72nd Season Of Macon Speedway Racing Ready For Green Flag
Six Divisions, The Easter Bunny, & Autographs Highlight April 15th Opener
The 72nd racing season at historic Macon (IL) Speedway is set to go green this coming Saturday, April 15. On tap will be six divisions of racing including the Pro Late Models, the Billingsley Elite Wash Modifieds, Street Stocks, Sportsman, B-Mods, and Hornets. The Easter Bunny will be paying a visit to greet the kids with candy as part of CEFCU Kid’s Club, and a special on track autograph session/driver meet-and-greet will be held immediately before the races.
2017 will mark the third full season in which the Pro Late Models will be a regular class at the bullring. Last year, Springfield, IL driver, Matt Taylor, claimed the championship at Macon as well as the Big Ten championship, after an impressive season. The Pro Late Model class is inviting to drivers, due to its more affordable cost to be competitive. A strong contingent of competitors are set to take their shot at the championship Saturday night.
Last season, Taylorville, IL driver Curt Rhodes claimed the championship in the Billingsley Elite Wash Modifieds. The division was improved last season, boasting over 100 different competitors during the course of the year. The Billingsley Elite Wash Modified class is a staple at the track, running 22 different times this season.
The Sportsman class, a part-time division, will have a similar schedule as they had a year ago. The class, which was all but dead a few years ago, has bounced back nicely with improved counts in 2016. Lovington, IL driver Jeremy Nichols claimed the championship over Danny Smith. In addition to the Macon races, the division runs sporadically at Lincoln Speedway, Taylorville, and the Illinois State Fair.
The Street Stock division was also up in 2016, seeing counts not reached in a few years. This season’s schedule will see 22 total Street Stock events, four of which are Big Ten sanctioned. In addition, a Midwest Street Stock Championship event and the John Osman Memorial highlight the season. 59 different Street Stock drivers were on track at Macon in 2015 and that jumped to 70 last year. Decatur, IL driver, Nick Justice, will be looking to repeat as champ.
The fifth division on the card Saturday Night will be the B-Mod’s. This class is in its third full season and is another cost effective race car for competitors. 2015 had 41 different drivers, while last year 60 were on track at Macon. It’s a growing class with a growing schedule of 20 events at the 1/5-mile this year. Mt. Olive, IL driver, Tim Hancock, was an amazing 16-for-16 last season, an unreal feat. The competition was giving him great challenges by the end of the season.
Rounding out Saturday’s slate of racing will be the Hornet class. Last year, the Hornets had over 50 competitors race at one point or another. Last year, the championship went right down to the wire, with Tony Reed, of Blue Mound, IL, winning by just a 36 point margin over Jerad Matherly.
In addition to the thrilling racing action, Macon Speedway’s opener will have a Driver-Sponsor Appreciation Photo & Autograph Session where we will invite the fans onto the track to meet and greet with their favorite drivers. Also the CEFCU Kid’s Club will be in full force with the new 2017 t-shirts, plus a visit from the Easter Bunny.
Pit gates open Saturday afternoon at 3:00, with grandstands at 5:00, and racing action takes the green at 7:00. Adult admission is $12, while children 11 and under get in free. Pit admission is $30 for adults and $15 for children 11 and under.
For more information, follow Macon Speedway online at www.maconracing.com, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/maconracing) and Twitter (@maconspeedway). It’s easy to join the Macon Speedway text service. Fans can text MSFANS to 74574 to receive fan information. Drivers text MSDRIVERS to 74574 to receive driver information. Message and date rates apply. Updates are also available by calling Macon Speedway at 217-764-3000.
Macon Speedway is located nine miles south of Decatur on U.S. 51, then 0.6 miles west on Andrews Street and south to 205 N. Wiles. Macon Speedway hosts racing every Saturday night, plus many weeknight specials.