Bloomington Speedway, whose racing tradition dates back to 1923, begins a new era in 2019 under a management team led by Bloomington native and USAC Silver Crown manager A.J. Bowlen and the United States Auto Club.
Track improvements are now in the planning stages to assure that the iconic southern Indiana quarter-mile, red clay oval continues to provide thrills for generations to come — the racing entertainment that has excited race fans for the past century.
Planned improvements include new grandstand seating, enhanced safety fencing and overall grounds upgrades over the course of the next 24 months with an effort focused on enhancing the fan experience.
Bloomington Speedway will have a concise 2019 racing calendar to allow management time for the planned improvements. More events could be added as the season unfolds and improvements are addressed.
A seven-race schedule is slated for action at Bloomington. The USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship makes a pair of appearances on the 2019 schedule, including the season-opening “Larry Rice Classic” on April 12 and the annual visit during “Indiana Sprint Week” on July 26 for the “Sheldon Kinser Memorial.” Bloomington is the only track to host an event in each of the 32 years Indiana Sprint Week dating back to 1988.
The Midwest Sprint Car Series resumes at Bloomington on May 24 for the “Josh Burton Memorial” before the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship arrives on June 7 for the 15th annual edition of “Indiana Midget Week.” Both the May 3 “Salute to Mike Miles” and “Bob Kinser Memorial” on Aug. 9 feature an “open” event showcasing Sprint Cars.
The team will be revamping all of Bloomington Speedway websites and social media platforms throughout the coming weeks. The track’s website can be found at www.bloomingtonspeedway.com.
On social media, Twitter: @BloomSpeedway, Facebook: Bloomington Speedway and Instagram: @bloomspeedway.
The 2019 Bloomington Speedway schedule:
April 12: “Larry Rice Classic” — USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship
May 3: “Salute to Mike Miles” — Sprint Cars
May 24: “Josh Burton Memorial” — Midwest Sprint Car Series
June 7: “Indiana Midget Week” — USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship
July 5: “Fireworks Festival” — TBA
July 26: “Indiana Sprint Week”/“Sheldon Kinser Memorial” — USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National
Championship, Aug. 9: “Bob Kinser Memorial” — Sprint Cars
Courtney takes USAC midgets in Florida
If Tyler Courtney’s win on Feb. 8 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Florida, was one small step toward a successful USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget season, then the Feb. 9 finale win was a giant leap toward what could be a banner year in the series for the Indianapolis driver.
Courtney slid by Tucker Klaasmeyer with nine laps remaining in the Feb. 9 30-lap “Winter Dirt Games X” feature, blasting to victory for the second time in as many nights on the 3/8-mile, D-shaped dirt track to become just the eighth driver to win the opening two USAC National Midget races of the season, joining Lee Kunzman (1972), Gary Bettenhausen (1975), Rich Vogler (1984-85), Dave Steele (2002), Brad Sweet (2010), Bryan Clauson (2011) and Rico Abreu (2014).
“It’s definitely a weight lifted off my shoulders to get the season started off on the right foot,” Courtney said. “We’ve got a great team here and the whole series is tough right now. It’s a lot of fun and it’s obviously the best way you can start. We’ve got awesome momentum going for our midget season right now as well as going into the start of the Sprint Car season next week.”
Courtney was the Fatheadz Eyewear Fast Qualifier earlier in the evening, positioning him sixth for the start of the main event while Tucker Klaasmeyer started from the pole position for the second consecutive night. Just like he did a night earlier, Klaasmeyer scooted away with the lead on the opening lap that was short-lived the first time around as Vermonter Adam Pierson took a nasty tumble in Turn 3 from which he would walk away.
Klaasmeyer was at the head of the pack on the ensuing complete restart as he tried to extend his early- race success from a night earlier when he led the opening four circuits. Klaasmeyer was class as he held control of the field, despite a couple of early yellows that forced him to regain his momentum.
The Paola, Kansas, driver was up to the task each time, although Feb. 8 winner Courtney was suddenly in the picture, sliding to second in turn two past teammate Zeb Wise momentarily. Wise countered to get back past Courtney off turn two, but Courtney answered the bell and slid back past Wise between Turns 3 and 4 to retake the second spot for good on the ninth lap.
Courtney’s sights were then set on Klaasmeyer for the race lead, the same as the night before. Crossing the halfway point, Courtney was searching to find a way around, high/low/middle, wherever he may roam, he was going to give it a whirl. Courtney left the bottom open on Lap 18, and Chad Boat was there to capitalize to grab second off Turn 4. Courtney quickly whipped up a remedy to slide back past Boat heading into turn one to reclaim second.
“I was moving around a little bit to see if I could just get a run somewhere else,” Courtney recalled. “Then, I moved around to the wrong spot and Chad got a run on me on the bottom. I was able to get back by him in three and four. That showed me the bottom, so I knew if I could keep in it perfect, especially on those first couple of laps after a restart, when I ended up getting him, that would be crucial.”
“I got that run off 4, and I knew that was about the only time I was going to be able to stick it in there,” he continued. “I stuck it in there, and it stuck. At that point, you can play your own race, run your own laps and try not to worry about anybody else. That makes it a little easier when there’s only 10 laps to go instead of trying to run the whole race.”
Courtney instantly stretched out his lead to 1.5 seconds, running the bottom of Turns 1 and 2 and the middle of Turns 3 and 4 with the laps dwindling, until Wise’s Turn 2 spin collected Holley Hollan to force one final restart with three laps remaining. With Boat and Kevin Thomas Jr. just behind, Thomas was on the move on the final restart the previous night, racing from sixth to second in the final four laps. With Thomas getting around Boat a lap following the restart, Courtney inherently knew he had to be just about perfect.
Courtney successfully pulled off the double-dip with a half-second advantage over Thomas at the checkered, with Boat, C.J. Leary and Klaasmeyer rounding out the top five.
