Two huge Street Outlaws shows highlight preliminary slate of events

LANCASTER, NY – While a blanket of white covers the Western New York area, the management of Lancaster National Dragway has visions of burnouts and fast cars dancing in their heads with the release of the 2017 season schedule. This is the preliminary list of events with more to be added once finalized.

Weekly Friday night IHRA Drag Racing will take place from May to September featuring four weekly classes of competition (Mallare Enterprises Top ET, McGard Mod ET, Hebeler’s Sales Bikes & Sleds and Tread City Tire Street), plus a wide-ranging variety of special events.

Lancaster is increasing the general admission adult front-gate price for regular Friday night events from $7 to $8 in 2017, however, special event prices will remain the same.

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LANCASTER, NY – Lancaster National Dragway saluted its 2016 Franco’s Pizza IHRA Drag Racing track champions and celebrated this past season on Friday night with the Season Awards Banquet at the Variety Club Banquet Hall in Lancaster.

Racers signed up for the weekly points program shared in a $10,000 point fund, part of which came from the sales of Sunoco Race Fuel at the track during the season.

All of the 2016 Lancaster National Dragway class champions were honored during the festivities, including Shawn Beatty (Mallare Enterprises Top ET), Dale Eckert (and Clay Ricketson) (McGard Mod ET), Mason Fix (with Jim Bruckman and Nick Morrissey) (Tread City Tire Street) and Mike Peters (Hebeler’s Bikes & Sleds).

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Winkowski, Weller, Haight & Nowak finish season with wins

LANCASTER, NY – Lancaster National Dragway put a wrap on the 2016 Franco’s Pizza IHRA Drag Racing season on Friday night as the track champions were crowned for all four weekly classes. The season finale was also highlighted by four drivers ending the year with their first wins of the season.

Veteran Mike Nowak of Lancaster picked up the win in Top 8 Eliminator. Nowak defeated Mark Talmadge in a double breakout with Nowak running just .001 seconds quicker than his 4.98 dial-in.

Jan Winkowski’s Lunatic Fringe Chevy Nova scored top honors in Mallare Enterprises Top ET. Winkowski, from Cheektowaga, N.Y., won on a breakout by Shawn Beatty. Beatty and his co-driver Chris Van Baalen did receive quite the consolation prize, however, as they clinched the 2016 Mallare Enterprises Top ET championship.

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Ricketson & Lingle take Gasser Racing Series top honors

LANCASTER, NY – Lancaster National Dragway’s Franco’s Pizza IHRA Drag Racing program hosted its penultimate event of the 2016 season on Friday night. Two first time winners graced victory lane, plus the Gasser Racing Series made its final visit of the year.

Wayne Cleveland of Williamsville, N.Y. returned to victory lane in Top 8 for his third win overall this season. Cleveland matched his 5.71 dial-in in the final round while his opponent, Steve Moscovic, broke out.

In Mallare Enterprises Top ET, Gerry Manzi of Niagara Falls, N.Y. made his first trip to Lancaster in 12 years a memorable one as he scored his first career win at the track. Manzi caught and passed Rick Szewczyk, Jr. in the final round to get the win. There was also a first time winner in McGard Mod as Lew Hyde of West Seneca, N.Y. made his first voyage to victory lane. Hyde won after “Fast Eddie” Semlitsch was too fast off the starting line and red lighted.

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LANCASTER, NY – Lancaster National Dragway kicked off Labor Day weekend in Western New York with a full card of Franco’s Pizza Friday Night IHRA Drag Racing plus the final of the season by the Buffalo Street Outlaws and TNT Hot Rod Series.

The Buffalo Street Outlaws final round featured a pair of the two most recent winners at Lancaster with Moe Alfaqih of Cheektowaga, N.Y. and Ed McGuinn of Rochester. McGuinn left the starting line too soon to give Alfaqih his second win of the year. Chris Halton of Amherst, N.Y. won the Buffalo Street Outlaws Limited Street class as he defeated Darrow Rumsey on a starting line hole-shot. Rumsey had a faster elapsed time, but Halton left the starting line first.

