Richmond, KY(January 4, 2016) Richmond Raceway track promoters Larry, Chad, and Sarah Yantz are pleased to announce an action-packed 2016 racing schedule at the 3/10 mile semi-banked red clay oval better known as “The Beast of the East”.

The season will get underway with a test and tune practice day on Saturday March 26 from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., with the 50th season of dirt track competition set to take the official green flag to kick off the 2016 season on Saturday April 2.  There will be five divisions of racing competition at the track in 2016 and those divisions will be Late Models, Modifieds, KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders, and Mini-Cup/Cyclones.

The Late Model division will be highlighted on several occasions, with the track’s marquee event, the 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge Memorial set for Saturday August 20, paying $10,059 to win and will again be sanctioned by the Southern Nationals Bonus Series, with an open practice set for Friday August 19.  Also, the 12th Annual Iron-Man Classic will take place at Richmond Raceway in 2016 on Saturday June 25 and will be pay $10,050 to win (the fifty is a tribute to it being the 50th year of racing at the track), with this event also being sanctioned by the Southern Nationals Bonus Series, with an open practice set for Friday June 24.  The Ultimate Battle of the Bluegrass Series will visit Richmond Raceway on Saturday April 16 for the 2nd Annual Spring Shootout and will pay $4,000 to win.  The 2nd Annual Butch Shay Memorial is also set and will pay $2,100 to win on Saturday May 14, while the “Butterball” Tune-Up event will take place on Saturday July 16.  The 2nd Annual Finn Watson Memorial has been set for Saturday September 17 and will pay $2,500 to win, while the season finale Beast of the East Clash will close out the season for Late Models on Saturday October 8 and pay $3,000 to win.  The Late Model division will compete for $1,500 to win and $150 to start at their regular show events for the 2016 season, with a combined total of $225 ($100, $75, and $50) in bonus money available to the three top finishing Pro Late Model competitors at each of these events.  Jason Barrett of Waco, KY was the 2015 Richmond Raceway Super Late Model track champion.

The Modified division will also see several extra paying to win events during the 2016 season as the open wheel warriors will race for $2,100 to win on Saturday May 14 at the 2nd Annual Butch Shay Memorial.  The Modified Mayhem event is set for Saturday July 9 and will pay $1,500 to win, while the division will race for $1,259 to win at the 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge event.  On Saturday September 17, the Modifieds will race for $1,200 to win at the 2nd Annual Finn Watson Memorial and will conclude the 2016 season at the Beast of the Clash on Saturday October 8, racing for $1,500 to win.  The Modified division will race for $1,000 to win and $100 to start at their regular show events in 2016.  Jeff Watson of Campbellsville, KY was the 2015 Richmond Raceway Modified track champion.

The KDRA Super Stock division will also see several good money events at the track as well in 2016, with the KDRA Super Stock Nationals set to take place on Saturday August 6 and pay the winner $2,000.  The 2nd Annual Saturday Night Showdown will take place on Saturday April 30 and will pay $1,200 to win, with division also racing for $1,200 to win on Armed Forces Night at the track on Saturday May 28.  The division will race for $1,059 to win at the 29th Annual Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge Memorial event on Saturday August 20 and will conclude the 2016 racing campaign on Saturday October 8 at the Beast of the East Clash, racing for $1,200 to win.  All KDRA Super Stock regular show events will pay $750 to win and $75 to start.  Glen Hounshell, Jr. of Mount Vernon, KY was the 2015 Richmond Raceway KDRA Super Stock track champion.

The Four Cylinder division will be highlighted as well several times during the 2016 racing season, with the Four Cylinder Fury event paying $1,000 to win on Saturday June 18 and the division will again race for $1,000 to win at the Four Cylinder Rumble contest to conclude their 2016 season on Saturday October 1.  Other extra-paying events for the division will see the class race for $750 to at the 2nd Annual Saturday Night Shootout on Saturday April 30, while the division will also be on the card for the 29th Annual Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge Memorial on Saturday August 20, racing for $759 to win.  Four Cylinders will race for $500 to win and $50 to start at their regular show events in 2016.  Stacy Harrison of Keavy, KY is the 2015 Richmond Raceway Four Cylinder track champion.

The Mini-Cup/Cyclone division will return for their sophomore season of competition at the track and will have a pair of $500 to win events, with one of those being on Saturday August 6.  The Mini-Cup/Cyclone division will complete their 2016 season on Saturday October 8 at the Beast of the East Clash, racing again for $500 to win.  All Mini-Cup/Cyclone regular show events will pay $100 to win and $40 to start.  Scott Crusenberry of Williamsburg, KY is the 2015 Richmond Raceway Mini-Cup/Cyclone track champion.  

Other special event nights planned at Richmond Raceway in 2016 include Family Meal Deal Night on April 23, Kids Night at the Race on May 21, Armed Forces Night on May 28, Meet the Drivers Night on September 3, and Fan Appreciation Night on September 24.  

