Lucas Oil Sprint Cars Ready for 33rd Annual Jackson Nationals

Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (August 15, 2011) - The Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters National series embarks upon more new territory this weekend with the running of the 33rd Annual Jackson Nationals presented by Brodix Cylinder Heads atop the high-banked, ½-mile Jackson Speedway dirt oval in Jackson, MN, on Friday and Saturday.

Friday night's Loren Woodke Memorial Night portion of the Jackson Nationals offers up a $3,000 winner's share, with Saturday's Jackson Nationals championship a $6,000-to-win tilt.

The weekend's action will mark just the second visit to Minnesota in ASCS National history and the first since a Brainerd outing in 2007 won by Wayne Johnson.

And, leading the way into the weekend is current Lucas Oil Sprint Car points leader Shane Stewart, who ranks as arguably the hottest Sprint Car driver in the nation after a sizzling Southern Iowa Sprint Week that netted Stewart and car owner Paul Silva earnings in the six-figure range over a ten night stretch of action.

Fresh off a $10,000 triumph in the ASCS Knoxville Nationals on August 6, his second event win in as many years, and a 17th to second run in this past weekend's Knoxville Nationals championship event, Stewart also knows his way around the Jackson Speedway ½-mile oval as evidenced just a few weeks ago.

Stewart, a native of Bixby, OK, picked off Jackson's Spring Nationals victory on July 8, fending off fellow Lucas Oil National shoe Jason Johnson for the win with other National contenders testing out Jackson turf including Brady Bacon and Tony Bruce, Jr., along with current Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest points leader Jack Dover.

While Stewart currently holds a 142-point edge over Albuquerque's Johnny Herrera in the driver's portion of the $60,000 championship points chase, the owner's side of the things is much tighter with the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 holding a mere 10-point edge over Silva's No. 57 piloted by Stewart.

Stewart and defending Lucas Oil Sprint Car champion Jason Johnson, who sits atop the series win charts in 2011 with four triumphs this season, lead a stellar cast of full-time series contenders that includes Herrera, Jeff Swindell, 2010 series runner-up Brady Bacon, four-time series champion Gary Wright, three-time series champion Tim Crawley, Washington's Seth Bergman, leading Brodix Rookie of the Year contender Aaron Reutzel, two-time Short Track Nationals champion Tony Bruce, Jr., and 2001 series champion Zach Chappell.

The weekend also awards Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest points, with Nebraska's Jack Dover holding the current Midwest edge over Wayne Johnson, who has parted ways with car owner Bryan Sundby since the series last action. Colorado's Bryan Gossel, North Dakota's Lee Grosz and Missouri's Brian Brown are also among the ASCS Midwest top five.

Grosz, a two-time ASCS Regional champion fresh off his first National win during ASCS Knoxville Nationals preliminary action, held off Brian Brown to win last year's Jackson Nationals.


The Series:

Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters with the Speedway Motors ASCS Midwest Region

When & Where:

Friday night, August 19 at 7:30 p.m. - 33rd Annual Jackson Nationals presented by Brodix
Saturday night, August 20 at 7:30 p.m. - 33rd Annual Jackson Nationals presented by Brodix

Track Information:

Jackson Speedway (Jackson, MN) - ½-mile, high-banked dirt oval located 0.3 miles south of I-90 Exit 73 on US 71, then one mile east on CR 38, then 0.9 miles south on CR 51 at the fairgrounds. For more information, contact the track at 507-841-1957 or check http://www.jacksonspeedway.com/.

Lucas Oil ASCS Jackson Speedway History:

This weekend will mark the first time for the Lucas Oil ASCS National series to take to Minnesota's Jackson Speedway. The series has only been in Minnesota once before, with Wayne Johnson snaring a 2007 win at Brainerd. Jackson Speedway will become the 117th different track to host an ASCS National event since 1993 and the fourth new track to host the series in 2011 along with California tracks in Tulare, Hanford and Placerville.