December 12, 2023 – Holly, Michigan – Must See Racing announced today that The Perfit Corporation will continue its association with Must See Racing for the 16th consecutive year. The Perfit Corporation will now become the new presenting sponsor of Must See Racing. It will now be known as Must See Racing Presented by PERFIT-PARTS.COM.
Perfit General Manager Alex Esnaola expressed his excitement as Perfit has been named the new presenting sponsor. ”We have been working with Jim (Hanks) hand in hand for many years. This opportunity to use PERFIT-PARTS.COM through Must See Racing and MAVTV will help reach our target customers – engine machinists, professional engine builders, and e-commerce companies of all sizes.”
“Perfit provides multiple warehouse locations for its business-to-business customers to access a large variety of vendors in one location. Customers can look up pricing and inventory on-hand, as well as alternate substitutions. This flexibility was key during the recent COVID-19 years. One phone call or visit to our B2B website gets you everything you need.”
“We have warehouse locations in Grand Rapids, MI and Livonia, MI. We also have satellite locations in Chicago, IL, and Cincinnati, OH. We are one of the last-remaining companies that still believes in face-to-face, relationship-based business. Many of our employees have been with PERFIT for 20+ years and are race enthusiasts. We can service most customers from the Midwest in as little as 3 business days (or less).”
With today’s announcement of the new Must See Racing presenting sponsor, more news is expected from the series in the coming days. A new streaming partner is expected to be announced for the upcoming 2024 season that will see the bulk of MSR events live streamed in 2024. Other news expected includes the finalization of the 2024 schedule, rule amendments, and new driver additions to the series in 2024.
For the latest Must See Racing Presented by PERFIT-PARTS.COM news please like and follow us on Facebook or visit www.mustseeracing.com
(November 28, 2023) The inaugural Risk On 360 Open Wheel Showdown is set to kick off in a few days. Teams from all over the country and Canada will battle it out for 100 laps with hopes of taking home the $50,000 first place prize money. The event will lure the best in the business to the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This winged pavement sprint car race will be the richest pavement sprint car race in the history of our sport.
Nearly every single pavement sprint car sanctioning body in the country will be represented including the Must See Racing Sprint Series presented by Engine Pro. MSR has long been considered the premier winged pavement sprint car series in North America in terms of competition level, and visibility, thanks in part to its television package with MAVTV. MSR is also the only unrestricted 410-winged pavement sprint car series in the country.
Jason Blonde, Davey Hamilton Jr., Ryan Litt, Tyler Roahrig, and Bobby Santos III will make the trek west to represent MSR at the Open Wheel Showdown this weekend. Between the five of them, they account for six series wins and the MSR championship this past season. Now they face off against the best the west has for bragging rights as to what part of the country and Canada is truly the best. For Litt and Blonde, it will be the first time they have competed out west.
JASON BLONDE – Blonde will be competing for the first time on the West Coast. He is coming off the 2023 Must See Racing championship and picked up the win in the season opener. The Michigan veteran may be the weekends wild card. He is teaming up with fellow Michigan car owner Dick Myers and his potent #50m Mopar. The Myers owned car is the winningest active pavement sprint car in the country. This could be a formidable duo at the Open Wheel Showdown.
DAVEY HAMILTON JR. – The Idaho born driver is no doubt the hottest driver entering the Open Wheel Showdown. He is fresh off a ‘Sandi DeCaire Classic 41’ win in Florida a month ago. He will be behind the wheel of the Kirk Morgan Racing Hurricane chassis. The team has been just as impressive with veteran mechanic Todd Schmidt turning the wrenches. As a team they have eight wins in 2023, which leads the country. They also have three MSR wins, which is the tops in the series.
RYAN LITT – The London Ontario, Canada drivers heads west for the first time. He hasn’t raced much since 2019 due to heavy COVID-19 restrictions in Canada until last season. He picked up an MSR win at Berlin in July. He’s regularly beaten the best in the Midwest over the years and would have to be considered a contender to take 50k back to Canada.
TYLER ROAHRIG – The Plymouth, Indiana driver needs no introduction. He is a two-time Little 500 champion. He returned to winged pavement sprit car racing for the first time in several years this season with a handful of MSR starts. At the Pink Lady Classic in September, he worked his way up to third place before running out of fuel and looked like a contender for the win. Roahrig will be someone to pay close attention to.
BOBBY SANTOS III – The Massachusetts born driver enters the Open Wheel Showdown having been undefeated in West Coast competition dating back to 2019. In fact, he swept a pair of events at Colorado National Speedway in July. He also scored a MSR win at Lorain Raceway Park in June. Make no mistake about it, Santos III will be sniffing around for the win in Saturday’s 100-lap finale.
