I am hoping that you have followed this series of blog entries from the start otherwise you will not understand some of the references here in Part One of the fourth and final National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure. If you have followed this from the start you will know that from the day that we established this project the Iowa affiliate of the National Kidney Foundation had the responsibility of pursuing and obtaining the title sponsorships. They wanted it that way and rightfully so as they wanted to make sure that they were associated with good, upstanding companies that fit well with their overall mission.
That's not to say that us racing folk couldn't round up some good reputable sponsors, its just how we agreed to to function and I was perfectly fine with that agreement. Of course that was when we were just getting started and there were people there who were excited about getting the Tour started and all of the goals that it could accomplish. Now, three years into it, the Iowa affiliate was being led by XYZ (again you need to have been following along at least through the NKF Tour 2000 portion) and after going through all of the 2000 Tour without signing a sponsor, I was not optimistic about what they would be able to accomplish in 2001.
Looking back on it, I can take the blame for their complacency as the 2000 NKF Tour fulfilled every one of the Iowa affiliates goals even without the title sponsorship. We were educating more and more race fans about kidney disease and stressing the importance of having a signed Organ Donor Card by visiting more tracks and being a part of bigger races. And we were raising more money for the cause with all of it passing through the Iowa affiliate before being sent on to the Dialysis Units that had sent out volunteers to work so hard doing the 50/50 raffles. In essence, XYZ was getting a ton of credit for everything that we were doing at the race track without even coming close to the one thing that was asked of him/her.
As you saw from the conclusion of NKF Tour 2000, I was now doing a full time job where I was giving away over $3,000 when all was said and done rather than getting paid and with the prospect of that happening again in 2001 being very high I made an effort to try to sell some sponsorships without going against the "Title Sponsorship" agreement. Here was the proposal sheet that was sent out.
Additional
“Title Sponsorship” Levels Available
Sponsors of the National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour
for a Cure benefit from the exposure of an established automobile racing series
with multiple marketing opportunities, as well as the positive public relations
generated by your involvement with one of the largest charitable organizations
in the United States.
Levels of “Title Sponsorship”
Division Sponsor: As a division sponsor, the
chosen class will be named in recognition of the sponsor, such as “The «Company» Modifieds.” This title will
be used in all press releases, stories, race results and public address
announcements at the track. Cost: $10,000 (Modifieds) or $5,000 (Hobby Stocks)
Heat Race Sponsor:
All Qualifying Heat races for the chosen division will be titled with the
sponsor’s name, such as “«Company» Heat Race Number One”, over
the public address at each event as well as in all results released to the
media. Cost: $4,000 (Modifieds) or $2,000 (Hobby Stocks)
B-Main (Last Chance Race)
Sponsor:
All B-Mains (Last Chance Races) for the chosen division will be titled with the
sponsor’s name, such as “«Company» B-Main”, over the public
address at each event as well as in all results released to the media. Cost:
$1,500 (Modifieds) or $750 (Hobby Stocks)
Show-Me State Challenge: This “Tour within the
Tour” will pay out a Point Fund for the Modifieds based upon the points the
driver accumulates at events in Missouri. As sponsor, you will have title
billing, “The «Company» Show-Me State Challenge”, plus we will have a separate souvenir
t-shirt designed for these events with «Company» featured in the design.
Cost: Negotiable, depending upon number of events
scheduled in Missouri.
Rookie-of-the-Year:
As title sponsor of the “«Company» Rookie-of-the-Year” award,
you will be rewarding the top three drivers who are “following” the NKF Tour
for the first time.
Modified Cost: $1,500
Hobby Stock Cost: $850
The National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure
provides endless opportunities to market your business. If you would like to
develop a marketing program in conjunction with the Tour that is different from
those above, please let us know.
Call Jeff Broeg at (800) 541-6024 if you are interested in any of the above “Title Sponsorships”. They will be sold on a first-come, first serve basis.
For all of the Promoters and Marketing Managers out there busting their hump looking for sponsorship money every day I salute you! It is not an easy task and this should prove it as here is a series that was on the rise and had the unique tie in to a prominent Non Profit organization, yet it was a struggle to get sponsors to sign on.
