[Sandy Lowe]

MTQRL Opens Season Saturday at the Shelby County Fairgrounds

The Midwest TQ Racing League presented by Vincennes University opens their 2011 racing season on Saturday May 14th in Shelbyville, Ind. This will be the first of seven appearances at the Shelby County Fairgrounds by the MTQRL three-quarter midgets. Other races scheduled are June 11, July 9, July 23, August 6, August 27 and September 10.

Rushville’s Tate Martz will begin defense of his 2010 championship at a track that has shown him great success. Martz is the current track record holder and has won four of the seven MTQRL races contested on the quarter mile oval.

One of many drivers hoping to unseat Martz for the title will be Jason Willis of Lawrenceburg. Willis has placed second to Martz in the standings the past two seasons and hopes 2011 will be his year to shine. Willis was the only driver other than Martz to visit victory lane in Shelbyville last year when he captured the July 3rd race during the Shelby County Fair.

Georgetown’s Chris Guinn had a much improved 2010 campaign winning twice at the Marion County Fairgrounds and placing fourth in the standings. Rick Robinson of Columbus, a winner at Shelbyville in 2009, persevered through some early season mechanical difficulties to place fifth in the standings with six top five feature finishes.

Waldron’s Chris Mann hopes his 2011 season begins right where 2010 left off as he won the season finale at Rushville. Mann closed the year with back-to-back top fives and looks to have his racing program on an upswing.

Caleb Faulkner, the 2010 Larry Rice Spirit Award winner, hopes to improve on last years seventh place finish in the standings. The fifteen year old driver from Columbus had eleven top ten finishes in fifteen starts and should improve in his second season.

Connersville’s Brett Hankins hopes to have his mechanical gremlins behind him. A highlight of his 2010 season was a second place finish at Shelbyville on September 11th. A change in car numbers, from 41 to 14, might be just what the doctor ordered. Brett’s brother Chad, of Rushville, also switched numbers from 5 to 71. Chad ran a limited schedule in 2010 with a pair of top three finishes in only four starts.

Tim Lynch of Columbus returns to the MTQRL to make a run at the 2011 championship. Lynch, one of the most successful drivers in MTQRL history, has an amazing sixteen top three finishes in nineteen feature starts.

Bloomington’s Kenny Byrge, the only active driver other than Martz to have a TQ championship under his belt, also hopes to make a run at the title. Byrge had a great start to the 2010 season setting quick time and finishing second in the season opener at Shelbyville before mechanical woes dashed his title hopes.

Other drivers expected to be in attendance are Jamie Ross (Shelbyville), Will Wilson (Rushville) and Jon Steed (Milroy). Steed had a top five finish at Shelbyville last season while Wilson scored his career best finish in the season finale.

Racing is scheduled for 7:00 pm with Car Warz as the undercard. General admission prices are $8 for adults (12 and over), $5 for children, and 6 and under are free. For more information please visit www.mtqrl.com.

[Sandy Lowe]

Pit gate opens at 3:00 pm and the grandstand gate opens at 5:00 pm.

[Andrew S. Quinn]

Is this race still on for tonight?