By Katherine Adams
(Savannah, GA) The 5th Annual Winternationals at Oglethorpe Speedway Park is set to begin this upcoming Thursday night with an open practice.
Drivers from twenty-five states and one Canadian province are registered to compete during the three day competition.
Crate Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Championship Modified Tour, 440 Cars will compete on Friday and Saturday night.
The weekend will culminate with the 2nd Annual Coca-Cola Young Guns Shoot-Out presented by Stock Car and Circle Track Magazines along with Sport Clips. A total of 12 feature races will take place over the two nights of racing action.
A record one hundred and five drivers are currently registered for the 2nd Annual Coca-Cola Young Guns race.
Professional race team talent scouts and development program coordinators will have the opportunity to witness the young men and women in action during a pair of 25-lap feature races on Saturday night.
Drivers aged 23 and younger will compete in late model and open wheel modified feature events. They may also participate in Friday afternoon’s Young Guns seminars covering a number of topics that will help develop young careers in motorsports.
Veteran and young guns will be racing hard on Friday and Saturday night as the Crate Late Models will battle for a $1500 to win on Friday night and $2000 Saturday night.
There is also a large number of drivers competing for the Winternationals title in the IMCA Modifieds and Championship Modified Tour races both nights along with a large contingent of local competition in the Mini Stocks and 440 Cars.
“There is a lot of racing planned for both nights,” explained promoter Ted Austad. “Fans are going to get their money’s worth with adults tickets priced at only $15.”
Local hot shoe and 2005 late model champion, Robert Diekemper, clean swept the crate late model action last year at the Winternationals. The 20-year-old skipped out on the Young Guns race last year, but will run all three races this year.
“We don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to get in front of the scouts,” said Diekemper. “I sure hope we have the same kind of weekend we had last year during this special OSP race event.”
Defending Young Guns late model champion Bodine Massengill from Jacksonville, Florida will be back to defend his title along with Iowa’s Zak VanderBeek who won the open wheel modified division title in 2005. Massengill hot lapped at OSP this past week reaching numbers in the low nineteens. The team felt it could get lower with better track conditions in the evening.“The track was dry and did not have a lot of bite,” said Bodine’s father Jeff. “Andy (Stone) will have the track perfect for this weekend. We will be faster.”
IMCA Modified drivers from the Midwest are making their first trip to the historic half mile to compete in a pair of races on Friday and Saturday night. The economical racing division has a strong following in the Midwest and is growing in numbers for the southeast with tracks running weekly programs in the Carolinas.
“We are excited at being a part of the winter tradition growing at Oglethorpe Speedway,” said IMCA’s Brett Root. “The Stone’s have a great program and promoter Ted Austad has always been a strong supporter of IMCA racing.”
Race fans can enjoy a sneak peek preview of the weekend’s cars and stars with an open practice scheduled for Thursday night. Grandstand admission is free with practice beginning at 6:30pm.
The Friday night program kicks off with a full slate of racing. Hot laps will crank up at 5:30pm with racing set for 7:30pm in the Crate Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Mini Stock, Championship Modified Tour and 440 Cars.
There will also be preview session for each of the Young Guns Modifieds and Young Guns Late Models.
Saturday’s program cranks up early with hot laps set for 4:00pm. Qualifying for the Young Guns is at 6:00pm with racing at 7:30pm.
All of Friday’s divisions will see action for the second straight night in addition to the main events for the Young Gun Late Model and Young Gun Modifieds.
Adult tickets are only $15 on Friday and Saturday night with a full weekend reserved ticket available for only $25.
Children 12 and under will be admitted for $5 on Friday and Saturday night. Tickets and additional information are available by calling the OSP offices at 912-964-8200 or by visiting the speedway’s website at www.ospracing.net.
A full list of drivers entered for the Coca-Cola Young Guns Shoot-Out can be found at the speedway’s website.
(Savannah, GA) The 5th Annual Winternationals at Oglethorpe Speedway Park is set to begin this upcoming Thursday night with an open practice.
Drivers from twenty-five states and one Canadian province are registered to compete during the three day competition.
Crate Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Championship Modified Tour, 440 Cars will compete on Friday and Saturday night.
The weekend will culminate with the 2nd Annual Coca-Cola Young Guns Shoot-Out presented by Stock Car and Circle Track Magazines along with Sport Clips. A total of 12 feature races will take place over the two nights of racing action.
A record one hundred and five drivers are currently registered for the 2nd Annual Coca-Cola Young Guns race.
Professional race team talent scouts and development program coordinators will have the opportunity to witness the young men and women in action during a pair of 25-lap feature races on Saturday night.
Drivers aged 23 and younger will compete in late model and open wheel modified feature events. They may also participate in Friday afternoon’s Young Guns seminars covering a number of topics that will help develop young careers in motorsports.
Veteran and young guns will be racing hard on Friday and Saturday night as the Crate Late Models will battle for a $1500 to win on Friday night and $2000 Saturday night.
There is also a large number of drivers competing for the Winternationals title in the IMCA Modifieds and Championship Modified Tour races both nights along with a large contingent of local competition in the Mini Stocks and 440 Cars.
“There is a lot of racing planned for both nights,” explained promoter Ted Austad. “Fans are going to get their money’s worth with adults tickets priced at only $15.”
Local hot shoe and 2005 late model champion, Robert Diekemper, clean swept the crate late model action last year at the Winternationals. The 20-year-old skipped out on the Young Guns race last year, but will run all three races this year.
“We don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to get in front of the scouts,” said Diekemper. “I sure hope we have the same kind of weekend we had last year during this special OSP race event.”
Defending Young Guns late model champion Bodine Massengill from Jacksonville, Florida will be back to defend his title along with Iowa’s Zak VanderBeek who won the open wheel modified division title in 2005. Massengill hot lapped at OSP this past week reaching numbers in the low nineteens. The team felt it could get lower with better track conditions in the evening.“The track was dry and did not have a lot of bite,” said Bodine’s father Jeff. “Andy (Stone) will have the track perfect for this weekend. We will be faster.”
IMCA Modified drivers from the Midwest are making their first trip to the historic half mile to compete in a pair of races on Friday and Saturday night. The economical racing division has a strong following in the Midwest and is growing in numbers for the southeast with tracks running weekly programs in the Carolinas.
“We are excited at being a part of the winter tradition growing at Oglethorpe Speedway,” said IMCA’s Brett Root. “The Stone’s have a great program and promoter Ted Austad has always been a strong supporter of IMCA racing.”
Race fans can enjoy a sneak peek preview of the weekend’s cars and stars with an open practice scheduled for Thursday night. Grandstand admission is free with practice beginning at 6:30pm.
The Friday night program kicks off with a full slate of racing. Hot laps will crank up at 5:30pm with racing set for 7:30pm in the Crate Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Mini Stock, Championship Modified Tour and 440 Cars.
There will also be preview session for each of the Young Guns Modifieds and Young Guns Late Models.
Saturday’s program cranks up early with hot laps set for 4:00pm. Qualifying for the Young Guns is at 6:00pm with racing at 7:30pm.
All of Friday’s divisions will see action for the second straight night in addition to the main events for the Young Gun Late Model and Young Gun Modifieds.
Adult tickets are only $15 on Friday and Saturday night with a full weekend reserved ticket available for only $25.
Children 12 and under will be admitted for $5 on Friday and Saturday night. Tickets and additional information are available by calling the OSP offices at 912-964-8200 or by visiting the speedway’s website at www.ospracing.net.
A full list of drivers entered for the Coca-Cola Young Guns Shoot-Out can be found at the speedway’s website.
