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Dale Blaney Scores Inaugural Keith Kauffman Classic by Nearly Six Seconds

PORT ROYAL, Pa. (April 23, 2016) - The Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions cruised into Central Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon with intentions to beat the “Pennsylvania Posse” on their home dirt. Not only did the Arctic Cat All Stars achieve their goal, they conquered, earning two spots on the feature podium including the very top worth $5,000. The regional travelers are now two-for-two in 2016 during “Posse” competition.

“To win the first race here at Port Royal in Keith Kauffman’s honor is really, really special,” explained Dale Blaney regarding his Keith Kauffman Classic victory. “Hopefully we’ll be back here every year for this deal. I’m the only All Star to have a win at Port Royal so far, so hopefully next year we can still be the only All Star to win here. I wouldn’t be able to do it without Janet and CH Motorsports. Todd and Big Game/GoMuddy came on board last year and gave all of us a great situation. My guys work their tails off for me and I am proud to be a part of this team. ”

Dale Blaney, defending Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions titlist, led every lap of the inaugural Keith Kauffman Classic at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal on Saturday, April 23, capturing his 129th career Arctic Cat All Star victory. The “Low Rider” started second on the main event grid, and despite the initial start getting called back due to a caution, the Ohio native surged to the front and controlled the opening circuit.

After dealing with two consecutive cautions on lap four, as well as a fuel stop, Blaney’s lead would eventually stretch to 5.76 seconds at the end of 30 circuits around the Port Royal “Speed Palace,” keeping current series point leader Chad Kemenah at bay. The pilot of the CH Motorsports, GoMuddy.com, No 1B now has three career victories at Port Royal Speedway, with two occurring during Arctic Cat All Star competition. Blaney is now the first repeat winner of the 2016 Arctic Cat All Star season, earning his first during the HD Supply Spring Nationals at Attica Raceway Park.

“We were really good tonight,” said Blaney. “I love it when the track gets like this. You can move all around it. It kinda got bottom heavy for me right around the end of the race. I was able to move up to the top to get around some lapped guys, but I would go right back to where I was. We weren’t really gaining on anyone ahead of us in traffic. I just tried to run as hard as I could and keep the car down. Chad (Kemenah) has been running really well lately, and Greg (Hodnett) is the guy to beat over here. They were both on the board so that makes you run a little bit harder.”

Chad Kemenah started fourth on the feature grid, racing into second by the end of lap one. The former four-time Arctic Cat All Star champion followed Blaney the entire 30-lap distance, chasing the defending champion through periods of traffic, which came into effect as early as lap nine. Despite attempts to catch the “Low Rider,” Kemenah would have to settle for second, followed by Greg Hodnett, a fast charging Dave Blaney, and Steve Buckwalter. The main event went undisturbed following the lap four fuel stop.
For Kemenah, it was his fifth top-five performance of the 2016 Arctic Cat All Star season, including non-point action in Florida during the early stages of February. The driver of the Hunter Racing, No. 10H will enter the next point event with a six marker advantage over Dale Blaney.

Dave Blaney’s advancement into the top-five during the Keith Kauffman Classic included a hard charge equalling 20 positions. The former World of Outlaws champion, driver of the Motter Motorsports, No. 71M, started 24th on the feature starting grid.

The Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions will conclude their trek through Central Pennsylvania with a visit to the Selinsgrove Speedway in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, on Sunday night, April 24; the first appearance by the traveling series in 16 years. The Ray Tilley Classic will headline action at the Selinsgrove half-mile, awarding a $5,000 top prize. “Mr. Excitement” Todd Shaffer is the most recent winner at Selinsgrove Speedway during Arctic Cat All Star competition, taking home the checkers on May 7, 2000.

Selinsgrove Speedway pit gates are scheduled to swing open at 4:00 pm on Sunday afternoon, April 24, with a mandatory drivers meeting to follow at 5:15. Warm-ups will begin at approximately 5:30 pm, followed by racing at 6:00 pm, sharp. Those interested in learning more should visit Selinsgrove Speedway live on the Web at www.selinsgrovespeedway.com.

