By Doug Watson

Hagerstown MD, (1/6/24)- Saturday March 23rd the fabled half-mile of Maryland’s Hagerstown Speedway will officially open for the first of twenty-six events to kick of the tracks’s 2024 season. In all, eleven different classes will appear at the track throughout the season that include, Super Late Models, Late Model Sportsman, Crate Late Models, Semi Lates, Pure Stocks, 410 Sprint Cars, PASS/IMCA 305 Sprints, Wingless Super Sportsman, E-Mods, Classic Cars and the EMMR Vintage Cars.

The Late Model Sportsman will see action in 15 events this season. Two Steel Block Clash events, a mini series with Potomac and Winchester Speedway’s, and the Hub City Nationals in September will highlight their season. Devin Hart took the 2023 track title in a division that featured 9 different winners. The Crate Late Models will have an increased schedule with 11 events. For the first time since 2021 and only second time in track history, The Crates will be a points paying class. Veteran Steve Lowery was champion that season and could lead the charge that featured five different winners in six events last season. The once featured attraction at Hagerstown for decades, the Super Late Models, will see action in four events. The Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model series will highlight in April along with the Appalachian Mountain speedweek event, the Frank Sagi tribute and the Durboraw/McBee tribute in August will be contested. Last years Lucas race was lost to weather, however the three above mentioned events were run and found local ace Gregg Satterlee scoring victories in all three events.

Hagerstown’s fastest support class the Semi Lates have been inked for 19 shows. Jason Stoner totally dominated the division in 2023 as he found victory lane in 10 of the 12 races for the class last season. Jasen Geesaman clicked for one feature win and would eventually outpoint Stoner buy a scant margin to collect his first ever Hagerstown track title. The “Dirty 30” in June and the Hub City Nationals in September will be special events for the class this season. The Pure Stocks, with their trademark three wide racing, will also see action in 19 races. The coveted “Eric Johnson Tribute” in July and the September Hub City Nationals are featured events. On the strength of 7 wins Keith Reed would collect the 2023 track championship with four other drivers finding victory lane, three of the four would be their initial Hagerstown feature win. The ultra competitive UMP E-Mods will also dot the Hagerstown schedule on 11 occasions. Between the Mods and the Crates, they will make up the backbone of the weekly four-division programs this season. The E Mods will also be a points paying division for only the second time ever at the track with their only points season to date came in 2016 and Mikey Corbin was crowned champion. Drake Troutman and George Dixon took the two Mod mains in 2023.

Always popular with the Hagerstown faithful are the open wheel shows. The 410 Sprint Cars will make their annual stop on July 4th for the Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek event, which was a thriller last year that saw Brent Marks in victory lane. The IMCA RaceSaver/305 Sprints have really become a hit with fans with the influx of local drivers and the efficient shows they put on. The 305’s will see action 5 times in 2024, three races more than the two that were contested last year, with Hagerstown native Dylan Shatzer and Pa’s Logan Spahr scoring wins. For the third year in a row the Wingless Super Sportsman will be on hand for one event next season. The racing has been great with these self-starting machines and have produced two winners in Steve Wilbur (22) and Tony Jackson, amidst a career year, last season. The Classic Racing Series and the EMMR Vintage Cars round out a very diverse offering of classes at Hagerstown Speedway in 2024.