NCRA Late Models at Thunder Hill Speedway This Saturday Night!
By David Smith, Jr. NCRA Press – July 20, 2010 - The Wichita, Kansas based National Championship Racing Association late model division will be at Thunder Hill Speedway in Mayetta this coming Saturday night. The event will be a “homecoming” of sorts but it has nothing to do with the track itself, but rather the series and owners of the high-banked three-eighths mile oval.
The Conkwright family purchased the facility this past winter in order to try to keep racing alive on the dirt oval that was built just north of Topeka back in 1994. The track was in desperate need of repair and modernizing and while it seemed like a daunting task, major improvements were made during the long winter months and continue even to this day.
Mike, who began racing late models back in 1984, has always been a faithful supporter of NCRA as a driver and continues to do so now as a track owner. “Mike injured his back last year (2009) while running an NCRA event which put him on the sidelines for the rest of the season,” says Pam Conkwright. “While Mike misses competing on those dirt tracks throughout Kansas and Nebraska and is all but done racing, he really enjoys the promotion side of things. He takes great pride in his weekly racers and enjoys giving those drivers a place to race and a place to call home.”
And while the track has been in existence for sixteen years, this Saturday night will only be the third ever appearance for the series late model division. The last time the series late model division competed at Thunder Hill Speedway was back in October of 2008 during the running of “Thunder on the Hill II” when it was Missouri driver Jessie Stovall sweeping both nights of super late model racing.
While the appearance for the late model division is rare, the NCRA is nothing new to the speedway as the track has hosted several 360 and outlaw sprint shows since the 1990’s.
The NCRA is in the midst of their 40th anniversary season and not only sanctions late model racing throughout the Midwest but sprint cars, a modified north, modified south and southern modified division as well.
Leading the charge of late model divers into Saturday night’s show will be four-time series champion Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colorado. Boen has six feature wins thus far on the 2010 NCRA late model scheduled out of the twelve races that have been held. Boen leads the series in career late model victories with fifty.
Currently second in the point standings and having a solid year is Bellevue, Nebraska driver Corey Zeitner. Series rookie Jase Kaser of Lincoln, Nebraska currently sits third in the point standings, followed by Wylan Petrie (Soloman, Kansas), Jason O’Brien (Atlantic, Iowa), two-time and defending series champion Kyle Berck of Marquette, Nebraska, Dean Moore (Grand Junction, Colorado), Shawn Harker (Plattsmouth, Nebraska), former two-time series champion Al Purkey (Coffeyville, Kansas) and Jerry Warner (Lavesta, Nebraska).
Other drivers expected to compete include Omaha, Nebraska’s John Anderson, a $10,000 winner in Jetmore, Kansas earlier this season, Bill Koons (Omaha), Delbert Smith (Wichita). Close to thirty drivers from five states are expected.
“We are looking forward to seeing a lot of old friends and familiar faces and an exciting night of late model racing at the “Hill!”
Joining the late models will be their weekly racing divisions of IMCA sanctioning, including the modifieds, northern sport mods, stock cars and hobby stocks. Pit gates will open at 4:00 PM while grandstand seats open at 5:00 PM. Hot laps begin at 7:00 PM with racing scheduled for 7:30 PM.
Pit passes will be $30 with general admission seats just $15. Tickets for seniors 65 and over are $13 while kids ages 6-12 are $10.
Thunder Hill Speedway is located is located 14.6 miles north of US 24 on US 75 to 142nd St., then 2.2 miles west. For more race or ticket information, contact the track (785) 966-2844 or send them an email thillspeedway@gmail.com. You can also check them out on the world wide web: http://www.racethunderhillspeedway.com.
