Weather conditions permitting, the 2017 NASCAR stock car racing season kicks off at Grandview Speedway on Saturday, March 25 and Joe “Geezer” Fanelli will be moving from the BRC Late Models to the primary class of competition, the NASCAR T.P. Trailers 358 Modifieds.
Fanelli and crew are hoping to have the new car ready to be at Grandview for the Saturday practice session at noon that will feature racers from many different classes of competition taking part in the free-to-the-public practice. This is a chance for fans to get to see what their favorite racer will be driving this season and racers get to have a test and tune session. However, fans and racers are reminded that should Ma Nature not cooperate there could be a change in the Grandview schedule of events. Check for the latest updates on practice day status at www.grandviewspeedway.com or on Facebook.
The veteran racer will be fielding his own race car as he challenges some of the best in the business when the battle for the track and NASCAR titles hopefully gets underway on Saturday, April 1st at 7 p.m. Again this year the Saturday night action on the one-third-mile, banked clay over will feature the 358 Modifieds, BRC Late Models and Sportsman stock cars.
Fanelli, a veteran racer who has performed in many divisions of racing competition, will be making his first start in the T.P.Trailers 358 Modifieds. During his colorful auto racing career he has performed with Late Models, Sportsman, Legends, 600 Modifieds and more. He has three feature wins to his credit in the 600 Modifieds and was the winner of the 2010 Northeast Small Car Nationals.
The 53-year-old Physical Plant Manager and former professional musician shows that he is multi-talented as he is also an undefeated boxer, an adult league golf champion and has earned a number of titles in hockey.
Nothing would make the Exton-based married father of two happier than to be able to perform well and “hold his own” against such outstanding Grandview Speedway racing talents as defending champion Craig VonDohren, former champions Jeff Strunk, Duane Howard and Ray Swinehart and the long list of other talented racers that perform at the Bechtelsville speed plant.
Because of his dedication to the sport and his attention to detail with regard to his sponsors, Fanelli has a long list of sponsors that support his racing efforts including JDT Construction, Horn Plumbing and Heating, Kistler Log Home Maine Vacation Rentals, Keystone Air, Kelly Security, Exton Beverage, Art Smith Landscaping, Weso’s Italian Restaurant, Girgio’s Pizza of Exton, Haly Oil, Great Valley Propane, Checkered Flag Bakery and Webmaster-E.
Crew help, always important to race teams, includes CJ, Cathy, Hunter, Al, JD, Ken, Dan, Bob and he always looking for more !!
* * *Dover International Speedway and Pocono Raceway will meet for their fifth annual track-vs.-track competition on Wednesday, May 3 with “Dover vs. Pocono Rivalry Day” at Coca-Cola Park, home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, in Allentown.
The game will feature Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Matt Kenseth (Team Pocono) and Martin Truex Jr. (Team Dover). The rosters for each team will be rounded out with members of national and local motorsports media, as well as other local media personalities.
This will be the fifth meeting between the two tracks with “The Monster Mile” enjoying a 3-1 advantage in the annual matchup against “The Tricky Triangle.” Prior to this year’s event, Dover and Pocono faced off in a head-to-head softball game. The event has changed slightly to feature more fan-driven portions and will include softball, kickball and much more.
Access to “Dover vs. Pocono Rivalry Day” is free with a ticket to the May 3 game between the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and the visiting Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Activities in the KidsZone are free until 6 p.m. for children wearing NASCAR-related items. To purchase tickets, visit www.ironpigsbaseball.com, call (610) 841-PIGS (7447) .
Gates for the NASCAR driver event will open at 4 p.m., with the competition beginning at 4:30 p.m. Kenseth and Truex will then throw out the first pitches for the 7 p.m. Lehigh Valley IronPigs game.
Throughout the NASCAR event and baseball game, ticket giveaways will be held for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races on Sunday, June 4 (Dover), and Sunday, June 11 (Pocono).
And I have not decided if I will participate this time. I have participated in all but one of the games.
* * *When the MJF Trucking No Wing Spring Fling kicks off the 2017 racing season at Lanco’s Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway on Saturday, April 1st, the beginning of a new era will continue for the Midgets of the American Racing Drivers Club.
The ARDC Midgets will headline the Clyde’s opener after raising the curtain on their 75th season at Linda’s Speedway the previous night at Linda’s Speedway. Although ARDC is the oldest sanctioning body for Midget auto racing in the USA, 2017 marks a rebirth of sorts for the organization. Its new partnership with USAC has the entire club energized and pumped up as it begins, at 75 years-old, a new day… and with a new name.
They are now the USAC Eastern Regional Midgets presented by ARDC, and their second race of the season will be the fifth time that they’ve competed at Lanco’s Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway. Ryan Greth captured the mighty Midgets maiden voyage at the Clyde in 2015, while the Phenom, Alex Bright, swept both stand-alone ARDC features last season as he streaked to his first championship with the historic organization. En route to his USAC National Midget Championship, Tanner Thorson pulled off a last lap, final turn victory last August in the inaugural visit by the USAC National Midget tour.
The 600 and 270 divisions will race for $1,000 to win (provided there are at least 40 entries in each class) on April 1st. Gates will open at 4:15, with the driver’s meeting getting underway at 5:30. Midgets will have the opportunity to put heat in their motors at 5:45 and warm-ups begin at 6 p.m. Qualifying heats go green at 6:45.
