Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Midgets Coming to Mercer Raceway Park

Mercer, PA (July 26, 2011): The stars and cars of the American Racing Drivers Club
will be at Mercer Raceway Park this Saturday. The ARDC is America's oldest
sanctioning body, and renowned drivers like Mario Andretti, Duane Pancho Carter and
Jan Opperman are among those who raced with the organization over the years. Current
Midgeteers include the Buckwalter clan (Steve, Bruce and Tim), along with current
points leader Drew Heistand.

Appearing with the ARDC Midgets will be the Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars
for the annual Sprint Slug Out. The Flyin' One, Bob Felmlee, will be looking to
stretch his point lead again, but the Kittanning Comet Rod George has been coming on
strong in rcent outings. Many more will also be out to dethrone the king.

The Approved Toilet Rentals 358 Modifieds will be looking to get in a full feature.
Last week's action was cut short by adverse weather. The 358 Mods have the closest
points battle among the regular classes at the Park, with Frank on the Gas Guidace
only a few clicks ahead of Jimmy the Jet Holden.

The ti22 Outlaw Sprint Warriors will be the fourth open wheel class competing this
Saturday. Guy Griffin leads the way in the points, but seasoned veterans like Mike
Lutz and Gary Edwards are among the feature winners this season. And, don't forget
the young bunch, led by Michael Bauer, already a winner in his rookie season!

The fendered fans will also have cars to root for, as the Precise Racing Products
Stocks and the Big Dog R/C Center Mini Stocks will hit thge track. trusty Rusty
Moore has been almost unbeatable. Can he come from last on the grid to score yet
another win? Pete Blazczak, who was just as hot early in the season, seems to have
lost the magic touch with his Mini Stock, so come on out to see if he can regain his
winning form.

All of this high speed adventure will be yours for just $15 for Adults, $13 for
Seniors (60+) and $7 for Students (9-15). Children (8 and under) are admitted free.
The popular family pass will be $30 (one or both parents and up to four children of
any age). Pit passes will be the regular amount, $25.

The gates will swing open at 4 p.m, and hot laps will begin at 6:30. Racing will
start at 7 p.m. Come out early to get your favorite seat, you will not want to miss
any of the action.

If you cannot make this week's open wheel extravaganza, August 6 will be a Saturday
Night Live! racing program, with two added feature events. Due to last week's rain,
the Approved Toilet Rentals 358 Modifieds and the Big Daddy's Speed Center will be
doing double duty. All of that will be for regular pricing!

About Mercer Raceway Park: Mercer Raceway Park is a 3/8-mile dirt track located
minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in
Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly
from late March through late September. For more information, check out
www.mercerracewaypark.com, www.twitter.com/mercerraceway, or
www.facebook.com/mercerracewaypark.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Performance Chips: Everything You Need to Know

Performance chips can be daunting to deal with for first-time users, simply because they involve computerized parts, and that scares people. In reality, there’s nothing to be afraid of, and performance chips can actually be invaluable additions that are quite easy to install, especially compared with other performance-enhancing parts. Below, we’ll go over several factors to consider when deciding to use a performance computer chip on your car, so you can make an educated decision on whether or not to go ahead with the installation.

The Installation Itself

When someone mentions installing a performance chip, it sounds like something that involves a lot of work, a plethora of technological know-how, and keen automotive upgrading skills. Those fears should be eased after you learn that an average performance chip installation can take less than a half an hour. Most models nowadays are plug-and-play, and at most you’ll have to make some simple wire adaptations to make it work. Modern performance chips don’t even require a hard reset of the vehicle’s ECU these days, making it even less time consuming than you would think.

Performance Results

If you’re looking to match the 400 horsepower gain provided by many high-end turbochargers, you’re out of luck. Performance chips can provided a smaller, but substantial horsepower boost of around 60HP. Again, it’s all relative. A performance chip is considerably less expensive than a turbo kit, and also takes a lot less time to install. If you’re looking for slight adjustments to push your car to the next level, a performance chip will suit you just fine. And with around 4-7mpg in fuel savings, your vehicle’s fuel efficiency will improve to boot.