For more info on Must See Racing please like and follow us on Facebook or visit www.mustseeracing.com.
(November 14, 2023) Must See Racing officials today announced three more dates from the soon-to-be released 2024 schedule. The series will be returning to Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan and Plymouth Motor Speedway in Plymouth, Indiana in 2024.
BERLIN RACEWAY – Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan has been a staple to the Must See Racing schedule almost every year since its inaugural season in 2010. The partnership between MSR and Berlin Raceway will continue in 2024.
Since the first MSR race held at Berlin Raceway in 2010, the series has returned almost every year since, and oftentimes with multiple dates. No track on the current MSR schedule has had a longer standing relationship with MSR than Berlin Raceway.
Berlin has been the site of some of the best racing the series has offered in its 15 years of existence. All three races in 2023 were barn burners that went right down to the finish. Jason Blonde held off a hard charging Bobby Santos III to claim the win on May 20. Canadian Ryan Litt returned after facing serious injuries in a Supermodified event early in 2023 at Berlin Raceway. He claimed the August 12 final MSR visit to Berlin Raceway of the season. It was his first time back since his accident. Jimmy McCune also picked up a win on July 22. The series is scheduled to visit Berlin Raceway on May 18 and August 10. Both events will be part of the popular ‘ENGINE PRO FAST CAR DASH’ mini-series.
PLYMOUTH MOTOR SPEEDWAY – The Series will return to Plymouth Motor Speedway on June 15 for the second consecutive year. Must See Racing made its debut at Plymouth Motor Speedway for the first-time last September. The track had been covered with dirt for several years and it had been over a decade since winged asphalt sprint cars roared around the track before 2023.
Last year’s event was highly entertaining. Bobby Komisarski set quick time and put on a show charging to the front, in an attempt to chase down eventual winner Davey Hamilton Jr. The track has proved to be the perfect venue for winged asphalt 410 sprint cars.
This year’s event will bring back the best 410-winged asphalt drivers in the country including local Plymouth star Tyler Roahrig. Keep an eye on this particular date for a big announcement in the coming weeks. For more information on Must See Racing please like and follow us 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.
Holly, Michigan (October 31, 2023) Must See Racing announced today that the 2024 season for both the MSR National Series Presented by Engine Pro and Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series will kick off at Sandusky Speedway with both series in action April 20, 2024.
This will be the first visit to Sandusky Speedway for the National Series since 2019 while the MSR Midwest Lights last competed in October 2022 during Cavalcade Weekend.
Sandusky Speedway has long been the home of Supermodifieds, but sprint car racing has a brief history with the track. In 1989 Jeff Gordon claimed an All Star Circuit of Champions 410 victory before he found NASCAR fame. There have been other 410 sprint car series compete at Sandusky prior to the inaugural appearance of MSR in 2019.
Jimmy McCune won the last and only 410 National event at Sandusky Speedway on August 25, 2019. He was also the days Fast Qualifier with a lap of 15.266 second around the historic half-mile. That Sunday afternoon event drew 22 cars and provided plenty of side-by-side racing throughout the day.
The April 20, 2024, season opener will offer a practice session on Friday April 19. Teams will be able to get acclimated to the track and shake cars down for the first time after a long winter. The following night will see complete racing programs for both series with qualifying, heat races, and feature events.
Must See Racing continues to offer a sneak peek at its 2024 schedule by releasing specific dates each week from the schedule ahead of its release date. The next date that will be released from the 2024 schedule will be November 7.
Tracks already announced from the 2024 National schedule include Owosso Speedway, Birch Run Speedway, and Lancaster Motorplex.
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Attached photo caption/credit: The filed prepares for a MSR National event at Sandusky Speedway in 2019. David Sink Photo
October 23, 2024 – Must See Racing officials today announced another date from their yet to be released 2024 schedule for their 410 National Series. The series has announced that they will be competing in the Empire state of New York for the first time since 2012, nearly 12 years ago.
The series is set to invade the ½-mile Lancaster Motorplex in Lancaster, New York on Saturday June 1, 2024, for an event that will pay the winner $5,000 with $700 to start.
Must See Racing last competed in New York in 2012 with an event on July 5 at Shangri-La II Speedway that saw Aaron Pierce pick up the win. Two nights later Jimmy McCune was victorious at Oswego Speedway. The Lancaster event will mark only the third time ever that 410 asphalt winged sprint cars have competed in the state of New York.
Lancaster Motorplex first opened in 1959 as a dirt track. It was paved in 1963 and has raced as a pavement track ever since. Lancaster is 14 miles east of downtown Buffalo. Although winged sprint cars have never competed at Lancaster Motorplex, it has been a regular stop for winged Supermodifieds over the years.
