INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (January 17, 2019) - The much-anticipated wait is finally over, the 2019 POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League schedule has arrived! After a thriving campaign in 2018 that saw booming growth and a rise to national recognition, this little series that started in America's Heartland is prepared to show off another stellar season.
From March through September, the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League will host 28 events while encountering 17 unique race tracks and visiting six different states across the Midwest. The slate kicks off in March and comes to a conclusion in September with several busy summer months in between. The season begins with a doubleheader set for March 29-30 as a pair of races at US-36 Raceway in Osborn, Missouri and Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Nebraska get the ball rolling. The month of April showcases three potential events with a race at Springfield Raceway (April 6), our inaugural trip to Tri-City Speedway (April 19) and a TBA event (April 20).
The month of May features the busiest stretch of racing across the 2019 schedule with the potential for four straight weeks of action. The month begins on May 3-4 with events at Valley Speedway and Lucas Oil Speedway, followed by another doubleheader on May 10-11 at Humboldt Speedway and Salina Highbanks. The May 18 is currently left open as TBA, but the May 25-26 slots have been filled by Lake Ozark Speedway and Double-X Speedway. June will highlight two more trips to Valley Speedway (June 7) and Lake Ozark Speedway (June 8), with trips also in line to Tri-City Speedway (June 28) and Spoon River Speedway (June 29).
July opens with a bang as WAR partakes in the inaugural "Corn Belt Nationals" at Knoxville Raceway on July 5-6, a two-day extravaganza offering up $20,000 to the champion. St. Francois County Raceway (July 26) and Belle-Clair Speedway (July 27) resume their normal paired weekend to close out July.
The "Ultimate Challenge" at Southern Iowa Speedway is back for another year with a Tuesday trip to Osky on August 6. The "WAR Non-Wing Nationals" has also been tabbed for a return with a two-night stay in Eldon, Missouri at the glamorous Lake Ozark Speedway on August 16-17. The final points-paying weekend of the year occurs on August 31 and September 1 with a weekend spent at 34 Raceway and Jacksonville Speedway.
Finally, the 2019 POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League campaign concludes with the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri on September 19-21. Last year, this event drew the most entries of any non-wing sprint car race in the country, with 78 competitors pouring into the pits and onto the track to honor Jesse and Daniel.
Along with the new schedule comes a new format for the points payout. All driver that finish top ten in points AND run 90% of completed races will receive a minimum of $1,000, with the champion taking an extra $1,000 on top of that. Other bonuses come in the form of most feature wins ($250), most hard charger awards ($250), most heat race wins ($250) and perfect attendance ($200).
2019 POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League Schedule:
March 29: US-36 Raceway (Osborn, Missouri)
March 30: Eagle Raceway (Eagle, Nebraska)
April 13: Springfield Raceway (Springfield, Missouri)
April 19: Tri-City Speedway (Granite City, Illinois)
April 20: Spoon River Speedway (Lewistown, Illinois)
May 3: Valley Speedway (Grain Valley, Missouri)
May 4: Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, Missouri)
May 10: Humboldt Speedway (Humboldt, Kansas)
May 11: Salina Highbanks (Salina, Oklahoma)
May 18: TBA
May 25: Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, Missouri)
May 26: Double-X Speedway (California, Missouri)
June 7: Valley Speedway (Grain Valley, Missouri)
June 8: Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, Missouri)
June 28: Tri-City Speedway (Granite City, Illinois)
June 29: Spoon River Speedway (Lewistown, Illinois)
July 5: Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, Iowa) *
July 6: Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, Iowa) *
July 26: Belle-Clair Speedway (Belleville, Illinois)
July 27: St. Francois County Raceway (Farmington, Missouri)
August 6: Southern Iowa Speedway (Oskaloosa, Iowa)
August 16: Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, Missouri)
August 17: Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, Missouri)
August 31: 34 Raceway (West Burlington, Iowa)
September 1: Jacksonville Speedway (Jacksonville, Illinois)
September 19: Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, Missouri) *
September 20: Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, Missouri) *
September 21: Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, Missouri) *
Article Credit: Brian Walker