Price

Though a performance chip may sound prohibitively expensive, don’t be fooled. Unlike the thousands you’d spend on a new turbo kit or the hundreds of dollars that many other performance boosters cost, you can get a high-performing chip for around $50 or so. Plus, since you don’t need any complex tools to complete the installation, you’re saving on that cost. And the easy installation means not having to worry about paying a professional if something goes wrong during the install process, something that could easily happen with a more complex component installation. Though certainly the most money-saving thing you could do is not upgrade your car at all, if you’re looking for an improvement that’s cheap and effective, a performance chip is a solid bet to place in most circumstances.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Good Car, Bad Night


7/9/2011 - Back in action for another Saturday night at Mercer Raceway Park, the Hermitage of Agway Race Team didn't have the night they were hoping for.

Adam lined the 5K machine up to start the first of 3 heat races on the night in the 7th spot, and with track conditions as they were that is right were he stayed. "There was just no passing to be had" Team Owner Mike Kekich commented later.

The heat race finish set the Kekich Racing entry to start the feature from the 20th spot. Adam got busy right at the drop of the green and was up to 17th by the 11th lap. Continuing to work the top side, Adam steamed ahead and by lap 22 was challenging for the 12th place spot then a car spun and collected the 5K resulting in a broken rear axle and wheel ending the teams night. Credited with a 21st place finish the team loaded up the car to head back to the shop and make repairs to be ready for the next night of competition.

"The car was good tonight", Adam commented after the race. "I am disappointed in the outcome but it could have been much worse". "I am in one piece and the car can be fixed, we'll get em' next time".

Thursday, July 07, 2011

3RD LOU BLANEY MEMORIAL DRAWING NEAR ON TUESDAY AT SHARON; ALZHEIMER’S BENEFIT TO FEATURE TONY STEWART, KASEY KAHNE & DAVE BLANEY IN SPRINTS; BIG-BLOC

July 7, 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Hartford, OH)…The excitement and anticipation for the Lou Blaney Memorial continues to build. Now just days away on Tuesday, July 12 at Sharon Speedway, this third annual event will be an Alzheimer’s Association Benefit Night featuring NASCAR Sprint Cup stars Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Dave Blaney competing in the Sprint Car division. The Governor Insurance Agency Big-Block Modifieds will also be in action. Tom’s Sewer & Septic Service is the presenting sponsor. Race time is set for 7 p.m.

Friends of Lou Blaney will again attend the race to help celebrate the life and accomplishments of the Hall of Fame driver, who won more than 600 feature victories during a five-decade career. The legend has at least 121 Modified wins and another 11 documented in a Sprint Car at Sharon alone. Blaney passed away in 2009 after battling Alzheimer’s.

Several well-known drivers have already stated they will be there such as Blackie Watt, Dick Bailey, Dale Johnson, Johnny Beaber, Dave Lundy, Andy Lutz, and many others. There will be six restored cars on hand including one of Lou’s old cars.

WFMJ TV 21 personality Mike Ackelson will host a question and answer session featuring Stewart, Kahne, and Blaney at approximately 5:30 p.m. This will take place in the Fan Zone and will be open for all media and fans who wish to attend. Individual interview requests by media will not be granted.

The Alzheimer’s Association will be on hand for the event, which is a fundraiser to raise money for the advancement of research: to provide and enhance care and support for all affected. Bricks will be sold at the cost of $75 for 4x8’s and $100 for 8x8’s for the FANWALK called "Walk to End Alzheimer's". This is more than a NASCAR night as Stewart and Kahne will be participating to support the benefit. Sharon Speedway appreciates their loyalty and commitment to help with this fundraiser.

The Sprint Cars will be under the Midwest All Star banner running for $3,000 to-win, $300 to-start, while Sharon’s ground-pounding big blocks will be running for one of their season’s biggest purses with $2,000 to-win, $200-start. An “open tire rule” will be in effect for the Modifieds with any 92” circumference tire permitted.

