The Crown Vic Firecracker 500 on July 4-6 could pay $50,000 to win. The $100,000 purse is dependent on the race receiving 500 entries. Steve Stevenson, promoter at Golden Isles Speedway in Waynesville, Georgia, is confident they’ll get that.
“I wouldn’t advertise $50,000 to win if I didn’t think I could get 500 cars,” Stevenson said. “Crown Vic racing is the fastest growing division in North America. It’s an excellent class. It’s low cost and there are plenty of old Crown Vic and Grand Marquis cop cars and taxis to purchase.”
Stevenson said he received more than 120 inquires when Golden Isles Speedway announced the track.
“I got people who are entering from as far away as Washington state, California, Indiana, and Canada,” said Stevenson. “People have Crown Vic racers, and others will buy and spend a few thousand dollars to buy one for this race. Where could you make this much money racing with so little investment?”
In addition to the possible $50,000 winner’s share, the victor will receive a brand-new Harley-Davidson. Second-place gets $10,000 and an enclosed 24′ trailer. Third takes home $5,000, fourth $2,000, fifth $1,000. The rest of the 50-car starting field will take home $500.
“Sponsorship inquiries are coming in every day,” Stevenson said. “A big Ford dealer wants to talk about sponsoring the whole show. The purse will go up further as more sponsors join us.”
It’s not the only big-dollar race Golden Isles Speedway has on its schedule. The XR 604 Nationals on December 11-14 will pay $100,000 to win.
“We got more than 250 entries in seven hours for the XR 604 Nationals,” said Stevenson. “I think 500 entries for the Crown Vic Firecracker 500 is very realistic. Even if there are less than 500 cars, the purse will be unprecedented for [a class with] low-cost racing.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
