READING, PA - Small cars drew a large crowd to center court of the Fairgrounds Square Mall on Tuesday night.
Racers and fans of the region's small car divisions, including Micro-Sprints, XCel 600 Modifieds, Slingshots and Quarter Midgets turned out in full force for Small Car Night during the 25th annual Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show presented by Reading Eagle and WEEU 830 AM, held at the former site of the famed Reading Fairgrounds Speedway.
600cc Micro-Sprint Web site 600Scene.com presented a Small Car Roundtable, featuring Richie Hartman of RTS Chassis, Mike Dicely of Hyper Chassis, Kevin Steele, Micro-Sprint racer and 600Scene.com co-owner and JoAnne Mady, PR rep for the XCel 600 Mod Series filling in for a snowbound Doug Borger.
Small car Area Auto Racing News columnist Barry Angstadt served as moderator while Racers Roundtable radio show host Pete Knappenberger worked in the MC role and took questions from the crowd.
The expert panel discussed hot-button issues such as the cost of racing, track preparation, the influx of small-car divisions, winged vs. wingless racing and much more.
Prior to the Roundtable, small car racers Katie and Joe McCardle, Eric Whitby, Brad Arnold, Mike Freed, Matt Miller, Kurt Bettler and Quarter Midget talents Lauryn and Laurysa Seigfried, were interviewed by Pete Knappenberger on stage.
The show resumes today (Wed., Feb. 24) with Reading Plastic Fabricators Inc. 'Modified Madness Night' at the mall.
From 3-5 p.m., WEEU 830 AM will broadcast live from center court, setting the stage for the evening's activities.
Drivers scheduled to appear include New Jersey legend Billy Pauch, Grandview (Pa.) Speedway and Big Diamond (Pa.) Raceway talents Doug Manmiller, John Willman, Kevin Hirthler, Terry Meitzler, Jeff Strunk and Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway star Ryan Watt.
Don't miss the public debut of the BFP Specialty Young Guns: Mike Gular, Billy Pauch Jr., Jon Kellner Jr., Sean Merkel, Brad Missimer, Kyle Follweiler, A.J. DeSantis, Addison Meitzler, Jordan Umbenhauer, Kevin Albert Jr., Danny Nicholas, Carroll Hine III, Mike Lisowski, Jared Umbenhauer and Michael Weinert.
Six of the top Modified drivers will congregate at Randy's Raceway, an HO slot car track in the mall, at 6:45 p.m. for a celebrity slot car event.
Ms. Thunder on the Hill Cassi Pinder will be out during the evening as well.
At 9 p.m. Jeff Strunk, Mike Gular, Doug Manmiller and Kevin Hirthler will step behind the bar at Applebee's adjacent to the mall for celebrity bartending.
With 113 race cars on display, the show continues through Saturday (Feb. 27) with nightly activities planned. The show features a wide cross-section of racing vehicles, including vintage/restored cars, big- and small-block Modifieds, Late Models, Sprint Cars, ARDC Midgets, SpeedSTR Midgets, Sportsman, Roadrunners, Micro-Sprints, XCel 600 Modifieds, Slingshots, Go-Karts, Quarter Midgets and more.
Among the 2010 show exhibitors are Grandview Speedway, Big Diamond Raceway, Kutztown Fairgrounds (Pa.) Speedway, Thunder on the Hill Racing Series, URC, Reading Eagle, Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc., Speedway Entertainment (Slingshots and SpeedSTRs), Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Historical Society, RAACE Foundation, Doug Borger's XCel 600 Modifieds, Gary Silverman Productions, Dale Snyder Video, Clyde Martin Memorial (Pa.) Speedway, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Keystone State Quarter Midget Club, the NEETS Enduro Series and the Montgomery County Quarter Midget Racing Club
The annual Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Reunion (Friday evening, Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m.) and the LLANDCO Inc. Penn National Speedway Reunion (Saturday afternoon, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m.) are among the show highlights.
Show awards - including the first Don Marks Memorial Contribution to Motorsports Award - will be distributed during the popular BASH Racing Party to be held Friday night, Feb. 26 at the Temple Fire Company, just blocks from the mall, beginning at 9 p.m. Beer City of Quakertown and Lee Myles Transmissions are presenting sponsors of the BASH.
