LAS VEGAS — Jason Blonde will return to the Nov. 14-16 BITNILE.com Open Wheel Showdown at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The Litchfield, Mich., driver was last year’s sprint car fast qualifier. He returns to this year’s event driving for a team he is familiar with. Blonde will be behind the wheel of Tony Nosal’s No. 42 Diablo chassis.
Blonde participated in last year’s event with the odds stacked against him. He was competing at a track he had never been too before, in a car he had never driven, and competing on a tire he hadn’t competed on in a few years.
But when the dust had settled, he set the fastest lap ever at the three-eighths-mile asphalt track.
His history breaking 11.629-second lap in the Dick Myers owned No. 50m made him the events fast qualifier.
Blonde’s work might be a bit easier this year because he’s now seen the track and is in a car he’s enjoyed a lot of success in. Most recently he used the car to claim the 2023 Must See Racing championship. Racing for the Nosal team, he has won eight Auto Value Super Sprints championships.
Blonde couldn’t hide the excitement to be competing in this year’s event once again and reflected on last year’s race.
“For two days of practice last year we were kind of tight. We were probably eighth or ninth quick. I surprised myself when we went fastest,” Blonde explained. “It was kind of a bummer late in the feature. We were hoping for a top five. We had handling issues. Also, being that it was so cold out’ the motor was puking oil. My feet were drenched in oil and a little bit got on my right-rear tire. I couldn’t get off the corners like I could the first half of the race.
“Looking back Dick Myers was wishing we would have blocked the radiator and kept more heat in the motor, so it wouldn’t have puked all that oil.”
Blonde has supporters who will help him make the trip to Vegas.
“A bunch of people came on board this year to make it happen and get us to Las Vegas,” he said. “BDL Motorsports and Rhino Racing offered to come on bord and get Tony (Nosal) out there. We approached Tony with some sponsorship money and a way to get him there. He was all for it.
“The comfort level in the No. 42 car for me is really good. The car really likes Hoosier Tires. We also got Katz Well Drilling, Hamilton Trucking, and Bingham Farms on board again this year to help us out to get there. With everybody on board it helps a lot. Without them, we wouldn’t be making that trip.”
With more than 70 cars competing for the $50,000 top prize, Blonde knows the competition will be stout.
“I’m obviously going to win. But with the caliber of cars, if we can run top 10 that would feel pretty good,” he acknowledged. “With more than 70 cars that’s a tough deal. It’s going to be all about qualifying and getting that front row starting spot for your heat race. That’s probably the most important thing. If everybody’s on the bottom, and we can get the top rolling, we should be sitting pretty good.”
Watch the Open Wheel Showdown on SPEED SPORT TV.