This year''s Sprint Bandits TNT swing will once again consist of six nights of competition at five different tracks from August 16 to August 22, with the series in action throughout Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas.

This year''s edition of TNT will open at a new venue before wrapping up with Lakeside Speedway''s popular $10,000-to-win Ron Shuman Classic on Saturday, August 22.

Set to host the Sprint Bandits Tour ''N Topless series for the first time is Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, IA, which will be the site of this year''s TNT opener on Sunday night, August 16.

The following night, it''s on to Nebraska Raceway Park''s I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, NE, for the annual Husker Nationals on Monday, August 17. Dave Darland has topped the past two editions of I-80 Speedway''s Husker Nationals, with other past winners including Robert Ballou (2006) and Levi Jones (2005).

With Tuesday''s action yet to be determined, TNT re-ignites on Wednesday night, August 19, at Oklahoma City''s State Fair Speedway. In 2008, Brady Bacon captured his first career feature win in wingless 410-ci Sprint Car competition before his home state crowd at State Fair Speedway, with Levi Jones also a TNT winner in Oklahoma City in 2005.

The series then moves up the Turner Turnpike to Sapulpa, Oklahoma''s Creek County Speedway near Tulsa. Brady Bacon outdueled Robert Ballou for top TNT honors at the ¼-mile bullring in 2008, denying Ballou a second consecutive TNT score at Creek County after a 2007 triumph.

The Fifth Annual Sprint Bandits TNT Midwest Swing concludes with one of the nation''s premier non-wing event with Lakeside Speedway''s $10,000-to-win Ron Shuman Classic on Friday and Saturday, August 21-22. Ballou has topped the last two editions of the Ron Shuman Classic, with other past winners including Brad Sweet (2006), Bud Kaeding (2005 and 2002), Jesse Hockett (2004 and 2003), Troy Rutherford (2001) and Tony Elliott (2000).

While the Lakeside finale offers up a $10,000 winner''s share, the events at Rapid Speedway, I-80 Speedway, State Fair Speedway and Creek County Speedway each include a $4,000 winner''s cut.

Dave Darland is the reigning Sprint Bandits TNT champion, with other past Sprint Bandits TNT Midwest Swing champions including Robert Ballou and Tim Kaeding (2007 co-champions), Jesse Hockett (2006) and Levi Jones (2005).

2009 Sprint Bandits TNT Schedule:

August 16 – Rapid Speedway (Rock Rapids, IA)

August 17 – I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

August 18 – TBD

August 19 – State Fair Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK)

August 20 – Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa, OK)

August 21 – Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, KS)

August 22 – Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, KS) - $10,000 to win

Additional information regarding the Sprint Bandits Tour ''N Topless series is available at www.sprintbandits.com.

Well over $100,000 will be distributed to the nation's top wingless shoes over the course of the week, with a $10,000 point fund doled out to the week's top point earners.

A number of drivers have announced intentions to take in all or part of this year's O'Reilly Sprint Bandits TNT Midwest Swing.

Following is a partial list of some of the drivers expected to be in action over the next week. The list is not all-inclusive and is subject to change.

2b Dave Darland (Lincoln, IN) – A TNT winner last year at I-80 Speedway, Darland tends to step up his game in the money races, as evidenced by a $30,000 score on Tuesday night. Dave has yet to vanquish Lakeside foes though.

5* Gary Taylor (Snohomish, WA) – A nomadic sort now residing in Sapulpa, OK, after several years in Colorado tries to add a TNT title to past championship hardware earned in Sprint Cars (ASCS Rocky Mountain Region) and Midgets (RMMRA). With three ASCS Sooner Region feature wins to his credit and ranked fourth in points despite missing one race, "GT" added his initial pair of ASCoT National wins during the recent Toyota Tundra ASCS Speedweek.

10 Darren Hagen (Riverside, CA) – Hagen is billed as the World's Fastest Sprint Car driver after a lap of 146 mph at Iowa Speedway last year. Hagen moves into the seat of the familiar Trucker's No. 10 for TNT.

10T Thomas Meseraull (Fresno, CA) – The West Coast gasser teams with Hagen in the second Trucker's car. The 2004 BCRA Midget champion is currently ranked second in MSCS points.

11 Hunter Schuerenberg (Sikeston, MO) – "Hundred Percent" has racked up six wins in the Hoosier State this year including an Indiana Sprint Week triumph at Haubstadt's Tri-State Speedway.

14 Coleman Gulick (Binghamton, NY) – The 15-year-old New York native has relocated to Indiana to pursue Wingless Sprint Car racing. He got a look at State Fair Speedway and Creek County Speedway last year with a wing during ASCS Speedweek.