It was no problem booking races for the NKF Tour as by now almost every promoter that I was in contact with was familiar with it and most of them were interested in booking a race. The dilemma was now finding a date that would work for both the promoter and myself and there were several tracks where we just couldn't find that date. So if your track never did host an NKF Tour event, it is likely that it wanted to but just couldn't set a date.
 |
| Dan Hanselman drove this car to the 2000 NKF Tour title |
How easy was it getting to book a race on the NKF Tour? Here is how we were scheduled to start the 2021 season.
2001 NKF Tour To Open With Two Alabama Dates
Mt.
Pleasant, Iowa – The National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure
Modifieds will get an early start on the racing season with two events on the
red clay in Alabama. The 2001 NKF Modified Tour will kickoff on January 19th,
20th and 21st during the 10th Annual Ice Bowl
at the Talladega Short Track. The Tour will then return to Alabama a month
later for the 2nd Annual Bama Bash at the Green Valley Speedway near
Gadsden on February 23rd, 24th and 25th.
“We are very excited to be included with these two big winter racing events,” commented NKF Tour Director Jeff Broeg. “This will give us an opportunity to introduce the NKF Tour to the southern fans and drivers, while also providing our regular drivers a chance to get a head start on their competition at two great tracks.” Drivers who compete on the NKF Tour use their best twelve finishes on the Tour to determine their final point total. The two Alabama events will count toward the overall Tour point fund, plus they will likely be part of a bonus point fund as well. “As we build our 2001 schedule, we hope to have several events designated as Southern Challenge point events,” stated Broeg.
The two Alabama NKF Tour events will be IMCA sanctioned and will each pay $1,500-to-win and $100-to-start and both will run on a schedule of practice on Friday, qualifying heats on Saturday and features on Sunday. There is no entry fee for the Ice Bowl, while the Bama Bash will have a $50 entry fee for the Modifieds. However, any driver who finished in the top fifty of the final point standings for the 2000 NKF Tour will have that entry fee waived.
Unfortunately the Ice Bowl was rained out and the reschedule date did not work for me to make the trip so it was scrapped from the Tour and before we made the trip down to Alabama in February we announced this big show in Central Missouri.
The First NKF Tour Event In Central Missouri To Be A Big One
Mt.
Pleasant, IA – The debut season of Callaway Raceway in Fulton was one of the
top stories in dirt track auto racing around mid-Missouri in 2000. Large crowds
witnessed some great racing provided by solid car counts in all divisions
during the first season of action at the new facility. Now the track is
prepared to host its first “big money” special and promoter Doug Mealy has made
it a part of the 2001 National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure.
Modifieds from throughout the Midwest will attack the 3/8th-mile semi-banked clay oval on Friday and Saturday, May 17th and 18th, in search of a $3,000 top prize. The big two-day event will include additional divisions to be announced soon. “The NKF Tour has a goal of running at least five events in the Show-Me state in 2001,” stated director Jeff Broeg, “ and we couldn’t be any happier than we are with this huge event at Callaway being the first one to lock in a date.”
I had watched Doug Mealy race in a Late Model before, but had never had the chance to meet him until we started to work on this event. I can add this to my list of good friendships developed from the NKF Tour as I enjoy working with Doug to this day as he has been the announcer at both the Quincy Raceways and the Randolph County Raceway in Moberly the past fews. Bill Wright and I also enjoy doing a Sprint Invaders show with Doug because he delivers some of the best one liners in the business, most of them with the microphone turned on. Let's just say that a few of those that were not shared with the rest of the crowd nearly had us rolling on the floor in laughter.
I was also working on building more of a schedule to the west of Interstate 35.
More “Western” Events For 2001 NKF Tour
Mt.
Pleasant, IA – During the first three seasons of the National Kidney Foundation
Heartland Tour for a Cure for Modifieds and Hobby Stocks the bulk of the events
were held east of Interstate 35. As a result, the central and eastern Iowa
drivers dominated when it came time to distribute point fund money each year.
That dominance may come to an end with the 2001 Tour as three western Iowa
tracks will be on the schedule for the first time ever hosting five events.
The Audubon Speedway in Audubon and the Shelby County Speedway in Harlan will each host two events on the 2001 Tour, plus the Adams County Speedway in Corning will host one event as the three facilities make their first-ever appearances on the schedule. “We are thrilled to have Audubon, Corning and Harlan on the Tour,” stated NKF Tour director Jeff Broeg. “All three tracks provide the fans of western Iowa with great racing every week and these events will give the drivers in that area an opportunity to earn a share of the point fund.” All five events will feature both the Modified and Hobby Stock divisions and with return dates for both classes at Denison and Alta, plus a Modified event at Park Jefferson, the western Iowa drivers now have more nearby events to choose from. “It is also probable that we will have our first-ever appearance in Nebraska locked in soon,” said Broeg. Drivers on the NKF Tour use up to their best twelve finishes in Tour events to determine their final point total.
