BUSY RACING LEGENDS REUNION AND CAR SHOW KICKS OFF THIS SUNDAY

News from the 28th annual Berks-Schuylkill Oil Association Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show

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

For Immediate Release/Feb. 19, 2013

28^th Annual Berks-Schuylkill Oil Heat Association Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show Gets Underway Sunday (Feb. 24); Full Week of Activity Planned for Fairgrounds Square Mall

READING, PA – A full week of racing-related activity kicks off this Sunday (Feb. 24) at the Fairgrounds Square Mall.

The 28th edition of the Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show fills the shopping center, at the former site of the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway on 5th Street Highway in Muhlenberg Township, Pa., from Feb. 24-March 2. This year’s show features a new lead marketing partner in Berks-Schuylkill Oil Heat Association, with associate support secured from Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. and VP Racing Fuels.

Race cars of all shapes and sizes will be on display at show, which is free-to-the-public during mall hours, including big- and small-block Modifieds, Sprint Cars, Micro-Sprints, SpeedSTRs, ARDC Midgets, Late Models, Sportsman, Street Stocks, Slingshots, Quarter Midgets, XCel 600 Modifieds and more.

Fans of racing’s past will enjoy an expansive display of vintage and restored cars assembled by the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Racing Historical Society. A room full of memorabilia will allow attendees to take a step back in time to the famed ‘Home of Champions’ which hosted its final event in June 1979.

Vintage cars from the Penn-Mar group and Blast from the Past Vintage club will also be on display.

Many of the area’s top speedways and sanctioning bodies will be on hand to distribute information and meet fans and racers during the weeklong show. For the first time, both New Jersey dirt tracks – New Egypt Speedway and Bridgeport Speedway – will be present at the show. The new JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA of Kutztown, Pa., now led by Rich Tobias and Doug Rose, will assemble an expansive display.

Others planning to participate include Grandview (Pa.) Speedway/Thunder on the Hill Racing Series (featuring a wingless Sprint Car in their display), URC, ARDC, LANCO’s Clyde Martin (Pa.) Memorial Speedway, BD Motorsports Media LLC/Friesen-Deyo Promotions and the Montgomery County Quarter Midget Racing Club (Pa.’s Phoenixville Raceway).

The Checkered Flag Fan Club group will recruit new members and publicize their organization. The Reading Eagle newspaper – an avid supporter of local racing - also has plans to participate in the show.

There will be a number of vendors on hand selling memorabilia, photos and other novelties. Gary Silverman of GSP, will have DVDs on sale from the 2012 Pennsylvania 358-Modified Dual Track circuit and other special events, while events of yesteryear recorded on film will be sold by Snyder Video Productions.

Fast Action Motorsports Entertainment will be setting up their R/C track at the show all week. Up to 10 drivers can participate at one time. All those who race leave with a checkered flag. Big winners take home a trophy.

Mike Feltenberger will host his popular Alley Racing nightly through the show. Alley Racing was a popular addition to last year’s event and the recent Motorsports 2013 Race Car & Trade Show in Oaks, Pa.

Each night of the show has a theme: Open Wheel Night and a spotlight on Action Track USA on Monday (Feb. 25), Small Car Night hosted by Barry Angstadt Tuesday (Feb. 26), Late Model/Sportsman/Street Stock Night Wednesday (Feb. 27), Modified Madness Night Thursday (Feb. 27) and Legends Night/Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Reunion (March 1). Nightly activities begin in Center Court at 7 p.m.

There will be driver bartending at the Applebee’s adjacent to the mall (in the shopping center parking lot) on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights beginning at 9 p.m.

The BASH Awards Party is a show highlight. This year's edition is set for Friday, March 1 at 9 p.m. (after the show closes) at the Temple Fire Company of Temple, Pa. (4963 Kutztown Road Temple, PA 19560).

The BASH is a fun night out for fans of auto racing: get out and party with the racing community! Gary Silverman Productions shows highlights from past and present, including memorable moments from the most recent Pennsylvania 358-Modified season.

Show awards are distributed, including the prestigious Don Marks Memorial Contribution to Motorsports Award.

The Don Marks Memorial Contribution to Motorsports Award was first handed out in 2010 to honor the memory of late Grandview (Pa.) Speedway and Area Auto Racing News photographer Marks, who passed away in 2008. Previous award recipients include Bob Greene of Pioneer Pole Buildings (2012), car owner, fabricator and former racer Dennis ‘Chico’ Bailey (2011) and Area Auto Racing News publisher/promoter Len Sammons (2010).

The overall 'Best of Show' recognition for vehicles on display at the mall will be decided by a fan vote for the third consecutive year. The ballot can be found in the official Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show program book on sale at the show.

A number of divisional awards will be distributed as well, including Best Modified, Best Sportsman, Best Open Wheel, Best Late Model, Best Micro-Sprint, Best Restored Car, Best Quarter Midget and Best Go-Kart. Media members visiting the show vote on the divisional awards. The Sportsman classification is new for ’13.

