Lancaster Dragway
MIDDAY MONSOON WASHES OUT DRAG RACING AT LANCASTER @ NYIRP
LANCASTER, NY – Heavy mid afternoon thunderstorms soaked Lancaster Dragway @ New York International 
Raceway Park, which forced officials to cancel IHRA Drag Racing for Friday, July 19.
Racing action continues tomorrow night at NYIRP with the second stock car event of the season. The Race of Champions will present Autograph Night at Lancaster Speedway on Saturday night starting at 6:30 p.m. The RoC Sportsman Modifieds and Late Model Series will co-headline the program, and be joined by the NYPA TQ Midgets, Street Stocks and 4-Cylinders.
Next Friday, July 26, the popular Buffalo Street Outlaws join the IHRA Drag Racing program. Time trials start at 5 p.m.
MALVASO CONQUERS THE SUPERCHARGED BOUNTY HUNTERS ONCE AGAIN AT LANCASTER
LANCASTER, NY – Frank Malvaso of Rochester and his “Rush” 1933 Willys scored another win at Lancaster 
Dragway @ New York International Raceway Park on Friday night as topped the field of Supercharged Bounty Hunters in the 716 vs. 585 Shootout.
In Friday night IHRA Drag Racing action, Mike Sobczysnki of Alden took top honors in Mallare Trucking Top ET. Bill Bigham of Niagara Falls picked up the win in Top 8 Eliminator. In Gianni Mazia’s Mod ET, Reid Ricketson of Darien Center, N.Y. picked up his second win of the season. Mike Peters of Angola, N.Y. was victorious for the third-straight week in Hebeler’s Sales Bikes & Sleds. Veteran DJ Raiser of Lancaster scored the win on Tread City Tire Street ET.
The 716 vs. 585 Shootout for the Supercharged Bounty Hunters featured an eclectic mix of eight vehicles. The final pairing featured multi-time winner Malvaso going head-to-head with Ron D’Alessandro. Malvaso scored the win after D’Alessandro left the starting line too soon. Ron Szewczyk had the quick time of the meet with an elapsed time of 4.56 seconds.
Lancaster Dragway at NYIRP Features Full Schedule
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — New owners, new excitement, same great racing.
Lancaster Dragway at New York International Raceway Park, the former Lancaster National Speedway and Dragway, can continue to be a facility that’s beloved by locals. Veteran drag racers Mike Swinarski and Vito Antonicelli and his wife, Sylvia, recently purchased the upstate New York track, located just 15 miles outside Buffalo, earlier this year.
One of the first orders of business was signing a new sanctioning agreement with the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA). With a full schedule of events, the facility features an 1/8-mile drag strip and a 5/8-mile paved oval, which was originally a 1/2-mile dirt track.
The track hosts some of the top racing events in Western New York. The oval features the 31st annual U.S. Open in September with a variety from Late Models to TQ Midgets on the program. The Buffalo Street Outlaws are held at the drag strip in addition to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries, the largest and most prestigious bracket racing program in drag racing.
FRIDAY NIGHT DRAGS AT LANCASTER @ NYIRP END IN SPLIT
Program halted by curfew after track drying, large car count and oil downs
LANCASTER, NY – The IHRA Drag Racing program at Lancaster Dragway @ New York International Raceway Park 
ended in a split in all classes on Friday night due to curfew.
Unexpected afternoon rain showers held up the start of the program as the track crew worked hard to get the drag strip dried out. There was an exceptional car count on hand with 190 cars across the four weekly classes plus the Buffalo Street Outlaws and TNT Super Series.
The track crew continued to have busy night during racing with a handful of incidents, including a few oil downs, which forced the show to run long. Racing was halted for the final time at midnight out of respect of the facility’s curfew with the town of Lancaster. All drivers remaining in competition at that time split the purse in their respective classes.
ZMUDA & MALVASO TOP FIELD OF SUPERCHARGED BOUNTY HUNTERS AT LANCASTER @ NYIRP
LANCASTER, NY – Mike Zmuda of Lackawanna, N.Y. and Frank Malvaso of Rochester won the final matchups for 
the Supercharged Bounty Hunters on Friday night at Lancaster Dragway @ New York International Raceway Park.
The field of nine Supercharged Bounty Hunters was set through qualifying with Mike Zmuda and Chuck McMahon of Rochester taking top two spots. They then faced off head-to-head in the first final of the night. McMahon left the starting line first, but Zmuda was first to top end with a pass of 4.656 seconds at 149.55 mph.
The second final featured the #3 and #4 qualifiers, with Malvaso facing off against the Chevy Nova of Ron D’Alessandro. Malvaso picked up the win with an elapsed time of 4.619 seconds at 155.76 mph.
Dave Balser of Akron, N.Y. almost became the first driver of the season to score multiple class wins in the same night. Balser started out by winning Top 8 Eliminator by beating Chris Van Baalen in a close matchup. He was then inserted into the Mallare Trucking Top ET ladder, and made his way to the finals to face Chuck Mendola of Lancaster. Balser’s quest to do the double was derailed when he brokeout, which gave Mendola his first win of the season.
FLETCHER, MADURI JR., RICKETSON, SALEMI & WINKOWSKI WIN AT LANCASTER @ NYIRP
LANCASTER, NY – Second-generation racer Thomas Fletcher of Churchville, N.Y. took home top honors in Mallare 
Trucking Top ET on Friday night at Lancaster Dragway @ New York International Raceway Park.
