Foul forecast washes out Batesville

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 29) – Jordan Grabouski captured the third and final Race For Hope 74 qualifying night feature Friday at Batesville Motor Speedway. Grabouski started fourth on the 30-car starting grid before taking the lead on lap eight. “Sometimes when you struggle, you need to do your homework. We did our homework tonight and made a few changes on the car. The thing was a rocketship tonight,” said Grabouski in vic­tory lane. Travis Dickson took the lead on the opening lap from the outside front row starting spot. Mean­while, Grabouski moved by Chad Andersen and Brian Hartwick to claim the runner-up spot at the completion of lap one. Seventh starting Jason Wilkey charged his way into third by lap three after driving around Ander­son. The caution waved on lap five after Hartwick spun in turn four. Jacob Murray had nowhere to go and made heavy contact with Hartwick. Both drivers were OK. On the restart, Dickson pushed into turn one, which allowed Grabouski to easily take the lead exiting turn two. Tyler [Read More]

BATESVILLE, Ark. (Oct. 12, 2024) – Another big money race at Batesville Motor Speedway ended with Zane DeVilbiss taking home the big money. The Farmington, N.M., flyer led the last 33 of 50 laps in winning Saturday’s Schoenfeld Headers Mid-America IMCA Sunoco Stock Car Championship. “The track’s been beautiful. That’s why we love coming to Batesville. I drive 17 hours to race here,” said DeVilbiss, trying to make himself heard over the noise of the fireworks that followed his run to the $10,000 checkers. “I wish this was my home track.” Those sentiments are understandable as DeVilbiss raced to a career-best $50,000 payday at Batesville’s IMCA Modified Race for Hope 71 in 2021. Third in last year’s Mid-America main event, he started outside Dallon Murty on the front row and chased the Chelsea Charger the first 17 times around the track. DeVilbiss was scored in the lead by all of nine thousandths of a second on the next circuit. Murty stayed close while Peyton Taylor rallied after restarting at the tail early on, racing into [Read More]

BATESVILLE, Ark. – One of the biggest races on the IMCA Modified calendar will benefit two area non-profit organizations this season.    Batesville Motor Speedway’s fourth annual Race For Hope 71 is Oct. 6-10, with $12,000 paid to win and a minimum of $1,500 to start the main event.  The Saturday night main event is a qualifier for the 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Top two finishers in each heat on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday advance to qualifying features that send the top 10 finishers to the inside, middle and outside rows, respectively, of Satur­day’s 30-car starting grid.  Drivers who don’t advance to the nightly feature earn points in one of four (B-C-D-E) non-qualifier races.  Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; sponsor awards will be presented and driv­ers introduced beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, with the race program to follow. The 71-lap feature will be halted for a fuel stop on lap 40 Spectator admission [Read More]