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Tracks: Cars, Late Models, Trucks, Baby Grands return to IRP in 2000

31 December 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

INDIANAPOLIS - Indianapolis Raceway Park has announced that a special series of Saturday evening events will be presented on the .686-mile IRP oval during the 2000 season, featuring Championship Auto Racing Series late model stock cars and trucks, and Baby Grand Stock Cars.

"These events proved to be very popular in 1999, when we presented them on selected Friday evenings," commented Jeff Dakin, IRP's Director of Operations. "In an effort to give them more exposure and perhaps allow more fans to be here. we're moving the series to Saturday evenings for 2000.

Plans call for at least eight Saturday evening events in the series..

"Our experience in 1999 proved that series which have affordable cars and close competition are popular with our fans, and the structure of these events allows us to present them at a ticket price very much affordable to the general public," Dakin reflected.

The spec CARS late models made their debut at IRP in 1999, with the field eventually building to almost twenty cars at the season's end. CARS officials said nearly 40 cars had been purchased as of late December, assuring fans of a full field of cars at IRP and other tracks where the series will be competing throughout the 2000 season.

Trucks which will compete under the CARS sanction are similar to the American Race Trucks which raced at IRP in 1999, with minor rules alterations which should permit more trucks to participate.

Baby Grand Stock Cars are 5/8-scale replicas of new and late model cars powered by motorcycle engines. In 1999, they proved to be extremely popular with spectators and provided tight competition, with the fastest cars averaging over 100 mph on the IRP oval.

Specific dates and additional details on the 2000 Saturday night series will be released in the near future, Dakin said.

In addition to their own Saturday evening series, CARS late models and trucks and Baby Grand Stock Cars will make appearances as support series in IRP special events at various times during the 2000 season.

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