International Championship Tour

The Bilstein Modified Lite STARS International Championship Tour is set for their STARS Championship Tour starting off with the "Cross the Borders" International Championship Weekend", presented by J and S Heating and Air Conditioning featuring two straight nights of racing at the Merrittville Speedway. Friday (September 9th) and Saturday (September 10th) paying over $34,000 in purse, contingency and prizes. The overall weekend champion will earn $1000 "Bully Dog Dominating Performer Award" and a good share of the $8,000 contingency prizes offered by the Bilstein Modified Lites STARS.

The Tour will then head back the United States on Friday (September 23rd) for the final event at the Mercer Raceway Park "Little Guy Nationals" paying over $16,000 in purse, and contingency's.

"Each year we have racers and tracks talk about the Modified Lite STARS" explained president Bill Bauer. " With the strength and growth of the Modified Lite STARS program and support from Bilstein, Contingency Connection, Bully Dog along with our associate sponsors, we were able to step up the STARS program providing our drivers with an additional funds. We felt the timing was right and we chose the September month when most tracks are done with their points and we could count on having a strong car count. The weather could be a challenge but the weather for this weekend looks good, and our date at the Little Guy Nationals has a rain date for the September 30th.

The Bilstein Modified Lite STARS has drawn interest among mod lite racers from all over Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, New York, Delaware, Texas, Arkansas and Canada as well as some drivers from Indiana, and Maryland.

It all begins Friday with the annual International Modified Lite Championship Weekend racing program at the 3/8-mile Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ontario. Friday gates open 5:30 p.m. racing at 7:00 p.m. Their website at www.merrittvillespeedway.com

The STARS Championship Tour wraps up their 2011 national season at Mercer Raceway Park Speedway with a 25-lap, $2,000 to-win event. Mercer Raceway Park located in Mercer, PA will be hosting their "12th Annual Little Guy Nationals' on Friday's September 23rd, gates open at 4:00 p.m., drivers meeting at 5:30 p.m., racing begins at 7:00 p.m. The rain date is Friday, September 30th. For more info, check out their website at www.mercerracewaypark.com.

Although the national schedule will be complete at the Little Guy Nationals at Mercer, we will have to wait until the STARS South completes their season at Lernerville Speedway during the Steel City Stampede in October. The battle between Alan Knepper and Mark Marcucci is too tight to call. The Mercer event will be critical for the STARS South region since the event will count for one of their regional events as well as their national points.

There have been 24 Modified Lite STARS regional races contested with 12 different winners all-time. Alan Knepper leads the points for the STARS South region, with Steve White winning the STARS East region, Rich Rainville taking home the championship in the STARS North East region, and Shawn Sliter winning the STARS North region. All regional champion drivers will be automatic qualifiers at the Little Guy Nationals if they fail to qualify through their heats or B main.

Merritville Speedway payoffs:
Friday (9/9) pay off: 1. $1200, 2. $800, 3. $600, 4. $400, 5. $300, 6. $250, 7. $200, 8. $150, 9. $140, 10. $130, 11-15. $125, 16-24 $120, Tow/non-qualifiers $40

Saturday (9/10) pay off: 1. $1800, 2. $1200, 3. $1000, 4. $800, 5. $600, 6. $500, 7. $400, 8. $300, 9. $250, 10. $200, 11-15. $150, 16-24 $130, Tow/non-qualifiers $40

Mercer Raceway Park payoffs:
Friday (9/23) pay off: 1. $2000, 2. $1000, 3. $500, 4. $425, 5. $400, 6. $375, 7. $350, 8. $325, 9. $300, 10. $275, 11. $250, 12. $225, 13-15. $150, 16-24 $100, Tow/non-qualifiers $50

RACEceivers are mandatory at all events, and transponders are required. There is a $150 entry fee for the International Championship at Merrittville and a $75 registration fee at the Little Guy Nationals at Mercer.

