Brownstown Speedway, located at the Jackson County Fairgrounds in Brownstown, will kick off its 2017 racing season with a special open practice session from 3 to 7 p.m. March 4. Drivers from all divisions of cars are welcome to attend.
The first race of the new season will be March 11. On the race program will be the Indiana Pro Late Model Series, Modifieds, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks and Hornets.
The first big event in the Midwest will take place at Brownstown Speedway on March 18 with the Indiana Icebreaker featuring the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series paying $12,000 to win. The night before, on March 17, will be the first-ever appearance by the MARS DirtCar Series. Also racing will be Modifieds, Pure Stocks, Super Stocks and Hornets.
Brownstown will wind up the month with the No-Way Out 40 for Non-wing Sprint Cars, paying $7,500 to win, which is scheduled for March 25.
Reigning champions in each of their respective divisions from 2016 are Joe Godsey of Edinburgh (Super Late Models), Marty O’Neal of Spencer (Indiana Pro Late Models), Jacoby Hines of Nineveh (Modifieds), Jamey Wilson of Seymour (Super Stocks), Jim Ruddick of Seymour (Pure Stocks) and John Mayer Jr. of Edinburgh (Hornets).
Jim Price of Salem returns for his fourth year as the promoter of the track, which first opened in 1952.
With the mild winter the area has enjoyed, Price has been able to work on the track, getting it ready for a busy race schedule that extends through the end of October. Price, 48, is a former mini-stock and late model racer.
Price, who battled through six rainouts a year ago, hopes for the good weather to continue the entire season. Also, Price has worked hard on the track configuration since before the last race of last year and this year’s opener.
“We have rounded the top of the track more, instead of having a crown. We have made it much safer, and along with that, we should see better racing with a bottom and middle groove now. It was top-dominant. Now, you should be able to race all over it.”
To view the 2017 race schedule for Brownstown, log onto the track’s website, brownstownspeedway.com. Also, the track has added race results from 1969 to 1983 under the results page on the website.
Lucas Oil Late Models get season underway
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series got its 2017 season started with nine races originally scheduled for the Georgia-Florida Speedweeks. There were two events rained out and seven shows that were completed in a timely manner at Golden Isles Speedway in Waynesville, Georgia; East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Florida; and Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Florida.
Josh Richards and Brandon Sheppard led the way with two wins apiece. Brandon Overton, Tim McCreadie and Scott Bloomquist each recorded one win during the seven nights of racing.
Richards, the defending World of Outlaws Late Model Series Champion, is competing in his first full season with the Lucas Oil Series and leads the championship points standings heading into the series’ next two events at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio, and Brownstown Speedway on March 17 and 18.
Richards currently leads Bloomquist, Jonathan Davenport, McCreadie, Jimmy Owens, Earl Pearson Jr., Dennis Erb Jr., Don O’Neal, Darrell Lanigan and Brandon Sheppard after four points events.
Moffatt lands silver crown ride
Joss Moffatt of Columbus will be behind the wheel of a newly formed USAC Silver Crown team for the 2017 season.
Besides fielding his own equipment at local tracks, Moffatt has joined the St. Paul-based team of Roger Williams and Orville Wright this year to compete for the Silver Crown championship. The team has received sponsorship from Lucas Oil, E3 Spark Plugs, Creative Finishing, Total Power Batteries, Momentum Suspension, Line to Line Coatings, COMP Cams and 350 Graphics.
Moffatt is a three-time Lawrenceburg Speedway Sprint Car Track Champion. He finished second to Jarett Andretti in last year’s points at Lawrenceburg. The first USAC Silver Crown race of the season for the new team will be on April 2 at the Terre Haute Action Track in Terre Haute.
Twin Cities preparing for new season
Twin Cities Raceway Park in Vernon will be under the direction of former Brownstown Speedway promoter Tim Keithley this year. Several improvements have already taken place at the facility under the watchful eye of Keithley and Tom Wetherald of Columbus. The track’s first event will be on April 15, with Crate Late Models, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Pure Stocks and Hornets. The track recently introduced a new website, twincitiestrack.com.
Columbus racers reunion a month away
The 19th annual Columbus Racers Reunion will take place March 25 at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds in Columbus. Everyone is invited to attend this annual event which features bench racing and other activities in reminiscing about the racing at Columbus Speedway and the 25th Street Fairgrounds Speedway.
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free. There will be door prizes, food and drinks and awards and trophies presented. For more information, contact Greg Littleton at 812-378-2060.