Speedway owner Scott Nurmi wanted to bring in something new and exciting and the wicked fast winged 410’s of Must See Racing grabbed his attention.
“I called Jim Hanks with Must See Racing and told him I wanted to bring them to Lancaster Motorplex” explained Nurmi. “They are fast, incredible cars, and the fans love them on top of it. We’re just trying to do something different every year. We wanna bring in good quality shows. We’re hoping this is popular with our fans and we can bring in Must See Racing for years to come.”
With the announcement of this event, Lancaster Motorplex can claim bragging rights to have the only 410-winged pavement sprint car event in the state of New York thus far for 2024. The 2024 MSR schedules are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. For more info on the series like and follow us on Facebook or visit http://www.mustseeracing.com.
Photo: The field prepares for the start of a 2023 MSR event in 2023. David Sink Photo
October 17, 2023 – Holly, Michigan – Must See Racing today announced two more dates from its yet to be released 2024 schedule. The series will compete at Birch Run Speedway in Birch Run, Michigan on two occasions in 2024.
Both the 410 National Series and Midwest Lights Series will come together for a double-header on Friday May 4. This could very well be the season opener for both series. The 410’s will be on the 4/10-mile while the Midwest Lights will be on the inner ¼-mile oval.
The MSR National Series made four visits in 2023 including the two-night American Speed U.S. Nationals. Jimmy McCune was victorious twice while Charlie Schultz and Davey Hamilton Jr. each scored MSR National wins. Birch Run Speedway was also the site of two Must See Racing MAVTV nationally televised events this past season.
Cody Gallogly swept both Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series events contested at Birch Run Speedway in 2023. His success at Birch Run Speedway helped propel him to a second consecutive series championship.
The final appearance of MSR at Birch Run Speedway in 2024 will occur on Friday July 19 when both series will join forces once again for a double-header. The 410’s will be on the 410-mile and the Midwest Lights will be on the ¼-mile oval.
Birch Run Speedway has historically drawn great crowds for MSR events in the past and 2024 looks to be much the same. The 410 National Series will be chasing a winner’s share of $4,000 and $600 to start in both of these events. This would now mean that it will pay $4,000 to win all four of the recently announced 2024 MSR dates at Birch Run Speedway and Owosso Speedway in Ovid, Michigan.
The 2024 MSR schedule is nearly complete and is expected to be finalized and released before the end of the month. For more information on Must See Racing please like and follow us on Facebook or visit http://www.mustseeracing.com.
October, 9, 2023 – Holly, Michigan – The Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Engine Pro released an early glimpse of their 2024 schedule for both the 410 National Series and Maxima Racing Oils Midwest Lights Series.
Both series are set to invade Owosso Speedway as part of a twin bill of racing action beginning June 22 with a follow up return date on August 31. Both series will be action with both events awarding full points.
Owosso Speedway provided the perfect venue for winged sprint car action in 2023. With a new resurfacing, a new track record fell to Rick Holley on the second and final visit of the year when he toured 3/8-mile oval at 12.520 seconds. Holley bested an 18-year-old record previously held by the late Cameron Dodson.
The 410 National Series teams will be competing for $4,000 to win both nights and $600 to start.
Both events provided stellar racing this past season. In the event earlier in the season Jimmy McCune held off late race challenges by Davey Hamilton Jr. to capture the feature event. In the final MSR appearance over Labor Day Weekend Ryan Litt and Hamilton Jr. waged a ferocious battle through lapped traffic to see Hamilton Jr. emerged victorious in front of the cameras of MAVTV in the nationally televised event.
These are the first two dates officially announced from the 2024 MSR schedule. MSR hinted that additional dates will be released in the coming weeks revealing the 2024 schedule for both the 410 National Series and Midwest Lights Series.
For more information on Must See Racing please like and follow us on Facebook or visit www.mustseeracing.com.
PLYMOUTH, Ind. (Sept. 16, 2023) – After years of trying, Jason Blonde finally ascended to the pinnacle of the Must See Racing Engine Pro Sprint Car Series on Saturday night.
Despite finishing second in the tour’s season finale at Plymouth Motor Speedway, Blonde’s effort was more than enough to secure his first Must See Racing championship over title rival Charlie Schultz.
Blonde outperformed Schultz in all facets of the night at the quarter-mile paved oval. He was one position faster than the defending champion in qualifying, won his heat race and then finished two spots ahead of Schultz in the title-deciding 40-lap feature.
Despite the championship battle being tied at one point during the closing stretch of the season, Blonde never officially trailed from start to finish after winning the season opener back in May.
The final margin of Blonde’s maiden Must See Racing title – the eighth major pavement sprint car championship of his storied career – was 24 points over Schultz.
