ONA, WV-The Ona Speedway is happy to announce the race format that will be used in all weekly racing events for the 2024 season. Feedback from both fans and drivers was taken into consideration to come up with a format that makes for an exciting show and also meets requests of the race teams.
2024 will once again see all classes time trial and the feature lined up with an invert draw (the only exception being the Three-Sixteen Motorsports Legends Car Pro class will start features heads up without an invert due to the tightness of the field and how difficult it is to pass in those cars). The big change for 2024 is the invert draw will now have a standardized format that will be used for each race. If there are 9 or less cars, the fast qualifier will draw for an invert between 1-4, with 1 starting heads up and 4 being an invert of 4. If there are 10 or more cars, the fast qualifier will draw for an invert between 1-5, with 1 starting heads up and 5 being an invert of 5.
In another new change for 2024, the fast qualifier for each class will receive one bonus point. While one bonus point may not sound like a lot, it is the difference of one position on track. The tracks intention of doing the bonus point for fast time is to reward the fast qualifier and also discourage any sandbagging in qualifying.
The track will also see standardized lap counts for weekly races in 2024. Both Legends Car classes will run 20 lap features. In all other classes, with 6 or more cars the feature will be 30 laps and with 5 or less cars the feature will be 25 laps.
In perhaps the biggest change to the race format, the track will institute a rule that was tested last October. If there hasn’t been a yellow flag before the halfway mark of the race (yellow flags on lap 1 will not count towards this), a competition caution will be thrown at the halfway mark. If a yellow flag has been thrown before the halfway mark of the race outside of lap 1, there will be no competition caution. Just like last season, the choose rule will be used on all restarts except for restarts within 5 laps to go which will be single file.
“We really liked what we saw when we tested the competition caution rule last October”, stated track promoter T. J. Layne. “This adds a unique strategy element to each race where now teams are guaranteed a choose rule restart in each race. The choose rule was a game changer last season and added so much excitement and strategy into each race. In addition to the excitement created, this rule also helps lessen the penalty to a fast qualifier that draws a 3 or 4 invert, plus to an extent lessens the advantage of new tires which are notorious for only having an advantage for 5-10 laps.”
“The feedback from competitors on doing this back in October was mostly positive”, stated Layne. “The only concern some competitors had was this causing tore up equipment. That didn’t happen at all last year in any class when it was tested out. I do want to ensure every competitor that if we see at any point this rule is causing more accidents, we will revaluate it and make changes. The last thing we want as we work hard to build up car count is tore up equipment.”
The exciting 2024 season at Ona Speedway will get underway on Saturday, April 20th with the Daniel Linville Cabin Fever Bash. For more information visit www.onaspeedway.com.