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LANCASTER, NY – Lancaster National Dragway hosted Truck Night presented by Hunter Truck Sales, Peterbilt Buffalo and Mallare Enterprises on Friday night. The event was a chance for dump truck and semi-truck drivers to try their hand at drag racing with their big rigs.

The Dump Truck and Semi Truck classes had great turnouts with around 20 trucks in each class. Greg Graham of Pavilion, N.Y. took the win in the Semi Truck class in his 1979 Peterbilt. Tim Payne of Gasport, N.Y. won the Dump Truck class aboard a 2013 Caterpillar. Both winners took home $750 for their efforts

There was also a special class for pick-up trucks and SUVs sponsored by Halleen’s Auto & Truck Accessories. Street ET regular, Chris Kujawski of Lancaster, N.Y., scored the win in a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer.

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LANCASTER, NY – Mike Peters of Angola, N.Y. scored his third win of the season at Lancaster National Dragway on Friday night as he captured the $500-to-win special for the Hebeler’s Sales Sleds & Bikes class.

Peters claimed victory after Dick Nearhoof left the starting line too soon in the finals and triggered the red light. He is now tied with Alan Fletcher for wins in Bikes & Sleds this season.

The Gasser Racing Series (GRS) made their third visit of the year to Lancaster. Paul Wandt of Tonawanda, N.Y. took the win in GRS Mod thanks to a red light by Lyndsy Payne in the finals. Art Misuraca of Lakeview, N.Y. was victorious in the GRS Gassers aboard his 1934 Ford.

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Becomes second driver to sweep Top ET & Top 8 in same night

LANCASTER, NY – For the second time in 2016 a driver at Lancaster National Dragway picked up two class wins in the same night. Joe Masullo of Buffalo piloted his rear engine dragster to victories in both Mallare Enterprises Top and Top 8.

Masullo first defeated veteran Vito Antonicelli in the Top 8 finals. He was then inserted into the Mallare Enterprises Top ET bracket where he advanced to the final round once again. Masullo got the win over Jan Winkowski in the Top ET final after both competitors broke out.

Masullo joins Wayne Cleveland as the only other driver to pick up two class wins in the same night. He now has five overall wins at Lancaster in 2016 with three in Top 8 and two in Top ET.

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LANCASTER, NY – Lancaster National Dragway celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Funny Car this past Friday with Funny Car Friday. There were match races between the Alcohol Funny Cars of Vinnie Rastelli and Chris Zagoda and the vintage Funny Cars of Kim McKean and Johnny K.

In Franco’s Pizza Friday Night IHRA Drag Racing action, Joe Masullo of Buffalo picked up his second win of the year in Top 8. Masullo’s rear engine dragster got the win after his opponent, Kenn Dominczak, red light in the final round. He now has three wins overall in 2016 with a win in Top ET as well.

Bill Blaser, Sr. of Cheektowaga, N.Y. took top honors in Mallare Enterprises Top ET. Balser narrowly held off Thomas Fletcher for the win. Dale Eckert earned his fifth win of the season in McGard Mod ET. Eckert beat Clay Ricketson on a double breakout in the finals.

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LANCASTER, NY – Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway opened up Sunday Nostalgia Weekend on Friday night with its weekly Franco’s Pizza IHRA Drag Racing program plus a special Nostalgia Eliminator class to go along with the throwback theme of the weekend.

The Nostalgia Eliminator final was another chapter of the Ricketson Family Feud. The latest chapter featured Reid Ricketson of Darien Center, N.Y. facing his brother Clay in the special class designed for cars produced before 1980 and run no electronics. Reid Ricketson picked up his fifth win of the year overall at Lancaster as Clay Ricketson broke out.

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