HOLLY, Mich. – Jim Bailey has confirmed that he plans to participate in the Rumble for the Record, part of the Aug. 20-21 Indyana Shootout at the Indianapolis Speedrome.
Bailey, from Willis, Mich., was one of the first competitors to throw his name in the hat for the late summer event. The two-day special will also feature Must See Racing winged sprint cars, full midgets, and eastern-style roadster TQ midgets.
The speed trial format will pit five Late Models against five Must See Racing winged sprint cars in an attempt to lower the all-time track record. Steve Ellis is the current record holder at the fifth-mile flat track on the southeast side of Indianapolis.
Ellis set the record at 11.621 seconds on July 1, 1982 in an outlaw late model. C.J. Rayburn unofficially went under the current Steve Ellis record in 2006 in an organized exhibition run clocked by a stopwatch.
The Rumble for the Record will begin on Thursday, Aug. 20. The event will be an open competition format with no rules in place. Practice will be held earlier in the day.
At the conclusion of practice, the five fastest late models and five fastest sprint cars will be invited to participate in the event later that night.
At the conclusion of Thursday’s event, the fastest sprint car and fastest late model will be invited back for a winner-take-all showdown and bragging rights the following night.
“I saw the Must See racing flyer for this event and it caught my attention,” Bailey explained. “I run a lot of ‘run what ya brung’ shows, sideboard shows as we call them up here. I like the no rules open competition shows. It fits my style real well.
“I’ve never saw the Indianapolis Speedrome before, but I do know some guys from up here that go down there to run the figure 8 stuff.”
Bailey estimates the sideboards on his car that he will be competing with are approximately 11 feet high.
“It looks like it’s gonna be a real fun deal. If you’ve never saw these sideboard cars before, they’re something different and really catch your eyes. People really get into it,” he said. “I’m not sure what to expect going up against the local guys. They run there all the time. They may be able to hit the inside corner and not upset the car as much. I’m looking forward to it, though.”
It is expected a variety of unique wing packages will be on display during the event. So far none of the local teams have confirmed that they will participate in this event.
Bailey, along with a handful of sprint car teams, have their sights set on taking the all-time Indianapolis Speedrome track record out of town with them. It is hoped local teams will try to defend the home turf and keep the record among to themselves.
For more info on the Indianapolis Speedrome Rumble for the Record and the Indyana Shootout, visit www.mustseeracing.com or call (317) 796-6186 and (248) 762-1732.