Written by Chris Moore

VERNON, NY – Less than a month.

In less than one month (Friday, April 22), gates open for the first time in the new year for an Open Practice at Utica-Rome Speedway. All divisions are welcome to the open practice and grandstand admission is free.

The following weekend, the second season under the watch of speedway promoter Brett Deyo of BD Motorsports Media LLC and general managers Jamie and Denise Page begins at the ‘Home of Heroes.’

Friday, April 29 serves as the season opener at the Route 5 oval with the first-ever ‘Honoring Alex’ event for the Sunoco Modifieds. The 30-lap main event pays the winner a whopping $6,800 in honor of the late Alex Friesen, a dynamic race promoter of several facilities – including Utica-Rome – who passed away before his time in Dec. 1996.

Friday night racing continues in the 2022 season with the Sunoco Modifieds headlining the weekly card.

Defending champion Matt Sheppard leads a stout field of Sunoco Modified drivers set to return in pursuit of the 2022 championship.

Gloversville, N.Y.’s Rocky Warner, Sheffield, Mass. star Andy Bachetti, Middlesex, N.Y.’s Alan Johnson, and Sprakers, N.Y.’s husband-and-wife duo Stewart and Jessica Friesen are all set to return to action at Utica-Rome.

The new year will bring new stars as well into the Friday night fold at Utica-Rome Speedway. Unadilla, N.Y.’s Billy Decker and Covington Township, Pa.’s Alex Yankowski have announced their plans to join the Friday night Sunoco Modified fleet at the ‘Home of Heroes.’

The Modifieds will be joined by the Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman, Next Generation Graphix Pro Stocks, Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman, and the Fonda Fair Four Cylinders on a weekly basis.

The Senior Services Inc. All-Star Slingshots and D&S Landscaping Junior Slingshots are scheduled to be in attendance on a bi-weekly basis.

Twenty-one race nights in total are scheduled for the Vernon half-mile, including visits from the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco on two occasions (July 21 & Sept. 4), the Tezos All-Star Circuit of Champions 410 Sprint Cars (Aug. 20), and the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) on two occasions (May 13 & Aug. 15).

The Monster Truck Racing League also visits the ‘Home of Heroes’ for the first time ever. On Saturday-Sunday Sept. 10- 11, “Monster Truck Madness” brings a new type of entertainment to Utica-Rome Speedway.

The 2022 campaign ends on Oct. 4 with the return of the ‘Cole Cup.’ The Sunoco Modifieds battle in the ‘Ultimate Outlaw 50’ while the Patriot Sprint Tour 360 Sprint Cars take part in the ‘Cole Cup’s’ return. The Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman will join the season finale program.

Weekly grandstand admission is $12 for Adults, $10 for Seniors (ages 65 & up) and Kids 11 & Under get in FREE with increases for special events as noted.

Weekly pit admission is $30 for Utica-Rome Speedway Members and $35 for Non-Members with increases for special events as noted.

Visit https://www.uticaromespeedway.com/?page_id=3858 for full schedule details.

All ’22 Utica-Rome Speedway events will be broadcast live on FloRacing (www.floracing.tv).

Utica-Rome Speedway is located at 5591 NY-5 (Seneca Turnpike) Vernon, NY 13476. The official website is www.uticaromespeedway.com.  Like Utica-Rome Speedway on Facebook or @UR_Speedway.