LOCAL SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
Kil-Kare Speedway: Must See Xtreme Sprint Series, modifieds, sport stocks, compacts. Gates open at 6 p.m., qualifying at 6:30, racing at 7:30.
SATURDAY
Edgwater Sports Park: NHRA-sanctioned Summit racing. Gates open at 2 p.m., racing at 7.
Kil-Kare Dragway: NHRA-sanctioned Summit racing. Gates open at noon.
Shadybowl Speedway: Late models, modifieds, sport stocks, tuners, compacts, dwarfs. Gates open at 4 p.m., racing at 7.
Waynesfield Raceway Park: Nonwing sprints, UMP modifieds, mini sprints, trucks, compacts. Gates open at 5 p.m., racing at 7.
When the Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series rolls into Kil-Kare Speedway tonight it’ll mark the first visit to the Greene County track in 12 years.
The series will quickly make up for the lost time.
Dubbed the World’s Fastest Short Track Cars, the series — led by California hotshoe JoJo Helberg — takes aim at Kil-Kare’s track record. The series already holds track records at eight different speedways, including a world record for a half-mile speedway set at Winchester Speedway in 2012. Helberg ripped off a lap in 12.669 seconds (142 mph) in his 410 winged sprint car that cranks out about 900 horsepower.
“Winchester is real crazy. The track was really good that day because we tested the day before and put a lot of rubber down,” Helberg said. “I had the car set up to run all by itself on the top side and that’s why it did so well in qualifying. It kind of made for a scary ride in the main event because the wings were set for the least amount of drag possible. It was like running on ice.”
At Kil-Kare, as many as 25 Xtreme drivers are expected to take a shot at Zach Gibson’s one-lap record of 11.106 seconds around the 3/8th-mile, modified-D shaped track. Biobased USA is offering a $500 bonus to the driver that breaks the track record set in 2008.
And this with most of the drivers never experiencing Kil-Kare’s tricky track that’s often described as having about 13 different turns.
“The most I’ve seen of it is on a YouTube video. I think I know exactly what I’m in for,” said Helberg, who thinks drivers can turn laps in the mid- to upper-10 seconds. “Just to kind of get an idea size wise. A lot of times it’s kind of a guessing game before you get to a new track as far as what gear you’re going to run. I did an in-car camera view and just seeing how much the car was turning, it’s kind of like those odd Midwestern tracks we run where there are no straightaways.”
While the $500 speed bonus would be nice, Helberg’s goal is to be the fastest for more than one lap. He enters Kil-Kare leading the Xtreme sprints standings with a 20-point advantage over Aaron Pierce and Brian Gerster, both of Indiana.
“I’m a little more worried about winning the race (than the track record),” said Helberg. “I’m really excited to go to a new facility. I like tracks with character. The setup game is definitely worth more than the driving game. It’s definitely going to be the best car that wins instead of the best driver.”
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