Complete Weekend DVD's Available HERE

2011 Winchester Preliminary Schedule Announced

            (Winchester, IN) - Several event dates for the 2011 season have been announced by officials from Winchester Speedway.  The new season will open on Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and  May 1.  The CRA Super Series will be running at the opener, as well as other divisions to be announced.  New to the schedule will be an open wheel weekend on Saturday and Sunday, May 14 and 15.  Saturday, June 4th will feature the exciting night of thrills, while the ARCA series will return on Saturday, June 25.  The track's next event will be held on Saturday and Sunday, July 23 and 24, with all divisions yet to be announced.  Sunday, August 7 will see the final one day show of the year, while the track favorite Labor Day and Winchester 400 weekends will wrap up the season.  The World Stock Car Festival will be September 3-5, while the 40th running of the 400 weekend will take place October 14-16.  As the schedule is finalized, updates will be posted online at www.winchesterspeedway.com.

ARCA Racing Series Announces Return to Winchester Speedway;

June 25 the Date for 22nd Race at Historic Half-Mile

 

(TOLEDO, Ohio) - The ARCA Racing Series will return to Winchester Speedway, the "World's Fastest Half-Mile," on Saturday, June 25, 2011, for the series' first visit to the Indiana track since May 2007. 

The race will be the 22nd for ARCA in Winchester, Ind., located near the Indiana-Ohio border and approximately 75 miles northeast of Indianapolis. The first ARCA race at Winchester was held in 1957, just the fifth season of ARCA Racing Series competition.  

"It's important for the ARCA Racing Series to be at Winchester Speedway. It's exactly the type of Midwestern facility where the ARCA brand is well-known and has the chance to be successful," said ARCA president Ron Drager. "Winchester is big enough and fast enough to play to the very nature of our cars."            Complete Story

CRA Divisions Return to the Highbanks of Winchester Speedway in 2011
Speedway to Have Different Manager for the Upcoming Season 

(Winchester, IN) – Officials from the Champion Racing Association (CRA) and Winchester Speedway announced today that CRA Divisions will once again be featured prominently in the 2011 Season.  Track owner Charlie Shaw was thrilled with the success of the last two events of the season that featured participation from all four CRA divisions:  the CRA Super Series Super Late Models, the Howe/CRA Late Model Sportsman, the CRA Street Stocks and the Vore’s/CRA F.W.D. Compacts.  The 2010 versions of the Labor Day Stock Car Festival and Winchester 400 Weekends were the most successful events since Shaw purchased the track in 1997.
            The CRA Super Late Model Stars will be featured three times in 2011.  The first appearance will be a 100-lap event to kick off the season on Sunday, May 1.  The stars of the Winchester 400 will get their final tune-up Monday, September 5 with another 100-lap event.  The CRA Stars will once again be featured in the 40th Annual Winchester 400 October 14-16.  CRA’s other three divisions will also be with the Super Late Models for the final two events.  Other races for those divisions will be announced at a later date.            Complete Story

Winchester 400 Weekend Filled with Action 

            Winchester, IN (October 17, 2010) – The list of winners of the Winchester 400 is long and includes some the great names in motorsports, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Kyle Busch just to name a few and now Chase Elliott, at 14 becomes the youngest to win and he did it in convincing fashion beating a strong field and driving away at the end of the 39th Annual Winchester 400 presented by EDCO Welding & Hydraulics and 102.9 Hit Country WMDH.  

            "It feels awesome to win the 400."  Elliott stated.  "We were just trying to be our best, and to join those names of winners feels great.  The plan was to try to get to the end the best we could."   

