Wednesday, 29 June 2011

Short Track and Drag Strip Action This Weekend

The Fourth of July weekend is soon upon us and that means the Daytona night race. I’ll get into that later but today I want to give you a heads up on some short track racing around the country. Many racetracks across this country plan special shows for the fourth of July weekend and this year is no different. I am going to concentrate on certain racing sanctions rather than specific tracks; you will get the track information in the process though. Short track racing is the root where Nascar grew from, the dirt tracks across this country produced many of the early drivers in the sport. Not all drivers who have had a racing career in Nascar started out running moonshine. There are many sanctioning bodies in the motor racing but sprint cars are my favorite. As a matter of fact the truck driver that taught me to drive a truck way back when was a modified driver who later moved up to sprint cars. In the world of sprint cars the World of Outlaws is at the top of the genre, it really is the greatest show on dirt!

            Some big names have been in the World of Outlaws sprint car series including Tony Stewart, Donny Shatz, Craig Dollansky, Steve Kinser, Joey Saldana and Sammy Swindell. I have seen this touring series many times when they would come to the Talladega Short Track on Nascar race weekends. 130 MPH qualifying times are not out of the question when these guys get on the dirt. They do run pavement during their season but dirt is where the real action is. My philosophy has always been “ If you don’t have dirt in your beer, your at the wrong track! I used to have a t-shirt that had a sprint car on the front and back and said “Asphalt is for getting to the track”!  This weekend the World of Outlaws is at The Dodge City Raceway Park in Dodge City Kansas. This track is located on US highway 56 on the south side of town where 14th and US 56 cross. I have been to this track before but it was a pavement track at the time. This is a 3/8 mile dirt track that normally races on Saturday nights. This weekend they will host the World of Outlaws July 1st and 2nd. Tickets are still on sale and unless something has changed you should have no trouble parking your rig there. Just remember the rule of thumb that I use, “ First In, Last Out.” This is a special event so expect to pay a higher than normal ticket price but trust me, it is worth every dollar that you spend. If you are going to be rolling on I70 in west central Kansas this Friday or Saturday Just get off at exit 127 which is US 283 south, go 93 miles south to Dodge City. I know that is a long way off of I70 but it is worth the trip.

            Ok so you say you don’t want to drive that far to see the best sprint car racing in the world? How about some late model action up on I-80 in Nebraska? The Mid-West Late Model Racing Association will be at the I-80 speedway in Greenwood Nebraska on July 1st. I haven’t seen this racing series in action but I’m sure they put on a great show if you like late model racing. I have not been to this track but it is on my list of places to get to. They have a show this Friday called The Midwest Tri-Fecta Challenge. There will be a Late Model $3000 to win race, a Sprint Car $3000 to win race and an A-Modified 2000 to win race. These purses are a lot higher than your weekly series purses so this event is sure to draw a lot of cars this holiday weekend. I-80 Speedway is located off Interstate 80 at exit 420, halfway between Omaha and Lincoln. The 4/10-mile dirt track is home to the NASCAR Whelen All American Series (NWAAS) on Sunday nights, and host several specials featuring regional touring late model and sprint car series. For more information, visit I-80 Speedway.com. That should cover the mid west for this weekend; you have World of Outlaw Sprint Cars, and Super Late Models to make you happy this weekend.

            So you don’t want to go see drivers go fast and turn left? How about a little straight-line action? There is one whale of a drag race going on this weekend near Evansville Indiana at the Chandler Motorsports Park in Chandler Indiana. They are hosting the NHRA Summit Racing Series this weekend with a National Dragster Challenge program. This is a single day event on Friday and Friday night. Gates open there at 11 A.M. with test and tune from 12 noon till 2:30 P.M. Time trials start at 3 P.M. and eliminations start at 3 P.M. I have been to this drag strip and it is a very nice facility. Chandler is an 1/8th mile drag strip and on the weekend that I was there they were hosting an old time dragster series. I forget the name of the series but there were a lot of muscle cars from the sixties and seventies there. It was a great show. So yes I admit that I am not all go fast and turn left, I do like the straight-line action as well.  Take I 164 south from I 64 to state route 62 east. Turn left on Inderrieden road and the track should be on your left. There is room for your truck but apply my rule of thumb there as well.

I hope you have a great time if you choose to attend one of these events this weekend.

Stay safe

TW

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