Sports : Hawkeye Dirt Tour opener moved to Benton County Speedway

VINTON, Iowa (Feb. 10) – The JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour will now open its 2011 season at Benton County Speedway.

Tour officials and track management have officially announced that the first event in the series for IMCA Modifieds will be held in Vinton on Tuesday, May 10.

“Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were forced to find a new home for the opener,” explained Tour Director Bucky Doren. “We had hoped to find a workable date at Vinton on the original schedule but had to table that idea. Then this opportunity presented itself."

Modifieds will race for $1,000 to win and a minimum of $150 to start their Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot qualifying event. IMCA national, ButlerBuilt North Central Region and Allstar Performance State points will be awarded.

Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts are also on the evening’s card, running for national and state points.

Rain date is May 12. More information on the tour opener and the upcoming series will be posted soon at the www.dirttour.comwebsite.

Considerable off-season work was done at the Vinton speedplant, said Doren, most notably the placement of new drainage tile in the corners and pit area.

When the original schedule was announced in January, opening night was planned at Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City.

The rest of the 10-date tour includes events May 30 at I-35 Speedway in Mason City; June 14 at Cedar County Raceway in Tipton; June 23 at Cresco Speedway; June 30 at Lee County Speedway in Donnellson; July 4 at Algona Raceway; July 21 at Hancock County Speedway in Britt; Sept. 16-17 at Farley Speedway; and Sept. 23-24 at Marshalltown Speedway.