With a chance to run for big money and take on some of the best talent in Sunoco USRA Factory Stock racing, drivers across North Texas and beyond are gearing up for the ninth annual Smackdown presented by By-Line Surveying, now set for Saturday night, May 4, at Rocket Raceway Park.

Drivers were originally set to practice Thursday night and run two sets of qualifying heats on Friday, but persistent rains have forced promoter Kevin Sustaire to host the full program on Saturday. If he gets it all in, 24 fortunate teams will battle it out for $2,500 to win.

USRA Stock Cars and USRA Limited Mods will also be in action, along with Eco-Mods and Jr. Limited Mods on the card this weekend. While Sunoco USRA Factory Stocks may be the headliner this time around, competition in the support divisions will be worth the price of admission on their own.

Among the list of Sunoco USRA Factory Stock drivers planning to compete in this weekend’s Smackdown is current points leader Michael Smith. The soft-spoken local favorite says he’s confident going into the weekend.

“We like our chances for this weekend,” Smith said. “But mostly, we just want to go there, have fun, and see what we can do. I drive for Johnny Williams now, I’m in a new car that’s going really well. He offered us a ride, and we took it.

“We did some work to the car, and everything seems to be going good. Yet I know the level of talent coming to this big-money event. If you’re able to win the feature this weekend, you’ll be able to say you beat some of the best.”

Jeremy Fodge is another of the top contenders at the Rocket Raceway Park hoping for a shot at the money this weekend.

“We’re pretty excited for this race,” he said. “I have a bad feeling about the whole weather deal, but I sure do hope we can get it in on Saturday night.

“The car I’m driving is Michael’s (Smith) car, and I’m pretty new to the sport. They tell me I’m catching on quickly. We think our equipment is superior to most of what’s out there. We’re running in the top five with a rookie driver. If we can get Shelby (Williams) into the car this weekend, we’re confident we can win.”

Brandon Bettis can hold his own against just about any of those who’ll be on hand at the Smackdown.

“I think we have some of the best Factory Stock drivers in the state at Rocket,” he said. “Plus, I know if we do get this thing in, we’ll have a few heavy hitters from outside our area make the drive for their shot at the money. Even with a reduced winner’s share, they’ll still turn out for a chance at $2,500.

“I certainly hope we can run up front and make a good showing in the Smackdown. I think last year we were running inside the top ten when the driver messed up a little bit, and we didn’t get to finish. I’ll say since last September, we’ve started moving in the right direction. I have high hopes for Saturday night.”

The Rocket Raceway Park holds 3,400 spectators and its elevated grandstands offer superb viewing from any seat. The venue can be found in Lamar County—about 15 minutes west of Paris and 25 minutes east of Bonham at 16369 US Hwy 82, Petty, TX 75470.

Learn more at RocketRacewayPark.com and follow RRP on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

If you can’t be there, you can still catch every lap with a membership at RaceOn.com. With over 450 live races on tap in 2024, there’s tons of great entertainment from tracks in several states.

When you become a member today, choose your favorite track and start enjoying great content while supporting the sport even when you can’t attend in person thanks to our revenue sharing program.

For more than two decades, the United States Racing Association has attracted more and more racetracks and dirt track racers each year through fair, logical and cost-effective rules accompanied by an organization that puts the racers, racetracks and their fans first. During the 2023 Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series, more than 60 of America's finest dirt ovals hosted more than 1,000 nights of racing.

To learn more about the USRA, check out USRAracing.com. Follow our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. To get USRA news and exclusive promotions delivered to your inbox, click here.

USRA competitors can register and purchase a license for the 2024 Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series online at USRAracing.com/Register or call (515) 832-6000 to register by phone. You can also download the application at USRAracing.com/Downloads and then submit your completed form by email at office@usraracing.com or fax at (515) 832-7958.

USRA OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Beyea Headers, Chevrolet Performance, Christie Door Company, Fast Shafts, FK Rod Ends, KSE Racing Products, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Nitroquest Media, PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain, RacinDirt, Summit Racing Equipment, Sunoco Race Fuels.

USRA PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: ARMI Contractors, Boubin Tire & Automotive, Brodix Cylinder Heads, PBM Performance Products, YouDirt.com.

USRA CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Bryke Racing, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, Deatherage Racing Opticians, Edelbrock, Gorsuch Performance Solutions, Gunshepherd.com, Hyperco, Integra Racing Shocks & Springs, JE Pistons, Keyser Manufacturing, Landrum Performance Springs, MD3, MSD Performance, Performance Bodies & Parts, QA1, Quarter Master, QuickCar Racing Products, RacerWebsite.com, Real Racing Wheels, Rush RaceGear by Austin Witt, Sweet Manufacturing, Swift Springs, Sybesma Graphics, Total Power, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes Day Motor Sports, KS Engineering.

USRA RACETRACKS: 81 Speedway, Alien Motor Speedway, Ark-La-Tex Speedway, Arrowhead Speedway, Boothill Speedway, Caney Valley Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway, Centerville Super Speedway, Crawford County Speedway, Creek County Speedway, Cresco Speedway, Deer Creek Speedway, Diamond Park Speedway, Eagle Valley Speedway, Elk City Motorsports Park, Fairmont Raceway, Fayette County Speedway, Hamilton County Speedway, Humboldt Speedway, Hunt County Raceway, I-35 Speedway, I-90 Speedway, Lakeside Speedway, Lawton Speedway, Legacy Speedway, Longdale Speedway, Lucas Oil Speedway, Mason City Motor Speedway, Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Monett Motor Speedway, Rapid Speedway, Rocket Raceway Park, Route 66 Motor Speedway, Sabine Speedway, Sandia Speedway, Sports Park Raceway, Super Bee Speedway, Texarkana 67 Speedway, Tri-State Speedway, Tulsa Speedway, Vado Speedway Park, Winneshiek Raceway.