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Lillian Bell
NEWBERRYTOWN, Penn. (January 25) - The Night of Honor and Awards Banquet for the Susquehanna Speedway Park's 2009 season last Saturday night, January 23 was filled with an atmosphere of enthusiasm and anticipation for the 2010 season. Thirteen track champions were crowned from the popular Stock Car Saturday Night program that began 2½ years ago. The Gala was held at the historic Valencia Ballroom in downtown York, Pennsylvania in front of a full house of drivers, teams, sponsors and supporters of the various classes that competed at SSP last season. The banquet placed SSP's grassroots racers on center stage after celebrating the track's 55th year of operation.
The Late Model division crowned Jake Jones of Shermansdale as the new track champion in the Late Model division. Jones dethroned six-time champion Carl Billet to pick up his first career track championship driving family-owned car. Jones' weekly consistency enabled him to clinch the point title at the last race of the season by 22 points over Justin Ehrhart. Randy Christine Jr. finished the season in third place with veteran driver Carl Graves and SSP rookie Chase Billet rounding out the top five. Carl Billet, who won the previous two track titles finished seventh although he picked up his 50th career Late Model feature win during the season.
Myerstown's Scott Thunberg claimed his second career SSP Street Stock track championship with two feature wins, twelve top-5 finished and eighteen top-10 finishes in 2009. Thunberg last won the title in 1998 with the same car. Thunberg will try to win the track title once again in 2010 to become the only driver to win a track championship in three different decades. Veterans Jim Palm Jr. and Doug Bennett finished second and third respectively in their first full season of competition at SSP. Garrett Shover and Dave Thompson Jr. had fabulous seasons to finish the point chase in fourth and fifth.
Sam Rial of Windsor and Travis Horan of York battled to the final race of the season to determine the Xtreme Stock Car track champion. Rial won the battle by 19 points over Horan. Rial's 2009 stats included three feature victories, fourteen top-5 finishes and seventeen top-10's. Horan's finishes rivaled Rial's consistency as Horan had two feature wins, sixteen top 5's and sixteen top 10's. Adam Smith of Lewisberry claimed third place with Tim Hahn and Tommy Slanker rounding out the top five.
Other SSP track champions honored on Saturday night included Jim Jacobs (Road Warriors), Bill Wise Jr. (Mini Vans), Matt Wallace (Classic Cars), Jason Rochelle (Legends Cars - Pro), Randy Kissinger (Legends Cars - Masters), Lucas Montgomery (Legends Cars - Semi Pro), Fred Krickbaum Jr. (PENNMAR - Modified), John McGarvey (PENNMAR - Sportsman), Vicky Anderson (Women on Wheels Mini Vans).
The Clean Technologies Young Guns Shootout is a season long point series featuring all drivers ages 21 and younger (born on or after April 11, 1987) in the Late Model, Street Stock, and Xtreme Stock Car divisions. The points will be calculated from the regular track point series throughout the season. All drivers will be competing together in one points battle. Travis Horan took the 2009 title over Andrew Frye and Dave Thompson Jr. Chase Billet finished fourth with Calvin Herman in fifth.
Before the awards presentation, Todd Fisher, owner/promoter of the Susquehanna Speedway Park, gave his annual "State of the Speedway" address. Fisher began by reflecting on the highs and lows of the 2009 season. Fisher reiterated that the Stock Car Saturday Night Program was once again very successful with the support of the families of the various race teams. Fisher also touched on a few topics that would be described in detail in the pre-season letter to all drivers that will be sent in early February. The topics included a mandatory pre-season tech inspection for all cars, the new XSC Elite class, purse increases for the Late Models and Street Stocks, and a new handicapping/lineup system. These changes will only compliment the already successful weekly Stock Car program.
During the awards presentation, some very special individuals were recognized with awards and special jackets for their support and dedication as reaching the 5-year milestone of being employed at SSP. These individuals include Bill Brenneman and Larry Anderson.
Donations for the drawing for door prizes was overwhelming as every person in attendance went home with a prize. Door Prize donators included Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic; K&K Insurance; Coca Cola; Scott Racing; J-Mart Racing / Matt Adams, Shover Motorsports, Sports Plus Video, Tom Hartman, Charles Potts Racing, Daryl Sipe Racing, The Outhouse, AARN and SSP.
The 2010 season opener of Stock Car Saturday Night will be on Saturday, April 10, with the Late Models, Street Stocks, Xtreme Stock Cars, XSC Elite and the firs-ever visit of the PA Sprint Series. Their first-ever race scheduled in 2009 was cancelled by rain in September. All point championships for each class starts on April 10. At the end of the season, SSP will crown twelve-(12) track champions in their respective classes (Late Models; Street Stocks, Xtreme Stock Cars, XSC Elite, Legends Cars - 3 classes, PENNMAR Vintage Cars - 2 classes, Classic Cars, Mini Vans and Road Warriors).
The SSP track championship point season schedule features 23 point races for the Late Models, Street Stocks, Xtreme Stock Cars, and XSC Elite not including their respective season ending special events. In 2009, six point races were wiped out by rain. The Legends Cars have 10 point races. The full-size Classic Cars will have 7 appearances with the PENNMAR Vintage Cars on the schedule six times. The ARDC Wingless Midgets will have three dates at the Newberry Township oval on April 11 (Twin 20's), June 13 and October 30. The popular entry level Mini Van and Road Warrior divisions will compete 14 and 13 times each respectively. Also making appearances at SSP in 2010 will be the Super Sprint Cars (Sunday, April 11), Super Late Models (Sunday, May 23); 358 Sprint Cars (Sunday, June 13), the PA Sprint Series (Saturday, April 11; Thursday, July 1 and Saturday, September 11), 358 Small Block Modifieds (Sunday, August 1), Byers Tires Thundercars (Saturday, October 30), Women on Wheels Mini Vans (Saturday, May 11 and Saturday, August 7) and the 600cc Micro Sprints (Thursday, July 1 and Saturday, October 30).
On Saturday, April 11, the pit gates will open 3:00 p.m. Grandstand gates will open at 4:00 p.m. Warm-ups begin at 5:30 p.m. with qualifying races at 6:00 p.m. followed by consolation races and feature events.
On Sunday night, the Super Sprint Cars will return to SSP after a two-year hiatus for one event on April 11. They 410 cubic inch powered cars will be joined by the wingless ARDC midgets for two 20-lap feature events. One feature is from the postponed Candy Bowl event from last October. The pit gates will open 3:30 p.m. Grandstand gates will open at 4:00 p.m. Warm-ups begin at 5:30 p.m. with qualifying races at 6:00 p.m. followed by consolation races and feature events.
SSP will begin its pre-season with two open practice sessions for any type of racecar on Saturday, March 27 and Saturday, April 3. The gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with practice sessions rotating for each class from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. During the season, SSP will also host Wednesday Night Test & Tune Sessions on March 31; April 7; April 21; May 5; May 19; June 2; June 16; June 30; July 21; August 4; August 18; September 1; September 15; September 29 and October 13. All Wednesday night practices will run from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The Susquehanna Speedway Park is located midway between Harrisburg and York off I-83 to exit 32, then 1.4 miles NW on SR382 to York Road, then 1.3 miles south. For more information, contact the speedway offices at (717) 292-1696 or visit online at sspracing.net. On race day, use the track phone at (717) 938-9170 for up-to-date information at the "Big Track" and (717) 932-1608 for the "Outback Track."
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