Overall Bilstein Modified Lite International Championships points will be based on the following:

Each of the top 15 regional drivers will receive points based on their overall finish in their region. Example regional champion will receive 120 points going into the nationals, 2nd place 114, 3rd 109, etc

Each national point system:
1 - 120
2 - 114
3 - 109
4 - 104
5 - 102
6 - 100
7 - 98
8 - 96
9 - 94
10 - 92
11 - 90
12 - 88
13 - 86
14 - 84
15 - 82
16 - 80
17 - 78
18 - 76
19 - 74
20 - 72
21 - 70
22 - 68
23 - 66
24 - 64

Must be a Modified Lite STARS Regional Member
Points will be awarded to member driver
Top ten drivers in points will receive cash and contingencies noted below along with an addition $250 worth of contingencies:

Bilstein Mod Lite STARS Over all Championship:

1st Place: Bully Dog Dominating Performer Challenge offers a "Factory Driver" sponsorship package for ONE Dominating Performer. Each Bully Dog Factory Driver will receive a $3000 retail prize package including $350 cash, a complete Bully Dog performance package, and apparel for 5 team members, vehicle accessories, and other prestigious awards! In addition the winning driver will receive a $250 contingency package from the Modified Lite STARS Tour ($3250 value)

Bully Dog Technologies is a company deeply rooted in vehicle performance. Formed by three brothers in a small town in Idaho and fueled by their father's interest in all things fast, that was over 10 years ago. Today Bully Dog is known as the leader in the performance electronics market, making big power for gas and diesel vehicles with their highly innovative tuning products.

Product innovation is key and Bully Dog takes innovation very seriously. In the past 12 years, Bully Dog has been first to market with vehicle-specific products and applications over 100 times while also being awarded many awards for our revolutionary products. And in 2005, with the release of the Triple Dog™ Downloader and Outlook™ Monitor, Bully Dog revolutionized the market with the ability to adjust power, safety and economy levels on-the-fly while driving down the road.

In 2008 with the Triple Dog™ Gauge Tuner, Bully Dog was able to combine a vehicle engine tuner, monitor, gauge and diagnostic device all in a single unit. The GT monitors and displays over 15 different vehicle parameters serving as a multi-function gauge package, it also includes performance testing software that measures a vehicles true performance.

Getting you to the track quicker, adding performance to your race vehicle or simply hoping up your street car or increasing your fuel economy, Bully Dog has your gas and diesel needs covered! Providing the back in your seat, white knuckle, teeth gritting, eye watering, heart racing, adrenalin pumping, neck breaking experience! Visit bullydog.com or bullydoghideout.com for more information.

2nd Place: Redhorse Performance Champions CUP awards including a $500 Redhorse shopping spree (retail value), Redhorse Apparel, plaque/trophy, graphics decal package and other awards! Redhorse Performance wants to sponsor your race team in 2012! In addition the winning driver will receive a $250 contingency package from the Modified Lite STARS Tour ($1250 value)

3rd Place: SRP Professional Pistons Sportsman of the Year presented by JE Pistons. SRP Professional Pistons Sportsman of the Year will receive a $200 product certificate, SRP /JE apparel package, and an etched piston trophy at the end of the season. In addition the winning driver will receive a $250 contingency package from the Modified Lite STARS Tour ($500 Value)

4th Place: Mallory Ignition Performance Club. Mallory Ignition celebrates grass-roots racers with the Mallory Performance Club. 4th place finisher will be inducted into the elite Mallory Ignition Performance Club and receive a $100 shopping spree, Die Cast Anniversary collector car, hats/shirts for race team ($450 value)

5th Place: SCORPION SUPER STAR BONUS The Scorpion Racing Products SUPER STAR Bonus will recognize the 5th place finisher for their performance, attitude, and professionalism! The Scorpion Super Star will receive a certificate for select Scorpion Products. Team apparel and a Scorpion decal package! In addition the winning driver will receive a $250 contingency package from the Modified Lite STARS Tour ($450 value)

