By Dave Grayson
The Havasu 95 Speedway will unlock its gates this Saturday evening to present the latest round of their 2016-2017 winter racing series. This special evening is titled " Racing For Our Troops". Veterans and active duty personnel from America's armed forces will receive $2 discounts on their tickets. It's one more way for the speedway to thank our troops, past and present, for their service to our country.
Saturday night will also be the start of the speedway's annual Toys 4 Tots Bicycle Drive. The ultra successful campaign in past years has raised funding in order to provide the Christmas morning surprise of a brand new bike to children from needy families, This special evening is being presented by the Mojave State Bank.
The quarter mile paved oval is located within the Sara Park complex in beautiful Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The spectator gates will open at 4pm followed by racing at 6pm. This speedway specializes in good racing shows and Saturday night's race agenda is loaded with plenty of driving talent. Providing the on track action will be the speedway's Get It In Gear Street Stocks, Havasu Wiring Outlaw Karts and the Sam Nichols Electric Factory Stocks. The racing action is going to be enhanced by special two special guest divisions: the Arizona Vintage Racing Association's collection of midget and sprint cars along with the always exciting Southwest Tour Trucks.
After three appearances so far this season, it's become apparent that the Get It In Gear Street Stocks are going to, once again, treat the fans to a very intense championship run similar to the championship show they presented last season. Tyler Savage won the division's season opener and backed that with a third and second place finish. That effort places him at the top of the current championship standings with 149 points. However, he's only a single point ahead of reigning champ Bobby Keirns who won the series' most recent main event. Garrett Reinoso is ranked third in the standings only six points from the leader while speedway veteran William Guevara, who won the second race of the season, is ranked fourth, nine points out of first.
The Havasu Wiring Outlaw Karts' championship profile is led by driver Taylor Whitefield who has garnered a feature win along with three runner up finishes for a total of 292 points. However, Korbin Mitchell, who won the last two main events, is only four points away from the top of the championship standings. This will be two drivers to keep an eye on this Saturday night.
The fan favorite Sam Nichols Electric Factory Stocks will be making their fourth appearance of the season this Saturday night. Reigning division champion Brent Delay, with a feature win, and Jeff Prieur, who has two feature wins, are the current hot shoes in this very popular series.
However, Prieur's two feature wins has invoked a rather interesting set of circumstances. That would be the two win rule that was re-implemented by Promoter Bill Rozhon for the 2016-2017 winter season. The division's official rule book states: "after a car wins two races, it will no longer be eligible for first place points. If a car has already won two races and wins a third race, the car will be disqualified, (no points), and the win and the first place points will go to the 2nd place finisher and on down the finisher list. This rule applies to the car and not the driver."
The Arizona Vintage Racing Association, (AVRA), is another fan favorite anytime they schedule a visit to the Havasu 95 Speedway. Headquartered at Buckeye, Arizona, this motorsports group is dedicated to the mission of ownership, racing and enjoyment of vintage race cars. These open wheels race cars are carefully preserved replicas of the midget and sprint car racers that dates back to the barnstorming days when the early racing heroes criss crossed the country appearing at dirt tracks all over America. The AVRA will also be participate in the speedway's pre race fan meet and greet. The drivers love meeting the fans while answering questions about the history of their cars. The AVRA is a total class act and extremely entertaining on the track.
The Southwest Tour Trucks was formed in 2009 and is headquartered in Newberry Park, California. This high energy regional touring series spends their racing season visiting race tracks located in California, Arizona and Nevada. This show is comprised of full sized pick up trucks featuring Chevrolets, Fords, Dodge and Toyota. They raise high levels of racing entertainment at all of their appearances and are often considered to be the ultimate tail gate party.
General admission adult tickets, age 17 plus, are $12. Tickets for seniors, age 55 plus, handicapped patrons and military personnel are $10 but, remember, military personnel will be entitled to the additional "Racing For Our Troops" discount. Kid's tickets, age six to 16, are $6. The speedway also offers a budget friendly family pack, priced at $25, which admits two adults and two kids. Fans can also enjoy the special amenities of the speedway's VIP section, featuring the best seats in the house, for $25.
For more information regarding the winter racing season dial up their website, www.havasu95speedway.com, or visit their Facebook page.
