Local Racing: Some wintry odds and ends
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Article RatingThe holidays have passed and that means the countdown until the 2009 racing season is underway.
After taking two weeks off, we will catch back up on some odds and ends pertaining to the upcoming racing season.
First off, the annual Motorsports 2009 show at the Atlantic City Convention Center is on tap for next weekend. The show will feature all types of Motorsports exhibitors, race cars and so much. The Gamblers Classic Indoor races will take place the same weekend at nearby Boardwalk Hall.
NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kevin Harvick, along with rookie Joey Logano, truck star Johnny Benson, Wally Dallenbach Sr. and James Hylton will all be on hand during the weekend at the show.
For more information, please visit www.aarn.com.
The York County Racing Club held its annual banquet last Saturday night at York’s Holiday Inn as they held their Hall of Fame induction.
Long-time sprint car owners Gary and Patty Beam, of Gardners, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as the Present Owners. Beam’s driver, Todd Shaffer, was inducted into the Hall of Fame as the Present Driver while team mechanic Jimmy Russell won the Ed Stauffer Memorial Award.
Williams Grove Speedway flagman Butch Book was named the Miscellaneous inductee while Joe Darrah was presented the Kevin Gobrecht Achievement Award for organizing the safety seminar for firefighters and EMS people at area race tracks.
In the Past categories, Raymond Quack Zellers was the Past Miscellaneous, Speedy Hays as the Past Owner and Gerald Chamberlain as Past Driver.
Doug Wolfgang was the featured speaker while SPEED’s Dave Despain has already been booked for the 2010 banquet.
Pat and Kathy Palladino have filled the seat of their No. 99 sprint car for the upcoming URC sprint car tour with JJ Grasso.
Grasso was a five-time URC winner in 2009 and finished third in overall points. Davey Sammons piloted the Palladino sprinter for a partial season in 2008.
Sammons will return to the URC tour with the family owned No. 79 sprinter in 2009 and will compete in a handful of 410 Sprint car races during the season as well.
It won’t be long until dirt is flying in Florida as the O’Reilly All-Star Sprints are set to return to Ocala Speedway for three nights of racing beginning on January 29.
The last time the All-Stars were at Ocala was in 1994.
The All-Stars will then have three race dates at Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 3-5.
The World of Outlaws also have three dates at VSP that week.
Trail-Way Speedway is requiring “crate” motors for its thundercar class in 2009.
The crate motors can be purchased from the race track at a cost of $3,800. The new motor will reduce engine, fuel and tire costs for all competitors and can be used for three to four seasons without a rebuild.
Trail-Way will kick off its season on Friday, April 3 featuring the 358 Sprints and will continue to race through September with Friday and Saturday night events. Also on the schedule will be a six race series for the 358 late models sponsored by Panchos Racing Products.
Chad Layton is looking to compete in the 410 Sprint events later this month and early next month in Florida in a car owned by his brother Jimmy. After those events, it appears Layton will try his hand at racing on the URC Sprint tour in 2009.
The annual Keystone Cup Series is set to kick off on Wednesday, May 20 at Grandview Speedway followed by consecutive nights of racing at Hagerstown, Williams Grove, Lincoln, Selinsgrove and winding up on Memorial Day at Port Royal.
The Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek will begin on Saturday, June 27 at Lincoln Speedway followed by a Sunday, June 28 date at Bedford Speedway. Bedford will use Monday the 29th as a raindate then Grandview hosts the series on June 30 followed by a stop at Hagerstown Speedway on July 1. Williams Grove Speedway will host the series Thursday and Friday, July 2-3 followed by Port Royal and the finale at Selinsgrove on Sunday, July 5.
Contact Vores at Bvores@aol.com.