15 R.J. Johnson (Phoenix, AZ) – Currently fifth in ASCS Canyon Region points, R.J. picked of an ASCS Canyon Region win at Manzanita on April 26.

17 Chris Windom (Canton, IL) – The 17-year-old was a TNT winner at South Coffeyville, OK, last year.

21 Cory Kruseman (Ventura, CA) – The two-time Chili Bowl champion fields a three-car team for TNT action. "The Kruser" has won ten or more features for nine consecutive years.

21s Charles Davis, Jr. (Buckeye, AZ) – Currently second in ASCS Canyon Region points with five feature wins, "Chargin'" Charles has competed in all three previous TNT swings aboard Mark Swanson's distinctive No. 21s entry.

32 Casey Shuman (Tempe, AZ) – Casey teams with Arizona car owner Rex Foster for TNT this time around. "Lil' Shu" has won six features this year in four different cars with three of the wins coming aboard Foster's entry including two in ASCS Canyon Region action. Casey is the current point leader at Indiana's Gas City I-69 Speedway

41k Henry Clarke (Villa Park, CA) – The rookie shoe pilots a second Kruseman entry.

55 Tony Everhart (El Cajon, CA) – Battle-tested in Sprint Bandits action, Everhart makes the haul from the Left Coast for more Tour 'N Topless action.

71 Damion Gardner (Concord, CA) – The reigning Chili Bowl champion and 2005 USAC/CRA champ tries TNT for the second year in a row. "The Demon" has picked off four wins in local Indiana action this year.

71k Austin Mero (Kingsburg, CA) – The 2007 Ventura Raceway Junior Ford Focus champion is now under the topless tutelage of Cory Kruseman.

75 Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO) – The 2006 TNT Midwest Swing champion and two-time Lakeside Wingless Classic winner makes another run at TNT glory. "The Rocket" has seven winged wins to his credit this season.

76 Mike Leslie (Litchfield Park, AZ) – Currently ranked eighth in ASCS Canyon Region points, Leslie hits the TNT trail for the second time.

81 Robert Ballou (Rocklin, CA) – The reigning TNT co-champion, Ballou posted his first career non-wing win in 2006 TNT action at I-80 Speedway and a year later topped the final three legs of 2007 TNT, including the $10,000 to win Ron Shuman Classic at Lakeside. Robert has posted three feature wins thus far in 2008.

92 Daron Clayton (Sikeston, MO) – Recently landing back in the seat of the family-owned No. 92 entry, "The Modern Day Cowboy" still has TNT festivities penciled in on his schedule.

97 Bret Mellenberndt (Sioux Falls, SD) – Ready for his third TNT tour, Bret has picked off three recent wins at Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, IA.

Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK) – The driver of the Kasey Kahne Racing Mopar entry in USAC Sprint Car and Midget action takes the wheel of a second Tel-Star Communications entry for the 2008 edition of Sprint Bandits TNT.

The Series: O'Reilly Sprint Bandits Tour 'N Topless

When & Where:

Monday, August 11 – Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO)

Tuesday, August 12 – I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

Wednesday, August 13 – State Fair Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK)

Thursday, August 14 – Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa, OK)

Friday, August 15 – Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, KS)

Saturday, August 16 – Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, KS)

Past O'Reilly Sprint Bandits TNT Midwest Swing Champions:

2007 – Robert Ballou and Tim Kaeding

2006 – Jesse Hockett

2005 – Levi Jones

Career O'Reilly Sprint Bandits TNT Feature Wins:

Levi Jones 5

Robert Ballou 4

Cory Kruseman 3

Jesse Hockett 2

Brady Short 2

Jerry Coons, Jr. 1

Dave Darland 1

Dickie Gaines 1

Bud Kaeding 1

Brad Sweet 1

Chris Windom 1

Additional information regarding the O'Reilly Sprint Bandits Tour 'N Topless series is available at www.sprintbandits.com.

This year is no different, as drivers from the Hoosier State of Indiana and surrounding "traditional" areas will take on the best the West can offer for six consecutive nights throughout Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas, beginning next Monday night, August 11. And it''s all on tracks that only host the wingless warriors once a year. It''s the closest thing to neutral turt to be found.

Some of the locals even clip their wings to take on the wingless professionals. One of those, Jesse Hockett of Warsaw, MO, further proved his wingless prowess when he captured the 2006 Sprint Bandits TNT Midwest Swing championship. The versatile racer had already topped Lakeside Speedway''s $10,000 wingless classic two times previous to TNT honors.

