Riding High: Short Track Super Series Point Leaders Anthony Perrego (South) & Tommy Meier (North) Arrive At Big Diamond Speedway Tuesday, May 10 With Momentum On Their Side
Story By:BRETT DEYO / BD MOTORSPORTS MEDIA Photos By:DAVE DALESANDRO and MATT NOLES / RACERSGUIDE.COM
MINERSVILLE, PA – May 3, 2016- The drivers atop the early season Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled by VP standings have momentum on their side entering the tour’s next stop.
When the STSS rolls into Big Diamond Speedway on Tuesday, May 10, Anthony Perrego (Velocita South Region) and Tommy Meier (Halmar International North Region) lead the standings in their respective divisions.
Both Perrego and Meier carry confidence into the ‘Anthracite Assault’ presented by H.B. Steele & Co at the Coal Region track, headlined by a 50-lap main paying $5,000 to the winner, $1,000 for 10th and $400 to take the green flag. The Big Diamond STSS stop offers points toward both the North and South Regions as the only combination event on the 2016 schedule.
Lap money, bonuses and other awards further sweeten the pot for STSS competitors at Big Diamond, with the base purse structure at more than $25,000.
Perrego, of Montgomery, N.Y., leads the STSS South Region standings after two events. He won the March lid-lifter at Del.’s Georgetown Speedway and rallied to finish sixth in a back-up car at Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway during the series’ April visit.
Off the tour, Perrego guided Gary Mann’s New York Truck Parts No. 55 to Victory Lane on Saturday at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle, N.Y., where he earned a $1,992 payday in the Season Opener.
Meier, a native of Waldwick, N.J., leads the STSS North point battle following a win at Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, N.Y., on April 2. The victory was Meier’s first in STSS competition after loyally supporting the series since its 2014 inception.
Meier, on Saturday night, drove his No. 33 1/3 big-block to a $5,000 triumph in a special $5,000-to-win big-block program at Orange County. Bolstered by a pair of high-dollar scores already in ’16, Meier returns to the seat of Jeff Behrent’s No. 3 for the Big Diamond event.
Entering Big Diamond, Perrego tops the South Region standings with 176 points over Ryan Godown (165), Stewart Friesen (158), David Van Horn Jr. and Billy Pauch Sr. (139 each), Rick Laubach (134), Andy Bachetti (130), Craig Von Dohren (124), Brett Kressley (121) and Jordan Watson (120).
Meier, with 100 points, tops the North points over Danny Johnson (90), Mike Ricci (90), Andy Bachetti (85), L.J. Lombardo (80), Erick Rudolph (76), Gary Edwards Jr. (72), Mike Mahaney (68), Rich Ricci Jr. (65) and Billy Van Inwegen Jr. (62).
A diverse field of competitors is expected at the Schuylkill County facility. A year ago, Rick Laubach of Hellertown, Pa., scored the win over a charging Stewart Friesen and local standout Jeff Strunk.
The first event of the STSS Open Sportsman circuit takes place at Big Diamond. A $1,000-to-win, $125-to-start 25-lap main is on the agenda. Big Diamond kicks off the series which also includes two events at both Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle, N.Y. and I-88 Speedway in Afton, N.Y., plus single stops at Accord (N.Y.) Speedway and Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, N.Y.
XCel 600 Modifieds complete the program racing for $1,000 to win in a 20-lap main.
Pit gates unlock at 4 p.m. Grandstand gates will open at 5 p.m. Hot laps begin at 7:15 p.m. and racing gets underway at 7:45 p.m.
Adult grandstand admission is $25. Kids 12 and under and Active Military with ID are admitted FREE. Pit admission is $35 with no license required.
A rain date of Tuesday, May 17 is in place for this event.
Big Diamond Speedway is a three-eighths-mile clay oval located in Minersville, Pa., just miles from Pottsville. The facility offers free parking, state-of-the-art concession areas and restrooms and not a “bad seat” in the house, with hillside grandstands overlooking the on-track action. The speedway GPS address is 392 Forest Lane Pottsville, PA 17901. The official website is www.bigdspeedway.com.
To learn more about the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP or BD Motorsports Media LLC, visit www.shorttracksuperseries.com or www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com, call 845.728.2781 during business hours, e-mail bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com, “like” Short Track Super Series on Facebook or follow @ShortTrackSS on Twitter.
