Weekend schedule
KIL-KARE SPEEDWAY
Today: NASCAR Whelen All-American Series late models, modifieds, sport stocks, compacts. Gates open at 6 p.m., racing at 8.
KIL-KARE DRAGWAY
Saturday: NHRA-sanctioned racing; Junior Dragster Challenge. Gates open at noon, time trials at 1 p.m.
ELDORA SPEEDWAY
Saturday: UMP DIRTcar modifieds, stocks, mini trucks. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., practice at 6, racing at 7:30.
WINCHESTER SPEEDWAY
Sunday: King of the Wings, USA modifieds, sprint cars, CRA FWD’s. Gates open at 10 a.m., practice at 10:15, racing at 2 p..m.
WAYNESFIELD RACEWAY PARK
Saturday: Nonwing sprints, trucks, compacts, mini sprints. Gates open at 5 p.m., practice at 6, racing at 7.
The green flag drops on Shady Bowl Speedway’s season July 3.
The 3/10-mile asphalt track located near DeGraff kicks off its season after months of waiting, wondering and — for racers without a track — worrying.
The track will host 50-lap late model, 40-lap modified and 30-lap street stock races along with the compacts and Pro-4s. A test-and-tune session will be held June 26.
Don Mahaffey Jr., whose mother, Linda Young, purchased the track on June 3, said it’s close to race ready. Grass and weeds, some approaching six-feet tall, have been cut or bailed. Oakley Blacktop is patching some of the asphalt, and catch-fence and wall repair is next.
Other changes include new equipment in the concession stand and a new food supplier, and possibly lower prices.
Mahaffey hopes for 16 to 18 late models at the first show, and drivers are taking notice.
“I’ve had one or two drive all the way up here to check things out,” said Mahaffey, who runs at Kil-Kare Speedway and Columbus Speedway. “I’ve had people from Columbus saying they would come. It’s hard to say until opening day.”
Shady Bowl plans to run mostly the same rules and tires as the other two tracks, as well as running Sunday to avoid competing with Kil-Kare and Columbus.
“It’s pretty much set up so these guys can go to their tracks and their guys can come to our track like it was in the old days,” Mahaffey said, adding both Kil-Kare and Columbus have been helpful answering questions as they get the track up and running.
Mahaffey would like to see additional cooperation between the three tracks in the form of a racing series.
“It would be neat to have a six-race series, maybe two races at each track, and see who the best of the best actually is,” Mahaffey said.
Mahaffey, meanwhile, only plans to run races sanctioned and officiated by touring series such as the Main Event to avoid conflicts.
“I won’t race here, no,” Mahaffey said. “I would but it’s too much. I’d rather be on top of the teching and make sure everything is equal. I’m just as big a race fan as I am a racer. If I get to watch 24 cars eventually show up to these race tracks and make a good show, I’m tickled that way too.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2400, ext. 6991 or gbilling@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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