INDYCAR STAR MARCO ANDRETTI TO RETURN TO PPL CENTER SATURDAY TO SHAKE DOWN THREE QUARTER (TQ) MIDGET; FAN FEST AUTOGRAPH SIGNING TO FOLLOW

INDYCAR STAR MARCO ANDRETTI TO RETURN TO PPL CENTER SATURDAY TO SHAKE DOWN THREE QUARTER (TQ) MIDGET; FAN FEST AUTOGRAPH SIGNING TO FOLLOW

Story By: Ernie Saxton/Indoor Auto Racing Championship

Photos By: Pete MacDonald/RacersGuide.com

ALLENTOWN, PA January 1, 2020 . . . Marco Andretti, a third generation driver, son of Michael Andretti and grandson of legendary Mario Andretti, will demonstrate his driving talents inside Allentown, PA’s PPL Center this Saturday, January 4 when he shakes down a TQ Midget.

Andretti, a 14-time Indianapolis 500 qualifier, will sign autographs for fans during the on track Fan Fest between 5:30 and 6:30 PM followed by some hot laps around the arena floor speedway prior to the start of the racing program at 7 PM.

Those with free Fan Fest tickets will be allowed on to the racing floor of the arena to get a close up look at all the race cars competing that night as well as collect autographs. These free Fan Fest tickets are available by clicking the “Fan Fest Option” when ordering tickets on-line or when purchasing them at the box office.

Andretti drove friend Kyle Lick’s TQ Midget for the first time two years ago inside the PPL Center and impressed onlookers. He’ll be back behind the wheel of Lick’s No. 8 on Saturday prior to him driving it in the competitive program that will follow.

“I didn’t know what to expect but the car was very comfortable once I got it up to speed,” Andretti remarked after the January 5, 2018 test. “I’d like to drive in one of these races but I have contracts that don’t allow me to do that.”

Andretti noted at the time that the power-to-weight ratio of a TQ to an IndyCar is approximately the same.

Andretti is a veteran of 14 Indianapolis 500 mile races with his best finish coming in his rookie year, 2006 when he was second. He was third in 2008, 2010 and 2014. Marco has two career IndyCar Series victories, at Sonoma in 2006 and at Iowa Speedway in 2011.

TQ Midget racing and Indoor Auto Racing competition are nothing new to the Andretti family. Marco’s grandfather Mario won a TQ event inside N.J.’s Teaneck Armory in 1962. He also won in the TQ Midgets outdoors at N.J.’s Pine Brook Stadium before embarking on his legendary, internationally known Hall of Fame career.

Marco began racing in Go-Karts at the former Flemington, N.J. Speedway, on an infield road course. He quickly advanced to become the youngest ever IndyCar driver at the age of 19 as a teammate to his father Michael.

The Indoor Auto Racing Series Fueled By VP Race Fuels opens its 2020 season this weekend, Friday and Saturday, January 3-4 inside the PPL Center in downtown Allentown, PA.

Tickets for the fifth annual Ironton Telephone sponsored Queen City two day event are on sale at the PPL Center box office. Tickets are also available at www.pplcenter.com or by calling 610-347-TIXX.

The Allentown Indoor schedule calls for doors opening at 6:00PM with racing getting underway at 7:30 PM on Friday. On Saturday, doors open at 5:00PM with racing beginning at 7:00PM sharp. The on-track Fan Fest is available at no extra charge to ticket holders who chose the option when making their purchase.

Matt Janisch of Nazareth, PA and Ryan Flores of Mooresville, NC, won the Friday and Saturday PPL Center TQ Midget features in 2019.

The Allentown race is the first of four events that comprise the Indoor Auto Racing Series.

After the two race event opener in Allentown, the “Concrete Series” presented by BELFOR Property Restoration, the series moves to Atlantic City, N.J.’s Boardwalk Hall on Friday and Saturday, January 31st and February 1st for the 18th annual NAPA Auto Parts Classic.

The “Concrete Series” season finale us on Friday and Saturday March 13th and 14th in a second year return to the brand new Exposition Center located on the grounds of the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. N.Y.

A special non-point event will be held on a banked clay oval. The third annual East Coast Indoor Dirt Nationals will return to CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, N.J. with a new date. This race meet, held the last two years in December, has been moved to Friday and Saturday, February 21st and 22nd featuring nearly 100 Wingless 600cc Sprints kicking up the clay. Erick Rudolph. four time Indoor Auto Racing Series Fueled By VP Race Fuels champion, is also the defending winner of this event, proving his indoor racing skills span both dirt and concrete events.

Tickets for all four venues can be obtained now through information available on the series website: www.indoorautoracing.com along with special host hotel rates.

The event in Allentown is supported by great sponsors Ironton Telephone, BELFOR Property Restoration, Future Homes, Ironton Auto Body and E. Schneider & Sons Inc. Additional support is provided by Action Track USA, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Pocono Raceway, Aqua Duck Water Transport, Miller Motorsports, Doggy Style Hot Dogs & More, Pioneer Pole Buildings, All American Property Maintenance and Area Auto Racing News.

Join these companies in supporting the event in Allentown or at any of the future events by contacting Danny Sammons at the series office at danny@aarn.com or 609-888-3618. Corporate sponsorship packages are available to fit every budget.