Arena Racing returning to DeltaPlex Arena, starting with Thanksgiving weekend

Arena Racing returning to DeltaPlex Arena, starting with Thanksgiving weekend

By Steve Kaminski | The Grand Rapids Press MLive.com

WALKER -- Area motorsports fans won’t have to wait until April to get their racing fix.

DeltaPlex Arena will be hosting five nights of Arena Racing through March, race director Jack Gritter of Zeeland announced Thursday. Action will begin with a Thanksgiving weekend doubleheader on Nov. 25-26.

"We are really excited about coming back to the DeltaPlex. We expect to have 250 cars here over Thanksgiving Weekend," Gritter said. "We will be having a memorial race on Nov. 25 for Walker police officer Trevor Slot, who was killed earlier this year.

"We have a big race coming on the Saturday, too. The Sprint feature winner will earn $1,500."

The 2011-2012 schedule includes racing Jan. 7, Feb. 4 and March 24. Gritter said there is a possibility of an additional race as well, with an announcement on that date coming later this month.

Each night will offer five classes of racing, including 600 Sprints, Arena Cars, go-karts, Midgets and Quarter Midgets.

DeltaPlex Arena officials introduced Arena Racing to West Michigan in 2008. The series ran for two seasons before officials cancelled the 2010-2011 season due to a small car count.

Gritter, a retired area stock car driver who serves as the pace car driver for the national ARCA Series, then brought racing back to the DeltaPlex last year on a limited basis.

Gritter made changes with the format, too, in an effort to bring in more cars. Racing is now contested on the DeltaPlex floor, which is coated with Pepsi Cola, instead of the aluminum track. That has enabled for a more diverse racing program.

"Before, we weren’t able to have the Sprints because they were too big for the track, and we couldn’t have go-karts because the track was too rough on them," Gritter said. "We will have Arena Cars, and we have opened the rules so that the outdoor cars can come and race with us.

"(DeltaPlex owner) Joel (Langlois) has spent a lot of money in improvements. We have a new floor and new lighting. I think fans are going to like it."

Gates will open at 3 p.m., followed by heat races at 3:30 and racing at 7 each program. Tickets are $10.