Hamlin, PA - Hamlin Speedway Will Close Out 2016 Season This Saturday, September 17th
By: Steve Pados, GA Motorsports Media

The Hamlin Speedway will close out their 2016 racing season this coming Saturday night, September 17th. There will be a full night of racing activity scheduled on the 1/5th mile clay cushioned oval and will mark the completion of the eleventh season with the Smith Family in control of the facility. The program will be a regular seven division show at the speedway. The evening of speed will be sponsored by S&S Speedways Indoor Go Karts located in the Snydersville, Pennsylvania.

The standing room only crowds all season long have been treated to some great racing action in all divisions as the solid roster of weekly participants has given their all to entertain their loyal racing fans. Additional new faces have been arriving on a weekly basis to tackle the speedway regulars and with some tracks already shutting down for the season, it is expected more talent will be in the house to attempt to place their names in the record books at Hamlin.

The driving stars at Hamlin are diverse as ages from seven to seventy compete in one of the sevens divisions of racing. The All Star Slingshots, coming off one of their biggest weeks of the season, has found many different winners in Victory Lane this year. "Magic Shoes" Mike McLaughlin leads with three wins and "The Ambassador" Wes Hearn, Austin Silfee and "The Little Tornado" Tyler Peet have each scored twice. Single wins have been recorded by "The Midge" Chris Kurtz, Russell Benke, "Kid Wicked" Tyler Pirone, "The Bloomingburg Bullet" Taylor Mills, "The High Side Hustler" Justin Mills and "The 38 Special" Jared LaBagh. Justin Mills won the big Hamlin Vet Stock 100 in July and Jared Labagh, a former champion at the speedway, returned to action to score a big win in the National Tour 50. Chris Kurtz enjoyed a tremendous Slingshot Speedweeks and walked away with the title.

The Super Slinger division has had Wes Hearn capturing eleven wins during the season with "The Oxford Express" Dale Kober capturing three wins. A late season addition to the driving roster, Mike Taylor, recently found a way to defeat the dynamic duo.

The Junior National Slingshot division has Jared Silfee and Cole Stangle sharing in wins with six each. "The Hurricane" Hunter Lapp has just been named the Accord Speedway Champion for 2016 and has scored two wins at Hamlin. Kyle Smith, from Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, came into Hamlin in June and captured the Junior Slingshot Tour event for his lone win at the speedway.

New Yorker Damon Paul has lit up the Hampton RV and Trailer Sales Stage One Modified division. Paul, a former National Junior Slingshot champion, has captured five wins to date. The defending champion "The Nickel Man" Joel Smith, has earned four wins to date but did miss a couple of events in the early weeks of the season. Bill Dianella has earned two wins, while Cole Stangle, Stephen Darling, "The Sandman" Troy Langendoerfer and "The Beast" Chloe Andreas have each scored a win in 2016.

Paul Richards Jr has enjoyed a breakout season at Hamlin as the second generation driver leads with nine wins in his pocket. The defending champion, "The Icon" Pat Bealer has three wins despite missing much of the current season. Mike Kalman, Robbie Watson and Nunzi Allegrucci each has a win to their credit.

The Wingless 600 Sprints have been something to behold in 2016 with side by side, slide jobs and just plain old pedal to the metal racing wars setting the trend. "Bad" Chad Sandt leads the way with five victories while "The A-Team" Brandon Azzalina and "The G-Man" Grady Johnston have each scored three wins. "The Edge" Eddie Strada has captured two wins while "Radioactive" Robbie Hocker and Joel Smith have each grabbed up a single win at the speedway.

With the abundance of Rookie 600 Sprints appearing at the speedway on a weekly basis, the fields have been split and most nights would find two events on the schedule for the rookies. Leading the way is "The Wild Child" Geordan Marrero who has captured five wins. Justin Hartz, Jakson Ring, "The Mack Attack" Mack Brink, "The Young Rustler" Jacob Balliet, and Tim Bauer have each captured two wins. Single wins have been recorded by AJ Hobbs, Mikey Smith, Nate Brinker, Joe Howey, Lavar Scott, Scott Slater Jr, Brett Altemose and Damon Paul.

Come out early and stay late as all racing fans are welcome to come and enjoy all of the action at "The Pearl." The concession stand has great cuisine and beverages and the ride into the Poconos is second to none.

Racing every Saturday evening from April through September. Pit Gates open at the speedway at 2 PM; Drivers Meeting at 5:45; Hot Laps are at 6:00 and the racing begins at 7 PM sharp. Admission Prices for regular shows are: Adults $10.00; Senior Citizens $5.00 Children under 6 are Free.

Please support the many great sponsors who assist in working and sponsoring the season long events at the speedway. Tilcon, Yankowski Enterprises, Triple Cities Mack, Dickie Keiper Speed Supplies, Ron Brown Hauling, Classic Cycles, Kim's Kreations, RockAuto.com, Howe's Comfort Inn and Santarelli And Sons Oil Company are all part of the advertising family at the speedway and we graciously thank them for their support.

For further updates and information regarding all of the news and additions to the Hamlin Speedway, logon to their well documented website at: http://www.hamlinspeed.com or call the speedway hotline at: 570 420 5500.
Visit us often for a great night of racing action as............................................

The Hamlin Speedway Is The "Pearl" In The Poconos

Hamlin, PA - McLaughlin & LaBagh Score Slingshot Wins; Joel Smith Doubles In Hamlin Speedway's Nine Feature Race Spectacular
By: Steve Pados, GA Motorsports Media

Warm and humid weather in the Poconos greeted a standing room only crowd on Saturday evening as Hamlin Speedway put another successful event into the history books. A stellar field of talented race car drivers with 129 entrants signed in for battle topped by an outstanding 39 All Star Slingshots as Hamlin Speedway Promoters Denise and Randy Smith hosted the National Tour event for the All Star Slingshot division with them vying for the $1,000.00 prize posted for the event. S&S Speedways, located in Snydersville, Pennsylvania, sponsored the great night of entertainment. One more event remains on the 2106 Hamlin Speedway schedule and is slated for Saturday night, September 17th. The spectacular spectacle of speed was completed at 11 PM.

