HOLLY, Mich. – After a successful decade of competition for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series presented by Engine Pro, the winged asphalt sprint car sanctioning body will add a new endeavor for 2020.

Must See Racing officials announced Tuesday the creation of the Must See Racing Midwest Lights Series, a feeder series designed to both foster talent for the MSR national tour and provide an affordable, entry-level winged sprint car series for veterans and rookies alike.

Must See Racing will debut the new Midwest Lights Series in 2020. (David Sink photo)

The Midwest Lights Series will replace the discontinued Lorain County Speedway Crate Sprint Car division, which utilized the 602 Chevrolet crate engine package, and will operate independently of the MSR national tour.

As a division of Must See Racing LLC, the Midwest Lights Series will have its own schedule, rulebook, officials and purse structure.

The standard Must See Racing objectives of safety, offering a level and competitive playing field and team cost containment will serve as the foundation for the Midwest Lights Series in 2020.

The Midwest Lights Series hopes to attract new teams at the entry level, provide management and event platforms for young drivers to begin their careers, provide value to assist teams in obtaining equipment and a trade-up asset base, build a pipeline for teams and talent to advance to the MSR national tour and provide qualifying facilities a budget-appropriate sprint car series.

A recent rules meeting was held for prospective Midwest Lights teams, some of whom participated on the MSR national tour this season, with a proposed six-race schedule outlined for 2020.

A finalized schedule, with dates and venues, will be announced later on.

“We could not be more excited to expand our footprint in winged pavement sprint car racing with the creation of the new Midwest Lights Series for 2020,” said Must See Racing President Jim Hanks. “We’ve enjoyed an infusion of new talent and younger drivers, as well as veterans, that has boosted the Must See Racing ranks this season, many of whom were looking for a place to race after the loss of the Lorain Crate Sprint class during the middle of the year. We’re delighted to be able to offer them a place to continue competing for the upcoming season, as well as to create a ladder system for our national tour.

“Our hope is to build a strong foundation with the Midwest Lights in 2020, so that we can grow both the Midwest Lights Series and the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series for years to come.”

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Jacob Seelman
Freelance Writer
Series Announcer for Must See Racing

HOLLY, Mich. – Must See Racing Sprint Car Series presented by Engine Pro officials announced a 14-race schedule for the tour’s 2020 season on Wednesday, highlighted by a returning favorite and two brand-new venues.

Anderson (S.C.) Motor Speedway will welcome the series back after a one-year absence, hosting Must See Racing’s winged warriors for a two-day opening weekend on April 17-18, while Wisconsin’s Golden Sands Speedway joins the calendar with a doubleheader on Aug. 7-8, in the heart of the points chase.

Both the Anderson and Golden Sands events feature two complete, full-points shows on their programs.

In addition, Ohio’s Lorain County Speedway will step up to host the World’s Fastest Short Track Cars on two occasions during the summer stretch, with rounds one and two of the Xtreme Speed Challenge set for June 13 and July 18, respectively.

Must See Racing has confirmed a 14-race calendar for the 2020 season. (Jacob Seelman photo)

It marks the first time for Lorain County on the schedule as well, and additional details regarding the full lineup of racing for those dates at the three-eighths-mile oval will be revealed later on.

The remainder of the schedule is comprised of many familiar and longstanding Must See Racing venues and dates, as well as a continued effort at comfortable spacing of event weekends to reduce travel strain for drivers, teams and crew members throughout the season.

Anderson will host an open practice night on Thursday, April 16 before its two-day weekend on Friday and Saturday nights. The northern portion of the calendar then kicks into high gear on May 2 with the annual Must See 50 at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway, coming on the same weekend as it was in 2019.

The Anderson race serves as a tune-up for the 72nd annual Pay Less Little 500, which Must See Racing will again sanction and takes place on May 23, the night before the famed Indianapolis 500.

The Little 500 will also be a part of the series' MAVTV television package again next year, with specific details and broadcast information announced at a later date.

Following the non-points Little 500, the series make its first of two annual trips to Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich., on May 30 before the first of Lorain County’s twin dates takes center stage in June. The month of June closes with a return trip to Berlin’s seven-sixteenths-mile oval before an off weekend for the Independence Day holiday.

Back-to-back races in July follow the Fourth of July break, including the second of Lorain County’s two races, before the series debuts at Golden Sands’ third-mile, semi-banked oval for the Must See Speedfest.

Traditional dates at Michigan’s Owosso Speedway on Aug. 22 and Jennerstown Speedway on Sept. 12 take the series into its closing stretch, with the Must See Fast 40 and the third annual American Racer David D. Mateer Tribute both returning to the schedule for another year in the early fall months.

Must See Racing will then wrap up the 2019 season on Oct. 16-17 by returning to North Carolina’s Ace Speedway for the Rodney Cook Classic weekend, after debuting at the four-tenths-mile oval this year to rave reviews and stellar racing over two straight days of competition.

Next year’s Must See Racing Championships will again feature twin full-points shows, with Saturday’s program co-headlined by the 140-lap, $10,000-to-win Rodney Cook Classic for late model stock cars.

The venue for the July 11 date on the Must See Racing calendar will be confirmed at a later date.

“After what was nothing short of a stellar 2019 season, with growth in car counts and great racing at all of our tracks, we couldn’t be more excited about adding two more great facilities to the Must See Racing lineup for 2020, and we’re also looking forward to returning to many of the staple races and tracks that fans have come to know and love through the years,” said Must See Racing President Jim Hanks. “To have events like the 72nd Pay Less Little 500 at Indiana’s Anderson Speedway and the Rodney Cook Classic at Ace Speedway in North Carolina back on our schedule again proves both our commitment to entertainment and the value we strive to bring to our partners, teams and venues.

“We celebrated our 10th season this past year with one of our best championship battles in series history and I believe we’re going into our second decade with perhaps our best schedule yet,” Hanks added. “We can’t wait to get started and look forward to seeing all our fans join us at the race track.”

For more information on Must See Racing, visit www.mustseeracing.com.

2020 Must See Racing Sprint Car Series Schedule

Date – Venue – Location

April 17 – Anderson Motor Speedway – Williamston, S.C.
April 18 – Anderson Motor Speedway – Williamston, S.C.
May 2 – Anderson Speedway – Anderson, Ind.
May 23 – Anderson Speedway – Anderson, Ind. (Little 500) *
May 30 – Berlin Raceway – Marne, Mich.
June 13 – Lorain County Speedway – Lorain, Ohio
June 27 – Berlin Raceway – Marne, Mich.
July 11 – TBA – TBA
July 18 – Lorain County Speedway – Lorain, Ohio
Aug. 7 – Golden Sands Speedway – Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
Aug. 8 – Golden Sands Speedway – Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
Aug. 22 – Owosso Speedway – Ovid, Mich.
Sept. 12 – Jennerstown Speedway – Jennerstown, Pa.
Oct. 16 – Ace Speedway – Altamahaw, N.C.
Oct. 17 – Ace Speedway – Altamahaw, N.C.

* - non-points, non-winged event

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Jacob Seelman
Freelance Writer
Series Announcer for Must See Racing