GAS CITY, Ind., Feb. 2 – From sprint cars to monster trucks and everything in between, a diversified, 25-event schedule featuring 16 different classes of race cars and 14 sanctioning bodies is set for Gas City I-69 Speedway in 2019.
The season begins Friday night, April 26 and concludes Sunday afternoon, Oct. 6.
Anchoring the schedule will be the 410-cubic-inch, non-wing sprint cars and UMP modifieds, which will compete regularly on the quarter-mile, semi-banked clay oval. The non-wing sprints have 17 dates and the UMP modifieds have 19.
The track’s non-wing sprint car action is sure to be intense, as Gas City will offer the popular and exciting division the largest weekly purse up for grabs in the entire state. Three events will pay at least $2,000 to the feature winner.
After a one-year absence, USAC’s Indiana Sprint Week will return to Gas City for its opener on Thursday night, July 18. The USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car Series visits again on Thursday night, Sept. 26 for the second annual James Dean Classic.
Three major winged sprint car programs are scheduled. The Sprints on Dirt series returns after a 20-year absence on Friday night, June 14. The Great Lakes Super Sprints, which brought the largest field of sprint cars of any race last year at Gas City, will return on July 26. The FAST on Dirt winged sprinters, which featured one of the most exciting races of the season last year, invade on Friday night, Aug. 30.
Midget racing will also be well represented. The speedway will host round two of the USAC NOS Energy Drink Series’ Indiana Midget Week on Wednesday night, June 5. Non-sanctioned “open” midgets (May 17, July 18, Oct. 5), USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 midgets (June 14, Aug. 2, Aug. 16 and Sept. 13) and the UMRA TQ midgets (May 17 and Aug. 9) round out the mighty midgets’ appearances.
New events for the season include the American Ethanol late models and modifieds doubleheader on Sunday evening, May 19. The American Ethanol modifieds return on Friday, Sept. 13. The BOSS non-wing sprints will make their first Gas City appearance on Friday night, Aug. 9. A “Night of Destruction, Thrills and Chills” is set for Saturday night, Aug. 10 featuring monster trucks, school bus races, a mini-van demo derby, a rollover contest, trailer races and a hornet enduro. The inaugural Fall Festival of Speed will feature 11 divisions of racing Oct. 5-6.
In addition to non-wing sprints and modifieds, a merged class of super streets and thunder cars will compete frequently. A meeting will be held soon to finalize the 2019 rules for the combined class.
The former front-wheel-drive (FWD) compacts will expand to include rear-wheel compacts as well, and that class will be renamed the hornets division. Rules for this class will be released soon.
Other classes include RaceSaver and CSR co-sanctioned 305 winged sprints and winged and non-wing outlaw 600cc mini-sprints. The A-class 600cc winged micro-sprints and 1,000cc winged lightning/mini-sprints will rotate regular appearances throughout the season.
Popular in Western Ohio, the tough trucks – four-cylinder Ford and Chevy pick-up trucks – will make their first appearances at Gas City this season with five scheduled dates.
“It’s a diverse menu of great racing to satisfy almost every fan’s motorsports entertainment appetite,” said Jerry Gappens, the track promoter. “We re-introduced weekly Friday night racing last year and are building on that foundation to bring a broad range of motorsports entertainment.”
Gappens will also incorporate his signature “intermission” entertainment for event nights, including an aerobatic stunt plane show, fun theme nights, human bubble ball, kids’ coin scrambles, toss-the-helmet competitions, spectator races for “soccer moms” and much more.
“Our goal is to provide fast, fun family entertainment,” added Gappens. “Once again our team will be vigilant in starting the programs on time and finishing them as soon as possible.”
For complete schedule information and other news, visit the speedway’s website at www.gascityi69speedway.com. Fans and competitors can also follow the speedway on Twitter: @GasCitySpeedway; Instagram: @GasCitySpeedway and Facebook: GasCitySpeedwayOnTheGas.
The complete schedule will be posted on gascityI69speedway.com.
