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JETMORE, Kan. (January 29, 2011) – IMCA drivers in western Kansas have a new Saturday night venue, with the announcement that four sanctioned divisions will join race programs at the Great American Dirt Track at the Jetmore Motorplex in 2011. IMCA Modifieds return to the 3/8-mile oval for the first time since 2006. IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods will all race there for the first time. “There’s a strong IMCA heritage in this area,” said Patrick Johnson, owner and promoter for the former Jetmore Motorplex. “Our rules were very similar to IMCA’s last season and we had a lot of IMCA drivers who raced here on Saturdays but couldn’t get points because we weren’t sanctioned.” “This will provide another place for drivers to race for national, regional and state championships,” he added. “Drivers need to get the recognition they deserve and they can get that with IMCA.” Modifieds will run on the undercard of the April 30-May 1 Sunflower State Late Model Showdown. Tentative opening night for track points in all classes is May 15. The regular season will run through August. Former head of the Dirt Legends Racing Association, Johnson races an open late model and only needed a couple laps around the Great American Dirt Track to convince himself to buy the facility. “I did a few laps and liked the facility right away,” he said. “It wasn’t too long before we shook hands and had a deal to buy the track. I took over ownership in December of 2009.” After resurfacing of the race surface was completed, repair and update work was done on buildings and a new high-tech scaling system was installed. “The most important things for us, in deciding to sanction with IMCA, were their rules and the economy of their divisions. They have a set of rules that anybody can follow and we will be very strict in enforcing them,” Johnson said. “Economics is another big deal. If we went with another sanctioning body, drivers would have to make changes to their car every night they wanted to come here. That would cost them money so not as many of them would be able to compete.” Jetmore will be part of IMCA’s ButlerBuilt Central Region for Modifieds and Probe Industries Northern Regions for Stock Cars and for Hobby Stocks.
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