Late Models and Street Stocks round off Mahoning Valley Speedway Octoberfast 2015
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Late Models and Street Stocks round off Mahoning Valley Speedway Octoberfast 2015
(LEHIGHTON, Pa. 10-12-15) Mahoning Valley Speedway’s Octoberfast 2015 may have a big focus on the 150 lap Modified feature with a track record $6000 to win and rightfully so.
But, equally essential to the overall success that is Octoberfast is the Late Model and Street Stocks. Both classes nicely compliment the day of racing at the paved quarter mile oval in Lehighton with the same intensely close action that the Modifieds put out.
Each race will pay $1500 to win and $125 to take the green. 22 cars will also make up the starting grids.
The Late Models will contest over a distance of 60 laps while the Street Stocks will go 75 laps. Both divisions are expecting to have those starting numbers filled and then some.
Fresh off his fourth career Late Model championship, Paul Koehler Jr., will be looking to add to one of the most impressive career stats of any driver to ever turn a lap at Mahoning Valley.
This season saw Koehler score seven feature wins which upped his career total to 47, best among all Late Model drivers. His four titles ties him with John Markovic for most in a Late Model at Mahoning. Koehler, however, has amassed an overall career win total 67, all but one of those in a Late Model and no one in the ranks of eastern Pennsylvania short track pavement racing has more class victories then him.
A driver who was just as impressive this year and assuredly one of the top picks for Saturday’s victory is Mike Sweeney. He finished second to Koehler in final points and along the way racked up a personal best single season mark of nine wins. That number made him one of the overall win leaders of 2015 in pavement Late Model racing throughout the northeast region.
Between those two they notched 16 of the 20 races held and although the odds may be in their favor, there is no counting out the opposition when it comes to Octoberfast.
Jeremy Miller won twice this year and has been keeping pace with the front two. George Ramos was very consistent over the second half of the season and can easily pull off the win. Travis Fisher has been getting his No. 8 dialed and figures to be a key factor. Zane Zeiner was the winner in this race last year and will certainly influence the outcome again.
Mike Sweeney Racing will being adding a $100 bonus the highest finishing non-Mahoning Late Model driver.
Meanwhile the Street Stock 75 is anyone’s guess. Reason being is the overabundance of parity that runs throughout the field each week. Case in point when Jamie Smith won the feature on September 26 he became the 18th different driver to win a main this year in 23 races.
Oddly enough point champion Zach Graver and runner-up Randy Schlenker weren’t among that winners group but will hope to change all that by the time the checkers wave on Saturday.
Two-wide racing for laps on end is the norm for the Mahoning Street Stockers and for those who have yet to witness such an act, Saturday’s race will make a believer out of you.
Racing action gets underway at 4:00 pm.
Pit gates open at 11:00 a.m. An early practice session will take place from noon to 2:00 pm. Early paid practice is $25 per car. Regular warm-ups will run from 2:15 – 3:15. Heats begin at 4:00. All drivers will draw for heat starting spots. There will be a re-draw for feature starting positions.
Pit admission is $40. Modified registration fee is $75. Late Model and Street Stock registration fee is $40.
Grandstands open at 2:00. Admission is $25. Kids 10 and under are free. There are no discounts.
More information will be out later this week. Additional news can be found on the track’s official site at www.mahoningvalley-speedway.com or on Facebook at Mahoning Valley Speedway and on Twitter at twitter.com/MahoningSpeed.
Mahoning Valley Speedway is adjacent to the Mahoning Valley Farmers Market on PA Route 443 just a few miles west of Lehighton.
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