Speedway action set for Merced County Fair

Big cars and little cars will see action on Merced Speedway’s quarter-mile clay track during the Merced County Fair on Wednesday night and Thursday night.

The speedway will have a full program of qualifying heats and feature events for its two premier divisions – the International Motor Contest Association SportMod and Modified divisions. Action begins at 7 p.m.

Then, the little cars will take over Thursday night at 7 p.m. A $1,000-to-win dwarf car main event will draw the tiny motorcycle engine-powered cars from across California and Nevada to Merced. The track’s Mini Stock division will complement the dwarf cars.

Dwarf car thrills

“Dwarf cars may be little cars, but they are fast cars,” explained David Teves of Concord. “Our cars are just a tenth of a second slower than the IMCA Modifieds.”

The little cars barely fit a full-size driver. They weigh about 1,200 pounds, driver included. The motorcycle engines that power them produce 200 horsepower, which is more than most full-size street cars produce.

“They are the most challenging race cars to drive,” Teves said. “The weight-to-power ratio is incredible, add in the narrow wheelbase and hard tires, and it takes a lot of finesse to handle a dwarf car.”

Mike Drake, 26, of Turlock, who raced in the speedway’s SportMod division, has switched to dwarf cars this season.

“It is one of the better decisions I’ve made,” Drake said. “The cars are easier to work on and easier to transport. They are harder to handle because they are twitchy on the straightaways and fly through the corners.”

Drake and his dad, Danny, who raced a Modified at Merced in the 1990s, work on the dwarf car during the week. They travel the state in search of races because the cars are not regularly featured at Merced Speedway – yet.

Drake smiles when describing the sensation of speed the little cars bring.

Teves predicts hitting 100 mph and having an average speed of 80 mph. A full field of 24 cars would be moving at close to those speeds.

“They cost less, are easier to maintain and, as a bonus, they feel a lot faster than a SportMod,” Drake said. “And that’s what makes driving one so much fun.”

Teves, one of the top drivers in the Bay Area, said he expects a large field of drivers to head for the Merced fair race.

“A few cars went to get seat time at Merced Speedway a few weeks ago. They told everyone how hooked up the track was – that they were pulling the left front tire off of the ground. That’s the best thing a dwarf car driver can hear. I can’t wait for Thursday night.”

Merced County Fair races

Admission to the Merced County Fair is required to attend the races Wednesday night or Thursday. Fair admission is $7 and grandstand admission for racing events is $5 per day. Check www.mercedcountyfair.com for special discounts and ticket combination pricing.

This story was originally published June 9, 2015 at 7:16 PM with the headline "Speedway action set for Merced County Fair."