Linda’s Speedway Hosts ARDC 2015 Season Opener; Jerry Coons to Compete in Season Opener

The American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) is set to wave the green flag on the 2015 season this Friday evening at Linda’s Speedway in Jonestown, PA.  with the running of the ARDC Groundbreaker 25, the inaugural event in the Short Track Series.

It has been several seasons since the midgets last raced at Linda’s where three events are scheduled for the 2015 season.

Time trials will be held for the midgets on opening night.  Since handicapping is not used for the first race of the season, Linda’s Michael Batz requested that ARDC use time trials on opening night.  “Time trials will offer several advantages,” Batz explained.  “Since it will be ARDC’s first appearance in several years, we will take advantage of time trials to introduce the drivers of ARDC to our fans during the running of time trials.”  Batz also plans to honor the “Hard Charger” at the conclusion of the twenty-five lap midget feature event.

After starting their season at Linda’s, ARDC will return on Friday night, July 3rd for the running of the “No Bull 25”, honoring six time ARDC Champion Ray Bull.  ARDC will return to Linda’s for a third appearance on Friday night, October 2nd.

There are twenty-five events on the 2015 ARDC schedule including a three races co-sanctioned with USAC.  In addition to three shows at Linda’s, the wingless midgets will make four appearances at Path Valley including the second race of the 2015 season on April 18th.  The first of two shows at the Big Diamond Speedway takes place on May 1st.  On May 8th, ARDC will run the first of four shows on the Bridgeport Speedway quarter mile.  On Sunday, May 24th, it’s the first of three Thunder on the Hill events for ARDC, followed on June 2nd with the wingless sprint cars of USAC for the first of the Eastern Storm events.  ARDC will join the Eastern Storm for their final event at Port Royal on Saturday, June 6th.

The midgets head west on June 19th and 20th for two nights of racing at the Bedford Fairgrounds and then Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway.  A busy month of June concludes with a Friday night show at Williams Grove – the first of two ARDC events this season.

And that’s just the beginning!  ARDC will make a return to the Mercer Speedway in July.  ARDC will join the midgets of USAC for three co-sanctioned events at Path Valley, Lincoln and Susquehanna on August 18th, 19th and 20th.  There are twenty-five scheduled events on the 2015 schedule.

Leading the field of ARDC competitors will be 2014 ARDC Champion, Steven Drevicki of Reading, PA.  Drevicki hopes to be ARDC’s first repeat champion since Andy Martin accomplished that feat in 2006-07.  “Last season will be a hard act to follow,” Drevicki stated, “but we are looking to do even better!”  A full order for sure since Drevicki captured three wins last season and twelve top fives in fifteen ARDC events.

Finishing second to Drevicki last season was Collegeville, PA driver, Brenden Bright who has his own ideas for the coming season.  Bright got a lot of TV time during the 2015 Chili Bowl where he led the first C Main going away until mechanical woes ended his challenge.  Bright returns to ARDC competition with a car of his own design that proved to be very successful for the young driver in 2014.

Also in the field for the opener will be USAC Silver Crown winner, Jerry Coons who will travel from his Plainfield, IN home to compete in Mike Heffner’s Leland.com #27.  It will be Coons first appearance in his new ride before the team heads out on the USAC midget trail.  Coons and his Heffner team, led by crew chief, Sean Michael, anticipate making most of the ARDC events this season.

Alex Bright will also be competing in the ARDC opener, driving his grandfather’s Lightcap Electric #77 – the car that Bright drove to five wins during the 2014 season.  It will be Bright’s last race in the East before he heads west to take over the cockpit of the Shane Hmiel owned, Super Cuts ride on the Poweri and USAC circuit.

Also in the starting line-up in the season opener will be 2013 ARDC Champion, Trevor Kobylarz,  Brett Arndt who will be fielding a new Eagle chassis with Fontana power under the hood, as well as drivers Bruce Buckwalter, Jr., Nick Wean, PJ Gargiulo, Austin Burke and Ryan Greth who finished in the top ten in season points in 2014.

If you like side by side and three wide racing then be at Linda’s Speedway, Jonestown, PA  on Friday night!

(A raindate of April 17th has been set aside should it become necessary.)