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News from the 25th annual Racing
Legends Reunion & Car Show presented by Reading Eagle
and WEEU 830 AM
Media Contact: Brett Deyo - 845.728.2781 or
Deyo99H@aol.com
For Immediate Release/February 27, 2010
Reading Stars Draw A Crowd; Sammons Wins Don
Marks Award; Hirthler Best of Show; Penn National
Tribute Ends Racing Legends Reunion Today
READING, PA -
Thirty-one years later, the stars of the Reading
Fairgrounds Speedway still draw a crowd.
Personalities from the Berks County
facility that hosted its final event in 1979 packed
the Fairgrounds Square Mall Friday night as part of
the Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show presented by
Reading Eagle and WEEU 830 AM. The show is held on the
former site of the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway and
the annual reunion has been a highlight for a
quarter-century.
Announcer Jeff Ahlum, dressed in a tie,
interviewed approximately 15 members of the 'Home of
Champions' racing community.
The night's "guest of honor" was Freddy
Adam, named the 'Kutztown Comet' by Reading announcer
Warren Ruffner. Adam, always a fan favorite, was a
20-time winner in Reading's full-blown Modified ranks.
He won twice in the track's flathead era as well.
Other Reading personalities interviewed
included Meme DeSantis, Hal Browning, Junior Mikosz,
Gary Gollub, Earl Derr, Red Coffin, Alan Carter, Bobby
Braxton, Whitey Kerschner, Del Bitting, Curt Weller,
Donnie Eskey, Archie Myers, Bruce Young, Al Gaspari
and Russ Smith.
After mall hours, attention turned to the Temple Fire
Company where show awards were presented at the Beer
City of Quakertown-Lee Myles Transmissions BASH Racing
Party.
The first-ever Don Marks Memorial
Contribution to Motorsports Award was presented to Len
Sammons, the publisher and editor of Area Auto Racing
News in Trenton, N.J.
Marks was the longtime track
photographer at Grandview (Pa.) Speedway, submitting
photos to a number of publications. His work was seen
in the pages of Area Auto Racing News weekly from
Grandview and many other tracks up and down the East
Coast. He was also an active member of the Eastern
Motorsport Press Association (EMPA). Marks passed away
suddenly in 2008.
Kevin Hirthler's No. 117 358-Modified
was named Best of Show by a voting panel of media
members and vendors. Brian Hirthler of Four Star
Lettering & Graphic Design accepted the award on his
brother's behalf.
Divisional winners included Jon Haegele
(Modified), Dave Shirk (Open Cockpit), Greg Hoffmaster
(Late Model), Tiffany Wambold (Micro-Sprint), Cassi
Pinder (Quarter Midget), Dakota Kohler (Go-Kart) and
Kevin Eyres (Restored/Vintage - Hyneman No. 126).
With 113 race cars on display, the show
concludes today (Sat., Feb. 27). 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.
Tonight (Sat., Feb. 27) Penn National Speedway, the
Grantville, Pa., oval that hosted its final race in
1996, will be recognized with a tribute sponsored by
LLANDCO Inc. at 5 p.m. Former racers, car owners,
officials and attendees are welcome to attend.
Among the 2010 show exhibitors are Grandview Speedway,
Big Diamond (Pa.) 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
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.
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:
www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com.
For further information on the Reading Eagle or WEEU,
log on to
www.readingeagle.com
or
www.weeu.com.
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