When the final checkered flag fell on the evening of racing it was "The Nickel Man" Joel Smith doubling down as he posted solid wins in the 600 Sprints and the Stage One Modified events. "The 38 Special" Jared LaBagh returned to the speedway where he began his racing career and showed he has the right stuff walking away with the win and the gold in a stout wire to wire performance in the 50-Lap Slingshot Tour headliner. "Magic Shoes" Mike McLaughlin opened the evening of features by capturing the postponed Speed Weeks event from August 13th. In other racing action, Jared Silfee captured his sixth win of the season in the Junior Slingshot feature with a last lap pass of Cole Stangle at the start/finish line. "The Ambassador" Wes Hearn captured the Super Slinger headliner for his eleventh win of the season. Paul Richards Jr continued his winning ways as he took over the lead with a mid-race pass in the 270 Sprints to record his ninth win of the season. The winners of the two Rookie 600 Sprint main events were Jakson Ring who drove to his second win of the season and "The Wild Child" Geordan Marrero who garnered on his fifth win of the 2016 racing season.

Joel Smith was lightning quick as he jumped out in front of the field at the start of the Hampton RV and Trailer Sales Stage One Modified feature and led all laps to record his fourth win of the season. A great battle behind Smith had Chloe Andreas and Damon Paul side by side and then nose to tail throughout the twenty lapper with Paul prevailing in the runner-up slot and Andreas in third. "The Baron" Aaron Henneforth got back into his mount on Saturday and finished fourth in his return to racing. Newcomer Jasper Ziegafuse had the Smith Fabrications Rental humming and finished fifth with with John Lakatos completing the field.

The Super Slinger feature found Wes Hearn and Dale Kober continuing their epic battles and Hearn wasted no time in grabbing the lead and fought off Kober for much of the race before clicking off some laps in the 13.5 second range to slowly walk away with his eleventh feature event win of the season. Kober was second with Mike Taylor third, Tom Van Pelt fourth and Steve Pirone completing the top five.

The "stars of tomorrow" in the Junior Slingshot division put on another great show. JJ Rice took off at the start of the twenty lapper and quickly opened up some daylight on the rest of the field. A skirmish involving multiple cars slowed the action but on the restart again it would be Rice leading with Cole Stangle now chasing him around the arena. As Rice got into slower traffic he went wide to get around the car but would get into the Jersey Barriers and would take a wild ride down the backstretch. The action stopped immediately for the ERT's to assist Rice and he climbed out of the car after catching his breath. On the restart, Stangle would lead the way with Jared Silfee moving in behind him and mirroring his moves around the raceway. Just when it appeared Stangle would hold on for the win, Silfee moved under Stangle and as the pair raced across the finish line it would Silfee nipping Stangle for the win, "The Hurricane" Hunter Lapp raced from 17th starting position to finish third in one of the great drives if the evening. Jake Mason enjoyed a great run in fourth and Adam Buchel continues to impress with another top five finish. Tanner Van Doren, Shelby McLaughlin, Austin Homan, Emily Fleming and Ty Kelly completed the top ten.

Jenna Schostkewitz and Paul Richards Jr made up the front row and it would be Schostkewitz grabbing the lead took at the drop of the green flag in the run for the 270 Sprint main event win. Schostkewitz had her race car humming with the lead for the first twelve laps until Richards found the needed room to make a clean pass. Richards opened up a substantial lead and would race to his ninth win of the season with Schostkewitz in second, Glenn Macomber third, Kyle Ferrucci fourth and Stephen Weirich fifth.

The first Rookie 600 Sprint main event saw Scott Slater Sr lead the first three laps until Aaron Casterlin would get by him. Casterlin had a fast hot rod and would open up a bit of daylight on the field but each time Jacob Balliet and Mack Brink would close back in. As the race drew to a close Balliet made a move to grab the lead only to find Brink the johnny on the spot as an inside move by Brink would be successful and he moved past Balliet into the runner-up role. Casterlin would get the win with Brink and Balliet following. Newcomer Sheldon Smith was fourth and Tyler Kehs enjoyed his best finish with a fifth place outing. Joe Nemeth, Noah Zielinski, Jared Lilly, Brett Altemose and Scott Slater completed the top ten.

The second Rookie 600 Sprint feature found Jakson Ring in command right from the start but quickly moving into contention was Geordan Marrero. The two drivers separated from the field with Marrero matching each one of Ring's moves. With the laps clicking down, Marrero mounted a final challenge as he got underneath Ring heading towards the checkered flag and would win the event by the narrowest of margins. Ring, Paul Richards Jr, Mikey Smith and Tony Parlanti completed the top five. Scott Meyers, the returning Kevin Weiand, Cody Powell and JR Williams completed the running order of the event.

The make-up Speed Weeks All Star Slingshot event found Mike McLaughlin having the hot ticket as the veteran campaigner utilized his front row to his advantage as he jumped into the lead at the start of the event and would hold off all challengers lap after lap to go and capture his third feature triumph of the season. Alan Selemba kept pace throughout and would finish second with Brett Bieber a close third, Dale Kober fourth and Austin Silfee rounding out the top five. The second five included Wes Hearn, Chris Kurtz, Alex Yankowski, Justin Mills and Henry Anderson.

The headliner for the All Star Slingshots saw a field of 39 Slingshots sign in for battle. The fastest 27 Slingshot drivers in the country would duke it out on the Hamlin Speedway real estate. The early going found Jared LaBagh winning the drag race into turn one to establish the pace of the event. Tyler Peet and Chris Kurtz would stay close but Kurtz was nursing a badly smoking hot rod and would give up the ghost on lap seven. Brett Bieber filled in the gap along with Austin Silfee and Mike McLaughlin. Dylan Hoch began to make his presence known and would peck away at those in front of him. LaBagh was in the zone and would clock off some of the fastest laps of season as he was consistently in the 13.2/13.3 second range with his fastest lap at 13.136.

Hot pockets of action took place throughout the field as real estate purchases were definitely at a premium. LaBagh continued his assault at clean air but in front of him slower cars loomed ahead of him. Knowing the field was breathing down his neck, LaBagh played it cool and made the passes at the safest places on the speedway. The drivers behind did not falter either as they negotiated through the traffic just as cleanly, although a few bumps and bops were seen. LaBagh would race back into daylight and could smell victory and the large pay day that went with it and the young hotshoe raced under Flagger Russ Furry's checkered flag to claim the winning prize of $1,000.00. Tyler Peet was the runner-up with Dylan Hoch, Austin Silfee and Brett Bieber completing the top five. The second five were Mike McLaughlin, Seth Spayd, Wes Hearn, Joe Toth, and Henry Anderson. Eleventh through fifteenth included Anthony Recchio, Cody Kline, Tyler Pirone, Nick Vinciguerra and Dale Kober. Nineteen cars completed all fifty laps of the hotly contested feature main.