            The Winchester 400 Weekend of racing started on Friday and carried through to Sunday with six divisions of cars, and over 200 cars at the track during the weekend.  Champion Racing Association crowned four series champions, the SuperPro Racing Series finished their season with the Penske Racing Shocks 50 and the USA Modifieds wrapped up their season also in the “Run for Gun” 50.            Complete Story

 

Close Racing Wins at the World Stock Car Festival

 

        Winchester, IN (September 6, 2010) – Labor Day Weekend had eight features and over 140 cars at the famed high banks of Winchester Speedway this past weekend, the racing was close, and the wins tough to get.  With the CRA Super Series, USA Modifieds, Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman, CRA Street Stocks, Vore’s Welding and Steel FWD Compacts and Thunder /Enduro Cars there was something for everyone.  The CRA Super Series alone featured four former Super Series Champions racing for the win.  

        In the McGunegill Engine Performance 100 for the CRA Super Series Scott Hantz fell back, caught up when there was a caution, and then tried to slide past John VanDoorn on the last lap for an exciting finish.  VanDoorn and TJ Reaid jumped out to an early lead, and stretched it up to a half lap with Reaid in front and VanDoorn tight on his tail.  VanDoorn found an opening, powered by and took off building a lead of almost a half a lap on everyone and nearly 3/4 a lap on the third place car of Hantz.  On the 68th lap after 67 green flag laps in a row, a car brushed the wall causing only the second caution of the race.  While Hantz and Reaid fought for second, VanDoorn again took off before the other cars began to catch him.  Reaid was closing quickly with only seven laps to go when his engine gave out and brought out a caution flag.  VanDoorn again took off on the green flag, leading Hantz.  Hantz came back, tried to duck under VanDoorn but could not make it happen and waited.  VanDoorn fought an ill handling car to the end, with Hantz pulling down beside VanDoorn on the last lap to finish beside him less than a fender behind or .030 seconds with the crowd on their feet cheering the drivers.            Complete Story

Hmiel Wins Rich Vogler Classic

Cook Jr. and Brown Also Pick-up Old Timers Weekend Victories

 

            Winchester, IN (August 23, 2010) – Pleasant Garden, North Carolina native Shane Hmiel took the lead on lap 11 of Sunday’s Rich Vogler Classic for the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series and went on to get the win in Sunday’s Old Timers Weekend on the famous High Banks of Winchester Speedway.  Hmiel started on the outside pole but settled into second place behind pole sitter Levi Jones before making his winning pass. Hmiel then had to survive a couple of restarts to beat Damon Gardner and New Castle’s Tracy Hines to get the win. 

            “Wow this is awesome,” remarked Hmiel in victory lane. “I love these fast high banked tracks. This race means a lot because Rich was such a great racer.” 

            Hmiel has now won two of the biggest Sprint Car pavement events of the season in back to back weekends with his win in the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial last weekend at Salem Speedway. With the win Hmiel also won the USAC National Sprint Car Series Pavement Points Championship. Hines was the events fast qualifier. Hmiel and Henry Clarke were the heat race winners.            Complete Story

 

 

Threat of Rain Can’t Dampen the Great Action at Winchester Speedway

 

            (Winchester, IN) – Two morning showers and the constant threat of rain couldn’t keep away the great racing action at Winchester Speedway on Sunday.  “Family Fun Day SUNDAY” featured first visits of the year by the USA Modifieds and the Howe/CRA Late Model Sportsman, as well as a return visit by the Vores/CRA F.W.D. Compacts.  Activities were delayed due to morning showers and heat races were dropped in favor of trying to ensure that feature racing took place.

            28 Cars signed in for the USA Modifeds event with Mike Carroll setting fast time in qualifying, followed by Brad Springer, Brian Nester, Kyle Jones and Bud Perry in the top five.  With the elimination of heat races, the top 10 drew for starting spots with the fast timer Carroll continuing his lucky street by drawing the pole.  At the drop of the green flag Carroll jumped out to a lead only to be tracked down by Chad Poole who would eventually take the point. Back in the pack, Bud Perry was working his way through the field.  A caution late in the race bunched the field back up and Perry was able to take the lead from Poole.            Complete Story

 

Near Capacity Crowd Enjoys Night of Destruction and Thrills at Winchester Speedway

Gossar and Ballenger Battles Highlight the Night’s Competition

 

(Winchester, IN) – For one of the few nights in its history, traditional racing took a back seat to good ol’ fashioned fun at Winchester Speedway on Saturday night.  The 2nd Annual Night of Destruction & Thrills played to a near capacity crowd that saw craziness like no other time at the legendary ½-mile speedway.

