THE SIXTH ANNUAL IRCO DIRT TRACK HEROES SHOW OPENS WITH GREAT SUCCESS AND A FULL HOUSE OF RACING FANS
ByFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- - - THANK YOU
CONTACT: BOB MILLER 443 513 4456
Release prepared by STEVE PADOS
The Sixth Annual IRCO Dirt Track Heroes Show Opens With Great Success And A Full House Of Racing Fans
After many long hours of planning and scheduling, phone calls, emails, letter correspondence and word of mouth messages, the much anticipated IRCO sponsored Sixth Annual Dirt Track Heroes Show opened yesterday at the Phillipsburg Mall. The coordinated efforts of a dedicated events team and the heart-warming response from car owners and drivers brought the jam packed opening day Mall crowd to a resounding roar as the Sixth Annual IRCO Dirt Track Heroes Show opened for it's seven day run. Race cars from many divisions or series of the motorsports world filled the Mall space as the huge throngs of racing fans came out to get their first glimpse of the cars they will be seeing doing battle throughout the summer months at one of the local racing venues in the Tri State Area. IRCO Community Federal Credit Union took center stage as the Phillipsburg based credit union, with Vice President Greg Collins on hand, greeted the large throngs of racing fans who came out to enjoy the opening day stage ceremonies. Collins was introduced by event host Steve Pados and talked about his life long love of racing and how he became a fan of racing at a very tender age. Collins thanked the local community for their support of the show and how this week in racing makes him feel like he is the living the dream with all of the great racing talent who will be interviewing throughout the week. 121 race cars from all aspects of the motorsports world filled the Mall spaces as one of the largest opening day crowds ever walked the wide walkways of the Mall to see their favorite drivers. The IRCO Dirt Track Heroes Show continues today and will run until Saturday evening. On tap tonight is a salute to small car racing with Borgers Speedway, Action Track USA, Snydersville, X-Cel Modified Series, ATQMRA Series and Oreville expected to take part in the interviews.
Steve Pados, Bobby Stull and Justin Beltrame proceeded into the driver interviews sponsored by Martocci Automotive and many of the familiar star figures of past racing wars took part in the interview sessions that began with a tribute to all of the tracks with the focus on the Nazareth half-mile and Nazareth National Speedways. Among the many legendary driving talents on hand to interview and sign autographs for the show and also thrilled us many times with their daring devil may care driving styles on the speedways included Carl "Fuzzy" Van Horn, Frankie Schneider, Bill Wilson, Joe Poliacik, Ward and Dottie Crozier, Rich Marinelli,Tommy Vroom, Del Buss, George Wambold, Newt Hartman, Randy Bok, Danny Huston, Jack Zeiner and Tim Manieri Pados coaxed Doris Bachman, the widow of the first Nazareth Speedway Champion Billy Bachman, to interview for the first time at the show as she has been in attendance for all of the Dirt Track Heroes shows to date. Pavement stars Tony and Matt Hirschman were on hand for the show and the interview session lasted over three hours. Other drivers spotted at the show included Bill Tittle, Ray Woodall, John Strupp, Charlie Shire, Rusty Smith, Rickie Rutt and Forde Fernandez.
The IRCO Community Federal Credit Union headlines the sponsorship for this year's edition of the tremendously successful show and with the addition of Smith Fabrications and the Stage One Modifieds, Martocci's Automotive, MMF Chassis, Vogel Race Design, Hamlin Speedway/S&S Speedways, Caffe Europa, Reagle Dodge, Persa Auto Repair, Murante Auto Repair, Penn Jersey Super Markets and TownePlace Suites by Marriott signing on as sponsors, the event will run through March 16th with nightly interviews for the local racing community on their given night at the event. The Phillipsburg Mall, located on Route 22 East in Phillipsburg, NJ, has proven to be a popular setting for this special event and will offer a multitude of race cars, racing memorabilia, collectibles and photos on display throughout the course of the show. The show continues to be free of charge to the mall traffic and the 2013 edition of the show is the trend setter of the many shows that are scheduled during the year. With an exciting and diverse schedule of events to whet the appetite of any true race fan, large crowds are expected to fill the wide walkways of the Phillipsburg Mall.
