After a wet week, tracks move ahead with big plans

Rain Friday. Rain Saturday. Rain Wednesday.

It wasn't a good week for local racing.

Area tracks got the worst of the weather with rainouts Friday and Saturday, followed by more rain Wednesday that wiped out a unique but promising mid-week event at Fredericktown (Mo.) Raceway.

The good news is that local promoters appear willing to wait out the weather and have plans for a big lineup of events over the next week.

At Malden (Mo.) Speedway today, the track begins its once-a-month schedule of outlaw sprints that's likely to include several familiar drivers from the area, including former IRL driver Jimmy Kite in a car prepared by Joe Reddick of Jackson, Mo. The class will appear in addition to the rest of the regularly scheduled divisions, which includes late models. That class, also new to the track's weekly program this season, has averaged about 15 entries each Friday since the season began.

St. Francois County Raceway near Farmington, Mo., has a big Saturday night planned. The track will complete its feature race events for the sprint, modified and multi classes, which were rained out April 13. That will be followed by a full schedule of events, including a $2,000-to-win sprint event.

On Wednesday, Fredericktown Raceway will try again to complete its special mid-week Spring Spectacular, which will include United Midwestern Promoters-sanctioned late models, plus modifieds, multis and the first event for the new Farmington-based RAMS mini stock series. That event was called off Wednesday because of rain.

Elsewhere this weekend, several local late model competitors will head to the Paducah, Ky., area to compete for points on the O'Reilly MARS late model circuit, which has events today and Saturday at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway. Joey Mack of Benton, Mo., and Billy James of Sikeston, Mo., are among local drivers competing with the series this season. The winner of both night's events could pocket more than $6,000.

Up for a longer ride down Interstate 55? The American Sprint Car Series rolls into Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park for a two-day event that begins today on the facility's dirt oval track.

Noteworthy

Kevin Gundaker, who has made infrequent stops at area tracks but has for years been a fixture on the dirt late model and Automobile Racing Club of American circuit across the Midwest, is recovering from a motorcycle accident Tuesday that will keep him away from the tracks for a while. His left leg was broken and he suffered broken ribs and internal bleeding when the motorcycle he was riding was hit by a car.

Terry James of Jackson, Mo., left looking for a home track after Auto Tire and Parts Racepark dropped its limited late model division, is competing in the unlimited late model class this year. He won a qualifying heat race Saturday at Clarksville, Tenn.

SFCR is exploring the idea of more Wednesday night late model events like the one last season that attracted more than 30 late models and 30 modifieds.

The Speed Channel (ch. 44 on Charter Cable Systems) has started its schedule of tape-delayed late model dirt track events. The UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series event from Glenmora, La., debuted yesterday, but don't worry if you missed it -- it will air again at 2 p.m. May 6. A full TV schedule is posted at www.udtra.com.

Fredericktown Raceway has added a second night of racing to its weekly schedule. Well, sort of. Events rained out on Friday nights will be rescheduled for Sunday, when gates would open at 1 p.m. with racing at 3. That policy begins this weekend.

Brian Henry and John Tindal have completed their purchase of Paducah (Ky.) Raceway from longtime racer Ron Fisher. The track will open May 3.

Coming up

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series makes it only St. Louis-area stop May 5 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill, for the Ram Tough 200. Winston Cup competitor Ken Schrader is among the drivers expected to compete with the tour's regulars in the event at 12:30 p.m.

Schrader will compete with the traveling O'Reilly MARS series when the tour goes to Malden Speedway on May 10.

The National Lawn Motor Racing Association -- featuring jazzed-up mowers that can top 60 mph -- makes a stop at the SEMO Motor Speedway near Sikeston, Mo., for a unique event May 18.

Jamie Hall is the sports editor of the Southeast Missourian.