Boyd's sets $5,000-to-win event for May 2
Taking advantage of Georgia’s lifting of coronavirus restrictions, Boyd’s Speedway has scheduled a $5,000-to-win Super Late Model event Saturday, May 2, at the third-mile oval near Ringgold on the Tennessee-Georgia border.
Promoter Kenny Slayton will require social distancing practices for spectators and competitors at Boyd’s Dirt Showdown presented by PitStopUSA.com, the track’s fourth event of the season and first since March 7. Live video of the event will be available for DirtonDirt.com and FloRacing subscribers.
“Everybody’s been very professional that’s come on the property (for practices),” Slayton said. “We’ve done a lot of practicing and they’ve been very successful ... but now it’s just trying to get back to racing.”
Besides the 50-lap feature for Super Late Models, Crate Late Models ($1,000-to-win), sportsman ($1,000-to-win) and driver development ($500-to-win) divisions will be on the card. Gresham Racing Parts added $500 to the sportsman purse.
Practice is scheduled for 5-9 p.m. Friday and teams are welcome to stay overnight; gates open at 2 p.m. Saturday with the drivers’ meeting at 5:30 p.m. and hot laps at 6. Super Late Model rules will adhere to the Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals rulebook.
Slayton plans to leave empty pit stalls between race teams and employees will help attendees follow social distancing with signs posted in the grandstands limiting groups to six people. He expects about 20 percent of the 2,500-seat grandstand to be used; the pits can hold 168 race teams.
While profit margins will be thin with racing’s tentative return, Slayton is glad to be hosting an event after being limited to practices for several weeks.
“Our goal is just to break even and get people some laps,” he said.