(LEBANON, Missouri) Lebanon I-44 Speedway will continue the 2011 season of ASA-sanctioned stock car racing this Saturday night, May 14, on the track’s 3/8-mile high banked asphalt oval, with another large field of Late Model stock cars anticipated for the show. Spectator gates are will open at 5:00 pm, with a five-division stock car racing program scheduled to begin at 7:30.
“I was pleasantly surprised and really pleased that we had eighteen Late Models checked in on Opening Night last Saturday,” said I-44 Speedway promoter Craig Armstrong. “These were all high-quality racecars, and they put on a terrific show for the fans in their qualifying Heat races and the 30-lap feature event. I believe our Late Model class will continue to grow this year, and I’m anticipating another great field of Modifieds on Saturday night as well.”
Headlined by the fast and powerful ASA Late Model stock cars, Saturday’s show at the only paved oval track in southern Missouri will also highlight the Modifieds, which are stock appearing racecars with open wheel front ends, the Sportsman class stock cars, Road Warriors – big, steel bodied pure stocks – and a four-cylinder “tuner-type” class of cars called Chargers. Due to scheduling conflicts, the Baby Grand National cars that were slated for this Saturday night will instead make their first 2011 appearance on Saturday, June 18 at the Laclede county oval.
“It’s just amazing how many people are still confused about our track surface,” Armstrong said. “Even some folks from right around Lebanon have asked me about it. Let me be very clear – despite a few years of dirt racing in the previous decade and in the mid-80’s, we are and will continue to be an asphalt oval track. As we like to say, we’ll be ‘Kickin’ Asphalt’ every Saturday night, May through September, and I don’t see that ever changing.”
In addition to the ‘family friendly’ alcohol-free grandstands, Lebanon I-44 Speedway features tier parking for cars, pickup trucks and RV’s around the turn one and backstretch areas, where patrons may park, tailgate and view the races. Known as the ‘Budweiser Wild Side’, beer may be brought in by fans in the tier parking areas, while full food and non-alcoholic beverage concessions are available in both the grandstands and tier parking, along with a Souvenir and track apparel booth.
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 ‘Budweiser 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 east on Route 66 to the track’s main entrance. Additional information about the track’s 2011 ‘Kickin’ Asphalt’ racing schedule may be found of the facility’s official website, www.i44speedway.net.