RACING LEGENDS REUNION AND CAR SHOW OPENS THIS SUNDAY

News from the 27th Annual Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show

Media Contact: Brett Deyo - Deyo99H@aol.com or 845.728.2781

For Immediate Release/February 15, 2012

27th Annual Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show Opens This Sunday - Special Edition Apparel Goes On Sale; Week of Activity Set for Fairgrounds Square Mall Feb. 19-25

READING, PA - The annual Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show kicks off this Sunday (Feb. 19).

For the 27th consecutive year, race vehicles fill the Fairgrounds Square Mall, located on the former site of the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway in Muhlenberg Township. The show runs Feb. 19-25 during mall hours and features a wide variety of attractions for fans of auto racing's past, present and future. Admission to the show, which takes place during mall hours, is free of charge.

The show is open to all racers, speedways, clubs and sanctions. All types of racing vehicles, ranging from Quarter Midgets to Sportsman, Late Models, big- and small-block Modifieds, SCCA cars, Micro-Sprints, Slingshots, XCel 600 Modifieds and more will be on display. Vendors will be on hand selling racing collectibles and novelties from the present and past.

Special edition 27th annual Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show apparel has been produced by show supporter and official sportswear supplier Bob Hilbert Sportswear of Boyertown, Pa. The shirts feature the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Modifieds of Toby Tobias and the track's final winner Dave Kelly in addition to the No. z51 Mod driven by Fred Rahmer at Grandview (Pa.) Speedway. Rahmer, of course, is noted as one of Grandview's all-time greats as the speedway celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012. An official show program will also be on sale.

Each night of the show features a theme: Open Wheel Excitement featuring ARDC, URC, TSRS and more (Mon., Feb. 20), Modified Madness highlighting the stars of the region's big- and small-block Modified ranks (Tues., Feb. 21), Sportsman/Late Model Showcase (Wed., Feb. 22) and Small Car Spotlight (Thurs., Feb. 23). Personalities from each of the racing genres will be out to meet with fans and speak about their plans for the fast-approaching race season.

On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights, drivers representing different sectors of motorsports will tend bar at the Applebee's location adjacent to the mall on 5th Street Highway.

WEEU 830 AM "The Voice of Berks and Beyond" plans a live broadcast from the mall's center court on Wednesday (Feb. 22) afternoon from 3-5 p.m. featuring many of the past Reading Fairgrounds Speedway stars.

On Friday night (Feb. 24), the annual 'Home of Champions' Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Reunion is joined by a Grandview 50th Anniversary celebration at center court beginning at 7 p.m. Dave Kelly, the winner of the historic final event at the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway, will return north from his home in Florida to participate in Friday's festivities, sponsored by Cash Capitol and Savage 61 Dodge. A number of past champions and stars from Grandview will be on hand to celebrate the half-century history of the Bechtelsville, Pa., oval under the direction of the Rogers family.

The Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Racing Historical Society plans an expansive display at the show to include vintage and restored cars, past Reading Fairgrounds stars, memorabilia and more. The group works to maintain the storied history of auto racing at the 'Home of Champions' facility.

The popular BASH Awards Party returns to the Temple (Pa.) Fire Company on Friday (Feb. 24) following the activities at the mall. The BASH Awards party is often the most memorable event of the show for attendees! The BASH begins at 9 p.m. - after the activities end at the mall - and provides a Friday night fun destination to present show awards, enjoy some bench racing, beverages, snacks, racing films and music for dancing.

The highlight award of the BASH is the Don Marks Memorial Contribution to Motorsports Award, which will be handed out for the third time. Marks was a longtime photographer for Area Auto Racing News and served as the official track photographer for Grandview Speedway for more than a quarter century. An active Eastern Motorsport Press Association member, Marks passed away suddenly prior to the start of the 2008 season.

Annually, the Don Marks award is presented to an individual who has contributed greatly to the sport - media member, sponsor, promoter, driver, car owner, etc. Previous Don Marks Award winners are former racer/car owner/fabricator Dennis "Chico" Bailey (2011) and Area Auto Racing News publisher/editor Len Sammons (2010).

S&W Awards of Lindley, N.Y., has signed on as a show supporter and will produce eye-catching hardware for the BASH.

The 'Best of Show' award will be decided by show attendees via a ballot printed in the program book. Attending media members decide the remaining divisional awards: Best Modified, Best Late Model, Best Open Wheel, Best Restored Car, Best Micro-Sprint, Best Small Car, Best Go-Kart and Best Quarter Midget.

