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“CROWN ROYAL CLASSIC TRIBUTE TO JOE REILLY 54” TO HOST CHILDREN’S BIKE GIVE-AWAY AS PART OF PRESQUE ISLE DOWNS & CASINO RACE OF CHAMPIONS WEEKEND

As children’s bike give-away will be part of the “Crown Royal Classic Tribute to Joe Reilly 54” on Saturday, September 25 at Lake Erie Speedway in North East, Pennsylvania as part of Presque Isle Downs & Casino Race of Champions Weekend.

The bike give-away has been spearheaded by Tracy Thompson-Reilly, Joe’s widow.

“Joe loved kids,” stated Reilly. “He had a passion for his own and helping children out. He loved them and we are doing this in his honor amongst a few other things that we have in store for the kid’s visiting Lake Erie Speedway this coming Saturday. We hope they have a lot of fun and we hope the fans are entertained with a great race. A minimum of eight bikes will be given away and we are hoping to give more to the kids.”

The Race of Champions Sportsman Modified Series will have some additional incentives on the line in the Tribute to Joe Reilly “Crown Royal” Classic at Lake Erie Speedway on Saturday, September 25, 2021. The winner will receive $3,054.54 for their efforts in the 54-lap race.

Crew chiefs will be recognized with a cash bonus. The winning crew chief will receive $154. The second and third place finishing crew chiefs will receive $108. The fifth place finishing crew chief will receive $54. The 10th, 15th, 20th and last place finishing crew chief will receive $54.

The race is in tribute to Joe Reilly. Reilly, who was a self –taught mechanic, worked his way to being the crew chief for Thompson Racing. Reilly never stopped educating himself and ultimately won two track championships at Lancaster Speedway. The championships came in the Sportsman division in 2015 with driver Mark Pennell and in the Late Model division in 1996 with driver Bob Straus. Reilly made sure the Thompson Racing machines made it to each and every race they could. Each and every crew member in the pit area, plays an integral role in making sure their respective cars make it week-in and week-out, something Reilly took great pride in. The race on Saturday, September 25, is not just a tribute to Reilly, but a tribute to each and every crew member that works countless hours to “make it happen”.

Race of Champions management is also continuing the “Driver / Crew Chief Challenge” to the first “driver / crew chief” combination who makes the redraw and elects to surrender their starting position and start from the rear of the field and that is able to win will earn an additional $540. If the “driver / crew chief” combination that elects to surrender their starting position earns 2nd through 5th in the finish, they will earn a $250 bonus. Only one “driver / crew chief”, the first team that comes to the Race of Champions Series trailer and declares their intentions, will be eligible. Once this has been declared, it will be official. The rows will slide forward and positions will not cross-over in regard to standard Race of Champions race procedural rules.

In addition Race of Champions management is continuing the Ted Christopher Drive of the Race Award for this event only. An additional $130 will be awarded to the driver who advances the most positions from their official starting position as posted on the official starting lineup for the event. The “driver / crew chief” candidate will not be eligible for this award.

Teams for all division may register and find parking at the following link; http://www.myracepass.com/series/1810/registrations/?fbclid=IwAR07x9UQ_T3UX6skiKyisvbMfJ6KOQM9FypKYyhJAyK133MP49Z74Jwiki8. Pit passes for Presque Isle Downs & Casino Race of Champions Weekend are available on the PitPay App, available on most mobile devices.

Tickets may be purchased for the weekend and will be available at the Lake Erie Speedway ticket office or at www.lakeeriespeedway.com. In the event that there is inclement weather, the event will be postponed to 2022.

If you are planning to attend the Presque Isle Downs & Casino Race of Champions Weekend and camp at the facility, spots are being sold at the track for the designated camping areas. Tickets and camping spots for the Presque Isle Downs & Casino Race of Champions Weekend are available at the Lake Erie Speedway ticket office 814.725.3303.

Where: Lake Erie Speedway, North East, Pa.

When: Friday, September 24; Saturday, September 25 and Sunday, September 26, 2021.

Directions: The track is located just twenty minutes of East Erie, Pa., minutes from Interstate 90 and directly of Interstate 86 at 10700 Delmas Drive, North East, Pa., 16428

What: Presque Isle Downs & Casino Race of Champions Weekend; the 68th Annual Race of Champions 250

More Information: www.lakeeriespeedway.com (Track Phone: 814.725.3303) / www.rocmodifiedseries.com

The Race of Champions is a sanctioning body presenting Modified and Stock Car racing on asphalt and dirt surfaces throughout the Northeast, with events in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey with primary marketing partners Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, Waddell Communications, Image X Graphic Designs, Sherwood Racing Wheels, DirtTrackDigest.com, FX Caprara and Billy Whittaker Ford. The 71st annual Race of Champions weekend will take place in 2021 at Lake Erie Speedway in North East, Pennsylvania and is the second longest consecutive auto-racing event in North America, second only to the Indianapolis 500.

For more information, contact;

Race of Champions Media at media@rocmodifiedseries.com

Follow us on Twitter; Instagram and Facebook; @RoCModSeries or visit our website: www.rocmodifiedseries.com

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