This, That and the Next Thing by Ernie Saxton - January 18, 2025

The stakes have been raised for the NAPA Auto Parts Atlantic City Indoor Races, set for January 31 and February 1 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. Three TQ Midget drivers will have a chance to win $10,000, if they can capture the ultimate prize in Indoor Auto Racing, Saturday’s 23rd annual Gambler’s Classic trophy.

Recent Allentown, PA PPL Center TQ Midget winners, Ryan Flores and Andy Jankowiak are eligible for the big payday, the third eligible driver will be Friday night’s Atlantic City winner of the TQ Midget BlackJack 21.

The massive payday is thanks to added support at the event from the Atlantic City Sports Comission, Visit Atlantic City and the West at Caesar’s, the official after party of the Atlantic City Indoor Race. They will be rewarded both the Friday and Saturday night winner $1,500 for attending that night’s after-party at the nearby West At Caesar’s (formerly Wild Wild West).

The final piece of the bonus, is thanks to Ironton Auto Body and their unclaimed portion of Allentown’s $10,000 challenge. Ryan Flores, came one spot, one very important spot, of sweeping the Indoor Auto Racing Series opener, January 3 and 4 inside the PPL Center and thus failed to collect the $10,000 Ironton Auto Body challenge.

Flores, scored the opening night victory on Friday with a drive for the ages from the 12th starting spot and immediately accepted the challenge, and agreed to start 10th in Saturday’s 40 lap main event.

In Saturday’s race, Andy Jankowiak broke his 0-14 win streak in Allentown by claiming his first victory, holding off a hard charging Flores in closing laps. Jankowiak is also the defending champion of the Gambler’s Classic and winner of the three of the last four events.

Flores, Jankowiak and the other 50 TQ Midget competitors will take to the track on Friday, January 31 in a bid to win the BlackJack 21. The winner of this event will join the pair of Indoor Racing stars, with a shot at the enhanced payday on Saturdya night.

“Ryan came so close to capturing the $10,000 prize in Allentown,” stated series promoter, Dan Sammons. “Stan and everyone at Ironton Auto Body were on the edge of their seats and chearing him on last Saturday. As soon as the race was over, we knew we need to give Ryan another shot at the prize, but also include Andy J. and Friday night’s winner to increase the odds of someone walking out of Boardwalk Hall with the big check!”

The race winner on Friday and Saturday night, will be presented with bonus checks from the Atlantic City Sports Commision live on stage at the West at Caesar’s each night at 12 Midnight. The lively hub of nightlife during race weekend is only a two minute walk away at Caesars Atlantic City. The West at Caesars features live music, casino gaming, beer pong, sports betting, bull riding, arcade games, and much more.

Tickets for the event are on sale via Ticketmaster and the Boardwalk Hall box office.

In addition to the high-speed TQ Midgets—purpose-built race cars powered by 750cc motorcycle engines—three support divisions will also race: Slingshots, Champ Karts and Dirt 600 Micro Sprints.

Family-Friendly Pricing: Tickets start at just $20 for adults, with general admission for children available for only $5 on the day of the event. Premium front-row seating and reserved seats are also available for an additional fee. Pricing excludes facility and ticketing fees.

Fans can enjoy an exclusive pre-race FanFest on the arena floor, where lower-level reserved ticket holders can walk the track and meet their favorite drivers before Saturday night’s race.

The series will conclude its season on a clay oval at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ, on February 21and 22.

For more information about the Indoor Auto Racing Series, including hotel deals at nearby casinos and hotels, racer rules, and entry forms, visit IndoorAutoRacing.com

Mike Wallace not approved to compete in Daytona 500

MBM Motorsports can confirm that NASCAR has deemed Mike Wallace is not eligible to compete in the 2025 Daytona 500, despite eleven previous 500 starts and several superspeedway wins, due to lack of recent races in major professional motorsports. We are devastated for Mike and the Wallace family that this opportunity will not come to fruition. For MBM, we must regroup at this late stage with the loss of our driver and sponsor for The Great American Race. Our team is working swiftly to sign another funded driver for Speedweeks in order to still attempt the 67th Daytona 500. Sponsorship opportunities remain with our No. 66 team: contact us at info@mbmmotorsports.com for more.