The 2016 Short Track Super Series is presented by American Racer/Lias Tire, VP Racing Fuel, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Halmar International, Allstar Performance, ATL Racing Fuel Cells, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Bicknell Racing Products, COMP Performance Group, Dirt Track Digest, Fast Axle, Fox Racing Shocks, Hig Fab, Henry’s Exhaust, HyperCo, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, K&N, Racersguide.com,Race Pro Weekly, Racing Optics, Teo-Pro Car, Vahlco Wheels & Velocita
2016 Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Halmar International North Region Schedule
Saturday, April 2 – Orange County Fair Speedway/Middletown, NY – Hard Clay Open – WINNER: Tommy Meier
Tuesday, May 10 (Rain Date: May 17) – Big Diamond Speedway/Minersville, PA – Anthracite Assault (Combo)
Sunday, May 29 (Rain Date: May 30) – Thunder Mountain Speedway/Center Lisle, NY – Lightning on the Mountain
Tuesday, June 7 (Rain Date: June 8) – Outlaw Speedway/Dundee, N.Y. – Ultimate Outlaw 50
Tuesday, July 5 (Rain Date: July 6) – Accord Speedway/Accord, NY – Battle of the Bullring 4
Wednesday, July 13 (Rain Date: TBA) – Rolling Wheels Raceway Park/Elbridge, NY – STSS vs. RoC Challenge (all drivers in attendance receive 60 points)
Wednesday, July 27 (Rain Date: July 28) – I-88 Speedway/Afton, NY – Crazy 8s Special
Tuesday, August 16 (Rain Date: August 17) – Woodhull Raceway/Woodhull, NY – Hustlin’ the High Banks 52
Sunday, September 18 (Rain Date: September 25) – Thunder Mountain Speedway/Center Lisle, NY – Wade Decker Memorial
Friday-Saturday October 7-8 (Rain Date: October 9) – I-88 Speedway/Afton, NY – Short Track SuperNationals 9 – Championship Points
Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP North Region Point Fund (*based on 10 events): 1. $12,000; 2. $7,000; 3. $4,000; 4. $3,000; 5. $2,500; 6. $1,850; 7. $1,750; 8. $1,650; 9. $1,550; 10. $1,450; 11. $1,000; 12. $1,000
*Drivers outside the top-12 with perfect attendance receive $250
2016 Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Velocita South Region Schedule
Saturday, March 12 – Georgetown Speedway/Georgetown, DE – Melvin L. Joseph Memorial – WINNER: Anthony Perrego
Sunday, April 17 – Bridgeport Speedway/Bridgeport, NJ – South Jersey Shootout – WINNER: Wade Hendrickson
Tuesday, May 10 (Rain Date: May 17) – Big Diamond Speedway/Minersville, PA – Anthracite Assault (Combo)
Thursday, May 26 (Rain Date: TBA) – Delaware International Speedway/Delmar, DE – Diamond State 50
Tuesday, June 14 (Rain Date: June 15) – New Egypt Speedway/New Egypt, NJ – Dirty Jersey 4 – $10,000 to win!
Sunday, July 31 (Rain Date: Aug. 7) – Susquehanna Speedway Park/Newberrytown, PA – York County Nationals
Tuesday, Aug. 30 (Rain Date: Aug. 31) – Georgetown Speedway/Georgetown, DE – Blast at the Beach – Championship Points
Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP South Region Point Fund (*based on 7 events): 1. $8,500; 2. $4,500; 3. $3,000; 4. $2,000; 5. $1,500; 6. $1,250; 7. $1,200; 8. $1,150; 9. $1,100; 10. $1,050
*Drivers with perfect attendance outside the top-10 will receive $250 at year-end.
2016 Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Open Sportsman Schedule
Tuesday, May 10 (Rain Date: May 17) – Big Diamond Speedway/Minersville, PA – Anthracite Assault
Sunday, May 29 (Rain Date: May 30) – Thunder Mountain Speedway/Center Lisle, NY – Lightning on the Mountain
Tuesday, June 21 (Rain Date: June 22) – I-88 Speedway/Afton, NY
Tuesday, July 5 (Rain Date: July 6) – Accord Speedway/Accord, NY – Battle of the Bullring 4
Sunday, July 17 (Rain Date: TBA) – Utica-Rome Speedway/Vernon, NY
Sunday, September 4 (Rain Date: September 5) – Thunder Mountain Speedway/Center Lisle, NY – Sportsman Sunday
Friday, October 7 (Rain Date: October 9) – I-88 Speedway/Afton, NY – Short Track SuperNationals 9 – Championship Points
Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP Open Sportsman Point Fund (*based on 7 events): 1. $1,250 (plus drum of VP Racing Fuel); 2. $750; 3. $500; 4. $350; 5. $250; 6. $225; 7. $200; 8. $175; 9. $150; 10. $125.
*Should a Thunder Mountain Speedway regular win the championship, speedway promoter Karl Spoonhower will pay a $1,000 cash bonus
