ARCA Lincoln Welder Trucks, Howe CRA Sportsman and Quick Auto Front Wheel Drive Figure 8's on Saturday Night

Anderson Speedway will return to racing action on Saturday Night, April 19th with a huge program planned with season opening events for ARCA Lincoln Welder Truck Series and Howe CRA Sportsman along with the return of the Quick Auto Front Wheel Drive Figure 8's.

The ARCA Trucks will do battle in a 100-lap event while the CRA Sportsman will face off in a 75-lap showdown.

The ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series has made three previous appearances at Anderson in 1999, 2000 and 2007 with Aaron Hulings, Troy Marciniak and Steve Cronenwett taking the wins respectively.

At present, more than 20 drivers from five states have filed entries for the event including defending ALWTS champion Bill Withers of Columbus, Ohio. Withers, who was also the inaugural ALWTS champion in 1999, is the only driver in series history who has competed in every race since the series’ inception, giving the two-time champ 112 series starts total.

Other former ALWTS champions entered include Grove City, Ohio’s Robbin Slaughter, who earned back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001, and Paul Hahn, who was the champion in 2006. Hahn is currently second on the all-time winners list with 15 career series triumphs.

Clarksburg, West Virginia-based W3 Motorsports has filed two entries for the event. Clarksburg, West Virginia driver Norm Weaver, a two-time series winner, is slated to drive the Dan Cava Toyota World Toyota Tacoma while his teammate Frank Wilson will be in a 2008 Ford Ranger. Wilson was the winner on the Springfield mile-dirt in 2007.

West Harrison, Indiana driver Kenny Kirsch will be making his series debut at Anderson in the Kirsch’s Automotive Chevy S-10. The only other Hoosier entered is St. Leon, Indiana’s Duane Bischoff, a veteran of the ALWTS. Bischoff finished 6th in ALWTS points in 2007, opening the season last year with a 10th place finish at Anderson.

Also entered is Cleveland, Ohio driver Nick Gullatta, the 2006 and 2007 championship runner-up driver and ’06 Rookie of the Year. No matter the venue, Gullatta is always a player. In 23 career starts since 2006, he has 4 wins at Kil-Kare Speedway ’07, Delaware Speedway ‘07, Salem Speedway ’07 and the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds mile-dirt ‘06.

Other entries include Paul Vander Hoff (Morenci, Michigan), Ron Wells (Riverside, Ohio), Tully Esterline (Pettisville, Ohio), Canfield, Ohio drivers’ Ashley Hawkins and Tim Schafer, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran Steve Christman, Trenton, Ohio’s Rob Jones, Belleville, Michigan’s Craig Meyers and Plainwell, Michigan’s Mark Otting.

The Howe CRA Sportsman will make their third appearance at the World’s Fastest Quarter-Mile Oval on Saturday. Al Cook Jr. captured the victory in the inaugural event in 2006 with Steve Blair taking the checkered flag in last year’s event.

Also featured will be the Quick Auto Front Wheel Drive Figure 8’s for their second event of the season. Andy Keller won the opener on March 29, finishing ahead of three-time depending champion Nick Warner and veteran Donnie Ellis.

On Saturday, spectator gates open at 3:30 p.m. with the racing beginning at 7. Admission is $10 for adults and $4 for kids ages 6-12. Children five and under get in free.

For additional information on Anderson Speedway, visit www.andersonspeedway.com or contact Anderson Speedway at
(765) 642-0206.