2025 Daytona 500 sold out

Daytona International Speedway has announced that the 67th running of the DAYTONA 500 is officially sold out, with fans expected to pack the historic racing venue once again for NASCAR’s 2025 season opener.

Along with the sellout announcement, the World Center of Racing has also released the date for next year’s DAYTONA 500, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.

Year after year, the Great American Race reigns as one of the most anticipated events in the motorsport world, and starting today, fans can sign up for exclusive pre-sale access for infield camping and tickets to next year’s event to ensure they secure their seats in advance.

“The DAYTONA 500 continues to be a spectacle of elite racing and entertainment, and the consecutive sellouts just prove this event is one of a kind,” said Frank Kelleher, President of Daytona international Speedway. “You can quite literally feel the atmosphere from the moment Speedweeks begins. The crowd is buzzing with excitement and every team, from the driver to the crew chief, is eager to get their season started. It all comes to a head when that green flag drops on Sunday, Feb. 16, and I can’t wait to see what this year’s DAYTONA 500 has in store for us.”

After a wildly competitive 2024 season that saw 18 different race winners, three of the closest finishes in NASCAR history, and crowned Joey Logano as a three-time Champion, the season opening DAYTONA 500 is sure to be a thriller.

Last year, William Byron came out on top after a hectic last few laps, earning his first DAYTONA 500 Championship and securing the victory for Hendrick Motorsports in their 40th anniversary year. He’ll become the latest driver to attempt back-to-back victories of The Great American Race. The last driver to win consecutive DAYTONA 500s was Denny Hamlin, who earned the title in 2019 and 2020.

Though grandstand tickets and camping are sold out for Sunday’s marquee event, limited upgrades and premium packages are still available. Fans can also catch plenty of the action during the multi-day racing and entertainment extravaganza that is Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth.

The competition begins on Wednesday, Feb. 12 with DAYTONA 500 Qualifying presented by Busch Light, setting the front row for The Great American Race. Qualifying also sets the field for a pair of head-to-head battles in the Duel At DAYTONA on Thursday, Feb. 13, where drivers fight for their starting position in the 67th running of the DAYTONA 500.

The intensity increases on Friday, Feb. 14 as the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season-opening Fresh From Florida 250 takes the green flag under the lights of the famed track. Then on Saturday, Feb. 15, fans can enjoy a jam-packed day of on-track action with the kickoff to the ARCA Menards Series season followed by the United Rentals 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race.

Then on Sunday, after a performance filled with international chart-toppers from Mr. Worldwide himself, drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series will fire up their engines and get the 2025 season underway in this year’s DAYTONA 500.

With all four series kicking off their season at Daytona, each driver will be fighting to start their year with a win, putting everything on the line at one of the biggest races on the schedules. Fans can enjoy the fierce competition all week long, as well as multiple different entertainment performances, fan activations and race day festivities.

For more information on Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth or for further details on the 2026 DAYTONA500, please visit www.DAYTONA500.com.

Journalist Dustin Long tells us a federal judge denied a request Friday by NASCAR and NASCAR Chairman Jim France to dismiss the lawsuit against them by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.

Both teams did not sign charter agreements with NASCAR and filed an antitrust lawsuit Oct. 2 against NASCAR and France.

The order Friday by U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell came after he heard arguments from both sides in court Wednesday.

Bell wrote in his order: “The parties to this action cast their existential dispute in starkly different terms. According to Plaintiffs, NASCAR (led by the dynastic France family) is the iron-fisted monopolistic ruler of premier stock car racing that has imposed “anticompetitive ‘take it or leave it’ terms” on Plaintiffs and other top-tier racing teams.

“In Defendants’ telling, NASCAR and the France family are the founders and guiding lights of a beloved and valuable racing series, who have fairly negotiated mutually beneficial “Charter Agreements” that reflect reasonable commercial terms between NASCAR and the race teams.

