6/1/2013
12th Annual Billy Anderson Memorial June 7
12th Annual Billy Anderson Memorial At Princeton June 7
The Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS) and the Princeton Speedway are once again proud to be a part of the Billy Anderson Memorial race. This year will mark the 12th Annual running of this popular event for the winged sprint cars here in our area. The Billy Anderson Memorial is held each year as a tribute to honor the memory of sprint car driver Billy Anderson from Dayton, Minnesota. Billy was seriously injured in a racing accident at the Knoxville Raceway on June 13, 1998. Following a long battle with numerous complications from the horrific crash, Billy Anderson took his final checkered flag when he crossed the finish line of life on October 19, 2001 surrounded by his family and friends.
The memorial race each year honors this fallen driver from our local area racing community. The event began at the Cedar Lake Speedway in April of 2002. Princeton Speedway hosted the 2011 and 2012 editions, and this will be the third year the race will be held at the track where Billy Anderson began his racing career in a street stock in 1994. Previous winners of this prestigious race include Tony Norem, Bill Boles, Jerry Richert Jr, Loren Langerud, Jake Peters, Chuck Swenson, Lou Kennedy Jr, and Cody Hahn. The only two-time champion of this event is Jerry Richert, Jr. of Forest Lake, Minnesota. Twice the event has fallen victim to the weather. The first Billy Anderson Memorial was extra special for the winner and car owner, as Tony Norem drove the Mike Botzek B1st sprint car to victory. Billy Anderson had driven for Mike Botzek during his sprint car racing career.
The 25 lap UMSS feature race for the 12th Annual Billy Anderson Memorial will pay $1,200 to win thanks to some sponsorship help from GRP Motorsports and RPM Graphics. Princeton Speedway is a high-banked 1/4 mile dirt oval where the sprint cars often times get into lapped traffic early on during green flag runs. A full 20 car starting field is expected for the Billy Anderson Memorial. If the opening UMSS weekend on May 24-25 at two other area tracks is any indication, fans at the Princeton Speedway are in store for some great winged sprint car racing action on Friday night June 7. The UMSS opened the 2013 season with 27 cars and 22 cars at their first two events, as Scotty Thiel and Brooke Tatnell (in a photo finish) were victorious.
The Anderson family, Princeton Speedway, and the UMSS encourage each of you to come out and enjoy a fast-paced evening of sprint car racing in remembrance of Billy Anderson and his passion for sprint car racing. The Billy Anderson Memorial is also part of the UMSS "Six Pack Series" of races which feature added money for the top ten finishers in the mini-series point fund standings at the end of the season. The UMSS races the following night June 8 at the Ogilvie Raceway for the "Big O Sprint Showdown" just a short distance northeast of Princeton.
Article Credit: Greg Parent, UMSS Media Director
