WM: namars: Belleville Nationals fact sheet

<pre> WHAT: 24th Annual Belleville Midget Nationals presented by WhoWon.com.

WHERE: Bellville High Banks, Belleville, Kan., 1/2-mile high-banked clay oval.

WHEN: Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 2-4, 2001 (Raindate: Sunday, Aug. 5).

POSTED AWARDS: More than $70,000.

CARS: Open wheel, non-winged midget cars.

SANCTIONING BODY: United States Auto Club (USAC), 4910 West 16th Street, Speedway, Ind., 46224; Tel: 317-247-5151; Contact: Dick Jordan, djordan10@iquest.net ; Website: http://www.usacracing.com .

PROMOTER: North Central Kansas Free Fair Amusements Committee.
http://www.highbanks.org .

ENDORSEMENTS: Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Assoc. (RMMRA); Midwest Auto Racing Assoc. (MARA); Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA); Badger Midget Auto Racing Assoc. (BMARA); North American Auto Racing Series (NAMARS); Southern Midget Racing Series (SMRS); North Eastern Midget Assoc. (NEMA).

SCHEDULE (all times local):

(Tues., July 31) 5 p.m. - Gates open. 6:30 p.m. - Hot laps. 7:30 p.m. - Heats and feature races for NCRA 360 Sprint Series and CNCTA Friesen Chevrolet Challenge Series for IMCA late models.

(Wed., Aug. 1) 3 p.m. - High Banks Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Banquet (Belleville High School). 6:30 p.m. - Drivers vs. Officials Softball Game (city park, west of the track). 7:45 p.m. - Driver/Fan Autograph Party (city park, west of the track). 10 p.m. - Track secured; Officials' meeting in the Miller Beer Garden.

(Thurs., Aug. 2) 10 a.m. - High Banks Hall of Fame & National Midget Auto Racing Museum opens (downtown). 11 a.m. - Lunch on the Courthouse Square (downtown). 12 noon - Pill draw to determine qualifying order (downtown). 1 p.m. - Infield open for unloading of cars and equipment. 3 p.m. - North gate opens. 4:30 p.m. - Infield closed. 5 p.m. - Main gate opens. 5 p.m. - Infield closed - all personnel removed from pits. 5:30 p.m. - Pit gate opens. 6:30 p.m. - Hot laps. 7:30 p.m. - Qualifications, heats and feature races. 10 p.m. - Track secured; Officials' meeting in the Miller Beer Garden.

(Fri., Aug. 3) 9 a.m. - Naming of the "Stan Fox Grandstand" ceremony (north grandstand). 10 a.m. - Viewing of race auction items (Open Air Arena). 10 a.m. - High Banks Hall of Fame & National Midget Auto Racing Museum opens (downtown). 11 a.m. - High Banks Hall of Fame Auction (Open Air Arena). 1 p.m. - Infield open for unloading of cars and equipment. 3 p.m. - North gate opens. 4:30 p.m. - Infield closed. 5 p.m. - Main gate opens. 5 p.m. - Infield closed - all personnel removed from pits. 5:30 p.m. - Pit gate opens. 6:30 p.m. - Hot laps. 7:30 p.m. - Qualifications, heats and feature races. 10 p.m. - Track secured; Officials' meeting in the Miller Beer Garden.

(Sat., Aug. 4) 10 a.m. - Belleville Cubs 24th Annual Reunion (Rocky Pond). 10 a.m. - Don Harding Memorial Midget Nationals Golf Tournament. 10 a.m. - High Banks Hall of Fame & National Midget Auto Racing Museum opens (downtown). 1 p.m. - Infield open for unloading of cars and equipment. 3 p.m. - North gate opens. 4:30 p.m. - Infield closed. 5 p.m. - Main gate opens. 5 p.m. - Infield closed - all personnel removed from pits. 5:30 p.m. - Pit gate opens. 6:30 p.m. - Hot laps. 7:30 p.m. - Heats and championship finals for 24th Annual Belleville Midget Nationals presented by WhoWon.com. 10 p.m. - Track secured; Officials' meeting in the Miller Beer Garden.

2000 CHAMPIONSHIP RACE WINNER: Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, Wash., Wynn's/Ford/Performance Racing Industry Beast; Owner: Steve Lewis.

PAST BELLEVILLE MIGET NATIONALS CHAMPIONS:

1978 - Eddie Jackson 1979 - Stan Fox 1980 - Stan Fox 1981 - Mike Gregg 1982 - Dave Manes 1983 - Johnny Parsons 1984 - Mark Passerrelli 1985 - Ron 'Sleepy' Tripp 1986 - Tommy White 1987 - Ron 'Sleepy' Tripp 1988 - Steve Knepper 1989 - Chuck Gurney 1990 - Jeff Gordon 1991 - Jack Hewitt 1992 - Lealand McSpadden 1993 - Page Jones 1994 - Kevin Doty 1995 - Billy Boat 1996 - Robby Flock 1997 - Jason Leffler 1998 - Steve Knepper 1999 - Dave Darland 2000 - Kasey Kahne

TRACK RECORDS (midget cars):

1 lap - :17.502, Jason Leffler, 7/30/98. 4 laps - 1:07.83, Jon Backlund, 8/6/88. 6 laps - 1:46.34, Ricky Shelton, 7/30/98. 8 laps - 2:22.22, A.J. Fike, 8/5/00. 10 laps - 2:59.52, Tracy Hines, 8/5/00. 12 laps - 3:40.80, Tony Elliott, 8/1/96. 15 laps - 5:11.55, Dean Erfurth, 8/8/87. 20 laps - 6:27.16, Billy Boat, 8/4/95. 25 laps - 7:42.55, Kasey Kahne, 8/4/00.

Reserved tickets for the 24th Annual Belleville Midget Nationals presented by WhoWon.com are available by calling (785) 527-5179, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by logging onto the Belleville High Banks Web site.

-BHB