For the 77th time, Macon Speedway, in Macon, IL will be celebrating the start of a new season, this coming Saturday, April 16th. The fastest 1/5-mile dirt track in the world will have an action-packed evening, featuring seven different classes of race cars plus CEFCU Kids Club and $1 hot dogs and $2 beers.
Headlining the event will be the Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models and BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds. The two divisions are the fastest classes that compete on a weekly basis and are looked at as the premier divisions at the track. They feature a good mix of experienced veterans as well as younger drivers trying to steal some limelight.
The Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models champion from last year, Colby Sheppard, will be back looking to carry over his momentum from last year to a much-anticipated 2022 season. Following Sheppard was a group of talented drivers including Donny Koehler, Braden Johnson, Ryan Miller, and Derek Smith.
The BillingsleyRewards.com Modified class is coming off a strong season which saw great car counts all season and Guy Taylor taking the championship. Other front runners last year included Alan Crowder, Kyle Helmick, Billy Knebel, and Maxx Emerson.
One of the staple divisions at the track, the DIRTcar Pro Mods, will be making a return for the 2022 season. The class is a more economical form of the Modifieds. While they may look similar, the cars utilize a GM crate engine which makes things a little more economical. Kyle Helmick, previous champion from the 2021 season, will be making his return to the world’s fastest 1/5-mile dirt track for the season opener on April 16th.
The DIRTcar Street Stocks will also be making their return to Macon Speedway for the 2022 season. The class has been strong the last couple of seasons with great car counts. Last year, Springfield, IL’s Guy Taylor took the championship, matching his effort in the Modified class. The division also has a number of specials at the track throughout the year with the Midwest Big Ten Series.
The DIRTcar Hornets are back for another season of economical racing. The class, starting as a beginner division in the late 90’s, had a good mix of young and older drivers last year. 60 different Hornet drivers were on track in 2021 with Allan Harris and Billy Mason taking the top two spots in points and a large number of the feature wins.
One of Macon’s part-time divisions is the Weddle Performance Engines Sportsman class. Jim Farley, III is coming off of a championship season in the class, while Rick Roedel, Scott Landers, Roy Magee, and Dennis Vandermeersch completed the top five. The division is veteran laden, featuring plenty of experienced racers.
Rounding out Saturday night’s program will be the Micros by Bailey Chassis. Saturday’s race will not only be for Macon’s track points but also for POWRi national points and extra cash. The Micros have another strong slate of races coming to Macon Speedway again this year. Six events this season will be POWRi sanctioned national events, while the track will also run thirteen unsanctioned events for the class. A non-wing show for the class is also on schedule. The Micro class is predominately made up of young kids trying to garner experience, but a number of veterans fill out the field of cars.
Kids 11 and under, who arrive at the track by 7:00, will also receive this year’s edition of the CEFCU Kid’s Club T-Shirt, while supplies last. CEFCU has been a long-time sponsor of the Macon Speedway kids club which is held once a month at the track.
Pits open Saturday at 3:00, which is an hour earlier than normal to help allow for opening night paperwork to get filled out. At 5:00, the grandstand gates will swing open, while hotlaps begin on track at 6:00. Racing will begin at its normal time of 7:00.
Grandstand admission will be $15 for adults and free for kids 11 and under.
For more information on the event or to view the full season schedule, visit www.maconracing.com.
Macon Speedway PR
