It’s March, which means it’s
opening season for race tracks around the state. In honor of this, I thought I’d
post an article I wrote last season about the sport in the state. Enjoy!
NASCAR racing is one of the
most popular sports in the nation. The bright colors, smell of rubber, sounds
of screaming fans and engines as the cars careen past create a concoction that
seems to hook people to auto racing.
In Arkansas, dirt track
racing gives fans an opportunity to experience the action of a live race.
“The excitement is probably
what draws people at first,” said Mooney Starr, owner of the Batesville
Speedway since 1993. “Being there to see a big wreck is what stands out in the
mind of the newcomer to racing. But the competition of the event is what keeps
the true race fan coming back. Racing is like any other sport in that its
always more interesting if you are involved in the event or know someone racing.”
Most of the tracks in
Arkansas are one-eighth or one-fourth mile clay ovals and have several heats to
determine the feature race in each class. The racing season typically runs from
mid-March through October. Most tracks have races once a week, usually on
Friday or Saturday nights.
The first official auto
race in the nation took place in Chicago in 1895. In 1903, less than 50
automobiles were scattered around Arkansas. It didn’t take long for their
owners to question whose was the fastest and interest in racing ignited
quickly. By the 1970s there were several banked oval tracks around the state,
including the 1-30 Speedway in Little Rock, which now hosts the prestigious O’Reily
Short Track Nationals.
“I think auto racing is
popular in Arkansas because of the talent we have here,” said Tracey Clay of
the 1-30 Speedway. “Mark Martin is the first name that comes to mind. Some
other drivers are Billy Moyer (Sr. and Jr.), Wendell Wallace, Bill Frye, the
Swindell Family, Bobby Ward, Ralph Henson, the Jenkins and many more.
Arkansas is also home to two of the Late Model Chassis builders…GRT Race Cars
in Greenbrier and Larry Shaw Race Cars in Batesville.”
Arkansas has several locals
that are at the top of their game but Mark Martin is the only racer that has
gone all the way to NASCAR. In 1974, the 15-year-old Batesville native started
his career and raced on dirt tracks for several years before joining the NASCAR
circuit in 1981. The Mark Martin Museum was built in Batesville in 1996 to
honor the racer.
Batesville is a hotbed for
dirt track racing and home turf to many seasoned veterans including Starr, who
has been involved in the sport since he was 16.
“I have always been
interested in cars…fast cars,” Starr said. He did a little racing in the 1980′s
and after that, owned a couple of race cars, teams, and even a racing
series.
Then he got involved in the
Batesville Speedway.
Starr said the Comp Cams
Topless 100 is the track’s most popular event. This will be the 17th year
for the event, which is one of the top Dirt Late Model events in the nation. “Topless”
means the top portion – excluding the safety bars – of the cars are removed. “Fans
can look down into the cars and actually see the drivers,” he said.
According to Clayton Allen,
owner of West Memphis based Riverside International Speedway, built in 1949 and
the oldest dirt track still in use in Arkansas, dirt track racing offers
spectators a chance to see the many different styles of cars that make up the
versatile sport, which is composed of different classes, sanctioning bodies,
and types of vehicles.
The highest divisions that
race in Arkansas are sprint cars (open-wheel custom built cars) and late models
(highly modified, full size cars). The most common are modified stocks, which
are custom built with open wheels, metal bodies and varied engines. Different
sanctioning bodies determine the rules for each racing class. The best bet for
Arkansas fans wanting to see late model races is through the Mid-South Racing
Series. A schedule of races can be found at www.midsouthracing.com.
Starr, Allen, and Clay all
mentioned that a common misconception surrounding the aura of auto racing is
that it is a “redneck sport”. “We have doctors, lawyers, teachers…people from
all walks of life, racing with us or attending the races every week,” said
Starr. “Racing or going to the races is a great experience for everyone to try
at least once. And usually nine out of 10 times, they return.”
Once at the races, a good
bet is that you’ll be leaving with a bit of the track on you.
