Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2012

Contact: Brian Liskai

FREMONT, Ohio – Many veteran race fans and teams remember when race cars were created in the garage, each with their own distinct look and “special” parts. Today, most race cars and the parts that bolt on them are created factory-style. Fremont Speedway hopes to bring back a little of that creativity that helped the sport of short track racing explode on Saturday, Oct. 6 as “The Track That Action Built” wraps up its 61^st season with the Hoy’s Bar and Grill Run What Ya Brung.

There’s very little “rules” for the event. For example, there’s no body, no engine, no tire, no wing, no rule on the imagination. Race vehicles must have roll cages and safety equipment.

“For sprint cars it’s pretty simple…a sprint car is a sprint car. But, there’s no tire size or brand rule, no body rule, no wing size rule,” said Fremont Speedway Promoter Rich Farmer.

The purse for the sprint cars will be: 1. $1,500; 2. $700; 3. $600; 4. $500; 5. $400; 6. $350; 7. $340; 8. $325; 9. $300; 10. $270; 11. $260; 12. $250; 13. $245; 14. $240; 15. $230; 16. $230; 17-20. $200.

Farmer said there will be a late model/modified division. If the car has a late model/modified frame or has a motor that is set back beyond the ball joint it will be in this class. Cars in this division can put any kind of body work on and can utilize wings and there is no tire rule.

“We’re hoping we get some of the late models to put on the wedge bodies and wings like they did back in the day,” said Farmer.

The purse for the lates/modifieds is: 1. $1,000; 2. $500; 3. $275; 4. $250; 5. $225; 6. $220; 7. $210; 8. $200; 9. $190; 10. $180; 11. $160; 12. $140; 13. $135; 14. $130; 15. $125; 16-20. $120.

The regular dirt trucks that have competed at Fremont all season, will be teamed up with stock cars and bombers. Farmer said these “stock type” vehicles have to have a motor set back no further than the #1 spark plug even with the upper ball joint to compete in this division.

The feature for this class will pay: 1. $300; 2. $250; 3. $150; 4. $125; 5. $110; 6. $105; 7. $100; 8. $90; 9. $85; 10. $80; 11. $80; 12. $70; 13. $70; 14. $70; 15-20. $60.

There will be a compact class as well. Unlike throughout the season when this class was limited to teens 12-18 years of age, on Saturday there is NO age limits. It is open to ANY four cylinder engine, either front or rear wheel drive cars or trucks.

The feature for this class will pay: 1. $200; 2. $100; 3. $75; 4. $50. 5-20. $25.

Also, the ladies will battle in the traditional Powder Puff race, driving the dirt trucks.

And, kids are encouraged to bring out their bicycles as there will be two age groups for a race sponsored by the Tackle Box II. The younger kids will race the length of the front stretch while the older kids have to race all the way around the one-third mile oval.

Gates will open Saturday, Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. with racing underway at 7 p.m. Tickets are $13 for adults; $10 for senior citizens; $6 for teens ages 11-16; and kids 10 and under get in free. Pit passes are $25.

Prior to the night’s racing, Fremont Speedway, Hoy’s Bar and Grill, CA Kustoms and Fremont’s JLH General Contractors are sponsoring a fun kick ball tournament at Roger Young Park on Field #4 in Fremont beginning at 10 a.m.

It’s called “Kick-It…Play Kick Ball – Cure Children’s Cancer.” This national campaign, which is part of the Jeff Gordon Foundation, is aimed at raising money to help research and cure all forms of childhood cancer.

There will be four teams competing. Two teams will be comprised of local racers. Players on one team are Farmer, Josh Harrison, John Ivy, Mark Keegan, Jody Keegan, Mike Linder, Brandon Martin, Jamie Miller, Paige Polyak, Jordan Ryan and Brian Smith. The other driver team is comprised of Chris Andrews, Brad Bowman, Dustin Dinan, Caleb Helms, Cap Henry, Cody Jacobs, Moe Lilje, Travis Philo, Dan Roepke Jr., Seth Schneider and Bryan Sebetto.

There will be a team made up of race team crew members Andrew Barman, Kelly Hasselbach, A.J. Havens, Clay Kirchenbauer, Keith Kramer, Ben Lagrue, Daniel Smith, R.J. Willey and Zach Willey. And a fan team that was chosen through a special raffle that took place this past week at the track and other picks including Poncho Cortez, Aaron Fought, Eric Klisz and Jeezy Saucedo.

The track’s 50/50 raffle from this past weekend raised nearly $500 and the track donated $3 from every admission ticket sold for the Kick-It Foundation. And, fans and other community members can go to www.kick-it.org/events/fremont-speedway-is-kickn-it and can make pledges per driver, fan or crew member.

There will be an auction of donated items between innings as well.

Dirt track racing across the country has really embraced the Kick-It concept. There have been many tracks, racing organizations, fan groups and more who have held these special kick-ball games. So far the national effort has raised over $1 million with some 550 games being played.

“With the Clyde Cancer Cluster and the many youngsters that have battled with cancer in our area…this is something that is very near and dear to our hearts at Fremont Speedway. We have seen how childhood cancer has impacted our area and many of our young fans and their families and we want to do what we can to bring awareness to this cause,” said Farmer.

Kick-It partners with national medical advisory boards to identify the most promising research studies and projects such as a study of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors at Harvard Medical College; The Children’s Tumor Foundation; Clinical research of the Children’s Oncology Group, reaching 90 percent of the children with cancer in the U.S.

Besides NASCAR champion and former sprint driver Jeff Gordon and his foundation, the Cleveland Indians are also a partner in the national campaign.

For more information or to make a donation contact organizer Shelly Liskai-Bowe at shellyliskaibowe@yahoo.com or check out Fremont Speedway’s Facebook page or www.fremontohspeedway.com. For more information about Kick-It, go to www.kick-it.org.