Open Wheel Showdown Headed To Irwindale Speedway

IRWINDALE, Calif. — The second annual Open Wheel Showdown has a new date and venue for this season.

Scheduled from Nov. 22-24, at Irwindale Speedway, this year’s Open Wheel Showdown promises to deliver thrilling action on the half-mile progressively banked oval. 

“I am thrilled to bring the Open Wheel Showdown to Irwindale Speedway, ensuring great racing and an exceptional fan experience,” Open Wheel Showdown Promoter Davey Hamilton Jr. said. “After an incredible debut last year, we are upping the ante with an expanded purse in 2024.

“A heartfelt thank you to Tim and everyone at Irwindale Speedway for making this possible.”

The weekend’s lineup will consist of super modifieds, national midgets and the winged pavement sprint cars. Once again, the winner of the national midget main event will receive $10,000 and the sprint car winner will take home $50,000. Hamilton also announced his team is working hard to ensure all teams who do not advance to the A-main will still receive prize money, with the complete purse breakdown set to be unveiled soon.

The shift in date to a Friday-Sunday format strategically positions the event between the USAC National Midget Series West Coast Swing and the renowned annual Turkey Night Grand Prix, offering fans a week filled with diverse open-wheel racing.

Irwindale Speedway, renowned for hosting numerous USAC National and Western States Midget Series events, will witness the return of national midgets to its racy half-mile progressive-banked oval, a sight unseen since the 2011 Turkey Night Grand Prix.

Midgets have left an indelible mark on the speedway’s 25-year history, with the late Dave Steele clinching the victory in the inaugural event in March 1999, marking the opening of Irwindale Speedway with a USAC Western States Midget triumph. The upcoming Open Wheel Showdown also marks the revival of winged sprint cars at Irwindale, absent since 2019 when Bobby Santos III secured a King of the Wing event on Nov. 10.

The commencement of the entry process for the 2024 Open Wheel Showdown is scheduled for Feb. 1.