Smoke, CBell & Rico To Race At Ohsweken For Two-Day Northern Summer Nationals This July

Story By: CLAYTON JOHNS / OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY – OHSWEKEN, ONT – Ohsweken Speedway is excited to announce NASCAR Champions Tony Stewart and Christopher Bell and Sprint Car Superstar Rico Abreu will race at the 3/8-mile Ohsweken clay oval July 22-23, 2019 as part of the rejuvenated Northern Summer Nationals.

The event will feature the three dirt racing aces in a pair of $5,000 USD-to-win and $400 USD-to-start 360 Sprint Car races on back-to-back nights. The event will carry marketing support from dedicated and loyal Ohsweken partners Bradshaw Brothers Fuels, Nitro 54 Variety, Burger Barn, Pinty’s Delicious Foods and Arrow Express. Race time each night is scheduled for 7:30pm.

Tickets for the Northern Summer Nationals will go on sale February 1st, 2019 online at https://ohswekenspeedway.ticketforce.com/, while previous Major Event Ticket Holders can log-in to their accounts and purchase tickets beginning January 25th, 2019

“We are extremely excited to have three huge stars in Tony Stewart, Christopher Bell and Rico Abreu coming to Ohsweken Speedway this July,” said Clinton Geoffrey, Ohsweken Speedway general manager. “We are thrilled we could deliver a show with two big NASCAR stars and arguably Sprint Car racing’s most popular driver to our dedicated fans for another big event in 2019.”

The event will mark the return of three-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart to Ohsweken Speedway for the first time since 2013. The current owner of the All-Star Circuit of Champions sprint car series and Eldora Speedway is known as much for his dirt track achievements as his NASCAR success. A three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, four-time USAC champion, two-time Chili Bowl champion and 1997 IndyCar champion, Stewart is one of the most versatile racecar drivers on the planet. The Columbus, Indiana native also has three career wins at Ohsweken, including his first career World of Outlaws win on July 27, 2011. He has also won once in 360 Sprint Car competition, which came on July 30, 2012. Stewart is looking forward to returning to the track where he captured his first checkered flag with the Outlaws.

“I’m very much looking forward to getting back to Canada this summer. Glenn, and his team always treat us so well,” said Stewart. “I won my first Outlaw race at Ohsweken back in 2011, I remember it vividly. It was the week before the Brickyard in Indy and my victory lane check was strategically placed in the window of my motorhome for everyone to see at IMS. There is always such a strong contingent of cars that come to Ohsweken for the Summer Nationals. I hope we can put on a show for the fans.”

Christopher Bell will make his first career appearance at Ohsweken Speedway at the 2019 Northern Summer Nationals. The two-time and reigning Chili Bowl Midget Nationals Champion was also the 2017 NASCAR Truck Series Champion and is one of dirt track racing’s brightest stars. Ohsweken’s multi-groove racing surface will fit Bell’s exciting style well.

“I’m super excited to race at Ohsweken. I’ve always followed the racing there and it’s an amazing venue,” said Bell, a 24-year-old native of Norman, Oklahoma who was also the 2013 USAC National Midget Champion at just 19 years old.

Bell has four career World of Outlaws wins to his credit, including his most recent triumph on October 14, 2018 at Eldora Speedway in a Tony Stewart Racing-prepared car.

St. Helena, California driver Rico Abreu will also be making his first career appearance at Ohsweken. The ultra-popular driver has become a household name in Sprint Car racing over the past few seasons. Abreu’s No.24 Sprint Car has become an iconic threat to win on the national 410 Sprint Car scene in recent years as proven by his eight career World of Outlaws wins to date. Abreu is also a decorated Midget driver who won the 2016 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals Championship with the Keith Kunz Motorsports stable. The 26-year-old, who lists Eldora Speedway as is favourite track, is excited to make his debut on Ohsweken’s high-banks.

“I was scheduled to come race at Ohsweken in 2017 before some extreme circumstances forced us to cancel at the 11th hour”, said Abreu. “I’m glad our schedule allowed us to come this year. I have never raced my Sprint Car in Canada. I get to race the Kings Royal at Eldora and then drive right to Ohsweken from there. What a week of racing! I can’t wait. Thanks to Glenn for inviting me back.”

The 2019 Northern Summer Nationals will also have connection to the 15th edition of the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals next September. The winners of the two-night Northern Summer Nationals will be guaranteed starters for the 35-lap Saturday main event.

The Northern Summer Nationals will also feature several support divisions over the two nights, including an Open Late Model showdown, the Race of Champions Sportsman tour, UMP/Canadian Modified Challenge, the Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars, the Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stocks and the HRW Automotive Mini Stocks. Each division will compete on only one of the two nights, with the exact dates and schedules to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

The complete 2019 Ohsweken Speedway Friday Night Excitement schedule will be released in the coming weeks, including details on the track’s 24th season opener and the 15th annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals.