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PA Sprint Speedweek Up Next 

Hagerstown Speedway is back in action with the annual “South of the Border” stop this Thursday, July 4th for the seventh night of the PA Sprint Speedweek for 410 Sprint Cars with the Johnny Grum Tribute.

Grum was best known in the region for his time spent behind the wheel of the No.66 cars owned by Harry Fletcher. Both have since passed away, but both are still remembered and revered for making a formidable team from the mid 1960’s through the mid 1970’s.

One of those cars was the uniquely built “Sidewinder” that featured an offset 427 Ford engine, and very low clearance that was dominant at Hagerstown Speedway. He won the 1966 Super Modified championship with that car, and another championship in 1969 with Small Block Chevy power a conventional Sprint Car.

Grum still ranks third on the all-time Sprint Car win list at Hagerstown with 21 career feature wins, and still holds the 35 and 100 lap records set in 1974.

Featured on the card with the 410 Sprints will be an exhibition of vintage race cars through the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing.

Pit gates open at 4:30, grandstands open at 5pm, and racing begins at 7:30pm.

General Admission $25, Student/Senior/Military $20, Reserved Seating (top two rows) $30. Kids age 12 and under are free. Pit Insurance is $35.

For the latest news and information, please follow Hagerstown Speedway on Facebook and Twitter, or call the speedway office at 301-582-0640.

Eric Johnson Memorial for Hobby Stocks

Hobby Stocks take center stage as the headliner with their biggest race of 2019 as Hagerstown Speedway presents the Eric Johnson Memorial.

Johnson was well known as one of the area’s best Pure Stock and Hobby Stock racers. Johnson unexpectedly passed away late last year, and this race will be held in his memory.

Some big money is up for grabs in this special event for the Hobby Stocks with $1001 going to winner, and a good purse throughout the field.

Late Model Sportsman, Pure Stocks, and U-Cars fill out the the card.

Pit gates open at 4:30, grandstands at 5pm, and racing begins at 7pm.

General admission is $15, students/seniors/military $12, kids age 12 and under are free. Pit admission is $30.

Stay tuned to the Hagerstown Speedway Facebook and Twitter pages for the latest news and information or call the speedway office at 301-582-0640

Frank Sagi Tribute w/special guest Tom Peck this Sunday Night

Coming up next at the Hagerstown Speedway is the 3rd annual Frank Sagi Tribute Race with special guest Tom Peck coming up on the evening of Sunday, June 23rd.

The race in honor of the former longtime Hagerstown Speedway announcer will also be honoring Peck.  The McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania driver best known for driving the “Flaming Fireball 40” was one of the best drivers on dirt before leaving the local scene to go racing in what was known as the NASCAR Busch Grand National series.

A feature winner of 171 races, Peck won 43 of them at Hagerstown along with two track championships in 1980 and 1986. He also won nine more track championships at four other speedways between 1973 and 1986.

Peck’s final feature win at Hagerstown came on September 5, 1988 before departing the dirt world for NASCAR where he finished fifth in BGN points during the 1990 season. His final race competed in was in 1995.

Honoring the 66 year-old retired racer as the special featured guest honoree is just one of the treats fans will get as many other former retired and active drivers will be on hand that evening. Fans arriving at the track early will have the opportunity to meet or reconnect with these drivers, including Peck for autographs, photos, and chats during the meet & greet session behind the grandstands when the gates open at 4:00 until 5:30.

Fans will also be presented with their choice of jumbo art prints being specially drawn for this event by racing artist Jeff Lindsay. Each print will have a collage of cars driven by Peck, along with some of the other popular drivers who will be in attendance. These collectible prints will be free of charge to the fans, along with other mystery gifts that will also be available to early arriving fans at the grandstand gate entrance.

Special edition t-shirts commemorating the career of Peck will also be available for sale on the night of the race. They will be sold by the staff of the Auto Racing Club of Hagerstown.  Proceeds from the sale of the shirts will be donated to the ARCH Injured Drivers Fund.

On-track action will consist of the Super Late Models, Late Model Sportsman and Pure Stocks.  All three divisions will be competing in qualifying heat races and 25, 20 and 15-lap features respectively.

A new qualifying format for the Frank Sagi Tribute is designed to be appealing to both racers and fans alike for the Super Late Model division, they will compete in an exciting timed hot laps session.

The Late Model Sportsman and Pure Stock divisions will compete under a more conventional format during the evening. Both classes will have standard warmup sessions, followed by qualifying heat races which will be lined up by the luck of the draw. Features will start heads-up according to heat race finishing positions.

This race will also mark the first leg of a new three-race series called the Nininger Challenge, sponsored by Glenn Nininger of Nininger’s Tire & Auto of Brunswick, Maryland.

The Nininger Challenge gives SLM drivers an opportunity to win cash bonuses of $500 and $1,000 if anyone can win two out of three or all three of the designated races at Hagerstown Speedway. The other two races involved in the are the Red Nininger Memorial in July, and the Tex Shaffer Memorial in August. Drivers are required to participate in all three events to be eligible for this extra bonus payout.

As an added attraction, Central Pennsylvania 410 Sprint car hot-shoe Logan Wagner will be making his debut behind the wheel of a Super Late Model, driving the Coleman Farms No.72 machine that scored the 2019 season opener at Hagerstown.

Super Late Model driver Marvin Winters has graciously agreed to convert his familiar black No. 46 racer one time into a yellow-sided machine for this special event, carrying the No. 40 inside of a fireball and P&W Excavating sponsorship on the quarter panels in honor of the appearance of many of Peck’s cars over the years

Fans will have a chance to win and own a piece of history on this memorable evening. A raffle will be held at the track and two lucky winners will go home with the bodywork off of that race car. One winner will be drawn for the right side door and quarter panel, with a second winning ticket chosen for the left side door and rear fender. Chances will be sold throughout the evening in both the grandstand and pit areas by members of the Auto Racing Club of Hagerstown, with all proceeds from the raffle going to the ARCH Injured Drivers Fund.

The bodywork will be drilled off of Winters’ car after the completion of the Super Late Model feature, and both winners who have their ticket numbers drawn will be able to take their race-used “Fireball 40” sheet metal home with them in exactly the condition that it comes off of the track.

The Frank Sagi Tribute has become one of the “can’t miss” races on the schedule. Make your plans to arrive early on June 23 to partake in all of the celebrations.

General admission is $16, students/seniors/military are $12, and kids age 12 and under are free. Pit admission is $30.

For more information, stay tuned to the speedway website, Facebook and Twitter pages for the latest news, or call the speedway office at 301-582-0640.

Open Wheel Madness This Weekend

Coming up this Saturday night on June 15, Hagerstown Speedway presents Open Wheel Madness night, featuring the IMCA RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars, along with the 600cc and 270cc Micro Sprint divisions.

The 305 Sprints have made three previous starts at Hagerstown Speedway in 2019 after their rousing debut almost exactly one year ago. These cars have produced some phenomenal racing so far at the Hub City half-mile, and this weekend should live up to those expectations.

In the four races held for the IMCA RaceSaver Sprints, no driver has repeated victory.

Coming off the heels of last month’s East Coast Sprint Nationals, IMCA VP of Racing Operations Jim Stannard was in attendance and left with a great impression and many praises of his visit at Hagerstown Speedway, along with many of the competitors.

The 600cc and 270cc Micro Sprints are scaled down versions of full size Sprint Cars that use motorcycle engines. They generally race on tracks smaller than a half-mile, so it will be very interesting to see these drivers race at a higher speed. It should definitely be an exciting night of racing to watch.

General admission is $15, students/seniors/military $12, kids age 12 and under are free. Pit admission is $30.

