(LEBANON, Missouri) Late season rivalries in the Late Model and Modified classes, and a special salute to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, will keynote the ASA-sanctioned stock car racing show this Saturday night, August 13, at Lebanon I-44 Speedway. Spectator gates for ‘Hardee’s Night at the Races’ are set to open at 5:00 pm, with the five-division stock car racing program scheduled to start at 7:30 on the track’s 3/8-mile high banked asphalt oval.
The heated battle for the Late Model track championship between Chrissy Wallace of Concord, NC and Camdenton veteran Ken Dickinson resulted in mid-race contact last Saturday night, which sent both competitors to the rear of the Late Model field for the restart. With the track’s feature division points lead up for grabs, and a serious bid for the ASA National Championship on the line, tempers flared following the checkered flag. Although emotions have cooled somewhat in the ensuing days since last Saturday night, expectations are that this rivalry will not be resolved anytime soon.
“Both Chrissy and Kenny are very talented and determined racecar drivers, and I know neither one of them intend to give an inch on the racetrack,” said I-44 Speedway promoter Craig Armstrong. “And, as we get closer to the end of the season, that determination will inevitably result in some classic racing battles. Couple that with the ongoing rivalry in our Modified class, with Tyler Scott – ‘The Nixa Nightmare’ – versus every other Modified driver, the recent rise in Sportsman class competition to rival Rick Sharp’s dominance, and our race fans are in for a real treat this Saturday night!”
Headlined by the fast and powerful ASA feature division Late Model stock cars, Saturday’s ‘Kickin’ Asphalt’ show at the only weekly operated paved oval track in the region will also spotlight the track’s entry-level, four cylinder subcompact class in a special extended laps feature called ‘Charger Mania’. The Road Warriors – big, steel bodied ‘bomber’ type stock cars, Sportsman and Modifieds will round out the racing action slated to conclude by 10:30 pm. In addition to the scheduled stock car racing program, children ages ten years and younger will have an opportunity to ride in real racecars during the track’s intermission period.
Lebanon I-44 Speedway features an alcohol-free, ‘family friendly’ grandstand, along with tier parking for cars, pickup trucks and RV’s where patrons may park, tailgate and view the races. Veteran I-44 Speedway fans refer to the tier parking area as the ‘Budweiser Wild Side’, where beer, lawn chairs and grills may be brought in. Full food and non-alcoholic beverage concessions are available in both the grandstands and tier parking areas, along with ‘Sally’s Souvenir Shack’ – a track apparel and novelty booth. Dogs are welcome at the track, providing that their owners keep them leashed at all times and clean up any pet waste.
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 will be admitted on the ‘Budweiser Wild Side’ for $60. Following a longstanding track tradition, admission for children ages 10 and younger remains free at I-44 Speedway.
Located just four miles east of the Lebanon city limit on Historic Route 66, Lebanon I-44 Speedway is accessible from anywhere in southern Missouri. The most direct route is Interstate 44 to Exit 135, which is the Sleeper exit, and then one mile west on Route 66 to the track’s main entrance. Additional information about the track’s 2011 ‘Kickin’ Asphalt’ racing schedule, racecar construction rules and championship points may be found of the facility’s official website, www.i44speedway.net.