FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2010

“FALL BRAWL” TO FEATURE 3 BIG EVENTS SATURDAY AT MERCER WITH NIGHT 1 OF FASTRAK LATE MODEL GRAND NAT’S, SUPER LATE MODELS & E-MODS RACING FOR BIG BUCKS

By Mike Leone
Mercer, PA…Mercer Raceway Park is ready to host another blockbuster event this Saturday night, October 2. Late Model fans will get a double dose of excitement as the Super Late Models make their second appearance of the season and will share in the spotlight with FASTRAK Late Models in Night 1 of Grand Nationals! Also on the card Saturday night will be the E-Mods and M&D Paving Mini Stocks. Racing begins one hour earlier than normal at 6 p.m. and the rain date is Sunday.

Well over 70 of the Northeast’s best FASTRAK Late Model racers have qualified for Saturday’s Night 1 of the Grand Nationals for the Northeast Region. FASTRAK member racers must compete in 12 FASTRAK events throughout the 2010 season to be eligible. It was just recently announced that each FASTRAK Region will also host Night 2 before the entire country convenes at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Virginia on October 22 and 23 for the Night 3 finale. This year’s Night 2 for the Northeast Region will take place on Saturday, October 9 at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex.

Saturday’s 30-lap feature will include one-lap qualifying followed by heat races and last chance B mains before the championship 30-lap feature paying $1,500 to-win, $200 to-start. Drivers will earn points, which will be added to their Night 2 and 3 scores to determine the 2010 Grand National Champion worth $30,000. The top 24 positions in points will earn point fund monies. Drivers outside the top 24 in points will also be able to compete in a $1,200 to-win feature event at Wythe on October 23 provided they compete in Nights 1 & 2!

A talent laden field will be on hand Saturday featuring Northeast Touring Series champion and six-time Mercer winner Max Blair and his father Robbie- one of the region’s top Super Late Model racers. Mike Pegher, Jr., who won the $5,000 Eldora Speedway National event in July, and was the winner of Night 1 last year is set to make a run at the Grand National Championship.

Last year’s Northeast Touring Series Champion David Scott is qualified and could be in competition. Scott campaigned the John and Janet Powell #100 before turning the reigns over to Bud Watson one month ago. Watson already has several top five finishes included in his career first Touring Series win at Tri-City in the car. Never count out Late Model great Mike Blose and his up and coming understudy Joe Martin, who picked up his career first Touring Series win at Dog Hollow two months ago.

Mercer 4 Your Car Connection champion Kyle Zimmerman has been close to victory lane all season long and would love to cap off his title with his biggest career win Saturday! Mr. Consistency Butch Lambert is set to take on the Grand Nationals for the third straight year. Steve Dixon, who recently won Touring Series events at Woodhull and McKean County, John Lacki, Jim Frank, and Dennis Lunger, Jr. are four of the best from northernmost part of the Region. Roaring Knob Champion John Over will make his first ever Mercer appearance and will be joined by fellow Knob standouts Ricky Meglaye, Dan Angelicchio, Troy Shields, Rick Strickler, Bobby Cossell IV, amongst others.

Three of the Pittsburgh area’s best are Josh Holtgraver (Sharon Speedway Touring Series winner), Kyle Lukon (three straight top five Touring Series finishes), and Dan Karalagas and will be in action. West Virginia will be led by Touring Series great and Sharon Speedway winner Gary Knollinger. Bobby Whitling, who won Saturday’s Little Guy Nationals second Stock Car feature, will bring his FASTRAK Late Model for competition. Bryan Force, who loves to travel, is fresh off a career best Touring Series effort of third on Friday night at McKean.

Speaking of the Super Late Models, they will be back for the first time since the March 27 opener that was a race that many still talk about today in which 15th starting Mike Knight came out on top of event that saw three and four racing throughout the pack. Last year’s “Fall Brawl” event drew 33 cars from throughout the region and was won by standout John Flinner. Saturday’s feature will pay $2,000 to-win!

The Super Late Models only competed weekly at Mercer in 1974 and a total of 34 races have been run since 1970. Bob Wearing, Sr. leads the all-time list with five victories over Mercer standout and ’74 champion Ralph Quarterson and Yip Robinson, both who have four wins.

Not to be outdone, the United E-Mod Series will be in competition for $2,000 to-win as well! Joel Watson won the $1,000 “Chiller Thriller” for UEMS back on March 27 and Mike Eschrich won his first career E-Mod event two weeks later. The E-Mods have competed 27 times over the years at Mercer with 15 different winners. Alan Dellinger leads the all-time win list at four and is expected to be in competition to add to that number.

The M&D Paving Mini Stocks will round out the racing card competing in a 15-lap feature for $150 to-win with a complete payoff. Last week’s more liberal “Little Guy Nationals” rules will be in effect for this non-point event. Mike Scharba became the division’s newest winner last Saturday night when he became the 12th different winner in Mini Stock competition in 2010!

“This event should be something different for the fans to close out the year,” stated first year owner Bill Altman. “It’ll be an honor to host Night 1 of the FASTRAK Grand Nationals as hopefully one of our racers can take home the $30,000 championship. If Saturday’s Super Late Model feature is anything like the opener…fans will be in for a treat! Plus we’re expecting all of the region’s best E-Mod racers as they’ll be competing for four to five times what they normally race for!”

Event times will be one hour earlier than normal with pits opening at 2:30 p.m., grandstands at 3:30 p.m., hot laps at approximately 5 p.m. followed by FASTRAK time trials and racing at 6 p.m. Adult admission is $17. Students 6-15 are $7. Children five and under are free. The family pass is $38, which includes mom, dad, and up to four kids 15 and under. Pit passes are $35.