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Big Changes Greet Southern Challenge & SSM Nationals Teams

ABILENE TX (8/18/12) by DarinShort.com. Arguably the largest gathering IMCA teams in the South takes place each October at Abilene Speedway, when competitors from as far away as the Northern and Western tier of states converge upon the ¼ mile speed plant for three days of racing action during the Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge presented by Smiley’s Racing Products and Abilene area NAPA Auto Parts.

However, this year marks some significant changes to the event:

-First off, the traditional Friday-Saturday-Sunday racing format has been shifted back one day, so all racing will take place during optimal racing hours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

-The 18th Annual Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge weekend race dates are now Wednesday October 17th (Practice Night & legendary free Pit Party), Thursday October 18th (Opening Night, Racing at 7pm), Friday October 19th (Qualifying Night, Racing at 7pm) and Saturday October 20th (Finale with Racing at 6pm).

-Also, the highly anticipated Southern Sport Mod Nationals event will join this year’s Southern Challenge; setting the stage for a spectacular weekend of racing.

When you add it all up, an incredible $75,000 cash is up for grabs; with $4,000 earmarked for the Fletcher Motor Sports IMCA Modified winner, $2,000 to win the Abilene Powder Coating Southern IMCA SportMods, $2,000 to win the Showtime Signs & Designs IMCA Stock Cars and $1,000 to win for the Destroyer Chassis IMCA Hobby Stocks.

And in traditional Southern Challenge fashion, solid payback is offered throughout the field; as it pays $650 to start the IMCA Modified feature (and $400 to start their B-feature), $300 to start the IMCA Stock Car feature, $200 to start the IMCA SportMod feature and $150 to start the IMCA Hobby Stock feature. A complete Abilene Speedway Street Stock program will also join the Friday night racing line-up.

Registration for all IMCA race divisions is now open, and drivers are encouraged to enter early, as car numbers are assigned on a first-entered basis.

Here are the quick facts for this year’s Southern Challenge & Southern SportMod Nationals:

Event Dates: Weds. October 17th – Saturday October 20th. Practice/Legendary Pit Party on Wednesday (Gates open at 5pm, with Registration and Practice from 6pm-10pm, party to follow). Qualifying Nights on Thursday and Friday (Gates open at 3pm, Draw closes at 6pm, Racing at 7pm). Championship Finale on Saturday (Gates open at 2pm, Draw closes at 5pm, Racing at 6pm). There is also an open practice scheduled from Noon to 4pm on Sunday, October 14th.

Track info: Abilene Speedway is located at 6825 West Hwy 80 in Abilene, TX. If you are traveling Eastbound on I-20, you will take Exit 279, which is I-20 Business Route. The track is located on the right in approximately one mile. If you are traveling West on I-20 to Abilene, take Exit 278, crossover to the Eastbound side and take Exit 279 and continue one mile, the track will be on the right.

Track phone: Please call 325-725-3849 or 325-692-8800. The track promoter is Rob Poor.

Track website: http://www.AbileneSpeedway.com

RV’s: RV’s are welcome, but there are no hook-ups.

Competitor Pre-Registration: The event flyer is presently being mailed to former participants. Please fill out the registration form and mail it back on or before October 1st. Enter early to have the best chance of receiving your car number, as there are no duplicate numbers allowed. Entries filed after October 1st, or at the track on race weekend, will be $30 higher (with the exception of Hobby Stocks which is $25 higher). No personal checks are accepted; cashier’s checks or money orders only.

Online Registration Forms: Both pages of the event flyer can be downloaded by clicking http://www.abilenespeedway.com/ and then clicking the ‘Southern Challenge’ hyperlink towards the bottom of the home page. No personal checks are accepted; cashier’s checks or money orders only.

Note that if you are going to print out the online flyer, it is formatted for a legal size piece of paper. In order for it to print out on standard size printer paper you must follow this procedure:

1. Save the file to your desktop by right clicking on the flyer image.
2. Find the saved file icon on your desktop, then right click the file icon and select ‘preview.’
3. From your preview screen, click the print button and make sure you have selected ‘fit file to page’ in order for it to output properly in condensed format.
4. You can then fill out the registration form and mail it to the track.

About the Ryan Bard Memorial: Ryan Bard was the 2007 New Mexico state IMCA Southern SportMod Champion that tragically lost his life at the 2007 Southern Challenge. After Ryan’s passing, the Ryan Bard Safety Foundation (RBSF) was formed by Paul Lapaire (Ryan’s father-in-law-to-be) to help better educate the racing community on the importance of improved racing safety awareness. Visit http://www.racinwithneal.com/?p=11977 for much more information on the RBSF.

Complete Purse Breakdown: Click http://abilenespeedway.com/so_challnge_procedures_12.htm for complete event purse breakdown, which is also on the back side of the event flyer being mailed out.

Racing Fuel: VP Racing Fuel will be available at the track on race weekend, and is sold by the gallon or drum.

Host Hotels: We have three host hotels for race teams and fans. Please mention Abilene Speedway when placing your reservation to receive the best possible rates. Host hotels are listed in no specific order:

1. Whitten Inn, phone: 800-880-7666. Click http://www.whitteninn.com/ for complete details.
2. Howard Johnsons Plaza: 325-795-8888. Click http://www.hojo.com for more information.
3. Motel 6: 325-672-8462. Click http://www.motel6.com/ to view options for their property.

Race Fans: Grandstand tickets will be sold upon your arrival at the speedway each night. No advance tickets are sold. Adult ticket prices are $12 each night (ages 13 and up), Kids (ages 6-12) $5 each night, Ages 5 and under are Free with Adult purchase. Active Military (with I.D) are admitted to the grandstand area for $8/night.

Pit Passes: Pit Passes will be sold upon your arrival at the pit gate each night. No advance pit passes are sold. Wednesday night (practice): $15. Thursday/Friday/Saturday: $25 each night, all ages.

Legendary Pit Party: The kickoff to the Southern Challenge is our annual Pit Party that takes place at the end of practice night on Wednesday, October 17th. We will have free BBQ, Beer & Music; so make plans to attend!

Golf Cart Rentals: If you’d like to rent a golf cart for the weekend of the Southern Challenge, please call 325-665-2196 to reserve yours today.

Competitor Rules: All IMCA rules apply. Engines will be marked, and you must run the same engine that you qualified for the A-feature in, during the championship A-feature.

We’d like to thank everyone for their past participation in the event, and we are all really excited about the new alliance of the Southern IMCA SportMod Nationals and the Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge, which will provide race fans with three straight days of non-stop racing action at Abilene Speedway on October 18th-20th!

Over $4,500 in Added Awards Await Southern Challenge & SSM Nationals Teams

To get your team entered, please click the event info hub, located at:

http://www.darinshort.com/abilene.html

...and there you can download/print the registration flyer. To get into the event at the 'early registration' price, your submitted entry must be postmarked on or before October 1.

The Southern Challenge and IMCA Southern SportMod Nationals will be here before we know it, so don't miss out on the cost savings opportunity by getting pre-entered by October 1; and thanks to those who have already registered, it helps the track prepare for your arrival.