As of Tuesday night some of the prime locations in the pit area at Ocala Speedway have already been claimed by top sprint car and modified teams from as far away as Kentucky and New England, and more are on the way! And as more teams arrive, the excitement amps up for the Winternationals at the historic Ocala Speedway, featuring the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions and the UMP DirtCar Modifieds!

The big news today comes from the modified ranks, as Steve Arpin is reportedly on his way south from Ft Francis, Ontario! Arpin is possibly the top modified racer anywhere and has the record to prove it. His appearance at Ocala Speedway seriously ramps up the competition level and has all of the other competitors taking notice!

Tuesday marked the arrival of the first sprint car team, and it was a previously unexpected participant that got here first! Wayne Johnson has made the grade running with the ASCS in the past, but now has moved up to the powerful 410 sprints and is ready to get 2009 underway! Tuesday evening found Wayne and his team busily making last minute preparations to his race car, and enjoying 80 degree temperatures.

Many more teams are expected in today as a snow and ice storm has begun to descend on the northeastern United States. That forecasted winter storm motivated most teams to get moving earlier than planned and puts almost all of them in Ocala before the scheduled practice tonight, instead of trickling in on Thursday.

The practice session tonight features both the O'Reilly All Stars and the UMP mods, and will get underway at 5PM. Admission to the practice is just $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under, and includes pit access. All attendees at the practice will be banded and will have to sign a waiver in order to be admitted.

Also tonight the Dirt World Show with Joe Dirt and Billy the Kid will broadcast live from practice at Ocala Speedway beginning at 7:30PM! Dirt World is one of the best dirt racing talk shows in America and can be heard worldwide by going to www.RealRacinUSA.com and clicking on the "ON THE AIR" tab at the top!

Actual racing begins at Ocala Speedway on Thursday night at 8PM, with the gates opening at 5PM for race fans. Races are scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday! For more information, go to www.OcalaSpeedway.com or call at 352-622-9400.