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 28, 2018 . . . One of the best-known names in motorsports, Darrell Waltrip, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame plus a Fox TV personality will be a headliner at the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2019 Race Car & Trade Show presented by Sunoco and distributed by Insinger Performance. The three-day show, now in its 34th consecutive year, will take place January 18-20, 2019 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.
This will be Waltrip’s first appearance at the PPB Motorsports show.
During his NASCAR Cup Series career that started back in 1972 at Talladega Superspeedway Waltrip was able to tally 84 victories of which 37 happened on Superspeedways. He earned 59 Cup poles. He is the only driver to win $500,000 in a season 18 times. And in 1990 he became the first Cup driver to win $10 million.
The 71-year-old was not only a big winner in Cup Series racing but also won in the NASCAR Busch Series, ASA, IROC, ARCA, NASCAR All-American Challenge Series, All-Pro, USAC and ARTGO Challenge Series. He was also a top competitor on short tracks in the Tennessee area when first starting his career.
The popular FOXSports TV personality, an analyst during the FOX coverage of NASCAR events, will be on center stage at the show on Saturday afternoon for two hours to talk about his racing career, TV work, books, movies, and so much more that has been part of his colorful career. Attendees will be free to ask the man named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers questions. And, of course, there will be autographs.
Fans might even want to ask him about a good deal on a new or used car at his Darrell Waltrip Automotive Group located in Franklin, TN, near Nashville. The huge dealership offers Honda, Volvo, Subaru, Buick, GMC and over 5000 certified pre-owned cars.
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.
Many organizations and speedways use the show to announce their schedules for the next racing season.
Many well-known racers and personalities will be a part of the three day show.
Additional news about show attractions will be announced in coming weeks.
The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center proves to be a popular location for the show because it is easy to get to and offers free parking.
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.
OAKS, PA January 2, 2017 . . . When legendary Sprint car racer Steve Kinser announced his retirement last season after racing in an Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions event at Lebanon Valley, New York Speedway it caught most by surprise. Kinser, winner of 876 Sprint car feature races during this career, will be talking about his retirement and more when he appears at the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2018 Racecar and Trade Show Fueled by Sunoco and Distributed by Insinger Performance at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA on Saturday, January 20. The popular show runs January 19 through 21st.
The 20-time World of Outlaws champion will do a one hour one-on-one interview, take questions from the audience and sign autographs at the stage area starting at 3 p.m.
Kinser, 63 years old, will talk about life on the road, his big wins, the hardest challenges and his 577 WoO victories earned during his five decades of racing.
The most successful Sprint car driver in the history of the sport earned victories in the Knoxville Nationals (twelve times) and had seven Kings Royal victories.
In addition to success in Sprint cars he also was a winner at Talladega Superspeedway in a 1994 International Race of Champions along with finishing 40th in the 1995 Daytona 500 and 14th in the 1997 Indianapolis 500.
Much like Richard Petty has been named the “King” in NASCAR, Kinser has been labeled the “King” in Sprint cars.
Kinser will be joining three time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart at the Motorsports show along with former NASCAR Cup crew chief and FOX TV personality Larry MacReynolds, World of Outlaw standout David Gravel and a number of local and regional racing talents.
The three day show offering just about everything imaginable in motorsports is set for January 19-21 and will offer more than 250 racing vehicles and displays filling the 250,000 square feet of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.
The 33rd annual show opens on Friday, January 19th 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 opens one hour earlier each day.
Check out www.motorsportstradeshow.com or call 609-888-3618 for further information
OAKS, PA OCTOBER 18, 2017 . . . Continuing with their efforts to keep everyone informed as to the latest news pertaining to the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2018 presented by Sunoco and fueled by Insinger Performance show a new website, www.motorsportstradeshow.com, is now up and operating.
With the 33rd edition of the popular race car and trade show set to take place January 19-21, 2018, just three months away, there will be much happening in regards to show activities and the new website, designed for easy use will be jam-packed with the latest information as the show dates come closer.
“Those interested in having the latest show information, show hours, ticket info, announcements of added personalities will only have to go to www.motorsportstradeshow.com for updates,” said show promoter Len Sammons. “We are always looking to make it easier for people to stay up-to-date and informed on the show. You’ll also find everything you need to know to exhibit at the event.”
