WILLOW SPRINGS SPEEDWAY TO HOST OPEN PRACTICE THIS SUNDAY

Source: Dave Grayson
Date: 09/09/2008

The Willow Springs Speedway, a quarter mile paved oval located within the mammoth Willow Springs International Raceway, WSIR, complex in Rosamond-California, will be the scene of a huge practice session this Sunday, September 14th, from 930 am until dusk. The session is open to a wide variety of racing divisions including super late models, late models, super stocks, pure street stocks, figure eights. legends, modifieds, mini stocks, open wheel midgets, bandoleros, and lightning cup cars. Race teams will be allowed to practice on the same brand and size tires that they currently use on their home tracks. Ten to twenty cars will be allowed on the track at the same time and drivers do not have to be a WSIR member to participate in this practice session.

But the really big news is the intent to return regularly scheduled racing to the Willow Springs Speedway for the first time since 2005. This is the dream of race promoters Nick Jennings and Jon Christensen, working under the company name Stock Car Syndicate. who in recent weeks signed a lease agreement with WSIR officials to operate the oval track. The master plan is to develop a winter racing series on Sunday afternoons that will not interfere with established speedways in the southwest region and, at the same time, will provide racing teams from the region an opportunity to race twice on the same weekend. Another big part of this Sunday's practice session will be the two promoter's openness to the input of the racing teams regarding a variety of racing issues such as the schedule, racing divisions and tech procedures.

The new promoters of the Willow Springs Speedway are not newcomers to racing. Both men have an extensive resume in the sport that includes driving, building and crewing a wide variety of race vehicles. Jon Christensen was practically born to be a racing fan and started his driving career slinging dirt in 1977 at the Pearsonville and Ascot Speedways. His next move was on the pavement at the Saugus Speedway, where he ran both the oval and figure eight divisions, until the track closed in 1995. Christensen's next turned his attention towards learning the business of operating a race track. He worked for veteran promoter Alex Rodriquez at the Speedrome, now known as the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring, and then spent two seasons with promoter George Stiles at the T-Car Speedway in Carson City-Nevada. But the urge to drive again infected Christensen and, in a sheer note of irony, he soon found himself making left turns at the Kern County Raceway, now known as Willow Springs Speedway. He also incorporated some Saturday nights at the Victorville Raceway and Ventura Speedway into his schedule. Christensen spent the 1999 season as a crew member for driver Rick McCray in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

It was the love and the lure of his four Grandchildren that brought Christensen back to his southern California roots. "They are involved in sports and cheer leading," he said adding "they are really excited with my new racing venture . This is especially true of my Grandson who would love to drive a race car someday. So we are basically doing this for the kids."

Nick Jennings began his driving career at the age ten turning the steering wheel of quarter midget cars. From that point he graduated to every form of stock cars that you could name including regional tours in NASCAR's Featherlite Southwest and Winston West Series. Jennings' extensive knowledge of engine building and race car fabrication led to professional stints, as both a crew chief and crew member,for some of the most well known racing names in the southwest region including the likes of Ron Hornaday Jr, M K Kanke, Dan Press and Ross Thompson among many others. Jennings even worked as an engine builder for Jack Roush Racing at his Los Angeles facility.

Like his partner, Jennings also believes that racing can be about family and the kids. In fact, he met his lovely wife many years ago at the former Ascot Park Raceway where she was driving sprint cars at the time. Commenting on his love of the sport Jennings said "these days the best thing in racing for me is when I can watch my eight year old son race. That feeling is the best. This is why this project, at the Willow Springs Speedway, is so near and dear to our hearts. Sure there's the major element of exciting short track racing, but this is also a family oriented sport and we want the kids to be a big part of our project and than includes the young drivers from the Bandolero and Legend divisions. We are even planning bicycle races featuring the kids riding one lap around the track for prizes and trophies."

In the meantime the two promoters are very busy with the massive details of establishing the 2008-2009 Winter Racing Series at the Willow Springs Speedway. Their first official race date has new been set for Sunday-October 5th and they hope to have full details of that first race, plus more information on the schedule, at the practice session this Sunday. Practice fees for this Saturday are: $10 per person payable at the WSIR front gate, $40 per driver payable at the pit gate and $10 for each crew member payable at the pit gate. Kids ten and under will be admitted free at the pit gate. All collected entry fees will be used to cover the cost of track insurance as well as the cost of the on site track support and safety crews.

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