From Greg Parent
STILLWATER, Mn. (January 14, 2018) — The Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series (UMSS) is pleased to announce their 2018 wing division schedule and has officially released the first edition of what is currently slated to be 20 events (19 point shows). All but one race have been confirmed, as the series celebrates its 10th Anniversary season this year. Many tracks return on an annual basis with events each season while others are back on board or have expanded their participation.
Leading the way for what some may describe in 2018 as the UMSS “home track” is none other than the legendary Cedar Lake Speedway. Cedar Lake has really stepped up their involvement in the wing division with nine shows slated to take place at the popular western Wisconsin speedway culminating with the prestigious 18th Annual Jerry Richert, Sr. Memorial in September. With two events each, the Granite City Speedway in Sauk Rapids, the Ogilvie Raceway and the Jackson Motorplex help bolster a strong schedule. Returning with single events from last season, the Eagle Valley Speedway in Jim Falls, Wisconsin will run on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend with what will likely be a show, not confirmed yet, the night before at the Rice Lake Speedway. The final weekend of the season will see the UMSS return to the Clay County Fair Speedway with a non-point event and round out the season with a full-point show at the Deer Creek Speedway. After an absence of one year, the Princeton Speedway returns for the 16th Annual Billy Anderson Memorial in May.
Special events highlight several nights throughout the season. The first one kicks off on the opening night of the season at the Cedar Lake Speedway for the running of the 2nd Annual Gale Patterson Memorial on April 21. As mentioned previously, the 16th Annual Billy Anderson Memorial returns to Princeton on May 18. The UMSS winged sprints once again will be part of the extremely popular World of Outlaws weekend at Cedar Lake with a July 7 date. The 7th Annual Davey Tabor Memorial returns to the Ogilvie Raceway for a big night on August 18. The Richert Memorial kicks off a couple of big weekends in September on the 8th while the series completes its season the following weekend at Spencer and Deer Creek on September 14-15.
For the fourth year since its inception, several Midwest Power Series events will utilize UMSS dates. In 2018, those shows will include Princeton, Cedar Lake on June 2, July 7, July 14 and September 8, Jackson on July 13, Ogilvie on August 18, and the final weekend at Spencer and Deer Creek. The Midwest Power Series will also race three additional shows at the Jackson Motorplex in 2018 for a total of twelve dates. Several Midwest Power Series events will have bonus money available for teams who race both shows on certain weekends that feature a couple of events.
The Cedar Lake Speedway, building on the success of its six-race NASCAR Dash Series the past several seasons for their stock car divisions, has created the CLS Shootout in 2018 for the UMSS winged and Traditional sprints along with the limited late model division. The three divisions in the six-race CLS Shootout will be competing for point fund monies with the same point format as the NASCAR Dash. The CLS Shootout dates include April 21, May 19, June 2, June 30, July 14 and July 28. Also as part of both the CLS Shootout and NASCAR Dash Series in 2018, GRP Motorsports has come on board to help sponsor what will be known as the “GRP Motorsports CLS Loyalty Bonus” which will pay a $100 bonus to ALL drivers in both the CLS Shootout and NASCAR Dash Series who race ALL SIX events. Stated Greg Parent from GRP Motorsports, “I like the idea of paying a bit of bonus to those drivers who make the commitment to be at all six races in each series. Individually its a little extra “tow” money or whatever you want to think of it as, but collectively amongst all seven divisions its a fairly large sum of money that will be distributed to ALL drivers who compete in all six shows regardless of where they finish in the final point standings. That fits in perfectly with the thought process I have in helping reward those who show loyalty and help support a particular series, track or number of events.”
The 2018 season is certainly shaping up to be one of the best yet for the UMSS winged sprint car division. “I think our 2018 schedule is the strongest one I have put together for the UMSS winged sprint cars for our 10th Anniversary season and should give drivers several opportunities to earn some extra money along the way. I can’t wait for the 2018 racing season to get underway in April,” stated UMSS President Ron Bernhagen. Racers and fans alike will want to make plans to attend as many UMSS events as their schedules permit in order to be part of the always-exciting and high-powered entertainment generated by the winged sprint cars in 2018!
2018 UMSS Winged Sprint Schedule (First Edition):
April 21 – *Cedar Lake Speedway (2nd Annual Gale Patterson Memorial)
May 18 – Princeton Speedway (16th Annual Billy Anderson Memorial-Midwest Power Series)
May 19 – *Cedar Lake Speedway
May 26 – TBD (Tentatively Rice Lake Speedway)
May 27 – Eagle Valley Speedway
June 1 – Jackson Motorplex
June 2 – *Cedar Lake Speedway (Midwest Power Series)
June 9 – Ogilvie Raceway (Big O Showdown)
June 29 – Granite City Speedway
June 30 – *Cedar Lake Speedway
July 7 – Cedar Lake Speedway (Midwest Power Series)
July 13 – Jackson Motorplex (Midwest Power Series)
July 14 – *Cedar Lake Speedway (Midwest Power Series)
July 28 – *Cedar Lake Speedway
August 17 – Granite City Speedway
August 18 – Ogilvie Raceway (7th Annual Davey Tabor Memorial-Midwest Power Series)
August 25 – Cedar Lake Speedway
September 8 – Cedar Lake Speedway (18th Annual Jerry Richert Memorial-Midwest Power Series)
September 14 – Clay County Fair Speedway (Midwest Power Series)
September 15 – Deer Creek Speedway (Midwest Power Series)
*CLS Shootout event