Racing and Wrecking season is on the horizon

History is bound to repeat itself. That is fine for Mean Green Machine, but 7 other teams could be doomed if it does.

From 2000 – 2015, the Tournament of Destruction Round 1 winning team eventually became that year’s series Champion 10 times!

Mean Green Machine began their path towards the 2016 Championship and once again etching their name into history.

The team’s Round 1 victory was carved through conquering Chicago Hitmen, the reigning Champions Orange Crush and ultimately Junkyard Dogs in the Finals.

The odds of Junkyard Dogs making a Championship run are also very positive. In that same time span, the eventual series Champion finished no lower than 2nd place in 14 of the 16 Round 1 events!

#11 Andrew Sherman and #14 Jay Van Allen combined for the 3 checkered flags while consistently running smooth laps without much interference. #13 Ryan Decker delivered the blocks and #16 Zac Van Allen crushed with surgeon-like precision to secure the wins. Even Ryan’s father #10 Jerry Decker contributed by subbing for Sherman in the first round.

Full Throttle, winners of the September 2015 event, were seeking back-to-back wins, but first had to seek out a 4th driver. Last-minute changes forced them to recruit a ‘ringer’ and they found one in Team Demo icon Wally Hartung. Ironically, the luck of the draw pitted Full Throttle against the debuting Thunderstruck, which included Wally’s son #71 Nick Hartung.

Nearly 10-minutes of mayhem ensued! The Hartung’s dueled with both mind & machine, #47 Steve Vollbrecht and #76 Levi Turnbaugh tore their sedans to shreds, and Thunderstruck fell short of the upset by 1 turn. #7 Kevin Gress fought through engine problems and managed to eclipse #44 Steve Schaefer for the lead on Lap 4. Seconds later, #40 Ron Johnston shoved him backwards towards the previous turn and the #71 stalled out for good.

In the other first round pairings, Orange Crush fended off a valiant attack from Crazy 8’s with #65 Pete Ryan and #88 Matt Wilson trading high-speed haymakers all over the track. #39 Jason Ritacco returned to the Junkyard Dogs for the first time since 2012 and propelled JYD over 3-on-4 odds to defeat Sting’s all-rookie lineup.

Semi-Finals action saw Junkyard Dogs topple Full Throttle in another hard-fought race on both sides and Mean Green twisted up Orange Crush which led to the JYD vs MGM finale.

Team Demolition Derby Tournament of Destruction Round 2 is June 25th! Be there LIVE to see if Mean Green can hold the top spot. Or will another team begin their own path to rewrite history?
The Amateur Night theme includes an all-rookie Team Demo race, Kid Crashers demo derby, fireworks and more! Advance ticket discount valid thru June 19th.

Wally Hartung had planned to only race his Figure-8 car when he arrived at the track. But, in the Tournament of Destruction, you have to be ready for anything!

Hartung accepted the invite to race on Full Throttle, then jumped in his #50 car for Figure-8, had to again face off against his son Nick AND daughter #55 Katrina Hartung, held back a late charge by former Champion #76 Derrick Decker and took the first win of the season.

In the Truck division, #22 Geoff Domrose started near the front and powered ahead to the lead he wouldn’t relinquish. It was Domrose’s first-ever win, in now his 5th season racing Figure-8 trucks. 2015 series Champion #30 Pete Morris got stuck among the traffic and wound up gaining damage rather than positions and finished 8th.

View the Figure-8 Cars and Figure-8 Trucks points standings.

Figure-8 Cars & Trucks divisions hit the track again June 25th! Entry is open to anyone over the age of 18 with any level of racing experience. Check the rulebook for full details and sign-up today! Zero entry fee!

Over 300 vehicles participated in the Fly the Flag Challenge as it paraded through the Joliet area and concluded at The Dirt Oval. Red, White & Blue colors filled the sky all day and was prominently displayed on Team Demo cars along with tributes to our fallen soldiers.

Thank you to the members of our Armed Forces, Fly the Flag Challenge, Lincoln-Way Central AFJROTC and our great Team Demo fans for your participation and amazing displays of patriotism throughout Military Appreciation Night.

Racing action & entertainment at Dirt Oval 66 is just underway! Switch gears from the grassroots, wreck-to-win style of Team Demolition Derby to 900 horsepower, $100,000+ ground pounding excitement of TORC: The Off-Road Championship.

The 2-Day Chicagoland Slam will feature pro racing in three classes: powerful, four-wheel drive PRO4 trucks, rear-wheel drive PRO2 trucks, and the fiercely competitive Atturo Tires PRO Lights. Plus, Midwest Off-Road Racing Sportsman classes running all day!

Every ticket is a pit pass! See the trucks, meet the drivers, and go for a post-race track walk. Two-day tickets start at $25 for adults and $8 for kids. JUST ADDED: Overnight camping lots available Thurs – Saturday.

Get tickets for all 2016 events and watch for the latest details @ DirtOval66.com