David Sink Photo – Sprint cars battle it out at Sandusky Speedway in 2019
July 11, 2024 – Holly, Michigan – After two failed attempts to get the Must See Racing event at Sandusky (Ohio) Speedway held, the Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Perfit-Parts will attempt to get the event off the ground Wednesday August 24.
Two previously scheduled MSR events were cancelled this spring due to saturated grounds. The area received record amounts of rain for the month of April. Now both the MSR National Series and the Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series will join forces for a mid-week twin-bill of winged sprint car racing. This will be the first time the MSR National Series has competed at Sandusky Speedway for the first time since August 25, 2019.
The MSR Wednesday night event will kick off a busy weekend that will conclude Friday July 26 and Saturday July 27 with the annual Hy-Miler Super Modified Nationals. ISMA-MSS Super Modifieds will roll into town to conclude one of the most iconic open wheel weekends in Northern Ohio.
The early expected entry list for this event is now over 20 cars and may be one of the strongest fields seen in a while. Eight states and Canada make up the expected entry list.
Current MSR champion Joe Liguori headlines a list of expected entrants that also includes former MSR champions Charlie Schultz, Jimmy McCune, and defending series champion Jason Blonde.
Seven-time USAC Silver Crown champion and three-time Little 500 champion Kody Swanson is expected to compete in his first winged pavement sprint car race since 2015. Other drivers expected to compete include Adam Biltz, Jeff Bloom, Shane Butler, Tom Geren, Davey Hamilton Jr., Rick Holley, John Inman, Bobby Komisarski, Ryan Litt, Kevin Mingus, Tommy Nichols, Johnny Petrozelle, Dorman Snyder, Joe Speakman, and Macy Williams.
The expected list also includes Bobby Santos III who won the first two MSR events of the season including the $5,000 to win event at Lancaster, New York in June. Santos is also coming off a $10,000 victory this past Saturday night at Dacono, Colorado. He will be looking to add even more money to his bank account.
MSR officials also announced today that the Midwest Lights Series have been invited to participate in Friday night’s event along with the ISMA-MSS Super Modifieds. The Midwest Lights Series now competes two times in three days. It will be a busy three days for the Midwest Lights Series to say the least. A full field of Midwest Lights Series competitors is expected both days. For more information on Must See Racing please visit http://www.mustseercing.com
June 17, 2024 – Holly, Michigan – The Must See Racing Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series is set to kick off its 2024 season in a big way this weekend. The 602-winged pavement sprint car series will be competing twice this weekend including a first time visit to Corrigan Oil Speedway in Mason, Michigan on Friday night June 21, 2024. The Midwest Lights Series will join their MSR 410 counterparts the following evening June 22 at Owosso Speedway in Ovid, Michigan for a double-header of winged sprint car action.
For the MSR Lights Series, opening weekend may prove to be their toughest and busiest weekend of the year. With full points being awarded at both events, success this weekend could go a long way towards deciding the series championship. A driver must be able to able to adapt to the 1/4-mile Corrigan Oil Speedway and then transition to the much larger 3/8-mile oval Saturday night.
Both tracks have played an important part of Michigan auto racing history. Corrigan Oil Speedway opened in 1956 as a paved oval. Owosso Speedway opened for business as a 1/2-mile before being shortened to a 3/8-mile oval in 1988. Now both tracks will play an important part of the MSR Midwest Lights history.
Two-time defending series champion Cody Gallogly is expected to defend his throne starting this weekend. A third consecutive championship won’t be easy in 2024 as 2023 runner-up and 2000 series champion JJ Henes would like nothing more than to stake claim to a second championship. Eddie Sachs Jr. Development driver Andrw Bogusz is hungry as well after his fourth-place finish in the 2023 standings.
Other expected entrants include Sawyer Stout, Charlie Baur, and Matt Double among others.
Friday’s event at Corrigan Oil Speedway will see a full night of racing and will include Late Models, Pony FWD, Outlaw FWD, and Mini Wedges as part of Shaheen Automotive Race Night.