The Wingless 600 Sprint 20-lap main event proved to be another over the top showstopper. The hard driving veteran talent Joel Smith seized command at the start of the event by out dueling Joseph Smith into turn one. The go for the gold event quickly turned into a high speed chess match as the entire field was matching moves with each turn of the wheel. Smith was able to fight off all advances but Brandon Azzalina threw everything he had at Smith and would get close but just could not complete his drive past Smith. Joel Smith was able to hold all of the competition at bay to capture his first win of the season in the 600 Sprints. Brandon Azzalina was second and Zac Azzalina raced hard for a great third place finish. The returning Shelby Harper and Pat Bealer completed the top five. The second five were Chad Sandt, Colin White, Zack Bealer, Joseph Smith and Eddie Strada.

PEARL JAMS:

The speedway was in great condition and held up well through a long night of preliminary and feature events. A tip of the Fedora goes out to Randy Smith and Crew.

Time trials found Wes Hearn just nipping Dale Kober in the Super Slingers with a 13.937 time for Hearn and a 13.938 time for Kober. The Stage One Modifieds also timed and Joel Smith was the quick timer with a 12.923 time over Chloe Andreas who posted a 13.102 time.

The Tour dual heat format was used to set the field for the All Star Slingshots. Capturing heat wins were Seth Spayd, Jared LaBagh, Wes Hearn and Tyler Peet in Round One while Mike Taylor, Brett Bieber, Mike McLaughlin and Henry Anderson prevailed in Round Two. Rookie 600 Sprint heats were claimed by Paul Richards Jr, Mack Brink and Geordan Marrero. Junior Slingshot heat winners were Tanner Van Doren and Jake Mason. The lone 270 Sprint heat was captured by Jenna Schostkewitz. Three heats were run for the Wingless 600 Sprints and capturing the wins were Eddie Strada, Zac Azzalina and Brandon Azzalina. In the first heat, Adam Huff, in his second appearance at the speedway, got upside down on the backstretch and did a series of snap rolls. He was unhurt in the incident. Huff recently purchased the race car from car owner Gary Phillips and the car is the current track record holder for 600 Sprints when Kyle Rohner was steering the car and stopped the clocks at 11.4 seconds on May 18th, 2013.

With 39 All Star Slingshots on hand, making the final cut would prove to be difficult. The Hamlin Speedway management thanks all drivers who made the effort to try qualify for the event. Those not making the cut included, Alan Selemba, Ryan Neiger, Taylor Mills, Alan Kober, Samantha Muller, Alex Van Pelt, Ryan Davey, Dakota Kohler, Sarah Bohlin, Steve Pirone, Ashley Kober and Russell Benke.

New faces at the speedway included Jasper Ziegafuse in the Stage One Modifieds. Mikey Johannes made his first appearance in the Junior Slingshots. Kevin Weiand returned to action in the Rookie 600 Sprints and Ryan Raidline and Sheldon Smith made their first 2016 starts at the speedway. The Slingshot Tour event brought out Tour regulars Dylan Hoch, Joe Toth, Seth Spayd, Anthony Raisner, Henry Anderson, Cody Kline, Bill Weaver, Matt Massone and Alex Yankowski. Jared LaBagh was a surprise entry but has dabbled in the Slingshots this year and is coming off a win last week at a New York facility. Shelby Harper and Doug Snyder were returnees to Hamlin in the 600 Sprints.

The Hamlin Speedway would also like to thank everyone who helped out on the "Iceman" Lottery to assist longtime Slingshot racer Marc Daniels who recently had major surgery. Winning lottery ticket holders included: DDD racing Dan Morgiewicz ($100.00), Mark BVC ($100.00), Alex Yankowski ($200.00), Billy Van Inwegen ($100.00), Dean Carter ($300.00), Jane Peet ($100.00), M.Fuar ($400.00), Ryan Buskirk ($100.00), Julie Skrapits ($500.00), Darlene Halloran ($100.00), Keith Lacoe ($1,000.00). Congratulations to all of the winners.

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Stacy McLaughlin.

Speedway Videographer Barry Boyd made his first appearance of the season last evening and many well wishers stopped by to spend some time with him. Barry has had some ongoing health issues recently but it was great to see him back at Hamlin.

RESULTS:

All Star Slingshots: (Speed Weeks Event From August 13th) Mike McLaughlin, Alan Selemba, Brett Bieber, Dale Kober, Austin Silfee, Wes Hearn, Chris Kurtz, Alex Yankowski, Justin Mills, Henry Anderson, Anthony Raisner, Tyler Peet, Nick Vinciguerra, Mike Taylor, Anthony Recchio, Taylor Mills, Samantha Muller, Russell Benke, Tess Horvath, Josh Marcus, Steve Pirone, Ashley Kober, Joe Toth, Tyler Pirone, Sarah Bohlin, Dylan Hoch

All Star Slingshots: (National Tour) Jared LaBagh, Tyler Peet, Dylan Hoch, Austin Silfee, Brett Bieber, Mike McLaughlin, Seth Spayd, Wes Hearn, Joe Toth, Henry Anderson, Anthony Recchio, Cody Kline, Tyler Pirone, Nick Vinciguerra, Dale Kober, Anthony Raisner, Mike Taylor, Bill Weaver, Josh Marcus, Amanda Buchel, Alex Yankowski, Tess Horvath, Matt Henneforth, Justin Mills, Damon Paul, Matt Massone, Chris Kurtz

270cc Sprints: Paul Richards Jr, Jenna Schostkewitz, Glenn Macomber, Kyle Ferrucci, Stephen Weirich

