With a field of racers this strong, it
should be named the Northeast All-Star Race.
An “all-star” line-up of competitors have
registered for the “Gambler’s Classic” Indoor Race presented by
SoBe Life Water, to be held Jan. 18 & 19 on the concrete floor
of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.
The sixth running of the Len Sammons Motorsports
Productions-promoted event will include racing for the M&R
Products Three Quarter Midgets/600cc Micro-Sprints, Slingshots
and Champ Karts.
In the M&R Midget ranks, the entry list of
over 90 includes past event winners Joey Payne of Fairlawn, N.J.
(2004 & 2007); Jeff Heotzler Sr. of Wallkill, N.Y. (2005); and
Aston, PA’s Lou Cicconi Jr. (2006).
Once again, the field boasts unmatched talent and diversity,
highlighted by a driver known for his versatility, NASCAR star
Ken Schrader of Fenton, MO, who will drive an Alan Mollott-prepared
No. 51 on Friday night only. Local talent ready for action
includes asphalt Modified standout Ted Christopher of
Plainville, CT; fellow pavement racers Marc Rogers of Brick,
N.J.; a regular at NJ’s Wall Township Speedway;
Connecticut-based SK racer Frank Ruocco; and Ransomville, NY
teenager Erick Rudolph, grandson of the legendary Charlie
Rudolph, who has made his name by winning in asphalt Modifieds
and TQ Midgets in Western New York.
Red Lion, PA’s Cody Darrah, one of the
Pennsylvania 410 Sprint Car circuit’s most promising young
drivers, will again be in competition. Darrah was victorious in
a “Triple Roaring 20” during the 2006 running of the “Gambler’s
Classic,” then a 16-year-old Micro-Sprint racer. Harrah’s uncle,
World of Outlaws Late Model star Rick Eckert of York, PA, will
fill the seat of the Mollott No. 51 vacated by Schrader on
Saturday night. Trenton, NJ’s Mark Bitner, a frontrunner on the
United Racing Company (URC) 360 Sprint Car tour, has filed an
entry as well.
Joining Heotzler as a leading
representative from the dirt Modified circuit is
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.’s Stewart Friesen, a 13-time winner in
2007 and the Utica-Rome (NY) Speedway 358-Modified champion. The
24-year-old will pilot the famed Harry Macy No. 9 in the event.
Always a frontrunner, Friesen is in search of his first A-Main
triumph at Boardwalk Hall.
Other dirt Modified contenders include
Frenchtown, NJ’s Billy Pauch, the winner of over 630 races in
his career; his son, young up-and-comer Billy Pauch Jr. (who
races regularly on dirt and pavement); Adams, NY’s Ryan
Bartlett, a leading contender in New York’s North Country;
Bridgeport (NJ) Speedway regular Mike Iles of Medford, N.J.,
fresh off a Delaware State Dirt Track Championships win in
November; and second-generation racer Jeff Heotzler Jr.
Youthful Supermodified racer Mike Lichty of
Innerkip, Ont., a dark-horse favorite, will be in action again
this season, along with another rep from the Supermod ranks,
Matt Seavey. Other open-wheelers include NEMA Midget racer
Jeremy Frankoski, a winner during his freshman NEMA schedule;
fellow NEMA talent Randy Cabral; Jimmy “Bubba” Broderick, a
1200cc Mini-Sprint winner on dirt; ARDC Midget 2007 Rookie of
the Year Ryan Smith; and Micro-Sprint winner Pat Bealer.
In the Slingshot division, 2007 National
Slingshot champion Billy Van Inwegen Jr. of Port Jervis, NY, is
among those pre-entered. Van Inwegen is set to embark on his
rookie season driving a SpeedSTR Midget in ‘08. Familiar names
on the entry list include former Rite Aid 200 Super DIRT Week
winner and Slingshot by Tobias founder Rich “Toby” Tobias of
Annville, PA; two-time and defending event winner Ryan Smith of
Kunkletown, PA; Accord (NY) Speedway’s leading 2007 Modified
rookie Jamie Yannone of Newburgh, NY; Grandview (PA) Speedway
NASCAR 358-Modified racer Brad Missimer; Orange County (NY) Fair
Speedway DIRTcar big-block Modified veteran Dave Werber; Iselin,
NJ, dirt Mod driver Chris Grbac, Big Diamond (PA) Sportsman
racer Ray Woodall Jr.; and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
racer Rich Kuiken Jr. (who will do double-duty; he’ll also wheel
a Champ Kart).
The largest field in “Gambler’s
Classic” history registered for Champ Kart competition. Included
are DIRT MotorSports Hall of Fame crew chief Mike Burdick, Wall
Township Speedway 2007 Sportsman champion Kevin Eyres and SK
Modified racer Frank Ruocco.
The action begins on Fri., Jan. 18 with
“A-1 Products Presents Qualifying Night,” featuring M&R Midget
Time Trials, three M&R Midget “Triple Roaring 20s” qualifiers,
four Champ Kart 11-lap qualifiers and two Slingshot “Dirty
Dozens.” Time trials will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday night, with
racing at 8 p.m.
Saturday night’s (Jan. 19) program kicks
off with the Fan Fest on the track at 6:30 p.m., followed by
pre-race ceremonies at 7 p.m. A pair of M&R Midget C-Mains will
get underway at 7:30 p.m., followed by the Slingshot 25-lap
A-Main, the M&R Midget B-Main, the Champ Kart 25-lap main and
the night’s headline 40-lap M&R Midget A-Main. Also part of
Saturday’s show will be a special 10-lap Behrent’s Performance
Warehouse Dash for Cash.
For further information on the “Gambler’s
Classic,” contact Danny Sammons by phone at: (609) 888-3618 or
via e-mail at:
danny@aarn.com. On the web:
http://www.aarn.com. Select lap sponsorships for the event
are now available.
Tickets are on sale now and can be obtained
by calling: (609)-888-3618 (please have a MasterCard, Visa or
American Express card ready) or by calling Ticketmaster at
(800)-736-1420.
The SoBe Life Water “Gambler’s Classic” at
the Boardwalk Hall (January 18th and 19th) is part of a huge
motorsports weekend in Atlantic City that includes the
Motorsports 2008 Race Car Show presented by VP Racing Fuels
(January 18-20) at the Atlantic City Convention Center and the
first time ever Promoter’s Summit (January 18-19) which is part
of Motorsports 2008.
Source: Ernie
Saxton/Ernie Saxton Communications PR
Posted:
December 29, 2007
