OAKS, PA January 2, 2019 . . . The legacy of one of the all-time great Sprint Car racers, Greg Hodnett, will be remembered at the annual Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2019 Show Presented by Sunoco Race Fuels Distributed by Insinger. One of the Mike Heffner-owned No. 27 Sprint Cars that was driven by Spring Grove, Pa.’s Hodnett will be on display and a special benefit auction for his family will be held.
Hodnett was fatally injured in a Sprint Car accident on September 20.
His Sprint Car and auction items will be on display near the front entrance of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa. during the show which runs from Friday, January 18 through Sunday, January 20.
Greg’s wife of 15 years, Sherry, is planning to be at the event to thank fans for their out pouring of support during her difficult time since his passing.
Sherry Hodnett has agreed to do hold a one hour discussion in a seminar room at the show on Saturday starting at 1 pm. to share what she has struggled through since Greg’s death in hopes of helping others be better prepared.
Tribute T-shirts and stickers will be on sale during the show and several collectable items will be selected for silent auctions.
On Sunday, January 20, the auction will take place in the E-Hall Stage area from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. More than 40 racing items from national and local Sprint Car racers will go up for auction, with funds raised benefitting Sherry and the Hodnett family.
The 49-year-old Hodnett, originally from Memphis, Tenn., won more than 250 features covering the World of Outlaws, All Star Circuit of Champions, Pennsylvania Posse and other events. He was also a multi-time champion at a number of tracks.
Several of his own personal items will be part of the auction, including a Hodnett race-worn helmet and driving suit. There will also be a No. 27 wing panel and other items from the race cars he had driven.
Other items already received for the auction include a signed door panel from Kyle Larson’s NASCAR Monster Energy Cup race car, a signed piece of Jimmie Johnson’s Lowe’s NASCAR Cup entry and a Kasey Kahne Sprint Car wing panel. Many more items are expected before the benefit date.
A full list of items will be available at auctionzip.com, and will be on display during the three day show.
More than 200 racecars, representing a variety of divisions in the sport, will be on view during the Motorsports show which has more than 200,000 square feet of display space. And, many top racers and motorsports personalities will be appearing. As usual, all autographs will be free during the three day event.
Headlining the show will be NASCAR Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Ray Evernham along with Ryan Preece who will be looking to capture NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors.
There will be a large number of displays with speedways offering information on their 2019 seasons. Hardcore racing vendors will be a big part of the show and fans will have the opportunity to gain some bargains from vendors offering collectible items.
A number of free industry seminars will be offered.
One of the most popular events during the three day show has been, and will again be, the Ms. Motorsports Pageant sponsored by Aqua Duck Water Transport that will see one woman walk off with a $1,500 cash prize along with a poster deal.
Motorsports 2019 opens on Friday, January 18 at 2 p.m., then at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The show closes at 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 4 p.m. on Sunday. On Sunday, all children 12 and under are FREE with a parent.
Tickets are available daily at the door one hour before the show opens. To stay informed on the latest show news check in at www.motorsportstradeshow.com or call 609-888-3618.
A few display spaces and room for race car display remain as the show is on its way to becoming another sold out success.
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MEDIA NOTE: Requests for media show credentials should be directed to Earl Krause at earl@aarn.com. Thanks for your support.
By HERB ANASTOR
It has taken several years to get this done, but NASCAR Hall of Famer and Fox TV personality Darrell Waltrip will appear at the 34th Annual Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2019 Race Car and Trade Show (Jan. 18-20) here at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.
Scheduled for an on-stage interview and two-hour autograph session on Saturday afternoon Jan. 19, Waltrip has long-been one of the racing stars that everyone has wanted to see at the show. And with that now being realized, his presence should be one that is long-remembered.
An interesting thing about Waltrip, though, is that some racing fans only know him as a very popular NASCAR TV broadcaster and analyst. But the 71-year-old native of Owensboro, Kentucky, is a lot more than that.
Like a lot of kids growing up in the late 1950s and early 1960s, a Go-Kart was a fun way to spend some time and as a 12-year-old in 1959 Waltrip began his racing career doing just that.
Then he and his father Leroy built a 1936 Chevrolet coupe and took it to the old quarter-mile-dirt Ellis Speedway in nearby Reed where the 17-year-old rookie spun his No. 6 into the third turn’s outside concrete wall on his first lap of practice. And the result was a banged-up radiator, damaged right-front suspension and disheartened young driver.
Waltrip, though, was determined to do a lot better and soon found his winning ways at Ellis on Friday nights. But it was on Saturday nights at the 3/8-mile-asphalt Kentucky Motor Speedway in Whitesville where he really shined as after he changed his car’s setup for that surface he was a regular winner there with the skills and smoothness that he developed racing Go-Karts.
As a result of his good showings, Waltrip got the seat in Harry Pedley’s “Big 100” in KMS Late Model events and in the late 1960s driver/car owner P.B. Crowell encouraged him to move to Franklin, Tennessee, and drive his and Charles Reed’s red and white No. 48 Chevelle Late Model Sportsman at the high-banked 5/8-mile Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville.
Now the competition was tougher and purses were bigger but Waltrip quickly adjusted to the tasks at hand and won a record 67 feature races. Plus, he was a two-time (1970 and 1973) Fairgrounds Speedway Champion in his No. 17 Terminal Transport Chevrolet Chevelle; a car numbered in honor of his favorite driver, fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson.
