Three years ago, Kevin Nouse thought he was simply doing a little extra to help the 358 Sprint Car division and his fellow drivers.

Nouse offered up K1 RaceGear gift certificates to help his fellow drivers. Then over the winter, Alan Kreitzer and Justin Loh, the promoters at Lincoln and Williams Grove Speedway, came up with another idea.

Kreitzer and Loh wanted to do a summer series for the division. They enlisted Nouse to help out, and he turned it into his project.

Nouse took the lead and has turned it into the K1 RaceGear Summer Series, which kicks off tonight (Saturday) at Lincoln Speedway. Other dates on the slate are July 14 at Williams Grove, July 22 at Susquehanna Speedway, Aug. 4 at Williams Grove, and Aug. 26 at Lincoln.

“It was something I wasn’t even thinking about,” Nouse said. “Justin and Alan wanted to do a series and asked if I would sponsor it.

“I got to telling people about it, and a month or two later, they asked me why don’t I take it and run with it? Every year since, I do everything. They pretty much let me do whatever I want to do with it.”

Continued Nouse, “I’m passionate about it. I really like the 358 division, and I’m well rooted and believe I know what guys need to do to get to the track every week. If I can help that, it’s what it’s all about.”

Here is a look at the K1 RaceGear Summer Series for the 358 Sprint Car division:

PURSE AND POINT FUND

  • Each race will pay $1,500 to the winner. The total purse for each event will be no less than $7,600.
  • Three years ago, the point fund and contingencies totaled $3,000. This year, the point fund is $5,000. There is also a $1,500 loyalty bonus, for a total fund of over $20,000 with contingencies.

FORMAT

  • Teams will be handicapped in heat races and the A-Main based on point averages that have been kept by Nouse throughout the season.
  • It’s a full invert in the heat race. For example, if there are 40 cars and four heats, the driver with the highest point average will start 10th.
  • In a four-heat format, the top five move on to the A-Main. The top three from each heat will be handicapped into the top 12 starting spots in the feature. In a three-heat format, six qualify and four are handicapped into the top 12 based on point average.
  • If a driver has no point average, he or she must start last in the heat race and 12th in the feature inversion.

FORMER CHAMPIONS

2016: Doug Hammaker

2015: Doug Hammaker

NOTE: A $200 bounty will be awarded to anyone who wins the point total other than Doug Hammaker.

FAVORITES

Doug Hammaker: Hammaker has been the most successful 358 Sprint Car driver the last two seasons and is the two-time defending champ of the series. Can you say, three-peat?

Kevin Nouse: Nouse has a lot on his plate organizing this series, but he is well equipped to do some damage. He’s won races at every track and would love to wrestle the title away from Hammaker.

Adrian Shaffer: Easy pick, considering Shaffer is the point leader at Lincoln and Williams Grove Speedway. He will be in the hunt every night he competes.

Chandler Leiby: Leiby is coming off a rib injury he received during USAC competition a couple of weeks ago. Don’t sleep on this guy … he is really good at Lincoln and can run up front everywhere else.

Steve Owings: If this series was at Trail-Way, Owings would be a slam-dunk favorite. He’s pretty good elsewhere, as he enters this series with the highest point average in the division this season.

CONTENDERS

Brent Shearer: This might surprise some people, but Shearer has shown some speed this year and is considered one of the rising young drivers in the division.

Brie Hershey: Hershey has a pair of Summer Series wins and already has a victory at Lincoln this season. If the car holds together, Hershey could be in the hunt.

Jeff Halligan: Sure, Halligan is only 15th in the point standings at Lincoln and 18th at Williams Grove … that doesn’t matter. He already has a Lincoln win and is expected to run the entire series. He could make noise.

Troy Wagaman Jr.: Like Halligan, Wagaman has a win at Williams Grove and seems to be hanging around the top five. If Wagaman, who has been quick of late, can stay out of trouble, he has dark-horse potential.

Phil Walter: Every time I see a 358 Sprint Car event, Walter is running up front. He already has a Lincoln win and will be looking for more Saturday night and moving forward during the Summer Series.