Local racing weekend schedule
KIL-KARE SPEEDWAY
Today: NASCAR Whelen All-American Series late models, modifieds, sports stock, compacts. Gates open at 6 p.m., racing at 8.
ELDORA SPEEDWAY
Saturday: Sunoco American Late Model Series, UMP modifieds, Eldora stocks. Gates open at 4 p.m., hot laps at 6, racing at 7:30.
KIL-KARE DRAGWAY
Saturday: NHRA-sanctioned Summit ET Bracket Racing Series. Gates open at 11 a.m., time trials at noon.
SHADY BOWL SPEEDWAY
Saturday: Postponed.
If Mike Dirksen is going to secure a record fourth-straight stock car title at Eldora Speedway, he’ll have to do it from the back of the pack.
Dirksen, though, has been there and done that.
The Union City driver enters Saturday’s racing action 12th in stock points, the same place he started in 2010. Dirksen, in fact, has won his past two titles in the final race of the season.
“Every time you win one, you think the next one is going to be harder because there are more guys getting better and better,” said Dirksen, who is now chasing the likes of Jeff Babcock, Barney Craig and Kevin Gossard, who finished 1-2-3 in last week’s opener.
Dirksen, who works at Clopay Corp. in Troy, is tied with the late Chick Hale as the only drivers to win three straight stock titles. The legendary Hale won his from 1975-77.
Stansell off to fast start at Kil-Kare
Kettering’s Shawn Stansell goes for his second straight late-model win tonight at Kil-Kare Speedway after scoring his first late-model victory in last week’s season opener.
Vandalia’s Derek Weatherhead (modifieds), South Charleston’s Mike South Jr. (sport stocks) and Riverside’s Bo Hoelscher (compacts) also took the points leads in their divisions.
Hot laps
• Shady Bowl Speedway is again off this weekend as the track transitions to new management, according to its website. There’s no date given for the season opener. The track phone is no longer in service and track owner Lisa Stapleton has not been available for comment.
• Having trouble deciding whether to head out to Waynesfield Raceway Park because of the weather? Then text keyword wrpracefan to 70359 for text alerts or visit www.rainedout.net and search Waynesfield to sign up.
• Limaland Motorsports Park canceled tonight’s show because of wet grounds, pushing back the season opener to April 22.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2400, ext. 6991, or gbilling@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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