Bethel Motor Speedway to Host Historic ‘Summer Of 69’ STSS Sportsman Event Paying $6,900 to Win
WHITE LAKE, NY – The richest event in the entire Northeast for the 2017 season for dirt-track Sportsman will be part of the Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By VP schedule.
And it will take place on pavement!
Bethel Motor Speedway, the quarter-mile paved oval nestled in the Catskill Mountains of New York State, will be thrust into the Northeast spotlight Sunday, August 6 with the inaugural ‘Summer of 69’ for dirt-track Sportsman. The Bethel location is convenient for competitors hailing from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
This 69-lap event will offer $6,900 – yes, $6,900 – to the winner from a massive posted purse. Not only will this be the most lucrative event run in speedway history, it will also serve as the highest-paying race run at any venue, anywhere, for the Sportsman division. A field of 24 cars will take the green flag, with $150 reserved for the last-place finisher.
The race will be reserved for dirt cars only. Dirt tires will be run. Open and Crate engine combinations will be eligible to participate with staggered weights for each. All competitors entering this event will receive 60 points toward the STSS Sportsman championship battle; as such the ‘Summer of 69’ will be open to any driver wishing to compete.
In recent seasons, Bethel Motor Speedway has headlined its weekly Saturday programs with dirt-track Sportsman. The Bethel layout has proven racy for the division, with multi-groove racing the norm.
The ‘Summer of 69’ creates a true marquee program for the facility that will generate interest from across the area. The speedway sits just miles from the original site of Woodstock and will be themed as a throwback to the famed festival held in the summer of 1969.
“We were looking to do something to put the track on the map,” speedway owner Jeff Lefcourt said. “By running this show, I think it will open the eyes of the Northeast racing community to our facility. It’s going to attract new fans, get us attention we’ve never had here before from racers, media, and sponsors.”
STSS organizer Brett Deyo will not only sanction the event, but manage its marketing and promotion.
“This is such a unique, out-of-the-box idea that it really piqued my interest,” he said. “The Sportsman division has never seen anything quite like this before. Neither has the speedway.
“My first opportunity in racing was covering racing at Bethel for Area Auto Racing News when I was 15 years old. I’ve always had an interest in the track and being part of something like this is an honor for me.”
Complete rules and further information on the event will be released in the coming weeks.
Support divisions will be included on the program, as well. Street Stocks will compete for a $1,069 winner’s share in the ‘Woodstocker’ and will be joined by FWD Four Cylinders ($669 to win) in the ‘Hippie Bowl’ and Slingshots ‘Drum Beat Heat’ ($369 to win).
A rain date of August 13 is set in the event of inclement weather.
The event promotional team will search for additional bonus award sponsors, lap money, and contingency/product bonuses. For marketing information, contact BD Motorsports Media LLC by e-mail at bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com or by phone at 845.728.2781.
Bethel Motor Speedway is located at 361 Horseshoe Lake Road Bethel, NY 12783. The speedway can be contacted by phone at 845.319.7908, on the web at www.bethelmotorspeedway.com, and on Facebook under Bethel Motor Speedway.
To learn more about the Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP or BD Motorsports Media LLC, visit www.shorttracksuperseries.com or www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com, call 845.728.2781 during business hours, e-mail bdmotorsportsmedia@gmail.com, “like” Short Track Super Series on Facebook or follow @ShortTrackSS on Twitter.
Sources: BD Motorsports Media