Sandusky Speedway expecting big crowds for Hy-Miler Nationals

The 42nd annual Hy-Miler Supermodified Nationals will be held at Sandusky Speedway this weekend and track owner Kevin Jaycox has an aggressive goal."We've never filled it, but that's my goal," said Jaycox, who has run the speedway for 16 years. "I will be one happy guy Monday if that happens."Capacity at the track on West Perkins Avenue is 4,500, Jaycox said, and big crowds would be a welcome change at a facility that has seen eight rainouts this season. The weather forecast — knock on wood — is calling for ideal racing conditions when the International Supermodified Association comes to town."Everyone is itching to race," Jaycox said. "I'm beyond excited for this event."The three-day racing celebration begins today with Fan Appreciation Night. Admission is $1. Crate Sprints, street stocks, Lake Erie stocks and renegades (modified front-wheel drive cars) will compete. The Crate Sprints series formerly raced at Lorain County Speedway, which closed earlier this month.Racing ramps up Friday and Saturday when the ISMA hits the half-mile paved oval.The headliner events will be Friday's Fast 40 ($2,400 to win) and Saturday's 100-lap, $6,000-to-win Hy-Miler Nationals.Sandusky Speedeway's modifieds series will be in action Friday (30-lap feature) and Saturday (50-lap, $1,200-to-win feature). The top five in the points standings: Stephen Klinect, Kevin Jaycox Jr., Kenny Sharp, Sam Bigham, Preston Walker.Racing begins at 7:30 p.m. today and Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday (time trials at 4). Adult tickets are $25 on Friday, $30 on Saturday.Defending champion Dave Shullick Jr. will be back to defend his Hy-Miler title. Five other former winners also will be chasing the checkered flag: Dave McKnight, Mark Sammut, Tim Jedrzejek, Mike Ordway Jr. and Jon McKennedy.When asked what is most appealing about the IMSA series, Jaycox had a simple answer: "1,850-pound cars and 850-900 horsepower — they're wicked fast."The ISMA should be well into its season by now but has raced just once because of inclement weather. Veteran driver Chris Perley won that race July 13 at the Jukasa Speedway in Hagersville, Ontario.It was Perley's 74th ISMA feature win, tops in circuit history. Perley won four straight Hy-Miler Nationals at Sandusky from 2006-09."It's been a long winter working on the car," he said after his win in an ISMA news release. "The season is starting really late and we didn't really get a chance to see where we were at. We just hoped we had it back to where it was before. Today the car was fast all day, which hasn't happened in a long time."In the Fast 40 and the Hy-Miler, the top four finishers in each heat will draw a pill number for starting position. The remainder of the winged supermodifieds field will line up behind the top 12 according to heat race finish.The 2018 ISMA driver champion was Kyle Edwards of Barlett, Tenn. He finished 12th in the season opener in Canada. The owner champion last year was Doug Edwards of Oberlin, Ohio.After the Sandusky doubleheader the ISMA circuit heads back to the Northeast, where it holds most of its races. Its next date is Aug. 9 in Lee, N.H."They're ready to race," Jaycox said. "They usually have seven or eight in by now."——-Hy-Miler Nationals champions1978 - Dave Shullick Sr.; 1979 - Gary Allbritain; 1980 - Dave Shullick Sr.1981 - Doug Heveron; 1982 - Gus Olexen; 1983 - Dave Shullick Sr.; 1984 - Bentley Warren; 1985 - Bentley Warren; 1986 - Bentley Warren; 1987 - Gene Lee Gibson; 1988 - Gene Lee Gibson; 1989 - Joe Gosek1990 - Bob Fitzpatrick; 1991 - Joe Gosek; 1992 - Pat Abold; 1993 - Dave Shullick Sr.; 1994 - Jim Shirey; 1995 - Russ Wood; 1996 - Russ Wood; 1997 - Russ Wood; 1998 - Joey Payne; 1999 - Dave Shullick Sr.2000 - Rained out; 2001 - Dave McKnight; 2002 - Joe Gosek; 2003 - Russ Wood; 2004 - Mike Ordway Sr.; 2005 - Pat Abold; 2006 - Chris Perley; 2007 - Chris Perley; 2008 - Chris Perley; 2009 - Chris Perley2010 - Mark Sammut; 2011 - Tim Jedrzejek; 2012 - Tim Jedrzejek; 2013 - Dave Shullick Jr.; 2014 - Lou Cicconi Jr.; 2015 - Jon McKennedy2016 - Dave Shullick Jr.; 2017 - Mike Ordway Jr.; 2018 - Dave Shullick Jr.Chris Perley celebrates his ISMA feature win July 13. Perley won four straight Hy-Miler Nationals at Sandusky Speedway from 2006-2009.Veteran driver Chris Perley beats Mike Lichty to the finish line in the ISMA's first feature race of the season, July 13 at Jukasa Speedway in Hagerstown, Ontario, Canada.