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.