“What is the actual evidence and how does it inform a correct legal conclusion? These questions cannot be determined on motions to dismiss in this action, where Plaintiffs have sufficiently alleged one or more plausible antitrust claims against Defendants within the applicable period of limitations.

“Instead, the answers must be found when the parties have a full opportunity to pursue discovery of the relevant facts and then at trial, where the jury will be able to weigh the evidence and assess the credibility of the witnesses (unless the case is resolved sooner by the parties or the Court). Therefore, the Court will DENY the Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss.”

The judge also denied NASCAR’s request that both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports post a bond “in excess of $10 million for each car being allowed to race based on the harm it alleges it will suffer in being forced to do so under the charter terms.”

The court previously ruled for a preliminary injunction that will allow 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to run all three of its cars as charter cars despite not signing the agreement in September. NASCAR has appealed the preliminary injunction.

Bell wrote in his order against the bond: “The alleged harm to NASCAR of allowing Plaintiffs to race chartered cars on the same terms as the other 30 chartered teams is presently both uncertain and unquantified. Therefore, the Court, in its discretion, will waive the security requirement of Rule 65(c) and will not require Plaintiffs to post a bond for the issuance of the Preliminary Injunctions.

“However, by this ruling, the Court does not foreclose NASCAR’s ability to later pursue reimbursement for harm it contends that it has suffered as a result of a wrongfully entered injunction.”

The court has set Dec. 1 as the start of the trial.

Busch Light transforms Daytona 500 Into “DATE-TONA” with speed dating experince

Does swiping left and right leave you feeling like you’re stuck in neutral? You’re not alone. Nearly 80% of 21+ young adults say they’re burnt out by the mental, physical and emotional toll of dating apps and are increasingly getting offline in favor of real-life opportunities to connect.*

Busch Light, a brand that believes in the power of connecting over shared passions and cold beer, has a solution for singles who are ready to bring romance back to reality. Ahead of Valentine’s Day weekend, the official beer sponsor of NASCAR is transforming the DAYTONA 500 into DATE-TONA, with a one-of-a-kind, high-octane speed dating experience designed to help fans find love IRL.

These speed dates aren’t just fast, they’re NASCAR fast because the Busch Light DATE-TONA car will be driving prospective couples around the Daytona International Speedway at a blistering pace as they try to forge a high-speed connection. After the action, couples will have achance to see if sparks continue to fly with the opportunity to attend the 2025 DAYTONA 500 courtesy of Busch Light.

“We love a burnout in victory lane, but dating app burnout is a real bummer. So, when we learned that the majority of young adults are seeking IRL opportunities to find romance, we tapped our partners at NASCAR and created the high-octane speed dating experience that is DATE-TONA,” said Krystyn Stowe, Head of Marketing for Busch Family and Natural Family at Anheuser-Busch. “Busch Light believes in the power of connecting over shared passions and cold beer, plus we’ve got a strong track record at helping our fans find love. In 2023, we married two superfans during a 10-second NASCAR pit stop in Las Vegas, and this year, we’re taking it back to the starting line to create an unforgettable opportunity for our fans to spark a love connection.”

With Busch Light bringing love back to the track for a second consecutive year, the brand is testing whether its matchmaking skills are as smooth as the beer they produce. Since the 1990s, the Busch family of brands has created countless opportunities for 21+ NASCAR fans by providing unparalleled access to the sport. Beyond key program sponsorships like the Busch Pole Award, Busch Light continues to deepen these connections among fans by creating unique experiences both on and off the track.

To learn more about DATE-TONA, head to Busch.com/datetona where singles can apply between January 7th and 21st for the opportunity to find lasting love at NASCAR speed.

It only happens once a year so get ready for the National Touring Series of the Amsoil USAC Non-Wing Sprints as they invade the East for the eighteenth running of the Eastern Storm powered by Levan Machine and Truck Equipment.

The excitement is always plentiful when the young and talented stars of the USAC National Non-Wing Sprint Tour crisscross the states. And when they land here in the East, there is always action packed excitement enhanced by the diversity of six unique and different tracks that will host the Eastern Storm.

