BROWNSBURG, Ind. — Race for the Million founder Richard Fieler announced Thursday that winged pavement sprint car racers will have the opportunity to win $1 million in prize money next season.
The purse will be paid out over a four-race series that will host events in Michigan, Florida and Colorado next year.
The unsanctioned events, which will feature a purse of over $600,000 and a series point-fund of $300,000 as well as pole, heat race and B-main payouts and a $50,000 bonus to any driver who can win twin feature events at to-be-determined series events.
FloSports will provide exclusive live coverage of each event.
With fond memories of the golden days of racing growing up in Ohio, Fieler watched his father work on engines in his hometown of Mt. Healthy, Ohio.
Bitten early by the racing bug, Fieler went on to forge a career in the sport including a stint as Dow Chemical’s tent manager for the brand’s F-1 program.
Fieler’s love of the sport instilled a strong desire to give back, and the Race for the Million is the perfect opportunity to do just that.
“I first sat in a sprint car in 1939 when I was just five years old. After World War II, I spent most Sundays at Midwest pavement races until college. At the time, my favorite driver was Spider Webb, and my favorite car was Poison Lil. I remember when Allan Knott had Offenhauser big cars and Kurtis Kraft Midgets. He had some great years on an owner with the Blaney family,” reminisced Feiler.
“Why the Race for the Million? It’s simple,” said Feiler. “The 12-year-old kid who once caught a piece of Poison Lil’s piston in the neck at the track in Dayton still has some racing luck. After an introduction to Steve Lewis, we agreed that some races need more fans and more entertaining — something to give the competition a real vibe and we feel that the Race for the Million is the perfect opportunity to do so.”
The four race RFTM series will kick-off on April 10 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., followed by two stops in Michigan, the first on June 3 at Owosso Speedway in Ovid, Mich., and the second on July 25 at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich.
The series will conclude with a final event on Aug. 22 at Colorado National Speedway in Dacono, Colo.
In addition to RFTM founder Feiler, the management and promotional team also includes promoter Steve Lewis, longtime motorsports industry leader and founder of the Performance Racing Industry tradeshow and magazine.
Agency 133’s founder Reed Morales and Todd Hayes bring sales and support to the RFTM team.
Industry insiders Misha Geisert and Sarah Tonsmeire (Knight Exp. Agency) will lend public relations and operations support while creative artist Kelly Tefler will work to shape the RFTM’s branding.
