by Jeff Adams
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will make their one and only appearance of the year at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City tomorrow night. The appearance by the series is only of 2 races in Illinois this year by the WoO sprints, with the other being July 8 at the little-used Route 66 Raceway dirt track in Joliet.
The greatest dirt track driver of all-time, regardless of division, Steve Kinser, once again leads the WoO points standings heading into Saturday’s race. Craig Dollansky is 100 points back, with Kinser’s son Kraig in 3rd place, 171 points behind. With Sammy Swindell back on the tour full time, any chance to see these long-time rivals and legends race is a real treat. It was just like old times 2 weeks ago at Eldora, with Kinser and Swindell each taking A Main wins.
Long-time St. Louis dirt late model driver Kevin Gundaker has bought the big Tri-City half-mile oval, located just East of the Mississippi River and St. Louis. Gundaker has widened the track 12 feet in hopes of getting better racing from a track which was primarily one-grooved under the previous regime. Gundaker is also promoting the fact that the track is actually located in Pontoon City, and not Granite City, as has been promoted in the past.
Gundaker has booked arguably the most ambitious dirt-track schedule in the US, with virtually every big-time series racing at the track in 2005. The UMP Challenge of Champions Late Models (June 1), AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Motorcycles (June 11), MARS Late Models (June 19), UMP Summernationals (July 17), Lucas Oil Late Models (July 31), USAC Sprints and Midgets (August 24), WoO Late Models (September 16), and UMP Modifieds (September 24) will all appear at the Pontoon Beach oval this year.
The race Saturday will be taped for airing on the Outdoor Channel (Insight Digital channel 406) at 7 PM May 18. Gates open at 4 PM, and tickets are $32. The track is located across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, MO in Pontoon Beach, IL. Take exit 4 off I-270 and go 1/2 mile south on SR 203. Fans can also log onto tricityspeedway.net for more information.
SHORT TRACKS
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series race held earlier in the year at Virginia Motor Speedway will be shown on SPEED Channel at 2 PM Saturday…one of the biggest races all year in the Midwest is this weekend as Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway hosts the “99” Dirt Late Model Special. The race will pay double points for both the WoO and UMP Late Model sanctioning bodies, and will pay $24,999 to win from a whopping $99,000 purse. Nearly every major late model driver in the country will be at KLMS this weekend. The “99” theme comes from the number of new KLMS promoter Sherrie Heckenast’s late model, with the Heckenast family taking over the facility last year.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series will make their one and only appearance of the year at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City tomorrow night. The appearance by the series is only of 2 races in Illinois this year by the WoO sprints, with the other being July 8 at the little-used Route 66 Raceway dirt track in Joliet.
The greatest dirt track driver of all-time, regardless of division, Steve Kinser, once again leads the WoO points standings heading into Saturday’s race. Craig Dollansky is 100 points back, with Kinser’s son Kraig in 3rd place, 171 points behind. With Sammy Swindell back on the tour full time, any chance to see these long-time rivals and legends race is a real treat. It was just like old times 2 weeks ago at Eldora, with Kinser and Swindell each taking A Main wins.
Long-time St. Louis dirt late model driver Kevin Gundaker has bought the big Tri-City half-mile oval, located just East of the Mississippi River and St. Louis. Gundaker has widened the track 12 feet in hopes of getting better racing from a track which was primarily one-grooved under the previous regime. Gundaker is also promoting the fact that the track is actually located in Pontoon City, and not Granite City, as has been promoted in the past.
Gundaker has booked arguably the most ambitious dirt-track schedule in the US, with virtually every big-time series racing at the track in 2005. The UMP Challenge of Champions Late Models (June 1), AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Motorcycles (June 11), MARS Late Models (June 19), UMP Summernationals (July 17), Lucas Oil Late Models (July 31), USAC Sprints and Midgets (August 24), WoO Late Models (September 16), and UMP Modifieds (September 24) will all appear at the Pontoon Beach oval this year.
The race Saturday will be taped for airing on the Outdoor Channel (Insight Digital channel 406) at 7 PM May 18. Gates open at 4 PM, and tickets are $32. The track is located across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, MO in Pontoon Beach, IL. Take exit 4 off I-270 and go 1/2 mile south on SR 203. Fans can also log onto tricityspeedway.net for more information.
SHORT TRACKS
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series race held earlier in the year at Virginia Motor Speedway will be shown on SPEED Channel at 2 PM Saturday…one of the biggest races all year in the Midwest is this weekend as Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway hosts the “99” Dirt Late Model Special. The race will pay double points for both the WoO and UMP Late Model sanctioning bodies, and will pay $24,999 to win from a whopping $99,000 purse. Nearly every major late model driver in the country will be at KLMS this weekend. The “99” theme comes from the number of new KLMS promoter Sherrie Heckenast’s late model, with the Heckenast family taking over the facility last year.
