Gaines Memorial set for 'The Burg'
by Jeff Bartlett
Mitchell’s Dickie Gaines has had a pretty good summer racing on the Sprint circuits around the area. He’s coming off a sixth-place finish in the Winged Sprint feature at Bloomington Speedway last weekend, and he’s done even better without the apparatus attached. The veteran driver won the Non-Winged feature at Bloomington two weeks ago, and in July and early August won three consecutive features at Lincoln Park Speedway.
The one thing that could make it even better in a hurry would be to win Saturday night’s feature at Lawrenceburg Speedway. It’s the one named after his father, the late Dick Gaines.
Lawrenceburg will host its annual Dick Gaines Memorial, a $3,000-to-win feature for Non-Winged Sprints, and the decent money along with the honor of the name should attract several big-name drivers to the newly-renovated 3/8th-mile oval. Dick Gaines is one of the most revered names in the annals of Sprint car racing. He helped make Karl Kinser’s No.11 famous back in the 1970s after driving Dizz Wilson’s racer to countless victories. He raced back in the days before good records were maintained, but it’s estimated Dick won between 600 and 800 features in his long career, including his share at Lawrenceburg, as well as Bloomington, Salem, IRP, Kokomo and Eldora. He also won the famed Little 500 twice at Anderson Speedway and captured the 1974 Knoxville Nationals, which is considered the greatest Sprint race of all. Gaines was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1992 in the third class to be inducted.
Saturday night’s race will be 30 laps and will also pay $250 just to make the starting field for the feature. There will also be AMSA Mini Sprint and Pure Stock action. Gates open at 5.
DayDon't forget the 2008 King of Indiana Sprint Series Champion’s Helmet will be presented to series champion Jon Stanbrough. Doug Auld, Editor/Publisher of Sprint Car & Midget Magazine, will join Lawrenceburg Speedway promoter Dave Rudisell in making the presentation on behalf of the KISS series.
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