(LEBANON, Missouri)  Lebanon I-44 Speedway will continue the 2011 season of ASA-sanctioned stock car racing this Saturday night, August 6, on the track’s 3/8-mile high banked asphalt oval with another competitive racing show highlighted by a see-sawing Late Model championship points battle and a special ‘Faster Pastor’ race featuring four local ministers.  Spectator gates will swing open at 5:00 pm, with the five-division stock car racing program scheduled to begin at 7:30.

“The championship points battle in our Late Model class may very well be the closest in I-44 Speedway history,” said track promoter Craig Armstrong.  “The great thing is that it’s a classic showdown between two incredibly talented drivers.  One of them was a consistent challenger to the late, great Larry Phillips, and is still among the best Late Model drivers in the country, and that’s the wily veteran Kenny Dickinson from Camdenton.  Mix in one of the most talented young racers in the nation, Chrissy Wallace, whose legendary family members engraved their names onto racing history, and you have a battle for the ages.”

“These two stars have traded the points lead back and forth over the last month, and never by more than 25 markers,” Armstrong continued.  “It’s pretty clear this exciting championship struggle will go right down to the last lap of the last race this season, and that’s great news for our race fans!”

Headlined by the fast and powerful ASA Late Model stock cars, Saturday’s show at the only paved oval track in Missouri will also feature the Modifieds, which are stock appearing racecars with open wheel front ends, the full-body Sportsman class stock cars, Road Warriors – big, steel bodied ‘pure stock’ type cars – and a four-cylinder subcompact class of cars called Chargers.  In addition to the evening’s stock car racing program, four local pastors will compete in the inaugural I-44 Speedway ‘Faster Pastor’ race during the regularly scheduled intermission break.

“The concept of a ‘Faster Pastor’ race has been around the weekly short track world for quite some time, but this is the first time that we have scheduled one for our track,” Armstrong noted.  “We were able to recruit four volunteers from local churches, and I really appreciate these four pastors being such good sports about participating in something far afield from their primary ministries.”

The ‘Faster Pastor’ participants are David Douglas, pastor of the Second Free Will Baptist Church in Lebanon; Greg Olson – ‘The Rev’ from 107.9 ‘The Coyote’ (KCLQ-FM) – who is also the pastor of Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church in Lebanon; Marsha Vincent, pastor of the United Methodist Church in Sleeper; and Brad Reed, pastor of Faith Pentecostal Church in Lebanon.  Driving Charger class subcompact racecars, the four pastors will race for six laps around the I-44 Speedway oval for a trophy and Sunday morning bragging rights.

Offering a variety of seating options for patrons, from the ‘family friendly’ alcohol-free grandstands to tier parking for cars, pickup trucks and RV’s around the turns one/two and backstretch areas, where patrons may park, tailgate and view the races, Lebanon I-44 Speedway also features full food and non-alcoholic beverage concessions in both the grandstands and tier parking, along with a centrally located track Souvenir and apparel booth.

Saturday’s grandstand admission is $10 for Adults, ages 16 and older, while Adult admission in tier parking is $12.  Discounted admission for Seniors (ages 65 and older), Military personnel, and Juniors (ages 11-15) is offered in both locations.  A grandstand Family Pass for 2 Adults and 2 Juniors, plus any number of Kids 10 and younger, is available for $25, while six Adults entering in the same vehicle on tier parking can join the party on the ‘Wild Side’ for $60.

Lebanon I-44 Speedway is located four miles east of the Lebanon city limit on Historic Route 66.  Patrons using Interstate 44 may take Exit 135, and then drive one mile west on Route 66 to the track’s main entrance.  Additional information about the track’s 2011 ‘Kickin’ Asphalt’ event schedule, racecar construction rules and championship points may be found on the facility’s official website, www.i44speedway.net.