Contingency Awards/Results - Port Royal Speedway - Saturday, April 23, 2016
Keith Kauffman Classic
EMi Driver’s Meeting: 37 Entries
State Water Heaters Warm-Ups: Andrew Palker - 16.990 seconds
Lincoln Electric Fast Qualifier: (Fourth Quick) Tim Shaffer - 17.433 seconds
Kistler Racing Products Heat #1: Chad Kemenah
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat #2: Ryan Smith
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat #3: Dale Blaney
Kistler Racing Products Heat #4: TJ Stutts
JE Pistons Dash: Steve Buckwalter
Daido Engine Bearings Main Event Winner: Dale Blaney
MSD Performance Hard Charger Award: Brent Marks (+15)
Outback Steakhouse A-Main 5th Place Finisher: Brent Marks (6th)
Outback Steakhouse A-Main 10th Place Finisher: Doug Esh (13th)
Outback Steakhouse A-Main 15th Place Finisher: Cap Henry (16th)
(Lincoln Electric, Daido Engine Bearings, MSD Performance, Outback Steakhouse; Need decal to qualify for contingency award)

Qualifying
1.1Z-Lucas Wolfe, 17.092; 2.55-Mike Wagner, 17.194; 3.17B-Steve Buckwalter, 17.413; 4.13-Tim Shaffer, 17.433; 5.33-Curt Stroup, 17.444; 6.93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 17.533; 7.1-Dale Blaney, 17.559; 8.10H-Chad Kemenah, 17.560; 9.7W-Logan Wagner, 17.633; 10.M1-Mark Smith, 17.640; 11.5-Dylan Cisney, 17.663; 12.27-Greg Hodnett, 17.681; 13.23-TJ Stutts, 17.685; 14.25o-Aaron Ott, 17.700; 15.12-Blane Heimbach, 17.704; 16.20-Ryan Taylor, 17.707; 17.36D-Wayne Dadetto, 17.773; 18.21-Cap Henry, 17.789; 19.19m-Brent Marks, 17.816; 20.57X-Andrew Palker, 17.843; 21.11K-Kraig Kinser, 17.866; 22.94-Ryan Smith, 17.867; 23.40-Caleb Helms, 17.937; 24.60-Kory Crabtree, 18.022; 25.3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 18.093; 26.07-Doug Esh, 18.202; 27.19G-Cale Grubb, 18.286; 28.81-Lee Jacobs, 18.313; 29.71m-Dave Blaney, 18.341; 30.7C-Caleb Armstrong, 18.349; 31.8M-TJ Michael, 18.354; 32.47K-Kody Lehman, 18.357; 33.25-Tyler Bear, 18.434; 34.49H-Bradley Howard, 18.522; 35.91-Anthony Fiore, 18.736; 36.19-Joe Kubiniec, 18.777; 37.70-Danny Holtgraver, 20.435;

Heat 1, Group A - (8 Laps)

1. 10H-Chad Kemenah[2] ; 2. 55-Mike Wagner[4] ; 3. 7W-Logan Wagner[1] ; 4. 13-Tim Shaffer[3] ; 5. 12-Blane Heimbach[5] ; 6. 36D-Wayne Dadetto[6] ; 7. 60-Kory Crabtree[8] ; 8. 21-Cap Henry[7] ; 9. 47K-Kody Lehman[9] ; 10. 70-Danny Holtgraver[10]

Heat 2, Group B - (8 Laps)

1. 94-Ryan Smith[1] ; 2. 17B-Steve Buckwalter[4] ; 3. 57X-Andrew Palker[2] ; 4. 33-Curt Stroup[3] ; 5. 19G-Cale Grubb[6] ; 6. 7C-Caleb Armstrong[7] ; 7. 91-Anthony Fiore[9] ; 8. 40-Caleb Helms[5] ; 9. 49H-Bradley Howard[8]

Heat 3, Group C - (8 Laps)

1. 1-Dale Blaney[4] ; 2. 27-Greg Hodnett[2] ; 3. 20-Ryan Taylor[1] ; 4. M1-Mark Smith[3] ; 5. 8M-TJ Michael[8] ; 6. 71m-Dave Blaney[7] ; 7. 81-Lee Jacobs[6] ; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser[5] ; 9. 25-Tyler Bear[9]

Heat 4, Group D - (8 Laps)

1. 23-TJ Stutts[1] ; 2. 5-Dylan Cisney[2] ; 3. 1Z-Lucas Wolfe[4] ; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[3] ; 5. 25o-Aaron Ott[5] ; 6. 19m-Brent Marks[6] ; 7. 07-Doug Esh[8] ; 8. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[7] ; 9. 19-Joe Kubiniec[9]

Dash 1 - (6 Laps)