Saturday’s event at Owosso will be a real treat for sprint car fans as they will get to see two separate sprint car events the same evening when the MSR Lights and MSR 410 National Series come together. A good field of cars is also expected for the 410-event including Jason Blonde, Rick Holly, Jeff Bloom, Ryan Litt, Jimmy McCune, Joe Ligouri, John Inman, Aaron Willison, and many more.
For more information on Must See Racing or this weekend’s events please visit www.mustseeracing.com.
June 16, 2024 – Holly, Michigan – The Must See Racing Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series was designed to give young drivers an opportunity to get laps, and experience, with the goal of moving up the racing ladder. In addition, the winged 602 crate engine pavement sprint car series provides a good deal of media coverage as well as a national television package. The series is perfect for young drivers looking to move up the racing ladder.
Eddie Sachs Jr. recognizes the value of the MSR Midwest Lights Series and currently campaigns drivers Andrew Bogusz and Charlie Baur through his Eddie Sachs Driver Development program.
The Sachs name is recognizable in racing circles. Eddie Sachs was a winning open wheel driver in the 1950’s and ‘60’s known as the “Clown Prince of Auto Racing”. He was victorious in AAA/USAC Championship events at places like Atlanta, Langhorne, and Trenton. He was also victorious in some of the biggest sprint car races at the time including the Joe James / Pat O/’Connor Memorial. He would lose his life during the 1964 Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1964.
Today Eddie Sachs Jr. uses his driver development program to not only develop young talent, but to keep his family’s racing name and legacy alive.
“Eddie Sachs Driver Development sort of falls off of my USAC Silver Crown era” explains Sachs Jr. “When I first started with the USAC Silver Crown Series as a car owner I tried to hire the best drivers available. What happened, as time went on, those drivers became harder and harder to get. So, I started weighing how to get drivers coming up through the sprint car ranks into the USAC Silver Crown ranks. I started with Miranda Throckmorton and Robert Ballou. They were the first ones to move over as sort of rookies in the USAC Silver Crown Series for me.”
“When Covid-19 hit things sorta came to a crashing halt for a while. That’s when my change over and desire to continue. I had known Terry Bogusz, Andrew’s father, since quarter-midget days. That’s also how I met the Baur’s, who were also racing quarter-midgets, and became friends with them. One thing leads to another.”
“We found the new 602 Must See Racing crate series. Being from Michigan and knowing about the 410 Must See Racing series and Jim Hanks, I wanted to get involved with the 410 series at one time with Jimmy Kite when he first started that. I wasn’t ready financially or mentally at the time. I was struggling with the USAC Silver Crown cars to keep them going.”
“We decided on the MSR Midwest Lights series because it is Michigan and Ohio based. We found this series to be financially agreeable. It’s a very good starting series for young sprint car drivers looking to move up. The series put a 602 sealed crate engine into its rules, which is a very good and powerful GM engine. GM probably has one of the best crate engines out there right now that has good horsepower, proven performance, and has proven to stay together.”
“What we do between me, and Andrew’s dad is more schooling and advisement. But I am my owner part of the team. I do own a couple of other cars I am trying to introduce into the series through other drivers. Of course, funding and sponsorship become very important. Charlie Baur is a teammate partner. He is a good friend, and we share a lot of information with him. We try to promote proper driving skills by watching other drivers out there. We also try to critique and talk about what we can do better.”
“These guys have talent and they’re learning as they go. This series is growing, and we are getting to the point where we need to be more involved on a game plan to get us closer to the 410-type stuff or pick a different form of racing that is a step up the ladder. The SR Lights Series has been instrumental so far helping us achieve some of our long-term goals.” Concluded Sachs Jr.
The Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series kicks off its 2024 season with a pair of events this weekend. They will open up Friday night June 21 at Corrigan Oil Speedway in Mason, Michigan followed by a visit to Owosso Speedway in Ovid, Michigan Saturday night June 22. The Owosso event will be a double-header event with the MSR 410 National Seres giving fans a double-header of winged sprint car action.
For more information on Must See Racing please visit http://www.mustseeracing.com
To give teams extra race day incentives, and continue to create great racing, the program was instituted and will be in effect at the series next event June 22 at Owosso Speedway. The “Fash Cash” Challenge will be used for the MSR National Series the remainder of the year.
