Lake Odessa, MI (Thursday, May 23, 2019) –  A full weekend of racing is on tap for the American Ethanol Late Model Tour (AELMT) as part of Memorial Day Weekend.  The Tour will battle at three different tracks on three different days, competing for $12,000 in combined first place prize money.

Lake Odessa’s, I-96 Speedway will be the first to welcome in the AELMT, on Friday, May 24th for the YellowHose.com 40.  This will mark the first time Tour drivers will see I-96 in 2019, as the April 19th scheduled Ice Breaker was postponed due to weather.  A number of drivers are looking forward to returning to the wide and fast clay mile oval, including current AELMT points leader, Brandon Thirlby; he picked up his one and only win last season, at I-96, en route to his first AELMT Championship.  He’ll have to hold off Travis Stemler, who is coming off his first career AELMT victory, winning the American Ethanol Showdown, Sunday at Gas City I-69 Speedway. Stemler sits in second spot in the Championship Standings, just 24 points off of Thirlby, heading into the weekend.  I-96 Speedway gates open at 4:00 p.m., with racing action beginning at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, another pair of Championship contenders look to get back into YellowHose.com Victory Lane during the Allstar Performance 40 at Thunderbird Raceway – Eric Spangler and Rich Bell.  Every AELMT event from the Muskegon, Michigan Raceway has been won by either Spangler or Bell, dating back to July of 2016. Bell picked up the first ever AELMT win from Thunderbird, an event in which Spangler set fast time.  Spangler has proved to be untouchable at Thunderbird, winning the last two Allstar Performance 40 events, and setting fast time in 2017. Just eight points separate Spangler (3rd) and Bell (5th) in the 2019 point standings, with Logan Arntz thrown in the middle.  Pit gates open at 3:00 p.m., Grandstands at 4:30 p.m., and the American Ethanol Green Flag waves at 6:30 p.m.

Then on Sunday, Spangler will look to do battle among a host of other Merritt Speedway regulars in hopes of walking away with a $4,000 pay day at the end of the CHS 40.  Over the past two years, Spangler has went 3-4 from Merritt Speedway, finishing runner up to eventual Tour Champion Dona Marcoullier in 2017. He’ll have company though, as other Tour regulars Bell and Thirlby have posted strong finishes from Merritt in the past, and heavy hitters including David Mielke and Mike Luberda are likely to put up a fight.  The American Ethanol Green Flag waves at Merritt Speedway at 7:00 p.m.

Keep up with the AELMT all weekend long, by following them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!  Plus, find results, statistics, and more, online at aelmt.com.

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Zach Hiser

Motor City Racing Promotions
Media Director