However, another thing happened at Nashville, which boasts of producing more NASCAR National Series drivers than any other track in America. Waltrip was not shy about publicity so that factor became a big help to the track in promoting its events.
At this time, the personable and well-spoken barnstorming short-tracker was earning his living wherever the money and competition was the best. And his first NASCAR Cup Series start was on May 7, 1972, in the Winston 500 at the 2.66-mile Talladega (Alabama) Superspeedway in his two-tone brown No. 95 Terminal Transport 1971 Mercury Cyclone whose chassis had been under the No. 11 Holman-Moody Ford that Mario Andretti used to win the 1967 Daytona 500.
In 1975, though, Waltrip began to run in NASCAR’s Cup Series as a full-time driver and when all was said and done he won 84 races, tied for fourth on the all-time list with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison. And that total includes 43 wins (1981-1986) and three (1981-1982 and 1985) championships driving the various cutting-edge No. 11 Chevrolets and Buicks fielded by NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and car owner Junior Johnson.
But winning series races was not all Waltrip did with the cars Johnson built in the small rural Wilkes County community of Ingle Hollow, North Carolina, for in 1995 he used the white and red No. 11 Budweiser Chevrolet Monte Carlo at the 1.5-mile Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway to win “The Winston” – the inaugural NASCAR All-Star Race.
After his tenure with Johnson, Waltrip went on to drive the orange, yellow and white No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports/Tide Chevrolet to nine wins (1987-1989), including his only Daytona 500 victory in 1989 after which he celebrated in Victory Lane by doing “The Ickey Shuffle.”
He then became a car owner and won five Cup races in his No. 17 Western Auto Chevrolet (1990-1998) before finishing out his career in: the No. 1 Pennzoil Chevrolet of NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Sr. (March-July 1998); Tim Beverly’s No. 35 Tabasco Pontiac (August-November 1998); and; the No. 66 “Big-K” Ford Taurus owned by Travis Carter (1999-2000).
Waltrip also competed in nine NASCAR Truck Series events (2002-2005) then he retired from racing after competing on July 22, 2006, in the Goody’s 250 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series race at the half-mile Martinsville (Va.) Speedway where he started 41st and finished 28th on the lead lap in the No. 99 Dodge Charger owned by his younger brother Michael.
Among Darrell’s notable NASCAR Cup Series victories are his record five in the Coca-Cola 500 at Charlotte and his 12 at the high-banked half-mile Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway where he won seven straight times between 1981 and 1984. While his last triumph in NASCAR’s premier series took place in the 1992 Southern 500 at the 1.366-mile Darlington (S.C.) Raceway; his only victory in NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway race at “The Track Too Tough To Tame.”
It is also fair to say that “D.W.” usually knew the quick way around any track where he raced as in 809 Cup Series races (1972-2000) he claimed the pole position 59 times, a mark only bettered by four other drivers – NASCAR Hall of Fame members Richard Petty (123), David Pearson (113), Jeff Gordon (810 and Cale Yarborough (69).
He also raced in what was then NASCAR’s Busch Grand National Series where he won 13 times in 95 starts, a record that includes five victories in the season-opening 300-mile race at Daytona International Speedway with the No. 88 DiGard Chevrolet (1978-1979) and with his own No. 17 DarWal, Inc. Pontiac (1983-1984) and Chevrolet (1989).
He was also the first driver to earn over $10 million in prize money and banked nearly $20 million in his racing career. And he won at least one NASCAR Cup Series race every year between 1975 and 1989.
Named in 1998 as one of NASCAR’s Top 50 Drivers Of All-Time, Darrell also brought a new kind of personality to what had been a mostly-regional Southern sport. Surely, NASCAR had seen its share of interesting racers and down-right characters, but he was brash and frank and not what everyone easily accepted.
On the other hand, he was also identified as NASCAR’s first “total package driver;” a skilled professional Stock Car racer who had his eye on all aspects of the sport, including the usage of the very cooperative media that was always on the lookout for something new and different even if those in power in NASCAR and in the Garage Area were not ready for that arrival.
As a result of Darrell’s outspoken attitude, though, he earned the nickname “Jaws” from Yarborough. But it was also Yarborough who saw something special in the candid racer and later on when the fellow three-time (1976-1978) NASCAR Cup Series Champion and 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee was about to cut back on his own racing schedule with Junior Johnson, he privately advised his former nemesis to look into getting that ride.
Others also were paying attention to the kind of racer that Darrel was as he was smooth and fast and always running at the head of the pack and that kind of performance – as well as winning lots of races – easily made him a popular figure with the fans and the array of new sponsors that had become attracted to NASCAR Stock Car Racing.
Darrell also grew with the sport that he was helping to make grow and his talents on the race track helped him to gain further acceptance among his older rivals who were not used to such a different approach to many things. And as time passed by he became among the most-respected in his craft and fittingly – along with Petty and Earnhardt Sr. – was often consulted by fellow racers and the sanctioning body, itself, on matters affecting the sport and NASCAR.
What came next for Darrell when he retired from racing? Well, he easily transitioned into a TV broadcaster; something he had some previous experience doing even while he was an active racer. This time, though, he would be in the Fox TV booth and the first race that the network would ever telecast was the 2001 Daytona 500.