Gas City I-69 Speedway 2019 Schedule
Sunday, April 14 – Open House/Test and Tune (1-6 p.m.) Open to all types of race cars
Friday, April 26 – Lid-Lifter 100
Sprint cars, UMP modifieds, super streets/thunder cars, hornets (aka: RWD/FWD compacts), tough trucks
Friday, May 3 – Spring Fever
Sprint cars, UMP modifieds, thunder cars/super streets, hornets (aka: RWD/FWD compacts), AMSA mini-sprints
Friday, May 10 – A Salute to Moms
Sprint cars, UMP modifieds, thunder cars/super streets, hornets, spectator car race featuring moms ($200 to win)
Friday, May 17 – Open-Wheel Madness
Sprint cars, winged 305 sprints, open midgets, UMRA TQ midgets, 600cc winged mini-sprints
Sunday, May 19 – Late Model Invasion
American Ethanol late models ($4,000 to win), American Ethanol modifieds ($1,500 to win), hornets
Friday, May 24 – A Salute to the Military
Sprint cars, UMP modifieds, super streets/thunder cars, hornets
Wednesday, May 29 – Test and Tune (5-9:30 p.m.) Open to all types of race cars
Friday, May 31 – Mayhem
Sprints, UMP modifieds, super streets/thunder cars, hornets, tough trucks
Wednesday, June 5 – USAC Midget Week
USAC NOS national midgets, sprint cars, 600cc non-wing mini-sprints
Friday, June 14 – Second Annual “Jack and Jiggs Classic”
SOD winged sprint cars, USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 midgets, UMP modifieds, SS/thunder cars, hornets
($400 to win)
Friday, June 21 – Second Annual Jerry Gappens Sr. Memorial
Sprint cars ($2,000 to win), UMP modifieds, super streets/thunder cars, hornets, AMSA mini-sprints
Friday, June 28 – Summer Thunder
Sprint cars, UMP modifieds, Thunder Car Rumble (minimum $700 to win), hornets, A-class winged micro-sprints
Saturday, July 6 – Star Spangle Spectacular (Fireworks!)
Sprint cars, UMP modifieds, super streets/thunder cars, hornets, tough trucks, MMSA mini-sprints
Friday, July 12 – Christmas in July
Sprint cars, UMP modifieds, SS/thunder cars, hornets, AMSA mini-sprints
Sunday, July 14 – Test and Tune (1-5 p.m.) Open to all types of race cars
Thursday, July 18 – USAC Sprint Week
USAC AMSOIL sprint cars, open midgets, 600cc non-wing micro-sprints
Friday, July 26 – Wings and Fast Things
GLSS winged sprints, UMP modifieds, outlaw 600cc winged mini-sprints, hornets, tough trucks
Friday, Aug. 2 – Summer Slam
Sprint cars, AVSCA sprints, USAC SpeeD2 midgets, UMP modifieds, SS/thunder cars
Friday, Aug. 9 – Beach Night Bash
BOSS sprint cars, UMRA TQ midgets, UMP modifieds, SS/thunder cars, hornets
Saturday, Aug. 10 – Night of Destruction, Thrills and Chills!
Monster trucks, school bus races, hornet enduro, mini-van derby, rollover contest, trailer races and more!
Wednesday, Aug. 14 –Test and Tune (5–9:30 p.m.) Open to all types of race cars
Friday, Aug. 16 – Hot August Night
Sprint cars, UMP modifieds, SS/thunder cars, hornets, USAC SpeedD2 midgets
Friday, Aug. 30 – King of Wings
FAST on Dirt winged 410 sprints, UMP modifieds, winged 600cc mini-sprints, SS/thunder cars, hornets
Friday, Sept. 6 – Friday Night Fury
Sprint cars, UMP modifieds, SS/thunder cars, hornets, AMSA mini-sprints
Friday, Sept. 13 – Mod Madness
American Ethanol modifieds ($1,500 to win), sprint cars, hornets, USAC SpeeD2 midgets
Thursday, Sept. 26 – Second Annual James Dean Classic
USAC AMSOIL sprint cars, UMP modifieds, 600cc non-wing mini-sprints
Oct. 5-6 – First Annual Fall Festival of Speed
Saturday, Oct. 5 – Sprint cars ($2,000 to win), AVSCA sprints, open midgets, 305 winged sprint cars, MMSA/AMSA 1000cc mini-sprints, tough trucks
Sunday, Oct. 6 – UMP modifieds ($1,000 to win), late models, super streets/thunder cars, hornets, A-class winged micro-sprints
