ALLENTOWN, PA October 20, 2015 . . . There is no greater thrill in sports than the opportunity to perform – and succeed – in front of a hometown crowd.
That’s what Earl Paules, Jr. of Palmerton. Pa., and Zane Zeiner of Bath Pa., are eagerly anticipating as Three Quarter (TQ) Midget entrants for the inaugural Indoor Races in Allentown, Pa.’s PPL Center on Saturday, January 2, 2016.
The pair are among more than 100 drivers who are signing up in great numbers to perform in front of their friends, neighbors and sponsors who are purchasing reserved seat tickets rapidly to see their heroes compete.
The race date is Saturday, January 2, 2016, with competition beginning at 7pm.
Paules, of Palmerton, has won five Mahoning Valley (PA) Speedway track championships in the last four years. He is the reigning Modified champion and won Late Model titles in 2014 and 2013. His year to savor was 2012 when he swept both the Modified and Late Model crowns.
“It’s going to be nice running the TQ in Allentown in front of hometown fans,” Paules said. “A lot of them have already bought their tickets. One of my sponsors, Schneider’s Scrap Metal, is one of the race sponsors.
Paules, 50, is set to race the same TQ he has run for the past three Len Sammons Motorsports Productions (LSMP) Indoor Race seasons, a Mark Lafler chassis. What will be new is the Dave Pippard-built motor, a specially engineered ‘indoor motor’.
“The first year I ran indoors, it came pretty easy,” Paules said. “We’ve always been close. This year with the new motor, it might be our year.”
Zeiner heads to Allentown for the Indoor Race with the same Mark Lafler / Dave Pippard combination he has raced indoors for the past three LSMP indoor season.
“I bought the car used from Lafler. It was one of his first cars that (Patrick) Emerling had driven,” Zeiner said.
Zeiner, 39, is enthused about racing indoors in Allentown because of the hometown atmosphere.
“I have been running with the Race Of Champions asphalt series the last few years and haven’t been at Mahoning all that much except for special races,” Zeiner said. “So I don’t get to race in front of my friends and customers all that much. I’m looking forward to doing well in front of all of them.”
Zeiner was very quick the first year he raced indoors – at Atlantic City and Trenton – but has not been able to find the consistency, or luck, since.
The event is part of a three race indoor series that includes the wildly popular annual events in Atlantic City, NJ on January 29 & 30 at Boardwalk Hall and in Trenton, NJ on February 27 & 28 at the Sun National Bank Center. Tickets for those events are also on sale now.
Plans for the Allentown inaugural call for two divisions of racing featuring two classes of cars. The powerful open-wheel Three Quarter (TQ) Midgets will headline the event. With the Slingshots, identically built cars that resemble Modified stock cars, also competing in the one-day event.
In addition to Paules and Zeiner, a strong Lehigh Valley regional presence is expected in the TQ Midgets. Top drivers from the area who have competed in the Indoor Series in the past include Tim Buckwalter (Royersford), Matt Janisch (Nazareth), Pat Bealer (Slatington) and Matt Roselli (Brodheadsville).
For regional pride to prevail with ultimate victory, the area’s best will need to take on and outrace past Indoor winners Erick Rudolph (Buffalo, NY), Ted Christopher (Plainville, CT), Anthony Sesely (Matawan, NJ), Joey Payne (Fairlawn, NJ) and Mike Lichty (Innerkip, Ontario, Canada).
Tickets for all PPL Center events are available for purchase exclusively through PPLCenter online, by phone at 610-347-TIXX, or in person at the Mealey’s Furniture Box Office located on 7th & Hamilton St. at PPL Center.
LSMP is currently seeking additional marketing partners for this exciting first time event, including title sponsorship. Contact 609-888-3618 for more information.
Lap sponsorships are now available for all events, starting with the January 2, 2016 Allentown race. Laps are being sold at $20.00 per lap; contact Davey Sammons at davey@aarn.com or at 609-888-3618 for lap sponsorship purchases or for more information.