Richmond Raceway is located at 328 Greens Crossing Road, just a short drive from the city limits of Richmond, KY.  Larry, Chad, and Sarah Yantz are the track promoters and will present dirt track racing on Saturday evenings.  For more information about Richmond Raceway, contact track co-promoter Larry Yantz at (606) 510-5331 or track co-promoter Chad Yantz at (606) 510-4836 or by social media on the world wide web at www.richmond-raceway.net or via Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/308149696058239/ or facebook.com/richraceky of via Twitter @MichaelDespain or @RichmondRaceway.  The phone number at the track for information concerning race events and raceday information is (859) 624-5640.    

Richmond Raceway 2016 Schedule of Events

March 26- Test and Tune Open Practice for All Divisions (5:00 p.m. through 9:00 p.m.)

April 2-  50th Annual Season Opener:  Late Models, Modifieds, KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders, Mini-Cup/Cyclones (Track Points Begin)

April 9- Regular Show- Late Models, Modifieds, KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders, Mini-Cup/Cyclones

April 16- 2nd Annual Spring Shootout:  Ultimate Battle of the Bluegrass Series- $4,000 to win Late Models; Regular Show- Modifieds, KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders (Mini-Cup/Cyclone OFF)

April 23- Family Meal Deal Night:  Regular Show- Late Models, Modifieds, KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders, Mini-Cup/Cyclones

April 30- 2nd Annual Saturday Night Showdown: KDRA Super Stocks $1,200 to win; Four Cylinder $750 to win; Regular Show- Modifieds, Mini-Cup/Cyclones (Late Models OFF)

May 7- OFF

May 14- 2nd Annual Butch Shay Memorial: Late Models $2,100 to win; Modifieds $2,100 to win; KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders, Mini-Cup/Cyclones

May 21- Kids Night at the Race:  Regular Show- Late Models, Modifieds, KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders, Mini-Cup/Cyclones

May 28- Armed Forces Night:  KDRA Super Stocks $1,200 to win; Regular Show- Late Models, Modifieds, Four Cylinders, Mini-Cup/Cyclones

June 4- OFF (Closed for Ralph Latham Memorial)

June 11- OFF (Closed for Dream 100)

June 18- Four Cylinder Fury;  Four Cylinders $1,000 to win; Regular Show- Late Models, Modifieds, KDRA Super Stocks, Mini-Cup/Cyclones

June 24 (Friday)- Open Practice for 12th Annual Iron-Main Classic:  Open Practice for All Divisions (7:00 p.m. through 10:00 p.m.)

June 25- 12th Annual Iron-Man Classic: Southern Nationals Bonus Series- Late Models $10,050 to win; Regular Show- Modifieds, KDRA Super Stocks, Mini-Cup/Cyclones (Four Cylinders OFF)

July 2- OFF

July 9- Modified Mayhem:  Modifieds $1,500 to win; Regular Show- Late Models, KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders, Mini-Cup/Cyclones (Raindate for Iron-Man Classic)

July 16- “Butterball” Tune-Up:  Late Models $2,000 to win; Regular Show- Modifieds, KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders, Mini-Cup/Cyclones

July 23- OFF (Closed for Madison County Fair)

July 30- OFF (Closed for Madison County Fair)

August 6- KDRA Nationals:  KDRA Super Stocks $2,000 to win; Mini-Cup/Cyclones $500 to win; Regular Show- Late Models, Modifieds, Four Cylinders

August 13- OFF (Closed for North/South 100)

August 19 (Friday)- Open Practice for 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge:  Open Practice for All Divisions (7:00 p.m. through 10:00 p.m.)

August 20- 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge Memorial:  Southern Nationals Series- Late Models $10,059 to win; Modifieds- $1,259 to win; KDRA Super Stocks- $1,059 to win; Four Cylinders $759 (Mini-Cup/Cyclones OFF)

August 27- OFF

September 3- Meet the Drivers Night:  Regular Show- Late Models, Modifieds, KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders, Mini-Cup/Cyclones

September 10- OFF (Closed for World 100)

September 17- 2nd Annual Finn Watson Memorial:  Late Models $2,500 to win; Modifieds $1,200 to win; Regular Show- KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders, Mini-Cup/Cyclones (Raindate for Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge Memorial)

September 24- Fan Appreciation Night:  Regular Show- Late Models, Modifieds, KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders, Mini-Cup/Cyclones

October 1- Four Cylinder Rumble:  Four Cylinders $1,000 to win; Regular Show- Late Models, Modifieds, KDRA Super Stocks, Four Cylinders, Mini-Cup/Cyclones

October 8- Beast of the East Clash:  Late Models $3,000 to win; Modifieds $1,500 to win; KDRA Super Stocks $1,200 to win; Mini-Cup/Cyclones $500 to win (Four Cylinders OFF) (Track Points End)