New-look Jukasa lists its lineup
ON TRACK
Jukasa Motor Speedway has announced its 2018 schedule with five weekend events on its card.
Opened for business late last year with a couple of Late Model races, the former Cayuga Speedway received a total racing surface rebuilding and spectator stands update.
Along with the return of the APC Series and NASCAR Pinty’s Series, fans will see the ISMA Super Modifieds, the fastest of short-track oval cars anywhere.
This New York state-based series does have some top Canadian runners, including Dave McKnight, Mike Lichty and Mark Sammut. The July 14 race on the 2018 ISMA (International Super Modified Association) tour will be the first time since 2009 the winged cars have on the large 5/8ths-mile oval where they can really stretch their legs.
The feature for the Supers will be known as the Queenston Chev 50, as part of the Hamilton GM dealer’s 50th anniversary.
“We wanted to be a part of racing at the track,” said Don Hopper, Queenston new vehicle manager, who spearheaded the dealer’s involvement.
“I am from Hagersville, and remember watching the Super Modifieds racing there. We worked out a deal with Alex (Alex Nagy, Jukasa general manager) for a race, and I’m glad it’s the Supers.”
Jukasa will also host another open-wheel show with a King of the Wing national Sprint Car series event June 23.
This will be the first time these 410 Sprint Cars have been in the area. They will race at Jukasa after a trip to Delaware Speedway, the two Canadian stops in the 10-race series. Based in Idaho, the large-displacement 410-cubic-inch engined cars weigh in at 1,600 pounds, and should be very quick around the Jukasa oval.
While Sprint Cars racing on asphalt may look out of place with race cars we normally see on dirt, they should come close to lap times of the Super Modifieds.
When the AVSS Sprint Cars ran at Jukasa several years ago, these cars, with smaller 360-cubic-inch engines, were turning times about a second slower than the 18-second laps of the Supers.
The NASCAR Pinty’s Series will open the racing June 16 with a 200lapper, and will be joined by the OSCAAR Modified Series. The APC Late Models return for a big Labour Day show, the Canadian Shot Track Nationals, along with the Ontario Super Late Model Series. There will also be a 50-lap Super Stock event.
The highlight of the long weekend will be a Pro Late Model race with $25,000 to the winner, which should bring in teams from across Canada and the U.S.
The season is to close with another NASCAR Pinty’s race, the Sept. 29 running of the Pinty’s Fall Brawl.
The Nissan Micra Cup has announced its upcoming schedule with six events, three in Ontario and three in Quebec. This grassroots series has become very popular over the past three years since it began, featuring showroom-stock Micra sedans with 1.6-litre engines of 109 horsepower and five-speed gearboxes ... As part of the ceremonies leading up to the Daytona 500 and the start of the NASCAR season, the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte will be holding a fan appreciation day January 20 during the Hall of Fame ceremonies. There will be driver autograph sessions for all levels of NASCAR competition, including one with Grimsby’s Cayden Lapcevich, 2016 NASCAR Pinty’s Series champion and part of the NASCAR Next Drivers group ... One of racing’s icons, Dan Gurney, died this week at 86. The Californian won IndyCar, Formula One, NASCAR and Le Mans races. He also developed and raced his own line of open-wheeled cars that won the Indy 500 and GP races. In my opinion, he, along with Mario Andretti, could get behind the wheel of any type of race car and win. He was truly one of the greatest in the sport.
Tim Miller is the author of several books on auto racing and can be reached at timmillerthecarguy@gmail.com.