RACE OF CHAMPIONS MODIFIED SERIES TO MAKE MAIDEN VOYAGE TO BLACK ROCK SPEEDWAY ON JULY 11th; EVENT TO BE PROMOTED BY DAN HARPELL
KIRKWOOD, NY…Black Rock Speedway in Dundee, New York will play host to the Race of Champions Dirt Modified Series on Wednesday, July 11th. It will be the first time the series has competed at the Yates County oval and marks the return of former Five Mile Point Promoter Dan Harpell to the promotional ranks.
Harpell and track owner Dean Hoag have reached an agreement to bring the Race of Champions Series to Black Rock for the first time. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Harpell as he served as Race Director and handled the Public Relations duties at the track in the late 1980‘s.
The best Modified drivers in the northeast will converge on the fast 4/10ths mile semi banked clay oval to compete for the $5,000 top prize. The Race of Champions Street Stock Series will join the show along with the FWD Four Cylinders, who will compete in a qualifier for their season ending $10,000 to win enduro.
“I’m really excited to get back into doing what I love to do and that’s promoting races”, said Harpell. “I look forward to working with Dean Hoag and his staff to put on a first class show at a track that will be neutral ground for the drivers”. Black Rock, which is located just outside of Watkins Glen in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region, has not run Modifieds on a regular basis in several years. “Some of the drivers that will be in competition will be visiting the track for the first time and I am absolutely certain they will love what they see when they get there”, added Harpell.
Hoag, an outstanding racer in his day in Modifieds and Supermodifieds, is the son of legendary driver Dutch Hoag, a five time winner of the Race of Champions. Dean’s son Alex used to compete on the Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Series. It’s a natural tie in to run a Race of Champions series event at a track that is owned by someone that knows full well the history of the Race of Champions. “I was there for my father’s wins in those Race of Champions events and have very fond memories”, said Dean Hoag. “It’s really a thrill to be able to host a Race of Champions event at my track. It kind of brings history back full circle for me”.
Black Rock Speedway has been the sight of some tremendous racing since its gates swung open in 1957. Modifieds, Late Models and Sprint Cars are just a few of the divisions that have served as the headliner over the years. Some of the greats in racing have competed and won at the track including Bob McCreadie, as well as Danny and Alan Johnson in the Modifieds. Alan Johnson won the season ending Modified special last fall. Waterloo’s Steve Paine dominated the track in its final years of running Modifieds weekly. Tony Stewart has competed in a sprint car at the track on several occasions as well as a one time stint in one of Paine‘s backup Modifieds. Empire Super Sprint star Lance Yonge got his start racing in the Modified division at the Dundee oval and is a former Track Champion.
For fans that will be making their first visit to the track they will be impressed. “The facility is first rate”, said Harpell. “I have always loved the covered grandstand at Black Rock. It creates a fairgrounds type atmosphere“, he added. There are VIP Rooms on both the homestretch and the backstretch, which is where the pit area is located. It also provides plenty of space for camping on the grounds. Most importantly the track is fast, wide and very racy. Expect multiple racing grooves and plenty of action.
Fans can expect to get a lot of bang for their buck at this show. Plenty of things are now in the planning stages to make this a memorable, fan friendly event. “I have a bunch of ideas floating around in my head that we plan to bring to fruition over the next few months”, said Harpell. “I will work hard to produce the best show in the business for both the fans and drivers alike”, he added.
More and more details will be announced in the coming weeks as the excitement builds up to July 11th and the first ever appearance of the Race of Champions Modified Series at Black Rock Speedway. It’s not too early to start making your summer plans now so be sure to mark down July 11th on your calendar as a must see event.
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