Chad Kemenah

Chad Kemenah gets pushed out on the track earlier this year at Limaland Motorsports Park. Kemenah has committed to be a part of the new Renegade Sprints series. (Jeremy Elliott | jelliott@pennlive.com)

This time, it's different.

When car-owner Shane Helms announced that he is starting a new Sprint Car series to go toe-to-toe with the All Star Circuit of Champions, it sent shockwaves and a touch of anticipation through the sport.

Message boards and forums blew up. People hit me up on email to find out information about sanction fees, driver commitments and if there was a schedule in place.

There have also been a sizable number of skeptics, and rightly so. This isn't the first time a group of drivers and owners have stepped up and formed a new organization to go against a staple in the racing industry.

It happened in 1989 when the USA series was formed. It occurred again in 2006, when Steve Kinser and Co. left the World of Outlaws to form the National Sprint Tour (NST).

Both series failed after one season, but this doesn't have the same feel. After talking to Helms and other sources, this group is in it for the long haul.

Helms owns a car driven by his son Caleb. The two traveled up and down the road for two and a half seasons with Guy Webb's All Stars before having a fall out with the group during Ohio Speed Week this season.

That was the last log on a fire that has been stoked for some time. And Helms isn't the type of guy that sits around and complains without putting a plan into action.

Helms, a racer in the late 80s and early 90s, is a successful businessman, specializing in highway construction, asphalt and underground work. He is organized, pays attention to detail and when he takes on a task, he is successful.

This particular project has come together in short order, a red flag in most cases. But the only reason the Renegade Sprints, the name attached to the new series, is moving at such a fast pace is the support of drivers, owners, sponsors and track promoters.

According to a release that came out Wednesday, Helms and Co. are planning 50 races with each one paying at least $5,000 to the winner. It also stated that nearly a dozen drivers have committed to the new series, including former All Star champions Greg Wilson, Tim Shaffer and Chad Kemenah.

"I really believe in Shane Helms," Kemenah said in a phone interview Wednesday night. "He is a good person at heart and is a racer.

"I think getting together 10 ideas instead of one guy barking out orders is better. And if someone doesn't step up to protect the owners, it doesn't matter how many cars you have."

Continued Kemenah, "We're not only looking at doing things for owners and drivers, we are planning to bring some real neat things to the table to bring in fans. If you don't have owners and fans, you are beating a dead horse."

A ringing endorsement.

Organization is key. But it also helps that the Renegade Sprints aren't looking to challenge the World of Outlaws as much as coexist with them.

That hurt the USA and NST circuits went after the two-ton gorilla. But the World of Outlaws had a brand, and the big tracks like Williams Grove, Eldora and Knoxville continued to book them.

This is a different animal. It's a regional battle and even though the All Stars are the name you know, they have declined a bit over the years and don't carry the same juice as the World of Outlaws series.

Expect Helms to be aggressive. They are tackling Ohio for sure, but they also want to travel to central Pennsylvania, Michigan and Indiana.

"We will see what happens," said Alan Kreitzer, who is part of the ownership team at Lincoln Speedway. "I talked to Guy Webb, and he said that he has some of the bigger guns, but we will see how it shakes out."

Justin Loh, manager at Williams Grove indicated, "I have a good relationship with the All Stars but like the NST, we will look at everything before making any decisions."

I have nothing against the All Star Circuit of Champions. It was always appealing to have the group come east and fill the calendar with a higher paying show.

Still, the Renegade Sprints is an enticing prospect. I respect Helms' initiative and the support he has gathered in a short amount of time

Could this all fall apart, sure. It's happened in the past. But this is different and if I was Webb and the All Stars, I would be worried.

NOTES

-Brent Marks and Greg Hodnett will be heading to Knoxville after Saturday's Dream Race at Port Royal Speedway. Danny Dietrich is skipping Port Royal and leaving for the Ironman 55 in Pevely, Mo.,Thursday. Hodnett and Dietrich are scheduled to compete in Wednesday's preliminary night at the Knoxville Nationals. Marks will be in action Thursday.

-We announced last week that former driver Sean Michael would be helping Brian Brown at this years Knoxville Nationals. Not happening. Instead, Michael, who was with Sammy Swindell most of the season, has decided to help out Mike Heffner, a close friend, and driver Greg Hodnett.

-Justin Henderson is tentatively scheduled to run Mark Coldren's Sprint Car during the Williams Grove National Open, as well as the World of Outlaws events at Port Royal Speedway and in New York. Steve Buckwalter piloted the car Tuesday night at Grandview Speedway.