Berks-Schuylkill Oil Heat Association Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show Underway At Fairgrounds Square Mall; 29th Annual Show Features Wide Variety Of Race Cars, Novelties, Memorabilia & Activities; Show Runs Through Saturday, March 1
READING, PA – Despite a harsh winter that left many race cars and their haulers buried by snow or stuck, the 29th annual Berks-Schuylkill Oil Heat Association Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show opened for its weeklong run Sunday at the Fairgrounds Square Mall.
The showcase of auto racing’s past, present and future is held in the shopping center on the Muhlenberg Township 5th Street Highway location of the famed ‘Home of Champions’ Reading Fairgrounds Speedway, which hosted its final event in June 1979. The show, free to the public during mall hours, continues through Saturday (March 1) with nightly activities planned.
A wide selection of race cars can be found throughout the mall, including dirt Modifieds, Sportsman, Sprint Cars (winged and wingless), Late Models, Midgets, SpeedSTRs, Micro-Sprints, Slingshots, vintage and restored cars, XCel 600 Modifieds, Slingshots, Enduro cars, go-karts, Quarter Midgets and more.
“I can’t thank everyone enough who came out to support the show this year,” said event organizer Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports Media LLC. “The weather – snow and ice – definitely made digging out trailers and cars a nightmare for our participants. We had a number of cancelations, but fortunately we have a loyal group of supporters who have put in the time to make the show a success.”
Numerous vendors are on hand throughout the mall selling racing collectibles, memorabilia, photos, videos and more. Eye-catching Racing Legends Reunion apparel, featuring the cars of Red Coffin, Laudan Potts, Freddy Adam and Gary Gollub is also available with a selection of tee-shirts, sweatshirts and long-sleeve shirts.
For fans of racing’s storied history, the Reading Fairground Speedway Racing Historical Society and the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing occupy spots in the mall. The Reading Alley Racing Association kicked off the show with an event drawing some 67 model cars on Sunday.
The Birdsboro R/C Club set up a full-size race course and will be holding events during the week.
Speedways and sanctioning bodies on hand include Grandview (Pa.) Speedway, Thunder on the Hill Racing Series, United Racing Company (URC), Big Diamond (Pa.) Speedway, Linda’s (Pa.) Speedway, JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA of Kutztown, Pa., New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway, NDRL Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP, LANCO’s Clyde Martin (Pa.) Memorial Speedway, Outlaw Enduro Series and the Montgomery County Quarter Midget Racing Club.
A highlight for the week, Discovery Channel’s “Lebanon Levi” from the show ‘Amish Mafia’ will visit the show from 5-9 p.m. to sign autographs and meet fans on Wednesday (Feb. 26). He will be located at the LANCO’s Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway display during the evening. “Lebanon Levi” is a sponsor of a 270cc Micro-Sprint driven by Nick Sweigart through his roofing and siding business.
For the second straight year, the Berks-Schuylkill Oil Heat Association serves as the headline sponsor of the Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show. The Berks-Schuylkill Oil Heat Association (BSOHA) exists to promote and educate current and prospective heating oil customers as to the benefits of oil heat. BSOHA members are local oil companies and associate business that service the oil heat industry.
These local companies provide a wide range of products and services to enhance their customers’ satisfaction, as well as a dedication to serving the needs of the public and oil heat industry alike. For further information on the Berks-Schuylkill Oil Heat Association, log on to www.bsoha.org.
Associate sponsorship support for the show is received from Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. and VP Racing Fuels.
To celebrate 25 years of the wildly successful Thunder on the Hill Series co-promotions involving Bob Miller and Bruce Rogers at Pa.’s Grandview Speedway, ALL winners from the past quarter century of Thunder on the Hill competition are invited to take part in a special ceremony on Friday night (Feb. 28) of the show at 7 p.m. The invite is out to the long list of race winners who have graced Grandview Victory Lane since the very first Thunder on the Hill Series event in 1990. Contact Brett Deyo at Deyo99H@aol.com to RSVP.
Nightly activities for the show have been planned: Sportsman, Late Model, Roadrunner & Street Stock Monday (Feb. 24); Open Wheel Night Tuesday (Feb. 25); JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA/Small Car Night Wednesday (Feb. 26); Modified Madness Night Thursday (Feb. 27); and Salute to 25 Years of Thunder on the Hill Racing Series action Friday (Feb. 28).
Driver/guest bartending at the Applebee’s adjacent to the mall is planned for Wednesday (Feb. 26), Thursday (Feb. 27) and Friday (Feb. 28) once activities conclude at the show.
