By LONNIE WHEATLEY

ASCS

TULSA, Okla. (February 9, 2010) - The first of approximately 200 scheduled nights of American Sprint Car Series competition for 2010 is just around the corner, as the ASCS Rebel Region lifts the lid on another year of thrills with four nights of Florida action.

The ASCS Rebels tackle Clewiston, Florida's Hendry County Motorsports Park for the first time on Saturday night, February 20, before moving on to Tampa's East Bay Raceway Park for the 34th Annual Winter Nationals on February 25-27.

Following a Friday night, February 19, practice session at Hendry County, the ASCS Rebel Region kicks off the 2010 season the following night with the ASCS debut atop the semi-banked, 1/3-mile Hendry County Motorsports Park dirt oval.

Then, with opening night in the books, three full nights of ASCS Rebel Region competition atop Tampa's semi-banked, 1/3-mile East Bay Raceway Park clay oval follow on Thursday through Saturday, February 25-27, culminating with Saturday's $10,000-to-win Ninth Annual Ronald Laney Memorial.

While the ASCS Rebels will sling the Hendry County clay for the first time, Missouri's Jesse Hockett reigns as the defending champion of East Bay's "King of the 360's" portion of the Winter Nationals, joining a prestigious list of past winners that includes Gary Wright (1999 and 2007), Jason Johnson (2008), Terry McCarl (2006), Chad Kemenah (2005), Sport Allen (2003), Jason Sides (2002), Jeff Shepard (2001) and Ronald Laney (2000).

"The Texan" Gary Wright, who recently became a grandfather to twin baby girls, ranks as the only driver to top the East Bay event on a pair of occasions with wins in the inaugural version of 1999 and then again in 2007, with the 2004 edition of the event falling victim to Mother Nature.

After last year's East Bay opening night was rained out, Sarasota, Florida's Danny Martin, Jr., topped the Friday night preliminary before chasing Hockett, Jason Sides and Gene Lasker to the stripe in the Saturday night finale.

That strong opening weekend performance launched a championship drive by "The Hammer", as Martin, Jr., went on to become the third ASCS Rebel Region champion in as many years, outdistancing Jacksonville, Florida's Matt Kurtz for the crown by 68 markers.

Hendry County Motorsports Park racing action goes green at 7:00 p.m., with each night of East Bay Raceway Park competition firing off at approximately 7:15 p.m.

Hendry County Motorsports Park is located west of Clewiston, FL, on SR 80, then 0.8 miles north on US 27, then 0.5 miles west. For more information, contact the track at 863-983-3478.

Tampa's East Bay Raceway Park is located off I-75 Exit 250, then two miles west, then 1.2 miles north on US 41, then right 1.3 miles on Old US 41 to Burts Road. For more information, contact the track at 813-677-7223.

In its 19th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of eleven different Regional Tours throughout the nation.

Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.