1. 17B-Steve Buckwalter[2] ; 2. 1-Dale Blaney[4] ; 3. 5-Dylan Cisney[1] ; 4. 10H-Chad Kemenah[6] ; 5. 27-Greg Hodnett[5] ; 6. 55-Mike Wagner[3] ; 7. 1Z-Lucas Wolfe[8] ; 8. 13-Tim Shaffer[7]

B-Main 1 - (12 Laps)

1. 19m-Brent Marks[3] ; 2. 07-Doug Esh[8] ; 3. 21-Cap Henry[2] ; 4. 71m-Dave Blaney[10] ; 5. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[7] ; 6. 60-Kory Crabtree[6] ; 7. 81-Lee Jacobs[9] ; 8. 11K-Kraig Kinser[4] ; 9. 70-Danny Holtgraver[17] ; 10. 40-Caleb Helms[5] ; 11. 7C-Caleb Armstrong[11] ; 12. 25-Tyler Bear[13] ; 13. 49H-Bradley Howard[14] ; 14. 47K-Kody Lehman[12] ; 15. 91-Anthony Fiore[15] ; 16. 19-Joe Kubiniec[16] ; 17. 36D-Wayne Dadetto[1]

A-Main 1 - (30 Laps)

1. 1-Dale Blaney[2] ; 2. 10H-Chad Kemenah[4] ; 3. 27-Greg Hodnett[5] ; 4. 71m-Dave Blaney[24] ; 5. 17B-Steve Buckwalter[1] ; 6. 19m-Brent Marks[21] ; 7. 94-Ryan Smith[10] ; 8. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild[16] ; 9. 8M-TJ Michael[19] ; 10. 12-Blane Heimbach[17] ; 11. 1Z-Lucas Wolfe[7] ; 12. 7W-Logan Wagner[11] ; 13. 07-Doug Esh[22] ; 14. M1-Mark Smith[15] ; 15. 33-Curt Stroup[14] ; 16. 21-Cap Henry[23] ; 17. 20-Ryan Taylor[13] ; 18. 81-Lee Jacobs[26] ; 19. 55-Mike Wagner[6] ; 20. 70-Danny Holtgraver[25] ; 21. 5-Dylan Cisney[3] ; 22. 25-Tyler Bear[27] ; 23. 19G-Cale Grubb[18] ; 24. 13-Tim Shaffer[8] ; 25. 23-TJ Stutts[9] ; 26. 57X-Andrew Palker[12] ; 27. 25o-Aaron Ott[20]
   Current Arctic Cat All Star Standings (4/23):
   1 Chad Kemenah 584
   2 Dale Blaney 578
   3 Sheldon Haudenschild 512
   4 Cap Henry 512
   5 Ryan Smith 512
   6 T.J. Michael 510
   7 Tim Shaffer 500
   8 Danny Holtgraver 482
   9 Lee Jacobs 472
   10 Caleb Helms 430
   11 Andrew Palker 418
   12 Brent Marks 402
   13 Caleb Armstrong 390
   14 Bradley Howard 366
   15 Kory Crabtree 362

Additional Series Info:
Those seeking additional information regarding the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions should visit their official online home at www.allstarsprint.com. Series updates and breaking news will be posted regularly on the official Twitter account of the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions: https://twitter.com/ASCoC. Find full text results from each and every event, as well as an up-to-date schedule, online at www.allstarsprint.com/schedule/.
About the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions:

All Star Enterprises, LLC, wholly owned by Tony Stewart, d/b/a the All Star Circuit of Champions, is a winged sprint car series. The All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series is one of the oldest traveling 410 sprint car organizations and is a staple of grassroots, open-wheel racing. Formed in 1970 by Bud Miller, the series has largely been considered the first 'outlaw' Sprint Car organization of the modern era. After a 10 year stint as owner of the All Stars, Miller passed control of the series to Bert Emick in 1980; a reign that would continue through 2002. Guy Webb then purchased the series from Emick in the summer of 2002 and served as the series President for the next 12 years. Motorsports entrepreneur Tony Stewart agreed to terms with Guy Webb to become the sole owner of the original winged sprint car tour in January of 2015.

About Arctic Cat:
The Arctic Cat brand is among the most widely recognized and respected in the recreational vehicle industry. The company designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), side-by-sides and snowmobiles, in addition to related parts, garments and accessories under the Arctic Cat® and Motorfist® brand names. Arctic Cat Inc.’s world headquarters is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “ACAT.” More information about Arctic Cat and its products is available at www.ArcticCat.com.
Contact: Tyler Altmeyer

(Photo: Dale Blaney at Port Royal Speedway - Paul Arch Photo Credit)

Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions

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