By Bryan Gapinski
Sun Prairie, Wis., May 16—The most diversified schedule in the seventy-one year history of Angell Park Speedway begins Sunday Night May 21. The event is the first of the eleven-race season at the popular 1/3-mile clay oval.
Sunday’s “The “Sprint Spectacular with Tony Stewart” features The Bumper to Bumper Interstate Racing Association (IRA) and The Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions. Stewart will compete in the sprint car portion of the event, marking his first driving appearance at the track since July 7, 2002.
The Badger Midget Auto Racing Association will appear at all eleven events, with various other divisions (see schedule below) racing each night. The Wisconsin Dirt Racing Legends Association will be the third division competing on Sunday. Grandstand seating opens at 4:30 pm; practice at 6:00 pm; racing to follow.
Other sanctioning bodies competing during the season at the track include: POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League, Dirt Kings Late Model Series, Wisconsin wingLESS Sprint Car Series, MSA 360 Winged Sprint Car Series, Wisconsin Vintage Racing Series & Vintage Racing of Illinois, and Vintage Modified Association. The return of the popular Monster Truck Throwdown will again be a two-day event on June 24-25.
Here are some points of interest for this weekend’s opener:
—Billy Wood and Kevin Olson each have five Angell Park Speedway (APS) opening night feature victories to lead all drivers. Other multiple winners include: Keith Thomas with four wins. Miles Melius, Kevin Doty, Dan Boorse, and Jerry Coons with three each. Two-time winners are: Boyd Calvert, Marty Davis, Davey Ray, Brad Kuhn and Scott Hatton.
—Five of the last thirteen years the APS opening night feature winner has also won the Badger Championship: Scott Hatton (2004), Brad Kuhn (2006 & 07), Bubba Altig (2011) and Christopher Bell (2014).
—Ten times opening night has suffered a rain-out forcing postponement to the next available race night.
2017 Angell Park Speedway Schedule
May 21: IRA & All Star Sprints, Badger Midgets, Legends
May 28: Badger Midgets & Micros, Wis. Wingless Sprints, Vintage Stock Cars
June 11: Badger Midgets, MSA 360 Sprints, Legends, Dirt Kings Late Models
June 18: IRA Sprints, Badger Midgets, Legends
June 24: Monster Truck Throwdown Night One
June 25: Monster Truck Throwdown Night Two
July 2: Badger Midgets & Micros, Legends, Dirt King Late Models
July 9: 36th annual Pepsi Nationals- POWRi Nat’l Midgets & Badger Midgets plus Wis. Wingless Sprints, Legends and Budweiser Fireworks after races
July 16: Norm Nelson Classic – IRA Sprints, Badger Midgets, Legends
July 30: Badger Midgets & Micros, MSA 360 Sprints,Legends
Aug 13: Badger Midgets, Wis. Wingless Sprints, MSA 360 Sprints, Legends
Aug 20: Miller Lite Cornfest – IRA Sprints, Badger Midgets, Legends
Sep 3: Kevin Doty Classic– Badger Midgets & Micros, Wis. Wingless Sprints, and Vintage Mods