GAS CITY, Ind. — Last week Gas City I-69 Speedway was inundated by the biggest snowstorm so far this winter, and the groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter.
Race fans can take heart, however, because Gas City I-69 Speedway released its schedule, featuring racing this spring, summer and fall.
The schedule has something for everyone, as sprint cars, modifieds, street stocks, hornets, midgets, monster trucks and everything in between will be showcased during the diversified, 20-event schedule at the iconic Indiana track located halfway between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne.
An open test-and-tune practice day is set for Wednesday night, April 27 in preparation for the season opener on Friday night, May 6.
Fans from all over Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kentucky and elsewhere will spend their Friday nights at Gas City throughout the season, which will conclude with the fourth annual Fall Festival of Speed on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21-22.
Anchoring the weekly schedule on the quarter-mile clay oval will be the ever-popular non-winged sprint cars, UMP-style modifieds, street stocks and hornets.
The exciting open-wheel racing of the United States Auto Club will invade Gas City three nights this season, featuring two USAC AMSOIL national sprint car series and two NOS Energy Drink national midget series events.
USAC’s Indiana Midget Week is scheduled for Friday night, June 10 and USAC’s Indiana Sprint Week returns to Gas City for its opener on Friday night, July 22.
For the third consecutive year the USAC AMSOIL national sprint car series and the USAC NOS Energy national midget series combine for a huge doubleheader on Thursday night, Sept. 22 for the fifth annual James Dean Classic.
Other sanctioned non-winged sprint car races include the return of the popular BOSS non-wing sprint cars on Friday, May 20, featuring $2,000 to win and $300 to start. Last year’s event attracted 39 sprints.
The Midwest Sprint Car Series will venture north to Gas City on Friday night, July 8 offering a feature paying $5,000 to win from a purse exceeding $16,000. It is the opening night of a two-night doubleheader with Kokomo Speedway. The July 8-9 twin bill is expected to attract a large field of cars and offer fans a weekend of exciting racing at two of Indiana’s most famous short tracks.
The winged 305 sprint cars of the Indiana RaceSaver series will visit on May 13.
The USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 midgets will race for their largest purse (more than $5,000) in history with the inaugural Tom Bigelow Classic on Friday night, June 24. The series will make a total of seven visits to Gas City including May 20, June 24, July 15, July 29, Aug. 12, Sept. 2 and Oct. 21.
Tony Stewart’s All Star Circuit of Champions TQ midgets will be the support division for the USAC Indiana Sprint Week event on July 22. The USSA Kenyon Midget Series will make its Gas City debut on June 3.
Big-money races are also set for each of the weekly divisions, including the $7,000-plus Street Stock Rumble on Sept. 2. A $1,000-to-win Mod Madness race on July 29 is part of the Neighborly Challenge mini-series with nearby Montpelier Speedway that offers a point fund in excess of $1,600.
The inaugural Hornets Buzz Bash featuring $400 to win from a $2,000 purse for that division is scheduled for June 17.
Flat track-style motorcycle racing will be featured at Gas City on June 4. Non-wing 600cc micro-sprints will run twice, including a $1,000-to-win Heartland Auto Racing Tour event on May 6 and a non-sanctioned event on Oct. 21. Winged 600cc micros will be part of the Aug. 12 card.
On Aug. 20 the popular Night of Destruction, Thrills and Chills will feature monster trucks, school bus races, a mini-van demo derby, a rollover contest, trailer races and more. The third annual Fall Festival of Speed will feature seven divisions of racing Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21-22 to conclude the season.
“It’s a diverse menu of great racing to satisfy almost every race fan’s motorsports entertainment appetite,” said Jerry Gappens, track promoter.
Gappens will continue to incorporate his signature intermission entertainment for event nights, including a Faster Pastor school bus race plus fun theme nights with human bubble ball and name that tune/dance competition. Kids’ coin and candy scrambles, spectator races for soccer moms and much more are in the works.
“Our goal is to provide fast, fun family entertainment,” added Gappens. “Once again our team will be vigilant in completing the programs in a timely fashion.”