The night kicked off with bus rides for fans of all ages. Hundreds of people can now say that they have taken laps around the World Famous Winchester Speedway. This was followed by spectator one-on-one drags where Derrell Sunday in his 2000 Pontiac Trans-Am defeated Jonny Ballenger in his 1990 Chevy S-10 in the final.  The school bus race followed with Randy Owen taking the victory over Basil Stanley, William Cornwell and Jeffery Richarett. These lumbering giants ended with a near photo finish for second place!

The ladies would be next to take to the track for a “Powder Puff” race featuring amateur women.  Mt. Summit’s Jamie Wood, came out on top followed by Molly Swift, Darlene Watson, Shirlee Lester, and Brandy Bryant.  The bible college student Wood delighted the crowd when she climbed from her car through the sunroof and proclaimed, “I’ve never done anything like this,” and “I must have gotten my talent from Dad!”            Complete Story

DVDs From The Night Of Thrills Available HERE

Wings and Winchester
By Danny Burton of the Hawkeye Racing News

        This combination means lots of speed as the Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series invaded the high banks of Winchester on a hot Sunday afternoon and didn’t disappoint.
        26 winged sprinters from Canada to Florida were signed in with an astounding eight cars qualifying less than 14 seconds on the paved half mile, led by Canadian Mike Ling with a 13.686 second lap. Heat race winners were Troy DeCaire, Tim Cox and Geoff Kaiser. Jason Blonde’s bad luck at Salem continued as he met the wall in his heat, ending his day. Ron Koehler won the B.
        Kaiser and Cox led the field of 20 to the green but DeCaire was on a mission as he stormed to the front to lead the first 28 laps. But the Floridian, who had crashed with Blonde at Salem two weeks ago, slowed with a tire problem. Steele, who had started seventh, was steadily working his way forward. By lap seven he was fifth. Lap 23 saw him fourth. But as contenders dropped out, Steele moved up, taking the lead from DeCaire to lead the last two laps of 30. The ageless Jeff Bloom also took advantage of others’ troubles and finished second. Bo Hartley was third, trailed by Travis Miniea and Tim Cox.  
        Steve Christman (Street Stocks) & Mark Mason (Compacts) Claim Other Wins.  CRA Results At www.craracing.net
        The Must See gang tackles the Anderson Speedway on May 26, then comes their main event of the year, the venerable Little 500, a must see itself, as it were. Winchester’s next racing will be July 18 with the USA Modified Series, along with the best in pavement stock car racing by the Championship Racing Association.

Kenseth, Miles, and Claborn Win at Winchester 

 

    Winchester, IN (May 16, 2010) – Ross Kenseth, Bret Miles, Sr. and Kevin Claborn took hard fought victories on the opening day of the legendary Winchester Speedway.  On a day that threatened rain but was dry all day, with a strong wind, the racing was hot as drivers fought every lap for the win.  Two races with cars side by side on the last lap and one winner that only led the last lap kept the crowd on the edge of their seats the entire day.  

    Kenseth started his first trip to Winchester by setting fast time for the Manning Service 100, just beating John VanDoorn by only .008 of a second.  He then drew a four putting Tommy St. John on the pole with Scott Hantz on the outside of the front row. St. John jumped out to the early lead, with VanDoorn following him and pressuring him as they ran out front.   

    Kenseth slipped past as VanDoorn, experiencing ignition problems that would eventually force him out of the race, slowed noticeably.  Kenseth then chased down St. John as they set a torrid pace pulling away from the pack to a race by themselves.            Complete Story