600cc Wingless Sprints: Joel Smith, Brandon Azzalina, Zac Azzalina, Shelby Harper, Pat Bealer, Chad Sandt, Colin White, Zack Bealer, Joseph Smith, Eddie Strada, Johnny Smith, Ryan Quackenbush, Mick D'Agostino, Sam Kravitsky, Tim Bauer, JD Casazza, Steven Gully, Scott Slater Jr, Ryan Neil, Mike Myers, Jason Van Doren, Mike Van Pelt, Doug Snyder, Carmen Leggio Jr, Adam Huff (DNS)

Hampton RV And Trailer Stage One Modifieds: Joel Smith, Damon Paul, Chloe Andreas, Aaron Henneforth, Jasper Ziegafuse, John Lakatos, Bill Dianella, Cole Stangle, Janell Geary

Junior Slingshots: Jared Silfee, Cole Stangle, Jared Silfee, Hunter Lapp, Jake Mason, Adam Buchel, Tanner Van Doren, Shelby McLaughlin, Austin Homan, Emily Fleming, Ty Kelly, Tommy Stillo, James Costlow, CJ Fritz, Mikey Johannes, JJ Rice, James Hendricks, Colton Geary

Super Slingshots: Wes Hearn, Dale Kober, Mike Taylor, Tom Van Pelt, Steve Pirone, Ryan Lacoe

Rookie 600cc Wingless Sprints: (1) Geordan Marrero, Jakson Ring, Paul Richards Jr, Mikey Smith, Tony Parlanti, Scott Meyers, Kevin Weiand, Cody Powell, JR Williams, Scott Rupp, Ryan Raidline, Scott Slater Jr

Rookie 600cc Wingless Sprints: (2) Aaron Casterlin, Mack Brink, Jacob Balliet, Sheldon Smith, Tyler Kehs, Joe Nemeth, Noah Zielinski, Jared Lilly, Brett Altemose, Scott Slater Sr, Tyler Galatro, Carmen Leggio Sr, Savannah Leggio, David Trego

Racing every Saturday evening from April through September. The next event on the Hamlin Speedway schedule is set for September 17th when all Divisions will be in action on the 1/5th mile clay cushioned oval for the final event of the 2016 racing season. Make sure to check the Hamlin Speedway website for additional information. Pit Gates open at the speedway at 3 PM; Drivers Meeting at 5:45; Hot Laps are at 6:00 and the racing begins at 7 PM sharp. Admission Prices for regular shows are: Adults $10.00; Senior Citizens $5.00 Children under 6 are Free

Upcoming events for the speedway will be the Hamlin Speedway Awards Party to be held on November 19th at the S&S Speedway Indoor Go Karts located on Business Route 209 in Snydersville, Pennsylvania.

Please support the many great sponsors who assist in working and sponsoring the season long events at the speedway. Tilcon, Yankowski Enterprises, Triple Cities Mack, Dickie Keiper Speed Supplies, Ron Brown Hauling, Classic Cycles, Kim's Kreations, RockAuto.com, Howe's Comfort Inn and Santarelli And Sons Oil Company are all part of the advertising family at the speedway and we graciously thank them for their support.

For further updates and information regarding all of the news and additions to the Hamlin Speedway, logon to their well documented website at: http://www.hamlinspeed.com or call the speedway hotline at: 570 420 5500.

The Hamlin Speedway Is The "Pearl" In The Poconos

Hamlin, PA - Damon Paul Doubles In Hamlin Speedway's Outstanding Labor Day Show
By: Steve Pados, GA Motorsports Media

The last days of summer in the Pocono Mountains produced a breezy and warm day as the Smith Family ushered in Labor Day weekend at their 1/5th mile clay cushioned Hamlin Speedway. The warmth of the day was no match for the sizzling racing action that took place out on the speedway channels as the drivers were primed and ready to do battle and came away with another spectacular evening of racing events. The heart-stopping side by side action highlighted a great evening of racing that found the speedway hosting eight feature events and completed by 10:30 PM. The evening of speed was presented by S&S Speedways Indoor Go Karts located in Snydersville, Pennsylvania.

The racing action also produced some familiar names on the Hamlin scene with the cream of the crop rising to the occasion to land in the coveted Victory Circle. "Magic Shoes" Mike McLaughlin had the field covered as he led every lap to record his second win of the season in the All Star Slingshots in a solid wire to wire triumph. Youngster Damon Paul doubled down at the speedway as he wired the field in the Hampton RV and Trailer Stage One Modified thirty lap feature to win the Roy Smith Memorial event. Paul came right back and strapped into the Quackenbush Racing Cool Way Direct sponsored hot rod to claim one of the two Rookie 600 Sprint events. "The Wild Child" Geordan Marrero captured the other Rookie 600 Sprint main. "Bad" Chad Sandt used all of the Hamlin Speedway real estate in a show stopping run for the roses to claim his fifth win of the season in the 600 Sprints. New Jersey's Cole Stangle climbed out of a battered race car in the Stage One Modifieds and proved he was no worse for wear as he raced to his fifth win of the season in the Junior Slingshot main event. Newcomer Mike Taylor had only competed once before at Hamlin but was a quick study and utilized his right foot from the start and wired the field for his first career win in the Super Slinger finale. "The Icon" Pat Bealer found himself alone in the zone as he captured his third win of the season in the 270 Sprint finale.

Mike McLaughlin brought the 25-car All Star Slingshot field down for the start of their twenty lap feature encounter. McLaughlin blasted into the lead with Anthony Recchio falling in behind him with Chris Kurtz and Justin Mills close to the action. The traffic was fast and furious as throughout the field pockets of close knit action kept the field tight. On lap thirteen, Kurtz got underneath McLaughlin for the lead but a spin brought the field back to the previous lap and installed McLaughlin back as the leader. McLaughlin did not make a mistake for the remainder of the event and raced to his second win of the season at Hamlin. Kurtz would finish second with Justin Mills, Russell Benke and Austin Silfee completing the top five. The second five consisted of Anthony Recchio, Tyler Peet, Dale Kober, Matt Henneforth and Alex Van Pelt. Twenty one of the twenty five starters completed the main event.

Pat Bealer was a rocket from the drop of the green flag as he found the Hamlin Speedway surface superb and led every lap of the 270 Sprint main to capture his third win of the season. Paul Richards Jr stayed close but would finish second with Kyle Ferrucci doing great work for third place, Alex Reinsmith fourth and Glenn Macomber rounding out the top five. Newcomers Morgan Rochelle and Daniel Lafrance followed along with Stephen Weirich and Randy Gombert.