All of the region’s top Sprint Car and Big-Block Modified racers will be on hand for this rich payday and to honor a Lou Blaney, who had tremendous success in both divisions. Past Lou Blaney Memorial Sprint Car winners include Tony Stewart (2009) and Mike Lutz (2010), while the Big-Block Modifieds have been captured by Jack Johnson (2009) and Jim Rasey (2010).

Dale Blaney, who won the Ohio Speedweek event at Sharon for the All Star Sprints on June 22, would love to capture his first win in this event. Dale owns 13 career Sharon checkered flags, while older brother Dave is a 29-time Sharon winner with 27 of those wins coming in the Sprint Car class. Kahne, who has wins all over the country, still has yet to capture a Sharon victory. Kahne qualified for the feature at the June 22 event and is hoping to improve on his 17th place finish.

The hot off the presses third annual Lou Blaney Memorial t-shirt will be on sale featuring all of the Blaneys including the youngest and newest patriarch of the family, Ryan Blaney.

Advance tickets are on sale, which will admit ticket holders into the grandstands one hour earlier before tickets go on sale and the gates opening at 4 p.m. An order form is available by going to Sharonspeedway.com and clicking on the Fans link and then the Tickets link or by going directly to http://www.sharonspeedway.com/wp-content/u...r-Form-2011.pdf. You can also call the track office at 330-772-5481. Adult admission is $20. Students 9-13 are $8. Children eight and under are free. Pit passes are $35.

Gates will open one hour earlier than normal. Pit gates will open at 3 p.m. and those that have advance tickets will be admitted into the grandstands. Warm-ups will begin at 6:15 p.m. followed by Sprint Car qualifying at 6:30 and racing at 7. There will be no rain date due to the Brad Doty Classic taking place the next day and commitments by the NASCAR drivers.

Sharon Speedway is owned by the Blaney, Weller, and Kirila Families and is a 3/8-mile dirt track located on Custer-Orangeville Road in Hartford, Ohio near the intersection of Routes 7 & 305. For more information, check out the website at www.sharonspeedway.com or call 330-772-5481. Become a fan of Sharon Speedway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharonspeedway and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sharonspdwy.

Monday, July 04, 2011

Bowser Comes Back with a Vengeance After Bout with Concussion


Sarver, PA (July 4, 2011) - After sitting for nearly three weeks to recover
from a concussion suffered on June 11, Carl Bowser and his team bounced back
in full force to post a victory on Friday night at Lernerville Speedway. The
Boggsville, PA native also nabbed a second place finish on Saturday night at
Mercer Raceway Park.


"It was a great feeling to know that we could go out and win our first night
back," Bowser said. "Once I got back in the car and felt like I was 100%, I
knew this race was ours to win."

Bowser dominated the race, crossing the line nearly 12 seconds ahead of
second-place finisher Brian Ellenberger to collect his fourth career victory
at the Action Track. It was Bowser’s first time back in the seat since he
was knocked out in a chilling accident at Mercer Raceway Park that saw his
car flipping in the midst of a multi-car pileup on the opening lap of the
feature event.

"Our team worked so hard in the past couple of weeks to pull this together
after basically totaling that car," the 24-year-old driver said. “We’re
thrilled with the results.”


The young driver headed north on Saturday to follow up his victory with a
second place run at Mercer Raceway Park. Bowser charged from his 10th place
starting spot to the front of the pack, but ran out of time in the 25 lap
race.

"It was a hard decision to make - sitting out," he said. "The doctors gave
us the recommendation and I definitely wanted to get back in the car as soon
as I could.



“We were leading the points at Lernerville [Speedway] and the Ohio Speedweek
shows were coming up. But I want to do this as long as I can and getting
hurt again wouldn't move us toward that goal."



Sunday night saw Bowser at Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, PA for the Midwest
All Star Sprint show. The “Boggsville Bullet” qualified third and started
fourth in the A-Main, but took a light tumble while running in third
position. Bowser restarted the feature at the tail and was able to advance
to 15th position despite worsening wing damage as the race went on.



Bowser will compete in both weekly shows at Lernerville Speedway and Mercer
Raceway Park and special events, including the Lou Blaney Memorial at Sharon
Speedway and the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway, in
the coming weeks.