PAVEMENT SPRINTS OPEN AT PENSACOLA & MOBILE

The opening races in the 2015 King of the Wing and Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Sprint Car Series unfold this weekend in the southeast and both races also count toward this year’s regional Southern Sprint championship.

Races are scheduled Friday at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. and Saturday at Mobile International Speedway in Irvington, Ala.

JoJo Helberg and Jason Blonde earned championships in 2014; Helberg took the King of the Wing title and Blonde the Auto Value Bumper to Bumper championship.

Friday’s race will be the first on pavement for USAC Sprint cars in the Sunshine State since Dave Steele’s victory at Orlando Speed World in 2005. Florida hosted the inaugural USAC Sprint races in February, 1956 with Bob Sweikert winning the opener at Southland Speedway in West Palm Beach.

It’s been 40 years since Tom Bigelow won USAC’s last Sprint race in Alabama, a race held at Birmingham International Raceway.

A star-studded field of drivers is expected to compete in the 2015 openers, including USAC Silver Crown Champion Kody Swanson, former USCA Champion Dave Steele, Aaron Pierce, Bobby Santos, Jacob Wilson, Troy Decaire, Dave Baumgartner, Davey Hamilton Jr., lady driver Sierra Jackson and the aforementioned Blonde.

This weekend’s races kick off a 29-race calendar of pavement sprint races for USAC this season, with a total of six championships to be determined.