In other IHRA Drag Racing action, Pete Maduri, Jr. of North Tonawanda, N.Y. won Top 8 Eliminator. Ryan Ricketson won in Gianna Mazia’s Mod ET. Lucas Salemi of Clarence Center, N.Y. picked up his second-straight Hebeler’s Sales Bikes & Sleds win. Cody Winkowski of Depew, N.Y. won for the second week in a row in Tread City Tire Street ET.
The Mallare Trucking Top ET final was billed as the “War of the Wagons” as Fletcher’s Peak Antifreeze station wagon went head-to-head with the Chevy Vega wagon of Mark Glomb. Fletcher used his starting line advantage by way of his slower dial-in to beat Glomb for his first win of the year at Lancaster @ NYIRP.
CLEVELAND, RICKETSON, FIX, SALEMI & WINKOWSKI SCORE WINS AT LANCASTER @ NYIRP
LANCASTER, NY – Keith Cleveland of Cheektowaga, N.Y. took top honors in Mallare Trucking Top ET on Friday 
night at Lancaster Dragway @ New York International Raceway Park. The second generation driver beat 12-time track champion Dale Eckert in the final round when Eckert left the starting line too soon.
In Gianna Mazia’s Mod ET, Reid Ricketson of Darien Center, N.Y. took advantage of a red light by Russell Morris in final round to earn his first win of 2019. Last week’s Mod ET final that was postponed due to curfew also ran in a meeting between two track champions from last season. 2018 Street ET champ Mason Fix got the win over defending Mod champ Jeff Kerl in a double breakout run. Fix ran just one one-hundredth of a second under his dial-in.
The Hebeler’s Sales Bikes & Sleds final was a rematch of the opening night final pair as Lucas Salemi faced off against former track champion Alan Fletcher. Salemi got revenge for his loss a week ago as Fletcher red lighted the race away to give Salemi the win.
Russell Morris made it to his second final round of the night in Tread City Tire. Unfortunately Morris finished the night 0-for-2 as he lost to Cody Winkowski after Winkowski beat Morris at top end.
LANCASTER DRAGWAY @ NYIRP BEGINS NEW SEASON & NEW ERA
Over 175 cars jam pits for first race under new ownership
LANCASTER, NY – It was the start of a new season and a new era on Friday night at the facility known as Lancaster 
Speedway & Dragway. The New York International Raceway Park ownership group led by Vito & Sylvia Antonicelli and Mike Swinarski held their first IHRA points race just a month removed from officially taking ownership of the 60-year-old racing facility. The drag racing community responded in a big way with 177 cars supporting the opening night show.
The Buffalo Street Outlaws and TNT Super Series were on hand along with Lancaster’s five weekly classes of racing. Chris Scarlatra of Bergen, N.Y. swept the Buffalo Street Outlaws (BSO) Street Limited classes, winning both Street Limited 5.50 and Street Limited 6.60. Scarlata defeated Mike Gwynn in the Street Limited 5.50 final on a holeshot as Gwynn had the faster elapsed time, but Scarlata had a better reaction time. Scarlata then beat Brian Krawkowski in Street Limited 6.60.
Moe Alfaqih of Cheektowaga, N.Y. chalked up another Buffalo Street Outlaw win at Lancaster as he defeated Terry Doyle in a battle of Ford Mustangs.
NYIRP UNVEILS 2019 SCHEDULE FOR LANCASTER SPEEDWAY & DRAGWAY
New ownership group takes over for 60th anniversary season
LANCASTER, NY – The 60th anniversary season of racing at Lancaster Speedway & Dragway @ New York International Raceway Park kicks off this Saturday with a Test & Tune session for the IHRA Drag Racing program.
Pit gates will open at 10 a.m. on Saturday for tech inspection followed by a time trial session from 12-5 p.m.
Following of a winter of uncertainty surrounding the facility, local businessmen Vito Antonicelli and Mike Swinarski purchased the 77-acre property and will continue to operate it as a motorsports venue as well as bring in additional events to compliment the 2019 racing schedule.
LANCASTER TOASTS 2018 SEASON CHAMPIONS AT ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUETS
LANCASTER, NY – Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway saluted its top performers of the 2018 season this past weekend with the annual awards banquets for the Franco’s Pizza IHRA Drag Racing program and the X-Press Signs Stock Car Series.
The celebration of the Dragway season was held on Friday night at the Variety Club Banquet Hall in Lancaster. Dale Eckert of South Wales, N.Y. was crowned champ in Top ET for the second-straight year. Eckert now has 12 track championships over the last 13 seasons. In McGard Mod ET, Jeff Kerl of Cheektowaga, N.Y. claimed fourth career class championship, and first since 2009. Mike Peters of Angola, N.Y. took top honors in Hebeler’s Sales Bikes & Sleds for the third year in a row. Mason Fix of Amherst, N.Y., was honored as Tread City Tire Street ET champion as he also was a “three-peat” champion.
The Sportsman of the Year award went to competitor Dave Texido for his efforts behind the scenes at Lancaster Dragway. The second annual Libby Gayman Award went to Ann-Marie Nugent in honor of her support of Team Lancaster at the IHRA Summit Team Finals.
