Racing season gets underway this weekend at Delta Speedway and will include a new division.
Now in its 39th year, the speedway is introducing A-Class racing. A-Class is a winged division of micro sprint racing that uses stock motorcycle engines that cannot be modified, with drivers as young as 12 competing.
Saturday’s opening day events will include qualifying races of each division and their subsequent heats, followed by the main events.
Gates to the 1/7th-mile dirt oval track, at 1658 S. Airport Way at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds, open to the public at 5 p.m. Freestyle hot laps start then, and races begin at 7.
Competitors can fill out a driver form online or register at 1 p.m. on the day of the race. Racing divisions include junior sprints (ages 6-12), restricted, non-wing, super 600s and the A-Class.
Promoter Tiffanie Panella calls the event “the most affordable entertainment value in Stockton.”
“It’s close, intense racing. Cars are sliding on the dirt, they’re sliding (past) each other,” she said.
“(But) it’s not the drama, fighting, crazy-wild. It’s very family-friendly fun that you’d want to be a part of,” Panella added, noting that the event is geared toward all ages and offers a welcoming atmosphere.
General admission for adults is $10, while tickets for kids, seniors and military personnel cost $5. Children 5 and younger can get in for free.
Those wanting to get up close and personal with racers and their cars can purchase a pit pass for $25, which grants access to the lower pit, closer to the racing action.
Concessions will include hamburgers and hot dogs. Foam earplugs will also be made available for $1 a pair.
Up to 500 spectators and about 70 to 80 race cars are expected, Panella said.
Stockton’s racing circuit will host more than a dozen events this year, most of which fall on Saturdays. The season runs through Oct. 25.
For more information, visit the Delta Speedway website or call (209) 969-4194.