Jimmy McCune Enters Children’s Dream Fund 50

Jimmy McCune will compete at Citrus County Speedway in March during the Children's Dream Fund 50. (David Sink photo)

INVERNESS, Fla. – Five-time Must See Racing Sprint Car Series presented by Perfit champion Jimmy McCune has filed an entry for the Children’s Dream Fund 50 at Citrus County Speedway on March 2.

The 50-lap event will be a co-sanctioned race between Must See Racing and the BG Products Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series, with the primary goal of raising money and awareness for the Children’s Dream Fund organization.

Featuring an expanded purse, the feature will pay $5,000 to the winner.

McCune’s announcement that he will participate in the event isn’t necessarily surprising, due to the fact that he’s been somewhat exclusive to Must See Racing, but he hasn’t traveled outside the Midwest much in recent seasons.

The Toledo, Ohio, veteran didn’t compete in Davey Hamilton Jr.’s $50,000 Open Wheel Showdown event at The Bullring at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in December, but he’s a driver to keep an eye on and a serious contender for the victory.

McCune won five times last year with Must See Racing, despite not running the entire season.

When asked what his reasoning for competing in the Citrus County event, McCune was quick to respond.

“I’m bored. There’s no racing to do right now,” he said with a laugh. “It sounds like it’s going to be a good event. That’s probably one of the biggest factors why we want to run.”

It may come as a surprise to many that McCune has competed with the Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series in the past and also competed at Citrus County Speedway. He drove for Florida car owner Jason Reynolds at Showtime Speedway in a Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series event in 2021.

However, McCune last competed at Citrus County Speedway in the mid-2000s.

“We ran Citrus when I drove for Dave Durnwald around 2007, I believe,” McCune recalled. “We went down there with a borrowed cast-iron 360 [engine]. I think we got through hot laps and then got rained out before the heat races. It was a fun little racetrack from what I remember.

“It was racy, so that’s a good thing. We had a lot of fun that weekend.”

Nearly 30 entries are anticipated for the Children’s Dream Fund 50. It has been a long time since McCune faced the kind of field expected at Citrus County, and he seems eager to take on the challenge.

“What’s different? I mean, at this point, what’s different than any other night?” noted McCune. “We go to the racetrack every week and have to race really good cars wherever we go. We’ve run out west at the Pink Lady [Classic at Idaho’s Meridian Speedway] and there were 50 cars there.

“We’re going to race the racetrack like we always do and could care less who’s there.”

This race is more than just a race, due to the involvement with the Children’s Dream Fund organization. McCune acknowledged that as another reason he wanted to support the event and help promoter J.J. Dutton and his cause.

“I think it’s awesome. I haven’t got the chance to read into it too much. But from what I’ve been told, it’s an awesome program,” said McCune. “I’m proud to be a part of this race and we’re looking to have some fun down there.”

The Children’s Dream Fund is a St. Petersburg, Fla.-based, non-profit organization, founded in 1981 with the purpose of fulfilling dreams for children ages three to 21 from West Central Florida that have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.

Dreams are referred by doctors, nurses, child life and social workers, friends, families, and other patients.

Dreams vary as much as the personalities of the children the organization serves. They may involve meeting a celebrity, a trip, a gift such as a computer or playground, or the most-requested dream, a week at the Give Kids the World Village, which enables a child to visit various Orlando-area theme parks.

The Children’s Dream Fund is not affiliated with a national organization. Since its inception in 1981, the Children’s Dream Fund has fulfilled the dreams of more than 4,000 children, with 87 percent of all expenses going toward making children’s dreams come true.

More than half of all dream costs are covered by in-kind donations.

Lap sponsors are currently being sought for the Children’s Dream Fund 50. Half of the money raised for each lap will go to the leader of that lap, with the other half going to the Children’s Dream Fund.

Contact Rick Day at (813) 377-5862 to sponsor laps during the Citrus County Speedway event.