A Busy 2001 Schedule For The National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour
(Please note that this was written just prior to the postponement and cancellation from the Tour of the event at Talladega)
Mt.
Pleasant, IA – The National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure
continues to grow as at least twelve tracks will host their first Tour event
ever during the 2001 schedule. Modified drivers will be gunning for over
$12,000 in point fund and bonus money, while nearly $6,000 will be up for grabs
in the Hobby Stock division.
Heading the list of the new tracks on the Tour are the two mid-winter Modified events in Alabama at the Talladega Short Track and the Green Valley Speedway. A $500 Winter Bonus is being offered to a driver that can sweep both events and, if that is not accomplished, the money will be distributed to the top three drivers in points from the two events. Tracks new to the Tour in Iowa are the Iowa State Fair Speedway in Des Moines, the Audubon Speedway, the Adams County Speedway in Corning, the Shelby County Speedway in Harlan, and the quarter-mile asphalt oval at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids. The NKF Tour Modifieds will make two visits to the newly re-opened Winnebago County Fairgrounds in Pecatonica, Illinois, and the NKF Mods will also make first-ever appearances in Nebraska, at the Eagle Raceway, and in Kansas, at the Thunder Hill Speedway. Both divisions will make a stop at the Murray County Raceway in Slayton, Minnesota, in early August and there will be some big money up for grabs when the Modifieds run a two-day $3,000-to-win show at the Callaway Raceway in Fulton, Missouri in mid-May.
Most of the tracks that have helped make the NKF Tour a success during its first three seasons are back on the schedule in 2001. Iowa events will be held once again at the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City, 34 Raceway in Burlington, the Davenport Speedway, the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, the Stuart Speedway, the Farley Speedway, Hawkeye Raceway in Blue Grass, the Hancock County Speedway in Britt, the Cresco Speedway, CJ Raceway in Columbus Junction, the Knoxville Raceway, the Crawford County Speedway in Denison, the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, I-35 Speedway in Mason City, the Algona Raceway, the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, the Independence Motor Speedway, the Benton County Speedway in Vinton, the Echo Valley Speedway in West Union and the Tipton Speedway. The Tour is also proud to have the Butler County Speedway in Allison, the Dubuque Speedway and the Bloomfield Speedway back on the schedule in 2001. The NKF Tour will also have return trips to the Fairmont Raceway in Minnesota, the Adrian Speedway in Missouri and the Park Jefferson Speedway in South Dakota. As many as six different tracks, all new to the Tour, may also be added to the schedule within the next few weeks.
One Modified driver could earn up to $4,000 in Point Fund and Bonuses during the 2001 Tour. The driver who accumulates the most points in his or her best twelve finishes at NKF Tour events will receive the champion’s check for $2,500. An additional $1,000 will go to the winner of the Wal-Mart Modified Feature Winners’ Bonus Draw that will be held immediately after the final event of the 2001 Tour. All feature winners at 2001 NKF Tour Modified events will have a chip entered in the drawing where a representative of the Wal-Mart store in Mt. Pleasant will draw the lucky winner of the $1,000 bonus. The more NKF Tour features that a driver wins, the better the chances for that driver to win the bonus. Scott’s Quality Seeds of Mt. Pleasant, “The Seed With Speed” has also joined the 2001 Tour as the sponsor of all Modified B-Main, or Last Chance races.
Once again the best twelve finishes in NKF Tour events will be used to determine the point champion in the Hobby Stock division who will earn $1,000 for his or her efforts. An additional $300 Hawkeyeland Bonus will be up for grabs for the driver who accumulates the most points at the two events at Hawkeye Raceway as well as the annual Hawkeyeland Championship at the Tipton Speedway.
NKF Tour drivers will also have the opportunity to earn valuable Product Certificates from the following contingency sponsors: AFCO Racing Products, Midwest Motorsports, Real Racing Wheels, McDaniel Racing Enterprises, Aero Race Wheels, Race Mart, Kosiski Racing Products and Wayne Larson Racing Specialists. Additional sponsorships are still being negotiated. A complete guaranteed Point Fund for both divisions will be announced soon.