Pit gates open at 4:30, grandstands at 5pm, and racing begins at 7pm.

Follow the Hagerstown Speedway Facebook and Twitter pages for the latest in updates news, or call the speedway office at 301-582-0640 for more information.

Fans are No.1 at the Frank Sagi Tribute race featuring special guest Tom Peck

Racing fans will be the top priority at the 3rd annual Frank Sagi Tribute Race with special guest Tom Peck coming up on the evening of Sunday, June 23rd, at Hagerstown Speedway.

Fans arriving at the track early will have the opportunity to meet or re-connect with the evening’s special honoree, retired Dirt Late Model and NASCAR Busch Series driving star Tom Peck of McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania. Peck will be available to sign autographs, take photos and chat with race fans behind the grandstands when the gates open at 4:00 until 5:30.

Joining Peck behind the grandstand area will be a large group of his competitors and rival drivers, who will be participating in a unique Meet & Greet session. Over 50 former and present star drivers are expected to be on hand to interact with fans and help to honor the stellar racing career of Tom Peck.

When entering the gates, fans will be presented with their choice of beautiful jumbo art prints being specially drawn for this event by racing artist extraordinaire, Mr. Jeff Lindsay. Each print will have a collage of cars driven by Peck, along with some of the other popular drivers who will be in attendance. These collectible prints will be free of charge to the fans, due to the generosity of sponsors Bonebrake Alignment & Tire of Hagerstown, MD., Miller Steel Fabrication of Littlestown, PA., and the Lindsay Gang in memory of their family patriarch, Bill Lindsay.
Other mystery gifts will also be available to early arriving fans at the grandstand gate entrance. Make it a point to be there early to be one of the lucky recipients of these great donated items.

Gifts will keep on coming to the fans as the race night progresses. Spectators will want to be on their toes all evening as the Father and Son combo of Tim Hottle, owner and promoter of the Outback Motor Speedway slot car track in Winchester, VA., and Brent Hottle of Need-a-Sign? in Winchester, VA., will be coming out onto the front straightaway at different times of the program to shoot racing t-shirts into the stands with custom built cannon-like devices.

A large selection of top quality racing shirts have been sponsored for the event by Arizona Sport Shirts proprietor Gerald Newton of Indianapolis, Ind. Longtime industry-leading manufacturer Arizona Sport Shirts is the official merchandise provider of the traveling Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series and for Scott Bloomquist Racing. Several local race teams have also donated t-shirts to be added to the great collection set to be shot off and be up for grabs.
On-track action will consist of the Super Late Models, Late Model Sportsman and Pure Stocks.  All three divisions will be competing in qualifying heat races and 25, 20 and 15-lap features respectively. Each class will compete for extra bonus purses, boosted by a large group of race sponsors.
A new qualifying format designed to be appealing to both racers and fans alike for the Super Late Model division, they will compete in an exciting timed hot laps session.

Competitors will go onto the track in groups of three cars each, determined in order by the luck of the draw. Drivers will be given five fast laps on the clock, with their quickest recorded lap being used to determine starting positions for heat races. This procedure makes warmups much more important to the racers, and gives each driver an equal chance to earn their starting positions. Fans will be treated to seeing their favorite drivers go “all-out” for five laps in an effort to achieve the fastest times possible. Heat races and the feature event will be lined up in heads-up fashion with no re-draws, making the program easy to follow for everyone. A $200 overall fast time bonus is being offered for the evening’s top qualifier, courtesy of Tire Guy Enterprises of York, Pa.

The Late Model Sportsman and Pure Stock divisions will compete under a more conventional format during the evening. Both of these classes will have standard warmup sessions, followed by qualifying heat races which will be lined up by the luck of the draw. Features will start heads-up according to heat race finishing positions.
These formats are designed to run a fast and efficient show for fans and competitors alike. The goal is to have all racing completed in the 9:00 to 9:30 time frame to have everyone on their way home at a manageable hour to start their new work week.
All three classes will be racing for increased purses, boosted by the generosity of a long list of race sponsors, which will be released in the coming weeks. All 24 feature starters in each division will receive bonus earnings on this night.

