Racing At Mercer Moved To Sunday April 9th

April 6, 2017 by Eric Williams

(Mercer, PA. April 6, 2017) The management of Mercer Raceway Park has decided to postpone Saturday’s race until Sunday, April 9, due to the amount of rain and snow expected on top of the already saturated conditions. Saturday’s weather forecast looks dry and sunny, however, low temperatures will hinder efforts to sufficiently dry the track for racing on Saturday. “In an effort to get the season underway for our dedicated fans, drivers, and great marketing partners, we are going to run the complete program on Sunday with an earlier starting time,” said track owner Bill Altman.

Gates will open at 3:00, drivers meeting (open to anyone with a pit pass) at 4:30 with hot laps/time trials starting at 5:00. “We will start earlier with our goal being to conclude the events by 9 p.m.” Altman added. “We greatly appreciate everyone’s support in making this a success and we look forward to capitalizing on a beautiful spring day for some great racing.”

Due to the late announcement of this decision, the points battles will start on April 15th for the Turn 4 Toilets 358 Modifieds and Bonnell’s Rod Shop 305 Sprint Cars. The remaining classes will kick off their points chase the following week, April 22, when Saturday Night Live! racing will resume.

This will be a fun afternoon of racing with some extra incentives on the line for all of the competitors. The hard charger in each of the feature events will receive a $25 Big Daddy’s Speed Shop gift certificate. Big Daddy’s Speed Shop will be the primary track side sales dealer on hand for the 2017 season. Precise Racing Products, which supports the 410 Sprint Cars, has thrown a $20 gift certificate into the mix as an added bonus to fastest qualifier in each division. Dan Holtgraver, owner of West View Motors in Pittsburgh, has added $50 to the feature winner of the 410 Sprint Car feature. Alternative Power Sources, Inc., of Gibsonia, PA, will pay $100 to the 410 Sprint Car team that travels the furthest for this Sunday’s event.

Furthermore, to help bring some new talent into the 358 Modified division, the speedway will welcome all “602 crate legal” Modifieds to the party. Shaffer Family Racing, along with divisional sponsor, Turn 4 Toilets, will offer a $100 bonus to the highest finishing car with a “crate legal” engine in the feature event.

Building on the success of the 305 Sprint Car division, the speedway has restructured the 2017 purse to help attract more competitors. For this weekend the 305 Sprint Car division is open to all sealed engine packages as well. For compliance, racers should bring a copy of their “home track” rules.

Admission for the Sunday program will be just $13 for adults, $11 for seniors (60+), and $5 for students (ages 9-15). The youngsters (ages 8 and under) will be free, as always at Mercer Raceway Park. The economical Family Pass will be only $28, and that is good for two adults and up to four minors of any age. Pit Passes will be $30.

Remember that you can get alerts regarding the cancellation of any racing event at Mercer Raceway Park sent directly to your smartphone or other electronic device. To register, please go to the track’s website, www.mercerracewaypark.com, click on the icon for RainedOut.com, and follow the easy steps.

Marketing partners of Mercer Raceway Park for 2107 include Hovis Auto & Truck Supply, Schaeffer’s Specialized Lubricants, Scheidemantle Motors, Greenhill Farms Equipment, Inc., the Normandy Banquet Center of Hickory VFW Post 6166, Ritenour Equipment Center, Pizza Joe’s, AMSOIL, Noga Ambulance Service, Inc., Pyrotechnico, Watson’s, Inc., Big Dog Indoor Racing & Hobby, Herr’s Foods, the American Cancer Society, Sunburst Environmental, and Lias Tires.

About Mercer Raceway Park: Mercer Raceway Park is a 3/8-mile dirt track located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly from late March through late September. For more information, check out www.mercerracewaypark.com, www.twitter.com/mercerraceway, or www.facebook.com/mercerracewaypark.