The show is presented at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA and all 250,000 square feet show display space will be filled with just about everything imaginable in motorsports including over 200 race cars of all kinds.
“Exhibitors are encouraged to share their show plans, specials, and announcements with us beforehand so we can build some buzz leading into the event,” said Sammons.
With the Tony Stewart announcement that the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion will be meeting with fans and signing autographs on January 20th (12 noon to 2 p.m.) interest is running high and will continue to grow during the weeks leading up to the show.
“The new website is the first step in introducing a more interactive show where fans and exhibitors have the opportunity to engage outside of the aisle ways,” said website creator Jay Dugan of the Radical Design Group.
Exhibitors and those planning to be exhibitors have all the information they need on the new website to plan their participation.
“The show floor is nearly 75% full,” said Sammons. “Companies looking to exhibit are encouraged to contact show manager Danny Sammons at 609-888-3618 for available show space before it’s too late.”
Exhibitors can register for space here
Information is also available by emailing motorsports@aarn.com. “Like” Motorsports Race Car and Trade Show on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MotorsportsTradeShow.
OAKS, PA January 20, 2017 . . . With a large and enthusiastic crowd in attendance, the 2017 Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports Race Car & Trade Show opened at 2:00 p.m., for the first day of a three-day run in the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.
“Our Short Track Super Series and Georgetown Speedway booths were very busy all day,” said Heather Deyo, wife of STSS and Georgetown promoter Brett Deyo. “They were still three deep at our booths when the announcement was made that the show was closing for the day.”
Elsewhere, Hoffman Speed & Performance owner Keith Hoffman, who also is involved in the operation of Bridgeport Speedway, was extremely pleased with the turnout at the show and the business Hoffman Speed did.
“This was one of the best Fridays we have had since we started coming to show many years ago,” Hoffman said. Hoffman further noted that Bridgeport Speedway’s staff was doing a brisk trade in pit licenses, pit parking space sales and even 2016 souvenir merchandise liquidation.
Kevin Olson’s two hour autograph signing of his new book, ‘Cages Are For Monkeys’ kept the USAC star busy signing copies of books being purchased.
“The book is doing well, in its second printing, and I’m happy with the sales at the show so far,” Olson said.
Max McLaughlin was the winner of the Celebrity Go Kart Challenge, conducted at the Motorsports Show Indoor Electric Kart Oval Track. McLaughlin outran Anthony Perrego, Eric Kormann, Ryan Grim, Ryan Godown and DJ Hunt. The six were the qualifiers from a twelve driver celebrity field that ran two heat races.
A rear engine Midget that was designed, built and driven by Jerry Wall, now 82 years of age, was unveiled by Gary Mondschein, the architect of the restoration project while George VanVarick, owner of the car, looked on with pride. The car was campaigned by Wall in the early seventies, won eight times, then was effectively banned by rule changes that specified the route through the chassis the driveshaft was required to take.
“I thought about building the car after driving several Midgets including a mid-engine one,” Wall said. “I spent a year building it and wasn’t sure it would work. But did, too well,” Wall laughed.
The festivities of Day One served as a prelude to Day Two which will feature guest appearances by NASCAR Superstar Richard Petty and second generation NASCAR racer Jeffrey Earnhardt and the day will conclude Saturday night with the annual Ms. Motorsports Pageant.
Ms. Motorsports 2016, Arynne Moody will crown her successor.
The PPB Motorsports Race Car & Trade Show and Len Sammons Motorsports Productions advises those planning on traveling to the Show from New Jersey that the Pennsylvania Turnpike Delaware River Bridge has been closed indefinitely. Attendees should seek alternate Delaware River crossings north or south of the PA Turnpike Bridge.
The vast majority of the hundreds of race cars and exhibitors are in place on the floor of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center as of Thursday night at 8:00 p.m., seventeen hours before tickets go on sale for Day One of the PPB Motorsports Race Car & Trade Show in Oaks, Pa.
The Show runs from Friday, January 20 through Sunday, January 23.
Kevin Olson, noted for his USAC Sprint and Midget race car driver prowess and his outspoken nature, arrived at Philadelphia International Airport at 2:54 p.m., where he was met by Motorsports staffers Phil and Mary Good, who transported Olson back to his hotel room in King Of Prussia, Pa.
Olson will sign copies of his new tell-all book beginning Friday afternoon at the Coastal 181 Publishing Booth.
