The Mid Season schedule is in full swing at the Cleveland Speedway, with Saturday night weekly racing back at the action track. This past weekend was the first of six divisions for the 2015 Mid Season Championships, where local divisional racers battle for bragging rights and extra cash in the winners pot at the end of the night. The double points event are also used as a way for racers to gain ground on fellow competitors or even attempt to distance themselves from others as Ricky Wagner of Ringgold, Georgia did this past Saturday.
Engine troubles sidelined Wagners closest competitors and a gap of 55 points has opened up in that division. Luckily for others, this season wins plays a pivotal role in the 2015 Dirt Cup Cleveland Speedway Track Championships.
This Saturday night Crate Late Models are "on-deck" with the Mid Season Championship: Jester's Title paying $1,500 (almost double what a regular event pays) to-Win. Second place earning a cool "grand" ain't shabby pickins, as over forty 40 plus teams have already competed within the division in just over a month of actual race dates. An unusual wet Spring stagnated Cleveland Speedway in March and April, that included total washouts of events like the annual SHAMROCK. Coming into Saturday's Crate Special event local racer Tanner Works is tied with Chattanoogan Booger Brooks. Works has a decisive advantage over Brooks and others as he has already collected an all important (previously mentioned) win.
Works, along with Ooltewah's Riley Hickman and Tiger, GA's Ethan Hunter have wins which places those drives ahead of the curve for the 2015 Cleveland Speedway Final 4: races slated for September and October. Top 10 winning drivers in each division will earn a spot and have to stave off elimination, just as done in NASCAR's Chase for the Cup. The Final Four racers of the Final race in October will battle to determine who is crowned 2015 Dirt Cup Cleveland Speedway Track Champion. Whomever finishes ahead in the final race of the Final 4 competitors will be champ. The system was built around the NASCAR model, in efforts to allow racers to compete as much or as little as they want, and not penalize a driver for missing some races at Cleveland Speedway. It also keeps the title chase honest in donning a Champion that has won races and not just showed up weekly.
Behind Brooks in points in the Crate division include; former Track Champion Jason Welshan of Maryville, Tn., whose RSVP'd of sort via his Facebook page as planning on entering this weekend. Ringgold neighbors Danny Turner and two time Track Champion Jamie Perry are within the Top 10 in points, as is Jerry Coffman, Bobby Richey Jr and Cumberland County resident Troy Davenport of Crossville. Others on the outside looking in that have had some recent success at Cleveland Speedway that could be factors in Saturday's Mid Season Championship include; Seymour, Tn. Rusty Ballenger, former ICE BOWL Champion Bobby Mayse and Brian Pritchard both of Harrison and one of Cleveland Speedway's favorite sons Todd Morrow of East Ridge. Tickets for Saturday's races that include Steelhead Late Models, A&B-Hobby, Pony/FWD and the new Road Warriors are only $12, with kids age six-12 half price. Visit www.ClevelandSpeedwayLLC.com for more details or like the track's Facebook page.