Crate notebook
Notes: Batesville Crates set for five big weekends
Mooney Starr
Batesville Motor Speedway is launching a lucrative, five-weekend schedule of 10 races for Crate Late Models for the 2010 season. The events, sponsored by Bad Boy Mowers and Isle of Capri Casinos, features $1,500-to-win events on Fridays and $2,000-to-win events on Saturdays at the 3/8-mile oval in Locust Grove, Ark.
“We tried Crates last year on a weekly basis, but it really didn’t take off the way that I expected,” said long-time Batesville promoter Mooney Starr. "In trying to pick up our weekly shows, a 10-race series came to mind. The payback and point fund will be great for these guys, and bringing back the Late Models will hopefully put more fans in the grandstands."
The race dates are scheduled for April 2-3, May 14-15, June 18-19, July 23-24 and Sept. 3-4. Friday events pay at least $300 to every starter while Saturday events pays at least $400 to start.
Starr plans a point fund of more than $20,000 with the champion receiving $2,000 in cash and a Bad Boy Mower worth $5,000. The top 10 in points will receive cash with 10th place collecting $1,000.
A bonus system is also in place for drivers winning multiple races. If one driver wins five of 10 races, he'll collect and extra $1,000. The bonus increases to $1,500, $2,500, $5,000, $7,500 and $10,0000 for drivers winning six, seven, eight, nine or 10 races. — From track reports
FASTRAK NORTHEAST ADDS SATELLITE SERIES: The Fastrak Northeast tour as split off its southernmost events into Fastrak Mid-Ohio Valley for the 2010 season with plans for races in West Virginia and southeastern Ohio. Races are tentatively scheduled at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va., and West Virginia Motor Speedway in Mineral Wells, W.Va., with other possible dates at Beckley (W.Va.) Motorsports Park, Elkins (W.Va.) Speedway and Princeton (W.Va.) Speedway. The new series is aiming for 10-12 races, with some of the events co-sanctioned by Fastrak Northeast. “We got off to a little later start than we would have liked with this program," series co-director Mike Leone said, "but we’re excited about this inaugural season and look forward to growing in 2011 and beyond like we have with the Northeast touring series." — Mike Leone
NeSMITH CHEVROLET ADDS ALABAMA TRACKS: Flomaton (Ala.) Speedway and Shelby County Speedway in Wilsonville, Ala., will run NeSmith Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series events in the 2010 season. Flomaton, promoted by long-time racer and community leader Freddie McCall Sr. of Century, Fla., will join the East Region after being part of the West Region in '08. Shelby County will also join the East Region along with other new East Region tracks, North Alabama Speedway in Tuscumbia, Ala., Senoia (Ga.) Raceway and 441 Speedway in Dublin, Ga. Flomaton runs Saturdays and opens the season April 3, paying $750 to the Crate Late Model feature winner. Shelby County also operates Saturdays and opens the season March 6, paying $400 to feature winners. — From series and track reports
NDRA SCHEDULES EIGHT TOURING EVENTS: The National Dirt Racing Association's Crate Late Model touring events in 2010 will be sponsored by Heintz Performance and feature a $10,000 points fund with $3,000 going to the champion. The eight-race Road Show includes events at eight tracks: Westminster (S.C.) Speedway on March 26; Antioch (N.C.) Speedway on April 24; I-77 Speedway in Chester, S.C., on May 1; Cleveland County Speedway in Lawndale, N.C., on June 4; 311 Fastrack in Madison, N.C., on June 19; Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, N.C., on July 2; Friendship Motor Speedway in Elkin, N.C., on July 3; and Lancaster (S.C.) Motor Speedway on July 7. The series runner-up gets $2,000 with the rest of the top seven receiving $1,400, $1,200, $1,000, $800 and $600. — From series reports
MORE NEW FASTRAK-SANCTIONED TRACKS: Two tracks have joined the Fastrak Northeast weekly racing series fold with Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway and Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio, sanctioning their Crate Late Model divisions. The half-mile PPMS oval averaged more than 20 Crate Late Models per event last season and hosted a Fastrak Northeast touring event last season. Sharon Speedway won't run weekly events, but besides three touring races, the track plans occasional Crate Late Model events on its new bi-weekly Friday night schedule. Seventeen tracks now have Fastrak Northeast sanctioning. — From series reports
ODDS AND ENDS: The West Coast Crate Late Model Series plans to soon announce a sponsor that will provide a $25,000 points fund for each of the next three years for the Oregon-based tour. Series events are scheduled for Sunset Speedway in Banks, Ore.; Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore.; Madras (Ore.) Speedway; Coos Bay (Ore.) Speedway; Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford; and Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash. ... Conway County Super Speedway in Plumerville, Ark., plans to run Crate Late Models occasionally in 2010.
