4/6/2013
2013 TSCS Season Outlook
Bradwell and Caho Seek Second Championship Titles in 2013
As the third season approaches for the UMSS Traditional Sprint Car Series (TSCS), 2011 series champion Kevin Bradwell and 2012 series champion Rob Caho, Jr. will be looking for their second piece of championship hardware in 2013. Bradwell, who has raced in all 36 TSCS non-winged sprint car events in the first two seasons, has 9 wins and 28 top 3 finishes. Caho, the defending series champion by one point over Bradwell last season, also has 9 wins and 24 top 3 finishes in 27 TSCS shows.
In 2013, the leading feature winner in the first two seasons of TSCS racing action, Johnny Parsons III, will be looking for his first championship title. Parsons has 11 victories and 23 top 3 finishes in 28 races. A host of other strong competitors will be looking to give Bradwell, Caho and Parsons a run for the championship, as the division is expected to nearly double the number of available cars. Last year there were 14 different cars that competed in the TSCS division and 20 drivers who earned points. This year the number of cars is expected to be in the 25-30 range based on the number of cars being constructed during the off-season. Several new drivers will make their debut in the non-winged sprints while some winged sprint car drivers will also try their hand at the wheel of a Traditional sprint.
2011 champion Kevin Bradwell commented on his outlook for 2013. "I fully expect the level of competition to increase again, as it's getting tougher and tougher each year with this deal growing and expanding. I'm looking forward to getting back to the #1 spot at the end of the season. It was a great battle last year between Caho and myself coming right down to the final laps on the final night of the season, but I ended up one point short. This year I would like to have it locked up coming into that final race, but with the way this series has been and likely will continue to be, that will be a difficult task to say the least." Not only will drivers like Jeff Pellersels, Jack Clark, Denny Stordahl, Lucas Milz, Ryan Olson and Katrina Sautbine be returning for another season, but expected newcomers like Jimmy Kouba, Rick Kobs, Jason Schill, Cam Schafer, Jared Goerges, Joseph Kouba and several others will try and make their presence known in a TSCS non-winged sprint car.
The current schedule calls for 26 full point shows with one additional event possible pending confirmation from the track. In addition to 19 shows at their home track, St. Croix Valley Raceway, the TSCS sprints will travel to Elko Speedway, Rice Lake Speedway, North Central Speedway, Hibbing Raceway, Proctor Speedway, Granite City Speedway and Cedar Lake Speedway in 2013. The May 10 Elko show provides the TSCS drivers with a great chance to race in front of a large crowd, as the non-winged sprints will be the support division for the World of Outlaws that night. On 12 different occasions in 2013, the TSCS non-winged sprints will be on the same program with winged sprint cars from either the UMSS, IRA or WoO. The TSCS sprints will also race at both Bullring Blast events at the St. Croix Valley Raceway which also feature the popular WISSOTA late models and modifieds.
In 2013, drivers competing for the TSCS point championship will be allowed to throw out their two lowest point scores. The two lowest scores could be zero (0) points if a driver misses one or two races. The exact same point structure that the UMSS winged sprints have used since their inception in 2009 will also be in place for the TSCS sprints in 2013. Championship points are earned in the feature race only based on the following breakdown: 250, 240, 235, 232 and dropping in three point increments after that. Cars failing to start the A Main earn 150 show points if they attempted to race. "With the increased number of competitors in this class, we needed to bring the point structure in line with the winged division," stated UMSS Media Director Greg Parent. "The one point per car method worked real well for the first two seasons, but now the traditional sprint car count numbers should be higher and a more uniform structure needs to be in place," continued Parent.
Will Bradwell or Caho add a second title, or will JP III put his name on the John Stevenson Memorial Travelling Trophy for the UMSS Traditional Sprint Car Series for the first time? Those top drivers plus a host of others will compete throughout the season in the exciting and competitive world of non-winged sprint car racing here in UMSS Country. Stay up-to-date on all of the exciting UMSS sprint car racing action by checking the UMSS website at www.umsprints.com or by becoming a friend of the UMSS on Facebook. Let's hope we can go racing soon!
Article Credit: Greg Parent, UMSS Media Director
