THUNDER HILL ADDS IMCA SPORT COMPACTS, RACEIVERS FOR 2012

By Troy Harrison

Two new things will be added to the weekly program for 2012 at Thunder Hill Speedway, promoter Mike Conkwright announced today.  One addition is in the interest of making racing more accessible, one is in the interest of making racing safer.

Making racing more accessible is the meaning behind the track’s addition of the IMCA Sport Compact class for 2012, according to Conkwright.  “The cost of racing, particularly at the entry level, has concerned me for a long time,” he said.  “When I started out, a street stock type car was a relatively inexpensive car.  Unfortunately, while those type cars put on great racing at Thunder Hill, and we continue to support the Hobby Stock and Stock Car classes, they aren’t exactly entry level in costs anymore.” The IMCA Sport Compact class is designed to be a mostly stock, inexpensive class with appropriate safety equipment.

Bringing in the IMCA Sport Compacts as the track’s entry level class will do much to make racing on the high banks accessible to more people, Conkwright says.  “We need a class here where you can put together a complete car for around $1,000 to $1,200.  You can do that in this class.”  The Sport Compact class will run under full IMCA rules and sanction.  “It just makes sense to go ahead and sanction this class.  Racers get the point fund, the insurance policy, and a built-in network of other tracks and the ability to run the Super Nationals,” Conkwright explained.  Payouts for the IMCA Sport Compact class are yet to be determined.  Complete rules can be found at www.imca.com/rules/sport-compact.

The other major change in the racing program is the requirement that all drivers use Raceivers in 2012.  “It just makes sense from a safety perspective,” Conkwright said of the radios that allow track officials to communicate directly with drivers.  “We can get cars lined up more quickly under yellow, get cars off the track that pose a danger, and notify drivers of yellow flags and other unsafe conditions.”  For drivers who do not own a Raceiver, Thunder Hill will keep some Raceivers at the back gate for race night rentals.  Drivers needing Raceivers can purchase them at the Thunder Hill IMCA Hobby Stock sponsor, www.BuyRaceParts.com.