5/27/2016
15th Annual Billy Anderson Memorial Will Pay $1,500 To Win
The Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS) and the Princeton Speedway are once again proud to be a part of the Billy Anderson Memorial race. This year will mark the 15th Annual running of this popular event for the winged sprint cars here in our area on Friday night June 3. The Billy Anderson Memorial is held each year as a tribute to honor the memory of sprint car driver Billy Anderson from Dayton, Minnesota. Billy was seriously injured in a racing accident at the Knoxville Raceway on June 13, 1998. Following a long battle with numerous complications from the horrific crash, Billy Anderson took his final checkered flag when he crossed the finish line of life on October 19, 2001 surrounded by his family and friends.
The 2016 edition will see a boost in the purse thanks to sponsorship help from Midwest Power Equipment and GRP Motorsports. The winner will take home $1,500 at the end of the 25 lap feature on the 1/4 mile bullring. The payoff from second through seventh will be $800, $650, $525, $400, $300 and $250. The regular UMSS payout goes on back to 20th. Three-time UMSS Champion Jerry Richert, Jr. of Forest Lake, 2015 UMSS Champion Ryan Bowers of Ham Lake, 2013 UMSS Champion Chris Graf of Glencoe, 2010 UMSS Champion Cody Hahn of Oak Grove, and 2009 UMSS Champion Leigh Thomas of Duluth are expected along with former Billy Anderson Memorial winner Tony Norem.
The event began at the Cedar Lake Speedway in April of 2002 and switched to the Princeton Speedway in 2011, the track where Billy Anderson began his racing career in a street stock in 1994. Previous winners of this prestigious race include Tony Norem, Bill Boles, Jerry Richert Jr., Loren Langerud, Jake Peters, Chuck Swenson, Lou Kennedy Jr., Cody Hahn, Brooke Tatnell and Ryan Bowers. Richert and Tatnell have won it twice. The event has also fallen victim to the weather twice.
Princeton Speedway is a high-banked 1/4 mile dirt oval where the sprint cars often times get into lapped traffic early on during green flag runs. A full 20 car starting field is expected for the Billy Anderson Memorial. The Anderson family, Princeton Speedway, and the UMSS encourage each of you to come out and enjoy a fast-paced evening of sprint car racing in remembrance of Billy Anderson and his passion for the sport. The UMSS races the following night on Saturday June 4 at the Ogilvie Raceway for the annual "Big O Sprint Showdown" just a short distance northeast of Princeton. The popular wingless UMSS Traditional sprint cars will also be on hand at both Princeton and Ogilvie for a big double dipper, sprint car style!
Victory Lane Photo from last year courtesy of Vince Peterson at Track Rat Photos.
Article Credit: Greg Parent, UMSS Media Director
