2023 Kicks Off with Glen Niebel Classic at Anderson Speedway
As winter blossoms into spring, so blossoms a new racing season for the 500 Sprint Car Tour presented by Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Parts Stores. Racing season is officially here as the opening weekend for Anderson Speedway is also the first race on the 500 Sprint Car Tour’s 2023 schedule. The series, which consists of non-wing pavement sprint cars, will run 10 races in 2023 with nine of those being points earning events. The 23rd Running of the Glen Niebel Classic presented by CB Fabricating will not only set the tone for the upcoming season, but will also give fans a glimpse at what to expect come Memorial Day Weekend for the 75th Annual Lucas Oil Little 500 presented by UAW.
With a confirmed entry list nearing 30 cars, April 8th’s Glen Niebel Classic will boast the largest field of cars for the 500 Sprint Car Tour, outside of the Little 500, since its inception. Fans will see plenty of racing action as the series will conduct a 15-lap B Main to set the lineup for a 75-lap feature. The top 18 in qualifying will lock themselves into the field with the top 6 in the B Main transferring to the feature. Viewed as a tune-up race for the 75th Annual Lucas Oil Little 500 presented by UAW, every driver will be on the limit to make the field so that they can maximize track time.
The 2022 Glen Niebel Classic, then held in July, was dominated by Kyle O’Gara (Camby, Indiana). O’Gara led 90 of the scheduled 100 laps and fought off multiple attacks from Bobby Santos III (Franklin, Massachusetts) and Dakoda Armstrong (New Castle, Indiana). Having gone to victory lane earlier in the night in his pavement midget, O’Gara certainly had a night to remember. He will be looking to repeat his stellar performance as he comes into 2023 with a new sponsor and a fresh scheme on his car.
Fresh faces and familiar foes is the theme for 2023. With a competitive rookie of the year fight shaping up and budding rivalries from the 2022 season, there will be plenty of storylines for fans to keep an eye on as the season goes on. Kody Swanson (Kingsburg, California) will be looking to defend his title as 500 Sprint Car Tour Champion, Tyler Roahrig (Plymouth, Indiana) is going for his third consecutive Little 500 victory, Billy Wease (Fishers, Indiana) and Dakoda Armstrong look to crack into the win column after a handful of close calls in 2022, and Jackson Macenko (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Nick Marcott (Wayland, Michigan) will go wheel to wheel to see who will be 2023’s top rookie driver. The storylines only begin there as the 500 Sprint Car Tour will continue to have more stories to tell as race one evolves into a championship battle.
The 500 Sprint Car Tour will not be alone as the only series to begin their racing season on April 8th. The USSA Kenyon Midget Series will begin their 2023 season with their first of six companion races with the 500 Sprint Car Tour. The Kenyon Midget Series will see drivers compete on both dirt and asphalt surfaces as young and experienced drivers alike will compete to be crowned champion. Anderson Speedway will also debut a new local division for the track as the Vintage Wrench Ford Division Ameteur Class begins their inaugural season.
The 23rd Running of the Glen Niebel Classic presented by CB Fabricating is this Saturday, April 8th at 6:00pm. Pit Gates will open at 1:30pm and fan gates will open at 3:30pm. Rotating practice between all three divisions will also begin at 3:30pm with qualifications beginning at 5:00pm. Tickets for the event will be $16 for adults, $5 for kids age 6-12, and FREE for all kids 5 and under. Fans that are unable to attend can watch the event LIVE via MAVTV on Flo Racing. For more information on the event visit andersonspeedway.com and follow both Anderson Speedway and the 500 Sprint Car Tour on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Watch this Saturday’s Anderson event LIVE on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/3liNhf7.
ENTRY LIST:
1 Dakoda Armstrong/New Castle, Indiana (C&A Motorsports)
4 Cory Buttler/Baltimore, Ohio (Cory C. Buttler)
7c Caleb Armstrong/New Castle, Indiana (Randy Neal)
10 Chris Neuenschwander/New Haven, Indiana (Ron Koehler)
11 Tom Paterson/Argos, Indiana (Tom Paterson)
13 Joe Liguori/Tampa, Florida (Joe Liguori Racing)
14 Doug Fitzwater/Anderson, Indiana (Doug Fitzwater)
18 Travis Welpott/Pendleton, Indiana (Travis Welpott Racing)
18s Jim Sheets/Anderson, Indiana (Jim Sheets)
21 Larry Kingseed Jr./Castalia, Ohio (Jerry Powell)
22 Bobby Santos III/Franklin, Massachusetts (DJ Racing)
24 Jackson Macenko/Cincinnati, Ohio (Brad Hayes Racing)
27 Nick Marcott/Wayland, Michigan (Schwarz Racing)
27J Chris Jagger/Warsaw, Indiana (Chris Jagger)
27R Isaac Chapple/Willow Branch, Indiana (Rice Racing)
28 Jeff Bloom/Bangor, Michigan (Linda Bloom)
31 Derek Bischak/Angola, Indiana (Performance Assurance LLC)
51 Scott Hampton/Greenfield, Indiana (Ted Slinkard)
55 Taylor Ferns/Shelby Township, Michigan (Taylor Ferns Racing)
56 Tyler Roahrig/Plymouth, Indiana (Tyler Roahrig)
64 Jake McElfresh/Elwood, Indiana (Tom Brewer)
67 Kyle O’Gara/Camby, Indiana (SFH Development)
71 Brian Vaughn/Shirley, Indiana (Freddie & Cathay Carmany)
74 Tony Man/Farmland, Indiana (Glen Main)
77 Kody Swanson/Kingsburg, California (Doran Binks Racing)
80 Bill Wease/Fishers, Indiana (Amanda Wease)
98 Saban Bibent/Cincinnati, Ohio (Doran Enterprise)
118 Scott Evans/Rhome, Texas (Scott & Kristin Evans)
