When the 2024 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Convention takes place the weekend of Jan. 12-14 at the Holiday Inn in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., the annual affair will open on Friday evening with the organization’s hosting of the Champions Salute.
The Champion’s Salute brings together a number of area and regional track and Series title winners of the previous year for a meet and greet with members of the media.
Also, proudly coming on board as the official sponsor is Belmont’s Garage of Langhorne, Pa.
Andy Belmont is owner of Belmont’s Garage and a lifetime member of EMPA.
Since 1965, Belmont’s Garage, Inc. has provided quality car care in Langhorne, PA. They are a family-owned business delivering honest and professional automotive repair and auto maintenance services to the people of Langhorne and surrounding areas. The quality ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certified technicians at Belmont’s Garage employ today’s latest automotive technology and are equipped to handle all major and minor repairs on foreign and domestic vehicles.
Andy Belmont is a former professional stock car racer with a lifetime of experience in the auto industry. He is the third generation of the Belmont family to own and operate this business. Andy strives not only for the best quality automotive service, but also for the best customer experience. Belmont’s Garage is the most unique locally owned shop in the area.
“We’re very pleased to have Andy step in with his assistance for our Champion’s Salute which opens up our annual convention,” EMPA President Dino Oberto said.
“Andy has been a good friend to EMPA dating back to our time at Trevose, when the affair was held near his Langhorne home and even before that,” Oberto said. “He’s also a great supporter of local racing and we are very appreciative to him and Belmont’s Garage for the backing to EMPA.”
EMPA was formed in 1969 as a motor racing media-based organization of professional writers, broadcasters, photographers, videographers and public-relations personnel whose purpose is to represent the sport in a fair and unbiased manner while upholding the utmost level of professionalism.
I’m proud to say that I was one of the founders of EMPA.
Each January, EMPA holds a weekend convention in which the membership gathers for a variety of press conferences and workshops and culminates with an annual awards banquet. The upcoming convention will mark the 52nd gathering for the organization.
During the banquet, a number of honors to members are presented in recognition of their past season’s work. One of the main highlights is the induction into the prestigious EMPA Hall of Fame, in which select individuals from within the sport are voted on by the membership and into the Hall of Fame.
EMPA has additional support from Dover Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Brice’s NAPA Auto Parts, New England Racing Fuels, Speedway Illustrated and World Racing Group.
Let’s try this again
Delaware International Speedway in Delmar, Del., will once again try to complete an event in a rain-marred, special-events season — this time on Saturday, Oct. 21.
The event serves as a make-up for the postponed Sept. 22 show, featuring an invasion from the Rapid Tire Services USAC East Coast wingless 360 Sprint Cars.
Briggs Danner of Allentown, Pa., was victorious in the last visit by the USAC East Coast Sprints, coming from the seventh starting position to claim the win.
The Sussex County half-mile oval has laid dormant since that June 30 event, with three consecutive racing programs nixed by Mother Nature.
The USAC East Coast Sprint Cars will be joined in a co-headline event by Millman’s NAPA Modifieds, racing for a $3,000 top prize.
The Blue Hen Dispose-All Crate 602 Sportsman Battle 20 laps for a $1,000 top prize.
Crate Late Models will run under a relaxed rules package for this event. Cars meeting the rules for the RUSH Racing Series, Fastrak Racing Series or American All Star Series will be legal for this event.
With 11 or more cars, the 20-lap event will pay $1,000 to win. With 10 or fewer cars, a $600 winner’s share will be up for grabs. $100 will be reserved to take the green flag. For Crate Late Model technical questions, call or text Ross Robinson at 302-745-7017.
Completing the program are 12-lap events for the Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Cars, Little Lincolns, Delaware Super Trucks and Delmarva Chargers.
The night of racing is also the final one before the Delaware State Dirt Championship Weekend at Delaware International Speedway on Nov. 17-18.
Atlantic City Indoor tickets available
When the NAPA Auto Parts Atlantic City Indoor Race returns to Jim Whelen Boardwalk Hall on Jan. 26-27, the headline TQ Midgets will be compete in two separate and unique events.
Tickets for the races are now on sale and available through Ticketmaster and at the Boardwalk Hall box office. Select seats are also available through the Indoor Series office by calling 609-888-3618.
That Saturday night, the TQ Midgets will compete in the 22nd running of the Gambler’s Classic. A traditional format of time trials, heat races and B-mains, will lead up to the 40 Lap A-Main.
The inaugural running of the BlackJack 21 for the TQ Midgets will be held that Friday night. The night will be closed out with a 21 lap, 21 car race paying $2,100 to the winner. To qualify for that event, racers will compete in a unique format that maximizes track time for all competitors and treats fans to multiple main events among the stars of the TQ Midget division.
TQ Midget competitors will begin Friday’s program in a closed to the public open track qualifying session in the afternoon. During this time racers will be given the opportunity to make as many time runs as they wish. However, every time they go back out on the track it voids their previous best time.
The top 28 fastest competitors will lock into a pair of split field (Red & Black) 20 lap A-Qualifiers. The remaining competitors will head to a pair of 7 Come 11 heat races, with the top 7 finishers advancing to the back of the A-Qualifiers.
The top 10 finishers from the two 20 lap qualifiers will then advance to the finale, the 21 Lap, 21 car, BlackJack 21 main event. Each qualifier winner will earn $500.
The final BlackJack 21 starter will come from a special race for the competitors who up until this point, have had the worst day. The “Craps” race, will be made up of all competitors that failed to advance to the A-Qualifiers. This race will be 10 laps, with the winner given the 21st and final starting spot in that Friday night’s main event.
As in the past, the Slingshots and Champ Karts will continue to be a part of all the Concrete Series events. Also, returning to Atlantic City for a second year will be the wingless “Dirt” 600cc Micro Sprints. These three divisions will again qualify on Friday and compete in a feature only on that Saturday night.
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Ernie Saxton is an auto racing contributor to MediaNews Group. Email him at [email protected].