Are you looking for something different to do on a Saturday Night? Do you like the sound of powerful motors and the smell of burning fuel and rubber? If you answered yes to either of these questions then Doug and Gina Hoffman’s Mahoning Valley Speedway is for you. Located just west of Lehighton, PA, Mahoning Valley Speedway is Pennsylvania’s home for the mighty modifieds.
Modifieds are stock cars in name only. These little rockets are powered by 600 horse power motors and weigh less than 2,700 pounds. They ride on 15 inch wide slick tires on both the front and back meaning that all that power gets transfered directly to the race track. These cars are so powerful that they have a difficult time passing at many race tracks. Not at Mahoning Valley! Mahoning Valley Speedway is a 1/4 mile track with no real straightaways. The cars are always turning meaning that the action is non-stop. Cars race side by side all night long. Last Saturday’s 35 laps went from green to checker without a yellow flag and the top three cars were never more than a foot apart. Four more times this season, the modifieds will compete in special 100 lap races with bigger purses and even more excitement. The next race in this modified series will be on Saturday, June 6. 
The modifieds are only part of the great racing programs at Mahoning Valley. My next favorite division is the street stocks. These cars are mainly 198os vintage Camaros and Monte Carlos dressed up for racing. Their 25 lap feature races racing that often goes three wide. There are times when you couldn’t fit a sheet of notebook paper between the cars. On any given Saturday night, there are up to 10 street stocks that have a chance to win.
Mahoning Valley also runs late model stock cars, 4-cylinder stock cars that are mainly Ford Pintos and modifieds that were made for dirt but fly on asphalt. They also have guest divisions most weeks. The gates at Mahoning Valley Speedway open every Saturday evening at 4:00 and racing begins promptly at 6:00. On most evenings you’ll be on your way home before 10:00.
One of the great things about Mahoning Valley Speedway is that you can bring your picnic cooler full of food and beverages meaning that an evening at the races will cost your family far less than a ballgame or other sporting event. Another family friendly feature is that there is no alcohol allowed. Admission to Mahoning Valley Speedway ranges from $12 for regular shows to $20 for the 100 lap modified races. Students, seniors and active military receive a $2 discount and children 10 and under are always free. Pack your picnic backpack and head for Mahoning Valley Speedway very soon. When you do, tell them the Pennsylvania Wanderer sent you.
The Pennsylvania Wanderer 