Ambitious 2015 Schedule For The Top Speed ICAR Modified Tour Begins At

[NickHolt]

Ambitious 2015 Schedule For The Top Speed ICAR Modified Tour Begins At Lucas Oil Raceway - 26th year of competition set to begin in the Circle City on March 28-29th

 

Angola, Indiana (Monday, February 2, 2015): The Top Speed Fabrication International Championship Auto Racing (ICAR) Modified Tour is preparing for their most ambitious schedule in their 26-year history for the 2015 racing season. The Angola, Indiana based series, with ICAR President / Promoter, Dave Muzzillo at the helm made the important decision during the off season to split the organization into two divisions. A new Northern Division has been created with those shows based primarily in the state of Michigan while the new Southern Division will have events primarily in the home state of Indiana as well as dates in the neighboring state of Ohio.

 

2014 Top Speed ICAR Modified Tour Champion, Chad Poole and ICAR's all-time winningest driver, Brian Nester battle at Winchester Speedway (IN) during the 2014 racing season. (M.P.H. Promotions Photo)

 

The Top Speed ICAR Modified Tour Southern Division will kick off the season on Saturday-Sunday, March 28-29th as the immaculate 0.686 mile semi-banked paved oval of Lucas Oil Raceway, located west of Indianapolis in Brownsburg, Indiana serves as hosts of the 6th annual Cabin Fever Championships. Joining ICAR South, who will run in the Circle City 40, will be the Vore's Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Series and the Stealth Trailers CRA Street Stock Series while the Vore's Compact Touring Series will also be on hand in support of the entire weekend. In the series last appearance at LOR back on April 6th, 2011 ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion and Rookie of the Year, Derrick Griffin led a caution free race in the Circle City to take home the trophy and prize money.

 

Then the Top Speed ICAR Modified Tour Northern Division will start their 2015 racing season on Saturday-Sunday, May 2-3rd with a date at the fast 3/8s (0.375) mile semi-banked paved oval of Springport Motor Speedway, located north of Jackson and south of Lansing in Springport, Michigan. ICAR North will help kick off the tracks new season with the Springport 50 as the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour will headline the weekend with the running of the Cabin Fever 100. The tracks weekly A-B-C divisions will also be racing as well as the Great Lakes Open Wheel (GLOW) Vintage Modifieds. ICAR visited Springport four times in 2014 with Griffin leading the way with two triumphs. Track regulars defended their home turf in the other two races as Walt Obrinske Jr., and Bobby Heyink each scored victories for the home team as well.

 

During the 2015 campaign, there will be four important combination races pitting the cars and stars of both divisions against one another in races that will count in both divisions points standings giving fans the best of both worlds within the premier open-wheel Modified Tours in the Midwest. The first combo race is Saturday, May 23rd with a return visit, after a nine-year absence, to the 1/2 (0.500) mile progressively banked paved oval of Mansfield Motorsports Park in Mansfield, Ohio. In the last race there, back on June 17, 2006, 2009 series champion Scott Tomasik went to victory lane.

 

The second combo race is on Saturday, July 18th. The 3/8s (0.375) mile semi-banked paved oval of Angola Motorsport Park in Angola, Indiana, close to the home base of the series, will host the second of four combination races. The series visited Angola on two occasions during the 2014 season as Jordan Pruitt, who will be running for the 2015 Rookie of the Year title in the ARCA/CRA Super Series while also racing as much as possible with ICAR when his CRA schedule allows, emerged victorious on May 3rd while 2008 series champion, Scott Coe went to victory lane on July 19th.

 

The third and fourth combination races will take place on back to back nights in the state of Michigan during the hot summer month of August. ICAR makes their first ever appearance to the fast 4/10s (0.400) mile progressively banked paved oval of Dixie Motor Speedway, located south of Saginaw in Birch Run, Michigan on Friday, August 7th as part of the tracks prestigious Big One XIII with the Main Event Racing Series Super Late Models.

 

Then the following night on Saturday, August 8th, a return appearance to the quick 1/4 (0.250) mile high-banked paved oval of Whittemore Speedway, located west of Tawas City in Whittemore, Michigan for the 2nd Annual Hot Shoe 100 will conclude the combination races between the two divisions. In ICAR's last appearance there in 2014 for the inaugural Hot Shoe 100, Brian Nester, the all-time winningest driver in ICAR history, scored his 23rd career victory.

 

As for the rest of the schedule in the Northern Division, Auto City Speedway, located north of Flint in Clio, Michigan will host the series four times. Those dates are May 16th, June 20th, July 11th and September 12th. Springport will see ICAR twice more on June 13th and September 18th for the North Championship race. Berlin Raceway, located west of Grand Rapids in Marne, Michigan will host the series on a special Tuesday, June 16th as part of the tracks Battle at Berlin 251 event and Spartan Speedway, located south of Lansing in Mason, Michigan will see the series invade on July 26th.

 

In the Southern Division, Angola's first date is on June 6th while Toledo Speedway in Toledo, Ohio kicks off an important three-race weekend on June 26th. The legendary high-banks of Winchester Speedway hosts the second day of the weekend on June 27th. The final race on June 28th will be at a track 'To Be Announced'. Sandusky Speedway in Sandusky, Ohio will see ICAR take part in the prestigious Hy-Miler Nationals on July 24-25th while ICAR heads back to Winchester twice more on September 5-6 in the World Stock Car Festival and October 9-10th for the prestigious Run for the Gun 50 which serves as the South Championship race during the 49th running of the Winchester 400 weekend.

 

A new Communications / Public Relations department has been created within the organization. Veteran P.A. Announcer, Matt Prieur, one of the Voices of Champion Racing Association (CRA) who is also CRA's Director of Communications, will add the same titles within the Top Speed ICAR Modified Tour for the 2015 racing season. The 40-year-old, who currently resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan, will be at all ICAR events that don't conflict with his CRA obligations during the upcoming season. When Prieur is unavailable, a fill-in, to be determined, will take his place.

 

Also, a new Rookie of the Year program is being introduced into both divisions for the 2015 racing season. To be eligible for the freshman titles in each class, a driver must not have competed in no more than seven (7) ICAR events in one season or 10 events spanning over more than one season. A driver who has competed in a 'higher level' touring series is not eligible for rookie status. All prospective rookies must register and be approved by ICAR and there will be two Rookies of the Year for the 2015 racing season; One from the Northern Division and one from the Southern Division.

 

There is one item of interest left on the agenda to put a period on the 2014 season as the 2014 Top Speed ICAR Modified Tour Awards Banquet is set for Saturday, March 14th at Piggy's Brew Pub / Sweet C Banquet Hall in Angola, Indiana. The Top 10 in the Final 2014 Top Speed ICAR Modified Tour Points Standings will be honored as 2014 Series champion, Chad Poole will be honored for his accomplishments from one season ago. Tickets are $30.00 per person and can be purchased by emailing or calling ICAR President, Dave Muzzillo at: dave@topspeedfab.net and (260) 665-8889. No Tickets will be Available at the door.

 

For more information about the 2014 Awards Banquet as well as the upcoming 2015 racing season for both divisions within the Top Speed ICAR Modified Tour, please go to the all new and improved series website located at: www.topspeedmods.com You can also follow along with everything happening within ICAR on the series Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/TopSpeedModifieds and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ICARModifieds

 

In addition, for more information about Lucas Oil Raceway, the host track for the 2015 season opener for the Southern Division, the 6th annual Cabin Fever Championships, go to the track website at: www.lucasoilraceway.com and for Springport Motor Speedway, the host track for the Northern Division opener, Cabin Fever Weekend, go to: www.springportmotorspeedway.com