Atlantic City, NJ – January 24, 2010 . . . Winning five features in a season is good.
Ten is plenty. Twenty goes beyond expectation.
Imagine what it’s like to win 26 feature events?
Kunkletown, Pa’s Ryan Smith knows what it is like to win 26 feature wins. The 21-year-old driver led the northeastern United States is claiming the most main events in 2009.
“It was a very good season,” Smith said. “I drove nine different race cars in 2009, and I traveled a lot of mile throughout the year.”
One of Smith’s busier times of the year came in early August when he drove a USAC Silver Crown car in New York, an ARDC Midget in North Carolina and a Micro Sprint in Pennsylvania in three consecutive nights.
“I liked the diversity this past racing season,” Smith said. “It keeps you fresh and it keeps your name out there in the different forms of racing.”
Smith earned some promise during the Holiday season, when he won a feature race at the Ft. Wayne (Ind.) Expo Center on December 27.
He drove most of the race with no power steering, which forced him to bully the car around the track.
That was in 2009.
Smith will kick off his 2010 racing season next weekend in Atlantic City, N.J., where he compete at Boardwalk Hall in the TQ-Midget division.
Action begins on Friday, January 29 with time trials, qualifying events and a feature. On Saturday, Jan. 30, qualifying races will be held prior to the running of the prestigious Gambler’s Classic.
The Slingshots and Champ Karts will be on the card, as well. Both classes will have their qualifying races on Jan. 29, with the National Guard 20 for Champ Karts and the Herr’s Snack Bowl 25 for Slingshots set for Jan. 30.
Smith’s presence in the anticipated 96-car TQ-Midget field is expected to include him as a front-runner.
He finished fifth in the 2009 Gambler’s Classic, a race won by Ted Christopher. In the Friday preliminary event, he finished 11th.
In the four indoor races held at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., Smith has qualified for three mains events, and he scored all top-10 finishes (two top-five finishes) in those respective events.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” Smith said. “The car we have might be a 600cc Micro Sprint Car, but it is strictly our indoor racing car.
“It’s been sitting in the garage. We’re making sure it is ready to race and run well. We hope things work out and we can get it to Victory Lane.”
The 600cc Micro Sprint Car is similar in design to a TQ-Midget but it’s bulkier in size and is driven on a dirt track outdoors rather than asphalt.
With the advent and increased frequency of indoor racing, Micro Sprint Car chassis builders with assistance from creative mechanics are making the 600cc cars better on the tight indoor bullrings.
At Boardwalk Hall, turns three and four will widen by approximately five feet as the inside of the track will be moved more onto the hockey rink.
“That will definitely help out,” Smith said. “The corners are going to be more like the one in Providence. It will be more sweeping and we’ll be able to keep up the momentum.”
Defending champions are Paul Lotier Jr. of Lebanon, Pa. (Slingshots) and Ryan Kendall of East Greenbush, N.Y. (Champ Karts) will try to repeat their performances from a year ago.
Fans can purchase tickets by calling Ticketmaster at (800)-736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Tickets will also be on sale at this weekend’s Motorsports 2010.
Information on the event is available at aarn.com or by calling (609)-888-3618.
Fans can also purchase tickets at the Boardwalk Hall Ticket Office. Tickets will be $2 more at the door on the day of the race.
Ten is plenty. Twenty goes beyond expectation.
Imagine what it’s like to win 26 feature events?
Kunkletown, Pa’s Ryan Smith knows what it is like to win 26 feature wins. The 21-year-old driver led the northeastern United States is claiming the most main events in 2009.
“It was a very good season,” Smith said. “I drove nine different race cars in 2009, and I traveled a lot of mile throughout the year.”
One of Smith’s busier times of the year came in early August when he drove a USAC Silver Crown car in New York, an ARDC Midget in North Carolina and a Micro Sprint in Pennsylvania in three consecutive nights.
“I liked the diversity this past racing season,” Smith said. “It keeps you fresh and it keeps your name out there in the different forms of racing.”
Smith earned some promise during the Holiday season, when he won a feature race at the Ft. Wayne (Ind.) Expo Center on December 27.
He drove most of the race with no power steering, which forced him to bully the car around the track.
That was in 2009.
Smith will kick off his 2010 racing season next weekend in Atlantic City, N.J., where he compete at Boardwalk Hall in the TQ-Midget division.
Action begins on Friday, January 29 with time trials, qualifying events and a feature. On Saturday, Jan. 30, qualifying races will be held prior to the running of the prestigious Gambler’s Classic.
The Slingshots and Champ Karts will be on the card, as well. Both classes will have their qualifying races on Jan. 29, with the National Guard 20 for Champ Karts and the Herr’s Snack Bowl 25 for Slingshots set for Jan. 30.
Smith’s presence in the anticipated 96-car TQ-Midget field is expected to include him as a front-runner.
He finished fifth in the 2009 Gambler’s Classic, a race won by Ted Christopher. In the Friday preliminary event, he finished 11th.
In the four indoor races held at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., Smith has qualified for three mains events, and he scored all top-10 finishes (two top-five finishes) in those respective events.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” Smith said. “The car we have might be a 600cc Micro Sprint Car, but it is strictly our indoor racing car.
“It’s been sitting in the garage. We’re making sure it is ready to race and run well. We hope things work out and we can get it to Victory Lane.”
The 600cc Micro Sprint Car is similar in design to a TQ-Midget but it’s bulkier in size and is driven on a dirt track outdoors rather than asphalt.
With the advent and increased frequency of indoor racing, Micro Sprint Car chassis builders with assistance from creative mechanics are making the 600cc cars better on the tight indoor bullrings.
At Boardwalk Hall, turns three and four will widen by approximately five feet as the inside of the track will be moved more onto the hockey rink.
“That will definitely help out,” Smith said. “The corners are going to be more like the one in Providence. It will be more sweeping and we’ll be able to keep up the momentum.”
Defending champions are Paul Lotier Jr. of Lebanon, Pa. (Slingshots) and Ryan Kendall of East Greenbush, N.Y. (Champ Karts) will try to repeat their performances from a year ago.
Fans can purchase tickets by calling Ticketmaster at (800)-736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Tickets will also be on sale at this weekend’s Motorsports 2010.
Information on the event is available at aarn.com or by calling (609)-888-3618.
Fans can also purchase tickets at the Boardwalk Hall Ticket Office. Tickets will be $2 more at the door on the day of the race.