Ideally, this was a great place for Darrell to start his new career as he knew the track very well and won NASCAR’s biggest race there. But as everyone who saw the broadcast knows, he and the rest of those covering the race – including race announcer Mike Joy and fellow analyst Larry McReynolds – unexpectedly had to deal with the unimaginable.
In the fourth turn on the last lap of the race, an otherwise ordinary three-car tangle ended the life of the much-beloved Dale Earnhardt Sr. And what made this situation even more unbelievable is that the two Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolets that “The Intimidator” had entered in the event – the No. 15 of Michael Waltip and the No. 8 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. – were heading for a 1-2 finish while the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion was holding down the third position in his iconic black and silver No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
It was evident that what was playing out on screen was something that tugged both ways at Darrell for while he showed genuine excitement as his younger brother took the 500’s checkered flag, he also expressed considerable concern as he looked from his broadcast location into the fourth turn where the unthinkable had happened to his friend.
In retrospect, broadcaster and world-class racer Darrell Waltrip was one who helped all get through a tragic situation that in many respects caused a major transformation in the sport itself. And his popular efforts TV efforts continue to be part of the NASCAR Racing Scene today.
There are also some other things of note about NASCAR’s 1989-1990 Most Popular Driver.
Darrell’s Christian faith is very important to him and his wife Stevie who have been long-time supporters of Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) which provides spiritual support to racers and their families and they will celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary this coming August 15.
In addition, the father of two daughters – Jessica and Sarah Kaitlyn – has always been an advocate for driver safety and that includes the use of SAFER Barriers [steel and foam energy reduction walls], full-face helmets and head/neck restraining devices.
The former professional short-track racer has also never forgotten those roots; something he proved in 1987 when he returned as a top NASCAR Cup Series racer to what was then-known as the Motor City Complex in Nashville and won the American Speed Association’s prestigious All American 400 in his own No. 17 Tide Chevrolet Camaro.
While on the business side of things he owns Honda, Volvo, Subaru and Buick/GMC automobile dealerships in Franklin, Tennessee.
As far as Darrell’s 2012 entry into the NASCAR Hall of Fame goes, 82 percent of the votes cast were in his favor. And part of what he had to say at his induction says a great deal about him.
“I’ve had a marvelous career . . . [but] this is not about me. It’s not about what I’ve done. It’s not about wins, statistics or anything else.
“Tonight it’s about family; thank the good Lord that they’re all here. It’s about all my friends who came from miles away to be here, and it’s about all the fans that are back there that have supported me all through the years, and it’s about NASCAR and what they’ve been able to do with it sport, and I’m just glad I was able to be a part of it.”
Then, sometime after his induction, Darrell explained a little more about this honor.
“You never know when you retire from one career what the future holds,” he began. “I was known for putting on a helmet and driving a racer car and now I am known for putting on a tie and holding a microphone. I’ve been blessed.
“What make the NASCAR Hall of Fame special is that you are voted into it by your peers. Fifty men go into a room and discuss the work you have done and what you have contributed – what kind of results you have gotten – and they look at a lot of different criteria.
“There are people in that room that you have driven against that don’t necessarily like you, there are media people that didn’t agree with you and there are NASCAR officials that you’ve had disagreements with. But at the end of the day when they say you are Hall-of-Fame material, it’s like icing on a cake.
“You invest; you invest; you invest,” he added. “That’s what a career is; investment. You put in the time; you put in the work; you put in the investment.
“You get the results and hopefully those numbers all add up and people agree you deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. It’s as good as it gets.”
OAKS, PA October 9, 2018 . . . NASCAR Hall of Famer Ray Evernham will be a big part of the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2019 Trade and Race Car show, the 34th annual edition, taking place at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA January 18-20, 2019.
Evernham is best known for his work with Hendrick Motorsports and as crew chief for Jeff Gordon which led the team to three NASCAR Cup Series championships and 47 wins during their time together. However Evernham has also been a NASCAR Cup car owner, a race car driver, author, car builder, father, husband, TV and radio personality and an automotive genius.
During his participation in the show Evernham will take center stage on Friday night to talk about his career in the sport and answer questions from the audience. And there will be a special video that will honor Ray for his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame earlier this year.
A fact often overlooked is that the media named Ray the greatest crew chief of all time.
Since age 15 Evernham has worked on race cars. He has designed, built and driven some of the most advance cars known to man.
Filling up a large display area of the show will be race cars that have had Ray’s handiwork during his career.
Jeff Gordon’s Dupont No. 24 rookie season car on which Evernham was the crew chief
Bill Elliott’s No. 9 which won the Brickyard 400 with Ray as the crew chief and owner.
Jim Bauma’s No. 19 asphalt Modified which Ray raced at Wall Stadium, New Egypt Speedway and a few other tracks during his race driving days.
And the Tom Park No. 2p dirt Modified which he won his last pavement race at Flemington Speedway with.
At present Ray is able to share his passion for auto racing and reveal the untold stories of the sport through his TV show titled Glory Road on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
The Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2019 Race Car & Trade Show Fueled by Sunoco and Distributed by Insinger Performance, which fills 250,000 square feet of show space with just about everything imaginable in motorsports, includes free seminars, autograph opportunities, a large number of speedway and sanctioning organization displays plus the famous Ms. Motorsports Pageant.
