Merrittville Speedway: Registration Meeting Press Release

From Jim Irvine // Merrittville Public Relations

Thorold, Ontario (January 15) Merrittville Speedway launched its 57th consecutive season January 13th with its Annual Registration Meeting at the Holiday Inn in an afternoon-long session that included each of the 5 Dirt Weekly Racing Series Divisions, the popular Konzelmann Estate Winery Enduro Series as well as the Tuesday Kart Weekly Racing Series Divisions.

"From all we do - from the Enduros - to our infield Kart Track to our Saturday Night Divisions," reiterated (Merrittville co-owner) Pete Bicknell at the start of each session, "it's all about safety and having fun."

"Driver Safety starts right with our Enduros," added Speedway co-owner Randy Williamson, "it may well be worth investing in a racing suit and helmet even a fuel cell and seat they can be moved from one car to the next even a roll bar year in and year out and into our regular entry-level racing divisions as so many have done."

It was also announced that Station Wagons have become eligible for use in any of the three Qualifiers and/or the season-ending 100 lap events. Enduro Drivers are encouraged to incorporate 'themes' into their cars as so many Saturday Night Stock Car Drivers have done.

Through-out the day each meeting played host to many returning and rookie drivers - in fact - there were 19 rookie drivers that registered during the Stock Car Sessions that followed one for Karts where a Rookie Race Director unveiled his plans that have been put into place since the Kart Banquet back in November.

Before winning last season's Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lite Title in impressive fashion, Paul Klager started his own racing in a Kart and he will return to Tuesday Night action in 2008 as a first-time Race Director replacing David Sim.

Klager's many announcements included the following:

- starting in the 2009 Season, Senior Medium Competitors will be required to use only the Briggs Animal Engine
- in the event of a rain-out – the following week will be double features
- the Saturday Night Point Structure will be used – replacing the WKA Point System
- the highlight of the season will once again be the Performance Manufacturing Slack Performance Karts Burris Tire 50 Twenty Five set for Sunday July 6th which makes for a double-header in conjunction with Ransomville Speedway's Kart special July 5th
- a new Home and Home series will feature the Merrittville Speedway Kart Club against the Waterloo (NY) Speedway
- PartSource was introduced as one of the Club's newest division sponsors of the new Masters Division which is for karters 30 years of age or older
- KC Auto Parts is a returning division sponsor that will be aligned with a new Novice 2 Division that will see the youngest karters run for points in preparation for the Junior Divisions and beyond
- Drummond Home Hardware, Garden City Auto Complex, RCM Racing Equipment, Cassell Manufacturing, Ed MacPherson Construction, Superior PetroFuels, Philbrick Farm & Garden Equipment and Original Pizza Logs were also welcomed back for another season.

Klager will also be quite involved in the two day RCM Racing Equipment Kart School – April 19th and 20th - leading up to the Open Kart Practice set for April 22nd followed by the Spring Series Opener April 29th

Procedural rules announced for each of the 5 Stock Car Divisions included the following that apply to all classes:

- Restarts will take place exiting Turn 4 as per the test did late last season and no one can pass or pull out of line before the designated cone
- Each driver received Tech Inspection Sheets and it is up to the driver to check her or her car before turning in a completed sheet prior to being able to compete

Specific Rules for all divisions including any alterations and/or additions arising from the meetings will be posted on line at http://www.merrittvillespeedway.com/ and will be available from the Winter Office which is located at Bicknell Racing Products 117 Cushman Road in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Drivers competing in the Original Pizza Logs Sportsman and L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modified Divisions are reminded of the Lucas Oil Shootout Press Conference set for Saturday January 26th at the Best Western Cairncroft Hotel on Lundy's Lane in Niagara Falls Ontario.

Presented by dirttrackdigest.com, the 2:00 PM gathering will unveil the 2008 details on the unique series. Drivers that attend will be eligible to enter draws for a pair of Pit Passes for each event for their respective division.

Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lite Drivers are also reminded of the annual NYDCA Meeting to be held Sunday January 27th at the Howard Johnson Hotel in St. Catharines.

Drivers from any Stock Car Division were invited to participate in the Pete Bicknell Driving School and Chassis Seminar to be held at Merrittville Speedway April 12th, 13th &19th. Each day has limited availability for drivers and crew. Race teams wishing to register can do so by calling the Speedway's Winter Office at 905-685-7223.

Merrittville Speedway's 2008 Test, Tune and Time Trial Day will also take place April 19th after the school to line up Saturday May 3rd's Events after the Baron Roofing Spring Sizzler that will feature the 358 Modifieds in a 100 lap Super DIRTcar Series Event Saturday April 26th.

Four Drivers from each division were also picked for the Pen Centre Race Car Show that is set for the week of March 31st to April 6th.

Rookie Matt Deschamps, Ed McLean, Rob Overholt and Brandon Iudiciani will represent the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinders, Kellie Mason, Adam Murphy, Jamie Gilbert and Joey Mastroianni are set to represent the Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lites, Kevin Knapp, Dave Small, Rick Beales and sophomore second generation driver Brent Begolo will display their Hoosier Stocks, Brad Rouse, Stan Zanchin, Paul Gaboury and sophomore driver Rick Bellante will showcase their Original Pizza Logs Sportsmen Cars while Todd Gordon, Pete Bicknell, George Bosse and Tim Jones are set for the L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modifieds.

While Rookie and new third generation driver Dylan Sliter will display his new Kart as well - there is currently room for two more Tuesday Night Racers. Those interested should reply as soon as possible.

The Speedway Office will open for the season April 1st.

As the countdown to the 2008 Spring Sizzler Season Opener heats up - visit http://www.merrittvillespeedway.com/ for all the exciting news on the 57th Season - including the deal on new rookie drivers and veterans alike and the Dirt Weekly Racing Series schedule.