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Winchester Speedway
Releases 2008 Schedule
Three USAC National
Sprint Car Races and the 37th Annual Winchester 400
Highlight Schedule
Winchester, IN
(December 19, 2007) – Officials from Winchester Speedway and track
promoters Champion Racing Association (CRA) have released the 2008
schedule for the legendary high banked ½ mile track in East Central
Indiana. Speedway owner Charlie Shaw has secured CRA to promote
and
manage the Speedway again in 2008 after three successful seasons of
that company’s management of the tracks events. CRA leaders R. J.
Scott, Glenn Luckett and Greg Wood have prepared a diverse and
entertaining eight-race schedule based on the successful events in
2007 and the past several seasons.
After an open
practice on Saturday, April 19th, the season will open on
Sunday, April 20th with a mix of the best in open wheel and
stock car racing with the USAC National Sprint Cars Rich Vogler
Classic and the CRA Super Series Late Models. Last season’s Rich
Vogler
Classic
had a beautiful bright sunny spring day that welcomed a standing room
only crowd that got there money’s worth starting with Marc Jessup’s
victory in the USAC Sprints feature, even after flipping his car on
the first lap of his heat race. Tommy St. John got his second CRA
Super Series victory in The Manning Service 100 that Sunday; it was
also his second victory with the series at Winchester Speedway. The
season opener will also feature racing action from the CRA Street
Stocks and CRA FWD Compacts.
The ARCA Lincoln
Welder Truck Series will return for a 50-lap feature event on Sunday,
May 4th along with a special
100-lap
CRA Street Stock event that will pay $2500 to win, which will be the
biggest Street Stock event of the season at Winchester Speedway. Paul
Hahn was the winner of the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series 50 lap
event in 2007. Beau Mitchell came away with his second big Winchester
Speedway win in as many years in last season’s Street Stock 200
lapper. The Howe CRA Sportsman and CRA FWD Compacts will also be in
action.
A past tradition on
the historic High Banks of Winchester Speedway will be reborn on
Thursday night June 12th as Thursday Night Thunder will
return for the first time in many seasons featuring the USAC National
Sprint Cars. The event will be part of the Asphalt Border Wars, as the
series will visit Charlie Stapleton’s Shady Bowl Speedway the next
night. The American Modified Series and the Inex Thunder Roadsters
will
also be in action that evening under the lights.
Sunday, July 20th
will be a special day for local race fans, as Winchester Speedway will
present the 2nd Annual Randolph County Appreciation Day,
which will feature $5 tickets for all Randolph County residents. Race
fans will have to present a valid ID with hometown listed in order to
receive the special priced tickets. The event will feature ‘The
Modified Big One" between the AMS Modified Series and the USA
Modifieds. Also in action will be the CRA Street Stocks and CRA FWD
Compacts. The day will feature entertainment
for
all ages, as the track will have special attractions for kids and
adults with lots of local interest involved in this celebration of
Randolph County.
The fourth addition
of the "King of The Wings" Sprint Car Challenge will return on Sunday,
August 10th featuring the country’s top Winged Sprint Car
drivers from the Auto Value Super Sprints and HOSS Wing Sprints, plus
many others. On a day with weather truly fit for a king, Shane Butler
put on a show to win the third addition of the King Of The Wings,
Winged Sprint Car Challenge Presented By Pier-Mac Plastics ending
Cameron Dodson’s two year reign. Butler chased down a very loose
Michael Ling and made the pass after both cars almost wrecked on lap
28 to get the win. The Howe CRA Sportsman, CRA FWD Compacts and Inex
Thunder Roadsters will also be part of the days racing events.
The historic World
Stock Car Festival is scheduled on Labor Day Weekend after three very
successful
years in a row and will once again feature a great combination of
racing, camping, music and parties. Saturday, August 30th
will be an open practice day for all cars and the grandstands will be
free to the public. Sunday and Monday, August 31st &
September 1st will see seven different stock car divisions
compete for their World Stock Car Festival crown. The CRA Super Series
Late Models will headline the action, along with the American
Modifieds and Short Track Trucks. The weekend will also include racing
for the Howe CRA Sportsman, CRA Street Stocks, CRA FWD Compacts and
ThunderCars on Sunday only. The other six groups will practice,
qualify and race in qualifying races (where applicable) on Sunday to
set the fields for "Features Only" on Labor Day, Monday, September
1st, except for the CRA FWD Compacts which will have a feature event
on Sunday and Monday. There will be a party in the pavilion on Sunday
night, it will be tough to top last season’s Labor Day party, but it
will be fun trying!
Another great
Winchester Speedway tradition will be revived on Saturday & Sunday,
September 27th & 28th, as the famed Old Timers
Weekend will return after a number of years. Longtime vintage racecar
writer Bill Holder will serve as the event coordinator of the
Old-Timers events that weekend, which will feature vintage racecar
displays on the 27th and again on the 28th. The
vintage cars will take to the track for some hot laps after the day’s
qualifications on the 28th. The featured racing action on
Sunday of Old Timers Weekend will come from the USAC National Sprint
Cars along with the CRA Street Stocks and Inex Thunder Roadsters.
