14th Annual Dick Gaines Memorial Saturday at Lawrenceburg Speedway
The 14th Annual “Dick Gaines Memorial,” featuring the Kelsey Chevrolet Sprint cars, will be held on August 19th at the Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, Ind. Saturday night’s race honors the memory of one of Indiana’s greatest sprint car heroes, Dick Gaines, who was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1992.
Dick Gaines was nearly unbeatable in the early 1960’s, then won the prestigious “Little 500” at Anderson Speedway in 1973 and 1976. In 1974 he won the “Knoxville Nationals,” beating Jan Opperman on the final lap. Gaines was often seen competing at the Lawrenceburg Speedway where he won track championships in 1963, 1965 and 1976.
Gaines retired in 1977 from a racing career that spanned thirty years and included an association with such celebrated car owners as Red McCord, Dizz Wilson, and Karl Kinser. In all, he amassed over 600 victories in fifteen states.
Since its inception thirteen years ago the “Dick Gaines Memorial” has included some of the best drivers in Indiana dirt track racing. In its inaugural running in 2004, 15-year-old Bryan Clauson captured his first win at “The Burg” after battling wheel-to-wheel for 30-laps with Dick’s son Dickie.
After a caution flag late in the race bunched the field, Gaines’ last ditch charge off of turn four at the checkered wasn’t enough. “I want to thank Dickie for racing me clean the entire race. He had chances where he could have put a wheel under me, but he didn’t,” Clauson said in victory lane.
Although Dickie has multiple wins on the Dearborn County oval, and a 2003 track championship, his runner-up finish in 2004 has been his best to date in the race honoring his late father. Gaines has also finished fourth (2010), sixth (2006 and 2015), seventh (2011) and ninth (2007).
Last season Tijeras, New Mexico’s Josh Hodges was on a rail, coming from the back to win his heat, then leading 24 of the 25 laps to record his first “Dick Gaines Memorial” feature win. Hodges finished 2.271 seconds ahead of Joss Moffatt, Jarett Andretti and Cooper Clouse, with Kyle Cummins just barely holding off Tyler Thomas for fifth place at the line.
Amazingly, in the thirteen previous “Dick Gaines Memorial’s”, there has never been a repeat winner. In fact, only Hunter Schuerenberg has been able to score a win (2008) and a runner-up finish (2011).
If Hodges shows up Saturday he could very well be the first driver to achieve that feat as he has adapted well to the 3/8th-mile high banked track. In limited appearances last season, over the course of a 63-day span, Hodges won the Jason Soudrette Memorial, the Dick Gaines Memorial, and the $10,000 to win USAC Fall Nationals.
DICK GAINES MEMORIAL WINNERS
2004 Bryan Clauson
2005 Kevin Briscoe
2006 AJ Anderson
2007 Jimmy Light
2008 Hunter Schuerenberg
2009 Jerry Coons, Jr.
2010 John Memmer
2011 Coleman Gulick
2012 Jonathan Hendrick
2013 Justin Grant
2014 Chase Stockon
2015 Jon Stanbrough
2016 Josh Hodges
The 2017 running of the “Dick Gaines Memorial” will once again pay $3,000 to win and $300 to start the 25-lap feature.
Dick Gaines Memorial Feature Payout:
1- $3,000, 2- $1,500, 3- $700, 4- $600, 5- $500, 6- $450, 7- $400, 8- $375, 9- $350, 10- $325, 11- $300, 12- $300, 13- $300, 14- $300, 15- $300, 16- $300, 17- $300, 18- $300, 19- $300, 20- $300.
There will also be $100 tow money to all cars that do not start the feature, and a $63 Grasshopper Award to the feature hard charger from the Lawrenceburg Speedway Safety Crew in honor of the late Bryan Clauson.
In addition to the increased purse, there will be a slight change to the standard Lawrenceburg Speedway race format.
A blind pill draw will still be used to set the heat race groups, but lap times gathered during practice will set the heat race lineups. Cars will be lined straight up by time with the fastest four cars in each heat race inverted.
Heat race finish will still determine the lineups for the B Main(s) and feature with the top two finishers in each heat race (if five or more heats only the winners) redrawing for their starting position at the front of the feature field.
With only three Kelsey Chevrolet Sprint car races left in the 2017 race season, points are at a premium. A third place finish two weeks ago allowed Shawn Westerfeld to regain the point lead from Jordan Kinser by a slim 5-point margin. JJ Hughes holds down the third position with a comfortable (for now) 195-point lead over Dickie Gaines and Drew Abel. With Abel sitting out the rest of the season after the birth of his daughter, the door is wide open for drivers such as Michael Fischesser, Nick Bilbee or Garrett Abrams to move up into the top five.
General admission gates are set to open at 5:00 pm Saturday with hot laps at 6:00 pm and opening ceremonies scheduled for 7:00 pm. Adult general admission is $18, children (7-12) are $7, and those 6 and under are free. Pit passes are $30 for all ages.
Saturday is also “47025 Night at the Races” and any resident with a 47025 zip code who presents a valid driver license at the gate proving residency will receive free general admission. The Lawrenceburg Speedway is also hosting a Pet Food & Toy Drive in conjunction with their friends at Kroger. For each item you bring to donate you will receive a chance to win a $100 Kroger gift card.
For more information please visit
www.lawrenceburgspeedway.com or the “Lawrenceburg Speedway” Facebook page.
August 19, 2017 – 14th Annual Dick Gaines Memorial
Lawrenceburg Speedway, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
Racing to feature:
• Kelsey Chevrolet Sprints ($3,000 to win/$300 to start)
• Budweiser UMP Modifieds
• Impact Sports Pure Stocks
• Bessler’s U Pull & Save Hornets
General Admission:
• Adults $18
• Children (7-12) $7
• Children (6 & under) FREE
Pit Passes:
• All Ages $30
Times
• Pit Gate 4:00 pm
• Front Gate 5:00 pm
• Hot Laps 6:00 pm
• Opening Ceremonies 7:00 pm
For More Information –
www.lawrenceburgspeedway.com
