602 Crate Mods & Late Models Headline Mahoning Valley’s April 15th Program Plus Return Of Slingshots
Story By: DINO OBERTO / MAHONING VALLEY SPEEDWAY – LEHIGHTON, PA – After a rousing Opening Night, Mahoning Valley Speedway looks to keep the action rolling into its second week this coming Saturday, April 15, with a six division program. Race time is 5:00 pm.
Topping the night’s line-up will be the 602 Crate Modifieds and Late Models as both classes will be making their first runs of the season. They will be joined by the Street Stocks, Harry’s U-Pull-It Hobby Stocks, Futures and the Slingshots.
The 602 Crate Modifieds are now a regular class at Mahoning. The division made its debut at the 2022 season finale Fall Brawl with a great turnout and a big win for then 11-year old Paulie Hartwig III from Galloway, NJ. Andrew Lewis, Jr., from Ontario, NY, set the track record at 10.537-seconds.
Expect a respectable car count in the house too especially with the following Saturday, April 22, being the first race of the six race Dual Track Series for 602 Crate Modifieds taking place between Mahoning Valley and Evergreen Raceway.
The Late Models have long been a standard at Mahoning Valley dating its roots back to 1970. Nick Ross of White Haven, will be looking to not only defend his title but make it three in a row. In order to do so he’ll have to go up against the likes of Mark Hudson from Norton, MA, who last year gave Ross all he could handle. And there is past champ Geno Steigerwalt, Mike and Seth VanFossen and a solid core group of others that make up a class of high level competition.
The Slingshots are back as well, returning to Mahoning for the first time since 2019. Mahoning plays a significant role with the Slingshots as it was the very first track the cars tested in early 1999. Later that same year Lee Schantzenbach won the first feature. Six-time and defending All Star Slingshot champion Brett Bieber of Oley, looks to be on hand and as a side note when he won here in April of 2015 it was not only his first time winning on asphalt but it his 100th career win with the division.
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. Pits are $40.
