TULSA, Okla. (June 23, 2010) – With the initial handful of events logged into the record books, the battle for the 2010 Lucas Oil Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless championship couldn’t be much closer.

And with Robert Ballou just four points ahead of Travis Rilat in the title chase with Brady Bacon and Casey Shuman both within striking distance as well, the stage is set for the annual slate of TNT events in August.

WHEATLAND, Mo. (June 19, 2010) – California native Robert Ballou completed a sweep of the weekend’s Lucas Oil Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless racing action by charging to victory lane in Saturday night’s 30-lap feature event at Lucas Oil Speedway.

But, after a convincing Friday night romp at Creek County Speedway, Ballou had his hands full throughout Saturday night’s main event with the persistent challenges of Brady Bacon atop the “Diamond of Dirt Tracks” clay oval.

The 21-year-old was up to the challenge though, taking over the Sprint Bandits TNT points lead with his third series win of the year aboard Dallas Mulvaney’s Don Ott-powered MPHG Promotions No. 81 Triple-X.

SAPULPA, Okla. (June 18, 2010) – Robert Ballou bagged his eighth career Lucas Oil Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless feature victory in convincing fashion by racing to victory lane in Friday night’s 30-lap main event at Creek County Speedway.

The Rocklin, CA, native battled past early pacesetter Gary Taylor by the eighth round and checked out over the final 20 circuits to secure his second TNT win of the year aboard Dallas Mulvaney’s MPHG Promotions No. 81 in the feature event that was interrupted just once.

“We’ve been chasing it lately it seems like, kinda struggling, so we really needed this one,” Ballou commented in victory lane.

Covering all terrain both ASCS and Sprint Bandits, TTT commences right about now…

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (May 8, 2010) – Tim Crawley may have been spotting his top rivals 50 cubic inches in Saturday night’s Lucas Oil Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless event at I-30 Speedway, but that didn’t prevent him from racing to victory lane in the 30-lap main event atop the high-banked, ¼-mile clay oval.

Pitting Mike Ward’s 360-ci McCarver powerplant up against some of the top wingless, 410-ci competitors in the country, Crawley swept through the night’s action by wiring the feature field after earlier heat race and qualifying race wins to earn the pole position.

Crawley collected $3,500 for his first TNT triumph aboard Mike Ward’s Boater Sports/Southern Renovations No. 88 Maxim, including a $500 bonus as the night’s top finishing 360-ci entry.

MESQUITE, Texas (May 7, 2010) – Travis Rilat didn’t have to travel too far for his first career Lucas Oil Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless feature win, as he topped the first wingless, 410-ci Sprint Car feature contested atop the storied ½-mile Devil’s Bowl Speedway clay oval in nearly 22 years on Friday night.

Just 15 minutes away from his Forney, TX, home, Rilat led all 30 laps to take the $3,000 triumph in the www.ShopTheBoss.com No. 50off entry, the first wingless triumph for the past ASCS National Champion since an Ultimate Challenge victory in 2002.

It didn’t come without a stiff challenge however, as reigning Sprint Bandits TNT champion Brady Bacon pressured for the lead throughout, even surging ahead down the backstretch at one point in the final circuits.

Dig in…

BAYTOWN, Texas (May 1, 2010) – Race fans in the Lone Star State hadn’t been exposed to the thrills of traditional Sprint Cars in over two decades.

They won’t forget what they witnessed in the return of 410-ci wingless Sprint Cars to Texas any time soon, as Robert Ballou edged Jesse Hockett and Brady Bacon in a thrilling three-wide charge to the checkered flag in Saturday night’s season-opening 30-lap Lucas Oil Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless main event at Houston Raceway Park after Friday’s scheduled opener at Beaumont was rained out.

Ballou’s seventh career Sprint Bandits TNT triumph aboard Dallas Mulvaney’s MPHG Promotions No. 81 Triple-X seemed a longshot at best after getting upside down in a wild heat race incident.

The series will now open the season on Saturday night at Baytown’s Houston Raceway Park before moving on to the Devil’s Bowl Speedway next Friday night, May 7, and then Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway on Saturday night, May 8, for the TNT Front Row Challenge.

And when wingless, 410-ci Sprint Cars hit the high-banked, ¼-mile I-30 Speedway clay oval in Little Rock, AR, on Saturday night, May 8, for the first time in over a quarter of a century, some extra dollars will be up for grabs in the form of the TNT Front Row Challenge.

I-30 Speedway promoter Tracey Clay has offered to double the winner’s share from $3,000 to $6,000 for the driver that is up to the challenge of racing from the tail of the field to Sprint Bandits TNT glory.

