Holiday weekend includes big events at area tracks

jhall

Good weather could help boost a big weekend of racing, one of the biggest of the season for several area racetracks.

Both dirt tracks in Scott County -- Auto Tire and Parts Racepark near Benton and SEMO Motor Speedway north of Sikeston -- have a combined four days of racing planned over the weekend. They're among several tracks trying to appeal to race fans who may have time and money to spare on the holiday weekend.

At ATPR, the track starts with Saturday's regularly scheduled program headlined by sprints and modifieds, followed by modifieds, mini stocks and multis at 2 p.m. Monday. Saturday's field of cars could be ATPR's biggest of the season with nearby Saint Francois County Raceway in Farmington, Mo., taking the night off for a monster truck show.

At SEMO Motor Speedway, the track has three days of racing lined up starting at 7:30 p.m. Friday with motorcycles and ATVs. At 6 p.m. Saturday the track hosts kart classes with multis at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Other area highlights this weekend: Malden (Mo.) Speedway will pay late models $1,200 to win Friday (the scheduled sprint appearance has been postponed until late June); and SFCR will host the Winged Outlaw Warriors' 360 cubic inch sprint series Friday.

Big events elsewhere that could send local racers and fans onto the highways:

One of the nation's best-paying dirt racing events will be Saturday at West Plains (Mo.) Speedway, where late models will compete for $36,000 to win the 10th annual Show-Me 100. The event begins with practice day and qualifying races Friday.

UMP-sanctioned modifieds will race for $2,000 to win Friday at Fayette County Speedway near Brownstown, Ill., the first of a high-paying three-day series of modified racing through Illinois. The following night at Fayette County, street stocks will compete for $2,000 to win.

Winged sprints will race for $2,500 to win at Jacksonville (Ill.) Raceway on Friday. Defending ATPR season points champ Robbie Standridge is among those likely to compete.

Odds and ends

Jay Musgrave of Cape Girardeau finished fifth in the SCCA-sanctioned grand prix event at Gateway International Raceway near Madison, Ill. Musgrave is a past Mid-AM champion in his seventh year of formula car racing.

Randy Eakins of Sikeston, Mo., scored a big win Sunday when he defeated Billy Glidden in the Pro Mod 5.0 class at Gateway. Eakins clocked in at 7.384 seconds (192 mph) after Glidden's car misfired at the line and didn't start.

I-55 Raceway near Pevely, Mo., is expected to race Saturday now that the water covering their entrance road has receded.

The UDTRA Pro Series late model race from Oneida, Tenn., will be broadcast (tape-delayed) at 10 p.m. today on the Speed Channel. That's channel 44 on Charter Cable.

St. Louis late model and Automobile Racing Club of America competitor Kevin Gundaker was recently released from the hospital. Gundaker, 47, was injured April 24 in a motorcycle accident. He said he expects to be racing by August.

Joey Mack of Benton, Mo., remains second to Dewaine Hottinger in the rookie of the year chase on the Mid America Racing Series late model circuit. Mack finished 17th in the MARS event Saturday at West Plains, Mo. Hottinger was 13th.

Jamie Hall is the sports editor of the Southeast Missourian.