NASCAR Stars Join Tour for Monday Night Racing at IRP
Jack Kessler photo
After taking a short one day break following the Gene Nolen Classic on Saturday, July 30th at Anderson Speedway, the 500 Sprint Car Tour Presented by Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Part Stores will take the track once again on Monday, August 1st at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The Monday Night Racing event will play host to the 500 Sprint Car Tour and the National Pavement Midget Championship. The event will be free for spectators courtesy of Bald Spot Sports.
The Monday Night Racing event at IRP will have two very interesting storylines to go along with an already great night of racing on tap: the tightly contested 500 Sprint Car Tour Championship, and the presence of NASCAR Superstars, both current and former. Ironically, all come from the Hendrick Motorsports Stable.
After competing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Roadcourse on Sunday, July 31st Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson will keep their motorhomes in Indianapolis for one more night. Bowman will be competing in the Nation Pavement Midget Championship race with the midget team he currently owns, Alex Bowman Racing. Larson, the defending NASCAR Champion, will be climbing into a non-wing sprint car for the 30 lap 500 Sprint Car Tour Feature and 30 Lap National Pavement Midget Feature. The majority of Larson’s sprint car experience has been in a winged dirt sprint car, but his extensive background in sprint car racing, and his proven track record as a NASCAR Champion, will make him an instant favorite as he pilots a second entry for Terry Klatt with Bob East as the crew chief.
Bowman and Larson will not be the only NASCAR stars in attendance as Kenny Schrader will return to the 500 Sprint Car Tour for his first race with the series outside of the Lucas Oil Little 500. In the 74th Annual Lucas Oil Little 500 Presented by UAW, Schrader came home in 24th for Matt Seymour Racing. Schrader’s best finish in the Little 500 came in 2020 as he finished in 8th place. The three stars have a similar racing connection as they have all competed at the highest level with Hendrick Motorsports. Larson has been with Hendrick for two seasons, winning the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in his first season, while Bowman has been with the team since 2016. Schrader drove for the legendary team owner from 1988-1996.
The usual stars of the 500 Sprint Car Tour will be in attendance at the Monday Night Racing Event at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Dakoda Armstrong will be looking to extend his championship lead as fellow championship contenders Billy Wease, Kody Swanson, Kyle O’Gara, and Tyler Roahrig will be looking to close the gap. With the addition of “Hero” drivers to the starting grid, the competition will only be stronger for the championship leaders. The event will also give the drivers one final look at IRP until they return on October 22nd for the Inaugural Season Championship Race. Drivers and crew alike will be looking for any advantage they can gain in preparation for what will be a defining moment in the season-long championship come October.
The Monday Night Racing Event at Indianapolis Raceway Park is this Monday, August 1st at 7pm. The event will feature the 500 Sprint Car Tour Presented by Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Part Stores and the National Pavement Midget Championship. Both races will be 30 laps of highly competitive, side by side racing. Gates will open at 4:15pm with practice scheduled at 4:30pm. Fans will receive General Admission tickets for FREE, courtesy of Bald Spot Sports. Fans can reserve their ticket or get more information by clicking HERE. The 500 Sprint Car Tour race will be shown Live on MAVTV Motorsports Network.