And just a couple of weeks later I followed up with this press release and schedule
NKF Tour Adds Dates
Mt.
Pleasant, IA – The National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure is in
the home stretch as far as finalizing its 2001 schedule for the Modifieds and
Hobby Stocks with four additional dates added this week.
The Wheatland Raceway in Wheatland, Missouri, has scheduled a $1,500-to-win NKF Tour Modified event for Saturday night May 19th at 3/8th-mile semi-banked clay oval. This event comes on the heels of a $3,000-to-win two day show at the Callaway Raceway in Fulton on Thursday and Friday May 17th and 18th making central Missouri the place to be for Modifieds that weekend. Also in Missouri, Larry Kaster, the new promoter at the Bethany Fairgrounds Speedway in Bethany has inked a date for the NKF Tour Modifieds on Saturday September 8th.
There has been one change in the Tour’s schedule that was released last week. The Monday, July 9th, date at the Knoxville Raceway, in conjunction with the UMP SummerNationals, has been changed to the Crawford County Speedway in Denison. However, NKF Tour Modified and Hobby Stock drivers will have the opportunity to compete at the Knoxville Raceway for two nights during the “Tour for a Cure Weekend” at the world famous half-mile on Friday and Saturday September 21st and 22nd. There will be a full program for both divisions on each night. Rules and purses will be announced at a later date.
Look for dates at the Peoria Speedway and the Macomb Speedway in Illinois, and the Greene County Speedway in Jefferson, Iowa, to be added next week. The Nordic Speedway in Decorah is also looking at adding a date to the 2001 Tour. A driver’s best twelve finishes in Tour events are used to determine his or her final point standings. “We are very happy with the balance of the schedule,” stated Jeff Broeg, Tour Director. “Drivers within the area of the Tour should have no trouble picking up twelve events to take a shot at the point championship.”
For more information on the National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure call (319) 986-5144.
National
Kidney Foundation
Heartland Tour
for a Cure
2001 Schedule
As of 1/26/01
Day Date Location Divisions
Sat & Sun Feb 24th
& 25th Green Valley Speedway, Gadsden AL Mods
Fri March 23rd Butler
County Speedway, Allison IA Mods,
HS
Sat March 24th Hamilton
County Speedway, Webster City IA Mods,
HS
Fri March 30th Iowa
State Fair Speedway, Des Moines IA
Mods,
HS
Sat March 31st Hamilton
County Speedway, Webster City IA Mods,
HS
Fri April 6th 34
Raceway, Burlington IA HS
Sat April 7th 34
Raceway, Burlington IA Mods
Fri April 13th Davenport
Speedway, Davenport IA Mods
Wed April 18th Southern
Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa IA Mods,
HS
Fri April 20th Fairmont
Raceway, Fairmont MN Mods,
HS
Tues May 1st Stuart
Speedway, Stuart IA HS
Sat May 5th Adrian
Speedway, Adrian MO Mods
Tues May 8th Hawkeye
Downs Speedway, Cedar Rapids IA (1/4-mile) Mods
Wed May 9th Farley
Speedway, Farley IA Mods
Thurs & Fri May 17th
& 18th Callaway
Raceway, Fulton MO Mods
Sat May 19th Wheatland Raceway,
Wheatland MO Mods
Tues May 22nd Hawkeye
Raceway, Blue Grass IA Mods,
HS
Mon May 28th Hancock
County Speedway, Britt IA Mods,
HS
Tues June 5th Audubon
Speedway, Audubon IA Mods,
HS
Fri June 8th Park
Jefferson Speedway, Jefferson SD Mods
Wed June 13th Dubuque
Speedway, Dubuque IA Mods
Thurs June 21st Cresco
Speedway, Cresco IA Mods,
HS
Tues June 26th Hawkeye
Raceway, Blue Grass IA Mods,
HS
Mon July 2nd Winnebago
County Fairgrounds, Pecatonica IL Mods
Tues July 3rd CJ
Raceway, Columbus Jct. IA Mods,
HS
Mon July 9th Crawford
County Speedway, Denison IA Mods,
HS
Tues July 10th Adams
County Speedway, Corning IA Mods,
HS
Thurs July 12th Bloomfield
Speedway, Bloomfield IA Mods,
HS
Tues July 17th Shelby
County Speedway, Harlan IA Mods,
HS
Wed July 18th Crawford
County Speedway, Denison IA (w/ NCRA) Mods,
HS
Thurs July 19th Buena
Vista Raceway, Alta IA Mods,
HS
