TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY READY TO OPEN ON SUNDAY APRIL 24
by Brian Spaid

April 17, 2005

   FRANKLIN, PA …. With all of the warm weather in Western Pennsylvania over the last two weeks, race teams and fans are getting geared up for opening night at Tri-City Speedway on Sunday April 24^th with a full slate of the NorthPointe Automotive Super Sprints, Schwab’s Ford DIRT Modifieds, RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods, E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks and 4 Your Car Connection Victory Lane Graphics Thundercars. Gates open each Sunday night at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Adult grandstand admission is $10 for each five-star racing show.

   “This will be our tenth consecutive season operating Tri-City Speedway,” said Co-Promoter Mike Graham. “We’ve been working hard on some improvements to the track to make each Sunday night a more enjoyable experience for our race teams and fans. Last season, we had great races and we look forward to an outstanding 2005 racing season.”

   Jarod Larson of Rock Creek, Ohio, is expected to return to Tri-City in order to try to defend his 2004 Super Sprint championship. Larson is expected to face stiff competition from two-time champion Rod George, Ed Lynch Jr., Rob Eyler, Todd Bauer, Andy McKisson and Jason Jacoby. In addition, another former two-time champion, Bob Felmlee, will make his return to Tri-City after a five-year retirement following injuries suffered in a 1999 accident at the track. Last season was one of the most competitive in the modern era at Tri-City with seven different drivers scoring feature wins, and more is expected in 2005.

   In the DIRT Modified ranks, Andy Priest of New Castle, Pa., will return to the wheel of Ted Hull’s race car in defense of his 2004 title. Former track champions Del Rougeux Jr. and Kevin Bolland will lead a large group of drivers devoted to unseat Priest as the top dog in the DIRT Modified class. Rex and Russell King, Joe Crawford, Chad and Chanda Reitz, Chris Schiffer, Skip Moore and Dave Schrader are among those competitors. However, Priest and Hull gradually developed into a tough team after they joined forces in the old Sportsman Modified ranks. Their combined experience of mechanics and driving ability may be hard to overcome.

   Mike Potosky of Guys Mills, Pa., scored his first career track title in the E Mod ranks in 2004.  He is expected to return and attempt to fend off drivers like Shawn Shingledecker, Matt Lux, Jim Frontz, Jamie Shetler, Mike Samuelson, Bruce Powell and Kari Gasser in a wide-open title fight. The superstar team of driver Brent Rhebergen and car owner Bruce Steadman disbanded during the offseason. Scoring 41 feature wins over the last five seasons, Rhebergen kept a stranglehold on victory lane. With his absence, the time is ripe for a new era of E Mod dominance.

   For the second year in a row, the Pro Stock champion will not defend his title as Bruce Smith of Franklin, Pa., sold his equipment and retired after the 2004 season. Following his 2003 title season, Darrell Bossard moved on with his Late Model career. As a result, the rest of the Pro Stock ranks will battle to become the top ace in Tri-City’s popular full-bodied class. Two-time track champion Bobby Whitling, a 37-time feature winner, will return with new colors and lead a huge field of challengers that include Dave Ferringer, Jason Johns, Doug Iorio, Doug Iorio II, Dave Ferringer, Jason Johns, Scott Myers and Rusty Kellogg.

   The Thundercars expand this season to run heats and features, and Don Blake Jr. of Titusville, Pa., will return to compete for his second consecutive track title. Although Robby Switzer was expected to move to the Pro Stock division, he will return for one last shot at a Thundercar championship after scoring 11 feature wins over the last two seasons. In 2004, Blake and Switzer fought tooth-and-nail for the title and the same dogfight should occur in 2005. Former champion Jeff Manners, Curt Bish Sr. and Jr., Chad Myers, Joe Blake and Regina Deloe will provide stiff competition for Blake and Switzer as well.

   Among the capital improvements at Tri-City is an expansion of the main concession stand and new electrical service, which will allow more lighting of the track, pits and spectator parking areas.

   For more information, please contact the track office at (814) 473-4038.

   Tri-City Speedway is owned and operated by Roger and Susie Crick and Mike and Margaret Graham. They have promoted Sunday night racing at the popular facility since they reopened it in 1996. The Super Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, E Mods, Pro Stocks and Thundercars race each week at the Venango County half-mile dirt oval. Tri-City is located seven miles north of Franklin, Pa., off State Route 417.