KNOXVILLE RACEWAY NEWS: RAY, LEHMANN, BEACH & FIKE RESTED AND READY FOR KNOXVILLE'S MIDGET RACE

KNOXVILLE, IOWA  (MAY 20, 2002)  -  To date, forty-two (42) midget
car drivers are entered for Knoxville Raceway's 30-car Pepsi/Mt. Dew
Midget Championship on Saturday, June 1, and it appears that the number
of competitors may grow to fifty or sixty by race day.  Thus, racers Davey
Ray, Donnie Lehmann, Teddy Beach, and A.J.  Fike may be resting easier
knowing that each is in a good position to claim a provisional feature
starting spot, if need be.  That is because they are the highest-ranked
entered drivers from Badger Midget Auto Racing Association (BMARA),
Midwest Auto Racing Association (MARA), North American Auto Racing Series
(NAMARS) and last year's National Midget Driver of the Year point
standings, respectively.

     The basic event format calls for four drivers to qualify out of each
of five heats utilizing passing points, plus the top three finishers to
transfer from each of two B-Mains.  Thus, the final four starting
positions in the 25-lap, 30-car race will be assigned to the highest-
ranked non-qualifiers from today's BMARA and MARA points, and last
year's NAMARS and National Midget Driver of the Year points.  To date,
Davey Ray is second in Badger points and Donnie Lehmann leads
MARA points.  Also, Teddy Beach was runner-up in last season's
NAMARS point standings, while A.J. Fike was second in the 2001
National Midget Driver of the Year rankings.
 
     Besides those four outstanding competitors, other early entrants for
the $4,000-to-win midget car race include defending champions Dan Boorse
(BMARA) of Wisconsin, Rich Camfield (MARA) of Illinois, and Ray Bull
(ARDC) of Pennsylvania.  Other entered hotshoes include Aaron Pierce and
ageless Mel Kenyon of NAMARS, Mike Hess, Critter Malone and veteran
Knoxville competitor Kevin Doty of BMARA, and Steve Knepper and Tim Siner
of MARA.  Invaders entered already include Andy Mason and Keith Rauch of
Rocky Mountain (RMMRA), and Steve Paden and Bryan Stanfill of the United
States Auto Club (USAC).  Midgets haven't competed on the big Knoxville
half-mile since Sam Isenhower of Indiana won a race on the black gumbo in 1979.
 
     In addition to the Pepsi/Mt. Dew Knoxville Midget Championship on
Saturday, June 1, the track's regular winged 410-cubic-inch sprint car
racers will be in competition.  That includes Terry McCarl, "Skip"
Jackson, Kerry Madsen, Don Droud (Jr.) and over thirty other talented
drivers.  The Friday night, May 31, program will consist of the tenth
annual Goodyear Masters Classic winged 360-c.i. sprint car races for
drivers age fifty-plus, and midget car hot-laps.  Former Classic winners
that have pre-entered are Jerry Crabb of Iowa, Roger Rager of Minnesota,
and Terry Pletch of Indiana.  The Friday and Saturday night race tickets
are all general admission, although the track ticket office can be
reached at 641-842-5431.