By Richie Murray
Fairbury, Nebraska (May 17, 2021)………What was initially billed to be bigger and better than ever, is now even bigger and even better with the payout increased to $10,000-to-win and $500 to start for the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midgets on Saturday night, July 17, at Fairbury, Nebraska’s Jefferson County Speedway.
The Riverside Chevrolet Midwest Midget Championship presented by Westin Packaged Meats and Schmidt’s Sanitation, co-sanctioned by USAC and the Rocky Mountain Midget Association, will feature over $40,000 in total purse money at the 1/5-mile dirt oval between the back-to-back nights of events on Friday, July 16, and Saturday, July 17.
Local businesses in the area have stepped up to contribute to the event’s purse purely based on their love for having USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget racing at Jefferson County Speedway, which has been a staple of the series’ summertime schedule since 2016.
The Midwest Midget Championship at Jefferson County will serve as the final races of a recently expanded Mid-America Midget Week with five races in four states across seven nights between July 11-17.
Mid-America Midget Week begins on July 11 at Missouri’s Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex, followed by a July 13 date at Meeker, Oklahoma’s Red Dirt Raceway; July 14 at Solomon Valley Raceway in Beloit, Kansas; then concludes with two nights at Jefferson County Speedway in Fairbury, Neb. on July 16-17.
The NOW 600/JayHusker Non-Wing and Restrictor Micros will also be in action for the final four events of “MAMW” at Red Dirt, Solomon Valley, and both nights at Jefferson County.
The confines of Jefferson County Speedway make it one of the raciest bullrings on the USAC tour and an equalizer for all competitors across the board. Past winners of USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget events at Jefferson County Speedway include Chad Boat (2016), Tanner Thorson (2017), Justin Grant (2018), Jason McDougal (2019), Tyler Courtney (2019 & 2020) and Chris Windom (2020).
This year’s Midwest Midget Championship event kicks off on Thursday, July 15, at Jefferson County Speedway with an open practice for all race teams from 5-7pm CDT followed by a shrimp boil and BBQ at 8pm for all teams, crews, fans, etc. at the campground on the north side of the track.
On Friday, July 16, the first night of racing for the Midwest Midget Championship features the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midgets competing 30 laps for $3,000 to win. The Midwest Midget Championship finale on Saturday, July 17, will feature midget pilots gunning for the $10,000 prize awarded to the victor of the 40-lap main event.
Gates open at 5pm CDT with racing scheduled for 7pm on both July 16-17. General admission tickets are $20 on Friday and $25 on Saturday. High school students and younger are just $5. Reserved seating is $25 (available online only in two-day packages). Reserved seating tickets are available online at www.JeffersonCountySpeedway.com under the “Buy Tickets” tab.
General admission tickets will be sold the day of show at the main grandstand gate starting at 5pm CDT and will not be limited. Reserved seating is only available as pre-sale only, as listed above.
All access pit passes will not be limited and will be available at the pit gate on the day of show only.
There will be a free concert after the races both nights at the beer garden.
Camping with electric and water hookups is available just a few hundred feet from the track by reserving online at www.JeffersonCountySpeedway.com under the “Buy Tickets” tab.