National Sprint Tour
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The National Sprint Tour was formed in 2005 as a sprint car racing league that rivals the World of Outlaws. The series was started by Brownfield Promotions, Inc. of Snohomish, Washington. The series featured 410 winged sprint cars. After the death of Fred Brownfield, the series was bought by Don Lamberti and Lonnie Parsons (#6 Casey's General Store), Guy Stockbridge (#14 Elite Racing), and Steve Kinser (#11 Quaker State).
Notable former drivers in the NST included 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser (Steve Kinser Racing), Danny Lasoski (Roth Motorsports), and Tim Kaeding (Steve Kinser Racing). Danny Lasoski won the inaugural NST championship.
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[edit] Development of the NST
In 2003, changes in sprint car racing began when Boundless Motorsports, a Texas-based organization, had purchased the leading organization of dirt-track modifieds, Drivers Independent Race Tracks ("DIRT"), from Glenn Donnelly. Boundless stated their goal was to consolidate dirt track racing of all classes to provide consistent rule and equipment standards and to create a national platform for this popular grass roots sport.
In August 2003, Ted Johnson announced the sale of the World of Outlaws to Boundless. After the sale, Boundless (now known as DIRT Motorsports) completed a series of acquisitons of race tracks and added late model racing under the WoO name and big block modified racing, and began signing teams to a new concept where a set number of teams would appear at every race, earning special bonuses (the "Mean 15" for the Sprint Car Series). In September 2006, under new management DIRT announced that it was moving its headquarters to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2007.
Some drivers were angered by WoO's contract with The Outdoor Channel television contract being unfriendly to some contestants given the limited exposure provided by the Outdoor Channel. Noted driver Danny Lasoski mentioned the lack of media coverage since MTV's mistreatment of the World of Outlaws (see American Speed Association).
In late 2005, the Richard Petty Driving Experience attempted to organize a rival tour to the Outlaws, and gained support from Tony Stewart. While this effort failed, Brownfield Promotions, a Northwest-based track owner and sanctioning body of lower-level sprint cars in that region, assumed control and contracts of the stillborn Petty tour, renamed it the National Sprint Tour, and began its 2006 season.
[edit] Future
Tragically, Fred Brownfield was killed in June 2006, and with the series future in question, its assets were sold in early July to three team owners in order to finish the 2006 season-- Don Lamberti and Lonnie Parsons (#6 Casey's General Store), Guy Stockbridge (#14 Elite Racing), and Steve Kinser (#11 Quaker State) for $250,000. Since Brownfield had only 2 months to put together a 2006 schedule, the schedule had only 45 dates.
There was intense speculation in October 2006 about the future of the series. The NST has not announced a racing schedule for 2007 as most of the prominent industry promoters will be sanctioning the World of Outlaws. The NST also has not announced a 2007 television media package. Rumors have circulated the internet that that the NST (as a national tour) will be folded back into the World of Outlaws as Speed Channel and ESPN2 will be nationally broadcasting the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in 2007. Other reports are to the contrary, such as www.sprintcardaily.com's October 19, 2006 interview with series director John Deckard. Deckard stated that the National Sprint Tour will be back in business in 2007 for its second season despite not having a television deal in place and a schedule announced. With the November 2006 public announcement that both Danny Lasoski and Steve Kinser will be racing full time with the World of Outlaw beginning with the 2007 season, the NST as a national touring season is now reportedly defunct. [1]
[edit] Champion
- 2006 Danny Lasoski