Chad Sandt seized the moment at the drop of the green flag and glued himself to the top reaches of the speedway to grab the lead in the 600 Sprint main. Sandt would get pressure from Colin White, Joel Smith, Sam Kravitsky and JD Casazza throughout the run until a spin from Casazza after the midway point slowed the action. On the restart, Sandt tried to leave the field behind but the action would remain tight until the checkered flag with Sandt earning his fifth win of the season. Colin White was a close second with Joel Smith nipping at his heels, Kravitsky fourth and Joseph Smith getting a late surge to finish fifth. The second five were headed up by Ryan Neil with Mike Van Pelt, Zack Bealer, Carmen Leggio Jr and JD Casazza rounding out the top ten.

Cole Stangle brought "the stars of tomorrow" starting field to the line for their 20-lap main headliner. After having been involved in a barrel rolling flip earlier in the evening, Stangle was quick and blasted into the lead followed by "Dr Drift" Ty Kelly. Jared Silfee came knocking and disposed of Kelly by the midway point and went chasing after Stangle. A couple of skirmishes slowed the action and took Tanner Van Doren from third place to the pit area. The times Stangle and Silfee were turning were just about identical and Stangle would capture the win in an exciting evening of action for the Junior Slingers. Silfee was second with Adam Buchel turning in some great work for third place. Shelby McLaughlin raced from 12th position to fourth in a great drive and Emily Fleming rounded out the top five. Jake Mason, Ty Kelly, Tommy Stillo, Colton Geary and JJ Rice completed the top ten.

Two Rookie 600 Sprint features were needed for the growing roster at the speedway. In the first one, Lavar Scott took the early lead for one lap before yielding to Geordan Marrero in lap two. Marrero would hustle away from the field but the close knit action also resulted in a couple of cautions. Marrero was able to hold the field at bay to go on and record his fourth win of the season. Scott ran a great race to finish second with Jacob Balliet third, Scott Slater Jr fourth and Jared Lilly rounding out the top five. Dylan Licklider, newcomer Nathan Smith and Joe Nemeth followed.

In the second Rookie 600 Sprint main event, Damon Paul took the early lead while holding off the challenges of Brett Altemose, Kyle Exley and Mack Brink. Paul was comfortable no matter where he steered the race car and would earn his first ever 600 Sprint win. Mack Brink was the runner-up with Brett Altemose third, Kyle Exley fourth and Tony Parlanti fifth. Jakson Ring headed up the second five with David Trego, Cody Powell, Carmen Leggio Sr, Ron Bosga and Savannah Leggio following.

The Super Slingers finale found newcomer Mike Taylor taking off in the lead from his pole start. Taylor would drive away from the field early on but a skirmish would slow the action. On the restart, Taylor would be in command but would feel the heat from Wes Hearn and Dale Kober. Taylor never waivered as he even though it was a blanket finish it would be Taylor heading for Victory Circle. Wes Hearn was second with Dale Kober third, Jim Conroy fourth and newcomer Kerry Graham fifth. Following were Tom Van Pelt, Jeff Haduck and Steve Pirone.

The Hampton RV and Trailer Sales Stage One Modified shootout with the running of the annual Roy Smith Memorial, found Damon Paul hustling into the lead at the drop of the green flag. Behind him found a heated tussle between Bill Dianella and Joel Smith and the warriors duked it out from lap to lap with it ending on lap 21 when the cars got together with Smith facing traffic and Dianella sliding into the infield. Both cars were out for the evening and on the restart it would be Paul still in command but Caitlin Henneforth turned up the wick on her Henneforth Trucking mount and would become the fastest driver on the track for the remaining laps of the event. Damon Paul would earn his fifth win of the season with Henneforth in the runner-up slot. John Lakatos enjoyed a great run for third while Will Casazza and Michael Samony would complete the top five. Janell Geary, Evan Civick and newcomer Henry Padula would follow in the finishing order.

Pearl Jams:

Even though the weather was warm and breezy, a nice crowd came out to the speedway to witness a great evening of racing activities. The racing surface was impeccable as the track remained racy throughout the evening with side by side, three wide and at times four wide action rocking the house. Promoter Randy Smith and crew worked on the track throughout the evening to give the drivers a great surface with which to ply their trade.

Time trials kicked off the racing activity for two of the divisions while qualifying heats provided the fans with what were like mini-feature events as the talented drivers dug deep into the Hamlin clay to earn their starting spots for the feature events. Tyler Peet was the top timer in the All Star Slingshot division with a 14.027 time just nipping Justin Mills who timed at 14.101 and Chris Kurtz who timed 14.130. Pat Bealer was the quick timer in the 270 Sprints when he stopped the clocks at 11.277 seconds.

Cole Stangle and Ty Kelly claimed Junior Slingshot heat wins. Dale Kober was the heat winner in the Super Slingshots. Wingless 600 Sprint heats were claimed by Sam Kravitsky and Colin White . Brett Altemose, Geordan Marrero and Damon Paul captured the Rookie 600 Sprint heats. Two rounds of heats were utilized for the Stage One Modifieds with Damon Paul and Bill Dianella victorious in the first round while Joel Smith and Bill Dianella claimed the wins in round two.

Many new faces made visits to the speedway and Jevon Ahner was an unfortunate one as he got his 600 Sprint upside down in the hot lap sessions. He was unhurt in the incident. Mark Manieri was behind the wheel of his new creation and the machine shows much promise but scratched out for the feature. Adam Huff and Joe Amoroso were also new additions to the 600 Sprint field. Danny Buccafusca expired a motor early on and sat out the remainder of the evening. Modified Chassis builder Kerry Graham was on hand and raced the Recchio Slingshot entry and came home in fifth place in the Super Slingers. Graham had given Anthony Recchio his first Sportsman ride the night prior at the Accord Speedway. Blaire Schoenly was a new addition to the All Star Slingshots. Morgan Rochelle and Daniel Lafrance made their first appearances in the 270 Sprints. Jeffrey Trautman took his first ride at Hamlin in the Junior Slingshot division. Henry Padula took a ride in the Smith Fabrications Rental car. Nathen Smith was a new entry for the Rookie 600 Sprints.

Bill Dianella from Hampton RV and Trailer Sales utilized the intermission period to throw out some T-Shirts to the grandstand fans.

