5/26/2024
Merrittville Speedway
Remembering Drivin Ivan on 6/1 at Merrittville
THOROLD, ONTARIO (May 26, 2024)....Merrittville Speedway and DDL and Co. will be honoring and remembering CAA Wall of Famer and DIRTcar NE Hall of Famer “Drivin’ Ivan' ', Ivan Little on Saturday, June 1. The date 6-1, the same numbers as Ivan’s iconic race car, will be headlined by a 61-lap event for the 358 Modifieds, paying $6,100 to win. That night will also feature the DIRTcar Sportsman in a Western Region event paying $4,000 to win and the Hoosier Stocks Duel on the Dirt Home Track Event #2 paying $2,000 to win.
In memory and remembrance of Nancy Little each spouse of the racers racing that night will be allowed into the grandstands for free admission. Nancy passed away in September 2023.
Racing for over three decades, Drivin’ Ivan Little was a force to be reckoned with on the track. The black and flamed #61 would show up with the chrome polished and not a speck of dirt on the car. He may have regularly been one of the last cars to arrive, he was just as regularly the first car to the finish line. As early as 1972, Ivan Little would also compete on the famed Syracuse Mile. He retired from racing in 1986 with an estimated 200+ wins to his credit. Ivan Little was the 1966 and 1983 track champion at Merrittville, as well as the 1970 divisional champion at Humberstone, and the 1971 Modified champion at Ransomville Speedway. A career highlight for Ivan was his 1970 Southern Tier Open win at Five Mile Point Speedway. He was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame in 1996 and was inducted into the Friends of Auto Racing (FOAR SCORE) Hall of Fame in 1989.
“Dizzy” Dean Murray, longtime track announcer at both Cayuga and Speedway Park said on the PA system, “now the real racing can begin, Ivan Little has arrived”.
Pit Gates will open at 5pm, with grandstands opening at 5:30pm, and racing will get underway at 7pm. For more information, check out the website at www.merrittvillespeedway.com and fans can follow along with My Race Pass.
Follow Merrittville on social media including Facebook (facebook.com/MerrittvilleSpeedway), Twitter (@Merrittville), and now on Instagram (@merrittvillespeedway). For results, point standings, and more, check out www.merrittvillespeedway.com
Article Credit: Steven Petty
Submitted By: Doug Leonard
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