For more information check in at www.motorsportstradeshow.com. And for those looking to be a part of the displays quickly filling the show contact Danny@aarn.com or call the show office at 609-888-3618.
OAKS, PA January 21, 2018 . . . The 34th Motorsports Race Car & Trade Show ended its run Sunday at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa., with awards presentations, pageants and indoor Big Wheels racing for the sport’s younger set.
Outstanding booth awards were presented in eight categories. Best Open Cockpit car was the Gotshall Automotive No. 1A Super Sportsman car in the BAPS Speedway booth, Best Modified was the No. 19 Dirt Modified of Jared Umbenhauer in the Thunder On The Hill display, Best Commercial Booth was the Teo Pro Car exhibit, and the Kutztown Fairgrounds Speedway was judged Best Race Track Or Club booth.
Best Quarter Midget Club booth was Blackbird Speedway’s Space Odyssey themed display, Best Vintage Club Display was the Tri State Racing Memorabilia layout, Best Vintage Stock Car was the restoration of the mid-seventies No. 17 driven by the late Dick Tobias that fronted the Coastal 181 booth, and the Best Vintage Open Cockpit car was the 1963 Watson Roadster Indy Car owned by Ken Keiholz of Cincinnati, Oh.
Brynn Klotzbach, 10, of Phoenixville, Pa., was named Little Ms. Motorsports with Gracyn Buckwalter and Kaitlyn Bailey first and second runners-up. Twenty-nine girls competed.
Jayde Pratt, 6, of Sewell, N.J., was named Tiny Ms. Motorsports with Kayla Glass and Madison Michael first and second runners-up. Jayde is the daughter of Dirt Modified driver Richie Pratt, Jr. There were eleven contestants.
Sixty exuberant youngsters, over three different age categories, competed in the Big Wheel races that concluded the organized events at the show.
As the 4:00 PM closing hour approached, exhibitors continued to do brisk business. Bob Hilbert Sportswear’s Motorsports 2018 event shirt inventory was at less than ten odd-sized pieces. The 2018 Motorsports Show program sold out early Sunday afternoon.
Dates for the 2019 Motorsports Show will be announced shortly.
OAKS, PA January 19, 2018 . . . The doors swung open in the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center Friday afternoon at 2:00 PM on Friday, January 19 and by the end of day one, PPB Motorsports Race Car & Trade Show exhibitors reported excellent sales and plenty of mingling with either existing business contacts or new ones.
“We like to be right at the center of the show,” commented Bridgeport Speedway promoter Brian Ramey. “And our location is right the middle of the show. All of our officials are here, a lot of our fans are here and we’re meeting people who have never before been to our track.”
At the Coastal 181 Booth, Lew Boyd and Cary Stratton had trouble keeping many of the books they were selling on their shelves.
“It’s been crazy busy this afternoon,” Boyd said. “I can’t imagine what tomorrow is going to be like.”
The main event of Day One was a racing themed rendition of ‘The Tonight Show’, featuring racing personalities Dino Oberto and Bob Marlow and produced by Gary Mondschein. The production, which featured drivers who had raced at the Pine Brook Speedway, played to an enthusiastic ‘studio audience’.
Day Two of the Motorsports Show will begin at 11:00 AM with the doors opening. At 12:00 Noon, NASCAR Superstar Tony Stewart will be “in the house” to sign autographs until 2:00 PM. NASCAR Crew Chief and on-air personality Larry McReynolds will be making an autograph signing appearance on Saturday afternoon starting at 1:30 PM while Steve Kinser, the winningest 410 Sprint Car driver of all time, will sign autographs and meet and greet fans from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.
Saturday’s events will reach its culmination with the crowning of Ms. Motorsports 2018, sponsored by Oliver Construction. Ms. Motorsports 2017, Taylor Albert, will crown her successor at the end of the competition.
The final day of Motorsports 2018, Sunday, Jan. 21, will be dedicated in large measure to the interests of the younger racing fans. Show doors swing open at 11:00 AM. Kids Big Wheel races, a tradition of the Motorsports Show, will be conducted on a special track while the Little Ms. Motorsports pageant will be held for ‘future Ms. Motorsports contestants’. One of the first official duties of Ms. Motorsports 2018 will be the crowning of Little Ms. Motorsports.
The 34th Motorsports Show will continue until 4:00 PM Sunday afternoon.
Dates for the 35th Motorsports Show will be announced shortly.
OAKS, PA (Thur.) – The PPB Motorsports Race Car & Trade Show, which officially opens on Friday, Jan. 19 inside the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa., is moving into the Center’s 250,000 square feet of exhibitor space.
As of Thursday aftenoon, a little over twenty hours before the Show’s doors open to the public at 2:00 PM Friday, an estimated 75% of the more than 150 commercial exhibitors and a like percentage of the 250 race cars registered for the Show were in the building.
“The weather is good for move-in day and we’re seeing more and more of our exhibitors arriving earlier than usual,” Len Sammons, show organizer, said. “And with very nice weather forecast for the three days of the show, we are expecting very good crowds.”
At the lavish Pioneer Pole Building Display, PPB staff was vacuuming the carpet its booth, after having placed the Modifies of Billy Pauch, Sr., and Craig Von Dohren and several others.
The Short Track Super Series and Georgetown Speedway booths were taking shape. Brick pavers and landscaping mulch featured the Georgetown Speedway featured car, the Super Late Model owned and driven by Ross Robinson. Robinson himself was helping promoter Brett Deyo and Deyo’s wife Heather even out the decorative material.