Divisional trophy awards, the overall ‘Best of Show’ and the annual Don Marks Memorial Contribution to Motorsports Award will be presented on Friday night at the mall as part of the Thunder on the Hill celebration.
The Don Marks Memorial Contributions to Motorsports Award was first handed out by show management in 2010 to honor the memory of late Grandview Speedway and Area Auto Racing News photographer Marks. Previous award recipients include car owner, driver, mechanic and racing Dad Tom Umbenhauer (2013), Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc. owner Bob Greene (2012), former racer, fabricator and car owner Dennis ‘Chico’ Bailey (2011) and Area Auto Racing News publisher Len Sammons (2010). The award will again be distributed to a deserving recipient in ’14.
Show inquiries should be directed to BD Motorsports Media LLC at 845.728.2781, by e-mail at Deyo99H@aol.comor on the web: www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com. “Like” BD Motorsports Media on Facebook for timely updates. The Thunder on the Hill Racing Series is on the web at www.thunderonthehillracingseries.com.
The Fairgrounds Square Mall is located at 3050 North 5th Street Highway, Reading, PA 19605 and can be found on the web at www.shopatfairgrounds.com. Mall hours are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. The show is free to the public during mall hours.
The 2014 Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show is presented by Berks-Schuylkill Oil Heat Association, Pioneer Pole Buildings Inc., VP Racing Fuels, BD Motorsports Media, Action Track USA, Grandview Speedway, Thunder on the Hill Racing Series, Four Star Lettering, Fairgrounds Square Mall & many other fine marketing partners
2014 Berks-Schuylkill Oil Heat Association 29th annual Racing Legends Reunion & Car Show Schedule
Sunday, February 23 – 29th annual Berks-Schuylkill Oil Heat Association Opening Day (11 a.m.) – Alley Model Racing begins when show opens
Monday, February 24 – Sportsman, Late Model, Roadrunner & Street Stock Night – invite to all area Sportsman, Crate Sportsman, Street Stock, Roadrunner & Enduro drivers (7 p.m.) – Alley Model Racing begins at 6 p.m. Drivers scheduled to appear: Jared Umbenhauer, Dan Green, Jason James, Paul Kline, Ron Krex, Craig Whitmoyer, A.J. Gerhart & more
Tuesday, February 25 – Open Wheel Night – invite to all area ARDC Midget, United Racing Company Sprint Car, 305 Sprint Car & all other open-wheel drivers (7 p.m.) – Alley Model Racing begins at 6 p.m. Drivers scheduled to appear: Josh Weller, Trevor Kobylarz, Bruce Buckwalter Jr., Steve Drevicki, P.J. Gargiulo, Alex Bright & more
Wednesday, February 26 – Salute to the JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA in Kutztown & Small Car Night – Invite to Rich Tobias, Doug Rose and drivers representing all divisions at the Kutztown Fairgrounds Facility (7 p.m.) – Guest bartending to follow at Applebee’s following show activities – Alley Model Racing begins at 6 p.m. – “Lebanon Levi” To Appear 5-9 p.m. At LANCO Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway Booth & Sign Autographs
Thursday, February 27 – Modified Madness – Invite to drivers from the 358 –Modified and big-block Modified divisions at all the local speedways (7 p.m.) – Guest bartending to follow at Applebee’s following show activities – Alley Model Racing begins at 6 p.m. Drivers scheduled to appear: Doug Manmiller, Nate Christman, Jordan Umbenhauer, Barry White, Kyle Weiss, John Willman, Brad Arnold, Terry Meitzler, Jared Umbenhauer, Ryan Grim; Drivers scheduled to bartend: Nate Christman, Doug Manmiller, Ryan Grim, Brad Arnold
Friday, February 28 – Salute to 25 Years of Thunder on the Hill Series Racing – Invite to ALL past Thunder on the Hill Racing Series winners over the last quarter-century; show awards presentation including divisional awards, Best of Show and the Don Marks Memorial Award (7 p.m.) – Guest bartending to follow at Applebee’s following show activities – Alley Model Racing begins at 6 p.m. Drivers scheduled to appear: Ms. Motorsports 2014 Cassi Pinder, Mike Gular, Mark Bitner, Ed Aikin, Jeff Strunk & more Drivers scheduled to bartend: Jared Umbenhauer, Mark Bitner, Ms. Motorsports 2014 Cassi Pinder
Saturday, March 1 – Reading Fairgrounds Speedway Reunion – 35 Years Later (2 p.m.) – Alley Model Racing begins at 10 a.m.
Sources: BD Motorsports Media