MODIFIED 40 LAP SPECIAL TO PAY $2,500 TO WIN FOR MODIFIEDS.
Story By: ANDREW HARPELL / FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By: DAVE DALESANDRO / RACERSGUIDE.COM
KIRKWOOD, NY- July 29, 2016-Five Mile Point Speedway will honor the founders Anna and Irving Heath this Saturday with the 52nd running of the Heath Memorial. The Modified special 40 lap event will pay $2,500 to win and the locals are looking to have to contend with some of the outsiders for this prestigious event. The speedway is currently celebrating 66 consecutive years of racing at the Kirkwood oval. Racing begins at 6 p.m.
As part of the Annual Heath Memorial the speedway will host the Annual Former Racer’s Reunion. Drivers are once again expected to return from all parts of the United States to be recognized and spend the evening sharing stories of the great racing from the past that has helped pave the way for today’s great action.
The Heath Memorial honors not only the memory of track founders Anna and Irving Heath it is a tribute to all of the family members that helped not only build the speedway but make it a nationally recognized speedway. The 66 consecutive years of racing is one of the longest in the entire United States.
On the track the Modified 40 lap special will highlight the evening but there will be plenty of other great racing action on the track and things to do off the track. The Midstate Antique Stock Car Club will have cars on display prior to the racing action on Saturday. They will then put on a racing exhibition on the track. The cars from the past are always a popular addition to the Heath Memorial activities.
All of the former drivers returning for the “Racer’s Reunion” will be introduced during a break in the racing action. Those drivers will be hosted in the VIP rooms throughout the evening as well.
The Modified 40 lap feature event is expected to be another hotly contested affair. This season there have been 9 different Modified feature winners in 10 races at the quarter mile oval. Danny Johnson is the only repeat winner this season. Former race winner Jerry Higbie, Jr. (2009) is planning on making his return to the speedway this Saturday to try and capture his second Heath Memorial win. Multi-time FMP Modified Track Champion Mike Colsten will be looking for his first win of the season and his fourth Heath Memorial victory. He has won the event in 1990, 1994 and 2014. Defending Modified Track Champion and current point leader Shaun Walker has yet to win a Heath Memorial but could be the guy to beat. Walker is always a late race charger weekly and the extra 10 laps of racing could fit right in to his game plan this Saturday night.
The Excel 600 Modified Tour will make their return to the speedway this Saturday night. This event will serve as race number 2 of their 4 race Summer Slam Series at the quarter mile oval. Drivers from all over the northeast are expected to converge for this tour event.
The IMCA Modifieds, Crate Sportsman, Lightning Cats, Factory Stocks and Slingshots will also be in action on Saturday night. All of the racing action gets underway at 6 p.m. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. Grandstand gates open at 4 p.m. with practice starting at 5 p.m.
For additional information please log on to www.5milepointspeedway.com or phone the speedway offices at 607-775-5555. Free camping, free parking and kids 12 and younger are always admitted free at Five Mile Point Speedway.
PAST HEATH MEMORIAL WINNERS: (1965 DeForest Chalker, 1966 Larry Groover, 1967 Red Harrington, 1968 Lester Greene, 1969 Norm Norton, 1970 Stan Ploski, 1971 Dave Kneisel, 1972 Chuck Akulis, 1973 Dave Kneisel, 1974 Dave Kneisel, 1975 Kenny Moore, 1976 Carl Nagel, 1977 Norm Norton, 1978 Don Slack, 1979 Kerry Schloder, 1980 Bernie Griffin and Carl Reynolds, 1981 Chuck Akulis, 1982 Chuck Akulis, 1983 Don Slack, 1984 Carl Nagel, 1985 Chuck Akulis, 1986 Carl Nagel, 1987 Dick Sundgren, 1988 Mark Terry, 1989 Dave Doig, 1990 Mike Colsten, 1991 Mike Colsten, 1992 Chuck Akulis, 1993 Doug Worthing, 1994 Mike Colsten, 1995 Chuck Akulis, 1996 Chuck Akulis, 1997 Mike Clapperton, 1998 Jim Crawn, 1999 Tim French, 2000 Eddie White, 2001 Mitch Gibbs, 2002 Mitch Gibbs, 2003 Dan Vauter, 2004 Don Hart Jr., 2005 Gary Griffin, 2006 Mitch Gibbs, 2007 Stewart Friesen, 2008 Joey Grammes, 2009 Jerry Higbie Jr., 2010 Stewart Friesen, 2011, 2012 Brian Weaver, 2013 Pat Ward, 2014 Mike Colsten, 2015 Tyler Siri.
* Twin 30 races were run in 1980 – Chuck Akulis was the overall winner of the two events.
