7/3/2017
25th Annual Earl & Ethel Kouba Memorial Is A Tradition
The Kouba Memorial is typically one of the biggest events on the UMSS schedule each year and has a long, storied tradition as one of the more prestigious races in the Upper Midwest for sprint cars. The 2017 edition, which will be the 25th Annual, will return to the Cedar Lake Speedway as part of the popular World of Outlaws racing weekend on July 7. For the 25th edition, the Memorial race will feature the UMSS Traditional Sprint Car Series. Current Kouba family members racing in the Traditional sprint car division include Jimmy Kouba, Jake Kouba, Joseph Kouba and Anna Hippe (Kouba). Anna's dad Joe is the crew chief on her car. So it is only fitting to highlight the Traditional sprint cars in what will be their largest purse and highest first place payout in the history of the popular non-winged sprint car series. The Friday night July 7 program will feature the Earl & Ethel Kouba Memorial 25 lap feature paying $1,025 to win!
A total of five different tracks have hosted the event for both winged and non-winged sprint cars including Jackson Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway, Princeton Speedway, North Central Speedway and St. Croix Valley Raceway. For the first time in the 25 year history of this race, the primary focus will be on the non-winged sprints racing under the UMSS Traditional Sprint Car Series banner. The Traditional sprints have raced at the Cedar Lake Speedway six times so far in 2017. Jeremy Kerzman has dominated the three nights he has been at CLS with a clean sweep each night. Both Jimmy and Jake Kouba (father and son) have picked up one win this season at Cedar Lake while Cam Schafer won on opening night.
Last year the Kouba Memorial for the Traditional sprints paid a then record $1,000 to win with a total purse of over $6,000. Jeremy Kerzman captured the victory and the top prize last July. This year the first place payout has another $25 added to symbolize the 25th annual edition of this race, but several of the remaining pay positions have also been increased with a total purse in excess of $6,500. Since adding the Traditional sprints to the Kouba Memorial back in 2014, previous winners include Mike Mueller, Chase Viebrock, Rob Caho, Jr. and as mentioned earlier Jeremy Kerzman. Mueller and Viebrock won Ethel Kouba Memorial features at Princeton in 2014 and 2015 while Viebrock and Caho won Earl Kouba Memorial features in 2014 and 2015. Kerzman won the Ethel Kouba Memorial at Cedar Lake last July. Since the inception of this class of cars back in 2011, the UMSS Traditional sprints have grown in popularity. Just last Saturday night July 1 at Cedar Lake, a season high 23 cars were on hand.
The Kouba family does an outstanding job each year securing sponsorship money for this event. In addition to the base purse offered by the Cedar Lake Speedway, the following sponsors have generously donated to help make this night a well-paying event: GRP Motorsports, Gillund Enterprises/Justice Brothers, Protofab, Bevlor Utilities and the Kouba family (Jimmy, Joe & Judy).
Racers and fans will certainly want to attend what should be a tremendous weekend of sprint car racing on July 7 & 8 at the Cedar Lake Speedway featuring the World of Outlaws, the UMSS Traditional sprints and the UMSS winged sprints.
Earl & Ethel Kouba Memorial UMSS Traditional Feature Payout: 1)$1,025, 2)$700, 3)$600, 4)$500, 5)$400, 6)$350, 7)$300, 8)$275, 9)$250, 10-15)$225, 16-20)$155.
Article Credit: Greg Parent, UMSS Media Director
