By Mike Leone
(Strongstown, PA)…Only once in a great while do western Pa. race fans get the opportunity to circle new and unique “can’t miss” race events on their calendars. This year, open wheel enthusiasts will be sure to want to circle the dates of July 17 and October 1 as Dog Hollow Speedway will host a pair of blockbuster events. These dates will mark historic, inaugural appearances by two of the nation’s top divisions in the 410 Sprint Cars and Big-Block Modifieds.
Jim Michny’s Dog Hollow Speedway has carved its presence over the past 13 years with the nation’s other headliner- the Super Late Models. Many of the region’s best have campaigned weekly at the 4/10-mile oval such as Dave Satterlee, Mike Blose, Sammy Stile, Rodney Phillips and others, and Dog Hollow features one of the region’s highest weekly car counts.
On Sunday, July 17, the Super Late Models, under the UFo sanction, will compete in a $4,000 to-win feature, but that’s certainly not all as the high flying winged warriors will make their Dog Hollow debut. That’s right those same 410 Sprint Cars and their racers that have a rich history at Lernerville Speedway and Mercer Raceway Park, will convene on the always smooth and racey Dog Hollow oval. Many of the region’s stars will be expected with $2,500 to-win and $200 to-start on the line. Due to Dog Hollow’s location, some of central Pa’s racers including many of the Clinton County Speedway Sprints are also likely entrants. An open tire rule will be in effect.
Adding on to this already powered-packed program, which is sure to fulfill the hardcore race fan’s appetite, will be the FASTRAK Late Models. Michny is one of FASTRAK’s founding fathers back in 2007 and has grown the class into full fields on a weekly basis. Michny has upped the ante with a cool $1,000 on the line. This show will carry a rain date of Sunday, July 24.
On Saturday, October 1, “The Hollow” is sure to rumble as the BRP Modified Tour with its rock’em, sock’em, bad-to-the-bone tradition of dirt track racing invades Dog Hollow, and the fans are sure to be thrilled beyond expectations. A strong field of these ground-pounding big blocks from all over western Pa., eastern Ohio, and New York is expected. The Indiana County oval is the perfect size, much like Mercer Raceway Park, where stout 358 small-block Modifieds have a shot at the checkered flag.
It is only fitting that Dog Hollow, with its strong commitment to FASTRAK Northeast from the beginning be the site of Night 1 of the 2011 FASTRAK Grand Nationals. On this night, FASTRAK Northeast member drivers, who have competed in a minimum of 12 FASTRAK-sanctioned events, will gather to embark on their quest to capture a piece of the $150,000 Grand National Championship with the $30,000 first place their goal. The 30-lap feature will pay $1,500 to-win and will set the set the stage for Nights 2 & 3, whose date and location will be announced at a later date. The event will have a rain date of the next day, Sunday, October 2.
“Throughout the winter the idea of bringing 410 Sprint Cars and Big-Block Modifieds to Dog Hollow was suggested to me,” explained Michny. “By presenting these shows on dates that are not normally utilized for their weekly programs and coupling them with last year’s successful UFO show and the significant first night of the FASATRAK Grand Nationals, I’m sure the fans will not be disappointed. Add in the significance of this being the inaugural appearance for both the 410 Sprints and Big-Block Modifieds, and I don’t thing anyone is going to want to miss it!”
More information on these events will be released in the future. Dog Hollow Speedway is a 4/10-mile dirt track located at in Strongstown, Pa. three miles north of US 422 on SR 403 then 0.1 miles east on Hamill. For more information on Dog Hollow, check out their website at www.dog-hollow.net or call 814-948-4252. The track number on race day is 814-948-6812.