SOPHIA, NC :: Caraway Speedway saw some of its largest and most competitive fields in recent history in the 2014 season.  Now, Caraway Speedway is geared up for its 50th season, which will begin on Sunday, March 8th with a 100-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model feature race.

The 2015 schedule looks very different for Caraway Speedway with fewer Late Model Stock Car races and fewer races for the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.  The track also has several promotions lined up for its 50th anniversary season.

2014 saw an increase in car counts, something track promoter Darren Hackett attributes to scheduling around other racetracks – something the track has done once again this season.

“Last year, we stayed off Motor Mile and Southern National,” Hackett said.  “This year, we don’t have any dates up against South Boston or Motor Mile.  We just have nine shows and I’m hoping that, by doing fewer races, we’ll do a better job at them.  We have 22-23 weekends for the whole year.  When you have a week between races, it allows us to do a better job promoting.”

Another major change in the schedule is that the number of NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour races has been reduced from six to three.  Hackett said he feels that move is also beneficial to the track.

“I think we ran too many of them with six and guys said it was no longer a tour,” Hackett explained.  “They came to Caraway too much.  It hurt our fan count as well.  We ran every other week in the spring and the fall.  I think by not having as many of them, it will help.”

The Limited Late Models, running as the track’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division II class, will be the feature division at the track when the Late Model Stock Cars race.  Another change with the Limited Late Models will involve the Southeast Limited Late Model Series, which will race only one time in 2015.

Hackett also said the track has moved the Mid-Atlantic Championship to October 24th and cut the race from a two day show to a one day show.  The North South Shootout, Caraway Speedway’s premier event, has also been moved back to its traditional date, due to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway being pushed back to Halloween Weekend, being held on the weekend of November 6th-7th this season.

“This will be the fifth year we have the North South Shootout.  We moved it back to the first weekend of November. This year, we moved it back a week because Martinsville is on Halloween.  We’re still working on scheduling some stuff for that.”

The other marquee event at Caraway Speedway is the Rusty Harpe Memorial, Caraway Speedway’s annual Independence Day treat for race fans.  This year, the race will be held on a Saturday night for the first time.  Hackett says the Saturday night show should help attract more fans as well as more competitors.

“I’m hoping it will grow.  This is the first year we haven’t done a mid-week show in July.  This started in 1972.  Before we combined them a couple years ago, it was tough to get people to do two races so it will help that as well.”

Caraway Speedway has two promotions already lined up to commemorate their 50th anniversary season.  When the track opened in 1966, general admission was only $3 so, on the night of August 29th, the track will charge just $3 for admission.  Hackett says he hopes to do real well with that.  Another promotion will have fans vote for the top-50 drivers in Caraway Speedway out of a list of 200.  Hackett said those drivers will be honored likely as part of the Rusty Harpe Memorial.

The first race of the 2015 season at Caraway Speedway will be on Sunday, March 8th with a 100-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car event.  The $5,000-to-win Rusty Harpe Memorial on July 4th will be 171 laps for the Late Models and the final race of the season (the Mid-Atlantic Championship) will be 100 laps.  Every other night will feature twin Late Model Stock Car races when the Late Models are in action.

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Caraway Speedway 2015 Season Schedule

March 8th: LMSC 100
March 14th: NASCAR Mods & Limiteds
March 21st: Limiteds
March 28th: Twin LMSC
April 4th: Limiteds
April 18th: Twin LMSC
May 2nd: Twin Limiteds
May 15th: Twin LMSC
May 30th: Twin LMSC
June 13th: Limiteds
June 27th: Limiteds
July 4th: Rusty Harpe Memorial (LMSC)
July 18th: Twin LMSC
July 25th: PASS
August 1st: Limiteds
August 15th: Limiteds
August 29th: Limiteds
September 7th: Twin LMSC
September 19th: Limiteds
September 26th: SouthEast Limiteds (SELLM)
October 24th: LMSC 100
November 6th-7th: North South Shootout
November 29th: Limiteds