INDIANAPOLIS – Officials from the new Circle City Raceway announced Thursday that the quarter-mile dirt oval plans to reintroduce an Indianapolis-area tradition next year by bringing back Thursday Night Thunder.
Circle City will hold six Thursday evening racing events in 2021, headlined by 410 winged sprint cars and a rotation of different open wheel machines.
The schedule for Thursday Night Thunder starts on May 20, with an All Star Circuit of Champions-sanctioned, $6,000-to-win main event, followed by a $10,000-to-win affair on Friday evening.
Those two races will ignite a nine-race season for Circle City Raceway’s 410 sprint car class, with other Thursday Night Thunder races slated for July 1, July 22, Aug. 5, Aug. 19 and Sept. 16.
The year at Circle City will close Oct. 15-16 with the Hoosier Harvest Shootout, headlined by a $21,000-to-win feature during the Saturday finale and a unique trophy.
Each year following the inaugural Hoosier Harvest Shootout, the winner’s share is planned to rise in $1,000 increments. More information about the year-end event is forthcoming.
All 410 sprint car events held at Circle City will be part of the track points race next year.
Jonathan Byrd II, the general manager of Circle City Raceway, is optimistic about bringing back Thursday Night Thunder to the Indianapolis area.
“As we have pondered the kind of racing Circle City Raceway was going to offer the fans of Central Indiana, the noticeable void in the marketplace was winged sprint car racing,” said Byrd. “Over the past few years, I have watched how much the popularity of 410 racing in the area has grown, with teams here in Indianapolis not having a track to call home without driving hours away.
“I want Circle City Raceway to be that place for them.”
While the goal of Circle City Raceway is for the track to be the trailblazer for winged sprint car racing in the area, Byrd also wants the track to be diverse in its racing offerings too.
“We are looking to become a home for other racing, including USAC midgets,” Byrd continued. “Next year will be the springboard to what we hope are even bigger and better things for dirt racing fans here in Indianapolis, giving them a place to play #INtheDirt.”