September 11, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Mike Knight Thrilled To Be Declared $10,000 Winner Of Alltel Ohio Speedweek All-Star Contest

RIPLEY, NY – Mike Knight didn’t win a dirt Late Model feature last weekend.

But when the 21-year-old from Ripley, N.Y., clicked on his computer on Wednesday, he learned that he had captured the biggest prize of his young racing career.

The www.AlltelAllStar.com website revealed the news that Knight was the winner of the Alltel Ohio Speedweek All-Star contest, an on-line poll that ended on Sept. 9 following more than a month of voting. He will receive a cool $10,000 for his victory over 14 other drivers who earned a top-five finish in one of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Alltel Ohio Speedweek events run from July 24-27.

“I’m thrilled to win it,” said Knight, who gained his berth in the unique fan-participation contest with a fifth-place finish in the 50-lap WoO LMS on July 27 at Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa. “We’ve been sitting on pins and needles waiting for the contest to end because we can really use the money for our team.”

Knight, who burst on the dirt Late Model scene last year when he won the Eriez Speedway points title, sat atop the Alltel Ohio Speedweek All-Star voting virtually from Day One. He finished the contest having won nearly a quarter of all the votes cast, beating good friend Robbie Blair of Titusville, Pa., for the cash by several percentage points.

“I have to thank Alltel and the World of Outlaws for having the All-Star contest, and I’m real thankful to everybody who voted for me,” said Knight, who campaigns family-owned equipment. “I didn’t think I’d have a big enough fanbase to beat all the big-name drivers who I was up against, but I got some great support.

“I think it says so much about how loyal the fans are in this (western Pennsylvania/eastern Ohio/southern New York) area. Me and Robbie (Blair) got almost half the votes between us, so obviously we really had the fans behind us.”

Knight also noted that his pal Dave Hess Jr. of Waterford, Pa., who like Knight has grown up racing at Eriez Speedway and Statel ine Speedway in Busti, N.Y., was the first Alltel All-Star contest victor earlier this season. Hess came out on top of voting among feature winners during February’s Alltel DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.

“It’s pretty neat that me and Hess are the only two Alltel All-Star winners,” said Knight, “and we’re best friends.”

Knight is looking forward to cashing his $10,000 check – the biggest payoff he’s received to date as a racer. He already has a pretty good idea of what he’s going to do with the extra infusion of money.

Ironically, Knight just might be sending much of the money over to Blair.

“Robbie lent one of his motors to us earlier this year,” said Knight. “I liked it so much that I decided I wanted to buy it, so we settled on a pretty good price with Robbie. I still owe him some money and this Alltel cash will be going towards that.”

The Alltel All-Star news came after Knight raced just once last weekend, finishing third in a 30-lap Super Late Model special on Sunday night (Sept. 7) at Little Valley (N.Y.) Speedway that was postponed one day by rain. He was fast in his first-ever appearance at the half-mile oval, but he slipped back several positions from his sixth starting spot at the initial green flag and had to hustle to get back to third by the finish.

Knight plans to enter Independent Racing Series (IRS) events this weekend on Friday night (Sept. 12) at Winchester (Va.) Speedway and Saturday night (Sept. 13) at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway.

An up-and-coming dirt Late Model driver whose breakout 2007 season was highlighted by a point’s title at Eriez Speedway, Knight has an ambitious schedule of 70-plus races across the region planned with his family-owned team in 2008. His operation carries sponsorship from Arrowhead Wine Cellars, Mobilia Fruit Farm, Ottaway’s Auto Parts, Ottaway’s Auto Body, Knight Farms, NYPenn Surveying, TeCulver Contracting, Ripley Machine & Tool, Genesis Shocks, Slavic Custom Racing Shirts, Farr MotorSports, MWB Web Designs and American Racing Tires.

For more information on Mike Knight, visit www.mikeknight9k.com.

MKR PR.