Micro Sprint Cars at DeltaPlex

Track tweaked for Micro Sprint Cars at DeltaPlex

Published: Thursday, February 03, 2011
By Steve Kaminski
The Grand Rapids Press

Micro Sprint Car driver Dan Dunigan Jr. has a name for the type of racing fans can expect to see Saturday night at the DeltaPlex Arena in Walker.

“It’s in your face racing,” the Jackson-born driver said. “In this type of racing, you have to be very responsive and react quickly. There is no giving the car in front of you room, and you are in traffic all the time.”

DeltaPlex will host the Coors Thunder on the Grand at 7 p.m., with a program of Micro Sprint Cars, Quarter Midgets and go-karts.

Arena Racing has brought indoor racing to the DeltaPlex for more than two years, but unlike past programs, the aluminum track will remain in storage.

Jack Gritter, who heads the Arena Racing tech team, has organized Saturday’s program, and it was his idea to bring in Micro Sprints for the first time. Gritter said go-karts ran exhibition events in the past, and it proved to be too bumpy. He also doesn’t believe the track was wide enough to run Micro Sprints.

That’s why officials will host the races on the floor. Cement blocks will serve as an outer barrier for the track, and a catch fence will be installed on top of the blocks. In addition, 15 gallons of coke syrup will be poured onto the floor to provide traction.

While Dunigan has never been to DeltaPlex, he is envisioning it to be an action-packed bull ring.

”You are going to have to fight for your spot. Indoor racing is a lot different,” said Dunigan, 27. “Fifty percent of it is skill, and 50 percent of it is luck. Half the time, someone wrecks in front of you, and there is no time to stop.”

Dunigan races for his father, and he spends the winter months competing at indoor shows. The team was in Atlantic City this past weekend.

”They are fast and quick and they hug the floor,” the elder Dunigan said. “They run 600 cc motorcycle engines, and they are basically a smaller size version of the Sprint Car. We think they are more exciting than a full-size Sprint Car show because they are very agile machines.

”We race indoor in six different states, and they have had big shows out east for 20 years. But we don’t have shows like this in Michigan, so we are excited about this one.”

COORS THUNDER ON THE GRAND

Where: DeltaPlex Arena in Walker
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Tickets: $10 each