When Championship Energy Action Track USA, located in Kutztown, waves its first green flag of the season on May 13, some new faces will join familiar aces in the USAC All Pro SpeedSTR division.
With stalwarts like reigning, defending SpeedSTR point champ Tim Buckwalter and two-time track champion Billy Pauch Jr. returning to the progressively banked oval on the Kutztown Fairgrounds, some newcomers with solid backgrounds in the sport will join the ranks in an effort to dethrone the kingpins of the class.
Pat Bealer, long known as “the Icon” in the 270cc and 600cc Micro Sprint classes and winner of arguably the most popular, most competitive race ever run at Action Track USA, will make his initial foray into the world of SpeedSTRs this season. Bealer came out on top in the wingless 600cc National during the 2015 Kutztown Fair, the first 60-lap A-Main for the 600’s that became an instant classic. Still heavily involved in Micro Sprint racing – he’s already been a 270 winner this year at Path Valley – Bealer is ready to tackle the larger, somewhat heavier, and more powerful SpeedSTR machines.
Tommy Kunsman will buckle into Mike Stern’s potent SpeedSTR, the car that James Morris piloted with some success over the past few seasons. Kunsman is coming off a terrific year at Linda’s Speedway where he earned three point championships, and the Bethlehem driver recently scored his very first USAC/ARDC Midget victory on the quarter-mile at Linda’s.
“The Mount Joy Outlaw”, Jesse Maurer, is also busy finishing up the finer details in readying his new ride, the former Kenny Brightbill SpeedSTR, for the May 13 opener in Kutztown.
In addition, Montgomery, N.Y.’s Anthony Perrego is planning a SpeedSTR assault this season. Perrego started out in the All Star Slingshot class before rapidly moving up to Sportsman, then small and big block Modifieds. He registered his first two Modified triumphs of the year on the weekend of April 21 & 22, and he’s ready to strap back into a SpeedSTR when the new campaign begins on May 13. Perrego has competed in the class before; he was an occasional competitor at Action Track USA a few years ago and was always fast and near the front in his sporadic visits to Kutztown.
The USAC All Pro SpeedSTRs, Hyper Racing 600’s, and All Star Slingshots will fill out the menu when the Goldie & Elton Meitzler Memorial raises the curtain on season six of the Rich Tobias/ Doug Rose regime at Championship Energy Action Track USA on Sunday, May 13. Pit gates open at 3 p.m., and the grandstand gates swing open at 4:00. Warm-ups begin at 5 p.m. with qualifying events getting underway immediately following the hot lap sessions. The Meitzler Memorial will be capped off with a 30-lap main for the SpeedSTRs, a 25-lap romp for the 600’s, and a 20-lapper for the All Star Slingshots. Last year’s Meitzler Memorial winners included Tim Buckwalter (SpeedSTRs); Jim Radney (600’s); and Marc Daniels (Slingshots).
More information on the opener, along with all the news from a busy off-season, is available at www.actiontrackusa.com and on the speedway’s
* * *With Earth Day over, Pocono Raceway is proud to share their green initiative successes and share their future outlook. ‘The Tricky Triangle’s’ green initiatives began in 2010 with the creation of their three-megawatt solar farm and sustainability continues to be one of the core values which drives the Raceway and their staff.
The Raceway’s 25-acre, three megawatt solar farm officially went online in May 2010. The 39,960 American-made solar panels have since generated over 28 Million Kilowatt hours of electricity. The energy by the solar farm has offset the use of over 771,000 gallons of gasoline and offset 28,838 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from approximately 4,462 passenger vehicles. The solar farm provides the energy needs of the track and any unused electricity is placed directly back on the grid to power homes and businesses located near the Raceway.
“Going green is, and will continue to be, a staple for us,” said Nick Igdalsky, Pocono Raceway CEO. “We intend to lead the industry into the next decade as true trailblazers. We promise to increase the number of recycling and compost receptacles around ‘The Tricky Triangle,’ all while reducing the number of trash bins. Camping guests, who stay with us during our race weekend, will continue to receive recycling bags upon their arrival. All of our recycling efforts are based on our diversion percentage goal of 75% by 2019.”
Pocono Raceway’s 2019 diversion goal has been set to ensure three quarters of the waste from the track is recycled and does not end up in a landfill. This initiative, in partnership with Pennsylvania State University, Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Monster Energy and NASCAR Green, has resulted in a diversion percentage of 55% last summer, up from 40% the previous year, with 17.5 tons of recovered materials being recycled. Additionally, 2,200 pounds of unused food from the 2017 race weekends were donated to Stroudsburg (Pa.) area groups who feed the hungry through the Raceway’s partnership with Rock & Wrap It Up! This June, with assistance from Essity, the track will place compostable paper products in all their Grandstand restrooms.
The 2018 sustainability efforts of the track will continue to support NASCAR Green’s initiatives during the Pocono 400 and Gander Outdoors 400 race weekends with the use of Sunoco Green E15, the recycling of all Goodyear tires used during competition and the recycling of over 1,000 gallons of waste oil. The Raceway is also in the process of retro-fitting and replacing current lightbulbs with more energy-efficient LED bulbs. Fans will see an increase in the amount of recycling receptacles around the facility, especially during their second annual Monster Energy NASCAR Free Friday. Fans who bring an empty can of Monster Energy to be recycled at the track will receive free admission on Friday, June 1, 2018. Over 4,000 Monster Energy cans were recycled during this green and fan-engagement initiative last year.