Races on tap at Chowchilla Speedway on Sunday

Chowchilla Speedway will feature International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) Modified Stock Car and Sport Mod racing on Sunday evening.

Merced Speedway is dark for two weeks, returning July 12 with the Ted Stofle Classic.

Merced Speedway’s schedule has been revamped for the remainder of the season. The Merced County Fairgrounds’ quarter-mile oval will switch back to a Sunday twilight show.

“Car counts should increase with Sunday racing, being that Merced Speedway is the only speedway in California offering IMCA racing on Sunday,” promoter John Soares reasoned. “We re-opened the speedway five years ago with a Sunday program and had more cars then. We are in the entertainment sports industry – when more cars are racing, the show is better for the fans.”

Soares will oversee the program with a new staff that will keep the show moving quickly.

“The goal is two hours of family entertainment,” Soares explained. “We compete with movies and other sports. The two-hour program is the norm today.”

The Merced and Chowchilla programs will begin at 6 p.m. and end at about 8 p.m. After Sunday’s program, Chowchilla Speedway will be on hiatus until October, when special events will be presented.

Chowchilla Speedway’s four-division Sunday program also will include the Hobby Stock and Mini-Stock divisions in qualifying races and feature events. The speedway is located at the Chowchilla Madera County Fairgrounds, with entry on Fifth St. in Chowchilla.

Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $8 for children 6-12. A family four-pack of tickets admits two children and two adults for $32.

Racing begins at 6 p.m. The grandstand opens at 5 p.m.

This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 9:15 PM with the headline "Races on tap at Chowchilla Speedway on Sunday."