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By Mike Leone
September 19, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mercer, PA.Little did anyone know that when rains came and washed out the T3 All-Star Modified feature on July 4 what major impact it would have on the 2007 championship. With the eighth annual "Little Guy Nationals" in sight, the Modifieds will be part of the season finale both days for the first time ever. On Friday, September 28, the Modifieds will hold the July 4 make-up paying $1,500 to-win final point event and then return on Saturday the 29th for a $2,000 to-win event.
"Due to the way the schedules fell there was no way we could bring this event back before the Little Guy Nationals," explained ninth year owner Vicki Emig. "Saturday is a big race and a long day so we didn't want to jam another event into Saturday. This will give drivers time to fix their cars if a problem does occur on Friday night. We've talked about making the Modifieds part of Friday night and now it happened. This will be a great bargain for fans on Friday getting to see an extra Modified feature."
The Modified feature on Friday night will run sometime after the heat races and before the night's regularly scheduled features. This will give the drivers coming from long distances extra time to arrive and won't allow fans that may arrive after 7 p.m. to miss the feature.
T3 regular Ray Bliss, Jr. and 2006 Mercer champion Gary Smoker will lead the field to green for the 30-lap feature. Even though there were 28 cars on hand, only the 23 that were set to enter the track when the rains came will be eligible due to the fact that the a number of competitors scratched their entry's thus canceling the B main so there will be alternates,
Two drivers that are on the outside looking in that will be unable to compete are defending track champion and current point leader Frank Guidace of Mercer, Pa. and second-place point man and three-time winner Rodney Beltz. Guidace leads Beltz by five points, but it's not Beltz that he will have to be concerned about. Garrett Krummert of New Castle, Pa., who led the points for much of the season, sits third six points behind Guidace. If Krummert finishes 19th or better he will overtake Guidace. Krummert, who has recently won two Mod Lite races at Mercer and one at Sportsman's, is still in search of his first career Modified win.
The real sleeper is Gary Smoker. The Mercer, Pa. driver has rebounded from missing two nights due to engine woes and has gotten himself back in the title hunt thanks to two features wins, no finishes outside the top four, and three heat races wins since July 28. Smoker leads the division with four feature wins this year. Smoker trails Guidace by 23 points and Krummert by 17. Smoker will need to finish fourth or better to overtake Guidace then will have to wait to see Krummert's results. If Smoker would win and Krummert finishes 14th or worse, Smoker would earn his second title in three seasons.
On Saturday, racing will get underway at 4 p.m. led by the T3 All-Star Modifieds. The night will be capped off by a 30-lap feature paying $2,000 to-win, $150 to-start. The event will be under T3 rules, which permits any 92" tire. There is a $25 pre-entry fee or $35 on race day.
Past winners of the "Little Guy Nationals" include Ricky Richner (2000), Mike Stine (2001), Rick Hoctor (2002), Lonny Riggs (2003 & 2005), Gary Smoker (2004), and Frank Guidace (2006).
T3 regulars like brothers Billy and Curt VanPelt and Mike and Stacy Jackson, Ron Cartwright, Jr., Bryan Terwilliger, Dale Welty, Ron White, and many others will challenge the rest of the best from Mercer and surrounding areas. The event always draws a wide array of cars from locally, New York, and central and eastern Pa. Car counts have ranged from a low of 40 to a high of 57 with an average of 49.
Admission on Friday is adults $13, students 6-15 $7, children five and under free, the family pass $33, and pit passes $30. Pits will open at 3 p.m. and grandstands at 4:30 with hot laps at approximately 6:15 on Friday night and racing starting at 7 p.m. Other classes in competition, which will begin the night, include the Tire Express Stock Cars, Big Daddy's Speed Center Mod Lites, Micro Sprints, and the M&D Paving Mini Stocks.
Admission on Saturday is adults $15, students 6-15 $7, children five and under free, the family pass $35, and pit passes are $30. On Saturday, pits will open at 11 a.m. and the grandstands at 1:30 p.m. with hot laps at approximately 3 and racing at 4 p.m. Other classes in competition include the Tire Express Stock Cars, Big Daddy's Speed Center Mod Lites, and a Demo Derby.
The rain date is Sunday with two-hour earlier starting times. The entire event rain date is the following weekend Friday-Sunday, October 5-7.
Mercer Raceway Park held its first auto race on July 26, 1951 and is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through September. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday late mornings and after 1:30 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypa rk.com for the latest.
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