Dispute sends former champ to rival track

One of Auto Tire and Parts Racepark's biggest sprint car fields of the season competed at the rural Scott County track Saturday, including heavy-hitters from a pair of national touring circuits.

But among the names not on the entry list: Former track champion Shawn King, who says he plans to race at a Farmington, Mo., track -- one of ATPR's Saturday night rivals -- for the rest of the season.

King, of Cape Girardeau, has missed the past three weeks of racing at ATPR over a dispute in a track ruling June 29. That night's feature race was drawn out because of caution-flag delays, and King's black No. 9 sprint ran out of gas just before the race was stopped for refueling two laps from the finish. King said that decision, combined with an unexpected race restart, made him reconsider his options.

King competed when the track first opened as Missouri International Racepark in 1991 and won the super stock season championship that year. He's among its all-time leading winners with 26 feature wins -- 20 in super stocks, six in sprints. He's also a multi-race winner at Farmington's St. Francois County Raceway and stood to contend for a win there Saturday, but destroyed his car at the start of the feature race when another front-runner spun, clipped King's car and sent it into a series of flips.

Even after the rough ride Saturday, he said he'll stick with his decision to bypass ATPR and spend most Saturdays at the St. Francois County track.

"We were ready for something different," King said. "We've had a lot of success at Farmington in the past, and it's still not far from home. I know a lot of those guys who race up there, and it's a slick track and I like tracks like that."

King said he expects to have a new car finished in time for a special event Friday at Malden (Mo.) Speedway before going back to SFCR on Saturday. He'll make a return to ATPR on Aug. 3 when several family members plan to visit from out of state.

"Honestly, I miss running down there," King said. "I've basically been there from the time it opened. But what happened was frustrating."

ATPR manager and promoter Doug Friese says he stands by the track's call, but said he understands King's decision.

"I hate to see Shawn not there," Friese said. "But he feels like we weren't fair to him, and I understand that. It's like any sport when you have officials and competitors. They're going to see things differently."

Car injured, driver fine

Daron Clayton of Sikeston escaped injury after a crash Saturday that sent his sprint car through the fencing around ATPR late in the feature race. Clayton and Oklahoman Mike Dupay made contact as they raced for third place, and that sent Clayton into the outer chain-link fence hard enough to knock down a section of it.

Clayton came away from the crash OK and expects to have the car repaired in time for Saturday's events. The same goes for the fence.

Around the area

ATPR: Plans are in the works for a rare mid-week event that would include late models and modifieds. The show would be on a Tuesday or Wednesday sometime in August, Friese said, and would likely pay $2,000 to win in UMP-sanctioned late models with added money in modifieds. Also in the works are negotiations with at least one well-known Winston Cup racer who could be on hand for autographs for the event.

The final race of the StadiaCross Series at ATPR will be Friday. As part of Saturday's regular card of racing, the pro super cross class will compete on the infield motocross track with two heats and a feature. They'll compete for a $1,500 purse.

I-55: Ken Schrader, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kyle Petty, Bill Elliott, Kenny Wallace, Johnny Benson and Steve Park are scheduled to sign autographs and then compete in a short race in identically prepared modifieds Wednesday at I-55 Raceway near Pevely, Mo. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, a camp for terminally ill children established by Kyle and Pattie Petty. Sprints and late models also will compete.

Malden: For the second time this season, winged sprints go to Malden Speedway on Friday. The last sprint event there attracted nearly 20 familiar racers from ATPR and SFCR. That means late models will take the week off and return Aug. 2.

SEMO: After an idle weekend, SEMO Motor Speedway north of Sikeston returns Saturday with karts and NMMA micro sprints.

Quickly

Jerrod Hull of Sikeston drove Joe Reddick's No. 12 sprint to a win Friday at Jacksonville, Ill. He made it 2-for-2 by winning again Saturday at Farmington.

Want to buy a racetrack? Garnertown (Tenn.) Speedway is closed and for sale. Scott Wadley (731-968-0019) has info.

KLMS: Some of the nation's top racers are expected to compete in Saturday's UDTRA late model series, $10,000 -to-win event at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway east of Paducah.

Milan (Tenn.) Speedway has a special late model event Saturday. It pays $2,500 to win.

A street stock event at Bargerton (Tenn.) Speedway will pay $3,000 to win Aug. 17. Info: 731-209-0037.

64 Speedway near Augusta, Ark., will reopen Sept. 1 under new owner Jerry Knight of Memphis. Weekly racing includes modifieds, which advertises $1,000 to win. Info: 901-373-7647.