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Small Car Racing Looms Large On Reading Plastic Fabricators Tuesday Night At Fairgrounds Square Mall; 600Scene.com Small Car Roundtable A Hit |
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| posted by BrettDeyo
on 02/23/11 |
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READING, PA - Small car competitors loomed large Tuesday night during the 26th annual Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show presented by Reading Eagle and WEEU 830 AM.
Drivers representing Micro-Sprint, XCel 600 Modified, Slingshot, Stage One Modified and Legends Car divisions took the stage at the Fairgrounds Square Mall as Reading Plastic Fabricators presented 'Small Car Night' at the show, which runs through this Saturday (Feb. 26).
Pete Knappenberger, a Slingshot driver and host of the Racers Roundtable radio show, brought numerous small car personalities to the stage, including Micro-Sprint talents Tiffany Wambold and Tom Schearer, the two most recent XCel 600 Modified champions Tyler Bartik (2010) and Eric Whitby (2009), XCel stars Jeromy Guistwite and Ryan Suchon, versatile Micro/Slingshot racer Kurt Bettler, Slingshot/Stage One Modified racer Brad Arnold, Slingshot racers Matt Miller and William Mohring and Legends Car winner Tim Henry.
Following the interviews, Barry Angstadt of Area Auto Racing News hosted the 600Scene.com 'Small Car Roundtable' that included 600 Pro Series promoter Wayne Lesher, XCel 600 Modified founder Doug Borger, Mike Dicely of HYPER Chassis, Legends standout Tim Henry and Kevin Steele of 600Scene.com. Mike Feltenberger of Speedway Entertainment provided Slingshot insight to the discussion. The group hit on many hot-button issues in the small car world.
The small car contingent filled center court with a large crowd during the evening.
The show continues tonight (Feb. 23) with BFP Specialty 'Modified Madness' Night. BFP Specialty of Bethel, Pa., will announce the 2011 class of the Young Guns to race on the Pennsylvania 358-Modified circuit. Modified drivers scheduled to appear include Craig Von Dohren, Jeff and Glenn Strunk, Mike Gular, Doug Manmiller, Kevin Hirthler, Ryan Grim, John Willman, Terry Meitzler, Brad Grim and more. On-stage activities begin at 7 p.m.
The BFP Specialty Young Guns will be available for autographs at the BFP display, adjacent to Center Court, following the interviews.
At 6:30 p.m., the Randy's Raceway Slot Car track will host a celebrity driver race to include Kevin Albert Jr., Kyle Follweiler, A.J. DeSantis, Addison Meitzler, Michael Weinert and John Willman. Randy's Raceway is set up just outside Center Court.
After show hours, Doug Manmiller, John Willman, Ryan Grim and Kevin Albert Jr. are scheduled to serve as guest bartenders at the 5th Street Highway Applebee's location adjacent to the mall beginning at 9 p.m.
Earlier in the day, from 3-5 p.m. WEEU 830 AM hosts a live broadcast from the mall featuring many of the former Reading Fairgrounds Speedway stars.
The 2011 edition of the Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show, 'powered by VP Racing Fuels' has filled the Reading, Pa., 5th Street Highway shopping center with 114 beautifully-prepared race cars including dirt Modifieds, Sportsman, XCel 600 Modifieds, Sprint Cars, dirt and pavement Late Models, ARDC Midgets, Slingshots, Micro-Sprints, vintage Modifieds, Stage One Modifieds and more.
The Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Racing Historical Society turned back the clock with an expansive display featuring vintage/restored race cars and a tribute to the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway 'Home of Champions' which closed its doors in June 1979.
Collectibles, racing videos and printed materials, speedway/sanction displays, local speed suppliers, racing organizations and the popular Randy's Raceway slot car track provide plenty to keep show attendees occupied.
The show, with free admission, continues through Saturday (Feb. 26) during mall hours.
Show awards will presented on Friday night (Feb. 25) as part of the annual BASH Racing Party at the Temple Fire Company on Kutztown Road. The overall 'Best of Show' plus divisional awards and the Don Marks Memorial Contribution to Motorsports Award, given to an individual who has contributed greatly to local auto racing will be presented during the Bash, kicking off at 9 p.m. Manmiller Electric is the awards sponsor for 2011.
There will be music for dancing courtesy of DJ Jammin' Jimmy Payne, racing videos from Gary Silverman Productions, snacks and a cash bar. Tickets are $10.
The overall 'Best of Show' will be decided by show attendees. A ballot has been placed in the show's souvenir program book. Completed ballots should be returned to a ballot box in center court. Voting began Sunday at 11 a.m. and ends Thursday (Feb. 24) at 9 p.m. to allow time for tallying the votes. Only official ballots from the program book will be counted.
Mahoning Valley Speedway, the circular paved quarter-mile located in Lehighton, Pa., has a strong presence at this year's Racing Legends Reunion. Promoters Doug and Gena Hoffman have assembled a display promoting the speedway's upcoming season.
Other speedways/sanctions represented include Grandview (Pa.) Speedway, Big Diamond (Pa.) Speedway, Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway, Shellhammer's (Pa.) Speedway, Kutztown (Pa.) Speedway, Race of Champions, BD Motorsports Media's Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. Short Track Four Crown, XCel Chassis, ARDC, URC, Thunder on the Hill Racing Series, Shellhammer's (Pa.) Speedway, Rich Tobias' Speedway Entertainment, Montgomery County Quarter Midget Club and more.
Activities are planned during the weeklong event for attendees, BFP Specialty Modified Madness Night tonight and Four Star Lettering Late Model & Sportsman Night Thursday (Feb. 24).
The Applebee's location adjacent to the mall welcomes the racing community with celebrity bartenders during the show to include Modified racers Ryan Godown, Doug Manmiller, Kevin Albert Jr. and Ryan Grim (tonight) and Late Model talents Sean Merkel, Kyle Merkel and Chuck Schutz (Feb. 24).
Friday night (Feb. 25) during the show is reserved for the annual Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Reunion. This year, the evening is dedicated to the memory of legendary announcer Warren Ruffner, whose voice and charisma is synonymous with racing at Reading.
On Saturday (Feb. 26), the 'Next Generation Stars' are saluted at 3 p.m. with go-kart, Quarter Midget and Junior Slingshot talents among those interviewed on stage. Later, at 7 p.m. the second annual Penn National Speedway Reunion takes place to remember the Grantville, Pa., facility that hosted its final event in 1996.
Bob Hilbert Sportswear has produced show apparel, available at the program stand near the center court area.
For further information on the Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show, contact show organizer Brett Deyo by phone at 845.728.2781 or via e-mail at Deyo99H@aol.com. A show schedule is updated on the web at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com as it is finalized.
The affiliate events of the Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show are taking shape. Registration is underway for the Big Diamond Speedway Race Car Show at the Fairlane Village Mall (Pottsville, Pa.) March 7-12 at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com and the fourth edition of the IRCO Dirt Track Heroes Show at the Phillipsburg Mall (Phillipsburg, N.J.) March 6-12 at www.thunderonthehillracingseries.com.
The 26th annual Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show is presented by Reading Eagle, WEEU 830 AM, VP Racing Fuels, Reading Plastic Fabricators, 600Scene.com, DJ Jammin' Jimmy Payne, Manmiller Electric, Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc., BFP Specialty, GSP Video, Berks County Historical Society, Four Star Lettering & Graphics, Racers Roundtable Radio and BD Motorsports Media.
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