Springfield Raceway
March 13, 2012
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Springfield Raceway Getting Ready For It's Own March Madness With MLRA/MARS Battle

by Ronnie Williams
Springfield, Mo. (March 13) -- Following a very successful O'Reilly/Bad Boy Mowers Turkey Classic event, the Springfield Raceway is getting ready for its own version of March Madness on Sat March 24th as the "Quick-Quarter" will present a classic championship showdown between the Lucas Oil MLRA and MARS Super Late Models in their first of three scheduled events this season.

This will be the opening points race for the MLRA Late Models while the MARS Cars-N-Stars have 2 events under their wheels already this season. Currently Jesse Stovall leads the MARS Points standings after winning the 2nd feature this season with David Turner and opening series winner Tony Jackson Jr holding to the third spot. Republic's Brad Looney is the defending MARS Series champion.

John Anderson of Omaha, Neb is the defending MLRA Champion and took home the hardware the last time the 2 series battled on the racy "Quick-Quarter" surface in the Larry Phillips Memorial, while Al "The Shark" Purkey captured the John Kuntz Memorial at Springfield back last May.

Anderson claimed the points title by only 10 markers from Purkey.

Many of the states and top regional Late Model drivers will be competing to put their name as the first ever winner of March Madness as this will be the first time this event has been run as weather has hampered it before. The Late Models got a little taste of action with the Turkey Classic as Jack Sullivan took home the honors over Justin Wells, Terry Phillips, Jon Kirby and young charger RC Whitwell. For Phillips it was his best early season showing in his Bloomquist chassis for 2012 and the home-track just might be what the doctor ordered in this $3000 co-sanctioned event.

Also competing on the race card will be A-Mods, B-Mods, Midwest Modz and a special showing by the Springfield Raceway's newest class, the Young Lions division. The Young Lions is a class in which kids in age from 12-16 compete in Legends Cars. This class is set to allow kids to graduate from Go-Kart Racing or even beginners to compete in a full sized race car. Last week at the Turkey classic, the Young Lions had 3 entries running with the Missouri Legends. Out of 22 cars, 2 of the young Lions finished on the lead lap respectively in 12th and 13th place for a very good showing.

For the A-Mods and B-Mods this will mark the second night of racing for these classes before the Transport Graphics Championship Chase begins in April, while the popualr and growing Midwest Modz will get to strut their talent for the first time this season before the Championship Chase begins.

Pit gates will open at 1:30 with hot laps to begin at 5PM and Racing to start at 6PM. Grandstand gates will open at 4PM and Grandstand Admission for Adults will be only $20 while kids 6-12 are $5 and Under 6 Free. Drivers meeting will be before hot laps at Approx. 4:40 while the pill draw will cut-off at around 5:15.

For more information visit the website at www.springfieldraceway.com or contact Jerry Hoffman at 417-673-7426 or for Late model information contact either Randy Mooneyham at 417-224-7074 or Harriet Chancellor at 816-650-5063