NOR’EASTER POSTPONES EASTERN STATES 200
48TH Annual Modified Race Gets Green Flag On Saturday, November 7

MIDDLETOWN, NY (October 18)……..Overnight rains and a forecast of continued inclement weather forced Orange County Fair Speedway officials to postpone the entire Sunday portion of Eastern States Weekend, including the 48th Annual Eastern States 200 for Modifieds until Saturday, November 7.

“We tried hard to get he program in, but Mother Nature threw us a real curve ball,” said speedway general manager Ken Sands while announcing the postponement and rescheduling of he event. “On the other hand, given the forecast, we were fortunate to complete both the Friday and Saturday portions of the weekend.”

On Saturday, November 7, all gates will open at 7:00 AM, with track action beginning with warm-ups at 9:00 AM and racing an hour later at 10:00 AM.

Prior to the headline Eastern States 200, the Modified stock car drivers will have a last chance consolation race to determine the final starters in the 200-lap grind around the five-eighths-mile Hard Clay track. In addition, the Vintage Modifieds will run their feature race, and the Pro Stock class will see action in qualifying races and a 30-Lap feature.

Entries for the Eastern States 200 are still open and additional competitors are welcome to attempt to qualify, although they will start behind those drivers already assigned a position in the consolation race.

Already set to go in the Eastern States 200 are 36 drivers who qualified through time trials and heat races on Friday and Saturday. Tim Fuller, a star driver in both Modifieds and dirt track Late Models, turned the fastest lap in time trials and will start from the pole position. He’ll be joined on the front row by young Matt Sheppard, the winner of the recently-run Syracuse 200 at the New York State Fairgrounds. Eight-time Eastern States 200 champion Brett Hearn, who also won the Saturday 100-lap 358 Modified race for the 12th time, will start third. Alongside Hearn for the start will be Jerry Higbie, the 2009 Modified co-champion at Orange County. Rounding out the top-six starters determined by time trials will be upstate New York ace Jimmy Phelps and Billy Decker, the 1998 Eastern States 200 winner.

Sunday, November 8 has been set aside as the rain date for the rescheduled Eastern States 200.

Information regarding the rescheduled Eastern States 200 is available from the Speedway Office during regular business hours by calling 845-342-2573. Additional information can be found at the official Orange County Fair Speedway website, www.orangecountyfairspeedway.net.