For Western Pa Sprint Car fans or anyone that will be in the area during the season here is a look at the local Sprint Car tracks in the area, along with a look at each tracks special events, and when and what they will be running during the 2004 season. Also featured are a few tracks in the area that will feature Sprint Car specials this season.
The first Western Pennsylvania track scheduled to open its gates in 2004 is LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY. Lernerville will be running Sprint Cars weekly on Friday nights as usual. Along with the Sprint Cars, Big Block Modifieds, Late Models, and Pure Stocks will share the card on regular Friday nights. Sprint Car specials at Lernerville that you will want to mark on your calendar include May 5th when the All-Star Sprints will make their first appearance to make up their feature that was rained out last season. A regular program for the Sprints, Late Models, and Stocks will also be run on the 5th. The next big show will be May 25th when the World of Outlaws invade for the "Commonwealth Clash" with 10,000 dollars going to the winner of the Sprints only program. The Outlaws return on August 20th for the running of the Don Martin Memorial/Silver Cup Race. This years edition will see the winner getting 30,000 dollars for the win. The final special will be September 3rd when the All-Stars will be back to do battle in the Earl & David Bauman Memorial. It will be a complete show for the Sprints this time and they will be joined by the Pure Stocks. You can keep up with all the news from Lenrerville on their website www.lernerville.com
The second track scheduled to get going here in Western Pa is MERCER RACEWAY PARK. Mercer has lots of specials scheduled this season, but when they aren't having a special show the Sprints will be doing battle every Saturday night. Mercer has scheduled their opener a day after Lernerville's with the first ever "Chiller Thriller". The NRA 360 Sprints will be going for 1,500 dollars and will be joined by the Late Models for the show. May 15th will be a big day for Sprint Car fans as it marks the return of the Western Pa Sprint Championship. The card will feature the 410, 360, and the PA305 Sprint Cars making for a Sprint Car triple header. Two more 360 shows will see the URC Sprints headlining the show on July 3rd, and then on September 18th the track will hold the first "360 Sprint Classic in an open show which will see the winner walk away with three thousand dollars. The popular Chuck Marsh Memorial will be run on August 21st with three thousand going to the winner. Wingless the Return Part IV will also be back and is scheduled for July 24th featuring both wingless and winged Sprints. Be sure to check out all the specials at www.mercerracewaypark.com
SHARON SPEEDWAY will be running on Saturday nights again in 2004, with even more improvements to the track. 410 Sprints will headline again along with the Big Block Modifieds, E Mods, and Stocks, with the addition of the new "Green Flag Limited Sprints". The new limited Sprint series will give drivers without the money to invest in a 410 motor a chance to race Sprint Cars on a more affordable level. The new Sprints will run 355 cu. inch spec motors and have smaller wings, along with some rules to help cut costs. The new Sprint division will run a limited schedule in 04. The World of Outlaws will be back as they will visit the Hartford oval on June 4th and July 28th. Good news for fans of the Sharon Nationals is the return of the All-Stars to the two day event. After a three year absence the All-Stars will headline the Nationals again on September 4th & 5th. Get all the latest info at www.sharonspeedway.com
TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY will celebrate the track's 50th anniversary this season. Once again Tri-City will be in action on Sunday nights this season. Tri-City is still the only track in Pennsylvania or Ohio running 410 Sprint Cars on Sunday nights. It will be pretty much regular Sunday night racing for the Sprints this season. Tri-City will have a 50th Anniversary show on July 4th which will feature the Sprints along with other six divisions that have competed at Tri-City over the years making for a seven division show. If you want to get your monies worth, July 4th is the show as admission will remain only ten dollars for the show. You can get all the latest info at www.tricityspeedway.com
Asphalt track JENNERSTOWN SPEEDWAY near Somerset Pa, will see the return of Sprint Cars in the form of the Winged Sprints on Asphalt (WSoA). They will make two visits, June 26th and July 31st. These two shows will feature the largest purse ever offered for 305 asphalt sprint cars. The payout will be $1100.00 to win with $400.00 to start back to 30th. The shows will boast a total purse of $15,000.00. The June 26th show will also feature the super fast ISMA Super Modifieds.
Speaking of asphalt tracks LAKE ERIE SPEEDWAY will also host Sprint Cars this season. For those of you who haven't ventured north to paved half-mile in Erie, it is a state of the art facility. The big Sprint Car show at the track in 2004 will be the first ever appearance of the USAC Sprint Cars on August 13th. The Sprints will do battle in a fifty lap feature. Right now it is the only Sprint show scheduled but watch their website www.lakeeriespeedway.com for any new additions throughout the season, The 305 Sprints are always a possibility.
There has been lots of changes at CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA SPEEDWAY over the winter. The biggest of them was the change from asphalt to dirt. With the addition of the new surface the promoters have added a pair of Sprint shows featuring two groups from Central Pennsylvania. The first show will be an appearance by the Pa305 Sprint series on May 21st, and then on August 28th the KARS 358 Sprints will make their first ever appearance at the track. CPS also announced they will be working with Sharon Speedway and will also be featuring the new Green Flag limited Sprints during the season, but haven't released the dates yet. You can visit their website at www.centralpaspeedway.com
Just down the road is GAMBLER'S RACEWAY PARK who will stage the tracks first ever 410 Sprint race in the track's thirteen year history. Sunday, June 13th the track will honor Al Hamilton (Owner of the famous #77 Sprinter currently driven by Lance DeWease) The feature will be a thirty lap affair with 2,500 dollars going to the winner. This should be a great show on the quater mile. Gambler's webiste is located at www.gamblersracewaypark.com
As you can see there are lots of Sprint Car races scheduled here in Western Pa this summer. So if you live here in Western Pa or are just passing through, finding a Sprint Car race should be no problem. For news and pictures throughout the season you can visit me at www.sprintcarnews.com
