O'Reilly SUPR Sprints head to Baton Rouge

O'Reilly SUPR Sprints head to Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge, Louisiana (May 12, 2004) – The O’Reilly SUPR Sprint Car Series returns to Baton Rouge this Saturday night and leading the charge will be defending Champion Michael Herrington, Jr. Herrington enters Baton Rouge with huge momentum having claimed the last two SUPR features the most recent win occurring this past Saturday night at Thunder Valley Speedway. Herrington chased down current O’Reilly SUPR Sprint Car point leader Harold Henderson, Jr. with 7 laps to go in the feature to take the win, his second win in three races.

And while Herrington may be leading the charge Baton Rouge Raceway has once again posted an increased purse for the Sprint Cars. Saturday night’s race will pay $1,500 to win and if 30 cars or more chow up, the purse will increase to $2,000 to win.

Herrington will make the short haul from Prairieville with an eye on closing the gap in the battle for the 2004 O’Reilly SUPR Sprint Car Champion. Herrington is currently in fifth place despite two wins as he was an early dropout at the season opener at Baton Rouge when tangled with another car that slowed in front of him as they raced into turn one.

Since that early misfortune, Herrington has been unstoppable in his American Flag bedecked sprinter. Herrington topped the competition at Simpson County Motor Speedway on April 16^th with a fourth to first run and he backed it up with a win on the series’ first visit to Thunder Valley Speedway in Glenmora , Louisiana .

Despite the current strong showing by Herrington, he may have his hands full defending his title as he is competing against a strong group of drivers in 2004. Harold Henderson, Jr. from Amite , Louisiana currently leads the point standings on the basis of a win at Baton Rouge , a third place finish at Simpson County and a runner-up finish at Thunder Valley . Henderson , like Herrington is a former Cajun Sprint Car champion and his has return to his winning ways on the O’Reilly Auto Parts backed SUPR Sprint Car tour with three career victories. Henderson leads 2002 Champion Butch David of Geismar, Louisiana by just six points.

David, 2002 O’Reilly SUPR Sprint Car Champion, appears to be back in championship form in 2004 with two runner-ups and a third place finish during the first three races of the season. David won the 2002 title but has not visited victory lane since and he’ll be looking to put an end to that streak this weekend.

Another competitor to watch for is the rising star from Gulfport , Mississippi Shane Morgan. Morgan claimed his first O’Reilly SUPR Sprint Car victory last season and has recorded top five finishes in each race this season. Terry Vidrine is another driver who visited SUPR victory lane for the first time last season and he’ll be looking to do the same at his home track this weekend. Vidrine, from Slaughter, Louisiana has recorded a pair of fourth place finishes and a sixth place despite flipping his racer at a warm-up race at Baton Rouge Raceway to start off the season.

Michael Dupuy, the young racer from Amite , Louisiana who made a mark on the national scene two years ago before returning closer to home is expected to be at the wheel of Bobby Ingram’s sprinter this weekend. Dupuy started late but still recorded four victories last season.

Add to this a strong field of Rookie of the Year candidates led by Cassidy Lejeune from Abbeville , Louisiana and Chris Buhler from Zachary , Louisiana . Lejeune got his starts in micro-sprints and has run on and off with the SUPR Sprinters in the first two years while Buhler is a true sprint car rookie competing with SUPR for the first time this season. Richard Holt from McCloud , Texas and Jerry Aguillard from Youngsville , Louisiana are also in the rookie hunt.

The O’Reilly SUPR Sprints will be joined by a full complement of local racing action from UMP Open Wheel Modifieds to Super Stocks, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, Cruisers, Yard Karts for the kids and Late Models. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. and racing starts at 7:00 p.m. For further information contact the Baton Rouge Raceway offices at 225-275-5040. Baton Rouge Raceway is located north of Baton Rouge – take I-110 to exit 6, then 1 mile east on SR 408, then 6 miles north on SR 67 (Plank Road).

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