Jim Hall Memorial Race set for Friday at Benton Raceway Park

BENTON, Mo. - The second annual Jim Hall Memorial Race is scheduled to take place Friday at 7 p.m. at the Benton Raceway Park near Benton, Mo.

The race is being held to honor Charleston, Mo., racer Jim Hall, who died from an extended illness in Feb. 2012 at age 78.

Hall raced for parts of five decades at the now closed tracks in Cape Girardeau, Charleston, Sikeston, Blytheville, Ark., and Marion, Ill. He collected wins throughout the Midwest and South, which included season championship at three different tracks two years in a row. Hall also competed in NASCAR superspeedway events in the mid-1980's.

He was among the first racers on the track at Benton when it opened in May 1991.

Several of Hall's family members have competed at the track in Benton.

Some of Hall's family members are among the racers from multiple states who will compete in the outlaw winged sprint, crate late model and A-modified divisions Friday night.

All three high-speed classes will compete in preliminary heat races and B-mains before racing in one of three 33-lap A-main feature events. According to a press release on the event, the three 33-lappers add up to "99," which was the number that Hall's cars carried for much of his five-decade career.

First-place prize money is $5,000 for the outlaw sprint class, $3,000 for the crate late model class and $2,000 for the A-modified class.

Earlier this week, Team EERC pledged $2,250 in product certificates to the top three finishers of the modified division's feature race, while Liquid Nitro will award a full case of its liquid energy drinks to the winner of each of the night's three feature events.

Tickets for the event are $12 for ages 13 and up, $7 for ages seven to 12 and free for ages six and under. Pit entry is $35 for ages 13 and up and $15 for ages 12 and under.

A 50-50 raffle, drawing for a new bicycle, and frisbee and T-shirt toss will also be conducted at the event. Proceeds from the 50-50 raffle will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Benton Raceway Park is located at 100 County Road 505 two miles east of the Interstate 55 Benton exit.

The track will open at noon Thursday for race team parking and be open all day Friday to allow for early entry.

For more information, including full payouts, rules and directions to the track, visit Facebook.com/JHallMemorial or BentonRacewayPark.com