QUINCY — Opening night, which is still about a month away, is going to have the feel of a party. A welcome-back party.
And that party actually starts this weekend at the Quincy Town Center, formerly the Quincy Mall and involves the Adams County Speedway, formerly Quincy Raceways. New names for everyone!
The Town Center will serve as host to the Adams County Speedway preseason race show, allowing fans to get up close and personal with between 35 to 40 of the late models, modifieds, sport mods, street stocks and four-cylinder cars that will call the track at 8000 Broadway their spring-time and summer home.
Opening night at the Broadway Bullring will be Sunday, April 10.
“The excitement surrounding the track coming back has been the best thing,” said Jimmy Lieurance, the first-year operator of the 28.5-acre site that operated as Quincy Raceways 1975-2019. “The support of the public and sponsors has been outstanding. Things are really falling into place.” Lieurance and most of the new track staff will be on hand Saturday and Sunday at the Town Center to meet and greet fans. Fans will be welcome to talk to drivers and inspect the cars during regular Town Center hours, roughly 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
“Right now, we need about two weeks worth of some dry weather to get the track finished up,” Lieurance said.
Ironically, that time is not needed so much to work on the track surface, but other projects such as replacing a power pole and some other remaining physical plant repairs and needs.
“Barring a monsoon between now and then, the track will be just fine and ready to go,” Lieurance said.
The .29-mile Adams County Speedway dirt track has been closed since the end of the 2019 season, first because of the COVID-19 pandemic and then a failure to find a new owner. Jason Goble, who ran the track during 2018-19 seasons, left the area more than two years ago.
Lieurance, who lives in Hannibal, Mo., has a long history with the Broadway Bullring. He has served in numerous leadership capacities during the past 40-plus years, having worked with all former owners, including the late Albert Scott, who founded the track in 1975. In addition, Lieurance oversaw track operations in 2021 at Randolph County Speedway near Moberly, Mo. He resigned from his duties in Moberly after last season to fully concentrate on returning Adams County Speedway to prominence.
Working with Lieurance in track management will be his wife, Tammy. Former track flagman Blake Dotson is taking over as director of race operations. Steve Grotz, Kevin Rees and Rick Coats make up the track crew, which has been busy in recent months cleaning, reshaping and manicuring the .29-mile oval.
Allen Motley will be the flagman and Doug Mealy the announcer.
Lieurance said one of his major duties since taking over early last fall has been “mending fences” with both fans and would-be sponsors.
“Things are really coming together,” Lieurance said. “A lot of bridges had been burned, but things are falling into place.”
Lieurance is expecting a weekly turnout of cars at the outset of “between 70 and 80,” a number he feels will continue to grow as the track re-establishes itself across the region. Lieurance expects a minimum of “12 to 14” cars in all classes to open the season. Among the major specials this year will be the May 22 appearance of the Midwest Auto Racing Series (MARS), the June 22 return of the IMCA Summer Nationals Hell Tour, Open Wheel Madness on July 3, the Sprint Invaders on Aug. 21 and Sept. 25 and the Chad McCoy Memorial on Sept 18. The track’s season championship races will be Aug. 28.
Admission prices this year will be $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for kids. Those children under-5 will be admitted free. Admission prices are the same as they were when the track was last opened, late in the 2019 season. Season passes are also available for $250, a price that includes all special events at the track.
There are currently 24 nights of racing scheduled at the speedway.
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