Top Storylines Heading Into Toledo
Championship Push Begins:
With the 76th Annual Little 500 presented by UAW officially in the rear view mirror, the race to the 2024 500 Sprint Car Tour Championship is now in full swing. After back to back races at the familiar high banks of Anderson Speedway, the 500 Sprint Car Tour now heads to another familiar place in Toledo Speedway.
Swanson’s New Ride:
Inaugural series champion and current points leader, Kody Swanson, will be arriving at Toledo Speedway with a new car and a new team behind. After competing with Doran Binks Racing for the Glen Niebel Classic and the 76th Annual Little 500 presented by UAW, Swanson now climbs into the cockpit of a car owned by Nick Bohannon. Also the owner of Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana, Bohannon has been a fixture in the sport for many years. The car, purchased from Little 500 Champion Brian Tyler, has a strong history as it comes from the legendary Contos Racing stable. Swanson will look to get comfortable early as he and his new team chase the 2024 Driver 500 Sprint Car Tour Championship.
Brad Hayes Racing/Macenko Facing Greatest Challenge:
A challenging Month of May for young driver, Jackson Macenko, and car owner, Brad Hayes, has finally come to a close. The duo, after winning Rookie of the Year in 2023, returned for the 2024 season and decided to take on the year’s biggest challenge, the 76th Annual Little 500 presented by UAW. A first for both Brad Hayes Racing and Macenko, confidence was high heading into the month. Things quickly took a turn during a private practice session when a wheel malfunction sent Macenko into the wall. With just over a week left until the big race, the team quickly got the car put back together. Macenko qualified well for the Little 500 and ran in the top-10 most of the night. Tragedy struck again when Macenko was wrecked late in the race, completely destroying the car. Long nights and hard work has ensued. A new frame and plenty of new parts have been used to build a brand new car for Macenko heading into the event at Toledo. Look for Macenko to adjust to the new car underneath him while also keeping pace in terms of speed, and in the championship points standings.
Drivers Making First 500 Sprint Car Tour Start
First time competitors will make their way to Toledo Speedway to make their 500 Sprint Car Tour Debut. Cord Ehrhart from Antwerp, Ohio will make his first appearance with the 500 Sprint Car Tour along with Cole Sink from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Sink will be competing in a familiar car for fans as he will be hopping into the #64 Tom Brewer owned Speed Chasers machine. In addition to Ehrhart and Sink making their series debut, Derek Bischak will be returning to the series for the first time since July 2023 when they competed at Berlin Raceway.
Flashes of Speed Translate to Toledo:
Davey Hamilton Jr. and the Kirk Morgan team returned to familiar territory during the 76th Annual Little 500 presented by UAW. Having a fast car all week long, Hamilton showed signs of great pace during the 500-lap battle. After leading a handful of laps and setting himself up for one of his better Little 500 finishes, an accident derailed his night. After showcasing his speed, Hamilton Jr and Morgan will bring the non wing pavement car back out and head to Toledo Speedway for the Auto Value 40.
Joltin Joe Liguori looks to take on Toledo:
Experienced wing sprint car racer, Joe Liguori, returns to the 500 Sprint Car Tour grid as the series heads to Toledo Speedway. Liguori has been impressive this season competing with the Must See Racing’s winged sprint car series. Currently leading the series in points, Liguori has already sat on pole position multiple times this year. The quick qualifier has one previous start with the 500 Sprint Car Tour and will look to qualify his way into the inversion spots in an attempt to maximize the new qualifying re-draw format to position himself up front.
Redraw to Shake up Starting Position?
With track position being key at a track like Toledo Speedway, even a little bit of luck can go a long way in helping a driver maximize their finishing position. New for the 2024 season is a redraw following each qualifying session. This new format to set the lineup can potentially make or break a driver’s night, and potentially open the door for unfamiliar faces to make their way into the top five or even a podium position. The uncertainty of what the redraw brings will be a storyline to watch closely.
The 2024 500 Sprint Car Tour season will see nine points earning events across a ten race schedule from early April to mid October. The 76th Annual Little 500 will once again be a non-points earning event for the series, filling out the ten race schedule in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend slot. All races, including the 76th Annual Little 500, will be streamed LIVE on DIRTVision. For more information on the 500 Sprint Car Tour visit: 500sprintcartour.com and be sure to follow on social media (Facebook: 500 Sprint Car Tour | Twitter (X): @500SprintTour | Instagram: @500sprintcartour).
2024 500 Sprint Car Tour Schedule:
April 14th - Anderson Speedway | Anderson, Indiana | 24th Running of the Glen Niebel Classic
Winner: Kody Swanson
May 22-25 - Anderson Speedway | Anderson, Indiana | 76th Annual Little 500 (Non-Points)
Winner: Caleb Armstrong
June 8 - Berlin Raceway | Marne, Michigan
Event canceled due to weather
June 28 - Toledo Speedway | Toledo, Ohio
July 13 - Anderson Speedway | Anderson, Indiana | 3rd Annual Gene Nolen Classic
August 23 - Kalamazoo Speedway | Kalamazoo, Michigan
August 24 - Berlin Raceway | Marne, Michigan
September 7 - Salem Speedway | Salem, Indiana | 65th Running of the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial
October 5 - Anderson Speedway | Anderson, Indiana | 9th Annual Tony Elliott Classic
October 19 - Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park | brownsburg, Indiana | Championship Night
