Terry Meitzler seeks second title at Grandview

BECHTELSVILLE, PA MARCH 9, 2000 . . . "The pressure is off," said Terry Meitzler as he talked about defending his NASCAR Modified title at Grandview Speedway in 2000. "We had something to prove. We finished second two years in a row and we just had to show that we were a championship team. Now that we have won the title we can just go racing." The does not mean that the 35-year-old racer will not be going after another championship. "The plan, at Grandview Speedway on Saturday nights, is to run for feature wins. We will race hard for 6 or 8 weeks. Then we will take a look at where we are in the point standings. If we are up top in the point chase we will tone things down a little and go for a second title. If we are not in contention after 6 or 8 weeks, we will go for more feature wins and forget the point chase. We like to do our racing on the track, not off the track," said the veteran racing talent. When the season opens on April 1, at Grandview Speedway Meitzler will be driving the same Meitzler Excavating NASCAR Modified that carried him to the track championship in 1999. "We put some new sheet metal on the 1998 Olsen chassis. And we have some new parts on the car. The car was in good shape. We hardly bent anything all last season. We are ready to go racing," said the Kutztown, PA racer. "Winning the title at Grandview had some great rewards. Karen (his wife) and I really enjoyed the Champion's Trip to California, Mexico and Las Vegas. We had a great time with the kids (Addison, 12, and Britney, 7 ) going to DisneyWorld to receive our NASCAR rewards. And we got to do some other off season things, such as attending the Eastern Motorsport Press Association convention, as a perk for winning the track championship." Meitzler also earned several thousand dollars in point fund money from NASCAR and Grandview Speedway for his championship efforts in 1999. In 2000 Meitzler will be sponsored by Meitzler Excavating along with Orefield Auto Parts, Joe Kelley Auto Body, Pine Hill Campgrounds, Terry Hartman Roofing and Schumaker's Sales and Service. The season opener, kicking off the 38th consecutive season of stock car racing at Grandview Speedway, will feature the NASCAR Modifieds in a full series of qualifying events and a 38-lap feature. The Exide Shortrack Late Models and PA Sportsman will be part of the April 1, 5 p.m. show. In fact there will be tripleheader action each Saturday through the month of April. And many of the racers will be on hand for the free-to- the-public practice session that is scheduled at the NASCAR sanctioned banked, clay oval on Saturday, March 25. Practice will start at 12 noon. Modifieds, late models, sportsman and other forms of competition will be included. Concession facilities will be open for the convenience of fans coming out to see what their favorite NASCAR racers will be running in 2000. Many of the best known names in area dirt track racing will be in action at Grandview Speedway on Saturdays including Tom Mayberry, Kerry Kratz, Kevin Hartnett, Jeff Strunk, Jon Kellner, Smokey Warren, Donny Erb, Glenn Strunk, Ed Aikin, and a host of others. Grandview Speedway is located on Passmore Road, just off Route 100, in Bechtelsville, PA, 10 miles north of Pottstown. For information telephone 610.754.7688 or visit the Grandview website at www.grandviewspeedway.com.