Path Valley revamps Fall schedule

Spring Run, PA_ As the Path Valley racing season sprints to its close, several major and exciting schedule changes and additions have piled up on the busy track calendar.

The Path Valley Speedway Park's all-sprint Fall Sprint National has been rescheduled from Labor Day to Sunday, Sept. 22 for the 305 Sprints, 600 Sprints and 270 Sprints. The sprint special event spotlights 30-lap features, electronic timing and scoring, and a bonus "wingless" feature for the 270cc micros.

The 30-lap A-main features pay $500 to win plus sponsored bonuses and trophies for first through third from Rick Mayberry of Rick's Car Clean. Additional sponsors include Hyper Chassis, Keen's Fabrication and Speed Equipment, Eagle Evergreens and Taggart Homes Inc.

The race will feature electronic timing and scoring with feature lineups from time trials, and an added attraction will be a wingless fun feature for the 270cc sprints. Path Valley rules apply to all entries. This is not an "Outlaw" race for any 305 Sprint or micro. Because it is a Sunday race, and everyone works Monday, Race Director John Winsett hopes to finish the entire program by 8 p.m. Gates will open at 1 p.m. with warm-ups between 3:30 and 4 depending on track conditions and then the time trials, the three championship features and the wingless show to conclude the program.

Tickets are available at the track for the annual awards banquet Nov. 23 at the Pleasant Hall Fire Company. Doors open at 3 p.m. for the kart and quad awards, followed by the dinner with doors opening at 5 p.m. for sprint and car teams and the stock car and sprint awards following the catered feast.

Friday, Sept. 20 is a new Legends Cars Appreciation Night with the Central PA Legends Cars showing their appreciation to the fans with door prizes, drawings and a giant slingshot to distribute free T-shirts. This will also be an autograph night for all divisions and, appropriately, spotlights two features for the Legends Cars.

Another totally new event for Path Valley Oct. 26 is a Saturday Night Finale for the Path Valley karters with the Burris SpecTrak tire rule waived except for the Champ caged classes and with WKA tech rules in effect. Payback will be 75 percent of entry fees for the senior kart classes and 50 percent in the junior classes.

Some of the other big events at the climax of the Path Valley season include the Four-Cylinder $1000 to win Shootout starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, the Legends Day and racing flea market October 5, the two final AMA motorcycle and quads races Sept. 21 and Oct. 19, and the Pepsi Night $500-to-win rain makeup for the V-8 street stocks on Sept. 27.

The Path Valley Speedway Park is located in Spring Run PA a mile north on PA Route 641 from the intersection with PA Route 75, halfway between Port Royal and Hagerstown. It is five miles east from the Willow Hill Exit 14 of the PA Turnpike.

For information on the 2002 schedule and track, race teams and fans can consult the website at www.pathvalley.com, or they can email them at twp@pathvalley.com.

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