Mon July 23rd Lee
County Speedway, Donnellson IA HS
Tues July 24th Lee
County Speedway, Donnellson IA Mods
Wed July 25th I-35
Speedway, Mason City IA Mods,
HS
Thurs July 26th Audubon
Speedway, Audubon IA Mods,
HS
Sat July 28th Thunder
Hill Speedway, Mayetta KS Mods
Tues July 31st Eagle
Raceway, Eagle NE Mods
Fri August 3rd Murray
County Raceway, Slayton MN Mods,
HS
Sat August 4th Algona
Raceway, Algona IA Mods,
HS
Wed August 15th 34
Raceway, Burlington IA HS
Thurs August 16th 34
Raceway, Burlington IA Mods
Wed August 29th Winnebago
County Fairgrounds, Pecatonica IL Mods
Sat September 1st Independence
Motor Speedway, Independence IA Mods,
HS
Sun September 2nd Benton
County Speedway, Vinton IA Mods,
HS
Mon September 3rd Shelby
County Speedway, Harlan IA Mods,
HS
Sat September 8th Bethany
Fairgrounds Speedway, Bethany MO Mods
Sat September 15th 34
Raceway, Burlington IA Mods,
HS
Fri September 21st Knoxville
Raceway, Knoxville IA Mods,
HS
Sat September 22nd Knoxville
Raceway, Knoxville IA Mods,
HS
Sat September 29th Echo
Valley Speedway, West Union IA Mods,
HS
Sat October 6th Tipton
Speedway, Tipton IA Mods,
HS
Sat October 20th Lee County Speedway, Donnellson IA Mods, HS
So there it was, a 55 night schedule for a little Tour that had just started three years ago from a conversation between two brothers-in law about how racing could help with a charitable organization's mission. I was proud of this schedule, but wary of it as well. XYZ was again assuring me that there were corporate sponsors just waiting to sign on once they had internal approval and the fact the Tour schedule was this extensive would just seal the deal.
My daughter Ashley, who would now be in her second year of handling all of the oh so important grandstand side of each event, was in her Junior year of high school and I knew that she would not be able to make all of the shows. Thankfully we had exposed my oldest son Kyle, who was now fourteen, to her duties and he would be able to fill in from time to time plus my youngest son Morgan at age eleven was always eager to go and help out in anyway that he could. To this day Kyle still claims to have sold the most 50/50 tickets of anyone, something that he can't really back up statistically, but we'll let him make the claim.
I have great kids and it was really cool that on most of these race nights I would have at least one of them traveling with me and helping me make the NKF Tour such a special event. And we were even able to get their beautiful mother involved from time to time as well. Nothing made me prouder than to have one of the volunteers from the Dialysis Units tell me after the fact how impressed they were with the young people that helped them on race night, and those compliments were given often. I was proud of Ashley, Kyle and Morgan then and I am even prouder of all three of them now. Perhaps their unique involvement with the NKF Tour helped shape them into the fantastic adults that they are today. I love you guys and I thank you for helping me as much as you did with the Tour.
I also broke out the schedules and established Point Fund and bonuses for each division
NKF Tour Hobby Stock Champ Could Collect $1,500
Mt. Pleasant, IA - One Hobby Stock driver could earn as much as $1,500 in Point Fund and Bonus Money on the 2001 National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure. The Tour for a Cure, now entering its fourth season of action, increases awareness of kidney disease and generates funds for the Dialysis Unit nearest each event to use in patient assistance programs.
A
driver’s best twelve feature finishes in NKF Tour events will be used to
determine the 2001 Point Champion who will earn a check for $1,000 from the
minimum of $5,725 in posted awards. The top ten drivers in the final point
standings will collect point fund money regardless of how many events they
compete in, while drivers who do compete in twelve or more events, but do not
make the top ten in points will also be rewarded for their efforts.
