Race fans in the Butler County area, the wait is over. Gates will open at 7 p.m. tonight signaling the start of the 2005 racing season at the Butler County Motorsports Park.

Tonight's event proves to be an exciting night of racing with all five classes running and then the night being capped off with a race chalked-full of Late Model cars with nice motors, according to Bo Thagard, proprietor of the Butler County Motorsports Park.

The classes are Front Wheel Hogg, Pure Stock, Street Stock, Super Hobby, Late Model

"We are going to draw straws to see which group will be the first to race," said Thagard,

This year, racers and spectators alike will notice some changes in the way the program is run at the Butler County Motorsports Park.

The names of the classes have changed, is the first thing. The names have changed from Novice, Hobby rear and front-wheel Hoggs to Front Wheel Hogg, Pure Stock, Street Stock, Super Hobby and Late Model.

"We just changed the name and a few of the rule just to change up the way we do things some," said Thagard.

Basically the cars the race in the Pure Stock class are those that are as close to street-legal as possible.

Street Stock cars are the cars that have all the extra's that come with them removed and a roll-cage installed. It is also built to be more like a racecar than anything else. Cars in the Street Stock class have bigger tires and bigger engines.

"This could be the fastest class this year," said Thagard. "They could be as fast as the late model cars. Jack Daltry will have a new late model car. Jack Adams will have a new car in the Super-Hobby class. Jack and he should put on a good show tonight. We have several new Hogg cars. We actually look to have eight or 10 of those tonight."

The Late Model cars are cars that are built with the sole purpose of racing. They are cars that are built with a frame or in a shop.

But, the cars aren't the only places that race fans will notice improvement when they make the drive out to the Butler County Motorsports Park.

Thagard and his staff have been working to improve the facility.

The crew has been working on making the track smoother, and make the banking steeper. They have also made the entrance/exit area on the backside of the track more accessible.

"Right now the track just looks good," said Thagard. "We've done a lot of work on it."

Along with the racing that's set to take place. An award will be given for the "Prettiest" racecar.

Cars will begin arriving at the track around 4 p.m. and the gates will open to the public at that time as well. Racing is slated to start at

7 p.m.

Tickets are free to children nine-years-old and younger. From ages 10-15, they jump to $5 and then for everyone else general admission tickets are $10.

If anyone is interested in seeing what goes on in the pit, passes can be purchased for $20.

Following tonight's race, the Butler County Motorsports Park will be hopping throughout the rest of the 2005 race season.

Beginning April 9, April 16 and April 23 racing will be nonstop at the dirttrack.

The track will be dark on April 30 as activity is shut down in honor of the EA Sports 500 held at Talladega SuperSpeedway.

Racing will kick back off in the month of May.

A regular race is set for May 7, but on May 14

the racing will change to the min-sprints along with the regular racing. May 21 and 28 promise to be regular racing weekends.

The same thing goes for the month of June, racing will be regular races from the first weekend in June through the third, but on the fourth- It becomes a double-points race.

Then on July 2, racing at the Butler County Motorsports Park takes on a whole new level as it is the first annual "4th of July Shootout." The cash prizes increase. Hogg and Pure Stock are racing for $500 purses.

Street Stock, Super Hobby and Late Model classes will all be competing for three $1,000 purses.

For more information on the Butler County Motorsports Park visit them online at www.greenvilledirttrack.com.