Northern Plains Brainerd preview

ASCS Northern Plains Season Concludes with Mighty Axe Nationals!

TULSA, Okla. (August 26, 2008) -- The third season of competition for the American Sprint Car Series Northern Plains Region comes to a conclusion with this weekend's Mighty Axe Nationals at North Central Speedway in Brainerd, MN.

The Mighty Axe Nationals includes two full days of racing action on Saturday and Sunday, with pit gates opening at 2:00 p.m. on both days and racing set to get under way at 4:00 p.m.

Trying to put the wraps on a second consecutive ASCS Northern Plains championship is 20-year-old Lee Grosz of Harwood, ND, who enters the weekend with a 34-point lead over Sioux Falls, SD, racer Eric Lutz.

While Lutz, who has finished among the top three in ASCS Northern Plains points over each of the past two seasons, is still within striking distance, it could prove to be a tall order as Grosz has found North Central Speedway to his liking.

Grosz iced the 2007 series title by capturing his first series win in the Mighty Axe Nationals finale then added another North Central Speedway win in series competition on July 5 of this year.

While Grosz and Lutz slug it out for the crown, the balance of the current top five in series points includes Jody Rosenboom (Rock Rapids, IA), Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) and Dave Glennon (Casselton, ND).

North Central Speedway is located six miles south of Brainerd, MN, on SR 371, then 0.5 miles north on BR 371. For more information, contact the track at 218-828-1545 or 218-330-9097.

This weekend's ASCS Northern Plains Region double runs the 2008 season total to ten events at six different tracks throughout South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa.

-credit: ascs