6th Place: PERFORMANCEPARTS.COM Top Performer recognizes the 6th place finisher with fantastic end of Season Bonus Awards! Grand Prize Package includes Product Certificate for a Performanceparts.com Shopping Spree, Racing Apparel, and Decal package ($350 value)

7th Place: WILWOOD DISC BRAKES recognizes the 7th place finisher with the Wilwood Disc Brake Champion of the STARS Award. Grand Prize Package includes Product Certificate for Wilwood brand products, and Decal package. In addition the winning driver will receive a $250 contingency package from the Modified Lite STARS Tour ($300 value)

8th Place: Lincoln Electric recognizes the 8th place finisher with the Lincoln Electric Champion of the STARS Award. Grand Prize Package includes Product Certificate for Lincoln Electric brand products, and Decal package. In addition the winning driver will receive a $250 contingency package from the Modified Lite STARS Tour ($300 value)

9th Place: DJ Safety Products recognizes the 9th place finisher with the DJ Safety Products Champion of the STARS Award. Grand Prize Package includes Product Certificate for DJ Safety brand products, and Decal package. In addition the winning driver will receive a $250 contingency package from the Modified Lite STARS Tour ($300 value)

10th Place: RACEceiver.com recognizes the 10th place finisher with the RACEceiver Products Champion of the STARS Award. Grand Prize Package includes Product Certificate for RACEceiver brand products, and Decal package. In addition the winning driver will receive a $250 contingency package from the Modified Lite STARS Tour ($300 value)

The Bilstein Modified Lite STARS International Championship Tour is a non-profit organization representing an aggressively growing segment of motor sports' racing and is recognized as the leader in modified lite racing in the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio along with New York, Delaware and Candia regions. The Modified Lite STARS Tour was formed to provide drivers the opportunity to compete at a regional level known as the STARS North (Canada region) and STARS South (Ohio/PA/WV Region). The Modified Lite STARS Tour continued to show growth in 2011 with the addition of the STARS East (Delaware region) and STARS North East (New York) joining the program.

Modified Lite STARS International Championship Tour is proudly supported by its major sponsors. Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Contingency Connection, Bully Dog Dominating Challenge, Redhorse CUP, Scorpion Super Star Bonus, SRP Professional Piston Sportsman of the Year, Richmond Gear Weekend Warrior, Performance Parts.Com Performance Club, and Mallory Ignition Performance Club.

ACC Performance, ACCEL, AED Performance, AEROQUIP, AUTOMETER, CAM2, Canton Racing Products, CANTON, CMW Motorsports, COMP CAMS, Competition Engineering, Competition Products, CV PRODUCTS, DART MACHINERY, Daytona Sensor, DJ SAFETY, Earls Performance, EDELBROCK, ERSON CAMS, FAST, FIDANZA, FLEX-A-LITE, FST, Performance, GRANT, Hamburger's Performance, HASTINGS Mfg., HAWK PERFORMANCE, HAYS, HEDMAN HEDDERS, HOLLEY Performance, HOOKER Headers, HUGHES Performance, Hypertech Max Energy, JE PISTONS, JE PRO SEAL RINGS, LAKEWOOD LINCOLN ELECTRIC (WELDERS), LUNATI, MALLORY, MELLING Select, MICKEY THOMPSON, MOROSO, MR. GASKET, MSD-IGNITION CONTROL, PAINLESS Performance, PBM Performance, PerformanceParts.com, Phantom Racing, PITBOXES.COM, PROCOMP, PRW, QUICK Fuel Technology, QUICK TIME, RACEceiver, Racetrailersales.com, Racing Head Service, RACING RADIOS, RICHMOND GEAR, RJS Racing Eq., RUSSELL Performance, Smith Brothers, SRP Professional Pistons, STAGE 8, Steele Rubber Parts, STT Safety Equipment, TAYLOR VERTEX, TCI, Trans-Dapt, VHT, WEIAND, WILWOOD ENGINEERING