By Mike Swanger
An increase in the points fund for all four class’ of cars plus a couple of other contingency’s will add to the competition level for the drivers at Wayne County Speedway with the new partnership with O’Reilly’s Auto Parts and the ‘Race to the Championship’. “We try every year to add money and benefits for the drivers and teams that compete at WCS on a weekly basis,” commented promoter Jason Flory. “With O’Reilly’s Auto Parts coming on board, we have been able to add some bonus money and items for the drivers,” added Flory.
This season, the winner of the Pine Tree Towing & Recovery Sprints will collect $3,000 for the O’Reilly’s Auto Parts ‘Race to the Championship’ while the champion of the Malcuit’s Tavern Super Late Models will pocket $2,000. The McKenzie Concrete Super Stock Champion will receive $1,000 and the JoyRide Transportation Mini Stock Champ will get $500 plus the 7th through 10th place finishers will have an increase in their payoff.
Each week of the O’Reilly’s Auto Parts ‘Race to the Championship’, the feature winner of each class will draw a numbered ball, 1 through 20, out of a bucket and whatever number is on the ball drawn, the driver who finished in that position in the feature, will receive a pit pass for the next regular race at ‘Orrville’s Historic Oval’.
After the O’Reilly’s Auto Parts ‘Race to the Championship’ is over and the top ten drivers are set in all four class’, the fans will be able to vote for their favorite driver in the top ten in points. With the top three drivers chosen from that vote, one driver out of the top three will be chosen at the Awards Banquet in November and will receive a Wayne County Speedway custom fire suit gift certificate worth about $750.
The earning of points will stay the same with a couple of additions this season. The feature winner will get 50 points while second will be 45 points and third will collect 43 points as fourth receives 41 points and fifth gets 39 points. Sixth place is worth 38 points and from there down it will be one less point per position down to 20th that will get 24 points. For a driver who does not start or transfer into the feature from the last chance race, they will get 15 points. Also the All Star races for the Pine Tree Towing & Recovery Sprints and the World of Outlaw show for the Malcuit’s Tavern Super Late Models will receive 15 points for competing in those races.
The new additions to the O’Reilly’s Auto Parts ‘Race to the Champions’ points will see each heat winner getting three points. Also this season will be an attendance point awarded. For each night that a driver competes, they receive a point that will increase with each consecutive nights of racing. From the first night to the fifth consecutive race a driver will get one point per night. Starting with the sixth straight night of racing, the driver will get 2 points per night up until the tenth straight night. Then on the 11th consecutive night and for the rest of the season will get 3 points. So if a driver races in the first 10 nights of racing, they will have accumulated 15 bonus points. If your class is not scheduled, it will not count against your attendance points. The All Star and World of Outlaw shows will not count for or against the attendance points.
If a driver misses a night, no matter how many consecutive nights they have raced, they will have to go back to starting over at night one of consecutive nights but will keep the points they have accumulated. If a driver has raced in the first 6 nights then misses night seven, they will have racked up 7 points but would go back to starting over. To receive the attendance point, the driver must present their car on the track and running.
Watch for more information about the track on the website at www.waynecountyspeedway.com or at facebook.com/waynecountyspeedway