ONA, WV-Labor Day weekend is quickly approaching and with that means the unofficial end of summer. It’s getting dark earlier, night time temperatures are cooler, school is back in session, football season has started. For a lot of speedways across the country, the approach of fall means racing season is winding down and most of the bigger events are in the rear view mirror. At Ona Speedway, the arrival of the fall season has some of the biggest events of the season in the windshield as the speedway is preparing for what is perhaps the biggest, most exciting fall seen at the track in many, many years.
As we look at what is ahead this fall at Ona Speedway, the excitement all starts on Saturday, September 7th with the Firecracker 40 and Haunted Majestic Halloween Bash Qualifier. The Contempo Trophy & Awards UCAR division has been the biggest class at the track this year and will do battle in one of their biggest races of the season with the Firecracker 40 paying $500 to win and $75 to start with bonus money available for heat race and segment winners. In the second ever running of the race, the speedway has brought an exciting format this year as the race will be broken up into three segments with the final segment a 10 lap dash for the win.
The Haunted Majestic Halloween Bash Qualifier for the Brody Nash Century 21 Crown Vics will bring a very high stakes 30 lap, $300 to win feature for the fans and competitors. On the line in this race won’t just be a $300 winners pay and maximum points, the winner of the race will receive a provisional starting position for the Haunted Majestic Halloween Bash on October 26th. In what could possibly be the most difficult race in Ona Speedway history to make the feature field, coming into that race with a guaranteed starting position is huge. In addition to these two exciting races, September 7th will also be the next to last points race of the season with several points battles very close.
September 21st will bring a dual special event with the West Virginia Lottery Season Championships and the West Virginia Roar & Soar. The day will start with the 2nd Annual West Virginia Roar & Soar Car & Plane Show from 9 am until 1 pm. Last year, this was one of the largest car shows in our region with over 160 cars parked on the race track. This event gives spectators a chance to walk on the historic speedway and look at some really cool cars. For those with cool cars, trucks and motorcycles, it gives them an opportunity to make one slow lap around the track and showcase their car on the same track that has hosted NASCAR Cup Series races in the past.
After the car show is completed, the gates will be cleared and the speedway will begin normal race operations for the West Virginia Lottery Season Championships. This is one of the most important race nights of the season as it is the final points race and all 7 track champions will be crowned. With extremely close points races in the All Seasons Powersports Late Model, Haunted Majestic Street Stock, and Contempo Trophy & Awards UCAR’s, race fans are sure to see some of the most exciting races of the season as the drivers battle for the right to call themselves an Ona Speedway champion. The classes with close points battles will qualify and start the race heads up as is tradition to let the championship contenders race it out straight up. The UCAR’s will not run heat races, but the Brody Nash Century 21 Crown Vics will run heats this night on a asphalt vs dirt track promoted night as several dirt track Crown Vics are planning to come to do battle with Ona’s best on the asphalt.
The speedway will then take a few weeks off and prepare for two huge events in October. October 19th will see the always popular Carpenter’s Repair Trick or Treat Night as we will have trick or treat on track at intermission. Nitro Construction Services has also stepped up to have the Nitro Construction Services Triple Crown that will see All Season’s Powersports Late Models, LG Pressure Washing Modifieds, and Haunted Majestic Street Stocks all battle in 35 lap features for $1,000 to win in each class. C&M Air Compressor Repair and Three Vets Heating & Cooling have also stepped up to make the Contempo Trophy & Awards UCAR 35 lapper a $1,000 to win special. The track has hopes to obtain more sponsorship to make the Three Sixteen Motorsports Legends Cars and Brody Nash Century 21 Crown Vics have specials on this night as well. With nearly every track in a 5 hour radius closed for the season by this point, it’s exciting to think about what the car count possibilities can be for this race.
The season will then conclude with one of the biggest events in track history, the Haunted Majestic Halloween Bash boasting a $5,000 to win payday with 40 or more cars. For each car less than 40, the winners purse goes down $100 but the rest of the purse remains the same. This race has already drawn national attention as Brody Nash Century 21 Crown Vic drivers from all over the country have expressed interest in this race. With the exciting racing already seen in this class as well as the incredible action seen in other big Crown Vic races, this race has race fans marking this event on their calendars as these drivers will battle for 75 laps.
As if the event wasn’t already big enough, it will also be the Championship Race for the CRS Super Trucks. To make the event even bigger, it will also feature special event races and purses for the LG Pressure Washing Modifieds, Haunted Majestic Street Stocks, Three Sixteen Motorsports Legends Cars, and Contempo Trophy & Awards UCAR’s. This is a race that anyone who loves short track racing won’t want to miss.
Even though the last race on August 17th was rained out, there’s even more excitement going into these last races after seeing the car count on August 17th. The LG Pressure Washing Modified car count was the highest it has been all season. There’s new drivers that were at the track on August 17th and even more cars expected to debut during these fall races. Race fans have been treated to some great racing action all season long. As the weather begins to cool off in the coming weeks, race fans will be able to enjoy an incredible fall season of racing at Ona Speedway under the most comfortable temperatures of the season.
You won’t want to miss any of these high quality events. Make plans to be at the speedway on September 7th. Racing will start at 6:30 pm. For more information visit www.onaspeedway.com.
