Turkey Night Grand Prix
IRWINDALE, California — Irwindale Speedway will host the 67th Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix presented by Agajanian Promotions on Thanksgiving evening.
The Turkey Night Grand Prix is one of the racing season highlights for local race fans and those fans traveling across the country as evidenced by the number of motor homes already parked in the Speedway’s RV compound. Many of these fans have enjoyed the tradition preparing a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner in the Speedway’s parking lot during the afternoon followed by an evening of racing.
The event is equally popular with racing competitors with 49 National / Western Midget entries for the event received by the Speedway (as of November 19) including three from Tony Stewart Racing, one from NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Kasey Kahne who will pilot the Seymour Beast / Mopar entry for Visalia, Calif. car owner Zarounian Motorsports and an entry from Davey Hamilton who finished in 9th place in this years Indianapolis 500. Other notable drivers entered to compete in the Midget race include NASCAR Busch Series driver and 2004 USAC National Midget champion Bobby East as well as National Midget points leader Jerry Coons Jr. and Western Midget points leader Johnny Rodriguez.
Several drivers are scheduled for double-duty action including five-time USAC champion and defending Turkey Night Sprint car winner Tony Hunt who will compete in the Midget race for Cruz Pedregon Racing and for Alan Kaiser’s Thompson Toyota / Bailey Brothers entry in the Lucas Oil USAC Western Sprint Car race. Three-time USAC National Champion Tracy Hines is scheduled to drive a Midget car for Tony Stewart Racing and a Sprint car for Alex Morales Racing. Kahne also plans to compete in a Zarounian owned entry in the Sprint car race.
Spectator gates open at 4 PM. The King Taco fan appreciation autograph session with drivers and cars on the track is scheduled at 5:45 PM and the first of four last chance qualifying races will get underway at 7 PM. Three feature races are scheduled including a 30-lap Ford Focus race, a 40-lap Sprint car race and the 98-lap Midget car spectacular in honor of the number 98 associated with the late race organizer J.C. Agajanian, whose son J.C. Jr. continues the Turkey Night tradition as the race organizer.
Tickets for the Turkey Night Grand Prix a are available for purchase at the Speedway ticket office, on the Internet at the speedway website or by calling (626) 358-1100.
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