Hi Drivers and Race Fans! The Jamestown Speedway will be hosting the 1st Annual Don Gumke Racers' Memorial event will take place on Saturday, June 13th at 7:00 PM sponsored by Don Wilhelm Inc. & your Heartland Chevy Dealers, S&R Truck Plaza, and I-29 Trailer Sales in Fargo & Bismarck, ND. It will also be the first visit of the Steffes Wissota Street Stock Tour in Jamestown on June 13th.
Unfortunately, we lost Don back in January at the age of 66. It was a huge lost for the entire racing community, as Don was a pillar in not only Jamestown's racing community, but across the country. Don was a fierce competitor on the track and one of the most well-respected drivers in our community before he turned to be the track promoter of Jamestown Speedway. With the help of a lot of great people, Don, Joanne, and Keith Veil built the reputation of the speedway and made the Jamestown Speedway a premier track for drivers and fans to visit.
The format for this race will be special. The 1st Annual Memorial Race will feature the following classes:
- IMCA Modifieds ($2,222 to Win)
- Wissota Street Stocks ($1,222 to Win)
- Bombers/Pure Stocks ($222 to Win)
In honor of Don's car number #2*, the Modified Feature Event will pay $2,222 to win, $222 to start, and $122 to non-qualifiers. The event will utilize a two-heat, passing point system that will determine the qualification for the feature from the heat races and consolidation race line-ups. Additionally, a variety of contingency sponsorship awards, such as hard charger and longest tow awards, will be available to drivers during the event.
The Wissota Street Stocks and Bombers/Pure Stocks will also be running for an increased purse. The Wissota Street Stocks will also be running as part of the 2020 Steffes Wissota Street Stock Tour, which will be the first of two appearances for the tour at the Jamestown Speedway in 2020. The Tour will begin at the Dacotah Speedway in Mandan on June 12th, then continue to Jamestown on June 13th, and end the weekend at the Sheyenne Speedway in Lisbon on June 14th.
The Don Gumke Memorial Race is going to be special event in a variety of ways as Don inspired so many drivers across the country and was one of the nicest persons that you could meet at the track. Therefore, all of us at the Jamestown Speedway wanted this event to be special to commemorate a great man. Additionally, we lost another great racers last year in Jeff Carpenter, who passed away suddenly in May 2019. We are planning to honor these fallen racers on Saturday, June 13th.
Be sure to mark your calendars to honor a great man and racer on Saturday, June 13th. Don will definitely be looking down on all of us on June 13th and smiling as we get together in his honor.