IMCA HAWKEYE DIRT TOUR ANNOUNCES CLAIM RULE, BIG EVENTS, AND TWO NEW DATES
January 24, 2010 | By: Jeff Werderman

[Cedar Falls, IA] - - The IMCA Hawkeye Dirt Tour just released some much anticipated information on their 2010 tour across Iowa. The biggest question - the engine claim rule - was answered. Also revealed were two new dates added, some big events on the schedule, and details on the "Ironman Challenge."

The 2010 IMCA Hawkeye Dirt Tour now has ten (10) dates posted on their schedule. The Mighty Howard County Fair (Cresco Speedway) will host a race on Thursday, June 24, 2010. Lee County Speedway has added its annual "Liberty Cup" to the H.D.T. schedule too. Both events will pay a minimum of $1,000 to win and $125 to start. H.D.T. officials have stated that no more events will be added in 2010.

"Two of the events on the 2010 (Hawkeye Dirt Tour) schedule will pay more than the posted $1,000 to win," stated the tour's coordinator and spokesman Bucky Doren. "On August 12, 2010 the tour will travel to the Hancock County Speedway for the annual 'Night of a 1,000 Stars.' This event is slated to pay $3,000 to win and $200 to start (for the A-Main event)." Doren went on to say that Hancock County Speedway promoter Joe Ringsdorf will also have some special incentives that could push the winner's share up to $5,000. Details on those incentives will be released by Ringsdorf at a later time.

"We've been working with 34 Raceway to develop something different to wrap up each season of the Hawkeye Dirt Tour," added Doren. "The Hawkeye Dirt Tour Championship will feature a $1,500 payday to the winner, and at this time a driver will receive $175 to start (the A-Main event)." Doren mentioned also that the raceday format will be different that night as well.

"We wanted to create something different for the final event each year," Doren expressed. "34 Raceway thought using a time trial format would a unique twist, and we agreed."

Each driver will run a two-lap time trial. The fastest of those two laps will be a driver's official time. Heat races will be lined up based on time, and as of this moment, the top four in each heat race will be inverted. There will be no redraw for A-Main starting positions. That will be based on a driver's heat race finishing postiion. Once that fifty-lap season ending event is concluded, there will still be one more event for the H.D.T. faithful.

The "Ironman Challenge" will feature a last dash for cash for all drivers who entered each and every event during the 2010 campaign. Each driver with perfect attendance in 2010 will be invited to compete and will receive some extra money for taking the green flag in the Ironman Challenge. The winner of the Ironman Challenge event will earn $400.

The biggest question that was circulating since the announcement of the IMCA Hawkeye Dirt Tour centered on the "engine claim" rule. The engine claim rule is as follows.

For the first two (2) events during the 2010 inaugural season there will be no driver engine claim. The only parties that will be eligible to place an engine claim during the previously mentioned events will be IMCA and/or the Hawkeye Dirt Tour.

From that point forward, the Driver Engine Claim will be governed by the standard IMCA engine claim rules for modifieds with the following exceptions. For a driver to attempt an engine claim, that driver must have an IMCA claim card, have an IMCA license (and in good standing), have paid the annual HDT Driver Registration fee for that given year (and in good standing with HDT), have perfect attendance for all HDT events for that same given year, and the correct amount of money on their person.

Any decisions made by Hawkeye Dirt Tour officials or IMCA officials are final.

Race teams and race fans can learn more about the IMCA Hawkeye Dirt Tour at their web site (www.dirttour.com) or at www.imca.com.

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