A FASTRAK informational meeting pertaining to the 2009 race season at Tyler County Speedway has been scheduled at the Log building, Tyler County Fairgrounds on Sunday, February 8 at 3 p.m. The meeting will be open to all interested parties and will be hosted by FASTRAK Northeast Regional Directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone along with tech inspector Brad Hibbard. Rules, membership applications, 2009 schedules, banquet tickets, and pit stalls will also be available.

Regarding FASTRAK’s emergence into West Virginia, “The rules are stable, the tech program is meticulous, and the financial possibilities for the racers are very rewarding. With FASTRAK sanctioned tracks virtually surrounding Tyler County Speedway’s geographic area, we feel this move will be positive for all and expect to see significant future growth for this class,” explained BDS spokesman Scott Strode.

“BDS has taken the stance that we want to add value to our program and for our competitors whenever we possibly can. The opportunity to compete for a chance at such a lucrative points structure has really got some of the guys excited, so we feel that in addition to controlling costs, we have increased our competitors chances to not only see some point money but also to see how they stack up nationally with racers in comparable equipment,” concluded Strode

The sealed or crate engine (called so because the GM version of the sealed engine comes delivered fully assembled in a packing crate) class has gained momentum in most parts of the U.S. for this very reason. Providing economical and reliable power, racers who were sitting on the sidelines due to costs find they can afford an engine whose price tag new is comparable to a rebuild on an unlimited engine.

“The Late Model division is king in this part of the country, but the economics of competing in the unlimited version of the class has become increasingly expensive, with the single largest expense being the engines. Many, if not all of the front running cars have more money invested in the engines than they do in the rest of the car. When some of these teams lose an engine, it isn’t a matter of ‘when’ they’ll be back. It’s gotten to the point of wondering ‘if’ they’ll be back,” exclaimed BDS’s Brian Ferrell.

“We are fortunate to have a dedicated and talented driver base” said BDS’s Daniel Patterson. “I think some naturally took a ‘wait & see’ attitude in regards to the sealed engine program and division. After seeing that we (BDS) are just as dedicated in making this class successful, the interest level has definitely increased. All indications lead us to believe participation levels will continue to grow in the coming season, and that’s a strong statement that FASTRAK is a step in the right direction.”

“We’re really proud to welcome Tyler County into the FASTRAK family,” expressed Northeast Co-Director Vicki Emig. “Tyler County is such a respected speedway and their quality of racing is well known in the racing industry. It just continues the strong growth here in the Northeast Region for FASTRAK as it allows us to expand more into the West Virginia area. We’ve had conversations with Tyler County’s promoters the last two seasons and were hopefully they would eventually come under the FASTRAK umbrella. We were thrilled when we got the call from Dan Patterson with their intentions.”

Also on the agenda will be a HotMod informational meeting that will begin at 2pm prior to the FASTRAK meeting. As the 09′ season will see the ‘bullring’ usher in a brand new class of economy modifieds called the “HotMods”, which have already drawn rave reviews as ‘the class of the future’. Topics will range from car construction questions, rules clarifications, purse structure, sharing of ideas, build tips and more as we get closer to the debut of the “HotMods”. Also the Project HotMod car will be on display.

Tyler County Speedway, nationally known by race fans and racers as ‘the bullring’, and home of the grand-daddy of the dirt late model major event, the “Hillbilly Hundred” is a 1/4 mile dirt oval located at the Tyler County Fairgrounds in Middlebourne, WV and will be beginning the sixth year under the successful helm of BDS Promotions. For the latest news on Tyler County Speedway, check out www.tylercountyspeedway.net. More information on FASTRAK visit www.fastrakracing.com or fastraknortheast.com.