ANDERSON, Ind. — Anderson Speedway officials and longtime sprint car promoter Tom Hartsell have joined forces to create the 500 Sprint Car Tour.
The 500 Sprint Car Tour will include 10 races next season, with all events featuring non-winged pavement sprint cars.
Two Midwestern short tracks, rooted in the heart of sprint car country, will be the primary hosts for the inaugural 500 Sprint Car Tour schedule. Anderson Speedway and Lucas Oil Raceway will host three events each.
Two races will take place at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich., and two additional tracks will be announced in the coming weeks to complete the 10-race schedule. Drivers on the tour will compete for a season championship.
The 500 Sprint Car Tour builds on the history and tradition of the Little 500 sprint car race, a 74-year-old, 500-lap spectacle, which has consistently been named one of the best events in short-track racing.
“The idea of starting a sprint car tour has been something we have considered for many years,” explained Jared Owen, vice president of operations at Anderson Speedway. “Finally, everything aligned, and we felt the series would be a great accompaniment to Anderson Speedway and the Little 500. We are excited to see the continued growth of pavement sprint car racing in the Midwest and throughout the country.”
The 500 Sprint Car Tour will be managed by the same team that runs the Little 500. Hartsell joins the tour as an advisor, with more than 15 years of sprint car racing promotion experience. He will also serve as the public address announcer for the tour.
The series was created due to the significant increase in support of non-winged pavement sprint car racing, both at Anderson Speedway and Lucas Oil Raceway.
Many drivers, including 2021 Little 500 and Tony Elliott Classic winner Tyler Roahrig, have voiced support for the newly announced series.
“I believe that Anderson Speedway has been a driving force in the resurgence of non-wing sprint car racing,” said 2021 Little 500 winner Tyler Roahrig. “They’ve begun building something great with everything they have done so far. I am excited to see what the 500 Sprint Car Tour will bring to sprint car racing. I look forward to competing on the tour next season.”
Previous sprint car tours have had high turnover with tracks and an inconsistent number of race dates. Scheduling conflicts have forced teams to make difficult choices leading to smaller fields.
“We are happy to have a series to call home,” remarked sprint car driver Kyle O’Gara. “The level of competition and growth of non-wing sprint car racing has been great over the past couple of years. We are excited to see where the 500 Sprint Car Tour takes the sport.”