The NKF Tour for Hobby Stocks will also have two Bonus programs in effect for the 2001 season. The first will be the $300 Hawkeyeland Bonus that will be awarded to the driver who accumulates the most points at the two events held at Hawkeye Raceway in Blue Grass and the annual Hawkeyeland Championship event at the Tipton Speedway. The NKF Tour would like to thank Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream Parlors for participating in this bonus. Another $200 Bonus is available to the driver who accumulates the most points in the Tour’s “Northwest Passage” events held at Fairmont, Alta and Slayton. Drivers at all of these events will be earning points for the Tour’s primary Point Fund as well as the Bonus.
For more information on the National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure call (319) 986-5144.
2001 National Kidney Foundation
Heartland Tour for a Cure
Hobby Stock
Point Fund
(Best Twelve
Finishes Determine Points)
1. $1,000
2. $875
3. $750
4. $600
5. $500
6. $400
7 $350
8. $300
9. $250
10. $200
Drivers who compete in
twelve events or more and who finish 11th-15th: $150
Drivers who compete in
twelve events or more and do not finish in the top 15: $75
National
Kidney Foundation
Heartland Tour
for a Cure
2001 Hobby
Stock Schedule
Hawkeyeland
Bonus: $300
Northwest
Bonus: $200
Day Date Location Bonus
Event
Fri March 23rd Butler
County Speedway, Allison IA
Sat March 24th Hamilton
County Speedway, Webster City IA
Fri March 30th Iowa
State Fair Speedway, Des Moines IA
Sat March 31st Hamilton
County Speedway, Webster City IA
Fri April 6th 34
Raceway, Burlington IA
Wed April 18th Southern
Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa IA
Fri April 20th Fairmont
Raceway, Fairmont MN Northwest
Tues May 1st Stuart
Speedway, Stuart IA
Tues May 22nd Hawkeye
Raceway, Blue Grass IA Hawkeyeland
Mon May 28th Hancock
County Speedway, Britt IA
Tues June 5th Audubon
Speedway, Audubon IA
Thurs June 21st Cresco
Speedway, Cresco IA
Tues June 26th Hawkeye
Raceway, Blue Grass IA Hawkeyeland
Tues July 3rd CJ
Raceway, Columbus Jct. IA
Mon July 9th Crawford
County Speedway, Denison IA
Tues July 10th Adams
County Speedway, Corning IA
Thurs July 12th Bloomfield
Speedway, Bloomfield IA
Tues July 17th Shelby
County Speedway, Harlan IA
Wed July 18th Crawford
County Speedway, Denison IA (w/ NCRA)
Thurs July 19th Buena
Vista Raceway, Alta IA Northwest
Mon July 23rd Lee
County Speedway, Donnellson IA
Wed July 25th I-35
Speedway, Mason City IA
Thurs July 26th Audubon
Speedway, Audubon IA
Fri August 3rd Murray
County Raceway, Slayton MN Northwest
Sat August 4th Algona
Raceway, Algona IA
Wed August 15th 34
Raceway, Burlington IA
Sat September 1st Independence
Motor Speedway, Independence IA
Sun September 2nd Benton
County Speedway, Vinton IA
Mon September 3rd Shelby
County Speedway, Harlan IA
Sat September 15th 34
Raceway, Burlington IA
Fri September 21st Knoxville
Raceway, Knoxville IA
Sat September 22nd Knoxville
Raceway, Knoxville IA
Sat September 29th Echo
Valley Speedway, West Union IA
Sat October 6th Tipton Speedway, Tipton
IA Hawkeyeland
Sat October 20th Lee
County Speedway, Donnellson IA
TBA Greene
County Speedway, Jefferson IA
TBA Nordic
Speedway, Decorah IA
Point Champion Could Take As Much As $5,000 On NKF Modified
Tour
Mt.
Pleasant, IA - One Modified driver could earn as much as $5,000 in Point Fund
and Bonus Money on the 2001 National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a
Cure. The Tour for a Cure, now entering its fourth season of action, increases
awareness of kidney disease and generates funds for the Dialysis Unit nearest
each event to use in patient assistance programs.
A driver’s best twelve feature finishes in NKF Tour events will be used to determine the 2001 Point Champion who will earn a check for $2,500 from the minimum of $12,600 in posted awards. The top ten drivers in the final point standings will collect point fund money regardless of how many events they compete in, while drivers who do compete in twelve or more events, but do not make the top ten in points will also be rewarded for their efforts.
