|
|
|
|
|
KNOXVILLE, IOWA, February 24, 2011 - The Knoxville Masters Classic, which is a winged 360-cubic-inch sprint car race for drivers age 50 and over, is returning to its roots in 2011. Now, in addition to certifying that he or she is at least age 50 on June 3, 2011, the driver needs to certify that he or she hasn't competed in more than 10 winged 410 c.i. sprint car feature races in the last two years. Knoxville Raceway director of racing Ralph Capitani said today, "Last year, we thought we were doing the right thing by encouraging the likes of Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Danny Lasoski and Jac Haudenschild to compete in the Masters Classic. However, in hindsight, it was a terrible decision. The race, which is typically very exciting to watch, was one of the worst Masters Classics in terms of competition in its 18-year history. So, this year we have implemented a second rule, beyond just the minimum age requirement, to take the full-time winged '410' sprint car competitors out of the picture. This is a '360' invitational for retired sprint car drivers and active '360' racers that are age 50 and older. Period." The Knoxville Masters Classic will again be held on the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (NSCHoF) induction weekend. Knoxville Raceway will host an open track practice for the Masters Classic competitors on Thursday, June 2, from 7 to 9 p.m. The $2,000-to-win, 22-lap Knoxville Masters Classic will take place on Friday, June 3, along with a regular $1,250-to-win, 15-lap feature show for the track's weekly Lucas Oil Championship Cup Series '360' competitors. Those Masters Classic competitors will be allowed to compete in both portions of the night's program, if they so desire. The 22nd NSCHoF induction banquet will be held on Saturday afternoon, June 4, in the Dyer-Hudson Hall on the Marion County Fairgrounds. Then, the Saturday night program will include the track's three winged sprint car divisions in Lucas Oil Championship Cup Series competition. The night's three feature races will include a $400-to-win, 12-lap main for the 305's, a $3,000-to-win, 20-lap main for the 410's, and a special $2,000-to-win, 15-lap main for the 360's, respectively. Said 'Cappy', "We want to make this weekend a little more special for the '360' competitors, both our weekly racers and the Masters, so we decided to bump up their Saturday night purse. I sincerely hope that we will see some regional invaders that weekend." For information on the Friday-Saturday night races at the Knoxville Raceway, individuals are urged to visit the track's web site at www.knoxvilleraceway.com. For tickets to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame induction banquet, fans are urged to call Lori DeMoss at 1-800-874-4488 or e-mail her at ldemoss@sprintcarhof.com. Banquet tickets are just $25 dollars each but need to be reserved in advance.
|