After qualifications are complete the Fast Qualifier will be asked to accept the challenge. If he says yes, he will immediately earn a $500 bonus. If he sets a new track record, he will pick up an additional $100.
The Fast Qualifier will also be able to earn additional bonuses throughout the night including a $175 bonus if he wins his heat race, $75 for runner-up, or $50 for finishing third. Since he accepted the challenge the invert for the feature event will already be pre-determined with the highest a 6 and the lowest being a straight-up start. If he wins the feature event for the sixth position he will receive a $400 bonus. If he wins from the fourth starting position, he will earn a $200 bonus. If he wins from the pole, he will still earn a $100 bonus.
If the Fast Qualifier refuses the “Fast Cash” Challenge, he will receive no bonuses and could face an invert as high as a ten.
To receive all the available bonuses, a driver must prove to be as good of a qualifier as he is a racer. If a driver could be lucky enough to claim all the available bonuses offered for the night, he could earn as much as $1,175 in addition to his feature finish prize money.
It’s new, it’s different, and hopefully it will prove to be entertaining.
In other Must See Racing news………. British Columbia, Canada driver Aaron Willison is one of the first drivers to have entered the upcoming June 22 event at Owosso Speedway. Willison teamed with veteran car owner Dick Myers at the last MSR outing in Lancaster, New York June1. Willison charged from his seventh starting position and nearly pulled off a stunning win on the last corner of the race. He got alongside race winner Bobby Santos III but couldn’t beat him to the stripe. He will get at rematch at Owosso.
The MSR Midwest Lights Series will join the MSR National Series at Owosso Speedway June 22 for a winged sprint car double-header event. It will be the season opener for the MSR Lights Series. For more info on the series please visit www.mustseeracing.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
May 5, 2024 – Holly, Michigan – With Sandusky Speedway grounds currently saturated and rain expected nearly every day next week, Sandusky Speedway and Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Perfit-Parts mutually agreed to postpone the May 11 MSR event at the track. The area has received record amounts of rain for the month of April.
When MSR president Jim Hanks and Sandusky Speedway owner Kevin Jaycox sat down to find a suitable replacement date, things took an interesting turn of events.
“I woke up this morning and was thinking about everything I still want to do, and ideas I want to try” explained Jaycox. “One thing I always wanted to do is race every day from Saturday to Saturday the week of the annual Hy-Miler. I got close last year only being off Tuesday. This morning at about 8 am Jim Hanks from Must see racing called me and we were discussing my thoughts on 2024. I was telling Jim of my crazy idea and Jim was all into it. So, we started laying out the groundwork and after 30 minutes on the phone we had a solid idea. I left the call to get Chris Mize, Cale Krebs, Doug Dock and our promoter Kevin Jaycox Jr.’s thoughts. Within 5 mins we had everyone’s approval. So, we are making a schedule change”.
As it stands now, the Must See Racing Sprint Series presented by Perfit-Parts along with the MSR Midwest Lights Series will now race on July 24, the Wednesday of Hy-Miler Nationals week, in conjunction with Friday and Saturday’s ISMA-MSS Supermodified events. In addition, there will be other racing events still to be announced that will now make the Hy- Miler week a true festival of speed. Fans will have the chance to see two of the “World’s Fastest Short Track Cars” competing in the same week at the same speedway.
Tentative plans include the Sprint Car and Supermodified events being streamed by Racing America. Details of streaming and a full schedule of racing for the week will be announced in the coming days.
Sandusky is no stranger to Must See Racing, but it will be the first time the 410 series has competed since August 25, 2019. Five-time series champion Jimmy McCune won that last event nearly five years agon. The MSR Lights Series last competed at Sandusky Speedway in October 2022.
Sandusky Speedway has long been known as the home of the Supermodifieds. But winged sprint cars have played an important part in the track’s history. In 1989 Jeff Gordon claimed an All Star Circuit of Champions 410 victory at the track before he found NASCAR fame. There have been multiple 305- and 602-winged sprint car events over the past three decades.
Sandusky Speedway started life as a ¼ mile dirt oval between 1950-1954. The track was extended to a ½ and paved in1955 to its present configuration. The track played host to weekly Supermodifed racing for decades. Nearly every top Supermodified driver has competed at the track one time or another during its storied history. Sandusky Speedway is unfortunately the site of Nolan Johncock’s fatal Supermodified crash on October 3, 1971.
