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| Ocala Speedway Sets Ambitious Schedule for 2003 Season More Improvements to Facility Now Underway | by Dave Westerman
Entering its 51st year of operation, Ocala Speedway has
set up its busiest and most diverse schedule ever for
2003 featuring a variety of racing cars and Series,
even NASCAR, as well as a quality weekly racing program.
Action for 2003 gets underway on Friday evening, March
7th with a full evening of racing sponsored by SunTrust
Bank showcasing all of the classes that will run
throughtout the season including the Steven A. Bagen
Super Late Models, Open Wheel Modifieds, Mini Stocks,
Diamond H Air & Heat Sportsman, Street Stocks and Four
Cylinder Stocks.
One week later, fans will be treated to the Sunbelt
Super Late Model Series as the FASCAR sanctioned group
invades the Ocala oval for the first time ever. De-
fending Sunbelt Series champion Michael Williams of
Mims will be challenged by a number of top campaigners
including former Sunbelt Champions Dick Anderson of
Wildwood and Orlando's David Rogers.
Also on the card that night will be the first ever visit
to the speedway by the Florida Mini Stock Challenge
Series. Defending champion Robbie Storer will have
two fend off the challenge of a number of top drivers
including Ocala Speedway standouts Clint Foley and
Larry Goolsby.
It will be a the first of two appearances by the FMSC
as they'll race along with the TBARA Winged Outlaw
Sprint Cars on September 12th.
Fans of Super Late Model Racing will get to see it all
at Ocala Speedway in 2003. Following the Sunbelt Series
in March, the National Late Model Series dirt cars come
to Ocala on Friday May 2nd as part of a weekend dirt-cars-
on-asphalt series that concludes the following night at
Columbia Motorsports Park near Lake City.
The Powell Memorial returns to its rightful home on
Friday, June 6th and is expected to be bigger and better
than ever.
NASCAR short track series racing returns to Central Florida
as the All Pro Late Models, with new sponsorship from
Kodak, invade Ocala on Wednesday, July 2nd. A School Bus
Figure 8 race is also slated for this special mid-week
show, scheduled so that fans can attend the weekend Pepsi
400 events at Daytona.
The Florida Pro Series Super Late Models will open a
weekend doubleheader at Ocala on August 15th, moving to
nearby Citrus County Speedway in Inverness the following
night.
Sprint Car fans will get a chance to see a wide variety
of racing this year. Along with the TBARA event in
September, the winged sprints of the United Sprint Car
Series (USCS) will open up two days of racing in the
Sunshine State on Friday, April 4th before heading to
Columbia Motorsports Park the following night. 2002
USCS Champion Terry Gray of Memphis, TN will lead this
hard-charging group into Ocala.
The non-wing FASTSPRINTS are also on the 2003 schedule,
slated to pound the Ocala pavement on July 18th.
Open Wheel Modified fans will not only be treated to
some great racing from the "locals" on Fridays, but
will also be witness to the first season of racing for
the new United Promoters Modified (UPM) Tour on March
28th and June 13th. This new "I-75" series is slated
to run a schedule that also includes Citrus County
Speedway, Columbia Motorsports Park, Cordele Motor
Speedway in Georgia, and possibly Charlotte County
Speedway in Punta Gorda.
Figre 8 racing returns to Ocala Speedway as well for
2003 with the criss-cross action slated to take place
on March 21st, May 16th, July 11th, and Septemer
19th.
The FASTRUCK Series will make two stops during the
year on May 23rd and October 10th while the Classic
Auto Racing Series will duke it out on April 18th.
The popular Open Wheel Lite cars will make four
appearances in 2003 on March 28th, May 30th, August
22nd, and October 17th.
Special 50-lap races for the regularly scheduled
weekly classes will be held throughout the season as
well.
The biggest weekend in Florida short track racing returns
November 15th and 16th with the 2nd Annual Fall Festival
400 and the Ocala Enduro in early December.
Improvements to the Ocala Speedway facility itself
continue to be made. A new fence is being erected
around the speedway to provide even greater protection
for the fans.
New Musco lighting has been ordered and is expected to
be in place for the season opener which will give a
whole new "look" to the action in 2003. Plus Muzak is
continuing to make improvements to the already
incredible sound system both on the grandstand side
and in the pits.
One thing fans will notice when they arrive for the
season opener is that all the trees and shrubs surround-
ing turns three and four are now gone and the bleachers
that were on either side of the new grandstands have
been moved to turn three and dubbed the "rowdy crowd"
section.
The spots where those bleachers once stood will be used
for new picnic and concession areas.l
This week Ocala Speedway unveiled a number of advance
ticket packages including a season ticket package for
full-time race fans along with six-pack and twelve-pack
tickets for fans to use at any time during the season.
For more information on these ticket packages, contact
the speedway at (352) 622-9400, and they will be
available on opening night March 7th.
Sponsors are being sought in numerous locations around
the track. A full sponsorship outline will be available
soon. For more information, you can call the track or
Dave Westerman at (407) 340-4194.
It will truly be a fantastic season of racing at the
"new" Ocala Speedway.
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