Mahoning Valley Speedway Hall of Fame Series Roger Heffelfinger Sr. Tribute, Saturday June19

Mahoning Valley Speedway picks up the action at the paved ¼-mile oval with race #3 of the 2021 John Blewett Inc., Mahoning Valley Speedway Hall of Fames Series and the Roger Heffelfinger Sr., Tribute, Saturday, June 19. Race time is 6:00 pm.

            Heffelfinger has been a long-standing iconic figure among the many greats of eastern Pennsylvania short track asphalt racing.

            The Dorney Park Speedway/Mahoning Valley Speedway Hall of Fame inductee is the 1972 Modified track champion at Mahoning where raced between 1970 and 1976.

            At Dorney Park where he began his career as a teenager in the late 1960s, Heffelfinger was very successful at the defunct 1/5-mile track, winning 18 times between 1971 and 1983 and is ranked sixth all time among Modified winners there.

            He also hit the dirt circuits as well running at such venues as Nazareth, Orange County, Flemington, Grandview and others, most times with the same car he competed with on the blacktop. 

            His son, Roger Jr., followed in his footsteps and with equal success garnering wins and championships at Dorney, Mahoning Valley and Evergreen Raceway. And likewise his grandson, Austin Kochenash, carries on the family legacy as one of the premier asphalt Modified drivers of this era. Kochenash is also a Mahoning champion, winning the Late Model title in 2011.        

            Heffelfinger remains a key figure at Mahoning, logging in countless hours during the week as part of the grounds crew and also on race day as a member of the safety and track crew. His passion for Mahoning Valley Speedway and the sport of motor racing is a lasting testament to one of the all-time greats from this region.

            On the slate will be Modifieds, Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks and Futures/Rookie Hobby Stocks. The Modifieds will be racing a 66-lap feature, with that distance reflecting the car number most associated with Heffelfinger.

            Matt Hirschman, who won the first two MVSHoFS events, leads the Series standings in the Modifieds while Randy Ahner Jr., and Justin Merkel are at the top of the rankings in the Street Stock and Hobby Stocks respectively.

Early paid practice will take place from noon to 3:00 pm. Regular warm-up will get under way at 4:00 pm. Driver sign-ins will be from 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm.

Grandstands will open at 4:00 pm. Adult admission is $20, $2 discount for active military, students and seniors 65+, must have valid ID. Children 10 & under are free. Pit entrance fees are $35 for members and $45 for non-members.

A rain date of Sunday, June 20 at 2:00 pm is in place if needed.

Please log onto the official track website www.mahoningvalley-speedway.com, Facebook at Mahoning Valley Speedway or Twitter @MahoningSpeed for updated info and news. Mahoning Valley Speedway located on PA route 443 just a few miles west of Lehighton.

MVS PR