Utica-Rome announces 2004 purse increase

VERNON, NY- With preperations for the 2004 season in full swing at the Utica-Rome Speedway, speedway management has decided to make moderate purse increases for the support divisions that regularly compete on a weekly basis.

The DIRT Sportsman have been racing for $400 to win since the DIRT banner has been raised at the Utica-Rome Speedway, and for 2004, they will compete for $500 to win. The runnerup position will pay $300, with third netting $250, fourth getting $200, and fifth will pay $150. Positions 6-10 will also see a minor increase, and any competitor starting a feature event will get $50.

The fan favorite DIRT Pro Stock division will also see a $100 increase for the top position, with the winner getting $300. An increase in second place money raises that to $225, with third moving up $175, fourth $150, and fifth place getting $125. An increase will be seen throughout the remainder of the purse, and it will be $40 for any competitior who starts the main.

A significant raise will be seen in the Pure Stock division, with the winner getting $250, twice the amount they have gotten in the past few seasons. Second place will receive $175, third netting $125, fourth paying $100, and fifth taking home $90. Any competitor starting the main event will also see an increase, with a minimum of $30 going to the competitors in the main event.

The new entry level Four Cylinder Stock division will give $150 to the winner, $100 to second, $70 for third, $60 for fourth, and $50 for the fifth place finisher.

"When you ask any of the racers what the biggest problem is right now in local racing," states General Manager Chip Burdick,"and the most common response are the fact the purses have remained the same for years and the cost to compete has steadily gone up. We tried to address that problem with these increases, and hopefully we can gain a few more competitors, which helps us as well."

With the increase in purse for the support divisions and the recent announcement of the $25,000 plus point fund for the 358-Modifieds, the 2004 season will prove one of the richest seasons for competitors in Utica-Rome Speedway history. Utica-Rome Speedway is located in Vernon, NY and operates on Sunday nights from mid-Spring to early Fall. A regulay show consists of the 358-Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Four Cylinder Stocks, with sanctioning provided by DIRT Motorsports. For more information, log on to the internet and go to www.uticaromespeedway.com. For more specific information or questions, feel free to contact General Manager Chip Burdick at (315) 725-5709.

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