Special Nights; Something For Everyone In 2014 At JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA
Kutztown, Pa. – A highly successful inaugural season ended way too early in the opinion of many racers and fans. And the long, cold, and harsh winter made it seem as though spring, and the start of another slate of wild Wednesdays, when folks are able to scratch that itch and get their midweek motorsports adrenaline rush, would never arrive.
But spring has indeed sprung, and it won’t be long until the sweet aroma of methanol fills the air and clay is tossed by angry right-rear tires and race fans will wear an ear-to-ear smile because the green flag will wave on the new season at the JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA on the Kutztown Fairgrounds!
And the 2014 campaign, much like its 2013 predecessor, will have something for everyone, and every Wednesday will be special in its own way.
The season kicks off in traditional style, with the running of the Goldie Meitzler Memorial, honoring the memory of the matriarch of the family that built the fairgrounds oval in the mid-90’s. This year is the second under co-promoters Rich Tobias and Doug Rose, and the facility they renovated and reconfigured prior to last season is ready to once again host the USAC sanctioned Sunoco SpeedSTR’s, the Pioneer Pole Building Wingless 600 Sprints, and the NAPA Auto Parts All Star Slingshots.
The season opening Goldie Meitzler Memorial is set for Wednesday, May 14, after a test-and-tune practice night on Monday, May 12. Practice will begin at 6:30 on the 12th, while the opener begins with hot laps at 6:15 and qualifying at 6:35 on May 14.
Racing will continue on successive Wednesdays through June 18, then the track takes its annual break on June 25 and July 2 when the PA Heritage Festival takes over the fairgrounds.
The season resumes on July 9 and runs through August 17, a Sunday, which will mark the season finale. The final race will follow closely on the heels of the Fair Week Nationals, when motorsports takes center stage on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, August 12, 13, 14, and 16, during the annual Kutztown Fair.
Fans will be treated to candy scrambles, KME First Responder Night with fire truck demonstrations, FFA Night with antique tractors and belt-sander drag races, Big Wheel races, and much, much more throughout the busy season.
Racers are in for a treat, too, as the SpeedSTR features will continue to pay a hefty $2,000 to win and a couple of special shows that will pay even more! The Flying Farmer 40 on June 4, paying tribute to the late, great Tommy Hinnershitz of Oley, PA, offers a $3,000 payday to the victor. And the year’s curtain closer, the 2nd Annual Dick Tobias Classic, will see the SpeedSTR pilots wage 60 laps of all out war as they battle for a $5,000 winner’s share!
With those dollar signs dancing in their eyes, it’s no wonder that northeastern talents like Brightbill, Strunk, Eckert, Montieth, Mahaney, Planck, father and son Pauch, and Schutz will be joined by SpeedSTR newcomers Earl Paules, Frank Cozze, Kyle Lick, Richie Pratt Jr., Kyle Weiss, Pancho Lawler, Ryan Krachun, Anthony Perrego, Lee Nardelli, Brett Michalski, and Larry Solomon and all the SpeedSTR regulars. It’s the tri-state’s dirt track racing version of the IROC Series, and it makes the Kutztown Fairgrounds the place to be on Wednesday nights this summer!
The immensely popular Wingless 600cc throttle-jockeys will be racing more laps for an increased purse this year, too. And they, along with the All Star Slingshots, will also have the opportunity to pay a “gambler’s fee” each week. The extra money will significantly increase the amount a driver can take home if he or she pulls off the victory in his/her respective main event.
Tour Races and the fourth annual Dutch Classic, presented by NAPA Auto Parts, will feature big pay days for the Slingshot drivers. They will also compete in the second annual Kutztown Komet 100, the race that honors the memory of the late Freddy Adam, a true legend in the dirt Modified division who lived in Kutztown.
The Slinger Tour dates are June 11 (Mid-Atlantic Silver) and August 6 (also Silver), while the Dutch Classic, offering National Tour points, is slated for July 30.
The Wingless 600 Sprints will be featured in Twin 30-lap features during Micro Madness on July 23. They’ll also run a high-paying event on Wednesday, August 13, which is night #2 of the Fair Week Nationals.
Last season, Jay Hartman of Flagtown, NJ succeeded his brother, Jay, as Wingless 600cc point champion. Jay will return to defend his title, and Jeff is hungry to get back on top. “The Thrill” Kyle Lick is back, and this year he’ll be a teammate to constant front-runner Billy Pauch Jr.
Perhaps the darkhorse contender for the 2014 championship is Tim Buckwalter, who honed his skills in the 600’s before moving on to ARDC Midget and now 358 Modified competition, while still dabbling in 600cc action. When the green flag flies at the Action Track USA, Buckwalter, from Douglassville, will buckle into the potent Barry Greth No. 71 – a combination that could well be the team to beat this season.
The Junior Slingshots visit the JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA on six occasions, with a Junior National event inked for Tuesday, August 12 – the first night of Fair Week.
Wingless 270cc Sprints will make three appearances this season. They will compete on June 18, August 12, and in a big money Fair Week National on August 14.
One of the highlights of the 2014 schedule occurs on June 18, when the second annual Ronnie Tobias Memorial takes place. Twin 17-lap features for each division will be contested that evening, with the SpeedSTR’s, Wingless 600 and Wingless 270 Sprints, and the All Star Slingshots filling the menu and providing fans with EIGHT feature races on one night! There won’t be any heat races on that date; timed warm-ups will set the fields in all four classes.
In addition to its website, www.actiontrackusa.com, all the latest news and information can be found on the speedway’s Facebook page and on Twitter.
To get your midweek motorsports adrenaline rush, there’s only one place to be this summer…at the JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA on the Kutztown Fairgrounds!
