SHARON & MERCER NEXT ON TAP FOR FASTRAK NORTHEAST LATE MODEL TOURING SERIES OVER BUSY HOLIDAY WEEKEND; 6 PM STARTING TIMES!

By Mike Leone

May 18, 2009           

Pulaski, PA…After nearly one month off, the FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series is gearing up for two shows over the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend.  “Border Wars” will feature action at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio on Saturday night followed by Mercer Raceway Park across the border in Mercer, Pennsylvania on Monday night.  Both events have 6 p.m. starting times.  

Saturday’s event will mark the first ever FASTRAK-sanctioned race at Sharon, which is considered one of the nation’s oldest family-owned speedways dating back to 1927.  The 25-lap feature will pay $1,200 to-win, $150 to-start.  This will be the first of two appearances by the Touring Series at Sharon as they will return on September 19 as part of the “Apple Festival Nationals”. Note: transponders and raceceivers will not be required!

Two days later, action heads 20 miles east to Mercer Raceway Park for the second annual “Steel Valley Memorial Day Classic”.  FASTRAK is in its second year of weekly-sanctioned competition at Mercer where car counts continue to grow.  Like Sharon, it will be the first of two appearances during the year as the Series will make its second stop on September 12 as part of the “Western PA Sprint Championship”.  The 25-lap feature will also pay $1,200 to-win, $150 to-start.  Transponders and raceceivers are not required at Mercer neither.    

Dick Barton won the inaugural Touring Series event at Mercer back on July 4, 2007 and Frank Guidace was last year’s “Steel Valley Memorial Day Classic” winner.  A new winner is likely to emerge as neither Barton nor Guidace are expected to be in competition.    

“We’re really looking forward to this weekend,” stated FASTRAK Northeast co-director Vicki Emig.  “It’s great to finally be able to have an event at Sharon.  We have gotten requests the last two years for a show at Sharon and we’re thankful that new GM Larry Mattingly decided to give FASTRAK a shot with two events.  It’ll be unchartered territory for many of the racers, which will make things interesting.  We expect strong car counts for both nights as there will be no other competing events on Saturday or Monday plus FASTRAK has the night off at Raceway 7.  FASTRAK will run first on Monday to allow those teams that have traveled in from outside the area an early start home.”

The 17-event 2009 Touring Series kicked off on April 25 at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, West Virginia.  Mike Pegher, Jr. made his first ever start at the track a successful one as he scored the opening season $1,500 win to take the Series’ early point lead, which is guaranteed to pay $5,000 to the winner.

There have been 20 Touring Series races held all-time with 11 different winners.  Barton currently sits on top of the all-time win list at four, followed by John Lacki at three, Pegher, Max Blair, Alan Dellinger, and Bobby Powell with two, and Todd Andrews, Kyle Drum, Frank Guidace, Butch Lambert, and Carl McKinney with one victory.

“The growth of FASTRAK has been phenomenal,” described FASTRAK Northeast co-director Mike Leone.  “With nine weekly-sanctioned tracks and a record 17 Touring Series events, the growth just continues.  Full fields have been common in early season weekly events at Mercer, Tri-City, Raceway 7, Dog Hollow, and McKean.  New competitors are popping up every week and we expect a couple big name drivers coming out later this summer.  We have to give a call out to many of the Tyler County, West Virginia drivers that have really made their presence known competing at many of the other speedways outside their immediate area already.”

 

Feature payoff for Sharon & Mercer: 1. $1,200 2. $650 3. $450 4. $350 5. $325 6. $300 7. $275 8. $260 9. $255 10. $250 11. $225 12. $210 13. $200 14. $175 15. $165 16. $160 17. $155 18-24. $150

At Sharon, gates open at 1 p.m., while Mercer will open at pits at 2:30 and the grandstands at 3:30 with hot laps at 5:15 and racing at 6. 

There is a $50 entry fee for both events.  Any tech questions, call Brad Hibbard at 330-540-RACE.

Sharon Speedway is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305.  For more information, check out their website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481.

Mercer Raceway Park is a 3/8-mile dirt track located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 at 555 Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa.  The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday late mornings and after 1:30 p.m.  For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310.  Check out www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest. 

Following the Mercer event, the Touring Series will take another month off before returning to action on Saturday, June 27 for the inaugural event at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex in Markleysburg, Pa. 

To join our mailing list, simply send an e-mail to fastrakpr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.  Mike Leone and Vicki Emig can be reached at 724-964-9300.  E-mail to info@fastraknortheast.com and snail mail to 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143.  For more information, check out www.fastraknortheast.com.