RacePark will host first events in three years starting April 13

~ The schedule includes 27 Friday night cards and some Saturday night ATV and motorcycle races.

Racing will return to the Auto Tire and Parts RacePark in Benton for the first time in nearly three years.

Billy Clayton and Kevin Armstrong of Racetrack Promoters issued a news release this week to annouce the finalization of a deal to lease the track from its ownership group.

Clayton and Armstrong intend to stage their first racing card on April 13 with sprint cars, pure street, modifieds and cruisers divisions.

"We're real excited and everyone we speak to is real excited about it," Armstrong said.

The track last hosted racing in May 2004, after which a promotions group leasing the track ceased operations.

The news release from Racetrack Promoters said the track has "renovated dirt work with lots of new dirt and with [a] very large and spacious pit area."

Armstrong said the group has been working on the track over the course of several weekends and has stepped up work in recent days.

The opening night of April 13 will include a card beginning at 7:30 p.m.

That will be the first of 27 Friday nights with racing.

In addition, a series of ATV and motorcycle races on the Midwest Dirt Track Series will include Saturday night stops at the track. The first of those is set for April 28.

The drag strip is not schedule for use at this time, Armstrong said.

Clayton, who operates C&C Motorsports and Racing in Sikeston, and Armstrong bring decades of experience on the area racing scene.

The promoters are planning ticket prices at $8 for adults and $5 for children 6 to 12, with pit passes available for $25 for regular events.

The RacePark is expected to host two stops for the Midwest All Stars Sprintcars, although the complete schedule has not yet been posted on the track's Web site, www.autotireandpartsracepark.net.

Information also is available at C&C Motorsports and Auto Tire and Parts stores.