BatesvilleMotorSpeedway Archives

Kids will win big, too, at Batesville’s 50th anniversary specials

BATESVILLE, Ark. – IMCA drivers won’t be the only big winners of 50th anniversary specials this fall at Batesville Motor Speedway. Promoters Mooney and Connie Starr celebrate the Arkansas track’s golden season with a pair of $50,000 to win specials, the fifth annual Race for Hope 71 for IMCA Modifieds Sept. 22-25 and the World IMCA Stock Car Championships presented by IMCA.TV Oct. 13-16. A portion of the proceeds generated by the fifth annual Race For Hope go to the Miracle League of Arkansas. Mission of the Little Rock-based non-profit that’s near and dear to the Starrs’ hearts is to create a baseball league in every major Arkansas community where all kids can play. “What they do for kids is really something,” Mooney said. “It means a lot for us to be associated with Miracle League and help them any way we can.” The Starrs have promoted Batesville Motor Speedway for 29 of its 50 seasons. “Both races are once-in-a-lifetime races paying $50,000 to win for the 50th anniversary. Next year we’ll take the money and pay [Read More]

Race For Hope totes $50,000 IMCA Modified top prize

BATESVILLE, Ark. – IMCA Modified drivers will be racing for $50,000 to win when they hit the track for Race For Hope 71 at Batesville Motor Speedway this fall. The Saturday, Sept. 25 main event purse is more than $120,000 with a minimum of $1,500 paid to start. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Jet Racing Central Region and KMJ Performance Arkansas State points will be given for the Fast Shafts All-Star qualifier. Top nine drivers in qualifiers Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Sept. 22-24 advance to the main event grid. “B,” “C” and “D” features are also on the Saturday card, with the top two “B” finishers” transferring to the main event. Pre-entry fee is $250 if paid by Sept. 1 or $350 at the gate. A weekly pit pass is $130, with daily rates $20 on Tuesday, $30 Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and $40 on Saturday. Grandstand admission is $15 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and $20 on Saturday. Gates open at 2 p.m. Wednesday and at 4:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The grandstand [Read More]

$50,000 to win World IMCA Stock Car Championship at Batesville Oct. 13-16

BATESVILLE, Ark. – The top-paying IMCA Sunoco Stock Car event in the world takes The Class Too Tough To Tame to Batesville Motor Speedway for the $50,000 to win World IMCA Stock Car Championship Oct. 13-16. Presented by IMCA-TV, the inaugural event will start 30 cars and boasts a main event purse of $125,000 with $15,000 paid to the runner-up, $10,000 for third, $5,000 for fourth, $3,000 for fifth and a minimum of $1,500 to start. The top two drivers from each of 15 heat races transfer to nightly ‘A’ features Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with the top nine from that race advancing to the Saturday main event. Third and fourth place drivers, fifth and sixth place drivers and seventh and eighth place drivers transfer to nightly ‘B,’ ‘C’ and ‘D’ features to race for points. The pit gate opens at 2 p.m. Wednesday and at 4:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The grandstand opens at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. each night. Entry fees are $250 if paid by Oct. 1 or $350 after that [Read More]

Batesville reschedules $1,500 to win IMCA Auto King special

BATESVILLE, Ark. – The IMCA Modified king or queen of Batesville Motor Speedway’s Auto King Modified Madness show takes home the top check of $1,500. Rescheduled from earlier in the month due to wet grounds, the Friday, June 25 special at Batesville is a Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifier and pays $1,000 for second, $500 for third and a minimum of $75 to start. Speed Demon Performance Parts gives a $200 case bonus to the hard charger and the hard luck driver goes home with a Hoosier G-60 tire. There is no entry fee and IMCA Sunoco Stock Cars are also on the card. Pit passes are $35. Grandstand admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-11 and free for five and under. More information is posted at batesvillemotorspeedway.com.

