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Oaks, PA (JANUARY 20, 2024) – Thousands of enthused racers and fans interacted with hundreds of exhibitors from across the spectrum of the auto racing industry on Friday and Saturday for the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports Race Car & Trade Show inside the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.
On Friday, Megan Williams, 25, of New Tripoli, PA was crowned Aqua Duck Water Transport Ms. Motorsports 2024, winning the prestigious crown over 15 other contestants. Lindsay Garl, Ms. Motorsports 2023, crowned her successor. Alex Brown was named first runner-up, and Haylie Hammond was second runner-up. Ms. Hammond (Swimwear), Becky York (Sportswear), Mallory Kutz (Ms. Congeniality), and Christina Contento (Interview) were also special award recipients.
NASCAR Cup Series legends Jimmy Spencer and Ken Schrader met and greeted fans and participated in in-depth interviews with live audiences sitting riveted to the comments of the pair. Spencer’s Saturday appearance was his first of the 2024 Show; Schrader had been at the Show both days, signing copies of his new book ‘Still Racing’, his second autobiography which relates Schrader’s life and times from his last 20 years in the sport.
All weekend, exhibitors and vendors reported brisk sales and great interest among show attendees.
“It’s been busy here meeting with some of current customers and with new people,” Dave Ely, of Diversified Machine, Inc. (DMI) reported. “We come to this show looking to reconnect with people we already know and with people who want to know us. Our number one purpose for being at the Show is to generate future sales.”
Jeff Kreider, who recently purchased the Robison Racing Products company, was an exhibitor at the Motorsports Show for the first time. He was impressed with the traffic drawn to his booth. “We’re planting the seeds,” Kreider described. Robinson Racing Products was a long-time exhibitor in past Motorsports Shows with its former owner, the late Gerry Robison.
Jason Barney of 87 Speed was pleased with the crowd’s response to his booth and its products. “We’re here to do retailing and we’re on a pretty good pace,” Barney said mid-afternoon Saturday. “We weren’t as busy Friday with sales but found that our website traffic through Friday night was up quite a bit which is what we like to see.”
Behrent’s Performance’s Jeff Behrent was ringing up sales as fast as he could on mid-Saturday afternoon. Pausing during a lull in the sales rush, Behrent was pleased with what he was seeing. “We always do well here,” Behrent expressed, noting that the inventory he had brought to this year’s show was equal to what he had done in 2023. “We see some of the same people year after year here and always are finding new ones.”
Williams, Ms. Motorsports 2024, began the first full day of her reign presiding over the show where she met and greeted the winners of the eight Best Booth Award winners, who were as follows: Best Open Cockpit: Reese Nowotarski URC 360 Sprint; Best Drag Car: Mike Dambrosia’s 1953 Studebaker; Best Stock Car: Sammy Martz, Jr. Modified (in DMI booth); Best Booth Display: Delaware International Speedway; Best Small Car: M&M Racing No. 5M (in Phoenixville Raceway booth); Best Small Car Display: Keystone Quarter Midget Club; Best Vintage Stock Car: Rich Isett’s Gremlin (in Reading Fairgrounds booth); Best Vintage Open Cockpit Car: Bruce Bowen’s USAC Silver Crown restoration of the late John Andretti’s car).
Area Auto Racing News’ Top Feature Winning Drivers from 2023 were recognized on Saturday on stage. Matt Hirschman (Asphalt Modified), Freddie Rahmer (Open Cockpit) and Steven Snyder, Jr. (Micro Sprints) were the recipients.
The ‘Remembering Bob Weikert Tribute’ proved to be a popular attraction for the region’s 410 Sprint Car fans. Three of Weikert’s vintage No. 29 Sprint cars were on display and several prominent Weikert drivers were on hand during the weekend.
RAACE Foundation Kids Big Wheel races held Saturday afternoon were conducted with Sadie Berkenstock winning the 7-9-year-old A Main over Billy Pauch, III and Oliver Schaff. Leighla Spencer won the 5-6-year-old A Main over Karsyn Bieber and Kinley Sammons. Clay Hreniuk won the 3-4-year-old A Main with Gabriella Hilliard and Reylyn Wescott second and third.
Len Sammons Motorsports Productions has released the dates for the 2025 Pioneer Pole Buildings Race Car & Trade Show. Dates for the event at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center are Friday and Saturday, January 17-18, 2025.
More information about the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports Race Car & Trade Show can be found at www.motorsportstradeshow.com