The NKF Tour for Modifieds will also have three Bonus programs in effect for the 2001 season. The first will be the $1,000 Wal-Mart Modified Feature Winners’ Bonus Draw that will be held immediately after the final event of the 2001 Tour. All feature winners at 2001 NKF Tour Modified events will have a chip entered in the drawing where a representative of the Wal-Mart store in Mt. Pleasant will draw the lucky winner of the $1,000 bonus. The more NKF Tour features that a driver wins, the better the chances for that driver to win the bonus.
One driver will earn an additional $1,000 “Southern Bonus” by accumulating the most points at the Tour events held in Gadsden, Adrian, Fulton, Wheatland, Peoria, Mayetta, Eagle, Bethany and Donnellson. An event pending at Macomb will also be added to this list when it is confirmed. Another $500 is available to the driver who accumulates the most points in the Tour’s “Northwest Passage” events held at Fairmont, Park Jefferson, Alta, Slayton and the Tour finale at Donnellson. Drivers at all of these events will be earning points for the Tour’s primary Point Fund as well as the Bonus.
For more information on the National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure call (319) 986-5144.
2001 National Kidney Foundation
Heartland Tour for a Cure
Modified Point
Fund
(Best Twelve
Finishes Determine Points)
1. $2,500
2. $1,750
3. $1,250
4. $1,000
5. $900
6. $750
7 $600
8. $500
9. $450
10. $400
Drivers who compete in
twelve events or more and who finish 11th-15th: $200
Drivers who compete in
twelve events or more and do not finish in the top 15: $100
National
Kidney Foundation
Heartland Tour
for a Cure
2001 Modified
Schedule
Southern
Bonus: $1,000
Northwest
Bonus: $500
Day Date Location Bonus
Event
Sat & Sun Feb 24th
& 25th Green
Valley Speedway, Gadsden AL Southern
Fri March 23rd Butler
County Speedway, Allison IA
Sat March 24th Hamilton
County Speedway, Webster City IA
Fri March 30th Iowa
State Fair Speedway, Des Moines IA
Sat March 31st Hamilton
County Speedway, Webster City IA
Sat April 7th 34
Raceway, Burlington IA
Fri April 13th Davenport
Speedway, Davenport IA
Wed April 18th Southern
Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa IA
Fri April 20th Fairmont
Raceway, Fairmont MN Northwest
Sat May 5th Adrian
Speedway, Adrian MO Southern
Tues May 8th Hawkeye
Downs Speedway, Cedar Rapids IA (1/4-mile)
Wed May 9th Farley
Speedway, Farley IA
Thurs & Fri May 17th
& 18th Callaway
Raceway, Fulton MO Southern
Sat May 19th Wheatland
Raceway, Wheatland MO Southern
Tues May 22nd Hawkeye
Raceway, Blue Grass IA
Mon May 28th Hancock
County Speedway, Britt IA
Tues June 5th Audubon
Speedway, Audubon IA
Fri June 8th Park
Jefferson Speedway, Jefferson SD Northwest
Wed June 13th Dubuque
Speedway, Dubuque IA
Thurs June 21st Cresco
Speedway, Cresco IA
Tues June 26th Hawkeye
Raceway, Blue Grass IA
Mon July 2nd Winnebago
County Fairgrounds, Pecatonica IL
Tues July 3rd CJ
Raceway, Columbus Jct. IA
Mon July 9th Crawford
County Speedway, Denison IA
Tues July 10th Adams
County Speedway, Corning IA
Wed July 11th Peoria
Speedway, Peoria IL Southern
Thurs July 12th Bloomfield
Speedway, Bloomfield IA
Tues July 17th Shelby
County Speedway, Harlan IA
Wed July 18th Crawford
County Speedway, Denison IA (w/ NCRA)
Thurs July 19th Buena
Vista Raceway, Alta IA Northwest
Tues July 24th Lee
County Speedway, Donnellson IA
Wed July 25th I-35
Speedway, Mason City IA
Thurs July 26th Audubon
Speedway, Audubon IA
Sat July 28th Thunder
Hill Speedway, Mayetta KS Southern
Tues July 31st Eagle
Raceway, Eagle NE Southern
Fri August 3rd Murray
County Raceway, Slayton MN Northwest
Sat August 4th Algona
Raceway, Algona IA
Thurs August 16th 34
Raceway, Burlington IA
Wed August 29th Winnebago
County Fairgrounds, Pecatonica IL
Sat September 1st Independence
Motor Speedway, Independence IA
Sun September 2nd Benton
County Speedway, Vinton IA
Mon September 3rd Shelby
County Speedway, Harlan IA
Sat September 8th Bethany
Fairgrounds Speedway, Bethany MO Southern
Sat September 15th 34
Raceway, Burlington IA
Fri September 21st Knoxville
Raceway, Knoxville IA
Sat September 22nd Knoxville
Raceway, Knoxville IA
Sat September 29th Echo
Valley Speedway, West Union IA
Sat October 6th Tipton
Speedway, Tipton IA
Sat October 20th Lee
County Speedway, Donnellson IA Southern
& Northwest
TBA Macomb
Speedway, Macomb IL Southern
TBA Greene
County Speedway, Jefferson IA
TBA Nordic Speedway, Decorah
And I still had promoters signing on before we made that trip to Alabama.
