By Mike Leone
(Mercer, PA)…After a sunny start, thunderstorms developed off Lake Erie and worked their way right across Interstates 76 and 80 plowing through Mercer County and washing out the feature events Saturday night at Mercer Raceway Park.
Because all of the preliminary events were completed as per Mercer Raceway Park’s rain check policy, make-up features will be run in subsequent events. The tentative schedule will begin with Mini Stocks this Saturday night, July 31 followed by Modifieds on August 7, Sprint Cars and FASTRAK Late Models on August 14, and Stock Cars on August 21.
Because of some confusion with announcements made during the thunderstorms when people were exiting the gates, Mercer Raceway Park has made a decision to allow those holding paid grandstand rain checks the following discounts for the next two weeks only: adults $5, families $5, and students $2.
Due to time constraints now for the remainder of the season as to the nature of the schedule, the “Meet Your Heroes” Autograph Night will be unable to be rescheduled; however, the “In the Spotlight” pre-race autograph program will continue nightly. Any drivers that had custom autograph cards prepared for this night should contact the office to be scheduled within the “In the Spotlight” program.
Heat winners were the following: Bob Felmlee and Eric Williams-Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars, Lonny Riggs and Jimmy Holden-Approved Toilet Rentals Modifieds, Max Blair and Josh Double-4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models, Russ Byler and Steve D’Apolito-Big Daddy’s Speed Center Stock Cars, and John Ford and Pete Blazczak-M&D Paving Mini Stocks. The feature fields for the make-up features are set and no new cars will be added.
Coming up this Saturday night, July 31 will be the “Sprint Slug-Out” Open Wheel Shootout event featuring the DIRTcar Sprint Challenge Series for $2,000 to-win plus the first appearance in five seasons by the ARDC Midget Cars competing wingless along with the Modifieds, Stock Cars, and Mini Stocks.
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 late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round late mornings and after 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 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.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest. Go to www.twitter.com/mercerraceway or Mercer Raceway Park at www.facebook.com/mercerracewaypark to stay up to date.