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Sprint cars set to invade Hayden Saturday night

Austin Colbert

— The smell of alcohol fuel and the rumble of pure horsepower might overwhelm the town of Hayden Saturday night, and that’s perfectly fine with Corey Hunter.

“It’s probably been eight years since these cars have been up on this side of the mountain racing,” said Hunter, who runs Hayden Motorsports. “It’s a pretty big step for us as a group. It’s a pretty big deal for the area, too. These guys are going to put on a good show for us.”

On Saturday, Hayden Speedway will host the inaugural Rumble in the Rockies National Sprint Car Race, the first race of its magnitude on the Western Slope in many years. The quarter-mile track will be a playground for more than 20 sprint cars, with $1,500 on the line for first place.



“They are basically a go-cart with a huge wing and a V8 motor in them,” Hunter said. “They are just ridiculous. They weigh nothing and have 600 horsepower.”

Hunter said most of the cars are coming from the Front Range, with a few from out of state. The festivities begin at noon with a parade through downtown Hayden and an autograph session from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the high school.



The pit opens at 3 p.m., and the fan gates open at 4. Introductions are scheduled for 6 p.m. with a first heat time of around 6:30. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for kids.

“These draw typically a pretty huge crowd because of the horsepower they run,” Hunter said. “It took a lot of negotiating and a lot of work to get the details ironed out and make sure everyone was happy and it flowed well.”

Plans are already in the works to make this a yearly event in Hayden.

For more information, visit rumbleintherockies2015.org.

To reach Austin Colbert, call 970-871-4204, email acolbert@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @Austin_Colbert


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