That’s fixin’ to change though, as folks around those parts are prone to say, as the Lucas Oil Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless series brings traditional Sprint Car racing back to Texas and Arkansas in the next couple of weeks.

A pair of tracks will be hosting wingless, 410-ci Sprint Cars for the first time ever, while another pair of famed dirt tracks welcome back the topless form of Sprint Cars for the first time since olden days of the 1980’s.

TULSA, Okla. (February 2, 2010) – For the sixth consecutive year, the Lucas Oil Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless series will once again offer up some of the nation’s premier wingless Sprint Car racing action.

And, this year’s edition of TNT will include a bit more than the annual August swing through the heartland, with another half dozen events on the series’ 2010 slate.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (August 22, 2009) – Broken Arrow, Oklahoma's Brady Bacon cashed in on a big Saturday night at Lakeside Speedway by topping the $10,000-to-win Ron Shuman Classic and putting the clamps on the Fifth Annual Sprint Bandits Tour 'N Topless championship in the process.

The 19-year-old emerged unscathed from a calamitous 30-lap affair atop the fast ½-mile clay oval, prevailing in a torrid duel with the unheralded Hud Cone to snare his third win in the week's four completed events and taking the coveted Pedal Car trophy that goes along with winning the prestigious Lakeside Speedway event.

Bacon ultimately took the checkered flag in front of two-time event winner Jesse Hockett and Casey Shuman, putting the caps on a feature that included seven flips.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (August 21, 2009) – Darren Hagen notched his first career Sprint Bandits Tour 'n Topless feature win in convincing fashion by racing to victory lane in Friday night's 25-lap preliminary feature atop Lakeside Speedway's ½-mile clay oval.

The Riverside, CA, native blasted around early leader Jesse Hockett on the high side just after a lap four restart and proceeded to check out on the field, ultimately taking the checkered flag with a full half-lap advantage aboard the Bell's Custom Conversions No. 12 Maxim.

Josh Wise claimed runner-up honors for the third time in a row, with Casey Shuman, Bryan Clauson and Brady Bacon rounding out the top five.

Efforts were made to salvage the event, but the pit area and track surface proved much too soggy to get the event in tonight.

The Fifth Annual edition of Sprint Bandits TNT moves on to Kansas City’s Lakeside Speedway on Friday and Saturday, with Saturday night’s Ron Shuman Classic winner collecting a $10,000 winner’s share.

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon holds an eight-point advantage over Riverside, California’s Josh Wise entering the Lakeside double after winning both of the opening two legs of TNT action.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (August 19, 2009) – Brady Bacon picked off his second Sprint Bandits Tour 'N Topless feature win in as many nights of action this week by racing to victory lane in Wednesday night's 30-lap feature atop the 3/8-mile State Fair Speedway clay oval.

Bacon used the top side of the track to charge past race-long leader Josh Wise on the 17th circuit en route to not only his second win of the week, but also his second consecutive TNT score atop the historic Oklahoma City Fairgrounds oval after capturing his first career 410-ci wingless win on the same track last year.

Bacon took the checkered flag in front of Wise, Robert Ballou, R.J. Johnson and Dave Darland.

The 2009 Sprint Bandits TNT will pick up a $3,000 certificate good towards the purchase of a shock dyno, the points runner-up will receive a similar certificate worth $2,000 and the third-place finisher will be presented with a $1,000 certificate.

The Maxwell Industries bonus, announced at Monday night's I-80 Speedway event, will be on top the $1,000 per event points fund that will be distributed among the top five in the week's final points.

But, by the time the opening round of this year's Sprint Bandits Tour 'N Topless competition was completed, the 19-year-old Broken Arrow, OK, bandit had rebounded in strong fashion to take the $4,000 winner's share in the Fifth Annual TNT Husker Nationals.

Working forward from the 14th starting position, Bacon became the race's fourth and final leader when he wrestled the point away from California native Josh Wise on the 20th round en route to his fourth career Sprint Bandits TNT triumph.

With Sunday's rain out, the 2009 edition of Sprint Bandits TNT will kick off with Monday's Husker Nationals at Nebraska Raceway Park's I-80 Speedway before moving on to Oklahoma for a pair of events, including a stop at Oklahoma City's State Fair Speedway on Wednesday night followed up by a Thursday card at Creek County Speedway near Tulsa.

The week will conclude with Lakeside Speedway's annual $10,000-to-win tilt on Friday and Saturday in Kansas City, KS.