The Left Turn
By: Ron Burt
This is part #2 of a three week series of tri-state racetracks that run weekly shows. Before you leave for an event always go online to the track’s web or Facebook page and make sure they’re racing the night you’re planning to attend.
Montpelier Speedway in Montpelier Indiana is run by the Milkman, and he has worked hard to make this speedway good for the drivers and fans. Sometimes it takes a former driver to see things promotors and owners don’t. Opening date for 2026 is Saturday, April 11th, and the track will stay open until October 24th and the Annual Monster Mash. There will be a special Tuesday night show on July 7th and a couple of Friday night shows. This dirt track draws cars from Ohio and Indiana for normal Saturday shows. You will see cars from Limaland, Eldora, Oakshade and the old Gas City I-69 Speedway competing against Montpelier’s hometown favorites. Dirt UMP Modifieds, Super Stocks, Street Stocks and Hornets normally run every Saturday night. During the summer almost every race night, the Milkman brings in a class or racing series to headline the evening, BOSS Sprints, The Iron Man Super Late Models, USAC Thunder Midgets and the Great Lakes Super Sprints.
Do you like stock cars? April to September Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon Ohio is where the fastest meet to race and has some of the best side by side stock car racing in the tri-state. Weekly shows feature UMP Dirt Late Models, Late Model Sportsmen, Dominator Stocks and Sport Compacts. Once a year Modifieds come to Oakshade Raceway with the Late Model Hell Tour. The 3/8th mile dirt track hasn’t posted their 2026 schedule, but they have 3 races annually that draw drivers and fans from throughout the Midwest, the Barney Oldfield Race, Annual Birthday Race, and the Papa Boiler Super Stock Spectacular.
Locally when the weather looks bad, some of the area drivers and fans head north to Michigan. Hartford Speedway will open for racing Friday, May 8th and will end the year Saturday, September 19th. They run a couple of different types of stock car classes but bring in the Great Lakes Sprints, Non-Wing Sprints, World of Outlaws, Late Models and other classes to headline their weekly shows.
I-96 Speedway is in Lake Odessa Michigan and runs lots of Friday nights. This speedway is very driver and fan friendly and works hard to build those relationships. Car counts and fan attendance keep growing. Opening night is Friday, April 24th and the season will end August 28th. UMP Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks and Compacts are the regular nightly show, but they also bring in National Series for Late Models, All Star Circuit of Champions for the 410 Winged Outlaw Sprints. The Great Lake Super Sprints and Non-Winged Sprints make several appearances during the season. This track spoils the race fans with a good variety of events.
Plymouth Motor Speedway is a semi banked paved track 30 minutes west of Fort Wayne. This is another speedway that likes to run on Friday nights and they have good car counts and a strong fan base. Race nights feature Outlaw Late Models,
Street Stocks, Factory Fords/Crown Vics, Four Cylinders and Hornets. This summer the track will bring in the Outlaw 350 Super Modifieds and the All Star National Pavement Midget Series. The gates swing open Friday, April 24th and end the season September 12th.
Next week I’ll wrap this 3 part series up with a few speedways that run special limited schedules but all big events paying out enough in winnings to attract race teams from all over the country. Until next week, keep your wheels down. Ron out! www.facebook.com/ohiosportsblitz/.
