Caney Valley Speedway in Caney, Kansas early in the evening. Miraculously, the facility received only a heavy sprinkle, and the event was able to be held with 35 entrants on hand. Racing veteran, Johnny Bone Jr. from Pea Ridge, Arkansas, made a clean sweep of the event by setting fast time and leading every lap of the feature on the racy, ¼ mile, despite a late race charge by Jesse Stovall.
The final event of the 2010 COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek was contested on Saturday, July 17th at Mid-America Speedway in South Coffeyville, Oklahoma. With 37 cars on hand for battle, the event would put an exclamation point on the tour as Rodney Sanders from Happy, Texas rocketed from his sixteenth starting position to take the lead late in the race as he went on to claim the win to become the fifth different winner during the course of the COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek.
Allen Chickering from Okarche, Oklahoma claimed the 2010 COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek Point’s Championship with Randy Todd, Hunter Rasdon, Jeremy Ross, and Rodney Sanders rounding out the top five in the final standings.
Over eighty different Dirt Open Wheel Modified drivers took part in the COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek with no driver winning more than one race. The competition level at each event was extremely high and large, enthusiastic crowds were on hand each night to take in all of the action. In addition, due to the success of the inaugural events, calls have already begun to come in from tracks requesting dates for 2011, and due to the high level of demand there is the distinct possibility for two speedweek tours for next season. More details regarding the 2011 season will soon be available.
For more information on the COMP Cams® SMP Modified Series, please visit www.SMPSeries.com .
For more information about any COMP Cams® valve train products, call us at 1-800-999-0853, or visit us online at www.compcams.com.
The COMP Cams® Southern Modified Promotions (SMP) Series was founded in 2008 by Michael Luna and Brandon Crawford, who each recognized the need for a touring Dirt Open Wheel Modified tour in the South. For the first two years of the tour’s existence, races were sanctioned in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. The results were mixed as the tour searched for its identity, and also battled issues such as the demise of the Dirt Open Wheel Modified division in the South due to various reasons including escalating costs.
As a result of its hardships in 2008 and 2009, the tour made the decision for the 2010 season to take a completely different direction. One of the tour’s officials, Jason Markewitz, who hails from Oklahoma, indicated that he thought that an Oklahoma Speedweek would be highly successful. Over the last few months of 2009, several phone calls from series’ officials were made to tracks in Oklahoma and southern Kansas. Despite not having a previous presence in the region, many of the tracks were receptive to the idea, and by December 2009, a schedule consisting of six dates was booked for July 12th-17th, 2010. The Speedweek included five events in Oklahoma and one in Kansas with each event paying $1,500 to win and $125 to start.
With the tracks on board, the tour began looking for a title sponsor, and Memphis, Tennessee based, COMP Cams®, stepped up to fill the roll with Racing Head Service coming on board as the tour’s presenting sponsor. With the title and presenting sponsors in place, the tour also solidified several associate sponsors as things began to fall into place for the inaugural COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek Presented By Racing Head Service.
By early July 2010 the COMP Cams® SMP staff was eagerly preparing for their first trip to Oklahoma, but just a few days before the start of the tour, discouraging news was received. Officials with Clinton Motorsports Park in Ada, Oklahoma notified series’ officials that flooding had incurred damage at the facility, and the event scheduled for July 12th would have to be canceled. The COMP Cams® SMP staff was disappointed by the news, but turned their focus to the remaining five events.
As a result of the scheduled opener being canceled, the first actual event of the 2010 COMP Cams® SMP Speedweek was held on Tuesday, July 13th at Brill’s Motor Speedway in Meeker, Oklahoma. The event drew an impressive field of 52 Dirt Open Wheel Modifieds, representing eight states as well as a large turnout of fans. The crowd on hand for the event was treated to a great feature event, which saw three and four wide racing throughout the pack. By the time that the checkered flag dropped it was Oklahoma City’s Randy Timms, who claimed the win from the eighth starting position.
With confidence on their side, the COMP Cams® SMP tour moved to the legendary Thunderbird Speedway in Muskogee, Oklahoma on Wednesday, July 14th. The ½ mile oval, which was built as a horse track in 1906, saw a field of 32 cars enter the event. Speeds in excess of 120 mph reigned supreme, and Westville, Oklahoma driver, Jason Hughes, put on a masterful, driving display to claim the victory.
The difference that one night can make as Thursday, July 15th found the COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek leaving the huge ½ mile from the night before in favor of the extremely tight confines of Creek County Speedway in Kellyville, Oklahoma. Once again a solid field of 30 competitors entered the event, and for the first time in the 2010 campaign, one of the pioneer members of the COMP Cams® SMP tour claimed the win as Randy Todd from Lexington, Tennessee fought off a late race, three wide battle for the lead to claim the feature win.
Round #5 of the COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek appeared to be doomed on Friday night, July 16th as severe thunderstorms surrounded the Caney Valley Speedway in Caney, Kansas early in the evening. Miraculously, the facility received only a heavy sprinkle, and the event was able to be held with 35 entrants on hand. Racing veteran, Johnny Bone Jr. from Pea Ridge, Arkansas, made a clean sweep of the event by setting fast time and leading every lap of the feature on the racy, ¼ mile, despite a late race charge by Jesse Stovall.
The final event of the 2010 COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek was contested on Saturday, July 17th at Mid-America Speedway in South Coffeyville, Oklahoma. With 37 cars on hand for battle, the event would put an exclamation point on the tour as Rodney Sanders from Happy, Texas rocketed from his sixteenth starting position to take the lead late in the race as he went on to claim the win to become the fifth different winner during the course of the COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek.
Allen Chickering from Okarche, Oklahoma claimed the 2010 COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek Point’s Championship with Randy Todd, Hunter Rasdon, Jeremy Ross, and Rodney Sanders rounding out the top five in the final standings.
Over eighty different Dirt Open Wheel Modified drivers took part in the COMP Cams® SMP Sooner Speedweek with no driver winning more than one race. The competition level at each event was extremely high and large, enthusiastic crowds were on hand each night to take in all of the action. In addition, due to the success of the inaugural events, calls have already begun to come in from tracks requesting dates for 2011, and due to the high level of demand there is the distinct possibility for two speedweek tours for next season. More details regarding the 2011 season will soon be available.
For more information on the COMP Cams® SMP Modified Series, please visit www.SMPSeries.com .
For more information about any COMP Cams® valve train products, call us at 1-800-999-0853, or visit us online at www.compcams.com.
