Michigan International Speedway is partnering with Bandit Industries — another Michigan-based company — to bring fans the Bandit Chippers Pole Day on June 13 and Aug. 15.
NASCAR’s new qualifying format in 2014 has added excitement to the weekend as drivers and teams compete against each other and the clock to post the fastest time. The new format is concise, competitive and compelling as drivers battle to advance to the next round.
Fans at MIS will experience three rounds of qualifying on June 13 as part of the Bandit Chippers Pole Day. In the first session, all the drivers will be on the track in a 25-minute segment to earn the right to advance. The top 24 times advance to a 10-minute segment. Finally, in the final five-minute session the drivers with the top 12 times from the second segment will battle to start on the pole.
“Qualifying has been exciting in 2014 and I cannot wait to see the drivers compete on Bandit Chippers Pole Day at MIS,” Roger Curtis, track president said. “It is exciting to partner with another great Michigan company who shares our motto of giving back to their customers. We are looking forward to fans enjoying the new qualifying format.”
Bandit is a Michigan-based manufacturer of wood processing equipment that has nearly doubled its sales volume and workforce over the past few years using Michigan talent. The partnership with Michigan International Speedway allows Bandit to broaden its involvement in racing and the opportunity to entertain its customers at NASCAR’s fastest track.
“We are very proud to be a successful Michigan manufacturer supporting our local track in the greatest spectator motorsport there is, NASCAR,” Bandit’s NASCAR Marketing Manager and Communications Director Chris Smith said. “This great state of ours has taken some punches in the last few years, but the people here are as strong and as dedicated as ever. We want to show the world that Michigan still knows a thing or two about manufacturing. It’s a great place to work, a great place to live, and of course it’s the best place to go racing.”
Bandit Industries was born in a cornfield, 10 mi. west of Mount Pleasant, Mich., in 1983. Working in a 6,000 sq.-ft. converted repair shop with just six employees, they built the Model 100 Brush Bandit wood chipper; a 65-hp machine capable of chipping material approximately 12 in. (30.1 cm) in diameter.
Bandit offers nearly 50 different models ranging from wood chippers to stump grinders, large horizontal wood waste grinders, forestry mowers and specialty wood processing equipment. The largest Bandit machines feature more than 1,000 hp, processing large whole trees up to three feet in diameter. More than 50,000 machines have been built since that first Model 100.
Bandit machines are sold through a global dealer network of 170 dealers, serving more than 50 different countries. Since 1983, Bandit has expanded on average every two years, with all equipment still built from scratch at the company’s Mount Pleasant headquarters, which now covers approximately 300,000 sq. ft. Nearly 450 employees work to assemble machines not on robotic assembly lines, but by dedicated teams of engineers, welders, fabricators and specialists.
Bandit Industries is a big supporter of renewable energy, forest health and resource management. Bandit machines are used in biomass operations all around the world, converting waste wood into renewable, carbon-neutral biomass energy. Bandit whole tree chippers are used in forest restoration projects, creating healthier forest ecosystems while also significantly reducing forest fire risk.
Bandit equipment serves numerous industries, including tree care, logging/forestry, biomass, land clearing and wood waste recycling.
Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike.
Tickets are on sale at http://www.MISpeedway.com or by phone at 800/354-1010.
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