Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla.  (July 2, 2007) – The American Sprint Car Series Northern Plains Region kicks off a busy month of July by taking to North Central Speedway in Brainerd, MN, for the Kouba Memorial this Saturday night.
 
Saturday's events atop the slightly-banked, 3/8-mile North Central Speedway dirt oval marks the first of seven scheduled events during the month of July for the ASCS Northern Plains Region.
 
After capturing the inaugural ASCS Northern Plains Region championship in commanding fashion last year, Chuck Swenson of Watertown, SD, is once again out to the early lead.
 
But as this critical month of action kicks off, Swenson's lead sits at a narrow six points over 19-year-old Lee Grosz of Harwood, ND.  Jody Rosenboom of Rock Rapids, IA, is just another eight points back in third, with Eric Lutz of Sioux Falls, SD, and Dave Glennon of Casselton, ND, rounding out the current top five.
 
Last year, three different drivers enjoyed ASCS Northern Plains victory lane at North Central Speedway, with Swenson winning the Kouba Memorial and then Dustin Lindquist and Curt Lund splitting Mighty Axe Nationals honors over Labor Day Weekend.
 
The ASCS Northern Plains Region was in action at North Central Speedway as recently as June 20, when Wayne Johnson topped the Minnesota leg of the First Annual ASCS Northern Plains Speedweek.
 
Saturday's Kouba Memorial at North Central Speedway goes green at 6:45 p.m.
 
North Central Speedway is located six miles south of Brainerd, MN, on SR 371, then 0.5 miles north on BR 371.  For more information, contact the track at 218-828-1545 or 218-330-9097.
 
The ASCS Northern Plains Region 2007 slate consists of 22 events at eleven different tracks throughout Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin.
 
The 2007 season marks the 16th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series. With a dozen different Regions in addition to the O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series, ASCS will sanction approximately 240 nights of racing at more than 100 different race tracks throughout at least 30 different states and Canada.

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