Speedway Entertainment Brings Affordable Racing and K&N to the Masses
- 14 May 2009
Rich Tobias, of Speedway Entertainment, has made it his goal to offer affordable racing technology that really gets results. Tobias created the Slingshots racing division in an effort to show that affordable racing is competitive and exciting. Racing has been in the Tobias family since the mid 1950's. Rich Tobias' Uncle Lawrence was the original Toby Tobias, and then his father Dick Tobias took on the nickname and made it nationally known. "When Tobias Speed Equipment began building race cars in the Lebanon, Pennsylvania shop, it was apparent that this was what I wanted to do, both as a fabricator and a driver," says Rich.
Slingshots are a 39 horsepower vehicle powered by a Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engine capable of speeds near 100 MPH.
Speedway Entertainment is currently the home to the fastest growing class of race cars in the United States today. It has been ten years since the launch of the "Slingshot by Tobias" class and counts have grown to over 400 cars being raced in 17 states. "The SpeedSTR's were created to give another stepping stone for Slingshot drivers and in our 2008 Inaugural Season, we were able to demonstrate that affordable racing does have a place on the local racing scene," says Rich. The Slingshots are a 39 horsepower vehicle powered by a Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engine capable of speeds near 100 MPH. They are designed to look like the dirt track modifieds that are popular in the northeast. The SpeedSTR's are powered by a Dodge Neon engine and have 250 horsepower propelling the 1,100 pound open wheel cars around the speedways. "The flip wing on the SpeedSTR gives some added stability but both classes rely on chassis setups and driver talent, says Rich. "Slingshots and SpeedSTR's are both spec classes and can be raced on asphalt and dirt surfaces with minimum changes."
Currently, the Slingshots have no age boundaries with drivers from ages 6 to 81 strapping into them from coast to coast.
"Knowing that K&N Air Filters are installed on the Slingshots and SpeedSTR's gives me the satisfaction that all engine components will be protected to the fullest extent, says Rich. Performance is of the utmost importance with the lower horsepower race cars where every advantage can make the difference between winning and losing. "The fuel injection system used on the SpeedSTR's can be finicky and with four stacks needing protection, K&N has shown that their design and performance have exceeded our expectations.
Currently, Speedway Entertainment is looking to expand their SpeedSTR horizons. "Ray Evernham Motorsports, Canada based RevStar, and Doug Herbert Performance are all becoming more involved, getting the word out about the affordability of the SpeedSTR and the fact that it is becoming an excellent alternative to big car spending while getting the same results for a race team," says Rich. The Briggs & Stratton National Championship Tour for the Slingshots has grown to include speedways in Florida and Minnesota. RevStar is now making them available to Canadian racers with a tour scheduled for 2010.
Speedway Entertainment started out as a company building full caged indoor karts. With the advent of micro-sprints and the success of go-karting, Rich Tobias developed the Slingshot in 1999 to give drivers of all ages a chance to not only be race fans, but race drivers. Currently, the Slingshots have no age boundaries with drivers from ages 6 to 81 strapping into them from coast to coast. The SpeedSTR's found a new surface to race on with the advent of the Ice Racing League in Montreal. Studded tires are a must as the SpeedSTR's circle 3/8th mile ice tracks in full competition with temperatures dropping as low as 15 below zero.
Both classes are still growing and both the SpeedSTR's and Slingshots do not leave the Speedway Entertainment shops without anything but K&N Air Filters serving as protection for all racing surfaces. "With K&N Air Filters we know it's a product we can trust at a good price for our Affordable Racing Technology," says Rich. "K&N Air Filters are dependable, reliable and can withstand the constant abuse that dirt track racing exerts on an engine. They are very easy to change and in this business, time means everything, so with the simple twist of a screwdriver you are ready to compete. Design means a lot in racing and the streamlined design of K&N filters make a perfect fit for all of our race team needs."
Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.
Slingshots are a 39 horsepower vehicle powered by a Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engine capable of speeds near 100 MPH.
Speedway Entertainment is currently the home to the fastest growing class of race cars in the United States today. It has been ten years since the launch of the "Slingshot by Tobias" class and counts have grown to over 400 cars being raced in 17 states. "The SpeedSTR's were created to give another stepping stone for Slingshot drivers and in our 2008 Inaugural Season, we were able to demonstrate that affordable racing does have a place on the local racing scene," says Rich. The Slingshots are a 39 horsepower vehicle powered by a Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engine capable of speeds near 100 MPH. They are designed to look like the dirt track modifieds that are popular in the northeast. The SpeedSTR's are powered by a Dodge Neon engine and have 250 horsepower propelling the 1,100 pound open wheel cars around the speedways. "The flip wing on the SpeedSTR gives some added stability but both classes rely on chassis setups and driver talent, says Rich. "Slingshots and SpeedSTR's are both spec classes and can be raced on asphalt and dirt surfaces with minimum changes."
Currently, the Slingshots have no age boundaries with drivers from ages 6 to 81 strapping into them from coast to coast.
"Knowing that K&N Air Filters are installed on the Slingshots and SpeedSTR's gives me the satisfaction that all engine components will be protected to the fullest extent, says Rich. Performance is of the utmost importance with the lower horsepower race cars where every advantage can make the difference between winning and losing. "The fuel injection system used on the SpeedSTR's can be finicky and with four stacks needing protection, K&N has shown that their design and performance have exceeded our expectations.
Currently, Speedway Entertainment is looking to expand their SpeedSTR horizons. "Ray Evernham Motorsports, Canada based RevStar, and Doug Herbert Performance are all becoming more involved, getting the word out about the affordability of the SpeedSTR and the fact that it is becoming an excellent alternative to big car spending while getting the same results for a race team," says Rich. The Briggs & Stratton National Championship Tour for the Slingshots has grown to include speedways in Florida and Minnesota. RevStar is now making them available to Canadian racers with a tour scheduled for 2010.
Speedway Entertainment started out as a company building full caged indoor karts. With the advent of micro-sprints and the success of go-karting, Rich Tobias developed the Slingshot in 1999 to give drivers of all ages a chance to not only be race fans, but race drivers. Currently, the Slingshots have no age boundaries with drivers from ages 6 to 81 strapping into them from coast to coast. The SpeedSTR's found a new surface to race on with the advent of the Ice Racing League in Montreal. Studded tires are a must as the SpeedSTR's circle 3/8th mile ice tracks in full competition with temperatures dropping as low as 15 below zero.
Both classes are still growing and both the SpeedSTR's and Slingshots do not leave the Speedway Entertainment shops without anything but K&N Air Filters serving as protection for all racing surfaces. "With K&N Air Filters we know it's a product we can trust at a good price for our Affordable Racing Technology," says Rich. "K&N Air Filters are dependable, reliable and can withstand the constant abuse that dirt track racing exerts on an engine. They are very easy to change and in this business, time means everything, so with the simple twist of a screwdriver you are ready to compete. Design means a lot in racing and the streamlined design of K&N filters make a perfect fit for all of our race team needs."
Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.