Close to $500.00 was raised in a couple of days for lap sponsorship of the Roy Smith Memorial event. The Hamlin Speedway and Staff and Smith Fabrications would like to thank Amy Renee Hanna, MRS Racing, Lynne and Skip, Don Andreas, Mary and Russ Furry, Snydersville Raceway, Mike Reynolds, Cody Motto, Will Casazza, Randy Gombert, Ed Stangle Landscaping, Hampton RV and Trailer Sales and GA Motorsports Media for their great support of this annual event. Damon Paul earned the most lap money while Cole Stangle was awarded the Hard Luck driver and Caitlin Henneforth the Hard Charger for the event.

Birthday wishes go out to Hamlin fan Mike Reynolds.

If you have not yet experienced an evening of racing at Hamlin, next week would be the ticket to come out and witness the best small car division racing in the country. With only two shows left in 2016, the drivers will have to be at their best should they have aspirations for a track title.

RESULTS:

All Star Slingshots: Mike McLaughlin, Chris Kurtz, Justin Mills, Russell Benke, Austin Silfee, Anthony Recchio, Tyler Peet, Dale Kober, Matt Henneforth, Alex Van Pelt, Tyler Pirone, Tess Horvath, Ashley Kober, Blaire Schoenly, Wes Hearn, Amanda Buchel, Brett Bieber, Steve Pirone, Samantha Muller, Mike Taylor, Sarah Bohlin, Nick Vinciguerra, Taylor Mills, Josh Marcus, Clayton Davey

270cc Sprints: Pat Bealer, Paul Richards Jr, Kyle Ferrucci, Alex Reinsmith, Glenn Macomber, Morgan Rochelle, Daniel Lafrance, Stephen Weirich, Randy Gombert

600cc Wingless Sprints: Chad Sandt, Colin White, Joel Smith, Sam Kravitsky, Joseph Smith, Ryan Neil, Mike Van Pelt, Zack Bealer, Carmen Leggio Jr, JD Casazza, Ryan Quackenbush, Tim Bauer, Mike Linderman, Rick Calvert, Dylan Licklider, Adam Huff (DNS), Mark Manieri (DNS), Joe Amoroso (DNS), Danny Buccafusca (DNS)

Hampton RV And Trailer Stage One Modifieds: (Roy Smith Memorial) Damon Paul, Caitlin Henneforth, John Lakatos, Will Casazza, Michael Samony, Janell Geary, Evan Civick, Henry Padula, Joel Smith, Bill Dianella, Chloe Andreas, Cole Stangle (DNS)

Junior Slingshots: Cole Stangle, Jared Silfee, Adam Buchel, Shelby McLaughlin, Emily Fleming, Jake Mason, Ty Kelly, Tommy Stillo, Colton Geary, JJ Rice, CJ Fritz, Cooper Schoenly, James Costlow, Tanner Van Doren, Jeffrey Trautman

Super Slingshots: Mike Taylor, Wes Hearn, Dale Kober, Jim Conroy, Kerry Graham, Tom Van Pelt, Jeff Haduck, Steve Pirone, Ryan Lacoe (DNS)

Rookie 600cc Wingless Sprints: (1) Geordan Marrero, Lavar Scott, Jacob Balliet, Scott Slater Jr, Jared Lilly, Dylan Licklider, Nathen Smith, Joe Nemeth, Paul Richards Jr, Joe Amoroso, Tyler Galatro, Mikey Smith

Rookie 600cc Wingless Sprints: (2) Damon Paul, Mack Brink, Brett Altemose, Kyle Exley, Tony Parlanti, Jakson Ring, David Trego, Cody Powell, Carmen Leggio Sr, Ron Bosga, Savannah Leggio, Noah Zielinski (DNS)

Racing every Saturday evening from April through September. The next event on the Hamlin Speedway schedule is set for September 10th when all Divisions will be in action on the 1/5th mile clay cushioned oval. Make sure to check the Hamlin Speedway website for additional information. Pit Gates open at the speedway at 3 PM; Drivers Meeting at 5:45; Hot Laps are at 6:00 and the racing begins at 7 PM sharp. Admission Prices for regular shows are: Adults $10.00; Senior Citizens $5.00 Children under 6 are Free

Upcoming events at the speedway include the All Star Slingshot National 50 lap Tour event on September 10th, offering $1,000.00 to win the feature based on 24 entries. All divisions will be in action and the evening will kick-off with the postponed August 13th feature for the Speedweeks All Star Slingshots to be the first event raced on September 10th, followed by a complete regular show highlighted by the All Star Slingshot National Tour 50-lap Tour event paying $1,000.00 to the winner based on a 24 entry count.

Please support the many great sponsors who assist in working and sponsoring the season long events at the speedway. Tilcon, Yankowski Enterprises, Triple Cities Mack, Dickie Keiper Speed Supplies, Ron Brown Hauling, Classic Cycles, Kim's Kreations, RockAuto.com, Howe's Comfort Inn and Santarelli And Sons Oil Company are all part of the advertising family at the speedway and we graciously thank them for their support.

For further updates and information regarding all of the news and additions to the Hamlin Speedway, logon to their well documented website at: http://www.hamlinspeed.com or call the speedway hotline at: 570 420 5500.

The Hamlin Speedway Is The "Pearl" In The Poconos

Hamlin, PA - Cars and Stars In Abundance With For Hamlin Speedway's Exciting Eight Feature Race Card
By: Steve Pados, GA Motorsports Media

Great weather and cars and stars by the numbers brought a standing room only crowd to the Hamlin Speedway as the Smith Family and Staff presented a superb eight feature race card on Saturday evening. Hamlin Speedway Promoter Randy Smith had the 1/5th mile oval as "fit as a fiddle" and the 115 entries who signed in for battle used every inch of the raceway to carve out a wonderful night of entertainment for the appreciative crowd. The Smith Family orchestrated the eight feature event program by 10:33 PM in the evening that found some of the top stars at the speedway strutting their stuff while some new faces also found out it feels very good to be sitting at the top of the racing podium. S&S Speedways Indoor Go Karts sponsored the evening of speed.

