By Lonnie Wheatley
DODGE CITY, Kan. (August 16, 2013) – A touch of the desert makes its way to southwest Kansas next week as Dodge City Raceway Park hosts the final two rounds of the Freedom Tour next Friday and Saturday featuring the USAC Southwest Sprint Cars.
Based in Arizona, the wingless Sprint Cars of the USAC Southwest bring their exciting brand of wheel-to-wheel, back ‘em in, mud-slinging action to Oklahoma and Kansas for four nights next week with the Inaugural Freedom Tour.
The 3/8-mile Dodge City Raceway Park clay oval will play host to the final two rounds on Friday and Saturday, August 23-24, after the initial two rounds at Creek County Speedway near Tulsa, OK, on Wednesday night and then Wichita’s 81 Speedway on Thursday night.
All four nights of wingless USAC Southwest action offer up a $2,500 winner’s share.
The USAC Southwest Sprint Cars will be joined on Friday night at DCRP by the IMCA Stock Cars and Thunder Cars, with IMCA Modifieds and United Wireless IMCA Sport Modifieds rounding out the Saturday night, August 24, Freedom Tour finale with the USAC Southwest Sprint Cars.
Phoenix shoe R.J. Johnson has ranked as the top gun with the USAC Southwest Sprint Cars thus far in 2013 by racking up eight wins to hold the advantage over reigning Arizona Sprint Car champion Charles Davis, Jr., of Buckeye, AZ.
Third-ranked Mike Martin of Yuma, AZ, will field a two-car team that will include himself for all four nights of Freedom Tour action along with current OCRS points leader Harli White of Lindsay, OK, for the initial three nights.
Ronnie Clark and Shon Deskins round out the current top five in USAC Southwest points with the rest of the top ten including Andy Reinbold, Chris Bonneau, Josh Pelkey, Brian Hosford and Mike Bonneau.
While all eyes will be on the much anticipated non-wing Sprint Cars next weekend, the track’s championship chase action will be pivotal as well with only three nights of competition remaining in each of divisions including IMCA Modifieds, United Wireless IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and Thunder Cars.
Austin Allen holds a 15-point edge over Jon Herring, Jr., in the Modified title chase with Jesse Smith just another six points back in third, Jeff Kaup is just 21 points ahead of Clay Sellard in the Sport Mod championship battle, Billy Phelps has amassed a 112 point advantage in the Stock Car ranks despite being shut out of victory lane and Matt O’Hair holds a 42-point lead in Thunder Cars.
Both nights of action next weekend at Dodge City Raceway Park get under way at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for adults are just $12 for the Friday night portion on August 23 and $15 for the Saturday portion on August 24. Children 11 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
Only two of the 18 scheduled nights of competition at DCRP remain following next weekend’s Freed Tour double including championship chase action on August 31 and the season ending Jerry Soderberg Championship Memorial Event on September 28.
Dodge City Raceway Park is located on the south edge of Dodge City, KS, on US 283, then 0.9 miles west on US 56, then 0.1 miles south. For more information, contact the track at 620-225-3277 or check www.dodgecityraceway.com.