Preparations were in high gear at the Behrent’s Performance Warehouse booth were Jeff Behrent, Jeff Heotzler and others were pricing fire suits, helmets and related personal safety equipment. Behrent’s is among many exhibitors that have been in all 33 previous Motorsports Shows.
Booth building was also proceeding at a rapid pace Thursday afternoon at the Bridgeport Speedway display, the New Egypt booth, the Lincoln Speedway exhibit and dozens of others.
The 34th PPB Motorsports Race Car & Trade Show officially opens Friday, January 19 at 2:00 PM. Featured Friday, beginning at 7:00 PM, is a racing themed reprise of television’s The Tonight Show, starring Dino Oberto, and featuring reflections of the Pine Brook Speedway, which raced from 1962 through the late eighties before it closed.
PPB Motorsports runs from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM Saturday, January 20. The full day will be highlighted by the personal appearances of three time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart, who will sign autographs from 12:00 Noon through 2:00 PM. Also making an appearance will be former NASCAR Crew Chief and current on air personality Larry McReyolds, and The King, Steve Kinser, the all time World of Outlaws Sprint Car champion.
Top northeastern race winners will appear throughout the day to sign autographs. And a gallery of former stars from Pine Brook Speedway will be on hand to swap stories with one another and with fans.
The festivities heat up beginning at 7:30 PM with the staging of the annual Ms. Motorsports Pageant, sponsored by Oliver Construction. Ms. Motorsports 2017, Taylor Albert will crown her successor at the end of the always well-attended event.
The Show’s third and final day, Sunday, January 21, is dedicated to the younger race fans, featuring the Little Ms. Motorsports pageant and Kids Big Wheel Races. Doors on Sunday swing open at 11:00 AM.
For more information about the 2018 PPB Motorsports Race Car & Trade Show, visit www.MOTORSPORTSTRADESHOW.com
OAKS, PA January 15, 2018 . . . School will be in session, sort of, at the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2018 Race Car and Trade Show taking place at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA January 19-21.
In addition to the show, filling 250,000 square feet of show space with just about everything imaginable in motorsports, opportunities to learn are being offered. For just the price of an admission ticket to the show attendees will be able to attend seminars on the basics of racing, legal issues, Micro Sprint racing with Mike Dicely of Hyper Racing, Dirt Late Model Set-Ups with the Bernheisels, Basics of Sponsorship with John Snyder, Safety at the track with Warren Alston and more. Some highly respected people in the industry to be part of the long list of seminars.
Wingless open cock-pit racing has been growing in popularity in recent years. Levi Jones, a seven-time USAC national champion and current top runner Chad Boespflug will help guide local winged racers into the world of wingless Sprint Car racing at a Saturday seminar. They will talk about the changes needed for what will be a new journey for many planning to race the new regional USAC wingless 360 Sprint Car series this year as well as the annual Eastern Storm events for the National USAC Sprint division.
More than 250 racing vehicles and booth displays will be in place for the three day show with three time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart topping the list of participants. In addition former NASCAR Cup winning crew chief and FOX TV personality Larry MacReynolds will be there along with 20-time World of Outlaws Sprint Champion Steve Kinser and rising Sprint Car standout David Gravel along with a long list of local and regional racers.
A long list of speedways and sanctioning organizations will be offering information on their 2018 season plans.
The Pine Brook Speedway Reunion will be a big part of the show featuring cars and drivers from that era.
Show attendees will have many, many opportunities to meet racers and collect autographs, take photos and get up close with the many racing vehicles on display during the three days.
The show opens on Friday, January 19 at 2 p.m. and closes at 9. Doors open on Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. The box office and D-Hall exhibit area open one hour earlier each day. Free parking is available.
Check out www.motorsportstradeshow.com or call 609-888-3618 for further information.
MOTORSPORTS 2018 SEMINARS
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Friday, January 19: (Show Hours 2 to 9 p.m.)
5:00 – 6:00 PM: (Room 1) The Basics of Racing – Set-up, tire and general maintenance on Street/Pure/Factory Stock and Front Wheel-Drive (asphalt and dirt) “U-car” divisions. Presented by Roy Anderson of Anderson Race Cars.
6:30 -7:15 PM: (Room 2) Legal Issues in Racing, and with the Racing Business – Presented by attorney Meri Van Blarcom-Gupko of Wiley, Malehorn, Sirota and Raynes legal firm. A practicing lawyer with an auto racing background, she will answer racing-related legal questions that you may have, such as sponsor liability, insurance and what responsibilities you need to be aware of as a racer and/or track operator. Open to racers and promoters/track managers. (Note: Legal questions will be answered at no charge during the presentation).
Saturday, January 20: (Show Hours 11 Am To 9 P.M.)
11:30AM – 12:00PM: (Room 2): NEW DIVISION! The Pennsylvania 600 Restricted Micro Sprint class will make its debut in the area in 2018. Wayne Lesher and Mike Dicely will share their vision for the division from young racers ages 10-16 years old.
