Published: April 08, 2008 11:24 pm            

de la BASTIDE: Late models, stock cars invading the Hoosier state

Edwards has a handle on Car of Tomorrow

During the remainder of the month of April, weather permitting, fans of late model and stock car racing will have the opportunity to watch five national touring series at four different Hoosier race tracks.

The action begins this weekend with events at Anderson and Salem speedways.

The Championship Racing Association will be at Anderson Speedway on Saturday for a 125-lap event starting at 8 p.m. This is the first points race for the CRA Super Series after the All American 150 was washed out at the Music City Motorplex.

Michigan driver John Van Doorn, the 2007 rookie of the year and favorite to win the 2008 championship is already entered for the event. Top Indiana drivers Brian Rievley, Bull Baker, Kenny Tweedy, Scott Hantz and Rick Turner will all be competing at Anderson Speedway.

Turner from Yorktown recorded his only CRA victory to date at Anderson Speedway in 2005. Anderson driver Donald Karr Jr. is competing for rookie honors this year.

Anderson Speedway can be a difficult place to pass on, so the leaders have to be able to navigate through traffic. If the high groove is working the track can afford exciting side by side racing.

The ARCA Re/Max Series makes the first of its two annual visits to Salem Speedway on Sunday for a 200-lap event. Salem is lightning fast and provides lots of exciting racing.

The entry list includes Ken Schrader, Frank Kimmel, Bobby Gerhart, Dexter Bean, former Formula One competitor Scott Speed and Michel Disdier of Nice, France.

The CRA Super Series travels to Winchester Speedway on April 20 for a 100-lap event along with the United States Auto Club sprint cars.

The action wraps up on April 25 and April 26 at O’Reilly Raceway Park with three different American Speed Association late model series take to the oval. Racing starts at 8 p.m. on both nights.

The ASA North Division drivers will compete in a 100-lap event on Friday and on Saturday the national Challenge Series will run a 200-lap feature and the USPro crate late models will have a 50-lap feature.

It is the only ASA late model series visit to central Indiana in 2008.

In other racing news

Gas City Speedway kicks off the season on Friday with non-wing sprints and modifieds. With USAC not racing in the area this weekend a large number of sprint car teams will probably be on hand.

The USAC Sprints will be at Gas City on both April 17 and April 18.

• While many of the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers continue to moan, probably with good reason, over the handling characteristics of the Car of Tomorrow, Roush-Fenway team driver Carl Edwards has won three of the first seven races.

Following his win at Texas, Edwards said the drivers are supposed to be the best in the world and driving a stock car at 200 miles per hour shouldn’t be easy. Meanwhile Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all complained that they are unable to race side by side because of the turbulence around the new car.

• The Indy Racing League has to be pleased with the victory on Sunday by Graham Rahal, a former Champ Car driver, on the street course at St. Petersburg, Fla. I expected the Champ Car drivers to be more competitive on the street course rather than a high-speed oval and they were.

• There were 43 midgets at Anderson Speedway for a USAC national midget event and the drivers were able to pass in the high groove. This could be a good sign for the possible car count for the July 26 event when the speedway will host a 400-lap midget feature.

Ken de la Bastide can be reached at (765) 454 -8580 or via e-mail at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com

        

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