From Kalida Landis
Hanover, PA — (March 20, 2013) — Anticipation is growing among race fans in Central Pennsylvania as the 2013 racing season prepares to wave the green flag! Trail-Way Speedway in Hanover is excited to introduce a new look for its 2013 racing program, featuring a revised schedule, a freshly reshaped track, fan giveaways, and wild, amazing entertainment for the entire family.
This year, Trail-Way Speedway’s focus switches from weekly Friday and Saturday shows to a weekly Friday night four-division schedule. The decision to eliminate Saturday night racing from the current schedule did not come easily. “We looked at the numbers and what was going on with the economy,” said Trail-Way race director Brad Hostetter. “A lot of our Saturday night racers are just regular folks. It’s hard to get sponsors. We decided to put all of our efforts into Friday nights.” Although some divisions will no longer be part of the track’s schedule, most of the popular classes will return on a limited basis. Hostetter assures drivers and fans that ”we’ll have a great variety each and every Friday night.”
The Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic 358 Sprints will continue to be the headlining division at Trail-Way on Friday nights and will typically accompany the Limited Stocks and the Street Stocks. An additional fourth division will race every Friday night and will include divisions that were previously participants in Trail-Way’s Saturday night competitions. The 600cc Micro Sprints, which headlined Saturday night racing in past seasons, will have 16 shows on the 2013 schedule. Also included on the new schedule will be the Central Pennsylvania Legends, 270cc Micro Sprints, Sidewinder Sprints, Classic Cars, Thundercars, 4-Cylinder Stocks, and ACMS 600 Stock Micro Sprints. The popular Precise Racing Series, 358 Limited Late Models will have six dates on this year’s calendar.
To get the 2013 season warmed up and kicked into high gear, Trail-Way Speedway will hold an open practice on Tuesday, March 19, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. This is an open practice for all divisions, and fans are encouraged to watch from the stands for free. The rain date for the open practice will be the following day, Wednesday, March 20.
Although the decision was made to eliminate Saturday night racing from the schedule, the Hostetter family decided to keep a few Saturday afternoon shows in the mix. The racing season officially gets underway with two Saturday shows toward the end of March. The first event will go green on Saturday, March 23, and will feature the 600cc Micro Sprints, the 270cc Micro Sprints, the Central Pennsylvania Legends and the ACMS 600 Stock Micro Sprints. Gates open at 10:00 a.m., and racing begins at 1:00 p.m. The following week will showcase a second Saturday event for the Micro Sprints.
Micro Sprint fans will certainly look forward to September 21, when the 24th Annual Kevin Gobrecht Memorial/National Open race comes to Trail-Way. Joining the 600cc Micro Sprints, the 270cc Micro Sprints and the ACMS 600 Stock Micro Sprints, the Central Pennsylvania Legend cars are scheduled to race for the first time at the Memorial. The Gobrecht family has been directly involved with the annual race since its start, and they are pleased to announce that Kevin’s brother Scott will be racing at the event for the first time in his Central Pennsylvania Legends car, so it’s sure to be a night to remember.
The Friday night weekly series will begin April 5. The Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic 358 Sprints are scheduled to race along with the Limited Stocks and the Central Pennsylvania Legends. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and racing will begin at 7:30 p.m. Fans of 358 Sprint Car racing will want to mark down three exciting events on their calendars: Friday, May 24—the Insinger Fuels 358 Spring Championship paying $1,200 to win; Friday, August 16—the Trail-Way/Lincoln 358 Sprint Car Shootout; and, finally, Friday, September 20—the 358 Trone Outdoor Championship with a payout of $2,000 to win. Gates for all three shows open at 5:30 p.m., and racing begins at 7:30 p.m.
The 3rd Annual Mike Zeigler Memorial/Thunder on the Farm will be held on Saturday, September 28, and will headline the Precise Racing Series 358 Limited Late Models with a winning purse of $2,100. Also scheduled are the Limited Stocks, Street Stocks, Thundercars and the Williams Grove/Susky Street Stocks.
Trail-Way Speedway hasn’t forgotten the motorcycle racing fans. The AMA Motorcycle Short Track will have three dates on the 2013 schedule. The first race will be held on Sunday, March 24. Next up will be the Second Annual Armin Hostetter Classic on Saturday, May 18. Last year, the Armin Hostetter Classic featured several well-known professional flat-track riders, and fans saw racing the likes of which they’d never seen before. The final AMA Short Track show at Trail-Way is scheduled for Saturday, September 14.
The fan-favorite Junk Car Demolition returns to Trail-Way Speedway one time only on Saturday, August 31, and will feature the Junk Car Demo, Limited Stocks, Figure 8s, and Powder Puffs.
Sponsorship and marketing opportunities are abundant at Trail-Way Speedway for the 2013 racing season. There are several different ways local businesses can participate in Trail-Way’s programs: from seasonal sponsorships to individual event sponsorships, billboards and contests, there’s no limit to what Trail-Way Speedway can do to promote your company.
Trail-Way Speedway is located 5 miles west of Hanover and 10 miles east of Gettysburg off Route 116. For more information regarding start times and to see the entire 2013 schedule, please visit our newly redesigned website, www.trail-wayspeedway.com. If you’re a social media participant, you’ll be happy to know that Trail-Way Speedway is now online! ! Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/
