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Motorsports Show Returning to Pennsylvania

After a three year stint in Atlantic City, NJ, Motorsports 2010 Race Car and Trade Show presented by VP’s Street Blaze, one of the leading off-season auto racing shows in the country, is returning to its Pennsylvania roots.

Now being held for a 25^th consecutive year, Motorsports 2010 is set for January 22-24 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks.

For most of its run the show was held at the nearby Fort Washington Expo Center until that facility was closed in 2006.

Show promoter Len Sammons, who is the Editor of Area Auto Racing News, then moved the event to Atlantic City to coincide with his indoor midget races at Boardwalk Hall.

“We never planned on leaving the Fort Washington Expo Center until they closed and when they did it was a really short notice deal and came as a surprise. We had dates booked there for several years. There wasn’t anything in the area that suited us as far as a building as big as we need. There are few really in the Northeast that have that kind of size and location that we were looking for,” said Sammons.

“Atlantic City was an opportunity where we can go and run the two events together. But we continued to search because it was very difficult to do both events the same weekend especially when it came to staffing.”

The newly opened 275,000 square foot venue is in the same immediate area where the very first Motorsports show debuted in 1986 at the Valley Forge Convention Center.

“We kept an open communication with many people that where considering new locations to replace Fort Washington,” said Sammons. “When this building became available we were very lucky to be able to get the date we wanted. There’s actually more space then we had in Atlantic City.

The Motorsports show has thrived over the years much in part to the location. Just outside of Philadelphia and easily attainable within what is considered the central location of all of Northeast racing.

“If you were to take a map of the sector of Northeast racing the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center where we are at now is right in the center of that whereas when you’re in Atlantic City you’re right up against the water so people where only coming from half of that circle. To get the same amount of people you had to travel to a greater distance,” explained Sammons.

“And it’s only going to improve as time goes on. This is all free parking and there is double the amount of spaces that was available at Fort Washington. We’re also going to run some shuttle busses around from the more distant areas and have them available if the weather is bad.”

In reaching the milestone quarter century mark Sammons reflected on what has been a great run thus far.

“We were really surprised that there were people who came the first year and we were equally not as prepared for as many that came. We had a staff of maybe six or eight people that where helping me that year and now were up to about 75 people working the show.

“It really has grown and I never thought we’d be able to get the talented drivers that we’ve had come. We’re really proud to have had such stars as Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Jr., Jeff Gordon, Mario Andretti, Rusty Wallace all come and signed autographs over the years.”

This year’s edition of Motorsports 2010 will again see many of the traditional events such as the hugely popular Ms. Motorsports Pageant.

“All the girls are well spoken and they don’t only represent our show but all of motorsports,” noted Sammons.

A host of free seminars are also planned and of course every type of motorsports will fill the aisles. Attendees will have the opportunity to collect autographs from NASCAR Sprint Cup notables Kasey Kahne and Marcos Ambrose, drag racing star Morgan Lucas, NASCAR legend Bobby Allison, World of Outlaws star Danny Lasoski along with a long list of local and regional racing stars and personalities.

Another highlight over the past few years has been the tribute to past local speedways and this year will feature Langhorne Speedway which ran its last event in 1971.

“That’s really going very well. Of course Langhorne Speedway was not that far from where the convention center is so it made a natural that when we came back to Pennsylvania to do the tribute to Langhorne,” said Sammons.

“We’re really privileged that we are able to get some of the drivers who raced there to come to the show too since it’s been closed for so long especially Dutch Hoag who we’ve been trying to get to come to the show for several years.

“He won the Race of Champions there five times both when it was dirt and asphalt. He’ll be coming on Saturday when we’ll be doing a special autograph session that afternoon that will focus on these special drivers. It’s shaping up quickly to be a must see event.

Hully Bunn who won the first Race of Champions is also going to come as will Roger Treichler who won the last race at Langhorne. Ralph “The Racer” Liguori, Bill Wimble, Wes Moody and a host of others from that era are expected to be on hand.

Coastal 181, publisher of a variety of top-rated auto racing books, is throwing their support behind the Langhorne Speedway reunion and will have copies of “Langhorne! No Man’s Land” available for purchase. The book, written by Spencer Riggs, has had rave reviews. It covers the entire history of Langhorne Speedway from 1926 to 1971.

The Garden State Vintage Stock Car Club will be spearheading the display that will include vintage Indy, stock and modified cars.

The show opens on Friday, January 22 at 3:00 pm. Saturday and Sunday doors open at 11:00 am. For additional info log on to www.aarn.com