The entertaining T.J. Fitzpatrick, known as 'TJ the DJ' has come on board to provide music for dancing at the BASH.

Snacks are provided, along with soda, at the BASH. There will be a cash bar. BASH tickets are just $10 and can be purchased at the door or at the apparel/program stand each night of the show.

This year’s show will pay tribute to a pair of prominent members of the local racing community lost recently. 2013 Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show apparel, designed by Bob Hilbert Sportswear, is a 'must-have' for fans of the sport. The shirt honors the racing career of dirt and pavement driver Doug Hoffman, who passed away unexpectedly on Christmas Eve 2012. Not only was Hoffman one of the Northeast's greatest drivers of all time, he also proved his meddle as a promoter at Mahoning Valley (Pa.) Speedway and Bridgeport Speedway.

The shirt features 10 of Hoffman's most memorable cars from his career ranging from his very first pavement Late Model for Dorney Park (Pa.) Speedway to the car he drove to his final victory: Sal DeBruno’s South Jersey Overhead Door No. 0.

Shirt pricing is set at $20 (tee shirts), $22 (long-sleeve) and $30 (hoodies/sweatshirts). Sizes 3XL and up add $3 extra for tee shirts, long-sleeve shirts and hoodies/sweatshirts.

Another area hero who passed away, the great 'Kutztown Komet' Freddy Adam, will be remembered with a photo tribute in the event program.

To learn more about the Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show, log onto www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com or e-mail Brett Deyo at Deyo99H@aol.com. BD Motorsports Media LLC is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BDMotorsportsMedia and Twitter @BrettDeyo.

28th Annual Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show Schedule of Events
Fairgrounds Square Mall, 5th Street Highway, Reading, Pa.

Sunday, February 24 - 28th Annual Opening Day

11 a.m. - Show Kickoff

Monday, February 25 - Open Wheel Night & Salute to ActionTrack USA

7 p.m. - Meet Drivers from ARDC, URC, SpeedSTR and more along with management representative from Action Track USA featuring Billy Pauch Jr., Ryan Smith, P.J. Gargiulo, Trevor Kobylarz and more

9 p.m. - Driver Bartending at Applebee's 5th Street Highway (adjacent to the mall): Ryan Smith, Billy Pauch Jr. & Brett Arndt

Tuesday, February 26 - Small Car Night

7 p.m. - Drivers representing the Micro-Sprint, Slingshot, XCel 600 Modified, Stage One Modified divisions featuring Richie Hartman, Jared Davis, Kevin Steele, Tim Carter, Christi Sweigart, Jessie Mohrer, Kim Enck, Doug Rose (Action Track USA co-promoter), Joe "Geezer" Fanelli, Dylan Hoch, Kassidy Kreitz, Dakota Kohler, Chloe Andreas, Amber Britto, William Mohring, B.J. Antonio, Richie Hitzler, Justin Schraden, Ronald Good and more

9 p.m. - Driver Bartending at Applebee's include Richie Hartman, Jared Davis, Kevin Steele, Tim Carter, Christi Sweigart, Jessie Mohrer, Kim Enck, Doug Rose, Joe "Geezer" Fanelli

Wednesday, February 27 - Late Model, Sportsman & Roadrunner/Street Stock Night

7 p.m. - Meet drivers from the Late Model, Sportsman and Roadrunner/Street Stock divisions featuring Paul Kline, Craig Whitmoyer, Jordan Henn, Chuck Schutz, Andy Haus, Kyle and Sean Merkel, Wayne Pfiel Jr. and more

Thursday, February 28 - Modified Madness Night

7 p.m. - Drivers representing the area's big- and small-block Modified divisions and recognition of Pennsylvania and New Jersey Modified racing at Big Diamond, Grandview, Bridgeport and New Egypt speedways featuring Duane Howard, Jeff Strunk, Neal Williams, Ryan Godown, Doug Manmiller, John Willman, Andy Burkhart, Ryan Watt, Nate Christman, Ryan Grim, Jordan Umbenhauer, Kyle Weiss, Barry White and more

9 p.m. - Driver Bartending at Applebee's 5th Street Highway (adjacent to the mall): Ryan Godown, Kyle Weiss, Neal Williams & Doug Manmiller

Friday, March 1 - Salute to the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway & Past and Current Car Owners

6:30 p.m. - Meet drivers from the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway which hosted its final event in 1979 and celebrate car owners of the past and present who keep our favorite drivers on the track

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 provided by 'TJ the DJ' T.J. Fitzpatrick

Saturday, March 2

All Day - 28th annual Curtain Closer - Let's Go Racing!

Alley Model Racing organized by Mike Feltenberger runs throughout the week

R/C Racing by Fast Action Motorsports Entertainment will run throughout the week

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