April 1, 2016 — 9:30 p.m., St. Louis Region – Rain and dropping temperatures have forced Gateway Motorsports Park officials to suspend tonight’s Midnight Madness activities at the Dragplex.

“Due to the unforeseen rain that hit the track at approximately 8 p.m. and the cool, and falling, temperatures that have prevented drag racing track surface-drying efforts, Gateway Motorsports Park is suspending the drag racing portion of Midnight Madness until Saturday evening at 8 p.m.,” said GMP General Manager and Executive Vice President Chris Blair. “Tonight’s Midnight Madness drag racing program will resume immediately following the completion of Saturday’s bracket racing event.”

Midnight Madness drag racer gates will open at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday with an express lane set aside for those who have already purchased credentials and tech cards.  All drag racers will be required to wear their  wristbands and retain ticket stubs.

The Stl Drift, midway activities and DJ will continue tonight until approximately midnight.12 a.m.  StL Drift, midway activities and the DJ components will finish on Friday night.

All spectator and racer wristbands and will be honored for Saturday, April 2, with spectator gates opening at 5 p.m.  Racers and spectators should retain their wristbands and tickets as proof of purchase.

At 9:15 p.m., officials determined that due to the rain, more than two hours would be needed to complete track-drying efforts. However, with a current temperature of 47 degrees, an adequate drag racing surface would not be attainable.

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY, APRIL 2

8 a.m. — Gates, racer registration and pit parking open.

9:30 a.m. — Tech inspection.

9:50 a.m. — Jr. Dragster track talk with Kevin Corzine (in staging lanes).

10 a.m.

First Jr. Dragster time trial.

First Trophy time trial.

Second Jr. Dragster time trial.

Second Trophy time trial.

First round of Jr. Dragster eliminations.

First round of Trophy eliminations.

11:50 a.m. — King of the Track time trial.

Noon — Top Fuel Concessions open.

Noon

*Pro time trial.

Box ¼-mile Bonus time trial.

King of the Track time trial.

*Super Pro time trial.

No Box ¼-mile Bonus time trial.

First round of King of the Track eliminations (8 vehicles).

Super Pro Motorcycle time trial.

Sportsman time trial.

Second round of Jr. Dragster and Trophy eliminations.

Second round of King of the Track eliminations (4 vehicles).

Second round of time trials for all classes.

King of the Track final (2 vehicles).

Third round of Jr. Dragster and Trophy eliminations.

First round of eliminations for Bracket Series.

Fourth round of Jr. Dragster and Trophy eliminations.

Second round of eliminations for Bracket Series.

Final rounds for Jr. Dragster and Trophy eliminations.

¼-Mile Bonus eliminations begin following Round No. 2.

7:30 p.m. — Racer gates open for conclusion of April 1 Midnight Madness drag racing program.

For more information, please call GMP at (618) 215-8888 or visit www.gatewaymsp.com. Follow GMP on Facebook and Twitter.

The vision for the new Gateway Motorsports Park is to create a racing lifestyle that attracts enthusiasts, professionals, amateurs and car lovers by harnessing the energy and passion of the thousands of racing fans in the heart of the Midwest.

Located just five minutes from downtown St. Louis and covering nearly 200 acres, Gateway is the largest outdoor entertainment facility in the region, encompassing a ¼-mile NHRA-sanctioned drag strip, 1.25-mile superspeedway, 1.6- mile road course, a state-of-the-art Karting facility and a new 14-acre, multi-purpose dirt off-road venue.