WALKER, Mich. (Feb 2, 2012) – Young Michigan racer Brandon Hermiller is set to attack the most demanding schedule of his career in 2012.  The 18-year-old hotshoe plans to compete in all 2012 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour races, contending for both the Howie Lettow Rookie-of-the-Year Award and the series’ points championship.

If energy and enthusiasm is any gauge, the No. 6 H.S. Die/VISI-TST Chevrolet driver has certainly adopted a “bring-it-on” attitude about the challenging season that lies ahead.

 “Running for both the rookie and the points’ titles this season may sound like an impossible goal, especially for a team like ours that has done so little traveling,” said Hermiller.  “But we have a strong team that is learning every time we race.  We think it’s a realistic target to shoot for this season.  We can’t wait for April when we start racing just about every week.”

 Hermiller, the 2011 Berlin Raceway “Racer of the Year” and Pro Stock Series Champion at the Marne, Mich., track, competed in three JEGS/CRA races last season.  He was fast qualifier and finished fifth in the tour’s stop at Berlin last September.  Hermiller qualified eighth and finished 16th at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis last October.  He finished the 2011 season with an impressive weekend last October on the demanding Winchester (Ind.) Speedway half-mile high-banked oval, where he started sixth and finished sixth.

 Hermiller and the H.S. Die/VISI-TST Team opened their 2012 season last weekend in the non-points Rheem 150 at Watermelon Capital Speedway near Cordele, Ga.  While he was credited with a 25th-place start and a 15th-place finish, the Grand Rapids, Mich., area speedster was optimistic about his team’s performance there.

 “It was a challenging track and nothing like I’d ever raced on before,” Hermiller said of the tight little 3/8ths-mile high-speed D-shaped layout.  “In looking back, I really do wish now that I’d been a little bit more aggressive.  I think that cost us several finishing positions.  But at the end of the day, we accomplished the goals we set for the weekend – to bring the car home in one piece, be running at the finish and complete all the laps.  We did all those things and we’re pretty pleased about it.”

 While most of Hermiller’s focus for 2012 will be on the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, he plans on racing at Berlin as much as his busy schedule allows.  He currently has 10 Berlin Raceway events on this year’s schedule, including the prestigious “Rowdy 251” CRA Super Series battle on Tuesday, June 19.

 “Berlin Raceway will always be my home track and hold a special place in my heart,” said Hermiller, who won eight feature races and 11 fast-qualifier awards en route to the track’s Pro Stock Division points title last season.  “I already have so many great memories of racing there and look to add to that success when we come back home to race this year.”

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-2012 BRANDON HERMILLER RACING SCHEDULE-

Sunday, April 22 Plymouth Speedway (Plymouth, Ind.) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Saturday, April 28 Berlin Raceway Super Late Models
Sunday, May 6 Winchester Speedway (Winchester, Ind.) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Saturday, May 12 Berlin Raceway CRA Super Series
Saturday, May 19 T Illiana Speedway (Schererville, Ind.) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Saturday, May 26 Columbus Motor Speedway (Columbus, Ohio) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Friday, June 1 T Dixie Motor Speedway (Birch Run, Mich.) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Saturday, June 2 Berlin Raceway ASA Midwest Tour tentative
Saturday, June 9 Berlin Raceway Rowdy Warm-up Super Lates
Tuesday, June 19 Berlin Raceway Rowdy 251 CRA Super Series
Saturday, June 30 Berlin Raceway Super Lates
Sunday, July 1 Springport Speedway (Springport, Mich.) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Saturday, July 7 Shady Bowl Speedway (DeGraff, Ohio) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Friday, July 20 Anderson Speedway (Anderson, Ind.) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Thursday, July 26 T Lucas Oil Raceway (Brownsburg, Ind.) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Saturday, July 28 Berlin Raceway Berlin Super Lates
Saturday, August 4 Berlin Raceway JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Wednesday, August 15 Auto City Speedway (Clio, Mich.) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Saturday, September 1 Owosso Speedway (Ovid, Mich.) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Friday, September 7 Berlin Raceway Super Lates
Saturday September 8 Berlin Raceway Super Lates
Sat./Sun., September 29-30 Lucas Oil Raceway (Brownsburg, Ind.) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour
Friday, October 12 Winchester Speedway (Winchester, Ind.) JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour

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For additional information on the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, please visit the CRA site at http://www.craracing.net/.  For information on Berlin Raceway, please visit http://www.berlinraceway.com/

For additional information on Brandon, please visit his site at http://www.brandonhermiller.com/.

For the latest news and insights, we invite you to follow Brandon on Twitter: @bhermiller (www.twitter.com/bhermiller) and Facebook: Brandon.hermiller (http://www.facebook.com/Brandon.hermiller)

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