Addition of tracks, weekend dates adds depth,
excitement to 2007 Tri Star Engine Supply Challenge Series

By Kirk Holmes
Reprinted With Permission From All The Dirt! Racing News

ALTOONA, WI (March 22) - The 2007 Tri Star Engine Supply WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series will be bigger and better from start to finish.

Due in part to the agreement among WISSOTA’s promoters to allow tracks to run an event on their regular weekend night - with an enhanced payout - the 15 confirmed dates on this year’s schedule will pay $38,000 in first place money, including the $5,000-to-win show at Dakota State Fair (SD) Speedway during the opening weekend and $4,000-to-win during the finale at Hibbing (MN) Raceway as part of the Labor Day Shootout.

In 2006, the 15 shows paid a total of $30,000 to win.

“The 15 shows was our goal to make it a successful series,” Tri Star Series director Craig Sullivan said. “The grouping this year appears to be better than last year; there aren’t so many dates on their own in the middle of the week.”

Canadian Joel Cryderman will begin defense of his first Tri Star Series title when Red River Valley (ND) Speedway opens the series with a $3,000-to-win show on Friday, June 1, and Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, SD will run its Challenge Cup VII the next night.

“(The Challenge Cup) started out with Hav-A-Tampa, UDTRA and the other pro series. The last one we had was a couple of years ago, when Tim McCreadie came from the back and won,” DSFS promoter Orville Chenoweth said. “This year we are going to be all WISSOTA.

As an added bonus, the event at DSFS will be surrounded by Wheel Jam 2007, a three-day event with shows for semi trucks, motorcycles and cars, a BBQ championship, battle of the bands and a bikini contest.

“I think we should have a heck of a good car count,” Chenoweth said.

The Tri Star Series (see schedule at right) will make six stops from July 5 at Redwood (MN) Speedway to July 12 at Casino Speedway. The tour also includes a stop at Steele County Speedway in Owatonna, MN.

The opening stretch in June was supposed to be longer; Langlade County (WI) Speedway, Shawano (WI) Speedway and Eagle Valley (WI) Speedway were tentatively scheduled for Friday through Sunday, June 8-10. Sullivan said when Shawano decided against running a show, Eagle Valley moved its date to August. Langlade County officials said they would still like to run a show but not without a track to match up with.

After the three-day swing in mid-August, and a pair of events near the end of the month, Hibbing Raceway will close out the series on the first day of its Labor Day Shootout.