The previous year, Illinois shoe Levi Jones ignited with the TNT title. And then last year, West Coast natives Robert Ballou and Tim Kaeding tied for top TNT honors.

This year, five tracks are set to host the series, with Lucas Oil Speedway opening up the six-night set with ensuing events at Nebraska Raceway Park''s I-80 Speedway, Oklahoma City''s State Fair Speedway, Sapulpa''s Creek County Speedway and then Kansas City''s Lakeside Speedway.

Round One – Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO)

When: Monday, August 11

Description: 3/8-mile semi-banked dirt oval

Location: 0.2 miles south of US 54 on SR 83

Times: Pits open at 4:00 p.m. Racing begins at 7:30 p.m.

Mufflers: No

Track Phone: 417-282-5984

Notes: "The Diamond of Dirt Tracks" rejoins the TNT trail. Dickie Gaines scored his lone career TNT victory at Lucas Oil Speedway in 2006, fending off a serious bid for the win by Jesse Hockett.

Round Two – I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, NE)

When: Tuesday, August 12

Description: 4/10-mile semi-banked dirt oval

Location: Between Omaha and Lincoln off I-80 Exit 420, then 0.4 miles north on SR 63, then west

Times: Pits open at 5:00 p.m. Racing begins at 7:00 p.m.

Mufflers: No

Track Phone: 402-944-2233

Notes: I-80 Speedway has annually hosted some of the most competitive wingless action of the week. Levi Jones topped an action-packed 2005 TNT feature, Robert Ballou shocked the world with his first wingless win in 2006 and then Dave Darland gave the Trucker''s Team their first TNT win when he nipped Tim Kaeding at the line by 0.052 seconds last year.

Round Three – State Fair Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK)

When: Wednesday, August 13

Description: 3/8-mile slightly-banked clay oval

Location: At the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds near the intersection of N.W. 10th and May Avenue

Times: Pits open at 4:00 p.m. Racing begins at 7:30 p.m.

Mufflers: Schoenfeld 112535

Track Phone: 405-948-6796

Hotels: Roadway Inn at I-40 and Rockwell, $42.99, 405-787-1350 and Travelodge at I-40 and MacArthur, $45.00, 800-578-7878

Notes: There is an abundance of history in the air at the Fairgrounds Speedway that has hosted auto racing for more than half a century, but this will be the first wingless Sprint Car race since Levi Jones topped the TNT forces in 2005. Prior to that, the last 410-ci wingless Sprint Car race was a 1988 classic in which Lealand McSpadden wore out the outer guard rail on the old half-mile to beat Shane Carson and Ron Shuman.

Round Four – Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa, OK)

When: Thursday, August 14

Description: ¼-mile semi-banked clay oval

Location: Southwest of Tulsa off I-44 Exit 211 then 0.3 miles south on SR 33, then one miles west on US 66

Times: Pits open at 3:00 p.m. Racing begins at 7:00 p.m.

Mufflers: Yes

Track Phone: 918-247-6675

Hotels: Days Inn at I-44 and Yale in Tulsa, $58 Sprint Bandits rate, 918-496-9300 and Holiday Inn Select at I-44 and Yale in Tulsa, $75, 918-622-7000

Notes: The bullring hosted non-wing 410-ci Sprint Cars for the first time last year and lived up to all expectations with Robert Ballou besting a field of 42 entries with the first of three consecutive TNT wins.

Rounds Five & Six – Lakeside Speedway (Kansas City, KS)

When: Friday and Saturday, August 15-16

Description: ½-mile semi-banked dirt oval

Location: Off I-435 Exit 18, then one mile northwest on SR 5

Times: Pits open at 5:00 p.m., racing begins at 7:30 p.m. on both nights

Mufflers: No

Track Phone: 913-299-2040

Hotel: Hampton Inn, Lakeside rate, 913-328-1400

Tickets: $16 on Friday and $18 on Saturday if ordered in advance by calling the track, $20 and $25 on race days. Kids 8-14 just $8 each night.

Notes: After four nights of $4,000 to win events, the week culminates with Lakeside Speedway''s $10,000 to win Ron Shuman Classic on Saturday night, August 16. The top four finishers in Friday night''s preliminary feature are locked into the finale. Robert Ballou took last year''s $10,000 top prize along with the coveted pedal car, joining a prestigious list of past event winners including Brad Sweet (2006), Bud Kaeding (2005 and 2002), Jesse Hockett (2004 and 2003), Troy Rutherford (2001) and Tony Elliott (2000).

