Big names targeting inside track in Trenton
This event could very well go down as one of most talked about racing events of the year. Imagine high speed open cockpit race cars competing on the dirt
indoors and it is attracting some of the best known racing talent in the East to take part.
Phoenixville’s Brian Montieth, affectionately known as ‘The Edge’ for his penchant of getting the most out of his Premier Auto Works No. 21 410 Sprint Cars, will be putting Indoor Auto Racing Series fans on the edges of their seats on Dec. 1-2.
Montieth is the latest entry for the first East Coast Micro Dirt Nationals, coming up at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, N.J. Fans and racers will see that Sun Center signage may still be in place since the name change to Cure took place just recently.
The Phoenixville, Pa., native will be driving a wingless dirt 600cc Micro Sprint in the much anticipated race that is owned by Tom Fraschetta. Keep in mind that Montieth is a standout performer in the 410 sprint cars, who just recently wrapped up his sixth championship at Lincoln Speedway, but the micro sprints will be all new to him.
“It’s a new challenge for sure,” Montieth said. “I’ll be looking to find the fast way around the track like I do at Williams Grove and Lincoln.”
Montieth, 43, won two feature events and his sixth career Lincoln Speedway 410 Sprint championship in the last ten years this season. He ended 2017 fifth in points at Williams Grove.
The veteran wheelman learned his racing skills in Quarter Midgets where he carved 500 notches in his victory belt. He was an eight-time Pennsylvania state champion and a national Quarter Midget champion.
Rich black clay has been ordered and the track crew is preparing to make it banked, smooth, tacky and fast. Race teams have responded with nearly 100 600cc Micro Sprints entered for top drivers from eight different states.
Though Montieth could well be classified as a prerace favorite, he’ll be a rookie at the new venue as will everyone else.
Fellow Sprint Car driver Ryan Smith of Kunkletown, Pa., who finished second in Tony Stewart’s All Star 410 Sprint Car series this year, and top Pa. Posse driver Steve Buckwalter have also announced their attentions to compete. New York state 360 Sprint car drivers Scott Kreutter and Joe Trenca are also planning an assault of the East Coast Micro Dirt Nationals ranks.
New Egypt Speedway dirt Modified champion Billy Pauch Jr. and Kutztown’s SpeedSTR king pin and Grandview Speedway Modified standout Tim Buckwalter enter the race with plenty of 600cc Micro Sprint experience. The two versatile drivers finished 1-2 this season in Kutztown’s 600cc Micro Sprint points.
The stakes are high: a $5,000 first place prize awaits the winner of the Saturday night A-Main if they enter the Gambler’s Bonus program.
Though the East Coast Indoor Nationals is a new attraction, the CURE Insurance Arena (formerly Sun National Bank Center), has hosted Three Quarter Midget racing for the past four years on the arena’s concrete floor.
The agenda calls for racing to start at 7 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Saturday.