Please support the sponsors who help make each IRCO Dirt Track Heroes a success year after year. Smith Fabrications, the home of the Stage One Modifieds, can be reached by logging-on to their website at: www.smithfabrications.com or contact by phone at: 610 462 4302. Martocci's Automotive is located in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and owner Tommy Martocci can be reached at: 570 517 2777/570 517 7130 with any questions or to make an appointment or log on to their website at: www.martocciautomotive.com Shop hours are: Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 8 AM until 6 PM, Tuesday and Thursday from 8 AM until 8 PM and Saturdays from 8 AM until 2 PM. The MMF Chassis company is headed up by owner and driver Mark Manieri Jr. and his high flying MMF Chassis design cars that are built and assembled in Easton, Pennsylvania. Mark can be reached at: 400 Island Park Road in Easton, Pennsylvania and his phone number is: 484 866 5361. The website for MMF Chassis is: www.mmfchassis.com. Vogel Race Design is headed up by Jason Vogel and Jason formed his own company in 2001 to begin putting graphics on commercial projects and local race cars in the area. Jason can be reached at: 570 903 0811 or you can email him at: vogelracedesigns@yahoo.com The website is: vogelracedesigns.tripod.com. The Denise and Randy Smith promoted Hamlin Speedway is located in the heart of the Poconos Mountains. Contact the speedway today at: 570 420 5500 or check out their newly designed website at: www.hamlinspeedway.com Don't forget when you are looking for something fun and exciting to do, try the S&S Speedways Indoor Go Karts for some honest to goodness fender to fender and paint trading fun with a gang of friends. Party rentals are available and the excitement of stomping the throttle and dicing it out with your friends will have you coming back time and again for more of the intense racing action. Check it out on the web at: www.SSSpeedways.com Caffe Europa is a popular Mall eatery is designated as the official restaurant of the IRCO Dirt Track Heroes Show. Caffe Europa has been turning out great Italian dishes in the time and traditional classic manner and chef/owner Angelo invites all race fans and participants to come out to the Mall early and enjoy a wide variety of freshly prepared sandwiches, piping hot pizza, strombolis, calzones, wraps, paninis and a wide variety of pasta dishes in their cafe oriented dining area before strolling through the Mall to enjoy the great car show. Give them a call at: 908 387 9787. Reagle Dodge is celebrating eighty years in the automotive industry in 2013 and their small town, big value approach to doing business has served the Reagle Team well in reaching out to the Slate Belt and surrounding areas to establish a loyal customer base for their Dodge and Ram Dealership. Reagle Dodge is located at 1223 Blue Valley Drive (Route 512) in Bangor, Pennsylvania with a sales number of: 610 863 6900. Their user friendly website is: www.reagledodge.net Dave Persa and his Persa Auto Repair Shop is located at 7572 Beth-Bath Pike in Bath, Pennsylvania. Persa Auto Repair has enjoyed a successful 25-year run with a business that has been satisfying customers with quality mechanical services that includes Engine and Computer Diagnostic Repair, Pennsylvania Emissions and Safety Inspections, Tires and Brakes and much more. Call them today at: 610 837 7800 to make an appointment. Lou Murante and his Murante Auto Repair is located at 128 West Beil Avenue in Nazareth, Pennsylvania and celebrating 34 years in the auto repair industry in 2013. Murante Auto Repair is a full service auto repair shop Lou repairs and services all types of domestic and imported cars, trucks and SUV's and the number to reach Murante Auto Repair is: 610 759 6121. Penn Jersey Super Markets is a five store chain of convenient stores located in the Northern section of the Lehigh Valley with the main store located at 232 Blue Valley Drive in Bangor, Pennsylvania and with a phone number: 610 452 9494. At the main store in addition to sandwiches, beverages, gas and lottery tickets, a full service auto and tire center is turning out great work by ASE certified mechanics who offer a full array of all of the maintenance a car needs today from PA Emission and Inspections, to tires, brakes, tune-ups and oil changes. TownePlace Suites by Marriott Bethlehem-Easton is located at 3800 Nazareth Road with a phone number for reservations at: 610 829 2000 and the website is: www.marriott.com/ABETS
The longtime broadcasting team of Ed and Steve Pados from Gasoline Alley fame, veteran announcer Bobby Stull, Bridgeport and Thunder announcer Jeff Ahlum and former Lake Mocatek co-announcer Justin Beltrame will head up the announcing team for the week long show. IRCO Vice President Greg Collins, who also serves as the noted historian of the Harmony Speedway, is expected to have much of his memorabilia from the Harmony Speedway for the event and Beltrame will once again spearhead and show the vast collection of Lake Mocatek material he has collected over the years.
