CHRISTOPHER BELL TO VIE FOR USAC MIDGET “TUESDAY NIGHT THUNDER” HONORS AUG. 1 IN NEBRASKA
By: Lonnie Wheatley
It’s less than one week away and the anticipation continues to build for some USAC Midget “Tuesday Night Thunder” at Fairbury, Nebraska’s Jefferson County Speedway.
Even NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship contender Christopher Bell is ready to go play in the dirt during next week’s “Riverside Chevrolet Tuesday Night Thunder at Jefferson County Speedway presented by Westin Packaged Meats and Schmidt’s Sanitation” on Tuesday night, August 1.
The Norman, OK, native has made good use of a limited number of dirt track starts in 2017 by racking up a half-dozen Midget wins, including the prestigious Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, along with another three Sprint Car wins.
Bell will join the powerful Keith Kunz stable for “Tuesday Night Thunder”. The multi-car assault on the 1/5-mile Jefferson County Speedway clay oval also includes reigning series champion Tanner Thorson and current USAC Midget points leader Spencer Bayston.
It bolsters a loaded field that already includes defending “Tuesday Night Thunder” champion Chad Boat, reigning USAC Sprint Car champion Brady Bacon, and the Clauson-Marshall Racing trio of Tyler Courtney, Shane Golobic and Justin Grant among others.
Rounding out the Tuesday night card in Fairbury, NE, will be the JayHusker Non-Wing Micro Sprint Cars. Nebraska’s Frank Galusha topped last year’s JayHusker portion of “Tuesday Night Thunder”.
The second edition of “Tuesday Night Thunder” at Jefferson County Speedway includes an added 500 seats to accommodate the large crowd that will also be treated to an autograph session at 5:20 p.m. with all the drivers along with cold beer, fireworks and a flyover to further enhance the intense racing action atop the cozy confines of the Jefferson County Speedway clay.
It will be yet another fast-paced event that fans are sure to enjoy in the fairgrounds atmosphere with the covered grandstands, with contingency awards for every entrant including the Side Trek Bar and Grill $500 Hard Charger Award for the Midgets and Eagle Motorsports Inc. $100 Hard Charger Award for the JayHusker Non-Wing Micros.
Plenty of tasty food options will be available as well with the Totally Smoked BBQ and Side Trek Bar & Grill vendors on hand.
General admission tickets to the event are just $20 for adults with children ten and under just $5, with the first 100 through the gates receiving a free Budweiser koozie.
Qualifying will begin at 7:00 p.m. with racing action to follow at 7:30 p.m.
Along with title sponsor Riverside Chevrolet and presenting sponsors Westin Packaged Meats and Schmidt’s Sanitation, other local sponsors that are making “Tuesday Night Thunder” possible include Chappell Roofing, Fairbury Chamber of Commerce, Starr Plumbing, X-CEL NDT, Side Trek Bar and Grill, Ol' Red 99.5, Pollman Appliance, Z-Four Trucking, Vaughn Contracting, Criner's Corner and Jefferson County Visitors Committee.
A number of National and Racing Industry sponsors are making the event possible as well, including Speedway Motors, Rod End Supply, Budweiser, Eagle Motorsports Inc., Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Hepfner Racing Products, Spike Chassis and Shell Shock Helmet Painting.
More information regarding the event is available at http://www.tuesdaynightthunder.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TuesdayNightThunder/.