Batesville celebrating 50th season with new IMCA Stock Car sanction, rich special events

BATESVILLE, Ark. – IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car drivers will be big winners all season long as Batesville Motor Speedway celebrates an event 50 years in the making. The newly sanctioned Stock Car division joins IMCA Modifieds on Friday nights during the IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season that runs from April 2 through Sept. 17. Batesville then puts the finishing touches on its 50th anniversary season with the $50,000 to win Race For Hope 71 for IMCA Modifieds Sept. 23-25 and the $50,000 IMCA Stock Car spectacular Oct. 14-16. “My wife Connie and I have promoted this track since 1993 and we want the 50th anniversary season to be really special,” said Batesville boss Mooney Starr. “These events pay a massive amount of money, especially for the Stock Cars.” This season marks the 22nd that IMCA Modifieds will race weekly at Batesville while the IMCA Stock Cars replace a local street stock class. “That had been a great class and we’d get 100-120 cars at the end of the season for a $10,000 to win [Read More]

Thornton goes 3-for-4 with latest Race For Hope win

BATESVILLE, Ark. (Oct. 11) – New car? No problem. Thornton topped the $12,000 to win Race For Hope 71 feature for IMCA Modifieds at Batesville Motor Speedway. Sunday’s checkered flag run was his second straight and third in the four years the event has been held. “It’s awesome to be able to win this race three out of four years. This was definitely one of our biggest wins,” said Thornton, who led start to finish in the 71-lapper. “We brought a new car (a Lethal Chassis), went back to our notes and didn’t have to change a thing all week.” Already on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot, Thornton set fast time to start the week and never slowed down. After rain postponed the main event from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon, he weathered a handful of cautions before and after the mandatory fuel stop on lap 40. The final yellow came with three laps left. Jake O’Neil pulled to Thornton’s back bumper before chasing him to the checkers. “This year we were really good [Read More]

Batesville’s IMCA Modified Race For Hope boasts $12,000 payday

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]

Foul forecast washes out Batesville

BATESVILLE, Ark. – Forecasts for too much rain and not enough drying time before the weekend have forced Batesville Motor Speedway to call off the March 20 and 21 Arkansas Spring Nationals. The event will not be rescheduled.

Thornton dominates opening night of Race For Hope 71

By Mike Spieker BATESVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 26) – After having the first two scheduled nights postponed due to rain, the third annual IMCA.TV Race For Hope 71 got underway Thursday night at Batesville Motor Speedway. Ninety-five of the best IMCA Modified drivers from across the country were checked in for action at the high-banked three-eighths mile oval. Inaugural Race For Hope 71 champion Ricky Thornton Jr. of Adel, Iowa, by way of Chandler, Ariz., cruised to the 30-lap qualifying A-main feature win. Thornton started on the inside of row two and quickly moved by front row starters D.J. Shannon of Merced, Calif. and Curtis Cook of Conway, Ark. Once out front, Thornton Jr. distanced himself from the rest of the field. “The car was really good. We were able to get into the lead on the first or second lap, then I just kind of rolled around the bottom,” said Thornton. “I looked at the track right before our feature and decided to make a few changes. I think that really helped us a bunch. We should be [Read More]

IMCA Modifieds are Batesville bound for Sept. 24-28 Race For Hope

BATESVILLE, Ark. – One of the biggest races for IMCA Modifieds will also benefit two area non-profit organizations this season. Batesville Motor Speedway’s third annual Race For Hope 71 is Sept. 24-28, with $15,000 paid to win and a minimum of $2,000 to start the main event. More than 60 drivers will earn at least $1,000 during the Saturday, Sept. 28 program alone. Saturday’s main event is a qualifier for the 2020 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Jet Racing Central Region and E3 Spark Plugs Arkansas State points will be awarded. Saturday’s “D” main pays $2,000 to win and a minimum of $400 to start, the “C” main pays $3,000 to win and a minimum of $600 to start, and the “B” main pays $4,000 to win and a minimum of $1,000 to start. Top two finishers in each of 15 heats 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 [Read More]