Racing films at the BASH are provided by GSP Video's Gary Silverman, the official videographer of the PA 358-Modified circuit at Big Diamond and Grandview. 'Jammin' Jimmy Payne of Lebanon, Pa. - a former racer - serves as the DJ for the second straight year.

Tickets are $10 each and will be available at the apparel/program stand during the mall show and at the door for the BASH. The Temple Fire Company is located at 4963 Kutztown Road Temple, PA 19560.

Mike Feltenberger, publisher of Strapped In magazine and host of the Strapped In television show, will organize alley model racing during the show. Contact Feltenberger at STARTERONE@aol.com for details. Feltenberger has been contacted by potential participants in six states and expects a huge turnout during the week.

Show participants include Grandview Speedway/Thunder on the Hill Racing Series, ARDC, Big Diamond (Pa.) Speedway, LANCO's Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway, URC, BD Motorsports Media, Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway, Montgomery County Quarter Midgets, EMMR, Speedway Entertainment and more.

For more information, visit www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com, e-mail Deyo99H@aol.com or call 845.728.2781.

27th Annual Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show Schedule of Events

Sunday, February 19 - 27th Annual Opening Day11 a.m. - Show Kickoff

Monday, February 20 - Open Wheel Night
7 p.m. - Meet Drivers from ARDC, URC, TSRS, SpeedSTR Series and more - Randy West, Brett Arndt, Greg Fitzpatrick, Chris Allen, Trevor Kobylarz, P.J. Gargiulo, Bruce Buckwalter Jr., Carey Becker and more
9 p.m. - Driver Bartending at Applebee's 5th Street Highway - Randy West, Chris Allen, Brett Arndt and P.J. Gargiulo

Tuesday, February 21 - Modified Madness Night
7 p.m. - Drivers from the area's big- and small-block Modified divisions hit the stage - Jeff Strunk, Ryan Watt, Mike Gular, Michael Weinert, Brad Missimer, Kevin Albert Jr., Kyle Weiss, Kyle Follweiler, John Willman, Brad Grim, Brad Arnold and more. Meet Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway's new promoter and legendary dirt Modified driver Doug Hoffman
9 p.m. - Driver Bartending at Applebee's 5th Street Highway - Ryan Watt, Mike Gular, Brad Missimer and Kyle Follweiler

Wednesday, February 22 - Sportsman & Late Model Showcase
3-5 p.m. - WEEU 830 AM Live Radio Broadcast with stars of Reading Fairgrounds at Center Court
7 p.m. - Meet drivers from the Late Model and Sportsman divisions -- Sportsman drivers talk about their new Saturday racing opportunities at Grandview Speedway - Craig Whitmoyer, Jared Umbenhauer, Bill Henning and more

Thursday, February 23 - Small Car Spotlight
7 p.m. - Meet drivers from the XCel 600 Modified, Slingshot, Micro-Sprint divisions and more (hosted by Area Auto Racing News columnist Barry Angstadt) - Jordan Dreher, Joe Fanelli, Eric Whitby, Zach Fisher, Steve Walters, Richie Hartman, Ryan Suchon, Jeromy Guistwite, Kevin Steele and more
9 p.m. - Driver Bartending at Applebee's 5th Street Highway - Richie Hartman, Joe Fanelli, Eric Whitby and Kevin Steele

Friday, February 24 - Salute to the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway and Grandview Speedway's 50th Anniversary Celebration presented by Capitol Cash Exchange and Savage 61 Dodge
6:30 p.m. - Meet drivers from the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway which hosted its final event in 1979 and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Grandview Speedway with stars from the past and present at the Bechtelsville, Pa., clay oval. Contact Donna Miller at TOTH98@aol.com for information on the Grandview celebration
9 p.m. - BASH Racing Party - Temple Fire Company - Tickets are $10 (purchased at the door or at the show apparel table) - Show awards presented including fan vote Best of Show, divisional awards and Don Marks Memorial Contribution to Motorsports Award. Racing films by Gary Silverman of GSP Video and music by DJ Jammin' Jimmy Payne

Saturday, February 25 - Family Fun Day
3 p.m. - The Next Generation Stars - Meet the driving talent of the future with Quarter Midget, Go-Kart, Junior Slingshot and other youth recognized

Alley Model Racing organized by Mike Feltenberger runs throughout the week!

- Mall Hours: Sunday 11 a.m-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. -