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NEW NATIONAL WEEKLY POINT SERIES, TV, & STOCK OPTIONS AMONGST MAJOR FASTRAK ANNOUNCEMENTS; NORTHEAST RACERS TAKE OVER $30,000 IN CASH & PRIZES FROM BANQUET; OAKES WINS NEW 604 GM ENGINE
For LarrE’s Complete Photo Coverage of Banquet, click HERE
(Pulaski, PA)…Following three successful days of meetings and the 2007 Awards Banquet Saturday night at the Nashville Airport Marriott, the FASTRAK Racing Series made several huge announcements including a new national weekly point system, national TV coverage during the Grand Nationals, and 45% of the company will be going public this summer in stock offerings to FASTRAK affiliates. Over $400,000 was paid out in 2007 in FASTRAK weekly, Touring, and National point funds!
In order to simplify one piece of the FASTRAK point system, a new National Weekly Point Series was hammered out by FASTRAK Regional Directors and Founder Stan Lester and announced on Saturday. Gone are the individual FASTRAK track point systems and instead a 30-position point fund with $10,000 to the champion will be awarded based on drivers’ 15 best finishes. Also to simplify things, drivers now need only to purchase one $95 weekly track membership rather than the multiple individual track memberships from past seasons.
The Regional Touring Series will still be intact and under the same system as last year with $5,000 going to each regional champion amongst a minimum $10,000 point fund. Touring Series memberships remain at $95.
A restructured Grand Nationals minimum requirement and point system was also announced. Drivers now need only to compete in 15 events provided they are a weekly and/or Touring member to qualify for the 2008 Grand Nationals. All drivers that qualify will enter Night 1 of the Grand Nationals at zero points. It will truly be a three-night shootout to determine the 2008 National Champion, which will pay a minimum of $50,000 to-win.
FASTRAK honored all of the FASTRAK weekly track champions with $1,000, a 6’ trophy, and embroidered championship jackets. Each of the Regional Touring Series Champions also received a 6’ trophy and an embroidered championship jacket. Each individual region paid their own Touring point funds. The top 40 from the Grand Nationals were awarded their point fund monies as William Thomas left with $50,000 and a new Rocket Chassis. Thomas, 20, of Phenix City, Alabama, is the youngest national dirt Late Model Champion ever.
Ashville, New York’s Dick Barton, who won $1,000 as the Raceway 7 FASTRAK Champion, also collected $7,500 for finishing in a tie for fifth in the Grand National points, while Alan Dellinger (Hermitage, PA) earned $5,000 for eighth to go along with his $5,000 Northeast Championship. Tom Snyder, Jr. (Mayport, PA) collected $1,600 for 18th and Rodney Phillips (Punxsutawney, PA) also collected $900 for 29th in points. These monies were in addition to their nightly winnings over the course of the three nights of the Grand Nationals.
After the awards presentation, all FASTRAK member racers that were on hand were eligible for prizes including three new GM 604 engines, 10 sets of Goodyear tires, plus headers and Duralite wheels. Franklinville, New York’s Greg Oakes was honored as the McKean County and Freedom Raceways Champion then won his biggest prize of the season as he was a lucky winner of a new 604 GM Engine! Dog Hollow Speedway Champion Dave Padula was a lucky winner of a new set of Goodyear Tires, while Barton won a set of headers.
Bill Martens, Manager of General Motors Performance Parts Crate Engine Program, and Scott Junod, Marketing Director of the Goodyear Racing Short Track Program, spoke about their support of FASTRAK.
Also on hand were Northeast Regional Directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone along with Dog Hollow Speedway owner Jim Michny and racer Bobby Powell, who will be competing weekly at Raceway 7, Mercer, and Tri-City Speedways in 2008 as well as chasing after the Touring Series Championship.
The 2008 FASTRAK Northeast season is just a little more than two months away. Weekly-sanctioned speedways include Raceway 7 and Dog Hollow Speedways on Friday nights, Mercer Raceway Park and McKean County Raceway on Saturday nights, and Tri-City Speedway on Sunday nights. A Touring Series schedule is in the works.
This Saturday, February 2, Big Daddy’s Speed Center in Grove City, Pa. will be holding an informational seminar from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Co-Directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone as well as Tech Inspectors Randy Myers and Brad Hibbard will be on hand. For directions call Big Daddy’s at 724-458-6465.
Stay tuned for further press releases and updates throughout the winter months. To join our mailing list, simply send an e-mail to fastrakpr-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Mike Leone and Vicki Emig can be reached at 724-964-9300. E-mail to info@fastraknortheast.com and snail mail to 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143. For more information on FASTRAK, check out the Northeast website at www.fastraknortheast.com and the national website at www.fastrakracing.com.