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.
