Each year US Legend Cars International and INEX run a limited number of Regional Qualifying races across the country leading to their National Championship. And once again in 2010, the Indianapolis Speedrome® is proud to host one of these events May 29th. The 50-lap, $1,000-to-win Legend feature will see the talented drivers clash at the 69-year-old facility. Also that night will see a special INEX Bandolero Championship race. The weekend begins Thursday May 27th with open practice while the track broadcasts its Speedrome Live radio show. Friday Night May 28th will see a full card of events for both INEX divisions. Then, there comes the highly anticipated main events on Saturday May 29th.
Former NASCAR driver and INEX General Manager Ken Ragan has been to many events at the Home of the World Figure 8® and is excited about the upcoming weekend of the Indianapolis 500 for the INEX stars. He recently had some very nice things to say about the Speedrome. “This track is the ticket. It is a perfect place for young racers to learn and hone their skills.” He is very proud of the continuing relationship between INEX and the Speedrome. Here is just some background of the history between the pairing over the last two decades.
The summer of 1994 saw the Legend cars invade the famous fifth-mile for the first time. The wave of this newest racing machine (born in 1992) was initially on display during the weekend of the inaugural Brickyard 400. Three of those nights hosted a unique exhibition challenge between four chosen drivers. August 4th saw a NASCAR shootout won by Michael Waltrip. The Tennessee native bested Kenny Wallace, Jimmy Spencer, and Sterling Marlin. The following evening saw Mike St John best rivals Jack Dossey Jr, Duane Lee, and Charlie Reed. The final Legend car demonstration had Doug Greig winning over Darren Sizemore, Robert Amos, and Rodney Sizemore.
The colossal motorsports weekend also saw drivers from across the country competing in several National events. Fans were treated to some exciting action while many local talents caught Legend fever. Veteran Tom Brewer won the first-ever Speedrome Legend feature on August 3, 1994. There were several more preview contests over the summer. The Speedrome was then announced as the centerpiece of the new Hoosier Championship tour set to begin in 1995. But first was a monster single-day event promoted by the track.
December 10, 1994 was the date of the largest indoor gathering of Legend racers at the recently eliminated Hoosier Dome in downtown Indianapolis. Nearly 80 drivers weaved their way through heats semi-features, and last chance races to claim one of the coveted 28 main event starting spots. Massachusetts speedster John Tripp outlasted the massive historic field. The Speedrome led group returned the next year with another incredible show. North, Carolina’s Steve Mendenhall took home that victory.
The 1995 and 1996 INEX Hoosier Legend Championship saw over 80 events held with the majority of them based at the Indianapolis Speedrome®. Several states and many other tracks held events during these campaigns helping increase the driver roster. The class was the perfect complement to America’s Figure 8 Challenge series when on the road. This era was special in the record books of Speedrome and INEX Legend competition.
Over the past decade, the Speedrome has held its own track championship under the INEX sanctioning banner. The division was joined by the INEX Bandoleros in 2000 becoming a staple of the Friday night lineup. A younger group of rising stars attached their names to the Legend list from the newest step on the racing career ladder. The past ten years have seen National and touring events held here as well as tons of home track action. We are very proud to continue this INEX/Speedrome combination in 2010.
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