By SHAWN MILLER

ASCS

TULSA, Okla. (June 22, 2009) - Electric City Speedway owner Dan Mann has his eyes set on one number - 44.

If that many sprint cars show up for one of the two ASCS Northwest vs. Rocky Mountain Region events at his track in Great Falls, Mont., on Friday and Saturday, it would break the state record for sprint cars at a race.

And it stands a good chance.

Hosted by the ASCS Northwest Region and the ASCS Rocky Mountain Region, the weekend also features ASCS CanWest Region and the Big Sky Sprint Tour for the showdown in Big Sky Country.

"We always hear about the hot dogs on the (West) Coast," said Jeremy McCune, the 2008 runner-up in the Rocky Mountain Region.

"And you know who's fast in the Rocky Mountain (Region) and you know who's fast in Canada. It'd be great to say we topped them all. Whoever does that feat, it's something pretty awesome."

It will be the first time in Electric City Speedway that the Northwest Region has competed at the 3/10th-mile clay track, which began hosting races in 1953.

"I would use the word 'racey,'" Mann said. "I don't know quite how to define it, except (drivers) enjoy the ride. Everybody's got a chance to win."

The current Northwest Region point's leader, Steven Tiner of Visalia, Calif., said he's excited for the challenge a new track and unfamiliar drivers present.

"It's always good to go somewhere new," said Tiner, who has never been to the Speedway. "I'm excited, definitely. It's a new challenge.

"Not necessarily (for) bragging rights. More so, it's fun to race against different drivers. It benefits them. It benefits you. It benefits everybody."

This will be the first time in Northwest Region history that it will share the track with a fellow sprint car tour, let alone two other ASCS regions and Montana's traveling squad.

"This is going to be one of the premier showdowns between some of the best sprint car drivers in the western half of the United States," Northwest Region Director Greg Burgess said. "It is an honor to get so many different tours together and at the same time, everybody wants someone from their region to earn those coveted bragging rights."

The Northwest Region has averaged more than 25 cars in the four events this season, won by four different drivers. Two separate racers claimed victories in the two Rocky Mountain Region events, which have averaged more than 25 cars per event. Three different drivers won a feature this season in the CanWest, which has averaged 13 drivers each race.

"When the Canadians come over and the Washington guys come over and the Oregon guys come over, and with the Montana guys, we always have a good time," said McCune, who lives in Billings, Mont. "Everybody wants to promote their series and be the big shot."

Tickets at the gate are $16 for adults and $6 for children ages 6-12. They are $14 and $5, respectively, when purchased in advance at the track between 4-6 p.m. every day this week.

Gates open at 4 p.m. with the racing schedule to begin at approximately 7 p.m. both nights.

Electric City Speedway is located in Great Falls, MT, 2.2 miles north of US 89 on US 87, then 50 feet west, then north. For more information, contact the track at 406-727-4884.

The ninth year of action for the American Sprint Car Series Rocky Mountain Region is slated to consist of 14 events at seven tracks throughout Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, New Mexico and South Dakota.

The second year of ASCS Northwest Regional competition consists of 18 nights of action at seven different tracks throughout Washington, Oregon and Montana.

The American Sprint Car Series, in its 18th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing events, brings the best of Sprint Car racing to nearly 100 different tracks throughout 25 states and Canada in 2009. Anchored by the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Dirt Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of a dozen different Regions throughout the nation.

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