This race will also mark the first leg of a new three-race series called the Nininger Challenge, sponsored by Glenn Nininger of Nininger’s Tire & Auto Center of Brunswick, MD.
The Nininger Challenge gives Super Late Model drivers an opportunity to win cash bonuses of $500 and $1,000 if anyone can win two out of three or all three of the designated races at Hagerstown Speedway. Besides the Frank Sagi Tribute Race with Special Guest Tom Peck, the other two races involved in the are the Red Nininger Memorial in July, and the Tex Shaffer Memorial in August. Drivers are required to participate in all three events to be eligible for this extra bonus payout.

In addition to that bonus program, Nininger’s Tire & Auto Center of Brunswick, MD. is also offering another $500 cash bonus to any Super Late Model driver who can sweep the weekend races of June 22nd and 23rd at Winchester and Hagerstown Speedway.

In conjunction with promoter Zachary Crouse, Late Model Sportsman drivers planning to race at Path Valley Speedway in Spring Run, Pennsylvania the night before will have the opportunity to earn a guaranteed spot in the LMS portion of the Frank Sagi Tribute by winning the Steel Block Late Model feature at Path Valley on June 22.

Unique, multi-colored t-shirts will feature multiple versions of the famous “Fireball 40” cars driven over the years by Tom Peck. The shirts are being designed and printed by Kevin Quirk Racewear and Awesome Race Tees of Carlisle, Pa. These top quality shirts will be sold for just $15 each, with the sales of the shirts being handled by the staff of the Auto Racing Club of Hagerstown. Proceeds from the sale of the shirts will be donated to the ARCH Injured Drivers Fund.

Another interesting item that will be available to fans in the grandstand area on the night of the “Frank Sagi Tribute Race with Special Guest Tom Peck” will be a one-of-a-kind drawing being done by racing artist extraordinaire Jeff Lindsay. This extra-size framed drawing will be called “The Legends of Hagerstown”, and will feature images of Hagerstown Speedway’s all-time leading winners Gary Stuhler, Rodney Franklin, Buddy Armel, Denny Bonebrake and Tom Peck. Chances to win this great piece of memorabilia will be for sale on the night of the race for just $1 each. Again, all proceeds from the drawing raffle will go to the ARCH Injured Drivers Fund.

Make your plans now to attend the Frank Sagi Tribute Race with Special Guest Tom Peck on Sunday, June 23rd, at Hagerstown Speedway. Grandstand gates open at 4 p.m. A special meet ‘n greet autograph session with Tom Peck and a large group of assembled former drivers will take place behind the grandstand area between 4:30 until 5:30. On track action begins with hot laps at 6:00, followed by opening ceremonies and qualifying heat races at 6:30.

General admission is $16, students/seniors/military are $12, and kids age 12 and under are free. Pit admission is $30.

For more information, stay tuned to the speedway website, Facebook and Twitter pages for the latest news, or call the speedway office at 301-582-0640.

MAM Headlines 6 Divisions on Student/Armed Forces Night

This Saturday night, June 8 will feature the return of the Mid Atlantic Modifieds headlining a big 6 division card of racing on Student/Armed Forces Night at Hagerstown Speedway.

All students and military with ID, along with all senior citizens will be admitted to the general admission grandstands free of charge.

Joining the MAM will be the Pure Stock, Hobby Stock, U-Car, LaSalle 602 Crate Modifieds, and the Penn-Mar Vintage Racers.

Pit gates open at 4:30, grandstands open at 5pm, and racing begins at 7pm.

General admission is $12, and pit admission is $30.

Stay tuned for the latest news and updates on the track Facebook and Twitter pages, or call the speedway office at 301-582-0640.