This Friday, May 17th, Jacksonville Speedway pays tribute to the late MaryLee Standridge with a full night of racing headlined by the Midwest Open Wheel Association (MOWA) 410 Winged Sprints and UMP Big Ten Super Late Models. The two biggest area series for the two premier racing classes will share the night’s card with Modifieds, Stock Cars and Hornets also in action.

Both MOWA and the Big 10 series were scheduled to kick-off their seasons at Jacksonville on April 12th, but were rained out along with most other early season races at the track. Since then, MOWA has held events in West Burlington, Iowa and Danville, Illinois with Ian Madsen and Jac Haudenschild winning events. Lincoln’s AJ Bruns currently sits atop the MOWA point standings with Chapin’s Paul Nienhiser in the middle of what might become a break-out year for the 16 year old in second. Springfield’s Jimmy Hurley is third in points followed by two-time champion Jerrod Hull and Emden’s Ben Wagoner.

New Berlin’s Steve Sheppard , Jr has won the first three Big Ten Late Model events of the season and will be trying to go four for four with a win at Jacksonville Friday. A host of the best area Late Model drivers are expected to be on hand to stop Sheppard’s streak, including Jacksonville’s Adam Mefford.

Many activities are planned to honor one of the great ladies of racing, Mary Lee Standridge including a Dash for Cash for kids with $500 of quarters to retrieve. The night is presented by Coors Light with $2.25 cans of Coors Light under the grandstands. Grandstands open at 5:00 with racing at 7:00. Grandstand admission is $20 for this doubleheader with children 12 and under free.

As those of you that have been to the track this season know, we have a revamped fairgrounds with acres and acres of fresh dirt. We’ve spent this week preparing for rains that we knew were coming to make the pit area accessible. What was forecasted as a few scattered Thunderstorms today turned into more than an inch of rain…. Which totals well over 4 inches in the past week. There’s just no way we can hold a race tomorrow. We have spent a ton of time over the past few weeks trying to figure out a way to use the grounds when they are wet. There’s just no good answer. Grass continues to grow and we keep packing the grounds and should be in a position to handle “normal” rain in the days before a race night soon. Just not this week. We are as frustrated with the hand Mother Nature has dealt us to start this season as you are. Like you, we are racers and race fans that want to race. Like a broken record, we are therefore announcing “The races at Jacksonville Speedway for this Friday May 10th are canceled.”

Next Friday May 17th will be the Mary Lee Standridge Memorial featuring MOWA 410 Winged Sprints, Big 10 Super Late Models, Stock Cars and Hornets.

It’s Mother’s Day weekend, so we are being extra nice to Mother Nature so that we can kick-off our weekly racing program this Friday night May 10th. $10 Grandstand admission gets you a full show of Neal Tire winged Sprints, Modifieds, Street Stocks, Hornets and Micros.

Many activities are planned to benefit the A-C Central after prom party as well as highlighting the history of Ashland at the Speedway over the years. A band is scheduled to conclude the night’s festivities playing under the grandstand after the races.

Travis Wallbaum will be racing for a double feature payout if he can pull off his second win in a row this Friday night in the stock car division. Friday night will also mark the debut of the Neal Tire sprint cars at the Speedway.

Grandstand admission is $10 with children 12 and under Free. Grandstands open at 5:00 with racing at 7:00.