The All Star Slingshot feature headliner was captured by "The Little Tornado" Tyler Peet as he showed the 25-car field the quick way around the Hamlin clay to capture his second win of the season and first since opening night. "The Edge" Eddie Strada returned to the speedway for the second time in 2016 and took home his second win with a late charge over James "Phillip" Morris. Paul Richards Jr overcame an early advantage by smooth running Glenn Macomber as he captured his seventh win of the season in 270 Sprint action. "The Oxford Express" Dale Kober had the hot ticket in Super Slinger action as he wired the field for his third win of the season. Jared Silfee claimed his fifth win of the season in the Junior Slingshot finale. "The Nickel Man" Joel Smith was spot on as he drove away from the field to score his third win of the season in the Hampton RV and Trailer Sales Stage One Modifieds. The Rookie 600 Sprint field was split into two feature events and Brett Altemose and Scott Slater Jr each earned a win with great drives.

Tyler Peet grabbed the lead at the start of the 25-car field All Star Slingshot feature event with Dale Kober hustling to make his bid for the lead. Peet was able to step away from the field at times with lots of battles for position happening behind him. The two and three wide racing action at mid-pack was spectacular with driver after driver making his bid for the next position ahead of him. Peet was in the zone and separated himself from the rest of the field while Russell Benke was able to slip past Kober when they hit slower traffic in front of them. Peet would race to his second win with Benke and Kober following. Austin Silfee had a steady ride in fourth and "Magic Shoes" Mike McLaughlin hustled from 12th starting place to nail down fifth. Justin Mills, Nick Vinciguerra, Chris Kurtz, Brett Bieber and Alan Selemba rounded out the top ten.

The Super Slingers main event saw Dale Kober blasting out of the starting gate at the drop of the green flag battling with Wes Hearn for the top spot. Kober was able to open up some distance with some very quick 13.503 second laps to drive away and capture his third win of the season. Hearn was second with Roger Collins third, Ryan Lacoe fourth, Jim Conroy fifth and Steve Pirone and Jeff Haduck completing the finishing order.

Glenn Macomber led in the early laps of the 270 Sprint main but Paul Richards Jr used built up a full head of steam to drive to the inside line of the speedway to pull even and then slip past Macomber for the lead. Once out front Richards walked away from the field to record his eighth win of the season. Macomber put on a whale of a show as he ran hard for runner-up honors. "The A-Team" Brandon Azzalina took the Widdos car to a third place finish while Kyle Ferrucci, newcomer Alex Reinsmith and Randy Gombert completed the field.

The Junior Slingshot feature found Jared Silfee on the pole for the start and that would be just about all he needed to drive away from the field and go on to record his fifth win of the season at Hamlin. "TVD" Tanner Van Doren came on strong to finish second while Cole Stangle would race to third place after starting seventh and "The Hurricane" Hunter Lapp charged from ninth starting place to finish in fourth place. JJ Rice was fifth. The second five included Adam Buchel, Austin Homan, Shelby McLaughlin, Emily Fleming and Jake Mason. Mason was runner-up for a long time before he encountered some late race problems.

The start of the first Rookie 600 Wingless Sprint event found Brett Altemose putting it all together to lead all laps as he top-sided the speedway's outer reaches enroot to his first ever win at the speedway. Mack Brink challenged throughout but would settle for runner-up honors in a great drive. Newcomer Dylan Licklider was third in his first appearance while Tyler Galatro and Noah Zielinski completed the top five. Scott Slater Sr, Carmen Leggio Sr, Jacob Balliet and Ron Bosga completed the field.

Scott Slater Jr grabbed the lead at the start of the second Rookie 600 Sprint feature and had a pretty easy time of it as he raced out to an advantage early on and would race to his first ever win at the speedway.
Mikey Smith finished second with Paul Richards Jr in third place, Aaron Casterlin fourth and Justin Mills in fifth. The returning Tyler Kehs and newcomer Wendy Guest completed the field.

The Hampton RV and Trailer Sales Stage One Modified event found Joel Smith hustling out front at the drop of the green flag and making each step of the way count as he was flawless in performance as he raced to his third win of the season. Damon Paul was second with Bill Dianella third, Cole Stangle fourth and Chloe Andreas in fifth. Will Casazza headed up the second five with Robert Haun, Matt Henneforth, Michael Samony, Janell Geary and Evan Civick following.

James Morris took the lead at the start of the headline 600 Sprint event. Morris was working the cushion to perfection with Zack Bealer and Eddie Strada matching his every move. Strada was able to slip underneath Bealer at the halfway mark and set sail for Morris. The fast pace of the field brought slower traffic into play and Morris and Strada were darting and diving under and around the slower cars. Strada, a master at the Hamlin facility, closed in on Morris on the backstretch, followed him hard into turn three and dove underneath Morris to pull even and then drive past him on the front stretch to take command of the event with five to go. Strada would go on to capture his second win in as many tries at Hamlin for the season in the Thornton Racing number 36. Morris did an excellent job for runner-up honors with Brandon Azzalina a very close third. Zack Bealer was strong in his new ride for fourth and Joel Smith rounded out the top five. The second five was headed up by Chad Sandt with Sam Kravitsky, Colin White, Ryan Quackenbush and Jacob Severn following. The fast paced event had 23 of the 26 starters completing the event a strong tribute to the drivers and to the crews who maintain the race cars.

PEARL JAMS:

The hotly contested evening of racing entertainment began on time and the staff kept moving the program along swiftly with a couple of breaks taken for track maintenance on the track surface and to keep the race track racy throughout the evening. Once again Smith and Company got the job done without reservation. The large standing room only crowd on hand for the event witnessed a great evening of racing entertainment.

Time trials found the Rookie 600 Sprints taking time with Geordan Marrero just nipping Brett Altemose with a fast time of 12.157 for Marrero and Altemose posting a 12.361 time. Chloe Andreas was top timer for the Stage One Modifieds with a 13.077 time and nipping Joel Smith who timed at 13.108 seconds and Damon Paul at 13.205.

Heat race wins went to Wes Hearn in the Super Slingers while Jared Silfee and "Lil Miss" Shelby McLaughlin were victorious in the Junior Slingshots. Glenn Macomber captured the heat race win for the 270 Sprints. Dale Kober, Tyler Peet and Russell Benke captured the Slingshot heat wins. Two rounds of heat action was needed to set the 600 Sprint field and winners included James Morris, Joel Smith, and Eddie Strada in round one while Chad Sandt, Jacob Severn and Dylan Martin recorded wins in round two.