Additional information regarding the O''Reilly Sprint Bandits Tour ''N Topless series is available at www.sprintbandits.com.

A pair of Northern California natives, both from winged racing backgrounds, proved to be the cream of the crop over the course of the week with Rocklin's Robert Ballou and Campbell's Tim Kaeding tying for championship honors on the Third Annual O'Reilly Sprint Bandits TNT Midwest Swing.

More than $100,000 in purse money, point fund and tow money was distributed over the course of the week as record car counts bolstered the popular series.

After finishes of eighth and fourth in the first two rounds of the week, 18-year-old Ballou went on a tear by winning the final three features of the week, including the $10,000 to win finale at Lakeside Speedway on Saturday night, August 18.

Ballou needed every bit of those three triumphs to tie Kaeding, who claimed podium finishes in all five feature events. Both drivers collected an extra $2,000 for their share of the championship.

Making just his second career wingless start, and first in more than three years, in the Tuesday night, August 14, event at Nebraska Raceway Park's I-80 Speedway, Kaeding finished second to Dave Darland by mere inches.

Kaeding also finished second to 16-year-old Chris Windom the next night at Mid-America Speedway in South Coffeyville, OK, as well as in the Lakeside finale, with third-place finishes at Creek County Speedway on August 16 and in the Lakeside preliminary feature.

Ballou and Kaeding ended the week with 726 points apiece, 40 markers ahead of Warsaw, Missouri's Jesse Hockett, who finished third in points after claiming last year's TNT Midwest Swing championship.

After finishing well back in the field in the I-80 opener, Hockett finished among the top-five in the remaining four events of the week with a third-place run in Saturday night's Ron Shuman Classic at Lakeside Speedway his top finish of the week.

Sixteen-year-old Cole Whitt of Alpine, CA, ran strong throughout the week to finish fourth in points, with Bedford, Indiana's Brady Short rounding out the top ten.

The balance of the top ten included Cory Kruseman (Ventura, CA), Casey Shuman (Tempe, AZ), Neil Shepherd (Warsaw, IN), Damion Gardner (Concord, CA) and Mat Neely (Robinson, IL).

Ten other drivers competed in all five events over the course of the week, including Charles Davis, Jr. (Buckeye, AZ), Hunter Schuerenberg (Sikeston, MO), Michael Trimble (San Jose, CA), Chad Boat (Phoenix, AZ), R.J. Johnson (Phoenix, AZ), Don Droud, Jr. (Lincoln, NE), Jesse Mack (Fresno, CA), Mike Leslie (Litchfield Park, AZ), Bret Mellenberndt (Sioux Falls, SD) and Tony Everhart (El Cajon, CA).

A total of $10,000 was divvied up among the top ten points finishers, with more than $5,000 distributed to each of the teams that competed in each event during the week.

Sixty-eight different drivers competed in at least one O'Reilly Sprint Bandits TNT Midwest Swing event last week, with a record average car count of 37.8 cars per night.

Final O'Reilly Sprint Bandits TNT Midwest Swing 2007 Points (Top 30):

1. 81 - Robert Ballou (Rocklin, CA) 726

(tie) 10k - Tim Kaeding (Campbell, CA) 726

3. 75 - Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO) 686

4. 29w - Cole Whitt (Alpine, CA) 664

5. 2b - Brady Short (Bedford, IN) 662

6. 21k - Cory Kruseman (Ventura, CA) 632

7. 4 - Casey Shuman (Tempe, AZ) 626

8. 4n - Neil Shepherd (Warsaw, IN) 616

9. 71 - Damion Gardner (Concord, CA) 602

10. 17n - Mat Neely (Robinson, IL) 590

11. 21s - Charles Davis, Jr. (Buckeye, AZ) 575

12. 10T - Hunter Schuerenberg (Sikeston, MO) 560

13. 21 - Michael Trimble (San Jose, CA) 555

14. 10 ? Dave Darland (Lincoln, IN) 554

15. 17 - Chris Windom (Canton, IL) 544

16. 30 ? Chad Boat (Phoenix, AZ) 537

17. 15 ? R.J. Johnson (Phoenix, AZ) 536

18. 2J ? Don Droud, Jr. (Lincoln, NE) 534

19. 71m ? Jesse Mack (Fresno, CA) 492

20. 76 ? Mike Leslie (Litchfield Park, AZ) 486

21. 11d ? Dustin Morgan (Collinsville, OK) 484

22. 92/5c ? Gary Taylor (Snohomish, WA) 474

23. 97 ? Bret Mellenberndt (Sioux Falls, SD) 445

24. 29 ? Bud Kaeding (Campbell, CA) 428

25. 69 ? Jerry Coons, Jr. (Tucson, AZ) 380

26. 55 ? Tony Everhart (El Cajon, CA) 375

27. 02 ? Matt Rossi (Peoria, AZ) 370

28. 12 ? Trey Robb (Newcastle, OK) 264

29. 11w ? Ricky Williams (Clinton, OH) 242

30. 5c ? Cody Cordell (Tulsa, OK) 240

The success of this year's O'Reilly Sprint Bandits TNT Midwest Swing already has several new tracks inquiring about TNT dates for 2008.

