MADERA, Calif. – Madera Speedway is entering into the 11th season of late model racing under the rules package known as the Pro Late Model Series, which features cost effective elements fused together with various combinations of car packages to produce what has become a nationwide movement towards a cost-effective style of late model racing.
The upcoming season will mark the eighth season the Madera program, airing nationwide on MAVTV out of the 11 years the pro late model series has operated.
“We hosted races in 2010 and 2011 playing with this rules package but officially launched the series in 2012 with the idea of minimum rules and maximum competition featuring a package with a cost-effective crate engine and a low cost control tire that would allow talented drivers on a tight budget to compete against the high dollar teams,” Promoter Kenny Shepherd said. “After we launched our new late model program in 2012 I then focused on the seemingly impossible task of making the idea of a Jr Late Model program a reality and finally got that program up and running in 2016 on MAVTV after years of ideas and testing. I’m really proud of the fact that this style of more cost-effective late model racing has caught on all over the country and that we are heading into our eighth season showcasing this great racing on MAVTV.”
The MAVTV televised dates for the Mission Pro Late Models and 51FIFTY Jr. Late Models are set for the upcoming season. The Challenge Cup Series will compete during five of the nine televised races, giving young drivers yet another opportunity at Madera Speedway to gain more experience in motorsports with the TV cameras shining a light on them.
The priority for scheduling the televised late model program is to remain clear of the ARCA West schedule, allowing many young drivers the opportunity to compete in a full schedule of Madera Racing on MAVTV as well as a full- or part-time schedule in the ARCA Menards Series West. The Mission Pro Late Model race weekends and schedule have not changed in a decade for the most part, but for next year there were adjustments in March, August and October to help drivers, team owners and mechanics that also compete in the ARCA West Series.
The MAVTV dates for the Pro and Jr. Late Model Series at Madera Speedway are March 5, April 2, April 30, May 21, June 25, July 30, Aug. 27, Sept. 17, and Oct. 15. The mini-series known as the Big3 within the nine race MAVTV series at Madera is the $5,000 to win March 5, $5,000 to win July 30th and $10,000 to win Oct. 15 dates. The Triple Turkey Open that is also televised will become the Pumpkin Cup Open Late Model show, a non-points event to end the season on Oct. 29 as part of the 15th annual Pumpkin Smash.
The complete Madera Speedway schedule featuring the club race events as well as traveling groups will be released on Christmas Eve.