Following last Saturday’s exciting Fan Appreciation Night program, which attracted a near capacity crowd of almost 3,200 fans, the Madera Speedway returns to action this weekend with one of California’s greatest short track racing traditions – the Harvest Classic.
This super sized autumn celebration is so big that it will require two full nights to complete. On Friday September 19th the American Limited Stock Cars, Modified Super Toyotas, Toyota Sedans and Hornets will be racing. The Harvest Classic will then conclude on Saturday September 20th with the final Super Saturday Event of the season featuring the 410 and 360 Super Modifieds, plus the BCRA Midgets, Legends of the Pacific, Western Late Models and Spectator Racing Series.
The American Limited Stock Cars will take top billing on Friday September 19th with a 50-lap feature where season points leader Howard Holden, of Clovis, will be looking to take another step towards wrapping up the 2008 division championship. Holden captured a hard earned victory last Saturday to become the first repeat winner over the last eight races in the ultra competitive division.
Other drivers closing in on 2008 track titles this Friday include hometown ace Randy Fleming jr. in the Modified Super Toyotas, Fresno’s Stan Hankins in the Toyota Sedans and Miles Humphreys, the 68-year-old racing great grandpa out of Clovis, in the wild and wacky Hornets division.
Best of all the cost of admission for all fans on Friday is only $5. That’s right, four big divisions, in a full program with 160 laps of main event racing for only five bucks!
The Madera Speedway pit gates and grandstands will swing open for registration and entry on Friday, September 19th, at 4:30 PM, heat races and trophy dashes will commence at 6:00 PM and opening ceremonies will be followed by main event racing at approximately 8:00 PM.
On Saturday, September 20th, the ground pounding Super Modified Racing Association (SMRA) 410 roadsters team up with Madera’s own 360 Super Modifieds in a combined 50-lap main event. This will be the final appearance of the season for both the 410s and the 360s at the "Fastest 1/3 Mile in the West."
The winged SMRA 410 Super Modifieds are fire breathing, open-wheeled racing machines that produce upwards of 750 horsepower that reach speeds in excess of 130 mph at Madera.
Jeff Russell, of Boise, ID, and Troy Regier, of Dinuba, split the first four Super Saturday events, but the two veterans pilots took a back seat in Super Saturday #5 on August 9th when Bryan Warf, of Meridian, ID, took the checkers to capture the first win of his career. As a result, Regier clings to a 138 to 135 lead over Russell in the battle for the Madera Super Modified championship.
There will be plenty of competition for the championship hopefuls this Saturday from throughout the Western United States including Warf, Whitey Janssen of Dayton, NV, Bobby Dalton of San Martin, 2007 champion Martin McKeefery of Milpitas and Idaho ’s Kirk Wartman. There will also be a host of local talent with Jim Birges, David Prickett and Kenny White, all of Fresno, expected to compete.
The Madera 360 Modified championship will also be crowned this Saturday. Bakersfield’s David Tuey holds a 21 point (160 to 139) lead over hometown ace Kenny Kinchen. Defending Modified champion Lance Tatro, of Madera, sits in the third position with 122 points. Other competitors will include Fresno’s Donnie Large, Kingsburg’s Lance Jackson, Willie Northammer and newcomer Kyle Vanderpool.
The contest for the 2008 Madera Western Late Model championship has boiled down to two drivers as Stockton’s Joey Stearns saw his razor thin lead over Modesto’s Jeff Belletto shaved to just 11 points (1008 - 997) following last Saturday’s action. Both drivers will be looking for every point they can get this Saturday as they each search for their first career late model track championship.
The BCRA Midgets also in the midst of an exciting championship battle. With 18 of 22 rounds on the 2008 now in the books, the ultra competitive, open wheeled Midgets come to Madera with San Jose’s Nick Foster Jr. holding a mere one point (1278 to 1277) lead over Visalia’s Scott Nail. The legendary Floyd Alvis, age 73 of San Carlos, remains firmly in the mix with 1242 points in his quest for an unprecedented eighth BCRA title.
Madera race fans have come to expect a large field of cars, wild wheel-to-wheel action and unpredictable finishes whenever the Legends of the Pacific are racing on the program. Rocklin’s Robby Czub and Pine Grove’s Matt Scott have each gone to victory lane twice this season at Madera while Anderson’s Micah Parner has made the trip once.
Ticket prices for the Saturday, September 20th, Super Saturday #6 show are only $25.00 for adults, $23.00 or seniors 65 years of age or older, $20.00 for students, active duty military and juniors age 13-17, $5.00 for kids age 6-12 while kids 5 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult. A family pack ticket (two adults and up to two kids, 12 years old and under) is also available for the bargain price of just $55.00. VISA and MasterCard are welcome at window #3.
Fans can also receive a $5 discount for the Saturday Harvest Classic program by joining the Madera Speedway Fan Club by filling out the form on the Madera Speedway website at www.racemadera.com. Fans will receive their discount for this Saturday’s show and other special items for future events via email.
Madera Speedway pit gates will open for registration and entry on Saturday at 11:00 AM, the grandstands open at 2:00 PM, trophy dashes will commence at 5:00 PM and the evening’s opening ceremonies will kick off main event racing at approximately 7:00 PM.
It promises to be a full weekend of rolling Short Track Thunder as Madera Speedway celebrates the changing of the seasons this Friday and Saturday with the Harvest Classic.
The Madera Speedway is conveniently located at the Madera County Fairgrounds just off to the west side of Highway 99 at the Cleveland Avenue exit.
For more Madera Speedway information visit the track’s website at www.racemadera.com or call the Info/Race Line phone number at (559) 673-RACE and for information on the Madera Speedway Spectator Racing Series program go to www.spectatorracing.com on the web or call (209) 476-8123.