Second year exhibitor Jerry Higbie, Jr., owner of Hig Fab Chassis in Goshen, N.Y., shared the enthusiasm of most every exhibitor on Thursday set-up day, commenting, “No show in the forecast, you gotta love that.”
Higbie was referring to the 2016 Show which was weather affected. Nevertheless, Higbie was among a huge number of returnees for the 2017 Show. Numerous first time exhibitors including Extreme Energy Solutions of Sparta, N.J. are awaiting public scrutiny over the next three days,
Doors to the Show officially open at 2:00 p.m. Friday with pre-show viewing in the C-Hall section of the Expo Center starting at 1:00 p.m. On Saturday, Show hours are 11:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday will feature guest appearances by NASCAR Stock Car racing legend Richard Petty and aspiring talent Jeffrey Earnhardt. Saturday night will see the staging of the annual Ms. Motorsports
Pageant that will culminate with the crowning of Ms. Motorsports 2017 by her predecessor, Arynne Moody.
Visit www.aarn.com for a comprehensive schedule of events, exhibitors and days and times of guest appearances. Attendees are reminded that many drivers who are not scheduled for specific appearances are annual visitors to the Motorsports Show.
OAKS, PA January 17, 2017 . . . Racers coming out to the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2017 Fueled by Sunoco Race Fuels and Distributed by Insinger Performance Race Car and Trade Show taking place this weekend, January 20th thru January 22nd, will be able to see, touch and purchase just about everything imaginable in motorsports. And there will be several opportunities to improve their knowledge with a variety of FREE seminars.
The Hard-Core racing section is located in B-Hall with several race car chassis builders showing their wares including Bernheisel, Bicknell, Hyper, Xcel, Hig-Fab, Speedway Entertainment, Teo, Troyer and West Fabrications.
Then there are the part manufacturers such as DMI, Winters, Wilwood, Art’s Radiator, Jones Racing Products, Calaman Radiators, Keizer Wheels, Beyea Headers, Henry Stainless Steel Exhaust, ERK Steering and Fastners Specialty.
Bilstein, Eibach, Fox and VRP will be showing off shocks and springs.
Great deals on safety equipment is being offered with all noted brands including Simpson, Bell, Impact, Design 500, Velocita, K-1 Race Gear, Highside, Schroth, Stilo and Hinchman at the show.
Containment racing seats will be available to see and sit in with Butler, Kirkey and LaJoie.
Need to see what is available in tires you can check in with American Racer and Hoosier.
Sunoco and VP will have representatives there to talk about fuel.
Cargo Trailer Sales, Pit Pal Products and Capital Renegade will show what is new for race car trailers and haulers.
A number of speed shops that offer a large variety of products along with special manufacturer dealers will be display at the show.
Bring your note pads, pencils and recorders so you can keep track of what you will be learning at the FREE seminar sessions that include sponsorship, legal issues, the basics of racing, what you need to know about racing shocks, safety at the track and more.
Sure to gain a lot of attention is the Dorney Park and the New York State Fairgrounds Moody Mile Reunions.
Of course “King” Richard Petty, Jeff Earnhardt, Hall of Fame Midget racer Kevin Olson, Gary Balough, Jeff Hammond, Bobby Dillner and a host of other well-known names in the sport will be on hand to meet with fans and sign autographs. And there will be more than 250 vehicles on display representing just about all areas of the sport. Definitely do not forget the camera.
The popular Oliver Construction Enterprises sponsored MS Motorsports Pageant takes place Saturday evening. Youngsters get their day on Sunday, Family Day, with Little Miss Tiny Miss Motorsports along with Big Wheel Racing. Anyone interested in entering any of the different competitions can do so by arriving early at the show the day of the event and checking in at the stage area.
And for the young and old the go-kart raceway will be open each day starting 15 minutes after the show officially opens.
Check in at www.aarn.com to get full details on the show along with admission prices, show hours and much more.
For more info telephone 609.888.3618
Matt Sheppard, who turned the most potentially adverse moment of his driving career into the most productive season of his life, will be among the honorees on Saturday.
Sheppard will be recognized at Motorsports for winning 29 feature races in 2016, five more than any other driver in the Area Auto Racing News readership area. Each of the wins were in the Dirt Modified category.
“I didn’t have a lot of time to put a team together,” Sheppard remarked of the organization he nad his supporters formed after his release from HBR Racing in early December. “I hadn’t planned on being a driver-owner but it has worked out pretty well I’d say.”
