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Inside Line Promotions – SOMERTON, Ariz. (Dec. 31, 2014) – When Ryan Smith plugged in the coordinates to Cocopah Speedway his GPS system winced.

Smith, who hails from Kunkletown, Pa., and is a part of the famed Pennsylvania Posse, is in the process of traveling across the country to compete in the inaugural Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown this weekend.

“It said it will take one day and 13 hours of driving,” he said. “It’s about 2,500 miles. I’ve had people ask me why I’d want to go across the country to go racing. It’s January. It’s snowing at home. Let’s go racing.”

The 410ci sprint car event, which is slated to feature approximately 50 elite competitors, kicks off this Friday and Saturday at the 3/8-mile oval in Southwest Arizona. It also includes races on Tuesday, Jan. 6, and Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9-10. The four weekend races pay $12,000 to win and $1,000 to start with the midweek show paying $5,000 to win. There is also a points fund for the top five in the standings following the five races.

“My goal is to make three-quarters of the shows,” he said. “That’d be a good week. It’s going to be tough. There’s a lot of good cars and good competition. You have to have a little luck on your side, too. I have a lot of support from Pennsylvania, including Bob Miller from Grandview Speedway, so hopefully we have a strong showing.”

In addition to hitting the major events in Central Pennsylvania, Smith said he is aiming to travel more in 2015 starting with the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown.

“I’d like to get to some new tracks this year and try some things,” he said. “We ended the season pretty good and started getting going in October. This race track suits my driving style. You only live once and I’ve got the crew to go and the resources to do it so we decided to go for it.”

The pit gate is scheduled to open at 11 a.m. each day with the main gates opening at 2 p.m. Hot laps will get underway at approximately 6 p.m. and Opening Ceremonies is slated for 7 p.m.

Tickets for the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown are available for sale online by visiting https://secure.pivotalracing.com/venues/cocopah-speedway.

Also, fans can purchase live Pay-Per-View video of the event via SPEED SPORT by clicking http://www.SPEEDSPORT.TV/live. The Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown will also be taped by SPEED SPORT for a pair of delayed one-hour television shows on MAVTV.

WINTER HEAT SPRINT CAR SHOWDOWN –

Dates: Jan. 2-3, 6, 9-10, 2015

Track: Cocopah Speedway in Somerton, Ariz.

Prize: $12,000-to-win, $1,000-to-start each night (Jan. 2-3, 9-10); $5,000-to-win (Jan. 6); approximately $250,000 total prize money

Type: 410ci sprint cars

Times: Pit gate opens at 11 a.m.; main gates open at 2 p.m.; hot laps at 6 p.m.; Opening Ceremonies at 7 p.m.

TICKETS –

Fans can purchase tickets by clicking https://secure.pivotalracing.com/venues/cocopah-speedway.

PAY-PER-VIEW –

SPEED SPORT Productions will be broadcasting live Pay-Per-View video of the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown for $27.95 per night. Visit http://www.SPEEDSPORT.TV/live for more information. The event will also be taped for a pair of one-hour delayed television broadcasts via MAVTV.

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.CocopahSpeedway.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CocopahShowdown

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WinterHeatSprintCarShowdown

THE EVENT –

The inaugural Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown will showcase the top sprint car drivers in the world in sunny Southwest Arizona during the first two weekends of January in 2015. The four weekend races pay $12,000 to the winner and at least $1,000 to every driver who advances to the main event with the midweek show paying $5,000 to win.

POINTS FUND –

A $10,000 points fund will be split among the top-five finishers. The champion will receive a $4,000 bonus with drivers finishing second through fifth each offered $1,500. A driver will earn points throughout heat races, qualifying races and main events during the five events. A competitor must attempt to race in all five Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown races to be eligible for the points fund.

COCOPAH SPEEDWAY –

Cocopah Speedway is a semi-banked, 3/8-mile dirt track located in Somerton, Ariz. It has a concrete wall perimeter, television-quality lighting and the pits are located outside turns three and four. There is also dry camping free of charge on the property. For more information, visit http://www.CocopahSpeedway.com.

COMETIC GASKET –

Cometic Gasket, Inc., is a leading worldwide supplier of shelf stock, custom and short-run gaskets for the performance aftermarket, original equipment and motor sports industries. The company, which is located in Concord, Ohio, was created in 1989 and ships out more than 5,000 types of gaskets to customers worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.Cometic.com.

JE PISTONS –

JE Pistons is the leader in high performance forged pistons. Based in Irvine, Calif., the company has more than 60 years of experience and has a history of manufacturing the highest quality pistons and components that professional engine builders, race teams and high-performance enthusiasts trust and rely on. For more information, visit http://www.JEPistons.com.

K1 TECHNOLOGIES –

K1 Technologies, which is located in Mentor, Ohio, has many years in the field of designing, engineering and manufacturing connecting rods and crankshafts. For more information, visit http://www.K1Technologies.com.

INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –

Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.

To meet the media relations needs of your program and to join Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or InsideLinePromotions@gmail.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.