Three Illinois Dates Added To NKF Tour
Mt.
Pleasant, IA – The National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure is
proud to have added three new dates to the 2001 schedule at three facilities in
Illinois that will be hosting their first ever NKF Tour event.
The NKF Tour Modifieds and Hobby Stocks will make their first visit to the quarter-mile Quincy Raceway on Sunday, April 22nd, to run in support of the Deery Brothers Summer Series for IMCA Late Models. The Tour Modifieds will be in action on Friday night, May 25th, at the Vermilion County Speedway in Danville, Illinois. This will be an interesting event as it will serve as a “warm-up” event for one of the track’s big $5,000-to-win shows on Sunday of that same weekend. The 1/5th-mile bullring Macomb Speedway will host its first NKF Tour Modified event on Saturday night July 21st. All three of these events will be part of the Southern Bonus for Modifieds where drivers can earn points for an extra $1,000 on top of the regular NKF Tour point fund that will pay $2,500 to the 2001 champion.
As the NKF Tour opens this weekend at the Green Valley Speedway in Gadsden, Alabama, it looks as though the 2001 schedule is nearly complete. Promoters at the Greene County Speedway in Jefferson, Iowa, may add a couple of events for both the Modifieds and Hobby Stocks to the schedule soon
Finally it was time to start the 2001 NKF Tour and an iffy weather forecast kept all of our northerners except one, Joey Kates from making the tip to Alabama.
Brannon Snares Bama Bash NKF Tour Opener
Glencoe,
Alabama – Local driver Eddie Brannon used the high groove to take the lead and
cruise to a $1,500 victory during the rain-delayed Bama Bash at the Green
Valley Speedway. The IMCA Modified portion of the event was the opener of the
2001 National Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour and, with the win, Brannon
becomes the first driver eligible for the $1,000 Wal Mart Feature Winners Bonus
drawing that will be held at the conclusion of the season.
Florida’s Todd Neiheiser chased Brannon in for second with the 2000 IMCA Modified National Rookie-of-the-Year Kevin Waddell finishing third. Kansas City driver Joey Kates held down the fourth spot with Floridian Greg Hopkins completing the top five.
Weather permitting, the NKF Tour opens the Northern portion of its schedule on Friday, March 23rd, at the Butler County Speedway in Allison, Iowa, and on Saturday, March 24th, at the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City, Iowa.
Results
IMCA/NKF Tour
Modifieds
1st
Heat – 1. Jamie Gowers, Lincoln 2. Todd Neiheiser, Panama City FL 3. Todd
Bates, Hurricam Mills TN 4. Todd Hurst, Lineville
2nd
Heat – 1. David Griffin, Brookwood 2. Greg Hopkins, Pensacola FL 3. Eddie
Brannon, Anniston 4. Joey Kates, Kansas City KS
3rd
Heat – 1. Kevin Waddell, Southside 2. Buck Trull, Linden TN 3. Ryan Tolleson,
Southside 4. Jeff Harry, Sylacauga
Bama
Bash A-Main – 1. Brannon 2. Neiheiser 3. Waddell 4. Kates 5. Hopkins 6. Harry
7. Eric Hickerson, Linden TN 8. Foster Poe, Ragland 9. Danny Cosby, Riverside
10. J. Gowers 11. Gene Mince, Hokes Bluff 12. Ozzie Howard, Shelbyville TN 13.
Gary Stepp, Odenville 14. Trull 15. Tolleson 16. Craig Howard, Shelbyville TN
17. Griffin 18. Scottie Gowers, Pell City
Part Two of the Final NKF Tour will be up soon on the Back Stretch
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