Sheppard, of Waterloo, N.Y. ,will receive a check at the Motorpsorts Show for $200 as a divisional winner and $500 for the overall Northeast winners. Sheppard earned his fifth Super DIRT Car Series title with a record twelve wins and claimed track titles at Canandaigua and Utica-Rome Speedways in 2017.
Asphalt Modified driver Keith Rocco, on the strength of fifteen 2016 wins, is the Northeast winner in that category, Rocco, of Wallingford, Ct., earned a total of 23 features in 2016, with his 15 asphalt Modified wins the standard in that bracket. He also won seven asphalt Late Model races Rocco will receive $200 from Area Auto Racing News.
Mike Sweeney, asphalt Late Model specialist of Nesquehoning, Pa. topped all others in the AARN readership with nine features and will receive $200 from Area Auto Racing News for that achievement.
Tyler Walton of Mifflintown, Pa.. topped the 600cc Micro Sprint division with twelve wins to earn the Area Auto Racing News Top Northeast Winner title for the second straight year. Like Sheppard, Rocco and Sweeney, Walton will be honored at Motorsports.
Two other Top Northeast winners will be unable to attend the Motorsports Show for the best possible reason: they will be racing.
Dirt Late Model standout Max Blair, Titusville. Pa., won twenty Dirt Late Model features in 2016, fifth overall over the AARN readership. Blair will be ‘on the road’ during the Motorsports Show, en route to Dirt Late Model races beginning the next week in Georgia and Florida.
And Central Pennsylvania 410 Sprint star Greg Hodnett of Thomasville. Pa., is already racing Sprint cars, in Australia where he will remain until early February.
Sheppard, Rocco, Sweeney and Walton will meet and greet race fans at the Area Auto Racing News Booth No. 224 beginning at 5:00 p.m. and running through 6:00 p.m. Each will sign the annual Motorsports Show commemorative Top Northeast Winner color poster and pose for pictures with admiring fans.
The Northeast Top Winners will be interviewed on stage prior to the 2017 Ms. Motorsports pageant on Saturday beginning at 7:00 p.m. commemorative plaques will be presented and checks will be presented on stage by members of the Area Auto Racing News staff.
Rising NASCAR star Jeffrey Earnhardt will be part of the excitement at the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2017 Fueled by Sunoco Racing Fuels and Distributed by Insinger Performance Race Car TradeShow. Earnhardt will be signing autographs and meeting with the fans on Saturday, January 21 from 4-5:30pm.
Earnhardt, grandson of the late NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr., will be making his first appearance at the 32nd edition of the hugely popular show. He will join seven time NASCAR Cup champion Richard Petty, FOX-TV’s Jeff Hammond and Hall of Fame Midget racer Kevin Olson as they meet with fans, sign autographs and do interviews.
Jeffrey raced a limited schedule of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events in 2016 and has raced in 25 races since he kicked off his Cup career at Richmond International Raceway in 2015. He is expected to announce his plans for NASCAR Cup Series in the very near future.
The nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr. also has been a competitor in mixed martial arts competition.
The 27-year-old racer will be appearing on Saturday from 4-5:30pm as will “The King” Richard Petty from 1-3pm.
Show attendees will have the opportunity meet these major names in the sport along with many racers and personalities from local and regional racing.
Drawing a lot of attention is the Dorney Park and Syracuse ‘Moody Mile’ Reunions set to run throughout the three days.
More than 250 race cars will be on display including two that were driven by Richard Petty and a pair of race cars driven by the late NASCAR racer Ron Bouchard. The Ford powered Monster Energy NASCAR Cup car to be driven by Danica Patrick will be there along with the Haas Automotion Formula One entry giving attendees a chance for a close look.
There will be free autograph opportunities throughout the three days of the show with many tracks and racing series having some of their top racers on hand to meet fans. Many 2017 racing schedules will be released at the show.
Hardcore vendors offering, in many cases, what is new for racers. And fans will be able to seek out some bargains from collectible vendors.
The always popular Ms. Motorsports Contest will again be part of the Saturday activities.
There is still limited exhibit space available. Information is available from Danny Sammons at 609.888.3618 or danny@aarn.com.
Show hours, ticket info and more is available at www.aarn.com and click on the Motorsports link.