1:00 – 3:00 PM: (Room 2): INTRODUCTION TO 600cc SPRINT RACING AND 600cc SPRINT CHASSIS SETUP – An introduction to 600cc Sprint racing and 600cc Sprint chassis setups presented by Mike Dicely of Hyper Racing. The first 15 minutes will be dedicated to offer the basic information needed for a race team considering a move to 600cc Sprints. This is ideal for the beginner, someone moving from Quarter-Midgets or anyone interested in the sport. The next 45 minutes will be dedicated to an introduction to 600cc Sprint chassis setups. There will be a Q & A after.
1:15 – 2:15 PM: (Room 1) – Dirt Late Model Set-ups and Chassis Tuning – presented by Jim Bernheisel, and sons Brandon and Bryan, of Bernheisel Race Components/ Lazer Chassis. The Bernheisel family, one of the sport’s experts in dirt Late Model chassis building and driving.
2:30 – 3:30 PM: (Room 1): BRIDGEPORT CRATE SPORTSMAN MEETING – Bridgeport Speedway will be allowing only 602 crate engines in their Sportsman division in 2018. At the meeting Pace Performance, KillerCrate, Bridgeport tech, and Bridgeport’s service centers will be present for comments and questions. All 602 Crate- Sportsman drivers who intend on competing at Bridgeport are encouraged to attend.
3:15 – 4:15 PM: (Room 2): The Basics of Race Team Sponsorship – Presented by race team Media Relations consultant and motorsports journalist John Snyder. The basics you need from writing proposals and who do send them to is covered from an expert who has had winning success for decades with several drivers including Brett Hearn.
3:45 – 4:45 PM: (Room 1) INTRODUCTION TO WINGLESS SPRINT CAR RACING – Levi Jones, one of the most decorated drivers in the history of the United States Auto Club (USAC) and current top series racer Chad Boespflug, will help guide local winged racers into the world of wingless Sprint Car racing. They will talk about the changes needed to your race car, help in set-up as well as what you need to be prepared for in what will be a new journey for many in the northeast with the new regional USAC wingless 360 Sprint Car group starting this year as well as the annual Eastern Storm events for the National USAC Sprint division.
5:00 – 6:00 PM: (Room 1) SAFETY AT THE SPEEDWAY – Presented by Warren Alston, a veteran racing flagger and official; and by profession an Emergency Medical Services Chief and Occupational Health Technician. The first part of the seminar will cover what safety measures are, or should be, in place at local racetracks. Topics will include Safety Terms, Kinematics of Trauma, Scene Survey in an accident, Rapid Assessment (RPM) and Treatment Priorities. It will be followed by an actual demonstration, with a race car, of the “team approach” to remove an injured driver. A “must attend” for racetrack first responders, but also open to fans and track management/officials.
4:30 – 5:30 PM: (Room 2) WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RACING SHOCKS – Presented by Mike Walton and Bruce Harwood of Fox Shocks. Hear from the experts how you can tune your race car with shocks, what effect gas PSI has, linear vs. digressive valving, shock maintenance and how to read a dyno sheet. This informative seminar will conclude with a question and answer session.
5:45- 6:35 PM: (Room 2): Taking Photos at the Track – For the “amateur” or the person looking to enter the business, this seminar provides “the basics” of racing photography. One attendee will get a chance to take photos at the Ms. Motorsports competition, with the professionals! Hosted by award winning racing photographer Bob Yurko of Area Auto Racing News
6:15 – 7:15 PM: (Room 1): SPRINT CAR HELP – Greg Hodnett’s winning crew chief Ryan “Roach” Hand will share his knowledge of preparing a Sprint Car for dirt track competition from the work in the shop to pre-race jobs at the speedway. Hand will be open to answer questions from attendees as well.
Sunday, January 21: (Show Hours 11 Am To 4 P.M.)
Noon – 1:30 PM: (Room 1) – USAC Quarter-Midgets Regional Meeting – With the addition of several new quarter-midget clubs in the area, USAC will be conducting a meeting with new and old members to outline the exciting season ahead for the .25 Midgets both locally and nationally.
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OAKS, PA JANUARY 14, 2018 . . . Variety could be a word to describe the Sunoco Race Fuels/Insinger Performance display at the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2018 Race Car & Trade set to take place Friday, January 19th through Sunday, January 21st at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.
Five different racing vehicles, representing a variety of divisions of motorsports, will be part of the display along with the popular Sunoco Race Fuels Prize Wheel that give all attendees a chance to participate and have the chance to win small apparel and other items by spinning the wheel.
Hurlock Auto & Speed Sports of Hurlock, MD will be using their participation in the show with Sunoco to announce their team plans for 2018. Their dirt Modified will be part of the huge display at the front of B-Hall at the show.
Veteran Dirt Late Model racing talent Mark Pettyjohn will have his new Swartz by PJ1 race car on display. “We are really excited to have our new car on display,” said Pettyjohn. “We are proud to have Sunoco Race Fuel as a marketing partner, their products are the best in the industry and results show it.” In addition to be a winner at eight different tracks over the years, Pettyjohn was the 2013 Three State Flyers Dirt Late Model Series Champion and in 2017 won the Camp Barnes Benefit Race at Delaware International Speedway.”
Philadelphia Racing Engine/Products will have their National Hot Rod Association Competition Eliminator Drag Car there. The I/SM Chevy Cavalier is driven by Richard Schonberger who is a member of the Schonberger family that has been involved in the sport for several generations and operate Philadelphia Racing Engines. Richard also competes in the I/A class within the NHRA Competition Eliminator division driving an Oldsmobile Cutlass.