This will be the season opener for both the 410 National Series and the Midwest Lights Series. A huge turnout of fans and cars is expected due to the lengthy absence of winged 410 sprint cars at the track.
The entry process hasn’t opened yet, so no entries were released by the series at the time of this release. But, in addition to the MSR regulars, a huge contingent of Florida drivers is expected for this event. Entries will be released closer to the event once they have been received.
Defending MSR champion Jason Blonde is expected to be on hand to defend his MSR championship aboard the potent Tony Nosal owned #42 Diablo Chassis. The veteran Blonde captured his first career MSR championship last season. For more info on Must See Racing please like and follow us on Facebook or visit Web Page Under Construction
Jason Blonde (center) and car owner Tony Nosal (right) were honored for their 2023 Must See Racing national sprint car championship Saturday night. (Kelly Poole photo)
BIRCH RUN, Mich. (March 23, 2024) – Must See Racing recognized its top drivers and teams from the 2023 season during the sanctioning body’s rescheduled Night of Champions celebration Saturday at Birch Run Speedway and Event Center.
The banquet, originally planned for January, was rescheduled to March due to a winter storm that swept across the state of Michigan during the initial event weekend. Despite that, there was still snow on the ground Saturday evening during the festivities.
Chief among the banquet’s honored guests were first-time Must See Racing National Sprint Car Series champion Jason Blonde and back-to-back Must See Racing Midwest Lights titlist Cody Gallogly.
Blonde never trailed during the season-long points battle, winning last year’s opener at Michigan’s Berlin Raceway and holding court atop the standings throughout the 12-race calendar.
“If I have to come up and talk, so does my car owner,” joked Blonde, referencing longtime car owner Tony Nosal. “We’ve been together for a lot of years, and he keeps wanting me back, for some reason.
“This year was rewarding, challenging at times, but special because of the group that I get to race with. We’ve wanted a Must See title for a long time; it just seemed like things never quite worked for us to be able to chase it, but this past year everything finally fell into place,” Blonde added.
“The drivers here are some of the best in the country, and it’s an honor to be part of that history.”
Gallogly dominated the Midwest Lights season for a second consecutive year, leading the crate sprint car tour in nearly every statistical category over the course of the year.
“Yes, my wife did help me with my speech again,” tipped Gallogly to laughter from the crowd.
“In all seriousness, I can’t thank you my family enough for supporting me and allowing me to run up the electric bill in the race shop every month,” he added. “I also can’t say enough about my three kids for their love and support, though I’m not sure I’ll ever quite be able to replace (title rival) J.J. Henes as their favorite driver. This year was challenging, not having my dad around, but my mom has always believed in me and helped to keep this race team going.
“We earned another championship as a team, and now the goal is to go for the three-peat this year.”
Cody Gallogly (left) received the laurels for his second consecutive Must See Racing Midwest Lights crate sprint car title Saturday night. (Kelly Poole photo)
Among the other Must See Racing national honorees Saturday was Gene Fogle, crew chief for Bobby Komisarski, who received Crew Chief of the Year honors. Blonde was named Driver of the Year for the first time, while Nosal secured Car Owner of the Year laurels for Blonde’s championship run.
Additional Midwest Lights award recipients included Matt Double (Rookie of the Year) and Terry Bogusz (Crew Chief of the Year), while an emotional moment for all involved saw the late Steve Sexton recognized posthumously as the Midwest Lights’ Car Owner of the Year.
“I was really nervous about coming here, but I was really happy once I did,” said Sexton’s widow, Dana, in accepting the award. “This was Steve’s element, and I can’t say enough how much he cared and loved everyone in this series. He was the ultimate car guy and a great person, husband, and friend.
“I’m glad that Josh (Steve’s son) is going to continue driving in his dad’s honor, and we know Steve will be looking down with pride on everything that Must See Racing continues to do going forward.”
The night’s highest honor, the Jerry Caryer Ironman Award for commitment to Must See Racing, was presented to Ryan Litt as the driver who both exemplified loyalty to pavement sprint car racing as a whole and for his comeback from a vicious supermodified crash last summer to continue racing.
