52ND RUNNING OF THE HEATH MEMORIAL TO BE CONTESTED OVER TWO DAYS FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER THIS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AT FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY.
Story By: ANDREW HARPELL / FIVE MILE POINT MEDIA
Photos By: DAVE DALESANDRO / RACERSGUIDE.COM
KIRKWOOD, NY- August 17, 2016- Five Mile Point Speedway will honor the founders Anna and Irving Heath this Saturday and Sunday with the 52nd consecutive running of the Heath Memorial. For the first time ever the race will be contested over two days, this Saturday and Sunday. Racing on Saturday begins at 7 p.m. with racing set for 6 p.m. on Sunday. On Saturday, Kids 17 years old and younger will be FREE for Youth Night.
Due to the original date of the Heath Memorial being rained out back on July 30th the race is being held over two days this weekend. The Saturday portion of the weekend will see the weekly Crate Sportsman, Factory Stocks, Lightning Cats and Slingshots racing for Heath Memorial Championships. The evening will also serve as Deposit Community Night. All Deposit, NY town residents will be admitted in to the grandstand free of charge by showing photo i.d. Kids 17 years old and younger will also be admitted free this Saturday.
On Sunday, the 52nd annual running of the Heath Memorial for Modifieds will take center stage. Racing will get underway at 6 p.m. The 52nd edition of the event for Modifieds will be 40 laps paying $2,500 to win. The race will also serve as third event of the Sunday Summer Slam Series. Danny Johnson currently leads those points. The Sunday event will be supported by New York Truck Parts the sponsor of the Anthony Perrego number 55 Modified.
Sunday will see the return of many drivers from the past for the former Racer’s Reunion. The GRIT Series for Crate Sportsman will be in competition along with the Xcel 600 c.c. Modifieds and IMCA Modifieds.
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.
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 10 different Modified feature winners in 11 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 Sunday to try and capture his second Heath Memorial win. Multi-time FMP Modified Track Champion Mike Colsten will be looking for a repeat victory from this past Saturday 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. Defending race winner Tyler Siri has also indicated he plans to be in competition on Sunday.
For additional information please log on to www.5milepointspeedway.com or phone the speedway offices at 607-775-5555. Free weekend camping and parking and kids 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.
