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BATES & PETERS ENTER KNOXVILLE MASTERS CLASSIC
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (May 9, 2009) - Last year, Judi Bates of Barto, Penna., and
Mike Peters of Wichita, Kansas, finished second and third, respectively, to
winner Randy Smith of Mt. Ayr, Iowa, in the Knoxville Masters Classic winged
360-cubic-inch sprint car race for drivers age 50 and over. This week, both
Bates and Peters officially entered the Friday, May 29, event at the
legendary Knoxville Raceway in hopes of moving up on the podium in 2009.
According to Knoxville’s director of racing Ralph Capitani, “Most sprint car
fans know that Mike Peters is a real competitor and champion, having won the
Masters Classic in 2002 and finishing third in both ’07 and ‘08. But, last
year, we at Knoxville were blown away by Judi’s focus and determination to
win the Masters race in her ‘rookie’ attempt. I guess if she wins it this
year we’ll have to rename it the Knoxville Mistress’ Classic. It kind of
reminds of 2003 when Erin Crocker was runner-up to Shane Stewart for the
‘Mr. Sprint Car’ title during the Southern Iowa Sprintweek.”
The fourteen (14) official entrants with cars are: Rev. Mark Amenda
(Streator, IL), Carl "Midge" Miller (Willingboro, NJ), Bobby Becker, Jr.
(Denton, NE), “Butch” Hanssen (Sioux Falls, SD), Dale McCarty (Eldorado
Springs, MO), Randy Droescher (Larchwood, IA), Bill Smith (Worthington, MN),
Greg Rilat (Texas City, TX), Earnest Jennings (Norman, OK), Lonnie Jensen
(Lincoln, NE), Judi Bates (Barto, PA), David Brown (Marshall, MO), Mike
Peters (Wichita, KS), and Wayne Redmond (Humboldt, IA). The three (3)
drivers entered without cars are: John McDonald (Houston, AK), Rick Sorem
(Big Lake, MN), and George Prosser (Mansfield, OH).
Knoxville Raceway will host an open track practice for the Masters Classic
competitors on Thursday, May 28, from 7 until 9 p.m. The Knoxville Masters
Classic & the Iowa Telecom King Doodlebug Midget Classic will take place on
Friday, May 29, starting at 6:45 p.m. The Pepsi Knoxville Midget Nationals
and the winged 410-cubic-inch sprinters will conclude the National Sprint
Car Hall of Fame induction weekend of racing on Saturday, May 30, also
starting at 6:45 p.m.
For information on the Friday and Saturday night races, individuals are
urged to visit the track’s web site at www.knoxvilleraceway.com. For tickets
to the twentieth National Sprint Car Hall of Fame induction banquet, to take
place in the Dyer-Hudson Building on the Marion County Fairgrounds on
Saturday afternoon, May 30, people are urged to call Lori DeMoss at
800-874-4488 or e-mail her at ldemoss@sprintcarhof.com. The banquet will
again be emceed by Dave Argabright and Dr. Pat Sullivan. Tickets are just
twenty dollars each, but they need to be reserved in advance.
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