VERNON, NY – Two days are better than one.

For the fourth consecutive Friday night, rain intervened at Utica-Rome Speedway this past Friday, June 23, setting up an unscheduled doubleheader of auto racing at the Home of Heroes on Thursday, June 29 and Friday, June 30.

As scheduled for this Thursday, June 29, Utica-Rome Speedway hosts the Bill Shea Memorial saluting the well-liked former speedway promoter, car owner and proponent of auto racing in Central New York and beyond. Shea passed away unexpectedly last fall.

Broedel Fuel Group and Dirt Track Digest present the Thursday night (June 29) action which is headlined by the Empire Super Sprints (ESS) 360 Sprint Cars.

The fire-breathing winged Sprint Cars visit as part of their four-night ESS Speedweek, bringing the Northeast’s top 360 Sprint Car competitors together. Each of the ESS Speedweek events pays a minimum of $2,500 to the winner.

The F.X. Caprara Car Companies Thunder on the Thruway Series is set for Thursday’s event featuring the 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds ($4,000 to win), Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman ($1,500 to win) and Next Generation GraphiX Pro Stocks ($1,000 to win), all in draw/redraw events.

Utica-Rome regulars will receive 25 show-up points to attend on Thursday. NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and Thunder on the Thruway Series points will be offered, as well.

For Thursday’s event, gates open at 5 p.m., with hot laps at 6:45 p.m. and racing at 7:30 p.m.

Adult grandstand admission is $25. Seniors (ages 65 and over) pay $23. Kids 11 and under are FREE.

Pit admission is $45 (ages 13 and up), $40 (NASCAR or Utica-Rome Members), $10 Kids (ages 6-12) and $2 Children (ages 5 and under).

The resumption of last Friday night’s (June 23) show presented by Parks Companies and Zielinski Asphalt takes place this Friday, June 30, which had been a scheduled night off.

Now, June 30 will pick up where racing stopped last Friday. Prior to the precipitation, heats for the Next Generation GraphiX Pro Stocks, 3 Bastards Brewing Modifieds and Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman had been completed.

Last Friday’s program was part of the Thunder on the Thruway Series, as well.

Still to run: Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman heats, Fonda Fair Four Cylinder heats, Worthington Industries Crate 602 Sportsman consolation and all feature events.

Any additional entries will be handled as follows:

• Pro Stocks tag the back of the 20-lap feature (there were 20 entries).
• Modifieds had 22 entries on Friday. Additions will tag the back of the feature up to 26 starters. If more than four new cars attend on Friday, a consolation will be run.
• Any Crate 602 Sportsman additions go to the consolation (there were 32 entries on Friday)
• Any Limited Sportsman or Four Cylinder newcomers will fall on the tail of a heat race. There were 16 Limited Sportsman and 15 Four Cylinders, respectively.

The Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Series, which completed only its Antique feature in full, has elected not to return on Friday with a scheduled date at N.Y.’s Fonda Speedway Saturday.

All wristbands from June 23 will be honored June 30 or at another event this season at face value.

New admission pricing is as follows: $18 (Adults), $16 (Seniors) and Kids 11 and under FREE in the grandstand. Pit admission is $40 (ages 13 and up), $35 (NASCAR or Utica-Rome Members), $10 Kids (ages 6-12) and $2 Children ages 5 and under.

Both 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 and the speedway can be reached by phone at 315.953.4097.  Like Utica-Rome Speedway on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @UR_Speedway.