The Desert Thunder Raceway will be back in action Friday and Saturday with the first of four sets of races during the 2018 calendar year.

“It’s going to be a long winter, but we are going to get started earlier this year like we did in the old days,” said Desert Thunder track owner Harvey Howard. “We wanted to get started before other tracks in the region get going.”

This year’s season opener will feature the International Motor Contest Association Modifieds as the main event. Also featured throughout the night will be stock cars, hobby stocks, mini stocks and for possibly the only time this year, dwarf cars.

The track itself will host four sets of races as they return later this month, and then again in May. The season will come to a close in September with the Castle Country Clash. The schedule is a two race increase from last season.

“The track is going to be in great shape, as it always is,” said Howard. “It is the widest track we run on anywhere by 20 feet or more. We can actually run six wide if we really wanted to, which you won’t see anywhere else.”

The action on both Friday and Saturday is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m., with the gates scheduled to open at 5:00. Family passes will be available at the gates for $25.00, while adults are $8.00 on Friday and $10.00 on Saturday. Children 6-12 will be $5.00 on Friday and $6.00 on Saturday. Pit Passes are available for $15.00.