The Lucas Oil I 10 Speedway will open its gates this Saturday for the latest round of their Winter Blast Racing Series. The quarter mile paved oval is located at the Colorado River Fairgrounds in Blythe-California.
Saturday night's racing action is presented by the Palo Verde Valley Times and Blythe PAL. On the racing card will be action from the Legend and Bandolero divisions, both of which will be racing for double points, along with the speedway's Street Stock and Factory Stock classes. The Western Racing Association, and their moving museum of vintage race cars, will also be making a special guest appearance Saturday night.
Powered by motorcycle engines and resembling roadsters from the 1930's and 1940's, the Legend cars literally fly around the I 10 Speedway's quarter mile oval. They will be treating the fans to twin 25 lap main events Saturday night. Making that senario even more exciting is the fact that the drivers will be racing for double points.
Making their second appearance of the Winter Blast season Saturday night, the current Legend points standings are based on the results from their initial appearance this past Thanksgiving weekend. Erick Gunderson won that race and sits on top of the points standings. He's closely followed by Legend driving veterans Chad Schug, Darren Amidon and Gary Scheuerell in what is expected to be a real shootout for points dominance.
The youngsters in their small, but very fast, Bandolero cars will also be racing for double points Saturday night and they will be making their second appearance of the Winter Blast season. After winning the division's first race, Blake Rodgers sits on top of the point standings followed closely by Jeremy Orozco, Matthew Davey, Blaine Perkins and Michelle Rokowski.
One of the long time racing staples at the Lucas Oil I 10 Speedway is their Street Stock division who will be making their fifth appearance of the season Saturday night. With two feature wins already this season, local driver Danny Dill leads the division standings with 282 points. But the 2007-2008 Winter Blast champion only holds a four point advantage over D J Lonie another street stock veteran and local fan favorite who has one feature win this season. Both of these drivers will have to check their rear view mirrors for the presence of Chris Vindhurst who is only two points behind Lonie, and six away from Dill, in the standings.
The fan favorite Factory Stock division, with their racing is rubbing format, will also be making their fifth appearance of the current season Saturday night. Local driver Michael White, with three feature wins, has been highly consistent this year and leads the standings with 98 points. But Tom Nordell, also a feature winner, is still very much in the championship profile and only 16 points behind the leader. Not to be overlooked here is the presence of drivers Joe Van Dyke, Robert Spivery also a feature winner and Roger Gilstrap. Also remember that this is Factory Stock racing and their often topsy turvy style of racing could produce unexpected results that could greatly alter the points profile.
Blythe racing fans will also be treated to a special guest appearance by the Western Racing Association, (WRA), who will be bringing their collection of vintage sprint and midget race cars. Based in San Dimas-California, the WRA is considered to be a moving museum that offers fans an up close and personal look at the glory days of open wheel racing that barn stormed their way to race tracks all over the nation. They will not be in Blythe just for a static display. These cars are in mint condition and will be on the track racing.
The Lucas Oil I 10 Speedway racing weekend actually begins Friday evening with a test and tune session, from 6 to 9 pm, for all of the divisions. This practice session is free to spectators. On Saturday Palo Verde Valley Times/Blythe PAL race day the spectator gates will open at 4 pm with the racing getting underway at 6 pm. Prior to the first race there will be an autograph session which allows fans on the speedway to get an up close and personal look at the cars as well as meet the drivers. This includes those eye popping WRA vintage cars.
Tickets for Saturday are $10 for general admission and $8 for seniors, 55 plus, along with the military and the handicapped. Teen tickets, ages 13 to 17, are $5 with kid's tickets, six to 12, being offered for only $3. Kids five and under are admitted free when accompanied by a paid adult. The speedway also offers a family pack for $20 which admits two adults and two kids 17 and under. Additionally Palo Verde High School students will receive a one dollar discount on their tickets by presenting their ASB cards.
For more information regarding the Lucas Oil I 10 Speedway, and their current Winter Blast Racing Series, dial up the official website at www.i10speedway.com.
