When Devils Lake Speedway near Crary, N.D., opens tonight, there will be a new class added to the track’s regular weekly lineup: the Western Renegade Non-Wing Sprint Series.
The series is owned and run by Myles Tomlinson of Turtle Lake, N.D. and aside from a few special events new to the state of North Dakota. Eastern North Dakota fans have seen Tomlinson pilot the #15 IMCA Modified in recent years in Lisbon, Jamestown and West Fargo.
The series will run Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series Rules. There are four series and owners make decisions together as a group but are in charge of his/her own territories.
“I’m excited to bring a cost affordable premier division to the working men and women of North Dakota. Seeing the joy it gives my drivers of being apart of the sport is what it’s all about to me. It’s very humbling,” Tomlinson said.
Devils Lake Speedway will be the only track to race the class weekly in the state. Tomlinson estimates 10-15 cars a night will race in the class at Devils Lake and the other special events in the region. The goal is to make it a statewide touring series.
The series is scheduled to race at Norman County Raceway in Ada on June 4, Red River River Valley Speedway in West Fargo on June 5;. The tour will also be at River Cities Speedway twice in September (Sept. 4 and Sept. 19).
There are also stops in Underwood, Minot a pair of doubleheaders at Southwest Speedway in Dickinson.
A few rules things:
The most popular engine in the series is the 5.3 LS motor, although small block B-mod type Chevy, Ford and Chrysler engine can be used. Both utilize a 2-barrel alcohol carburetor. A 602 sealed Crate can also run with a 750 4 barrel. Used tires are required to run in the A main. Only three left-rear compounds and one right-rear compound are allowed.
Used tires have to be used for A main features. Only three left-rear compounds and one right rear compound are allowed.
It’ll be interesting to see how this class develops. It’s estimated a competitive car can be put together for under $10,000, so one of the appeals to drivers is affordability.
Devils Lake will provide a test to see how the class does weekly. Who knows, maybe some will see the cars on the track and see it as a viable option.
One more thing…
Some have asked how I determine the tracks I cover. It’s based almost always on geography. All seven are within 110 miles of Fargo-Moorhead.
In the case of tracks like Casino Speedway in Watertown, Devils Lake, Greenbush or Bemidji, they are a bit too far travel wise to cover weekly. I might go to the tracks on some occasions, but my focus will mainly be on RaceChaser era drivers (with some exceptions, of course) that are there. Sometimes I will do a feature on a driver outside the region who is known to most fans in the region (John Kaanta, Mike Stearns, Dan Ebert, for example).
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