By Steve Inch
SELINSGROVE, Pa. — The PA Sprint Series and Selinsgrove Speedway announced “Race to Hunting Season,” an exciting new event to be held Saturday, Sept. 17, featuring the PASS sprint car division. PASS and the speedway have partnered with the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to present a fun pre-race atmosphere combined with a championship race for the winged open wheel division!
Bryan Burhans, Executive Director of the PGC, will serve as Grand Marshall of the event and will wave the green flag for the feature event!
Joining the PASS sprint cars on the Sept. 17 racing program will be the super late models, limited late models, and roadrunners for a huge night of fall racing. Qualifying is set to begin at 6 p.m.
The PASS sprint car purse, which is expected to be doubled for the event thanks to the support from PGC and a boost from the track, will pay $900 to win and $450 to start. The winner of the 25-lap “Race to Hunting Season” main event will also receive a one-of-a-kind watch worth $400 from track championship sponsor Foss Jewelers of Selinsgrove to commemorate the inaugural event and the 25th anniversary of RaceSaver.
“The PASS sprint car teams have given great support to Selinsgrove and put on a lot of exciting races over the past couple of years,” said speedway general manager Steve Inch. “We’d like to thank Rod Ort of PASS and Bryan Burhans of the PGC for selecting Selinsgrove to have this marquee event for the racers.”
The fun will start in the parking lot at 3 p.m. before grandstand gates open at 4 p.m. with several teams displaying their cars and signing hero cards for fans. The Game Commission will also be on-site with staff to greet fans and answer questions about the upcoming hunting seasons. Fans can also test their archery skills by shooting in the National Archery in The Schools Program (NASP) trailer.
A special event T-shirt is being developed by Fast Tees. The first 50 pre-registered teams that come to the race will receive a T-shirt. The shirts will be bright orange as we encourage fans who attend to participate in a “Bright Out” by wearing their brightest-colored shirts! Numerous shirts will be shot into the stands throughout the night and 100 additional shirts will be on sale with proceeds going to a fund that will pay out to the top three finishers from the PGC race at the Keystone RaceSaver Challenge.
“We’re excited to add this special event to our fall line-up,” said series director Rod Ort. “The Game Commission is a natural fit for our fans and Selinsgrove officials have been hoping to add a special event with a festival atmosphere featuring the RaceSaver sprint cars. We’re hoping that fans and hunters come out to support PGC and their efforts as well as supporting our series.”
For more than 125 years, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has managed the Commonwealth’s wildlife resources for all Pennsylvanians. With the help of more than 750 full-time employees and thousands of part-timers and volunteers, the agency provides a host of benefits to wildlife, state residents, and visitors. The mission of the Game Commission is to manage and protect wildlife and their habitats, while promoting hunting and trapping, for current and future generations.
The PA Sprint Series is an IMCA-sanctioned series based on RaceSaver rules which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2022. RaceSaver focuses on recreational racing based on stable and enforceable rules, consistent rules application and fair purse distribution.
“I’m so happy that PGC has decided to support the Series for this big event – it’s been a tough year financially for everyone and the boost in purse really helps,” said Ort. “I’m especially thankful that PGC honored our commitment to fair purse distribution as it will benefit every team in the race, not just the winner.
“The watch from Foss Jewelers feels like a throwback to the early days of RaceSaver when the winner of the nationals received a ring (no money) and later a clock was the top prize,” continued Ort. “The idea is to provide a great purse that makes traveling worthwhile for teams and then providing a great and lasting memento to the winner of this huge event! We’re happy to pay the winner as well!”
For news and updates on the race, fans can visit PASprintSeries.com or direct link to the race page RaceToHuntingSeason.com. Teams need to pre-register to get their free shirts, as well as planning the cars to be on display.
The 305 sprint car series at Selinsgrove is sponsored by Apache Tree Service of Middleburg. PASS is sponsored by River Valley Builders of Selinsgrove.
With PGC booking this signature event only a few contingency sponsor opportunities are available including sponsorship of fast time, heat winners and hard luck awards. These Items will be available online at PASSwebstore.com
For a complete schedule, the latest news, results, and race status, visit selinsgrovespeedway.com or follow the track on Twitter and Facebook. The speedway office can be reached at 570.374.2266.