By CAREY FOX
Times Sports Editor

It’s been five long years since the racing season at Lincoln Park Speedway has culminated in the Racin-Fest thrown by Dan “D.O.” Laycock and Joe Spiker, the new promoter at the Putnamville oval.
The evening is also Bill Gardner and Indiana Open Wheel Night at LPS, which will include a silent auction and live auction during the evening’s autograph session.
However, on Saturday night, Lincoln Park Speedway will play host to sprints, modifieds, super stocks and bombers in a special format for the drivers and fans in attendance. Tickets will be $15 for general admission with kids 6-10 years old admitted for $5 and those under five years old are free. Pit passes are $30. For fans, there will be an on-track autograph session with the drivers from 5-6 p.m. following hot laps, which will take place at 4 p.m.
Fans can come and get a picture and autographs from their favorite drivers and get an up close look at these firebreathing sprint cars Following the racing action there will be a bonfire with music afterwards for the fans. Be sure and get there early for the autograph session beginning at 5 p.m.
The drivers will also have tear offs marked in hot laps, and if you find one you can claim the prize marked on it. They will have a car number and name that fans can claim a t-shirt
A special feature of the evening will be Hero and Hot Dog qualifying for the sprint cars, modifieds and super stocks. The different format means that for the sprint cars, there will be a $500 base purse for the top qualifier, however, to be able to qualify, each driver that wants a shot at the prize money must pay a $50 buy-in. That entry money goes on top of the $500 with the fastest qualifier winning the purse.
The Sprint Hero and Hot Dog qualifying is sponsored by Jockish Flowers and Truckers 24-hour Road Service.
The modifieds will also take part in the format with a $300 starting point and a $25 buy-in, which gives drivers three qualifying laps. The Modified Hero and Hot Dog qualifying is sponsored by Motorsports Unlimited.
The super stocks can also thank Griffin Auto Salvage for adding the Super Stock Hero and Hot Dog qualifying this week with a $100 beginning purse with a $20 buy-in for three laps.
The bombers will also be on tap with an open rule that will allow bombers from Lincoln Park Speedway, Vermilion County Speedway, Bloomington, Kokomo and Brownstown to run this weekend.
Car counts are expected to be high on Saturday night with a number of top sprint car pilots expected to be in attendance. Jerry Coons Jr. has reportedly confirmed that he will be behind the Trucker’s 24-Hour Service car on Saturday and it will be fans last chance to see the familiar black and yellow car.
Coons was the winner in the 2004 edition of Racin’ Fun Fest.
Tracy Hines is another driver expected to hit the dirt on Saturday night in a break from the hectic USAC schedule. He’ll be in the new Parker sprinter after its recent debut. Hines has been in the Parker midget for much of the 2009 season. Jon Stanbrough is reportedly also looking for a car for that night as well.
James Bradshaw, Shane Hollingsworth and Nick Johnson have also confirmed their attendance at Racin’ Fest. Other drivers that expressed interest during last weekend’s racing at the Kokomo Klash are Chris Gurley, Shane Cottle, Justin Grant, Jeff Wimmenauer, Josh Spencer and Nic Faas.
In the modifieds, several confirmed entries include Wes McClara, Craig Conyer and Jimmy Hayden along with Brian Hayden.
There will also be an increased payday for the sprint and modified features as lap money has been collected from a variety of sponsors for all 30 of the sprint feature laps and nearly all 25 of the modified feature circuits. An extra $1,000 could go to a sprint car driver if they would lead all 30 laps while a potential $750 could go to a modified driver.
There also are four, $50 gift certificates graciously donated by Competition Suspension.
In the sprint feature, there will be a caution thrown with five laps remaining to send the lapped cars to the tail. There will be a Lucky Dog car at the caution that will receive $100 from Indy Race Parts and the leading lapped car at the checkered flag will also pocket an extra $100 courtesy of HARF. The second lapped car at the checkers will receive a $50 gift certificate from Competition Suspension.
The weather might be cooler, but the action is still hot at Lincoln Park Speedway and it’ll be a long winter so come and enjoy the dirt track action while you can this Saturday night.


Sprint Hero & Hot Dog quals brought to you by Jockish Flowers & Truckers 24 hour road service +

Lap Sponsors Sprints

Lap
1 Jerry Shaw $30
2 Schlegel Machine 30 +
3 Carmichael's Exhaust
4 KRJ Race Products 30 +
5 Speed Service 30 +
6 Gotta Race.com -
7 Bryan Clauson Racing
8 Carey Fox Photography 30 +
9 HARF
10 Speed Service 30 +
11 Carmichael's Exhaust
12 JonStanbrough.com $40 +
13 Indy Race Parts
14 Dirtnowingfan - Frank Daigh 30 +
15 Jason Smith
16 Competition Welding 30 +
17 Hazardous Sports Coleman Gluick Racing 30 +
18 Mike Blake Racing 30+
19 Competitiion Welding 30 +
20 Petersburg, IL Dairy Queen $50 -
21 www.WhislerRacing.com 30 +
22 JRS Fabrication + $40
23 Seals It - Johnny Heydenreich
24 HARF
25 Jeff Olson & John Baker Excavating $60.00
26 Sherman, Il Dairy Queen $50 -
27 Competition Welding 30 +
28 Burco Moulding 30 +
29 Excavation Plus 30 +
30 Mag Tech Ignition 30 +

Contingency Sponsors

(4) $50.00 gift certificates from Competition Suspension

Modified Hero & Hot Dog qualifing brought to you by Motorsports Unlimited
Lap
1 Midwest Modified Madness
2 Rusty Giles
3 Carmichael's Exhaust
4 T&T Motorsports
5 Speed Service 30 +
6 Curtis Garage and Wrecker
7 Rocket's Race Car Bodies 30 +
8 Schlegel Machine 30 +
9
10 Speed Service 30 +
11 Carmichael's Exhaust
12 T&T Machine and Tool
13 The Brazil Times, www.thebraziltimes.com 30 +
14 Specialty Grafix
15 Jimmy Hayden
16 Richwine Acres
17
18 dirtscoops.net
19
20 Mag Tech Ignition 30 +
21 In Memory of Pete Carneal
22 KRJ Race Products 30 +
23 Curtis Garage and Wrecker
24
25 Midwest Modified Madness

Super Stock Hero & Hot Dogs Qualifing brought to you by Griffin Auto Salvage
$100 with $20 buy in 3 laps