“Second isn’t what we come to the racetrack for, but a points title still makes this a sweet night,” said Blonde, whose championship also marked the first Must See Racing crown for car owner Tony Nosal. “Thanks to Tony and all my guys for everything they do and have done all year to get us to this point. We’ve run this series off and on for a long time, but to finally put everything together and win a championship is something that we’ve wanted to achieve as a group, and we’ve finally done that.
“Charlie gave us fits all year; he’s a great competitor and he made us work for it,” Blonde added. “He was right there at the door knocking and it really could have gone either way at several moments. I just tried to not let it get to me – it’s hard not to think about it – but being able to be consistent helped out.”
Though Blonde started from the pole of Saturday’s main event, it was Davey Hamilton Jr. who ended the season on a tear, winning his third straight feature to close out the season.
Hamilton used a crossover sweep entering turn three to take the lead from Blonde on the third lap, then drove away to a commanding 10.228 second victory in a caution-free feature.
“Even in warmups, I knew we had a good car,” Hamilton tipped. “I tried the outside then just to see what it could do, and I felt like we had something for Jason if we could just hang on for the first couple of laps. He overdrove turn one a bit there and I was able to get by him on the other end, and from that point we just had a great race car. I can’t thank Kirk Morgan and all my guys enough for that.
“I saw the scoreboard at one point, and I knew Jason was still running close to the front … but I saw him in front of me at the end, so I couldn’t believe we almost lapped the whole field. This was a special one, for sure.”
From start to finish, Saturday’s race took eight minutes and 21 seconds to complete.
Behind Hamilton and Blonde, Tyler Roahrig completed the podium for his best finish of the season in the Ken Statham-owned No. 36, with Schultz crossing the line fourth in his IBT Motorsports No. 9s.
Joe Liguori was fifth, while fast qualifier Bobby Komisarski – who started sixth but drove up to second using the outside lane of the racetrack – ended up back where he began after a mechanical failure in the final corner of the race caused him to spin in turn four just 100 yards from the finish line.
In his first-ever race in a full-size sprint car, rookie Brady Allum put together a solid effort and scored a top-10 finish, earning hard charger honors after advancing from 13th to ninth.
Komisarski kicked off the night with his first Must See Racing fast time, setting a lap of 11.486 seconds (84.625 mph) in qualifying. Tommy Nichols and Blonde split the pair of eight-lap heat races.
The night also featured a missing-man three-wide salute to late Must See Racing car owner Steve Sexton, who passed away suddenly on Sept. 10 following the series’ Labor Day weekend visit to Owosso Speedway in Ovid, Mich.
With the Must See Racing national sprint car season complete, the Must See Racing Midwest Lights will conclude their season and crown a champion on Sept. 23 at Ohio’s Lorain Raceway Park.
For more information on Must See Racing, visit the series website at www.mustseeracing.com.
September 12, 2023 – Holly, Michigan – The Must See Racing Sprint Series Presented by Engine Pro is set for its final race of the 2023 season this Saturday Night at Plymouth Motor Speedway in Plymouth, Indiana. The stage is set for a thrilling final to the 2023 championship chase.
Going into Saturday’s final event, current point leader Jason Blonde holds a 15-point lead over defending champion Charlie Schultz. Blonde’s 15-point margin is anything but safe. MSR awards a significant number of points for qualifying and heat races. If Blonde intends to win his first MSR championship, he must qualify well and run good in the heat race and feature event.
Shultz has been a qualifying sensation this year. He currently has 5 Fast Time awards this season. If he could somehow set quick time at Plymouth, he could close the point’s gap ahead of the feature event. If that scenario plays out, we could see a drama filled feature event that would decide the 2023 championship chase.
The 2023 MSR season has been one of the most competitive seen in years. There have been 6 different feature winners thus far including first time winner Davey Hamilton Jr.
Hamilton Jr. enters the Plymouth final as one of the hottest drivers in the country. He is currently on a two-race MSR win streak. He is also on an overall three-race win streak that includes a USAC Silver Crown Series victory.
The lineup for this Saturday’s event will be stout as evidence of the early entry list. In addition to Blonde, Schultz, and Hamilton Jr., several other top drivers are entered. Hometown hero Tyler Roahrig headlines a list that also includes Chris Neuenschwander, Joe Liguori, Brady Allum, Rick Holley, Bobby Komisarski, Tommy Nichols, Joe Speakman, Kevin Mingus, Teddy Alberts, Quintin Saayman, and Jeff Bloom among others.
A huge crowd is expected as this will be the first winged asphalt sprint car race at the track since the dirt was removed from the asphalt prior to last season. Jimmy McCune won the last winged asphalt sprint car race at the track on September 9, 2011.
