By Aaron Fry
It may be home to the Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame, but this Saturday Florence Speedway will be a little slice of sprint car heaven. Race fans will be treated to a combination show featuring the traditional sprint cars of the MPD Racing Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series and their winged counterpart, the Ti22 Performance Inc FAST On Dirt 410 sprint cars.
This will be the second appearance of the BOSS tour at the immaculate facility. A year ago, two-time tour champion Matt Westfall won the 25-lap main event. While it may be the first ever Florence stop for the FAST On Dirt winged drivers, there have been a few winged events in the past. A young Jeff Gordon scored his first ever USAC sprint car win in 1989, during a brief era when they tried wings. A year later, the legendary Jack Hewitt picked up the Florence win in an All Star Circuit of Champions event.
Plymouth, Indiana’s Zane DeVault, driving the Lane Racing 4, currently leads the FAST points after finishing second at Muskingum County Speedway and third most recently at Tri-City Raceway Park in Pennsylvania. Defending tour champion, Brandon Spithaler of Evans City, Pennsylvania is just 35 points from the lead.
On the BOSS side, only one event has been completed in a record setting rain-filled spring. Defending tour champion Ricky Lewis from Oxnard, California won that race to take the early tour points lead. Last year’s tour runner-up, Korbyn Hayslett is 33 points back with tour rookie Rylan Gray just 5 behind Hayslett.
Joining the BOSS and FAST sprint cars will be the sport mods and hornets. Pit gates will open at 4 with general admission gates opening at 5:30. Driver meeting will be at 5:30 with hot laps at 6 and racing at 7. Adult general admission is $25 while kids 13-17 are just $15 and 12 and under admitted for free. Pit passes will be $40.
For competing teams, both BOSS and FAST will be racing for their standard 2024 purses. The 25 lap FAST main event will pay: 4000, 2000, 1500, 1200, 1000, 800, 700, 600, 550, 500, 480, 460, 440, 420, 410, 400, 400, 400, 400, 400. Heat races will pay: 40, 30, 20, 10 thanks to NAPA of Fremont, ALL mobility of Dayton, All Pro Cylinder Heads of Johnstown and Victory Fuel. Hard Charger and Hard Luck awards are both provided by Helms & Sons Construction of Findlay, Ohio.
The BOSS payout is as follows: 2000, 1000, 750, 650, 550, 500, 450, 425, 400, 375, 350, 340, 330, 320, 310, 300, 300, 300, 300, 300. Heat races will pay: 40, 30, 20, 10 with help from Dave Poske’s Performance Parts, Outsider’s Merchandise & Apparel and Elizabeth Gardner Photography. Hard Charger, Hard Luck and Steel Block bonus awards are supplied by All Star Performance, Cowen Truck Line, and All Pro Cylinder Heads.
All drivers must utilize a RaceCeiver radio at all times cars are under power. We will be using the yellow Westhold transponders and will have some for rent. All FAST (winged) teams must be on 4 corner Hoosier tires with the right rear a choice of the D15A, Medium or H15. Left rears must be D12A or H12. Wings must be flat top with maximum 2″ wicker bill. For BOSS (non-wing), all cars must be on 4 corner Hoosier Tires. Right rears must be one of: D15A, Medium or H15. Left rears are open.
The race track will have methanol available. The FAST/BOSS tours will have tires. Please call ahead to reserve specific chalk marks needed. Teams do NOT need mufflers at this event.
We hope you will make plans to join us for this historic first-time event of TWO outlaw 410 sprint car series in the same program at Florence Speedway. There is no substitute for the sights, smells and sounds of 900 horsepower / 1400-pound alcohol burning sprint cars. However, if you can’t make it to the track, be sure to catch the action live on TheCushion.com