2/27/2022
BAPS Motor Speedway
Diversity and Big Events Highlight BAPS Motor Speedway Schedule in 2022
YORK HAVEN, Pa.: Diversity was one of the main goals the BAPS Motor Speedway management team wanted to achieve with the 2022 schedule.
The York Haven, Pa., facility hosts weekly racing to fans of multiple divisions, and that is reflected on this year’s slate. But General Manager Kolten Gouse also wanted to bring in new customers and has scheduled events to appeal to the masses, both in motorsports and those who have never seen a race.
As was the case in previous years, the BAPS Auto Paints & Supply Super Sportsman division will headline action weekly throughout the season. They will be joined most nights by the Creekside Auto Sales Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Gene Latta Ford Central PA Legends presented by Baker Door Company, and the Superior Homes Extreme Stocks.
The premier 410 Sprint Car division will also be featured at the speedway during the season, as will the 358 and 602 Modifieds. A new addition to the schedule will be the Scramble Car class, which consists of 4-Cylinder and 6-Cylinder stock cars racing on a watered-down course. The successful Monster Truck show will be back, as will the Lantern Fest.
“We wanted to put together a schedule that was fan friendly for the motorsports crowd, as well as fans who might not have visited the speedway in previous seasons,” Gouse said. “We are excited about what we came up with.
“Our goal is to become a multi-purpose entertainment venue. That means keeping the integrity of our motorsports programs while adding shows that appeal to those same fans and also people with other interests.”
Three Test-and-Tune sessions take place on March 5, 9, and 12. The season gets underway March 19 with a full program featuring the BAPS Super Sportsman, Creekside Auto Sales Late Models, and the Gene Latta Ford Central PA Legends.
A year ago, Carlisle’s Frankie Herr and Dover, Pa.’s, Chase Billet captured the opener in the Super Sportsman and Late Model divisions. Both drivers used the triumph as a springboard to track championships.
Herr has moved up to the 358 Sprint Car class and won’t compete at the speedway on a regular basis this season. That opens the door for another driver to win the opener and get a leg up in the championship chase.
The Super Sportsman division has 20 shows at the speedway during the upcoming season. Highlights include the Bud Bricker Nationals presented by FK Rod Ends on May 21, and Firecracker 40 on June 2. The biggest event takes place on Sept. 3, when the Super Sportsman battle during the 48th annual Gary Wolford Sportsman 100 presented by Drydene Oil. The Wingless Sportsman headline the Britton Finkenbinder Memorial on May 28.
On April 10, the first of seven 410 Sprint Car events take place featuring the stars of the central Pennsylvania circuit. The schedule is highlighted by the Kevin Gobrecht Classic presented by Chad Baker Plumbing (May 1), Engler Machine & Tool Pennsylvania Speedweek (June 26), and the Final Showdown (Nov. 12) to close out the season. The mighty 358 Modifieds will join the 410s on May 1 and Nov. 12 and bring drivers from Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to racy BAPS Motor Speedway.
If you can’t make it to the 410 Sprint Car events, you can catch all of the action on Pay-Per-View. SprintCarUnlimited.TV will be back broadcasting these events with two and three-camera shoots.
“Pairing the Modifieds with the 410 Sprint Cars is a no-brainer,” Gouse said. “Both divisions are huge in the northeast, and they have worked together in the past at places like Port Royal and Penn Nationals Speedway and also for the prestigious Thunder of the Hill shows at Grandview.
“We want that history to be a part of the Kevin Gobrecht Classic and Final Showdown. It’s a good mix and brings two historic fan bases together.”
The 358 Sprint Cars are back at the speedway in 2022. On Sept. 17, the Dirty 30 takes place on Brooks Graphix $5 Ladies Night and marks the return of Frankie Herr to the speedway in 2022.
Gouse and Co. have worked hard to grow the presence of the 602 Modified division at the speedway. Thanks to FXG Sign and Label and Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, the class has nine shows during the 2022 campaign.
A year ago, the 602 Modifieds had six shows. Steve Davis, of Cream Ridge, N.J., owned the division by winning every event to run away with the points.
If you are looking for high-impact, car-crushing events, Monster Truck Mania is for you. The series is back for a third year on Father’s Day week, June 17-18, and will take center stage with a star-studded field of trucks expected to be in attendance.
A year ago, Big Foot was in the field with Bad Habit and a host of others. There is plenty to do during the two-day show, including adults and kids getting a chance to take a ride in a monster truck.
In what was a unique event last season, the Lantern Fest was a huge success. It’s back again this year and will take place Sept. 10.
“The Monster Truck Mania and Lantern Fest feed into the diversity we are trying to achieve and were very successful for us last year,” Gouse said. “These are two events that we hope to make bigger and better each year.
“We are making our final preparations for what we think will be another big season. We are looking forward to our opener and the rest of the season.”
Photo Credit: Ryan Kissinger
Article Credit: BAPS Motor Speedway
