Busch All-Star Tour

Busch All-Star Tour
Category Dirt track racing
Country United States
Region Midwestern
Inaugural season 1985
Folded 2002

The Busch All-Star Tour was a NASCAR-sanctioned dirt track late model racing series. The series, based in the Midwestern United States, started in 1985 and folded in 2002, and was NASCAR's only national dirt racing series.[1]

History

The series held its first race at Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, and was won by Steve Kosiski. Kosiski would become the winningest driver in series history with 50 victories and seven championships; his brother Joe was the second most successful driver, with 45 wins and five championships. Although the tour was primarily situated in the Midwest, the series also expanded to tracks outside the region. Among the tracks that played host to Busch All-Star Tour races included Lakeside Speedway, I-80 Speedway, Eagle Raceway, I-70 Speedway, Hawkeye Downs Speedway and Iowa State Fair Speedway[1] The series was eventually renamed the O'Reilly Auto Parts All-Star Series, and the tour was discontinued after 2002 by NASCAR, as it decided to shift its focus to its Weekly Racing Series (now the Whelen All-American Series).[2] NASCAR's top national series didn't return to dirt until the Camping World Truck Series ran the 2013 Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway.[1]

Notable people

Notable personnel who worked with the tour included John Darby, the current Sprint Cup Series director, who worked as chief technical inspector for the tour, along with Motor Racing Network writer Pete Pistone, who served as public relations director for approximately four seasons.[1] The Series Director, throughout the entire 17-year run of the series, was Jim Wilson, a 23-year NASCAR veteran, who later went on to found the WORLD Dirt Racing League. Among the noted winners in the series included 2000 Weekly Racing Series national champion Gary Webb,[3] Xfinity Series driver Mike Wallace and former Cup Series driver Ken Schrader.[1]

List of series champions

Year Champion Points (Margin)
1985 Roger Dolan 960 (1)
1986 Joe Kosiski 2239 (47)
1987 Steve Kosiski 2311 (10)
1988 Joe Kosiski 2339 (56)
1989 Joe Kosiski 2345 (38)
1990 Steve Kosiski 2492 (135)
1991 Steve Kosiski 2639 (138)
1992 Steve Kosiski 2927 (89)
1993 Bob Hill 2460 (86)
1994 Steve Kosiski 3149 (124)
1995 Steve Kosiski 2656 (49)
1996 Joe Kosiski 2586 (19)
1997 Joe Kosiski 2334 (8)
1998 Steve Kosiski 2950 (14)
1999 Ray Guss, Jr. 2497 (57)
2000 Steve Boley 3062 (209)
2001 Kyle Berck 2436 (11)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Pistone, Pete (July 19, 2013). "Petty Last Dirt-Track Winner". Motor Racing Network. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  2. ↑ "A Yankee's Guide To NASCAR". JCS-Group. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  3. ↑ Schaefer, Paul. Where Stars Are Born: Celebrating 25 Years of NASCAR Weekly Racing. Coastal 181, Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA, 2006. ISBN 0-9789261-0-2. pp. 123-130.
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