By Gerry Keysor
WAYNESFIELD, OH
Waynesfield Raceway Park track owner Greg Shobe has returned to the helm of his 1/3 mile dirt oval, and has released his tentative 2011 schedule, which showcases a multitude of classes, and gives the fans a great program to enjoy, no matter what week they attend.
The season kicks off On Saturday May 7th with a phenomenal weekly program of 6 classes of cars, including the Non Wing Sprint Cars, UMP Modifieds, 4 Cylinder Tough Trucks, 1000cc Mini Sprints, Compacts, and the return of the always popular Thunder Stock Cars. The stock cars return after a 2 year absence from the Waynesfield lineup. Waynesfield will run Saturday nights weekly with this line up with the exception of a couple of weeks where the stock cars and modifieds will have the opportunity to compete at the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg Ohio
The All Star Circuit of Champions return to the 1/3 mile bullring at Waynesfield on Monday night June 20th for the 29th Annual Ohio Sprint Speedweek. Last year’s annual stop by the All Stars provided fans with one of the most exciting events of the year, with Brad Sweet picking up the win after a tremendous battle with NASCAR star Dave Blaney, and longtime national sprint car competitor Gary Wright. This one sets up to be a great event with Waynesfield moving to the Monday night slot on the Speedweek calendar.
The Road to the Hewitt passes through Waynesfield on July 9th, as the popular Non Wing Sprint Car mini-series returns in 2011. The Non Wing Sprint Cars will compete for supremacy at several area tracks, earning points to claim the winner’s share of “The Road to the Hewitt” points.
The Road to the Hewitt culminates on August 20th at Waynesfield Raceway Park when the 3rd Annual Jack Hewitt Classic takes place on the 1/3 mile bullring. Jonathan Hendrick picked up the win in 2010 winning a thrilling feature filled with slidejobs and daring passes during a race named for one of the most exciting drivers in history. Look for much of the same in 2011 as we honor Troy, Ohio racing legend Jack Hewitt.
In addition to the schedule, Waynesfield Raceway Park also released the tentative purse structure for all classes for 2011. Track promoter Greg Shobe has made it clear that these purses are by no means final. Shobe said, “If we can find additional sponsorship, or if we find that the attendance has increased to where we can support an increase, we will by all means put the money into the purse for the drivers and teams. A cutback for 2011 was necessary to ensure that we could continue to have a weekly program and hopefully start building towards a more thriving facility for teams, drivers, and most importantly our fans.”
While the schedule and purse has been released, there may be some adjustments, additions and/or subtractions to the schedule. We hope to have the schedule complete and concrete as we approach opening night. Keep up to date on any changes by visiting our website at http://www.waynesfieldracewaypark.com, and by visiting our page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Waynesfield.Raceway.Park