USAC: 45 Western Race Dates Announced for 2001 Season

22 January 2001

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Beginning with the Midget Car/TQ Midget Car "doubleheader" at Bakersfield (CA) Speedway March 10 and ending with a November 24 Midget Car finale at Las Vegas (NV) Motor Speedway, the schedule contains 24 Midget Car and 15 Sprint Car events, plus a half-dozen preliminary TQ Midget Car listings.

Included are 19 different facilities in nine states, including new venues at Portland, OR and Las Vegas, NV and a return to El Cajon, CA.

Portland Speedway in Portland, OR will host a June 23 Midget Car race, while the brand-new 3/8-mile paved oval at Las Vegas (NV) Motor Speedway hosts its inaugural Midget Car race November 24. Cajon Speedway in El Cajon, CA will host the Western Sprint Cars for the first time on March 31.

Todd Ellison of West Jordan, Utah is the defending champion of the Western Sprint Car Series, which opens March 24 at Irwindale (CA) Speedway and concludes November 17 at Tucson (AZ) Raceway Park. Wally Pankratz is the defending champion of the Western Midget Car Series, which opens March 10 at Bakersfield, then concludes at Las Vegas November 24. J.J. Ercse of Lakewood, CA is the defending champion of the TQ Midget Car Series, which gets under way March 10 at Bakersfield and currently is slated to end October 26-27 at Bakersfield.

"Traditional" events are again highlights of the Western schedules, including the "Copper World Classic" at Phoenix International Raceway March 15-18, the "Belleville Midget Nationals" in Kansas August 2-4 and the "Turkey Night Grand Prix" at Irwindale, CA November 22.

2001 USAC RACING SCHEDULES

USAC WESTERN MIDGET CAR SERIES

Date
Location
Track

3/10
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Speedway

3/15-17
#Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix International Raceway

4/1
Stockton, CA
Stockton 99 Speedway

4/21
Madera, CA
Madera Speedway

4/28
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Speedway

5/5
Perris, CA
Perris Auto Speedway

5/12
Hanford, CA
Kings Speedway

6/9
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Speedway

6/16
Perris, CA
Perris Auto Speedway

6/23
Portland, OR
Portland Speedway

7/31
#Lincoln, NE
Eagle Raceway

8/2
#Belleville, KS
Belleville High Banks

8/3
#Belleville, KS
Belleville High Banks

8/4
#Belleville, KS
Belleville High Banks

8/18
Perris, CA
Perris Auto Speedway

9/2
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Speedway

9/8
Santa Maria, CA
Santa Maria Speedway

9/22
Madera, CA
Madera Speedway

10/5-6
Perris, CA
Perris Auto Speedway

10/13
Hanford, CA
Kings Speedway

10/20
Irwindale, CA
Irwindale Speedway

10/26-27
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Speedway

11/17
#Tucson, AZ
Tucson Raceway Park

11/22
#Irwindale, CA
Irwindale Speedway

11/24
#Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas Motor Speedway

#=These events also award National points.

2001 USAC RACING SCHEDULES

USAC TQ MIDGET CAR SERIES

Date
Location
Track

3/10
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Speedway

4/28
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Speedway

6/9
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Speedway

9/2
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Speedway

9/8
Santa Maria, CA
Santa Maria Speedway

10/26-27
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Speedway


2001 USAC RACING SCHEDULES

USAC WESTERN SPRINT CAR SERIES

Date
Location
Track

3/24
Irwindale. CA
Irwindale Speedway

3/31
El Cajon, CA
Cajon Speedway

4/21
Madera, CA
Madera Speedway

5/19
Tucson, AZ
Tucson Raceway Park

7/3
Dodge City, KS
Dodge City Raceway Park

7/7
Albuquerque, NM
Sandia Motorsports Park

7/13-14
Boise, ID
Meridian Motor Speedway

7/21
Salt Lake City, UT
Rocky Mountain Raceways

8/11
Carson City, NV
Silver State Raceway

9/1
Tucson, AZ
Tucson Raceway Park

9/15
Carson City, NV
Silver State Raceway

9/22
Madera, CA
Madera Speedway

10/20
Irwindale. CA
Irwindale Speedway

11/17
Tucson, AZ
Tucson Raceway Park

Text Provided By Dick Jordan

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