2007 Season Preview

Welcome to Mercer Raceway Park  "Where Saturday Nights Come Alive!" Each Saturday evening from the last Saturday of March through the first September, Mercer Raceway Park offers competitive short-track auto racing featuring some of the best drivers the region has to offer on our 3/8-mile slightly-banked clay oval along with quality family events. Our weekly "Saturday Night Live" program features five divisions.  The Sprint Cars are 410 cubic-inch, 1200-pound, 800 horsepower "winged warriors," which are the fastest cars on dirt. The Modifieds are the Northeast’s most popular division, powered by small-block 358 engines. The Stock Cars are full-bodied, wheel-to-wheel stocks cars, based on street-legal automobile frames.  The Mod Lites are a minature version of the Modifieds using motorcycle engines.  The Mini Stocks are front-wheel-drive four-cylinder cars that are stock with only safety modifications for amateur racers. “All in all it’s another exciting and action-packed schedule,” explained ninth-year owner Vicki Emig.  “We’ve again added some new promotional, discount, and family-type events to this upcoming season.  While many people questioned our motives and rationale, we’ve been very happy with how these events have turned out and are glad to be the industry leader in these types of promotions.  We feel these types of events are important with the current state of the economy and racing in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio.  This year’s loaded line-up includes two ‘Pack the Track’ Fan Appreciation Nights, four $10 Family Nights, Free County Nights, a Welcome Ohio Night, free nights for veterans and scouts, plus the newly added ‘Dollar Dayz’, 4-H Night, Labor Union Night, and NRA Night.  It’s no secret that many people today struggle to take their families to the races.  We’re hoping these nights continue to allow more fans the opportunity to attend that may have been unable to otherwise.” “We’ve changed up some of our special events once again to go along with our great five-division grassroots racing weekly program,” stated Emig.  We’re again offering more increased purse events to the regional racers than any other speedway in western Pa and eastern Ohio.  The best thing about all of our special race events is that they are all so affordable for our fans with either a $13 or $15 adult and $33 or $35 family admission.” The Sprint Cars will take off their wings on two occasions this year, one on May 19 and the other on August 11.  Both races will pay $1,500 to-win and there will be no increase in admission. For the seventh straight year, Mercer Raceway Park will be the site of a world championship pulling event on Sunday, May 27 at 6:30 PM.  The All-American “Spring Nationals” will include the Big Rig Semis, Smoker Tractors, Street Semis, and Street Diesel 4x4 Trucks with a rain date of Memorial Day at 5 PM. The Hoffman Family will again come together along with Hoffman Door Co. to present the Jeff Hoffman Memorial for the third straight year on June 2.  This year’s event will again be contested for the small-block mods in their first of four major events for the year.  The winner of the 30-lap modified feature will earn $2,000.  A rain date of the following Saturday has been established. Just over a month later, the Modifieds will have another special event featuring the first of two appearances by New York’s T3 All-Star Series with $1,500 going to the winner of the Wednesday, July 4th special.  Adding a huge bonus to this event is the inaugural FASTRAK Northeast Racing Series for the Late Models as they’ll be featured with a whopping $5,000 on the line to the winner of the “Yankee 40”.  The Mod Lites will round out the show in a sanctioned event by the Star’s Championship Tour in the second of three appearances.  On July 7 a unique program titled “Stand On It” will be showcased and presented by new marketing partner Truck Rodz by Jones Performance in West Middlesex, PA.  For the first time ever racing and drag racing will take place on the same night.  Along with our five divisions, Full Pull Productions will present drag racing for Semi Trucks, 4x4 Diesel Trucks, 4x4 Gas Trucks, and an open competition class.  There will be no increased admission for this event. The seventh annual “Sprint Slug-Out” will feature the popular triple 15-lap feature format for the Sprint Cars plus a full show of increased purses on July 28.  This event has been plagued by bad weather and was rained out completely last season.  The Bill Emig Memorial will again close out the month of August on the 25th with another $2,000 to-win feature for the Modifieds plus a full show with increased purses.  