By Steven Blakesley
ANDERSON, CALIFORNIA (April 30, 2024) – Some of the fastest short track cars in the world will compete at Anderson’s Shasta Speedway on Saturday night May 4 as the Speed Tour Super Modifieds battle during the Tony Fernandez Memorial. Speeds will over 100 miles per hour are expected for the winged machines on the .375-mile oval. Saturday’s event also opens the 2024 season for Shasta Speedway at the Shasta District Fairgrounds with points races for INEX Legends, Bombers, and Hornets. Vintage Super Modifieds and Midgets are also scheduled to appear.
Tickets are value-priced at just $15 for adults with all kids ages 12 and under admitted free of charge. Tickets are available at www.ShastaSpeedwayTix.com or at the gates. Gates open at 5pm followed by time trials. Opening Ceremonies are at 7pm.
The time trials will be an exciting part of the show as drivers aim to break the Shasta Speedway track record which has stood since April 25, 2006. Troy Regier set the standard in one of the first events on the .375-mile layout at 13.48 seconds and 100.14 miles per hour average. Fast time will pay $250.
Speed Tour competitors from across the west coast will venture to Anderson to challenge both the track record and for the main event checkered flag. Local fans can cheer for Paradise’s Mike and Justin Funkhouser. Justin Funkhouser finished in the top-five in three of his five Speed Tour starts in 2023 including a season-best of second at Meridian Speedway in Boise, Idaho.
Central California will be represented by Fresno’s Tim Skoglund, Kyle Vanderpool, and 2022 Speed Tour champion Jim Birges on the expected entry list. The San Jose area has a tremendous Super Modified history dating back 60 years, with drivers Mark Sargent and Mike McCarthy expected to travel north for the event.
The ageless veteran Ken Hamilton, age 82, brings his Hall of Fame resume to Shasta Speedway. Hamilton has not lost his edge as the patriarch of the Hamilton racing family, earning a fifth place finish in 2023 at the Diamond Cup in Idaho. Spokane, Washington will be represented by Frankie Volz, Jr. and TJ Sneva on the expected entry list.
The full-field of open engine winged machines will battle in qualifying, heat races, and a feature.
In the weekly Shasta Speedway divisions, Brian King of Shasta Lake is the defending champion of the Bomber division while Mark Felch of Redding topped Fauna Stankey by one point for the Hornet championship. Legends cars also will be competing.
All three divisions will kick off their 2024 seasons on Saturday night as part of the Tony Fernandez Memorial!
Activities kick off Friday May 3rd with Open Practice. Pit gates open at 9am with practice from 1pm to 2pm for Super Modifieds only. All other divisions will be open for practice from 2pm to 6pm. Pit passes will be $50 per person while the grandstands will be open for free.
Saturday pit gates open at 9am with practice beginning at 1pm. Grandstand gates open at 5pm followed by time trials. Opening Ceremonies are at 7pm. Tickets are value-priced at just $15 for adults with all kids ages 12 and under admitted free of charge. Tickets are available at www.ShastaSpeedwayTix.com or at the gates.
Shasta Speedway is presented by Twyman Plumbing, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Budget Blinds, Crown Motors, Lake City Towing, Wait Roofing & Seamless Gutters, Farmers Brewing Co., and Gary Psyzora.