Auto racing season nears at Simmons’ tracks

Editor's note: Jerry Mackey of Cedar Rapids has been around dirt track racing his entire life. Mackey began announcing races in the early 1980s and is handling the microphone at Farley Speedway, West Liberty Raceway and Dubuque Speedway this summer.

By Jerry Mackey, community contributor

Keith Simmons, owner operator of Simmons Promotions Inc., has put together his most aggressive racing schedule ever as he enters his 15th season of race promotions in Eastern Iowa.

Simmons owns the Farley Speedway, located on the west edge of Farley, and holds the contracts to operate racing at the West Liberty Raceway, located on the Muscatine County Fairgrounds on the east side of West Liberty, and the Dubuque County Fairgrounds Speedway, located on Fairgrounds Road just west of Dubuque.

A total of 69 racing events have been scheduled, providing the racing fans in Eastern Iowa with a wide variety of competition.

The West Liberty half-mile clay track will host the season's first event on April 11, the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models. Top late model drivers from all over Iowa, and neighboring states, will be in competition, hoping to unseat defending champion Justin Kay of Wheatland. On April 18, the IMCA Modifieds will take center stage as the 'Modified Extravaganza” will award $1,000 to the feature winner. Weekly racing starts April 25th with all classes running under the IMCA banner - late models, modifieds, sportmods, stock cars and sport compacts.

Other special events in West Liberty include, the 'Tri-Track Challenge” on May 16, featuring the IMCA late models; the return of the Deery Brothers Summer Series on July 7; and the second 'Tri-Track Challenge” on July 25. Sprint Car fans will enjoy the winged warriors return to West Liberty on July 29. The high powered open late models will once again make a single appearance on Aug. 4 for the $10,000-to-win Coors Light Open Shootout.

Season championships will be run Aug. 29 and the season closes with the annual 'Liberty 100,” Sept. 4-5.

All events at the West Liberty Raceway will start with hot laps at 6:30 p.m., with racing at 7.

The Farley Speedway, a 3/8-mile semi banked dirt track, will take it's first green flag on April 17 with the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models, a $3,000 first-place prize awaits the winner. Weekly racing starts May 1 with competition in IMCA late models, IMCA modifieds, IMCA stock cars, IMCA sportmods, IMCA hobby stocks and the new mini mods. This class is intended to showcase the next generation of racers in a scaled-down version of the modified.

The UMP Summernationals return June 17 with many of the country's best Open late model drivers gunning for the $10,000 top prize, Legends night, featuring a 'Tri-Track Challenge” late model special is June 26. The third annual Modified Aftermarket Nationals will be contested July 2-3 with a $10,000 top prize. Farley Speedway will host Driver Appreciation night on July 10, featuring a free grandstand admission.

The Open late models return Aug. 3 in another $10,000-to-win event. The season championships are Aug. 28, then the stage will be set for the 38th annual 'Yankee Dirt Track Classic,” set for Sept. 16-19. The final night program will be headlined by the 100-lap Deery Brothers Summer Series finale, paying a season record $7,500.

All weekly events start with warm-ups at 7 p.m., with racing at 7:30.

The Dubuque County Fairgrounds Speedway, a high-banked 3/8-mile clay track, will see it's first action on May 17 with the season opener for the IMCA late models, IMCA modifieds, IMCA sportmods and IMCA stock cars. The IMCA Late Models will be showcased on May 24 in the first of two 'Tri-Track Challenge” specials.

The Deery Brothers Summer Series Late Models stops by on July 12 with a $3,000-to-win event. The Dubuque County Fair will feature three nights of racing - the annual 'Julien Dubuque Classic,” featuring all weekly classes, on July 28; the Sprint Invaders traveling sprint car tour on July 30 and the finale on Aug. 2.

The IMCA Late Model season championships are Aug. 30 and the season championships in all support classes is Sept. 6, the same night as the second 'Tri-Track Challenge.”

Sunday racing programs in Dubuque start with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 6:30 p.m.

l Go www.simmonspromotionsinc.com for more information