(Mercer, PA July 27, 2016): Mercer Raceway Park will present a Saturday Night Live! racing program on July 30, with one significant exception. The 4 Your Car Connection Sprint Cars are being given the week off to support the Arctic Cat All Stars Circuit of Champions event to be held at another of the region’s speedways. Track owner William Altman explained why: “we want to give our 4 Your Car Connection 410 Sprint Car drivers the opportunity to compete against some of the best in the business this weekend, and Saturday’s program at a sister track is part of a three-race swing through Western Pennsylvania, so we want our racers to feel free to support those events and do Mercer Raceway Park proud by beating the touring professionals on a neutral field. We will be rooting for them, for sure!” “Nonetheless,” he added, “we will have plenty of action for our loyal fans, with six divisions taking part in our program.”
Fans of winged Sprint Cars will get to see if Jimmy Seger can go back-to-back in the Bonnell’s Rod Shop Outlaw Sprint Warriors. Seger picked up his first win at the Park last weekend after taking the controls of the potent Lockhart 58 a few weeks ago. It will not be easy for him, though, as Andy Priest has been a frequent winner in the class driving Ted Hull’s number 41. In addition to Priest, Seger will be challenged by Cody Bova, the defending divisional champion. Bova led until a caution late in the race gave Seger the chance to swoop by following a restart. Other recent winners in this popular division include Gregg McCandless and Greg Dobrosky. Drivers like Mike Marano, II, Darin Gallagher, George Englert, C.J. Jones, and Tyler Denochick have won at Mercer before, so they could also be in the hunt for their first victories of 2016.
In the Approved Toilet Rentals 358 Modifieds, Jimmy Holden vaulted over Kyle Fink to regain the points lead after a dominant performance last week. These two have been going back and forth all season long, and Saturday’s go should be no different. Lonny Riggs remains close in the standings, and he can be counted on to give Holden and Fink all they can handle. Tommy Kristyak, a long-time fan favorite at Mercer, is still running strong, and with a little luck he could notch yet another win at his home track. Fans can expect to see Sid Unverzagt, Jr., Jeff Schaffer, Jr., Kevin Green, and many others. Add in the likes of Frank Guidace, J.R. McGinley, and Kevin Hoffman, each of whom have been infrequent but successful in their Mercer appearances, and you could have a dandy of a race.
William Hurrelbrink and Russ Byler have been the talk of the Precise Racing Products Open Stock Car ranks of late. Each has gone to victory lane. But don’t count out defending divisional champion Ryan Moyer, who has a win to his credit. Leigh Wheeler also has some wins, and he will be a threat. Andy Thompson, Bob Schwartzmiller, and Bobby Heim have come back to the Park in recent weeks, and each of them showed the speed that could get them to the front.
Remember that these three star-studded classes will go to the post at approximately 7 p.m. to cap off an intense night of racing.
The first half of the program will kick off at 5:30, with action for the three-star classes of Rock Concrete Modified Lites, Eperthener’s Auto Wrecking and Ray’s Racing Collectibles Mini Stocks, and Elder Tractor Sales & Service Junior Sprints. Come out early to watch racers like Doug Jones, Mark Marcucci, Shane Pfeuffer, Tyler Fulton, Isaac Paden, Shane Shook, Roman Jones, Jordan Simmons, and Ayden Cipriano do battle.
Pit gates will open at 3 p.m., and the spectator gates will open at 4 o’clock.
Regular event ticket pricing will apply, which means that adult admission will cost $13, seniors (60+) $11, and students (9-15) $5. The kiddies (8 and under) will be admitted for free, as always at the Park. Family Passes will be available again, for $28, and they will be good for two adults and up to four minors of any age. The Pit Passes will be $30.
August will be filled with special events at Mercer Raceway Park. On the 6th, the speedway will host the Third Annual Putsy Kekich Memorial for the 4 Your Car Connection 410 Sprints, presented by Bonnell’s Rod Shop and Sunburst Environmental. The following week, the BRP Modified Tour will be in for the second round of action against the Approved Toilet Rentals 358 Modifieds. Then, on August 20, the 305 Sprints of the Fremont-Attica Sprint Tour (FAST) will invade the Park to take on our Bonnell’s Rod Shop Outlaw Sprint Warriors. The month will close with the Season Championship events, with double points on the line for all divisions. Mark those dates on your racing calendars!
Remember that you can get alerts regarding the cancellation of any racing event at Mercer Raceway Park sent directly to your smartphone or other electronic device. To register, please go to the track’s website, www. mercerracewaypark.com, click on the icon for RainedOut.com, and follow the easy steps.
Marketing partners of Mercer Raceway Park include Hovis Auto & Truck Supply, Mercer Hardware, Schaeffer’s Specialized Lubricants, Scheidemantle Motors, Greenhill Farms Equipment, Inc., the Normandy Banquet Center of Hickory VFW Post 6166, Flynn’s Tire & Auto Service, Pizza Joe’s, Sharon Auto Wrecking, Inc., AMSOIL, Noga Ambulance Service, Inc., Pyrotechnico, Watson’s, Inc., Big Dog Indoor Racing & Hobby, Ritenour Equipment Co., Herr’s Foods, the American Cancer Society, Sunburst Environmental, and Lias Tires.
About Mercer Raceway Park: Mercer Raceway Park is a 3/8-mile dirt track 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 from late March through late September. For more information, check out www. mercerracewaypark.com, www.twitter.com/mercerraceway, or www.facebook.com/mercerracewaypark.