Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Dawn Minturn-Mack will make her 2013 debut aboard a powerful Matt Smith Racing Buell this weekend at the seventh annual Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Minturn-Mack last raced under NHRA sanction in early September at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, where she successfully qualified one of Smith's Buells for the sport's longest-running and most prestigious event.

Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Dawn Minturn-Mack will make her 2013 debut aboard a powerful Matt Smith Racing Buell this weekend at the seventh annual Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Minturn-Mack last raced under NHRA sanction in early September at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, where she successfully qualified one of Smith's Buells for the sport's longest-running and most prestigious event.

"We hope to pick up right where we left off," Minturn-Mack said. "Matt has very competitive bikes and even though I'm only able to race part-time until we secure full-time funding, the fact we were able to jump on one of his Buells and make the field at Indy says a lot.

"I'm really excited to be racing again, especially in my home state of Ohio. I know the fan support will be tremendous. It should be a great Fourth of July weekend."

Minturn-Mack's Buell will share dual title sponsors this weekend as Armor Paving & Sealing and Superior Die Tool & Machine Company, which are both based in Columbus, have stepped in to offer support. Schiets Motorsports of Fremont, Ohio, and CustomizedGirl.com are also on board.

"There is nothing more exciting than competing at your home track," Minturn-Mack said. "I know that track like the back of my hand, so I always feel more comfortable there. Plus, the Bader Family always puts on a great show for the fans so the atmosphere will be upbeat.

"Having Armor Paving & Sealing and Superior Die Tool & Machine Company on the bike will give us a built-in fan base because those two companies have been around for a long time and the fans in this area will know them. I hope to represent them well."

Throughout the weekend, Minturn-Mack and her Red Dawn Racing teammates will be wearing purple ribbons in support of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness.

"One in three people in this country have had their lives impacted one way or another by cancer," Minturn-Mack said. "About this time last year, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which has an extremely low survival rate, only like three to five percent. Fortunately, she was diagnosed early and surgeons were able to remove the cancer, and after months of treatment, she is getting better and stronger every day.

"Not many people know much about pancreatic cancer but it's one of the most deadly forms of the disease. However, through awareness and research, we hope we can change that statistic, so we're doing our part to help."