Kenny Schrader is back at Magnolia Motor Speedway to claim another United Sprint Car Series win.
Schrader, a veteran NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, won the Frostbuster 250 open-wheel modified race March 1 that also featured NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace. He will be back in Columbus at 7:30 tonight to compete in the USCS open-modified race.
It’ll be the toughest of both worlds, as the USCS circuit draws the top local and national sprint drivers, Schrader said.
“It’s a beautiful facility,” said Schrader, who co-owns dirt tracks with NASCAR driver Tony Stewart. “If you go to all the short tracks, it’s in the top 10 percent. The surface just has good racing. It’s plenty wide — not one groove — and they run all over the place.”
Schrader said he has raced at Magnolia more than five times, and he’s looking forward to the slick conditions once the sun goes down.
“Early in the night, you’ll need a lot of power,” Schrader said. “But as the night goes on, it’ll get slick and you’ll see a lot of good racing.”
Schrader was slated to compete in a USCS event at Talladega, Alabama, on Thursday night, but rain canceled the event. As of mid-afternoon Thursday, Magnolia Speedway still was slated to hold races tonight, according to its Facebook page. Columbus and Lowndes County have a 60-percent chance of rain, according to The Weather Channel.
Today’s races also will include winged sprint cars in the USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour, winged mini sprints, Rockauto.com super late modifieds, NeSmith dirt late models, and mini stocks.
Adult grandstand tickets are $20; children 12 and under are admitted free.
The USCS weekend sets up one of the biggest race weekends in the state when Magnolia Motor Speedway plays host to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, which will be recorded by SPEED TV. The top prize in the race will be $20,000.
Columbus Motor Speedway to host mini stock event
Race fans in the area will have a chance to watch races at Magnolia and Columbus Motor Speedway, as the latter will host the Kajun Mini Stock Association event Saturday.
The event will have a $1,000-to-win feature race.
Limited late models, 602 stock late models, and street stocks will run, too, in a weekly racing series event.
General admission is $10. Children ages 10 and under are free.
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