This year’s event will be presented by M&M Insurance Group as the New Castle, PA-based company has stepped up their marketing efforts at the speedway in 2007. The 19th annual “Western PA Sprint Championship” will is expected to again be the region’s biggest non-sanctioned sprint car event of the season with $3,000 on the line to the winner on September 8.  A full show with increased monies will be on tap with points ending for the Sprints, Modifieds, and Stocks. A second truck and tractor pulling event will fill the schedule on September 15,  The USA-East Regional Finals will feature Semi Trucks, “Run What Ya Brung” Trucks, 4x4 Diesel Trucks, 4x4 Gas Trucks, Limited Pro Stock Tractors, and Super Farm Tractors in an invitation-only event.  The rain date is Sunday the 16th at 2 p.m. After a one-week break, the “Little Guy Nationals” will take center stage as the region’s richest support division only event will again feature two packed days of action.  Friday, September 28 includes Stock Cars ($1,000 to-win), Micro Sprints ($750 to-win), and Mod Lites ($600).  Then Saturday afternoon, September 29 the Stock Cars return for a big $2,000 to-win event.  The T3 All-Star Series will return for the second appearance as the winner of the Modified feature will earn $2,000.  The E-Mods will also pay $1,000 to-win. A new event that is sure to catch some attention will happen on June 16.  “Crazy 8s” Figure 8 Races will take place on the frontstretch as part of the night’s regular racing program.  The first-ever event presented by Coca-Cola has been very successful at fairs throughout the region.  Demolition Derbies will take place on June 9, July 21, and September 29 with the July 21 derby being for compact cars only.  Kids bike races will be held on May 12, July 14, and August 11. Due to last year’s overwhelming success, two “Pack the Track” and “Meet Your Heroes” Nights will be held.  This will come on May 26 and the second on August 4 and will be presented by Froggy 95.1.  Both will feature the following admission prices: $5 adults, $12 families, and $2 for kids 6-15.  All of the cars from all divisions will be brought onto the speedway for autographs during intermission.  Four free county nights will be featured including Beaver (April 28), Crawford (May 19), Venango (June 9), and Butler (June 23).  The Crawford and Butler County Nights will be presented by Armstrong, who will also present the return of the popular $10 Family Nights.  On April 21, May 12, July 14, and August 11, mom, dad, and as many kids 15 and under can attend the races for just $10 (a minimum $15 savings!) For the third straight year, Welcome Ohio Night will admit all residents of Ohio free on June 30 and we’re proud to welcome on new marketing partner Waffle House with their restaurants in Howland, Girard, Hubbard, and Austintown, Ohio.  American Patriot Night will again admit all veterans and scouts in uniform free on June 23.  A new promotion will take place on May 5 and August 18 titled “Dollar Dayz,” which will also be presented by Coca-Cola.  On these nights students of any age will be admitted for just $1.  Also, for everyone hot dogs, fries, soda, and popcorn will be just $1. Other discounted events for various entities are the following: $10 family night for 4-H members on July 7, $5 admission for card-carrying labor union members and $5 for their significant other on July 21, $5 admission for National Riffle Association (NRA) members and $5 for their significant other on August 25. Some of the companies already committed to corporate nights this year include Dean Dairy, General Electric Diesel Engine Plant, Coca-Cola, Yellow Book USA, and Emerson Process Management is expected to return. Adult admission is $11, students 6-15 are $5, the family pass is $25, children five and under are free and pit passes are $25 for all non-specials and $30 for specials.  Season general admission passes are available at a discounted price of $275 and season pit passes are $525.  Season VIP rentals are still available and nightly rentals are $150.  Please contact the office if you are interested.  We at Mercer Raceway Park do our best to provide fast-paced and family entertainment each Saturday night.  We realize, however, that there may be times you disagree with what we do.  Please feel free to make suggestions by calling our office at 724-964-9300, writing to us at 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143, or sending e-mail to webmaster@mercerracewaypark.com.  You can receive one of our color brochures by contacting as. We look forward to an exciting 2007 season!  See you Saturday Night at the races!