Alex Mayer will attract attention with his Mayer Motorsports North America Formula 1000 entry out of Harleysville, PA. He is fresh off his 2017 National Championship effort.
Another attention getter will be the two American Racing Mower Association modified mowers one with Insinger Performance sponsorship and the second one sporting the Sunoco Fuels sponsorship. The spec fuel for the series is Sunoco Optima, unleaded non-ethanol fuel for 4-cycle small engines in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. These machines are capable of reaching speeds of 70 mph. The Gas plus Oil Premixed fuel will be the featured product sponsor on the Insinger Performance mower. Also Insinger Performance is launching the Opitimal Premix Non Ethanol Fuel for 2 cycle small engines.
Teams involved with the display will have hero cards and handouts for attendees and will be able to sign them during the three day show.
More than 300 racing vehicles representing all forms of motorsports will be on display during the three days of Motorsports 2018, January 19-21 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.
Headlining the show will be three time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart along with 20-time World of Outlaws title holder Steve Kinser, rising Sprint Car talent David GraveL, FOX TV personality Larry MacReynolds and a number of local and regional racing talents.
The show, the 33rd annual edition, offers just about everything imaginable in motorsports and includes free seminars, Oliver Construction Ms. Motorsports Pageant, autograph opportunities and a large number of speedways and sanctioning organizations showing what is new for 2018.
For more information check in at www.motorsportstradeshow.com.
OAKS, PA January 5, 2018 . . . Waterloo, N.Y.’s Matt Sheppard will be honored by national trade publication Area Auto Racing News as the top 2017 Northeast feature race winner at Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2018 presented by Sunoco and fueled by Insinger Performance. Sheppard, who won 41 dirt Modified feature events will be in the spotlight on that Saturday of the show held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa., on January 19-21.
On his way to the AARN’s top honors, Sheppard became the first driver since Brett Hearn to win more than 40 features in a season. Hearn, the veteran driver from Sussex, N.J., won 42 features in 2002 and reached 900 career victories this past season.
Sheppard was also the top AARN winner in 2016 when he won 29 times. For his 2017 accomplishment, he will receive a beautiful painting by Ken Frantz, a plaque for winning the most in the dirt Modified division and $700.
Sheppard and other divisional top 2017 winners will be honored at the stage prior to the Oliver Construction Ms. Motorsports competition. Others receiving divisional awards are David Gravel (Open-Cockpit, 20 wins) Matt Hirschman (Asphalt Modifieds, 17 wins), Mike Sweeney (Asphalt Late Model, 10 wins), Max Blair (dirt Late Model, 23 wins) and Tyler Walton (600 Micro-Sprints, 10 wins).
Despite living in Watertown, Ct., an area rich in asphalt racing, David Gravel has become a super star in dirt Sprint Car competition. In 2017 he won 20 features, including 18 on the World of Outlaws tour where he finished third in points. At the Motorsports Show, Gravel’s CJB Motorsports Muddy No. 5 team will have both their new car and its hauler on display for the fans.
Hirschman, a second-generation racer from Northampton, Pa. won 17 feature events last year despite racing less. Like Sheppard, he won over 50% of the asphalt Modified feature races he entered.
For the second straight year Max Blair and Mike Sweeney topped the dirt and asphalt Late Model division respectively. Blair was a big winner at many Western Pa. dirt tracks. Sweeney dominated at his home track, Pa.’s Mahoning Valley Speedway, where he won the championship.
Tyler Walton of Mifflintown, Pa. was a big winner in 600cc Micro-Sprint competition for the second straight year as well.
All the award winners will participate in an autograph session signing a special colored poster available free only at the show to fans at the AARN booth display from 5 to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Going back to 1978 when Area Auto Racing News started keeping track of the most wins in a Northeast season, the record is 52 jointly held by three drivers. Former NASCAR star Geoff Bodine won 52 mains in 1978, NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans did so in 1979 and Sprint Car racer Doug Wolfgang tied the mark in 1985 while battling Central Pa. competition. There has not been another driver to reach the 50 win mark since.
The most wins recorded since 1978 by a dirt Modified racer such as Sheppard was 48 by Billy Pauch Sr. in 1990. Bob McCreadie took 47 wins in 1994.
Also headlining the show on Saturday, January 20, will be three time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart who is now turning his racing efforts to the Sprint Cars. Former NASCAR Cup Series crew chief and FOX TV personality Larry MacReynolds will also be part of the Saturday activities along with 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve “King” Kinser.
More than 250 racing vehicles and booth displays will make up the three day event that fills 250,000 square feet of show space.
The show opens on Friday, January 19 at 2 p.m. and closes at 9. Doors open on Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. The box office and D-Hall exhibit area open one hour earlier each day.
Check out www.motorsportstradeshow.com or call 609-888-3618 for further information.
