NCRA/MARS
Late Model Showdown II: The
Tracks
By
David Smith, Jr.
Midwest
City, Oklahoma (April 21, 2010)
- Two more weeks! That is all
that is left for the top late
model drivers in the region as
“Showdown in the Heartland II”
featuring the Missouri based
MARS DIRTcar series and the
Kansas based O’Reilly National
Championship Racing Association
late model divisions kick off a
four race in three state swing.
It will also kick off the 27th
season for the NCRA, which is
also in the midst of their 40th
consecutive year of sanctioning
dirt track racing throughout the
Midwest.
It
all kicks off on Thursday night,
May 6th, at the home
of NCRA, 81 Speedway in Park
City, Kansas. Last year
Hermitage, Missouri’s Eric
Turner picked up the thirty lap
feature victory with a stout
field of 39 cars in the pit
area. This year’s feature finale
will pay $2500 to win. Gates
open at 4:30 PM with racing set
for 7:00 PM. For more race and
ticket information, contact the
track (316) 755-1781.
From
there it will be down to the
“Sooner State” as both series
head to Creek County Speedway in
Sapulpa for the tracks first
ever hosting of an outlaw late
model event on Friday night, May
7th. The tight little quarter
mile oval has gone through many
a changes during the winter,
which includes wider turns and
other track improvements. Gates
open at 4:00 PM with racing set
for 7:00 PM. The feature finale
will pay $2500 to win. Ticket
and more race information can be
had by calling (918) 605-6270
On
Saturday night, May 8th,
it is South down the Turner
Turnpike and to Brill Motor
Speedway in Meeker as the track
hosts its second showdown event.
Last year saw Kyle Berck of
Marquette, Nebraska hold off
Jason Bodenhamer to best a 33
car field in what some are
calling the biggest event in the
tracks history. The win was just
one of two for Berck on the 2009
race season and helped him claim
his second career series late
model championship. Gates open
at 4:30 PM with racing set for
7:00 PM with the feature winner
taking home $2500. For race and
ticket information, contact the
track office (405) 769-6927.
As if
witnessing some of the region’s
top late model drivers isn’t
enough, NASCAR star Kenny
Schrader will be competing at
both Creek County Speedway and
Brill Motor Speedway in his
Federated Auto Parts dirt late
model in “Special K’s” first
ever appearance at both venues.
Closing out the four race
“Showdown in the Heartland II”
swing on Sunday night it will be
back up the Turner Turnpike to
the “Show-Me” state and the home
track for the MARS DIRTcar
series and Monett Speedway. In
last year’s event it was “The
Flying Farmer” Ken Essary of
Cape Fair, Missouri picking up
the 30 lap feature victory, his
first for the MARS series and
second career with NCRA.
Twenty-eight drivers were signed
in the pit gate last year. Gates
open on this Sunday evening,
$3000 to win event at 4:30 PM
with racing set for 7:00 PM.
Call the track (417) 236-0600
for more information.
For
more information concerning the
O’Reilly/NCRA late model
division, contact NCRA steward
Chris Smith (918) 625-6200 or
call the series office (316)
755-1781. For more on the
National Championship Racing
Association check them out on
the web at
www.ncraracing.org.
The
National Championship Racing
Association would like to thank
the following contributors for
their involvement with the late
model division for the 2010 race
season:
Official Sponsors: O’Reilly Auto
Parts, Hoosier Racing Tires,
Sunoco Race Fuels
Official Contingency
Partners: Arizona Sports
Shirts, Bernheisel Racing
Components, Hatfield Racing
Engines, Hooker Harness,
Keizer Aluminum Wheels,
Lazer Chassis, Peterson
Fluid Systems, Pro Shocks,
Racing Optics, Real Racing
Wheels, Rod End Supply,
Saldana Racing Products,
Schoenfeld Headers, Taylor
Cable Products, The Joie of
Seating, Ultra-Shield Race
Products, Vertex Magnetos,
Winters Performance
Products,
81
Speedway in Park City, Kansas:
Located North of Wichita on
I-135 to exit 16, then 0.7 miles
West on 77th. More
information call (316) 755-1781.
Website:
www.81speedway.org.
2009 Showdown in the Heartland
feature winner: Eric Turner
Creek
County Speedway in Sapulpa,
Oklahoma: Located
southwest of Tulsa off I-44 Exit
211, then 0.3 miles south on SR
33, then one mile west on SR 66.
More information call (918)
605-6270. Website:
www.creekcountyspeedway.com.
2009 Showdown in the Heartland
feature winner: 1st
ever appearance.
Brill
Motor Speedway in Meeker,
Oklahoma: Located from the
North, ten miles south of Hwy 66
on Hwy 18. From the South, take
I-40 to exit 186 then go north
on Hwy 18 sixteen miles. More
information call (405) 769-6927.
Website:
www.brillmotorspeedway.com.
2009 Showdown in the Heartland
feature winner: Kyle Berck
Monett Speedway in Monett,
Missouri: Located one mile east
of SR 37 on US 60, then north on
Chapel Rd. More information call
(417) 236-0600. Website:
www.monettspeedway.net.
2009 Showdown in the Heartland
feature winner: Ken Essary.