12/08/2004

SLINGSHOT DIVISION PRIMED FOR BIG WEEKEND AT A/C

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - The Atlantic City Indoor Race weekend, scheduled for
Jan. 21-22 at the seaside resort¹s Boardwalk Hall, is a big deal for the
Slingshot division.
³We use the weekend as a marketing tool,² said USAC Silver Crown Series
driver Richie Tobias, the founder of the economical Slingshot class. ³It¹s a
great opportunity for the division to race in front of a big crowd.²
The Slingshots, which were part of the wintertime indoor racing extravaganza
for the first time in January 2004, will be back for next month¹s version
with an expanded role.
Slingshot action will begin on Fri., Jan. 21, with the ³Dirty Dozens,² a
pair of 12-lap events that will transfer 20 drivers directly to the
following night¹s feature.
Saturday night¹s card is headlined by the 40-lap ³Gambler¹s Classic² for TQ
Midgets/600cc Micro-Sprints, but the Slingshots will get plenty attention by
running a semi race and 20-lap main event.
Slingshots will also be included in Saturday afternoon¹s ³Small Car
Nationals,² albeit with one caveat: only drivers between the ages of 14 and
16 will be eligible to compete.
The ³Young Lion² Slingshot event was created because New Jersey State rules
mandate a minimum age of 17 for drivers to race against adults. A special
provision has been made to allow teenagers from 14-16 to compete against
each other.
The busy weekend will include other activities for the Slingshot clan.
Tobias is taking advantage of the gathering to present awards to 2004
Slingshot titlists and conduct a meeting of racetrack promoters who host
events for the cars, which look like scaled-down versions of dirt Modifieds.
Tobias plans to hand out trophies and points fund money to national,
regional and track Slingshot champions during the FanFest that will be held
on the racetrack prior to Saturday night¹s program. The drivers honored will
be headed by 2004 Briggs & Stratton Power Products Slingshot national champ
Keith Tucker of Moscow, Pa., who is also entered in the weekend¹s action.
The promoters¹ meeting is tentatively scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Saturday in
a Boardwalk Hall conference room that Tobias is renting.
Coming off an appearance in last January¹s A.C. show that earned great
reviews for the Slingshots, and Tobias expects more of the same in Œ05.
³Everybody I talked to thought the Slingshots were entertaining and fun to
watch in Atlantic City,² said Tobias. ³They have enough bumpers and go slow
enough that it¹s hard for them to jump wheels, so there¹s lots of metal
crunching for the fans to see every lap.²
More than 40 Slingshots are expected to enter the weekend¹s events,
including several cars that will be steered by some well-known names from
the Northeast motorsports scene.
Topping the list of drivers already entered is DIRT Modified veteran Jeff
Trombley of Altamont, N.Y., who won a Slingshot feature during last
January¹s race meet in A.C. He will once again drive a car from the Savoie
Racing stable.
Other notable names entered include Wall Township (N.J.) Speedway asphalt
Modified regular Curtis Truex Jr. of Mayetta, N.J., a cousin of NASCAR Busch
Series champion Martin Truex Jr.; young asphalt Modified standout Dave Pecko
of Vandling, Pa.; ABC-TV motorsports commentator Jack Arute of Suffield,
Conn.; and former Atlantic City TQ Midget feature winner Lenny Boyd of
Howell Twp., N.J.
Arute and Boyd will race Slingshot ³house cars² provided by Tobias as part
of a special promotion. Both drivers will compete for charities--Arute to
benefit the National Fragile X Foundation and Boyd a charity to be
determined.
A hefty amount of cash would go to charity if Arute or Boyd win the feature,
since they¹ll be competing for the ³Gambler¹s Bonus² available to all
drivers. The main¹s base first-place purse is $500, but it will be increased
to $1,000 if the winner has posted a $50 ³gambler¹s fee² with their entry
form.
The addition of Saturday¹s ³Young Lion² main, meanwhile, will give several
budding stars a chance to showcase their talents in A.C., including 2003
Briggs & Stratton Power Products Slingshot national champion Ryan Smith of
Kunkletown, Pa., and Davey Sammons of Bordentown, N.J.
Smith and Sammons, both 16, were standouts in the Pennsylvania Micro-Sprint
ranks during the 2004 season. Smith will drive a Slingshot from his family¹s
racing operation while Sammons is slated to pilot a ³house car² provided by
Tobias.
³All the ŒSlingers¹ are definitely excited about Atlantic City,² said
Tobias. ³It might be the biggest race they¹ll run all year.²
Tobias is also pumped up about the Indoor Race. And for good reason: the
exposure the event brings to the division can translate into increased
Slingshot sales for the Pennsylvania businessman.
³This is a division that¹s within the financial reach of fans who want to go
racing,² said Tobias, noting that a Slingshot can be purchased race-ready
for $6,900. ³Racing in Atlantic City gives us a chance to get a lot of
people interested in Slingshot racing.²
Tickets for the Indoor Race are currently on sale through Ticketmaster.
Tickets are also available with no extra fee applied at the Boardwalk Hall
box office and the Area Auto Racing News office in Trenton, N.J.
Race time on Friday is 7:45 p.m., while Saturday¹s ³Small Car Nationals²
begins at 12:30 p.m. and the evening program at 7:15 p.m.

Sources:  Danny Sammons/AARN PR
Posted:  December 9, 2004