By HERBANASTOROAKS, PA – One of the cars that is sure to be a “must-see” at the 33rd Annual Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2018 Race Car and Trade Show presented by Sunoco and fueled by Insinger Performance here at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (Jan. 19-21) is Ray Evernham’s 1936 Chevrolet Sedan Modified Stock Car.And what makes this “currently one-off,” pearl-white, blue and red “No. one 9 teen” so special is that it was designed by Evernham from a clean sheet of paper using all of his knowledge from over 40 years of racing in combination with some of the most-modern technology available.“We did it the old-school way with modern technology, but without CAD [computer-aided drafting] and simulation,” said the 60-year-old Evernham who will not be at Motorsports 2018 due to his induction that weekend into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.“The 1936 Chevy Sedan was my favorite race car when I was a kid watching the races in New Jersey and I just wanted to see what I could do building a car without regard to any rules or specifics; something that was neat.”As Evernham sees it, “The Ghost” – which got that name due to the pearl white Axalta-provided paint scheme – is what a modern-day Modified Stock Car would look like if it combined his admiration for old-school automotive styling and aesthetics with his knowledge and access to modern-day technology and performance.And he certainly has the background to design and build such a machine for prior to his years as a three-time (1995 and 1997-1998) NASCAR Cup Series Champion Crew Chief for Jeff Gordon in the famed No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets, Evernham raced Asphalt Modifieds at New Jersey’s old 5/8-mile Flemington Fair Speedway and on the one-third-mile at Wall Stadium where he won seven feature races on the Belmar high banks (1976-1981).Although primarily funded by Valvoline, the car was built on a small budget by Evernham, along with lead mechanic Eddie Bohn and lead fabricator and painter Dan Baker at his Big Iron Garage in Mooresville, North Carolina. And he plans to compete with it in some Sportscar Vintage Racing Association events this year at Road Atlanta, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pikes Peak and some other places just to see how his ideas turned out.To get things started, the chassis was designed as a combination of a current NASCAR Asphalt Modified, an SCCA Trans-Am Sports Car and a little bit of a NASCAR Cup Series car. And while the main frame rails are rectangular 2” x 3.125” mild-steel tubing, a NASCAR-style 1.75” round .095 mild-steel DOM-tubing integral roll cage is what provides the driver’s protection.Weighing-in at 2,650 pounds with driver and fuel, the 52.5”-high “concept car” features a nicely-done, all-steel body with opening doors and a Plexiglas windows while the cockpit contains: Sweet Manufacturing Rack and Pinion Steering; an MPI-GT-13-A Steering Wheel by Max Papis; a Kenny’s Components Carbon Fiber Racing Seat; a Schroth Racing 5-Point Safety Harness; a Tilton 800-Master Pedal Assembly and Cylinders; a Safecraft AT10 Dual-Hose Fire-Suppression System; and an accessible oil tank and battery.A custom-fabricated ATL 22-Gallon Fuel Cell is mounted in the rear, an AirJax Air-Powered Racecar Lifting System get “The Ghost” off the ground when that occasion arises and hand-formed chrome bumpers give the car some of the glitz that was evident in former days.Under the car’s pleasingly-shaped aluminum hood (no fiberglass is used anywhere) is an all-aluminum, 410-cubic-inch/850-horsepower Chevrolet SB2 engine built by Pro Motor Engineering that uses an old-school Kinsler fuel-injection unit controlled by a new-school electronics system from AEM Performance Electronics. And to get the most out of that package Evernham opted for: Kooks Stainless Steel Headers and Exhaust Pipes; a custom-built C&R Racing Radiator and Oil Coolers; a Jerico Performance Products 4-speed transmission; a custom carbon fiber driveshaft; and, a Winters Aluminum Center Section Quick-Change rear end with a 4:12 ring and pinion.“The Ghost” has a 63” front tread and its suspension features unequal length A-arms with mono balls, adjustable degree steel spindles and coil-over shocks by JRi Shocks with Hyperco springs. While in the back the 67” rear tread’s suspension uses 36” aluminum radius rods and FK Rod Ends with a single adjustable Neuline torque arm, front-center-bearing-mounted Watts link, coil-over shocks by JRi Shocks and springs by Hyperco.As far as tires go, front Goodyear Eagle Racing D1570s are on 13” x 16” Aluminum Wide 5 Real Racing Wheels, while in back Goodyear Eagle Racing D1751s use 14” x 16” Aluminum Wide 5 Real Racing Wheels. PFC Brakes with ZR94 Zero Drag Calipers (41mm and 44mm staggered pistons front and 29mm and 36.5mm staggered pistons rear to reduce pad taper and wheel locking) and Zero Failure Discs with V3 disc technology control the stopping.And the car’s final inventory is it electronics: an AEM Performance Electronics Infinity Series 7 Engine Management System; an AEM Performance Electronics CD-7 Digital Dash Display; an AEM Performance Electronics Vehicle Dynamics Module GPS/G-Meter; AEM Performance Electronics Smart Coils; and, wiring from Brown and Miller Racing Solutions.Because Evernham wants “The Ghost” to perform in a variety of situations, it was constructed with a wide range of adjustability so it can be set up to compete on ovals, road courses, drag strips and hill climbs. And to accommodate its open wheels, downforce was created through a top-rear-mounted aerodynamic wing and making the underside of the chassis like that of a 1980s Indy 500 racer – flat all the way until it reaches the back where the air meets a huge rear diffuser.If anyone who sees this car would like to have one for his or her own, that can be arranged as Evernham is interested in building some others.“As much as I like coming to work every day and just creating whatever comes to mind, we need to run a business, too,” said the designer and builder.“I think it is dang cool. It’s something I want to drive, and I hope that others feel the same way and want one, too.“That’s what it takes to let us come up with other ideas like this moving forward.”
