Just as we sat down to pen this article, a note came across the computer screen stating Lincoln Speedway, which was to have its 410 sprint car season opener on Saturday, postponed the opener until next weekend, Saturday, March 5 at 2 p.m.
The program will include a full slate of qualifying action for the 410 sprint cars and thundercars, including the 30-lap feature for the 410 sprinters paying $3,500 to win, and the 20-lap main event for the thundercars.
Race fans can still enjoy viewing race cars as two area malls conclude their annual race car shows Saturday evening.
Locally, Selinsgrove Speedway wraps up its Motorsports show Saturday night with driver interviews at the center court area at 7 p.m. Many of the top drivers are expected to participate, and fans can talk to their favorites and gather autographs.
The Snyder County oval opens its gates to the 66th season of racing at "the fastest half-mile in the East" on Sunday, March 12 at 2 p.m., featuring the first of four visits by the 410 cubic inch sprinters. The pro stocks join the show along with a practice session for the dirt modifieds.
The Fourth Annual "Icebreaker Weekend" for the modifieds are scheduled for the following weekend, as the small block mods are on tap Friday, March 18 and the Insinger Performance Race of Champions Dart Dirt Modified Series for the big block modifieds will compete on Saturday, March 19. A Sunday, March 20 raindate is available if needed.
Genoa, N.Y. driver, Pat Ward in his Gypsum Express No. 42p is the defending winner of the small block show, while Matt Sheppard of Waterloo, N.Y. took the big block crown last year in his Extreme Lubricants No. 9.
Fans can also head south to the site of the former Reading Fairgrounds for the Racing Legends and Car Show at the Boscov's Fairgrounds Mall. Tonight, event promoter, Brett Deyo will honor many of the drivers who turned laps at the famed dirt oval, as the final checkered flag fell 32 years ago.
The show closes Saturday night with a a salute to the Penn National Speedway, which was closed in 1996. Many of the former drivers, officials and car owners are expected to participate in the show at 7 p.m. in the center stage area.
Numidia Dragway will honor its stars Saturday night at their annual awards banquet in Wilkes Barre. Opening weekend is slated for the first weekend of April. Friday, April 1 will feature Street Legal Drags, a test and tune session will follow on Saturday and the first NHRA Summit Series Points race begins on Sunday, April 3.
Beaver Springs Dragway, the 2010 IHRA Division Three "Track of the Year", will host a post-season meeting on Sunday, March 13 at the Middlecreek Community Center at 10 a.m. Opening day is March 25.
The National Hot Rod Association celebrates is 60th Anniversary season, this weekend, with the first event of the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Series at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.
The 51st Annual Kragen's O'Reilly Auto Parts Winternationals is the first of 22 events on the 2011 NHRA schedule, as qualifying for Sunday's final eliminations began yesterday. Antron Brown (top fuel), Johnny Gray (funny car) and Erica Enders (pro stock) are the number one qualifiers in their respective classes following the first day of time trials.
2010 NHRA Full Throttle World Champions, Larry Dixon (T/F) and John Force (F/C) are the 2010 event winners along with Mike Edwards (P/S).
Greg Anderson was the runner-up in the season-opening pro stock final, and eventually scored his fourth P/S World Championship last year.
ESPN2 will provide two hours of qualifying action tomorrow at 11 p.m. and three hours of eliminations on Sunday night, beginning at 7 p.m.