LANCASTER SPEEDWAY: Season Opener Set

LANCASTER, NY - The 2005 racing season has arrived in Western New York and Lancaster Raceway Park is ready to open for its 47th season of operation. Things get started on Saturday, April 30 with one final preseason practice session to give teams a chance to get ready for the season opener.

The regular season will start with a special Sunday afternoon show on May 1 at 1:30 PM. All divisions will be on hand including the Advance Auto Parts Modifieds, Signworks SST Sportsman, Probity Construction Super Stocks, Glen Campbell Chevrolet Street Stocks, and the TQ Midgets. The Bobcat of Buffalo Late Models will open their season taking in part in the opening round of the Lancaster Raceway Park/Holland Speedway Late Model Challenge Series.

Defending series champion and LRP 2004 track champ, John Julicher, will try to defend his title against some of the best Late Model teams in New York.Tremendous interest has been shown with new teams signing up to participate at LRP this season.

A few new faces are on the roster as well as some old faithfuls who will be returning. Special mention that Chuck Hossfeld will be returning to regular competition in the modified class for the month of May and continuing with a limited schedule at LRP whenever his NASCAR tour schedule allows.

Additionally, third generation driver Eric Rudolph, son of former Modified track champ and FOAR Score Hall of Fame driver, Charlie Rudolph, and grandson of the successful crew chief, Jim Rudolph, will be taking a turn behind the wheel of a TQ midget on a regular basis at LRP.

As an added bonus on opening day, Brock Yates Lap Around America will pay Lancaster a visit following the racing program. Cool cars and street rods will tour the LRP oval to complete the great day of racing. As part of a week long tour covering over 3500 miles across the country, LRP is honored to host one hundred highly modified cars including Vipers, Corvettes, Honda NSX’s.

Ford GTs, Porsche Turbos, BMWs and even some thinly disguised race cars like the Ultima GTR and the radical Daytona Coupe.The LRP stock car racing program will return to Saturday nights starting May 7.

Race time has been moved back to start at 6:30 pm to accommodate the later crowd that is typical of LRP, however, management will continue to strive to finish between 10 and 10:30 pm to remain attractive to families and give people a chance to visit their hometown heroes in the pits after the races.

Grandstands gates open will open at 5 PM. Season tickets are still available for the 2005 racing season. Don't miss a week of the exciting racing at Lancaster Raceway Park this season. For more information call (716) 759-6818 or log on to www.lancasterracing.com.