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Sprint cars to spring to action MT file photo Sprint cars are one of the top attractions at the White City speedway because they go faster than any others that race there, which results in some spectacular crashes. By Don Hunt WHITE CITY � The dizzying speeds and deafening roars of the sprint cars are returning to the Southern Oregon Speedway on a regular basis. With the April 21 season-opener a little more than six weeks away, track promoter John Skinner on Tuesday revealed plans for a 26-event schedule, including 10 race dates for the popular sprint cars. "It�s going to be fun to have the sprints back," Skinner said. "They�re so damn fast and exciting to watch." The open-wheeled cars weigh just 1,300 pounds, feature about 700 horsepower and fly around the one-third mile clay oval at speeds approaching 100 mph. They have also been known to crash in spectacular fashion, adding to their appeal among fans. Their one big drawback is that they�re costly to buy ($15,000 to $30,000), a disadvantage that led to small car counts and their eventual demise at the speedway last summer. But Skinner knows that sprint cars attract larger crowds, and when he put on a special sprint show last August, about 15 cars took the starting line. "Our crowd count fell off last year, and it was no great mystery as to what the reason was," Skinner said. "Fans love to watch the sprints. They�re far and away the fastest cars on the track, and racing fans love speed." The White City track has coordinated its sprint car schedule with the Northern Sprint Tour and other tracks in Oregon so that drivers at other circuits can compete at each of the venues. Dan Menne of Fort Jones, Calif., is happy to see the sprints return to the Southern Oregon Speedway. "I�ve always felt there were enough guys in the area to form a sprint-car class, and hopefully now it will happen," said Menne, who finished fourth on the Northern Sprint Tour last summer and third in 1999. The NST will make two stops at the local track this season (June 30 and July 16). In addition to the season-opener on April 21, sprints will also compete on May 5, May 19, June 16, July 7, Aug. 4, Aug. 25 and Sept. 8. Skinner also announced that wings will no longer be used by the modified class. Pro stocks, dwarf cars, mini stocks, super trucks and thrill cars will also return to the one-third-mile oval. Some 92 drivers had signed up to race as of Tuesday, and several more are on the verge of doing so, track office manager Deanne Lewis said. General admission ticket prices, which have been set at $8.50 for the past two years, are escalating to $10 to offset higher purse money being paid to the sprint drivers, Skinner said. Admission for seniors 60-and-over and children 7-12 will be $7. The season-opener will also serve as a tribute to Dale Earnhardt, who was killed at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18. Fans are encouraged to wear black and gray � Earnhardt�s colors � and the pro stock class that most closely mirrors the NASCAR vehicles may run 50 laps instead of the customary 25, Skinner said. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.