Newcomers made their way to the speedway last night in droves. Nick Delcampo and Tayllor Schoenly made their first starts in the Slingshots. Alex Reinsmith made his first 270 start at Hamlin in quite some time. CJ Fritz made his initial debut in the Junior Slingshots. Dylan Licklider and Wendy Guest were new faces for the Rookie 600 Sprints while returning to action included Tyler Kehs, Jacob Fox, Scott Slater Sr and Jr and Aaron Casterlin. In the Stage One Modifieds, "The All American Boy" Robert Haun was aboard the Smith Fabrications Rental car and Matt Henneforth was aboard the family Stage One car. Eddie Strada, James Morris, Eric Heydenreich, Johnny Smith, Duane White, Steven Gully and Jason Van Doren were among the outsiders list for the 600 Sprint entries. Eddie Strada also shook down a new MMF car from creator Mark Manieri although the sharp looking creation encountered some bugs in it's debut.

The top twelve drivers in points for the double heat format were brought trackside by speedway announcer Steve Pados and the drivers tossed tennis balls into the kid's crowd (10 and under) for a special prize should their driver win. It was a fun introduction and the fans and drivers enjoyed the professional aspect of the neat promotion.

Paul Quear, a veteran of many racing wars was on hand last evening. Paul is 85 and still has the itch to get behind the wheel of a race car. Troy Langendoerfer was on hand taking in the races and gearing up for a return to regular action in 2017. "The Sandman" is a welcome addition to the great roster at Hamlin.

Special thanks once again to Tex Snyder as he continues to work out the bugs of the new PA System.

The speedway is gearing up for some big events on the horizon with the 2016 racing season hitting the final stages. The annual Roy Smith Memorial for the Stage One Modifieds takes place on September 3rd as the speedway ushers in Labor day. The September 10th event will feature two big events for the All Star Slingshots as the rained out Speedweeks race will be the first event to the post and followed by a complete show that will have the National Slingshot Tour in the house.

RESULTS:

All Star Slingshots: Tyler Peet, Russell Benke, Dale Kober, Austin Silfee, Mike McLaughlin, Justin Mills, Nick Vinciguerra, Chris Kurtz, Brett Bieber, Alan Selemba, Wes Hearn, Tyler Pirone, Nick Delcampo, Steve Pirone, Amanda Buchel, Ryan Davey, Tayllor Schoenly, John Mirabelli, Samantha Muller, Jeff Haduck, Sarah Bohlin, Ashley Kober, Taylor Mills, Alex Van Pelt, Josh Marcus

270cc Sprints: Paul Richards Jr, Glenn Macomber, Brandon Azzalina, Kyle Ferrucci, Alex Reinsmith, Randy Gombert, Don Schmidt, Jenna Schostkewitz

600cc Wingless Sprints: Eddie Strada, James Morris, Brandon Azzalina, Zack Bealer, Joel Smith, Chad Sandt, Sam Kravitsky, Colin White, Ryan Quackenbush, Jacob Severn, Zac Azzalina, Eric Heydenreich, Mick D'Agostino, Jason Van Doren, Joseph Smith, Danny Buccafusca, JD Casazza, Geordan Marrero, Johnny Smith, Dylan Martin, Duane White, Brett Altemose, Steven Gully, Tim Bauer, Mike Van Pelt, Jacob Fox

Hampton RV And Trailer Stage One Modifieds: Joel Smith, Damon Paul, Bill Dianella, Cole Stangle, Chloe Andreas, Will Casazza, Robert Haun, Matt Henneforth, Michael Samony, Janell Geary, Evan Civick

Junior Slingshots: Jared Silfee, Tanner Van Doren, Cole Stangle, Hunter Lapp, JJ Rice, Adam Buchel, Austin Homan, Shelby McLaughlin, Emily Fleming, Jake Mason, CJ Fritz, Colton Geary, Cooper Schoenly, James Costlow

Super Slingshots: Dale Kober, Wes Hearn, Roger Collins, Ryan Lacoe, Jim Conroy, Steve Pirone, Jeff Haduck

Rookie 600cc Wingless Sprints: (1) Brett Altemose, Mack Brink, Dylan Licklider, Tyler Galatro, Noah Zielinski, Scott Slater Sr, Carmen Leggio Sr, Jacob Balliet, Jared Lilly, Ron Bosga, Jakson Ring

Rookie 600cc Wingless Sprints: (2) Scott Slater Jr, Mikey Smith, Paul Richards Jr, Aaron Casterlin, Justin Mills, Geordan Marrero, Tyler Kehs, Wendy Guest, David Trego, Jacob Fox

Racing every Saturday evening from April through September. The next event on the Hamlin Speedway schedule is set for September 3rd when all Divisions will be in action on the 1/5th mile clay cushioned oval and the Hampton RV and Trailer Sales Stage One Modifieds are headlined with the annual Roy Smith Memorial 30 lap feature event. Make sure to check the Hamlin Speedway website for additional information. Pit Gates open at the speedway at 3 PM; Drivers Meeting at 5:45; Hot Laps are at 6:00 and the racing begins at 7 PM sharp. Admission Prices for regular shows are: Adults $10.00; Senior Citizens $5.00 Children under 6 are Free

Upcoming events at the speedway include the All Star Slingshot National 50 lap Tour event on September 10th, offering $1,000.00 to win the feature based on 24 entries.
The postponed Speedweeks Slingshot finale will be the first event raced on September 10th, followed by a complete regular show highlighted by the All Star Slingshot National Tour 50-lap Tour event paying $1,000.00 to the winner based on a 24 entry count.

Please support the many great sponsors who assist in working and sponsoring the season long events at the speedway. Tilcon, Yankowski Enterprises, Triple Cities Mack, Dickie Keiper Speed Supplies, Ron Brown Hauling, Classic Cycles, Kim's Kreations, RockAuto.com, Howe's Comfort Inn and Santarelli And Sons Oil Company are all part of the advertising family at the speedway and we graciously thank them for their support.

For further updates and information regarding all of the news and additions to the Hamlin Speedway, logon to their well documented website at: http://www.hamlinspeed.com or call the speedway hotline at: 570 420 5500.

The Hamlin Speedway Is The "Pearl" In The Poconos