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Photo Michael Jaworecki/Myracenews
Allentown, PA – Anthony Sesely enters the Indoor Auto Racing Series Fueled by VP season opener inside Allentown’s PPL Center as the man to beat. A winner of two of three features and the series championship last season, Sesely is returning to action for the 2024 opener presented by Ironton Global Cloud Phone on January 5th and 6th at the PPL Center, with the same unbeaten No. 44 owned by Jeff Ulrich and Rick Kluth.
Sesely debuted the newly designed TQ Midget at the 2022 series finale in Syracuse, NY with a come from behind victory. The Matawan, N.J. driver then won with that same car again at the 2023 season opener in Allentown.
Attempting to go even faster, the team debuted another TQ Midget for the annual Atlantic City Indoor Series race, but it didn’t have that same lucky four-leaf clover and he finished third in a Friday night Covid-19 rescheduled Gambler’s Classic.
Returning to their proven machine on Saturday in Atlantic City, Sesely won again – a remarkable third straight in that race car to clinch the championship. The win also made him a four-time Atlantic City Gambler’s Classic winner during the NAPA Auto Parts weekend.
With a double feature format set for Allentown, Sesely will seek a fourth straight win on Friday night and a drive for five on Saturday. Thanks to a special Ironton Auto Body challenge in place, should Sesely win on Friday and agree to start 10th on Saturday and win again he would earn $10,000 for the weekend sweep.
The sweep would be profitable, but it won’t come easy for Sesely with over 40 TQ Midgets entered with top drivers from eight states focused on putting an end to his win streak.
Ryan Flores of Davidson, NC is expected to be among the top candidates to not only stop Sesely but pull off the weekend sweep. Since his series debut in Allentown in 2016, Flores is the only driver to win both nights when he won his first two of five Allentown wins on back-to-back nights.
In contention to win all three features last year, Flores finished a season best second to Sesely at last year’s PPL Center opener. Flores will be back with his No. 15 seeking to prove he’s once again the guy to beat in Allentown.
Andy Jankowiak, last year’s Friday night Gambler’s Classic winner in Atlantic City is another pre-race favorite. The Tonawanda, N.Y. driver, who finished second in the series points last year, finished a disappointing sixth in Allentown last year, but he is always fast in his home-built No. 57.
The eighth running of the Allentown event will feature three divisions of racing: TQ Midgets, Slingshots and Champ Karts with qualifying races and main events both nights.
Friday’s events sponsored by BELFOR Property Restoration begins at 7:30 PM with doors opening one hour earlier. Saturday’s racing, sponsored by Future Homes, fires up at 7 PM.
Saturday’s annual Fan Fest, open to all fans who purchased 100 level reserved seats, will offer a close up look of the race cars and a chance to meet the drivers before the racing begins. To gain access Fan Fest ticket holders must enter through the Air Products gate located at 7th and Linden Street, which opens at 5 PM. All other gates will open on Saturday at 6 PM.
Tickets are on sale, online at PPLCenter.com or at the Box Office daily including the days of the event. New this year is a Friday/ Saturday Combo Ticket and a Friday night a lower level family section with Adult tickets starting at just $20 and Kids $5.
After the Allentown races, the chase for the Indoor Series championship will head to Atlantic City, NJ January 26 and 27 at Boardwalk Hall for the 22nd running of the NAPA Auto Parts Atlantic City Indoor Races.
The indoor series ends with the BELFOR East Coast Dirt Nationals at the Trenton, N.J. Cure Insurance Arena on February 23 and 24th.
For more information including links to purchase tickets, entry forms and book hotel rooms within walking distance of the center visit www.indoorautoracing.com.
