Story By: DINO OBERTO / MAHONING VALLEY SPEEDWAY – LEHIGHTON, PA – Mahoning Valley Speedway will look to get back into the swing of things this coming Saturday, May 6 starting at 5:00 pm.
After losing out to rain this past Saturday – the second time in four races – the paved ¼-mile looks to rebound with five regular track classes plus Junk Car Races and the JuiceBox Division.
It is also Kids Night with activities taking place for much of the younger set.
The 602 Crate Modifieds headline the action filled evening of stock car racing. Two weeks ago Broc Brown scored a big win in the first race of the Evergreen Raceway/Mahoning Valley Speedway Dual Track Series (DTS) sponsored by Rustic Roots Salon of Lehighton.
Brown would become the first winner of the DTS and set a new speed mark with the class at 10.517-seconds in the process. Brown beat Nick Baer, Paulie Hartwig III, Evan Rygielski and Jaden Rogers to the checkers.
Although all those who ran received ‘show-up’ points, this will be the first regular season event so everyone comes into the evening on equal terms.
The Street Stocks, Pro 4s, Harry’s U-Pull-It Hobby Stocks and Futures are also on the card plus for the first time Junk Car Races will be held under the lights.
The Harry’s U-Pull-It Hobby Stocks will be competing together with the FOAR Score Race of Champions Dash Series which is part of a two day affair. The Dash Series will be running at Evergreen Raceway the next day. 100 show-up points will be disburse to all track regulars that goes towards the season championship.
The popular JuiceBox Division will take to the track during intermission.
It will also be Checkered Flag Fan Club Night.
Pit gates open at 10:30 am. Early paid practice will take place from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Warm-ups begin at 3:00 pm and racing gets the green flag at 5:00 pm. Adult grandstand admission is $15, kids 10 and under are free. Pits are $40.
On Sunday afternoon, May 7 the Green Flag Driving Experience will be hosting a day for fans to race around Mahoning in a TQ Midget car.
The 602 Crate Modifieds will be back on May 13 along with the Late Models, Street Stocks, Harry’s U-Pull-It Hobby Stocks, Dirt Mods and Futures. This will be the final 5:00 pm start before the speedway switches to a 6:00 pm start time that runs through September 9.
Modifieds teams are encouraged to pre-register for the Sunday, May 21, Modified Spring Zing II “Tom Wanick Jr. Memorial” 150 laps/$7000-to-win, $1500-to-start.
Drivers can save $50 on registration if they sign up by May 10. Pre-registration forms can be found on link below. After May 10 registration if $150.
Also on the May 21 card will be the Street Stocks in a $1000-to-win feature and the Harry’s U-Pull-It Hobby Stocks running in a $400-to-win main and the JuiceBox Division.
Second Annual Modified Spring Zing “Tom Wanick Jr., Memorial” Set for May 21st
The second annual Modified Spring Zing “Tom Wanick Jr., Memorial” will be back at Jack Carlino’s Mahoning Valley Speedway on Sunday afternoon, May 21, with a 150-lap/$7000-to-win feature for Tour Type Modifieds and a track record $1500-to-start.
Last year saw an impressive 33 cars on hand with Northampton’s Matt Hirschman picking up not only the win but with the added bonuses his day’s work netted him over $10,000.
Just as was the case in the inaugural event, Tom Wanick III is pulling out all the stops to make this a very rewarding race for just about everyone planning to compete in honor of his dad and mentor.
Aside from the first place prize of $7000 and $1500 to start, second place pays $4500, fifth is $2100 and 10th spot is $1625.
“Tommy (Wanick) and I agreed to disagree on some of the ideas with the race. There’s going to be some new things for this year’s race that was not done in ’22. We got some input from some racers and as we get closer I say stay tuned on what’s going to happen there,” said Todd Baer, Operations Manager at Mahoning Valley.
“We’re going to make the extra effort to make this year’s Tom Wanick Jr., Memorial race a big show and we already have by paying $1500 to take the green. I don’t know of to many other races out there that are doing that.”
The race is open to all Monaco Modifieds Tri-Track Series, Smart Tour, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Races of Champions Series and Modified Racing Series.
However, there is a $1000 bonus for the highest finishing factory sealed 602 Crate engine car. Wanick is also offering $1500-to-win a B-main if 35 or more cars are registered on race day.
Additionally there will be heat money rewarded plus tow money for any non-qualifiers. Wanick is working nonstop to add a number of additional bonuses and incentives.
Some of the bonuses thus far will include a $500 halfway leader bonus courtesy of Hirschman Speed of Northampton. $500 Hard Luck gift card from TFR Distribution. $500 to the highest finishing Troyer car from Troyer Race Cars. $500 to the highest finishing LFR car from LFR Race Cars. $200 to all heat winner and $200 tow money to all non-qualifiers.
24 cars will start the feature with 22 via heats and consi and two provisional spots. It will be a six tire maximum using Mahoning Valley Speedway’s track tire. There will be no radios or mirrors allowed.
The fastest driver from the heats will draw the invert pill ranging from six to 12.
In last year’s race Hirschman started 10th and on lap 63 moved to the front for the first time with an inside pass on Blake Barney. Afterwards he withstood strong and numerous challenges from Barney, Bobby Jones and Chuck Hossfeld.
With 50 laps to go he opted to make a pit stop under a caution and change his right side tires. When he returned to the track he was ninth and over the next 17 laps put on a driving clinic as he passed one car after another until regaining the top spot from Hossfeld.
The rest of the way he simply drove lap after lap in a consistent smooth fashion and took the checkers over Barney by a solid two car lengths.
Hirschman also won the Tom Wanick Jr., Memorial held at Evergreen Raceway during the King of the Green.
The race is being held in memory of the late Tom Wanick Jr., who passed away on January 4, 2022. Tom was a reputable Modified car owner and supporter of both Mahoning and Evergreen as well as partaking on the NASCAR Whelen Modified and Race of Champions Tours. He always paid close attention to detail as his signature No. 1W cars arrived at the track as show pieces with lots of chrome and defining paint schemes.
Tom Jr.’s main focus was Evergreen Raceway where he began in 1988 with Succasunna, NJ’s Chris Ammon behind the wheel. Ammon gave the team their first win on July 18, 1992 and 10 more times after that.
Tom Jr., also played a pivotal role in resurrecting the track in late 1999 with then promoter Joe Callavini. He was instrumental in reworking the back stretch of the track which clearly made for better racing. Eventually he turned over the reins of the team to his son, Tom III, who continued to make sure the No. 1W is always at the forefront. This season Anthony Sesely and Stephen Kopcik are sharing driving duties.
Drivers can save $50 on registration if they sign up by May 10. Pre-registration forms can be found on link below. After May 10 registration if $150.
Also on the card will be the Street Stocks in a $1000-to-win feature and the Harry’s U-Pull-It Hobby Stocks running in a $400-to-win main and the JuiceBox Division.
The day before, Saturday, May 20 will be an open practice for all Modified teams and then feature races that evening for the 602 Crate Modifieds, Street Stocks racing for $1000-to-win, the Harry-U-Pull-It Hobby Stocks in a $400 run, Pro 4s, Futures and the TQ Midgets of the ATQMRA.