The BASH Party will feature music for dancing, a cash bar, racing movies (including 2009 footage from the Pennsylvania Dual-Track circuit) and plenty of bench racing. Tickets to the BASH are $10 and will be sold during the show and at the door.
Driver bartending at the Applebee's on 5th Street Highway, adjacent to the small, is planned for tonight and Thursday, Feb. 25 beginning at 9 p.m. each night.
Author Gary Ludwig appears nightly beginning at 4 p.m. and during mall hours on Feb. 27 to autograph copies of his best-selling book Tommy Hinnershitz, The Life and Times of an Auto Racing Legend, which will be on sale at the show.
Randy's Raceway of Kutztown, Pa., has set up his HO slot car track all week during the show. A celebrity race featuring Modified racers is planned for tonight's 'Modified Madness' program.
Vendors are on hand selling national and local racing memorabilia, collectibles, racing DVDs and much more.
For general show information, contact Brett Deyo at 845.728.2781, via e-mail at Deyo99H@aol.com or on the web: http://www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com/.
For further information on the Reading Eagle or WEEU, log on to http://www.readingeagle.com/ or http://www.weeu.com/.
25th Racing Reunion & Car Show Schedule of Events
Wednesday, February 24 - Reading Plastic Fabricators presents Modified Madness Night
3-5 p.m. - WEEU 830 AM Live Radio Broadcast (Stage)
7 p.m. - Meet drivers from the area's big- and small-block Modified divisions - Drivers scheduled to appear: New Jersey legend Billy Pauch, Grandview Speedway & Big Diamond Raceway talents Doug Manmiller, John Willman, Kevin Hirthler, Terry Meitzler, Jeff Strunk & more, Bridgeport Speedway star Ryan Watt - Don't miss the debut of the BFP Specialty Young Guns: Mike Gular, Billy Pauch Jr., Jon Kellner Jr., Sean Merkel, Brad Missimer, Kyle Follweiler, A.J. DeSantis, Addison Meitzler, Jordan Umbenhauer, Kevin Albert Jr., Danny Nicholas, Carroll Hine III, Mike Lisowski, Jared Umbenhauer & Michael Weinert - Meet Ms. Thunder on the Hill Cassi Pinder
9 p.m. - Drivers Jeff Strunk, Mike Gular, Doug Manmiller & Kevin Hirthler Guest Bartend at Applebee's 5th Street Highway (adjacent to mall)
Thursday, February 25 - Joe Adams Lettering LLC presents Late Model & Sportsman Night
7 p.m. - Drivers from the Grandview Speedway Late Model division and regional Sportsman division - Kevin Kovac of the World Racing Group reports on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series - Drivers scheduled to appear: Sportsman stars Jason James, Michael Weinert, and Daryl Dissinger, Late Model talents Brian Shuey, Chuck Schutz, Bryon Sipe, Nate Christman, Kyle Merkel, Kurt Spotts (additional drivers TBA) - Meet Ms. Thunder on the Hill Cassi Pinder
9 p.m. - Drivers Brian Shuey, Chuck Schutz & Nate Christman Guest Bartend at Applebee's 5th Street Highway (adjacent to mall)
Friday, February 26 - Salute to the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway - 31 years later!
6:30 p.m. - Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Reunion (Stage)
9 p.m. - Beer City of Quakertown BASH Racing Party - Temple Fire Company on Kutztown Road (tickets available for $10 during show & at the door) - Sound provided by Lee Myles Transmissions - Presentation of the first Don Marks Memorial Contribution to Motorsports Award - PLUS Show Awards, Music for Dancing, Racing Movies, Cash Bar, Snacks and more.
Saturday, February 27 - Salute to Penn National Speedway presented by LLANDCO Inc.
5 p.m. - FIRST EVER Penn National Speedway Reunion presented by LLANDCO Inc. of Leesport, Pa., a landfill construction company (Stage) - Former drivers, owners, officials, sponsors, fans, etc., gather to remember the Grantville, Pa., oval that closed its doors in 1996.
- Mall Hours: Sunday 11 a.m-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. -
*Schedule subject to change
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