The great fan base of racing can come out to this grand Mall event and be transported back to a time when they could hop into their family jitney and travel less than a half hour to witness the excitement of a night at the races. All historical racing groups including Reading, Flemington, Harmony, Dorney Park, Tri State, Friends of Nazareth and Bob Snyder Photos and Snyder Video will have their memorabilia on display and their many scrapbooks open for the fans to take another long look at the glory years of racing and possibly find a picture or two they want to purchase as a keepsake from past glory or racing exploits. More information is available by calling: 443-513-4456 or you may log on to the home page of the: www.thunderonthehillracingseries.com web site.
On display at the Mall include big and small block Modifieds, Sportsman, Micro-Sprints, ARDC Midgets, URC Sprints, TSRS Sprints, Late Models, go-karts, quarter midgets and a broad variety of vintage and restored race cars. New Egypt, Grandview, Big Diamond, Bridgeport, Hamlin, Accord, Action Track USA, Borger's and Snydersville will again be among the many speedways involved with the 2013 show. The week-long event will set aside one evening to salute the "Stars of Tomorrow" with a special night set aside for the budding young racing talents competing with the many quarter midget clubs in the area and this night has proven to be one of the highlights of the week as many will be giving their first ever interviews to a sizable crowd.
The IRCO Dirt Track Heroes Car Show has a must have event T-shirt done exclusively for the show, highlighting many of our racing heroes who have passed away in the past year. The great keepsake event souvenir program book has many great articles regarding our racing heroes. The Phillipsburg Mall is open Sunday 11 AM to 6 PM and from Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 9 PM.
For additional IRCO Dirt Track Heroes information, contact show organizers Bob and Donna Miller by phone at 443.513.4456, via e-mail at TOTHILL98@aol.com or on the web at: www.thunderonthehillracingseries.com.
The event offers race teams a great opportunity to promote their sponsors and announce their racing plans for the 2013 racing season.
2013 Sixth Annual IRCO Dirt Track Heroes Car Show
Schedule of Events
Monday- March 11 - (6:30 PM) – Reagle Dodge and Caffe Europa Saluting Action Track USA, SpeedSTRS, ATQMRA, Borger’s Speedway, Shellhamers Speedway, Snydersville Raceway, X-Cel 600 Modifieds, Oreville Karts
Tuesday- March 12 - (6:30 PM)- Persa Auto Repair and Murante Auto Repair Saluting the “Stars of Tomorrow” featuring all Quarter Midget Clubs: Oaklane, Blue Mountain, Lehigh Valley, West End Raceway, Keystone, Phoenixville, South Jersey and Garden State Quarter Midget Clubs
Wednesday- March 13 - (6:30 PM) – Hamlin Speedway/S&S Speedways and Vogel Race Design Saluting New Egypt Speedway, Hamlin Speedway Open Wheel Divisions, Wall Stadium and the Legends of the East Windsor Speedway - Invite to the Garden State Vintage Racing Club
Thursday- March 14 - (6:30 PM) – Smith Fabrications/Stage One Modifieds Saluting Hamlin Speedway Slingshot Divisions and Stage One Modifieds, Accord Speedway and Orange County Fair Speedway Night
Friday - March 15 – (Tentative) 1st Show (4 p.m.) – MMF Chassis presents Special Edition “The Legends of Racing” with Legendary stars Sammy Beavers, Carl Van Horn, Richard Marinelli, Gerald Chamberlain, Red Coffin, Newt Hartman, Gary Gollub and many more.
2nd Show (6:30 PM) Salute to Thunder on the Hill Series, Grandview Speedway, Bridgeport Speedway, Big Diamond Speedway, ARDC Midgets, URC, TSRS and CRSA Sprint Cars
Saturday - March 16 - (Noon) –Penn Jersey Supermarkets Presenting Flemington Speedway & Flemington Speedway Historical Society. Harmony Speedway
Pavement Afternoon ---Flemington, Mountain, Mahoning, Dorney Park
All drivers invited to return for fan-fest and Autograph Session
Caffe Europa is the official designated restaurant for the IRCO Dirt Track Heroes Show
TownePlace Suites by Marriott Bethlehem-Easton is the Official Lodging for the IRCO Dirt Track Heroes Show.
Mall Hours: Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. -
*Schedule subject to change
