The Official Site of Area Auto Racing News and Len Sammons Productions Area Auto Racing News
TRENTON, NJ – The 2015 New Egypt Speedway season was extended last week when track owner Fred Vahlsing and special events promoter Brett Deyo agreed on terms for a special co-promotion that will now end the track’s season.
The first annual ‘Mid-Atlantic Championship Weekend’ will be held on Friday and Saturday October 30-31. The speedway had previously planned to end its season with its annual All Star Cup Shootout on Friday and Saturday, September 18 and 19.
The new two-day event provides a late October weekend of racing in the Garden State for Modified, Sportsman, Outlaw Stock and XCel 600 Modified teams with a high-profile, showcase event.
The Modifieds (big-blocks vs. small-blocks) will race for $5,000 to win, $1,000 for 10th and $400 to start on Halloween, Saturday, October 31. A special Halloween “trick and treat” event will be planned for the children.
The late-season program is expected to draw a strong field of competitors with most area tracks closed for the season. The Race of Champions series finale, however, is scheduled for that weekend at Five Mile Point Speedway outside of Binghampton, N.Y. This annual event, the National Quarter Mile Dirt Track Championship weekend, includes a $5,555 to win 100-lapper on Saturday night that ends the RoC point season.
At one time, Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway held a successful Octoberfest this same weekend. But Modifieds are no longer on that track’s schedule.
The Sportsman Modifieds will be a big part of Saturday’s New Egypt event as well with the winner getting $1,200. Weight rules will be set so the Open engines and the Crate 602s can race competitively against each other. It will pay a minimum of $120 to start the race. Incentive bonuses will be added for those using a crate engine.
The XCel 600 Modifieds will make their first ever appearance at New Egypt as part of Saturday’s program.
Negotiations are also under way to bring the Tobias SpeedSTR series to the New Egypt event. The SpeedSTRs are scheduled to run the first of a two day show that weekend at Pa.’s Grandview Speedway. Since many of the Modified drivers, including both Billy Pauch Sr. and Jr., run SpeedSTRs, a deal is underway so the division can run at New Egypt on Saturday and then travel to Grandview to compete on Sunday.
Should the deal be finalized, Grandview’s Saturday program as part of the Fall Jamboree would be held with the wingless 600cc Micro-Sprints and the Slingshots.
Friday racing on October 30 at New Egypt will include a $1,000-to-win, $100 to start feature for the Crate 602 Sportsman cars. The Outlaw Stocks will also run qualifying and a feature event.
Modified racers can get some track time on Friday during several practice sessions. The top-six fastest in practice will also run a six-lap Dash that will advance them into Saturday’s re-draw for feature event starting positions.
Overnight camping will be encouraged and pre-and post-race festivities will be part of the weekend.
Deyo’s BD Motorsports Media will be promoting Dirty Jersey 3 at New Egypt earlier in the season. On Thursday June 11, Deyo is bringing his new Southern Short Track Super Series Fueled By Hi-Tek to New Egypt with the big-block Modifieds joined by the 360 Sprint Cars.
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Despite the latest bout of winter weather, New Egypt Speedway is gearing up for Open Practice on Saturday, March 28, 2015. For the second year in a row bonus awards will be awarded in each division for the car turning the fastest lap.
The car that posts the fastest lap in the 358 Modified, Open Sportsman, Crate Modified, NERS Sprint, and Street Stock divisions will receive one Saturday night $30 value pit pass to the Speedway, a Bead Buster from Vahlco Wheels, and a $50 Speedway Motors gift certificate. Anyone who would like to post an additional bonus should contact the Speedway at 609-758-1900 or nesoffice@comcast.net.
“Last year’s practice, despite being weather postponed, was one of the best attended practices we’ve held over the years,” said New Egypt General Manager Allyse Wolfinger. “If you have Billy Pauch attending practice, you know the bonuses are good. We wanted to offer the same program again this year to encourage drivers to utilize the practice time while getting something out of it.”
New Egypt’s Open Practice is open to all cars in all divisions. The bonuses will be awarded for cars wishing to participate in the 358 Modified, Open Sportsman, Crate Modified, Street Stock, and NERS Sprint divisions. Drivers can use their own transponders or rentals will be available for $20 each. Driver’s wishing to compete for the bonus must register at the pit shack before the start of the practice.
Pit gates will be opening at 10 a.m. for early technical inspection and practice will begin at 12 p.m. A rain date of Wednesday, April 1, has been set.
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For the first time in New Egypt Speedway Crate Modified competition, the division will be required to run a spec fuel starting with the 2015 season. The spec fuel will be a 94 octane, dyed fuel that competitors must by from the Speedway or directly from Insinger Performance.
The cost will be $4.00 per gallon with a percentage from each gallon sold being added to the end of the year Crate Modified point fund.
“Over the past several years we’ve seen an increase in the amount of tainted fuel in our Crate division,” said General Manager Allyse Wolfinger. “Over the winter we researched the spec fuel with Bruce at Insinger and decided this will be the best way to keep the competition fair while also increasing the point fund for the division.”
The Speedway has also signed another multi-year contract to make Insinger Performance and Sunoco Race Fuels the official fuel of New Egypt Speedway. The Speedway will again be selling 112 octane, 110 octane, and alcohol, as well as the new 94 octane fuels.
Fuel is available for purchase on Saturday as well as week days when the office is open.