On
Sunday, October 12th Winchester Speedway will see the CRA
Super Series return for the prestigious 37th Annual
Winchester 400 Presented By Ed Martin Auto Group and Renegade, an
event that saw racers from all over the country come to challenge the
High Banks for a grueling 400 lap shootout last year along with NASCAR
stars David Stremme and Kyle Busch. After a long day of racing it was
young Texan Ryan Lawler getting the victory after setting a new track
record in qualifying. Lawler and his team did a great job racing and
using pit strategy to get the victory, the biggest of his young racing
career. CRA 2007 Rookie of The Year John Van Doorn came in second for
car owner Tim Steele. Stemme limped home in third fighting a bad
vibration in his left rear wheel after loosing a couple of lug nuts
late in the race while trying to battle back to the front after
leading the event twice for 83 laps, even after having to start 35th
in the 40 car field. Veteran Rick Turner finished fourth with Terry
Fisher Jr. in fifth. Kyle Busch’s day ended early with broken wheel
studs. Both Stremme and Busch indicated after the event that they
would be back in 2008!
The Winchester 400
Weekend will start off on Friday, October 10th with open
practice for all cars. The CRA Sportsman and CRA Street Stocks will
have special non-point events on Friday along with the CRA FWD
Compacts Season Championship event. Saturday, October 11th
will feature Winchester 400 practice and qualifying plus practice,
qualifying and Season Championship features for the Howe CRA Sportsman
and the CRA Street Stocks. Saturday night will also feature the 3rd
Annual Winchester Run for the Gun between the American Modified Series
and the USA Modifieds.
Details on ticket
prices, season tickets, and a detailed schedule of events with times
will be posted on the Winchester Speedway web site at
www.winchesterspeedway.com in the near future. To contact CRA
about marketing or racing opportunities at Winchester Speedway,
interested parties can call the CRA office at 812-883-0455.
2008 Tentative Schedule
| Day |
Date |
Event |
Laps |
| Saturday |
April 19 |
Open
Practice All Cars |
|
| Sunday |
April 20 |
Rich
Vogler Classic- USAC Sprint Cars |
30 |
| |
|
CRA Super
Series Late Models |
100 |
| |
|
CRA
Street Stocks |
40 |
| |
|
CRA FWD
Compacts |
20 |
|
|
| Sunday |
May 4 |
CRA
Street Stock 100 - $2500 to Win $100 to Start |
100 |
| |
|
ARCA
Trucks |
50 |
| |
|
CRA
Sportsman |
40 |
| |
|
CRA FWD
Compacts |
20 |
|
|
| Thursday |
June 12 |
Thursday Night Thunder |
|
| |
|
USAC
Sprint Cars (Asphalt Boarder Wars) |
30 |
| |
|
AMS
Modifieds |
30 |
| |
|
Inex
Thunder Roadsters |
20 |
| |
| Sunday |
July 20 |
Randolph Co. Appreciation |
|
| |
|
"The
Modified Big One" (AMS and USA - details t.b.a.) |
|
| |
|
CRA
Street Stocks |
40 |
| |
|
CRA FWD
Compacts |
20 |
| |
|
Support
Division TBA |
|
| |
| Sunday |
August 10 |
"King
of the Wings" - Winged Sprint Cars |
30 |
| |
|
CRA
Sportsman |
40 |
| |
|
CRA FWD
Compacts |
20 |
| |
|
Inex
Thunder Roadsters |
20 |
| |
| Saturday |
August 30 |
Open
Practice All Cars |
|
| Sunday |
August 31 |
Practice, Qualifying, Heats and |
|
| |
|
L.C.
races for Monday Divisions Plus: |
|
| |
|
Feature
for FWD Compacts and ThunderCars |
|
| Monday |
September
1 |
CRA Super
Series Late Models |
100 |
| |
|
AMS
Modifieds |
50 |
| |
|
CRA
Sportsman |
40 |
| |
|
CRA
Street Stocks |
40 |
| |
|
Short
Track Trucks |
40 |
| |
|
FWD
Compacts |
20 |
| |
| Sunday
|
September
28 |
USAC
Sprint Cars "Old Timers Weekend" |
30 |
| |
|
CRA
Street Stocks |
40 |
| |
|
Inex
Thunder Roadsters |
25 |
|
|
|
37th
Annual Winchester 400 Weekend |
| Friday |
October
10 |
Open
Practice All Cars, Plus Features for: |
|
| |
|
CRA
Sportsman Special (TBA - non points) |
25 |
| |
|
Street
Stock Special (TBA - non points) |
25 |
| |
|
CRA FWD
Compacts |
20 |
| Saturday |
October
11 |
Winchester 400 Practice & Qualifying |
|
| |
|
Practice,
Qualifying and Features for: |
|
| |
|
Modifieds
- "Winchester Run for the Gun" USA & AMS |
50 |
| |
|
CRA
Street Stocks |
50 |
| |
|
CRA
Sportsman |
50 |
| Sunday |
October
12 |
Winchester 400 presented by Ed Martin/Renegade |
|
| |
|
CRA Super
Series Late Models |
400 |
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