Forum: Minnesota Dirt Track Racing Forum (go)
Moderators: StanM

18th Annual Kouba Memorial Race Set For July 24 Makeup at North Central Speedway
Stillwater, MN
By: Greg Parent (7-20-10)

After the first attempt to run the 18th Annual Earl & Ethel Kouba Memorial race on Saturday June 5 at the North Central Speedway near Brainerd, Minnesota fell victim to rain showers after the heat races, the UMSS along with the Kouba family worked to reschedule the race for Saturday July 24. The racing program will pick up with the two Challenge races according to the posted lineups from June 5. Following the Challenge Races, the 25 lap feature will be on contested for the posted purse. All sponsors are back on board. This will be the sixth straight year the Kouba Memorial has been held at North Central Speedway.

Following the conclusion of the Kouba Memorial, a complete new UMSS racing program will be held including Ultimate Sprint Heats, Challenge Races, and a 20 lap Feature. GRP Motorsports has added some bonus money to the first place position in the second feature race, so it will pay $1,000 to win. Drivers who were not in attendance the first time back in June are encouraged to attend. If several of the original 23 cars on hand are unable to make it back up for the race, new cars will be added to the back of the Challenge races and then to the back of the Feature. Based on engine issues with several teams following the Elko series, there is a decent chance that a few spots may be available to fill the 20 car starting field. Stated Greg Parent of GRP Motorsports, "If we have 21 cars on hand, there is no way we are going to eliminate one car. I will put up the last place money so that does not happen." New drivers on hand would then have the opportunity to run a complete new UMSS show later following the Kouba Memorial feature. The drivers voted at the Ogilvie pit meeting back on June 25 to allow new cars to tag the tail of the challenge race for the Kouba Memorial. If those cars make the feature, they could then tag the tail of the main event.

Brothers Joe Kouba and Jimmy Kouba along with their sister Judy Kouba-Dominick have been instrumental in putting together and continuing this fine tradition of honoring and celebrating their parents and their long-standing ties to the sport of sprint car and midget auto racing. The list of previous winners of the Kouba Memorial reads like a who's who in Upper Midwest area sprint car racing. Dating back to the first event held in 1993, there has only been one repeat winner in the 17 year history of this great tradition. Past champions include Dean Brown, Curt Lund, Kent Winters, Donny Schatz, Tony Norem, Spike Lempelius, Brian Schnee, Jimmy Kouba, Roger Rager, Jake Peters, Matt Folstad, Dustin Lindquist, Chuck Swenson, Billy Balog, Lee Grosz, and Jerry Richert, Jr. The only repeat winner is none other than Jimmy Kouba, as he won back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001 at the Princeton Speedway. A total of four different tracks have hosted the event including Jackson Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway, Princeton Speedway and North Central Speedway.

North Central Speedway will also be the first track to have the opportunity to host twin features for the UMSS sprint car series. Race fans will certainly want to be on hand to witness the fast-paced and exciting action of 360 winged sprint cars. For more information on the UMSS, please visit our new and improved website at www.umsprints.com or check out our Facebook page. For questions regarding the series, please contact Ron Bernhagen at 612-363-5302.

Reposted and updated from an earlier thread.

Earl Kouba Memorial Payoff

North Central Speedway, Brainerd MN

Any word if they're dropping a class or two for the night seeing as the Sprints are doubled up or will we have the pleasure of watching all of the regular 40 mph three and four wide with dented rusty sheet metal flopping in the breeze classes as well?

Reason I'm asking is that it's a loooonnnnnggggg drive home. Perhaps the various and sundry classes of soon to be recycling material could run after the final Sprint Feature so that we can contemplate them with our undivided attention as we drive south on 371. That type of racing is so important to the masses that every track from eastern Wisconsin to Montana includes three classes so surely their Features must be broadcast on the radio and we could tune in as we head south so as not to miss any of the exciting action.

All kidding aside, I'm always amazed at how Tim Johnson can step into a Sprint Car out of Streets and once or twice a year and have a respectable top 5 run against Sprint Car veterans. That alone is worth making the trip, especially for WISSOTA Street Stock and Super Stock fans looking for bragging rights on some of us rabid Sprint fans like yours truly. Their weekly racing is pretty good up there but don't let anybody know that I admitted that.

Stan Meissner

Other than the Tim Johnson pits, you might want to stick to the sprint car pit area when not snapping photos Stan. lol

See you at Elko and Brainerd this weekend.

Also, I believe all regular stock car classes will be on the program on Saturday. It should make for a nice long drive back home Stan, revisiting in your mind all of the stock car action leading up to the second and final sprint car feature of the evening.