Thursday, June 19, 1997

Abilene to host Mini-Grand Prix racing stop

By TED DUNNAM / Abilene Reporter-News

The ever-expanding racing world in Texas took another step forward when it was announced Wednesday that Abilene would host a Mini-Grand Prix racing stop.

The first YWCA Abilene Mini-Grand Prix will be held Aug. 30 in the parking lot fronting the old Wal-Mart shopping center.

In its fourth year, the Mini-Grand Prix racing circuit is growing with each season, and the Abilene stop is the most recent addition to the 25-event, nationwide schedule.

"We benefit Easter Seals, the Ronald McDonald House, and here in Abilene, the YWCA," said Edwin Balder, race director of Grand Prix Racing.

Anyone 18 years or older can participate in the Aug. 30 race, but that person must purchase an owner-sponsor package. The package sells for $2,500 and includes ownership of the grand prix Indy car in choice of color and car number, two helmets with face shields, three sets of decal number of the car, seven tickets to the pre-race party and a listing in the racing program.

The driver is also included under a $5 million liability policy.

Each person can customize his or her car as desired for maximum advertising benefits, and each race team consists of three pit crew members and two drivers, plus one alternate.

"It's a very exciting series of racing," Balder said. "These cars generate about 6,000 RPM. We run the races with an electronic scoring system that is better than the IRL's. Once you drive one of these cars, you feel like you have been to the Brickyard.

"You work with a two-way radio ,and you're assigned to pit row. We outfit these courses with 2,500 tires. It's very professionally organized."

El Paso, Lubbock, Paris, Texarkana and Arlington are some of the Texas cities which currently host stops on the circuit.

Each course ranges in length from 3/10ths to 4/10ths of a mile. Heat races are 20 laps and championship races are 25 laps. No driver experience is necessary.

Linda Puckett, vice-president of the Abilene YWCA, said the association was looking for a fund-raiser when the grand prix racing idea surfaced.

"Charla McCracken, our director, went to Lubbock for a meeting and we were looking for some type of fund-raiser," Puckett said. "Lubbock had been doing this for three years and it had been very successful.

"We spoke to other YWCA's about it, and they said that it's been great for them. They said it's a little slow the first year, but that it really picks up after that. We envision having concessions and T-shirts and making this a very big spectacle.

"This year, it will be a one-day event, but in the future we plan for it to be a two-day event."

Abilene Regional Medical Center and Hendrick Medical Center have already bought sponsorships for the upcoming event. Prospective drivers or sponsors interested in more information can call the YWCA at (915) 677-5321.