Notes From the 29th Annual Show – Friday, January 10, 2014 – Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks, Pa
OAKS, PA — The Pioneer Pole Building Motorsports 2014 Racecar & Trade Show fueled by Sunoco and distributed by Insinger Performance continues today and tomorrow at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA. A complete schedule can be found at www.aarn.com.
The Joie of Seating President Randy LaJoie is hosting a call-in show from his company’s booth (424-425 / 524-525) this morning, Saturday, on NASCAR Sirius Radio beginning at 11:30 AM. LaJoie will be on the air for the first five minutes of the nationally syndicated broadcast followed by PPB Motorsports 2014 race fans who can voice their opinions on the racing issues of the day. “The more the merrier,” LaJoie said as to the number of calls NASCAR Sirius Radio will take from his PPB Motorsports Show booth.
The 1950 Hillegas Sprint Car that was originally owned by the late Wally Campbell is on display at the Atlantic Coast Old Timers booth at PPB Motorsports 2014. The car was driven on the all but forgotten NASCAR Stock Block Sprint Car circuit by Campbell in 1952. Allen Wiltse of Bedford, NY lovingly restored the car. Wiltse expects to meet Campbell’s daughter Sunday at PPB Motorsports for the first time to show her the car. Campbell’s nephew Jeff Hardifer, who has spearheaded research about the colorful career of his late uncle, is also expected to view the car for the first time at PPB Motorsports 2014 Sunday.
Past NASCAR Sprint Cup favorites Ricky Craven and Harry Gant regaled the throng of PPB Motorsports 2014 attendees Friday with a mix of humor, reflection and humility. Craven, who is a talented telecast personality, spoke at length about his northern New England heritage, the crashes that ultimately forced his premature retirement from Sprint Cup racing, and his belief in the viability of contemporary racing. Craven was impressed with the upcoming NAPA KNOW HOW Atlantic City Indoor Race and admitted he would have loved to attend the events had not a personal appearance at Daytona been scheduled well in advance.
Gant, who was originally scheduled to join Craven at 5:00 PM Friday for a question-and-answer format session prior to signing autographs, was delayed by weather issues between Greensboro, NC and Philadelphia for nearly 90 minutes, arriving on stage 45 minutes behind his scheduled time. Good natured Gant, who said he got his chance to go racing through the good graces of his father – coupled with hard labor working in the family’s home building business – repeatedly drew laughs from the large crowd about his early racing exploits and how he translated a rough and tumble short track background into superspeedway success in NASCAR.
East Windsor Speedway, which had not seen a wheel turned since its closure in August of 2002, was lovingly remembered by PPB Motorsports 2014, the Garden State Vintage Stock Car Club and the Jones family of East Windsor Speedway itself with an extraordinary tribute to the track. Several top drivers will be on hand Saturday to meet and greet the racing public and sign a specially designed East Windsor Speedway racing poster. One of the most intriguing elements of the EWS display was the amazing number of white, red and black signs that were preserved by the family when the track closes, everything from the track entrance marquee to the pit entrance pricing signs to the banner (updated each year) for the track’s lavish and well attended Fireworks display. Cars driven by Dick Havens, Stan Ploski, Jr., Fred Dmuchowski, and Billy Pauch were among those featured in the exhibit.
Saturday’s PPB Motorsports 2014 Show highlights include the gala 29th annual Ms. Motorsports competition, sponsored for the first time for 2014 by HIT e-cigarettes. The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski will be in the house from 3:00 PM through 5:00 PM to sign autographs and Bill Simpson, renowned Indianapolis car driver and racing safety pioneer, will be on stage to discuss his unparalleled career in automobile racing.
The Insinger Race Fuels booth displayed, among several cars, a No. 56 asphalt Late Model driven by Doug Liberman. Liberman, who now races on Late Model touring series, was once a regular at Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, VA prior to that track’s closure at the end of the 2012 season.
PPB Motorsports Show promoter Len Sammons was proud to reveal that the number of cars in the Show was 202.
Sources: Ernie Saxton Communications, Inc.