Litt joined Tom Jewell (2021) and Charlie Schultz (2022) as the third recipient of the perpetual honor, which is housed at Must See Racing’s series headquarters in Holly, Mich.
For more news and information on Must See Racing, visit www.mustseeracing.com.
Must See Racing National Awards
Perseverance Award: Tommy Nichols Sportsmanship Award: Dave Koyan/Joe Speakman Rising Star Award: Rick Holley Most Improved Driver: Bobby Komisarski Best Appearing Car: Davey Hamilton Jr. Fast Qualifier of the Year: Charlie Schultz Hard Charger of the Year: Bobby Komisarski (+33) Crew Chief of the Year: Gene Fogle Car Owner of the Year: Tony Nosal Driver of the Year: Jason Blonde Jerry Caryer Ironman: Ryan Litt
Must See Racing Midwest Lights Awards
Perseverance Award: Steve Sexton/S&S Racing Rising Star Award: Sawyer Stout Sportsmanship Award: Steve Sexton/S&S Racing Most Improved Driver: Charlie Baur Best Appearing Car: Joshua Sexton/S&S Racing Fast Qualifier of the Year: Cody Gallogly Hard Charger of the Year: Cody Gallogly Rookie of the Year: Matt Double Crew Chief of the Year: Terry Bogusz Car Owner of the Year: Steve Sexton/S&S Racing Driver of the Year: J.J. Henes
November 22, 2023 – Holly, Michigan – The Must See Racing Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series is set to return to Lorain Raceway Park in South Amherst, Ohio twice in 2024. The series will be returning to LRP for the fourth consecutive season. LRP has become the unofficial home of the Midwest Lights Series since its inception in 2020.
The series is set to invade LRP on August 24 and September 21. LRP has been the site of some of the best racing the series has contested over the years. The 3/8-mile Northeast Ohio speedway is one of the raciest the Midwest Lights Series annually visits.
2024 Midwest Lights Series winners at LRP included Andrew Bogusz and JJ Henes.
With today’s announcement of these two dates, the Midwest Lights Series 2024 schedule stands at eight events and counting. Must See Racing has not officially announced the complete 2024 schedule so it’s possible there could be additional dates announced in the coming weeks.
Cody Gallogly is coming off his second consecutive series championship in 2023. Gallogly will be shooting for his third series championship in 2024. He will battling a stout field of cars in 2024 including 2020 series champion J.J. Henes among others.
The 2024 Must See Racing Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series will visit five different tracks as the schedule stands now. Besides LRP the series is set to visit Sandusky Speedway, Owosso Speedway, Corrrigan Oil Speedway, and Birch Run Speedway. The series opener is set for April 20 at Sandusky Speedway.
For more info on the Must See Racing Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series please like and follow Must See Racing on Facebook or visit www.mustseeracing.com
November 7, 2024 – Holly, Michigan – Must See Racing today announced that the Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights will be making their first ever appearance at the ¼ mile semi-banked Corrigan Oil Speedway in Mason, Michigan on Friday June 21, 2024.
This event will be a part of a double-header weekend for the 602 Crates series as they will join the MSR 410 National Series the following evening June 22, 2024, at Owosso Speedway.
The Corrigan Oil Speedway event will showcase the close wheel to wheel winged sprint car competition at only the fourth different track in the state of Michigan that the series has competed at.
Previous Michigan venues include Kalamazoo Speedway, Birch Run Speedway, and Owosso Speedway. The series will be the headline event as they compete without their 410 National counterparts.
The Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series continues to grow each year with the addition of new and young drivers. The series continues to be a steppingstone to the 410 National Series with a full schedule of events in Michigan and Ohio, where the vast majority of the teams reside.
Cody Gallogly captured his second consecutive MSR Lights championship this season on the heels of a series leading 3 feature wins and 4 Fast Times.
The 2024 MSR Midwest Lights season will kick off April 20, 2024 at Sandusky Speedway with a combination show that will also include the 410 National Series. For more info on the MSR Midwest Lights please like and follow us on Facebook or visit http://www.mustseeracing.com.
