Madera Speedway will be back in action this Saturday night, April 4, with the first of six big SUPER SATURDAY events on the 2009 schedule. Saturday’s open-wheel program extravaganza, presented by Inside Lines Apparel & Graphics, will feature the ground shaking Supermodified Racing Association (SMRA) 410 Supermodifieds and Madera’s 360 Modifieds in a combined 50-lap feature plus the United States Auto Club (USAC) Sprint Cars, USAC/Bay Area Racing Association (BCRA) Midgets, Legends of the Pacific, NCMA Sprint Cars and Western Racing Association (WRA) Vintage Cars.
The SMRA Supermodifieds and USAC Sprints are both capable of producing an amazing 750 horsepower and reaching speeds in excess of 130 mph at Madera! They have been the breeding ground for many of the biggest stars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series including four-time champion Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, J. J. Yeley, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman.
Drivers and teams from all around the Western United States will be descending on Madera for this Saturday’s Supermodified event, including the legendary Troy Regier, of Dinuba. Regier grabbed three victories at Madera last season to edge Jeff Russell of Boise, ID for both the Madera Speedway and SMRA season championships. They are expected to be challenged by a host of competitors from near and far including AJ Russell of Clovis, Jim Birges of Fresno, Bobby Dalton of San Martin, Mike McCann of Creswell, OR, Ray Stebbins of Washington, Bryan Warf of Meridian, ID and Indy Racing League star Davey Hamilton of Napa, ID.
Joining the 410s will be Madera’s own 360 Modified division headed by defending champion David Tuey of Bakersfield. Other drivers expected to return to the “Fastest 1/3 Mile in the West” this season include Madera’s Lance Tatro and Kenny Kinchen, and Fresno’s Donnie Large and Kingsburg’s Lance Jackson.
The USAC Sprints will also be racing in a 50-lap feature. Five-time USAC champion Tony Hunt, of Lincoln, heads a field that is also expected to include Ryan Kaplan of Chico, Porter Smith of Aztec, NM, Nick Rescino Jr. of San Francisco and Tim Skoglund of Fresno. Hunt, who holds the qualifying record of 12.735 seconds, has posted seven USAC Sprint wins and two USAC Midget wins at Madera.
The versatile USAC and BCRA Midgets, which race on both asphalt and dirt, will be making their first of five joint appearances at Madera this season. This Saturday’s race will kick off a 19-race schedule for the BCRA Midgets while the USAC Midgets have already produced five different winners in five races this season.
Kingsburg’s Tanner and Cody Swanson, the sons of nine-time Madera track champion Mike Swanson, will be racing on Saturday in the USAC Midgets while Nick Foster Jr., of San Jose, will be looking to defend his 2008 BCRA championship.
Madera race fans have come to expect a large field of cars, wheel-to-wheel action and wild finishes that often come down to the final turn of the final lap whenever the Legends of the Pacific invade Madera. Last season Pine Grove’s Matt Scott reached victory lane three times in six starts at Madera.
The WRA Vintage Midgets and Sprints cars - otherwise known as the “Moving Museum” - give racing aficionados chance to experience the glory days of Midget racing in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Fans can also visit with the Vintage drivers and get an up close look at their beautiful cars in the pits following the races to learn more about this fabulous by-gone era of motorsports.
It is going to be open-wheel madness this Saturday! So come on out for a heaping dose of Short Track Thunder with SUPER SATURDAY #1, presented by Inside Lines Apparel & Graphics, this Saturday, April 4, at Madera Speedway.
Ticket prices for the Saturday, April 4 SUPER SATURDAY show are only $25.00 for adults, $23.00 for seniors 65 years of age or older, $20.00 for active duty military, students 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 off an adult ticket for this Saturday’s program by joining the Madera Speedway Fan Club and filling out the form on the Madera Speedway website at www.racemadera.com. Fans will receive their discount plus other special items for future events via email.
On Saturday, April, the Madera Speedway pit gates will open at 10:00 AM, the grandstands open at 2:30 PM, heats and dashes begin at 5:00 PM and the evening’s opening ceremonies will kick off main event racing at approximately 7:00 PM.
There will also be a Test N Tune session at Madera Speedway on Friday, April 3. The pit gates will open at 1:30 PM and the cars will be on the track from 2:30 to 7:30 PM. Admission to the grandstands is free and the pit concession stands will be open. For additional information on the test session contact Track Manager Pat Patnaude at (209) 983-1689 (track), (209) 479-0056 (cell), (209) 983-0967 (fax) or email to ppatnaude@racemadera.com.
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.
