By Steve Williams
ARDC President, Bruce Buckwalter Sr. along with club booking agent Jerry Steward have announced an aggressive 23 race schedule to mark the clubs 72nd year.
The Mighty Midgets will show their versatility as they will race on speedways as small as ¼ mile and as large as ½ mile across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and North Carolina.
The opening race of the season will take place on April 10th at Susquehanna Speedway as part of the popular “Sprint Car King of the Hill” Spring Classic. The unique racing format will also feature the Central Pennsylvania 410 Sprint Cars.
The season opener will be the first of three visits to the Newberrytown, PA oval. The second visit will be on June 12th for the Summer Classic along with 358 Sprint Cars and the EMMR Vintage Race Cars.
ARDC will wind up the season back at Susquehanna on October 29th, as part of the always popular Candy Bowl VII presented by JK Salvage.
The Bridgeport ¼ mile inner oval is the smallest track that ARDC competes on and they will be there three times, May 21st, June 11th and September 3rd. The unique feature of this format is that the Bridgeport Modifieds, 358 Sportsman and Outlaw Stocks compete on the huge 5/8 mile outer oval on the same program.
For the past several years early summer in Pennsylvania means Wingless Open Wheel racing when the USAC Sprint Cars head east for the annual Summer Storm Tour and team up with ARDC. These double header shows always play in front of standing room only crowds. This year Grandview Speedway will host the first of the two races on May 31st. It will mark the first of two visits to the Bechtelsville, PA oval. The second visit will be part of the Thunder on the Hill Halloween Party, 5-25 lap features format along with the 358 Modifieds, URC Sprint Cars, Sportsman, Legends, Garden State Vintage Stock Cars and the Monster Smash Demo Derby.
The second ARDC / USAC Wingless Open Wheel double header will be contested at the Port Royal Fairgrounds on June 4th. The new promotional team at the historic fairgrounds oval has inked three dates for ARDC including Ladies Night on May 7th when the Midgets will be in action along with the 410 Sprint Cars, Late Models and Powder Puffs. The third show will be a late summer August 20th date along with the Sprint Cars and Late models.
Another new venue on the 2011 slate is “Dirts Monster Half Mile” Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. The July 9th date is Zomerang Night will also feature the Super Late Models, Pro Lates, E-Mods, Cadets, Hobby and Young Guns.
ARDC will visit the Williams Grove Speedway twice this season. The first date April 29th is a Goodyear Diamond Series event along with the traveling All Star Sprint Cars. The second race of the season will be on September 16th as part of a double header with The Groves regular 410 Sprint Car division.
Memorial Day weekend means open wheel racing and ARDC will be in action twice that weekend. On Friday May 27th the Midgets will travel to Penn Can Speedway in northern Pennsylvania as they have done for the past several years. They will share the card with the Modifieds, Crate Sportsmen, Street Stocks and Factory Stocks.
ARDC will round out the Memorial Day weekend on Monday May 30th with their first of two visits to Big Diamond Speedway in a double header with the Pennsylvania 410 Sprint Cars in the Keystone Cup.
The Midgets will join the 358 Modifieds, Sportsman and Roadrunners on Friday July 22nd at Big Diamond.
Early August in the Carolinas means triple digit temperatures and the ARDC Southern Swing. This years tour of Barbeque Country starts of August 5th at the Dixieland Speedway in Elizabeth City, NC.
Pack up the wagons and head west on Saturday August 6th as ARDC marks their return to County Line Speedway Elm City, NC
The Midgets will also make a Western Pennsylvania Tour. On Friday July 29 ARDC will return to the Clinton County Raceway in Lock Haven, PA for a double show. The first show will be the conclusion of the feature that shortened by curfew last year and then another complete program will be spun off. The Patriot Sprints and Pro Stocks will also appear that evening.
The following night, July 30th ARDC will roll into Mercer Speedway for the annual “Sprint Slugout” along with 410 Sprints, Outlaw Warrior Sprints, Mod Lites and stocks.
Saturday August 13th marks ARDC’s return to the Wincester, VA Speedway. That evening “The Action Track: program will also include the Late Models, Limited Late Models, Pure Stocks and U Stocks,
There will be “Thunder in the Pines’ on Tuesday August 28th when ARDC returns to the Garden State and New Egypt Speedway. The balance of the show has yet to be announced but you can bet that August in South Jersey will produce some hot weather and some hot racing action.
Additional dates may be added in the future. Please check www.ardcmidgets.com for updates.