It’s six nights of racing that not only offers USAC Non-wing sprints, but a taste of 358 Modifieds, URC 360 winged Sprints, 410 Sprints, 600 non-wing sprints and not to mention, the USAC Champ Cars. It’s six consecutive nights of racing you don’t want to miss.

The history of USAC Non-Wing Sprints in the area is plentiful dating back to 1956 when Oley, PA driver Tommy Hinnershitz won their first three USAC Sprint shows at the Berks County Reading Fairgrounds. Some of the names that also won USAC events at Reading include Johnny Thomson, A.J. Foyt, Jim Hurtibise, Roger McCluskey, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser, Larry Dickson, Gary Bettenhausen, Bruce Walkup, Greg Weld, Toby Tobias, Kenny Weld, Pancho Carter, Lee Osborne and Ron Shuman. Then on April 14, 1979, Paul Pitzer won the final USAC race in Berks County at the Reading Fairgrounds. The year 1979 would close the era of racing at the Fairgrounds.

In 2007, it was Grandview Speedway’s Bruce Rogers and Special events Promoter Bob Miller who celebrated the return and the start of the USAC Non-Wing Sprints Eastern Storm. A capacity crowd attended to see Levi Jones win the first Eastern Storm event that opened the 2007 Thunder on the Hill Racing Series. Since that initial show, Grandview and Thunder on the Hill host the opening event of the Eastern Storm.

Current day drivers that join Levi Jones as an Eastern Storm winner include Brady Bacon, Bryan Clauson, Chris Windom, Robert Ballou, Justin Grant, Logan Seavey, Kevin Thomas Jr, Cole Whitt, Emerson Axsom, Tyler Courtney and Thomas Meseraull and local Briggs Danner just to name a few.

The six race Eastern Storm will offer a $10,000 point fund courtesy of Levan Machine and Truck Equipment, a Berks County business, Brian Levan, President and CEO for Levan Machine and Truck Equipment is no stranger on the local racing scene and along with running a very successful business, Brian is known as someone who can get things done.

“I love racing and especially non-wing sprints and the history the USAC organization has established and we are proud being part of the 18th Annual USAC Eastern Storm”. Levan continued, “We are approaching this sponsorship a little differently then some of our programs, with a goal to get the Levan Machine and Truck Equipment name high-level exposure and at the same time, grow and develop and hopefully add even more excitement to this already historic Series”.

Levan is looking to gain valuable business exposure and at the same time, expand the growth and exposure for USAC and its field of talented drivers. Expect to see Levan Machine and Truck Equipment commercial spots on Flo Racing, and listen for radio ads on WIOV-FM and WSOX-FM the entire week of the Eastern Storm.

The 2025 Eastern Storm champion will earn $5,000 of the total $10,000 Levan Machine and Truck Equipment sponsored point fund. Watch for some race night activities to be announced to include USAC driver Meet & Greets at various tracks.

Since 1936, Levan Machine and Truck Equipment has been your one-stop-shop for custom repair and production machining, and driveline services, and they are known throughout the East Coast for servicing commercial and fleet customers with custom work truck builds. They are also your go-to for all your CTech needs! Additionally, Levan Machine and Truck Equipment offers general truck repair and maintenance to help you keep your commercial fleet in top condition throughout your busy work schedule. For more information on Levan Machine and Truck Equipment of Fleetwood, PA please visit their website at: www.levanmachine.com

Grandview Speedway Thunder on the Hill Racing Series

Tuesday, June 17

Alpine Building Supply Presents:

USAC Sprints Jesse Hockett Classic 40 laps & 358 Modifieds Gates open 5 PM Race time 7:30 PM

Alpine $2,000 Bonus for a first time Modified Thunder Winner

43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, PA 19505

Speedway Phone: 610-754-7688

www.grandviewspeedway.com

Thunder on the Hill Racing Series Phone: 443-513-4456

www.thunderonthehillracingseries.com

Bridgeport Motorsports Park

Wednesday, June 18