“It’s a dirt track, expect
to get a little dust on you,” said Clay. “Fans say, “If there’s not dirt
in your beer, you’re not at a real race track.” …It’s loud, you can feel
the ground shake beneath you. The earth rumbles with the roar of the Late
Models and the wind blows with the speeds of the Sprint cars. There’s
really nothing quite like it.”
If you are interested in
seeing a race, some of the tracks around Arkansas include:
64 Speedway: This track is
located in Augusta and is a 4/10 mile dirt oval track. At the track they race
e-mods, mods, factory stock, hobby stock, mini stock and street stock. More
information can be found at www.64speedway.us.
Drew County Speedway: This
track is located in Monticello. At the track they race cruisers, hobby and
street stock, IMCA sport modified, modified, and late models. For more details
visit www.drewcountyspeedway.net or call 870-489-0099.
Batesville Motor Speedway:
This track races modifieds, super stocks, hobbies, super stars and front-wheel
drives on a three-eighths mile red clay oval. Races take place on Fridays from
March until early October. For more details check out
www.batesvillemotorspeedway.net or call 870-251-0011.
Beebe Speedway: This track
races modifieds, street and hobby stocks, mini-stocks and hosts a special
racing series on a one-fourth mile dirt oval. Races take place on Fridays at 8
p.m. from mid-March until mid-September. For details visit
www.beebespeedway.com or call 501-288-5207.
Centerville Super Speedway:
This track races modified stocks, street and hobby stocks and mini-stocks on a
one-fourth mile clay oval. Races take place on Saturdays at 8 p.m. from
mid-March until late October. For further information visit
www.arkansasdirttrackin.com or call 479-970-0160.
Crawford County Speedway:
This track is located near Van Buren and races modifieds, factory stocks,
hobbies, mini-stocks and front-wheel drives on a three-eighths mile clay oval.
Races are on Saturdays at 8 p.m. from March through September. For more
details, visit www.crawfordcountyspeedway.net or call 479-474-1942.
Crowley’s Ridge Raceway:
This track is located near Jonesboro. Races include late models, modified and
street stocks, cruisers and four-cylinders on a one-fourth mile clay oval
track. Races take place on Saturdays at 8 p.m. from mid-April to October. For
more information visit www.crraceway.com or call 870-23-3141.
I-30 Speedway: This track
is located in Little Rock and races IMCA modified, hobbies, street and hobby stocks
on one-fourth mile clay oval. Races take place on Saturdays from mid-March
until late October. For more information visit www.i-30speedway.com or call
501-455-4567.
North Central Arkansas
Speedway: This track is located near Yellville and races modified stocks,
cruisers, mini-stocks, super and hobby stocks on a three-eighths mile oval
track. Races take place on Fridays at 8 p.m. from late March until mid-October.
For more information visit www.northcentralarspeedway.com or call 870-449-LAPS.
Poinsett County Speedway:
This track is located near Harrisburg and races modifieds, late models, pure
and hobby stocks, and four cylinders on a three-eighths mile clay oval. Races
take place on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. from March until October. For more
information visit www.poinsettcountyraceway.com or call 870-578-2224.
Riverside International
Speedway: This track is located at West Memphis and races late models, Sprints,
modifieds and street stocks on a one-fourth mile clay oval. Races take place on
Saturdays at 7 p.m. from May through September. For further details visit
www.riversideinternationalspeedway.com or call 901-508-6200.
67 Texarkana Speedway: This
track is located near Texarkana and races modifieds, street and hot stocks,
cruisers and bombers on a quarter-mile banked clay oval. Races take place on
Saturday nights beginning in early April. For more details visit
www.texarkana67speedway.com or call 870-773-0029.
Arkansas Motor Speedway:
This track is located near Murfreesboro and races pure and street stocks,
modifieds, sportsman and bombers on the three-eighths mile banked clay oval.
Races take place on Saturdays at 8 p.m. beginning in early April. For more
details visit www.arkansasmotorspeedway.com or call 870-845-5546.
