Although the offseason has officially commenced, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All-Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 officials have been hard at work preparing the 2021 series schedule, set to kick off officially with six nights of non-point competition stretched across Georgia and Florida in late January and early February. The series is owned by Tony Stewart.
The entire 2021 All Star Circuit of Champions schedule is nearing completion and will be unveiled this month.
Chasing a total winner’s share equaling $42,000, the traveling All Stars will launch their 2021 campaign with six starts in seven days spanning Jan. 29 through Feb. 4, igniting their annual southern invasion with a two-day pit stop at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Georgia, on Jan. 29-30. The two-day spectacle, featuring the All Stars at Screven for the first time since 2012, will be the richest two days of the southern swing awarding a total winner’s share equaling $18,000 — $8,000 on Jan. 29 and $10,000 on Jan. 30.
After a designated travel day on Jan. 31, the All Stars will resume their trek through the South with a visit to the Sunshine State, this time invading East Bay Raceway Park just south of Tampa, Florida, on Feb. 1-2. Right in the heart of their annual Winternationals schedule, the East Bay doubleheader will award back-to-back $6,000 top prizes.
A 2 1/2-hour jaunt northeast will lead the All Stars from Tampa to Barberville, where the Series will continue its Florida stretch with a two-day stint at Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 3-4. Continuing a longstanding tradition of All Star action opening the five-day sprint car segment of Volusia’s DIRTcar Nationals, the midweek appearance will award another pair of $6,000 top prizes.
East Bay and Volusia were each visited by the traveling All Stars in 2020 with now three-time Series champion Aaron Reutzel winning two of the four contested main events. The Clute, Texas, native scored his pair of $5,000 triumphs at Volusia on Feb. 6 and East Bay on Feb. 10. Brad Sweet, who is chasing a second consecutive World of Outlaws title in 2020, opened the 2020 All Star season with a victory at Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 5.
Kyle Larson, the leading All Star winner during the most recent season with 14 series victories, capped East Bay action in February with a win on Feb. 11.
For those who cannot make the journey to Florida for the seven-day, six-race All Star blitz, FloRacing, the official media partner and live broadcast provider of the All Star Circuit of Champions, has you covered.
Each and every event on the 2021 Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 schedule will be broadcast live exclusively at floracing.com. To access live and on-demand racing action from the All Star Circuit of Champions, visit floracing.com and become an annual PRO subscriber.
New owners at
Salem Speedway
Bill and Ashlee Kniesly have purchased Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery from longtime owners Owen and Beverly Thompson (Thompson Promotions). The Thompsons owned the property from 1995 to 2020 and served as the speedway’s longest ownership group since the track’s inception in 1947.
Bill is also the owner of Island Construction and Black Dog Events. Black Dog Events encompasses ownership of the 54-acre Salem Speedway property and West End Drags. Ashlee is a Purdue University graduate in mechanical engineering.
Nolen Racing
seeking new driver
Nolen Racing, one of the premier teams of the USAC Silver Crown series, is evaluating its options for the 2021 USAC Silver Crown series after its lead driver, Kody Swanson, informed team owner Greg Nolen of his decision to focus on asphalt Silver Crown and sprint car races and opportunities in other forms of racing next year with another team.
Swanson won the series’ driver championship driving for Nolen Racing in 2019 and finished second this year. The Whiteland-based team has finished in the top five in the USAC Silver Crown series for the past six years.
The USAC Silver Crown series is contested on both asphalt and dirt tracks. Nolen Racing has fielded cars in the USAC Silver Crown division for nearly 40 years under the direction of team founder Gene Nolen, who passed away on April 8. Greg Nolen, his son, continues to operate the team in homage to his father.
Nolen Racing won half of the USAC Silver Crown events in 2019, and Swanson earned the series’ driver championship, his fifth such title. He is the winningest driver in series history.
Swanson drove the famous yellow Nolen Racing No. 20 to second place in the driver championship this season in a year that was abbreviated due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rain. Only five of the original 12 events were held in the series’ 50th anniversary season, which saw an unprecedented 10 drivers eligible to win the championship going into the final race of the year. Swanson had one victory, recording his fifth consecutive win in the Joe James-Pat O’Connor Memorial at Salem Speedway in August, which is a record for that event. It was his 30th USAC Silver Crown victory, also a record.
With Swanson behind the wheel, the Nolen Racing team also earned the pole position and led every lap of the 40-lap sprint car feature in the 70th annual “Night Before the 500” show at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg in August. That track was also the site of the team and Swanson’s victory in the sprint car portion of the Indy Summer Nationals in June.
Two of Swanson’s three victories in the prestigious Pay Less Little 500 asphalt sprint car race at Anderson Speedway have come driving for Nolen Racing. In 2019, the team dominated that race so much it led an unprecedented 499 of the 500 laps with Swanson and Shane Hollingsworth driving in a two-car effort.
Both drove Nolen Racing mounts in that race this year, too. Hollingsworth finished second, his best finish ever in that race. Swanson won the pole, posted the fastest lap of the race, and was running second to Hollingsworth when he was forced to retire with engine difficulties.
“Shane is planning to run the Little 500 with us next year, too,” Nolen said. “We are planning to run two cars there next year also; we just don’t know who will be driving one of them. We know that Kody wants to concentrate on the asphalt Silver Crown races next year, and Doran Racing will provide a pathway for Kody to get to the next level in his racing career. The entire Nolen Racing team wishes him the best. I can’t thank him enough for winning the Little 500 and a Silver Crown championship for my dad. We’re happy for Kody. Doran Racing is a great team. Kevin (Doran) is getting an awesome driver and a great person; his whole family is great. We will always consider the Swansons as part of the Nolen Racing family.
“My family and I have really enjoyed the time we’ve raced with Gene, and his son Greg, who led the team this year in his honor,” Swanson said. “I’m thankful for everyone who has been part of the Nolen Racing team these past few years; they are all great people and graciously welcomed us into their racing family. I’m grateful for the time we’ve all spent together, for the friendships we’ve made, and for all of their effort.”
James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. Send comments to [email protected]
