The 2008 season at Madera Speedway will blast off this Saturday, March 29, with the 19th Annual Smokey Hanoian Classic. This special NASCAR Whelen All-American Racing Series program will feature six divisions of action packed racing plus a spectacular FIREWORKS extravaganza to celebrate the new season.

The Western Late Models (WLM) will head Saturday’s card with a 100-lap main in Round #1 of the HotWood 750 Series. Fans are guaranteed 100 laps of WLM pavement pounding racing, as only green flag laps will count in all HotWood 750 races! Also racing will be the American Limited Stock Cars, 360 Super Modifieds, Modified Super Toyotas, Toyota Sedans and the always-exciting Hornets.

The 2008 Madera Speedway schedule will include 24 racing dates with the Western Late Models featured in 24 races on 17 dates. Six of those WLM dates, with a total of 10 races, will count towards the separate HotWood 750 Series prize fund. To spur on even greater car counts, a WLM B Main prize fund has also been established in 2008.

In 2007, Mark Holeman, a 22-year-old engineering student from Los Altos, nipped Ross Strmiska, age 21 of Stockton and Trevor Schlundt, age 17 of Clovis, in an exciting down to the wire battle for both the WLM Madera track crown and NASCAR Whelen All-American Racing Series championship for California. Holeman will be back to defend his titles against the other “Young Guns” as well as a host of seasoned veterans such as Tracy’s David Philpott and Harry Belletto, age 65 of Modesto.

Madera’s strong tradition of open-wheel racing continues this year with six special SUPER Saturday Events featuring the 410 and 360 Modifieds, BCRA Midgets and Legends of the Pacific. Many other special events including three Enduros and three Demolition Derbies are also on the 2008 schedule.

After a very successful 2007, Madera track president Kenny Shepherd and his staff stayed busy all winter preparing for the upcoming season. In addition to putting together a diverse and exciting race schedule, fans and race teams will be pleased to see many improvements at the historic track including newly paved parking and pit areas.

“Our goal is to provide fans with a great experience, both on and off the track, when they attend an event at Madera,” explains Shepherd. “After the evening’s activities are over, we want them to leave our track feeling that they got more than their monies worth.”

If you just can’t wait until this Saturday, come on out on Friday, March 28 when the “Fastest 1/3 Mile in the West” will hold an open practice from 3:30 to 7:30 PM. The grandstands will be open on Friday without an admission charge to all fans eager to get a 2008 sneak preview.

Ticket prices for the Saturday, March 29 season opener are only $20.00 for adults, $18.00 for seniors 65 years of age or older, $15.00 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 $45.00. Adult fans with a sales receipt from any Save Mart Supermarket store receive a $5 discount at the gate on race days. VISA and MasterCard are welcome at window #3.

On Saturday, March 29, the Madera Speedway pit gates will open at 10:00 AM, the grandstands open at 3:00 PM, heats and dashes begin at 5:00 PM and the evening’s opening ceremonies will kick off main event racing at approximately 6:00 PM.

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. The track’s Info/Race Line phone number is (559) 673-RACE.

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