Additional information regarding the O'Reilly Sprint Bandits Tour 'N Topless series is available at www.sprintbandits.com.

Hockett, currently ranked third in O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National points and tied for the lead in the Rookie of the Year chase, edged Robinson, IL, racer Mat Neely for the title by just a dozen points. Neely was the only other driver to finish among the top ten in all five feature events.

Hockett kicked off the week with a ninth-place run at Nebraska Raceway Park's I-80 Speedway on Tuesday night, August 15, before outdueling Dickie Gaines for victory honors at 81 Speedway in Wichita, KS, the next night aboard the Wesmar-powered VKCC Motorsports No. 75 DRC-chassis.

On Thursday, Gaines turned the tables on Hockett at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO, with Hockett settling for a close second. Hockett then finished seventh in the Lakeside Speedway Friday preliminary before wrapping up his championship week with a third-place showing in the Lakeside finale on Saturday.

Hockett emerged as the cream of the crop in a wild week that featured five winners in as many feature events. California teen Robert Ballou captured the opener at I-80, before Hockett and Indiana's Gaines traded wins at 81 Speedway and Lucas Oil. California drivers owned victory lane at Lakeside Speedway, with Cory Kruseman taking the Friday prelim before Brad Sweet captured the $10,000 winner's share in Saturday's Ron Shuman classic.

While Hockett took the $2,500 champion's share, Neely collected an extra $1,500 for his second place showing in points aboard Scott Benic's Gaerte-powered Lucas Oil Products No. 2b Maxim. Gaines and fellow Indiana racer Jon Stanbrough tied for third in points, each collecting $1,175, with Indianapolis racer Shane Hollingsworth taking $1,000 for his fifth-place ranking in the Trucker's 24-Hour Road Service No. 10 entry.

Eleven different drivers took in all five nights of racing action, with others outside the top five including Charles Davis, Jr., R.J. Johnson, Bret Mellenberndt, Robert Ballou, Daron Clayton and Tony Everhart. Sixteen different drivers competed in four of five events, with 25 drivers competing in at least three events.

Final O'Reilly Sprint Bandits COMP Cams TNT Midwest Swing Points ? Top 25:

1. 75-Jesse Hockett (Warsaw, MO) 706

2. 2b-Mat Neely (Robinson, IL) 694

3. (tie) 21x-Dickie Gaines (Mitchell, IN) 686

3. (tie) 14-Jon Stanbrough (Avon, IN) 686

5. 10-Shane Hollingsworth (Indianapolis, IN) 664

6. 21s-Charles Davis, Jr. (Buckeye, AZ) 650

7. 15-R.J. Johnson (Phoenix, AZ) 644

8. 97-Bret Mellenberndt (Sioux Falls, SD) 582

9. 12-Robert Ballou (Rocklin, CA) 578

10. 38-Cory Kruseman (Ventura, CA) 562

11. 92-Daron Clayton (Sikeston, MO) 555

12. 11d-Levi Jones (Olney, IL) 548

13. 55-Tony Everhart (El Cajon, CA) 547

14. 57-Mike Martin (Yuma, AZ) 442

15. 16-Lee Stark (Sidney, OH) 439

16. 92J-J.R. Topper (St. Joseph, MO) 424

17. 29-Bud Kaeding (Campbell, CA) 420

18. 3J-Brad Sweet (Grass Valley, CA) 416

19. 11p-Preston Peebles II (Lubbock, TX) 394

20. 71-Hunter Schuerenberg (Sikeston, MO) 366

21. 1k-Kim Kennedy (Cosby, MO) 362

22. 70-A.J. Martin (Linden, CA) 346

23. 17-Chris Windom (Canton, IL) 337

24. 96c-Jim Cameron (Cameron, MO) 331

25. 0c-Leighton Crouch (Lubbock, TX) 322

Additional information regarding the O?Reilly Sprint Bandits is available at www.sprintbandits.com.