11/08/2004

ATLANTIC CITY INDOOR RACE ON JAN 21-22 CONTINUES TO TAKE SHAPE

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ The annual Atlantic City Indoor Race at the seaside resort¹s famed Boardwalk Hall continues to take shape. The winter-time racing extravaganza, which features two days of racing around the Hall¹s concrete-surfaced oval on Jan. 21 and 22, 2005, is headlined by the 40-lap ³Gambler¹s Classic² for the TQ Midgets/600cc Micros-Sprints on Saturday night.

Plenty of purse and bonus money will be on the line during the weekend. Most notably, Saturday¹s ³Gambler¹s Classic² will offer drivers a chance to chase some big bucks. If the main event winner is willing to roll the dice and put up a $100 ³gambler¹s fee² upon entering the event, the posted $2,000 first-place prize will increase to $5,000.

One driver who has already entered the race--and taken the ³Gambler¹s Challenge²--is International Supermodified Association standout Lou Cicconi Jr. of Aston, Pa. He will drive a familiar car for Ken Hentrich, who now owns the stout TQ Midget that Cicconi raced to victory in an A.C. Indoor Race preliminary feature in January.

Competitors in the Slingshot division, which will run a 20-lap feature on Saturday night, have the opportunity to post a $50 ³gambler¹s fee² when they enter. Doing so will push the winner¹s take from $500 to $1,000.

Dr. William Lowe¹s Comprehensive Obstetrics and Gynecology, meanwhile, will provide several incentives to the racers, including a $500 bonus to the first driver across the finish line in Saturday¹s TQ/Micro-Sprint feature who took the ³Gambler¹s Challenge² but didn¹t win the race.

Lowe, a sponsor of the A.C. Indoor Race for three straight years, will also present: 

• A $250 award to the fastest qualifier in Friday night¹s TQ/Micro time trials.
• A $200 bonus to the first TQ Midget across the finish line in Saturday night¹s feature.
• A $50 prize to the first car that misses Saturday night¹s TQ/Micro racing program (the second-place finisher in Saturday afternoon¹s Non-Qualifiers Race).

Tommy Gale Trailers of Elizabeth, Pa., and Haulmark Trailers will also be a part of the event once again. Gale, who will have a trailer on display in the garage area and offer special deals to the racers, will join with Haulmark to award each of Saturday night's TQ/600cc heat winners $100. He¹ll also pay each of Saturday night's semi winners $50. As a bonus this year, Gale is also sponsoring Friday night¹s two Slingshot events, paying each winner $100.

Sunoco is returning as the ³official fuel² of the A.C. Indoor Race. Kelly Racing Fuels will be on hand with both gas and alcohol on sale for the racers. Teams must purchase fuel and alcohol at the event because fire regulations prohibit fuel containers from being brought into the building. Sunoco will also present the weekend¹s five feature winners a Sunoco checkered flag autographed by all the drivers in the event.

Additional sponsors, including a title sponsor, are still being pursued by event officials.

Weekend activity will begin on Fri., Jan. 21, at 6:45 p.m. with TQ/Micro time trials. The 60 fastest drivers go directly into that evening¹s headlining ³Roaring Twenties²--Triple 20-lap events in which the top-four finishers in each earn their way directly into Saturday night¹s main event.

Friday¹s card is rounded out by two 12-lap Slingshot races, which will start the racing action at 7:45 p.m. The Sat., Jan. 22, program kicks off at 12:30 p.m. with the ³Small Car Nationals² featuring Slingshot Young Lions (ages 14-16), Mini-Cup and Micro-Stock races. The afternoon activity also will include the TQ/Micro Last Chance Race.

The Saturday-night portion of the show is slated to begin at 7:15 p.m. Heat races and semis will lead up the 40-lap ³Gamblers Classic² for TQs/Micros, with Slingshots also on the schedule.

Fans who already have tickets for the Saturday-night program will be permitted to view the ³Small Car Nationals² from the balcony at no extra charge.

Tickets are currently on sale through Ticketmaster. Tickets are available with no extra fee applied at the Boardwalk Hall box office and the Area Auto Racing News office in Trenton, N.J.

All Friday tickets are general admission, while reserved seats are available in the Hall¹s lower level for Saturday night¹s program.

Tickets purchased prior to Sat., Jan. 22, will allow early entrance to the balcony on Saturday evening and exclusive admittance to the special pre-race Fan Fest held on the racetrack from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel is serving as the host hotel of the Indoor Race weekend. Competitors and fans wishing to reserve a room at the Sheraton for a special $119 rate for the weekend can call the hotel¹s reservation department at 1-888-627-7212 or visit www.aarn.com and follow the link to the room-reservation website.

Individuals must state they are with the Atlantic City Indoor Race or Midget Car Racing and have a credit card ready to hold the room. More information on the Indoor Race is available at www.aarn.com or by calling (609)-888-3618 for information.

Sources:  Jeff Gravatt/Wall Township Speedway PR
Posted:  November 9, 2004