SPRINGFIELD, IL – Jan. 20, 2007 – A new era began for United Midwestern Promoters on Saturday.
Continuing the circuit’s rise in North American short-track racing circles while maintaining its treasured history, UMP officials unveiled a fresh, stylish logo and announced an updated, all-encompassing title – ‘UMP DIRTcar Racing’ – for the popular weekly racing series.
The news was formally released during Saturday night’s 23rd annual UMP Awards Banquet inside the Grand Ballroom of the Springfield Hilton, where the top UMP drivers from the 2006 season shared over a half-million dollars in points-fund awards in front of a sold-out crowd.
“Over the years we have made a few changes to the logo here and there, but really felt like it was time to update our look,” said Sam Driggers, Director of UMP DIRTcar Racing. “We hope that the new logo and the addition of ‘DIRTcar Racing’ will help us grow interest in our sport in general and give our promoters something they can really use in their advertising.”
“We feel the time is right to invest in the UMP circuit’s image and accentuate the fact that we are all about dirt track racing,” said Ben Geisler, Executive Vice President of Operations. “The thrilling grassroots dirt-track racing that UMP has always been known for remains, and we’re striving to package more under the ‘UMP DIRTcar Racing’ banner so fans across the country and in Canada will always know where to find the best weekly competition.”
In 2007, ‘UMP DIRTcar Racing’ will be headlined by the Late Model and open-wheel Modified classes. The divisional sanction lineup will also include Sportsman, Limited Modifieds, Street Stocks, Factory Stocks and Four-Cylinders.
The organization’s premier traveling series for Late Models will also reflect the new name. From June 14 to July 14, the grueling UMP DIRTcar Summernationals will run 29 events in 31 nights.
The United Midwestern Promoters circuit was founded in 1984 by the late Bob Memmer, whose goal was to provide an arena for dirt track racing’s many Weekend Warriors to shine.
“When Bob Memmer started UMP, I don’t think he could have ever imagined how widespread it would become,” said Driggers, who worked under Memmer for a decade. “The new logo and addition of ‘DIRTcar Racing’ will give our tracks in other areas of the country something to work with and help us expand the UMP footprint more aggressively.
“This is a very exciting time for everyone involved with UMP DIRTcar Racing, and I can’t wait to share some of the other tricks we have up our sleeve for 2007.”
“As the caretakers of what Bob Memmer started,” said Geisler, “all of us are dedicated to continuing his legacy. Everyone can be assured that ‘UMP DIRTcar Racing’ and grassroots racing will always be the foundation of what we are building.”
Nearly 100 speedways will carry ‘UMP DIRTcar Racing’ sanctioning in 2007.
For more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing, visit www.umpracing.com.
