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By Barry Angstadt
Trenton, NJ – Much like George Washington leading his troops across the Delaware, Billy Pauch Jr. is preparing for a triumphant march to Trenton —and this time, he’s determined to seize victory at the East Coast Dirt Nationals presented by Belfor Property Restoration on February 21st and 22nd.
With a storied history at the event, Pauch has been a contender since day one, qualifying for the five A-Mains held, making him one of only four drivers to do so. But unlike Washington’s daring crossing of the icy river, the ultimate triumph has always eluded him. Three podium finishes have earned him respect, but the win—the crowning glory—has remained just out of reach.
Pauch has been one spot short on two occasions and last year won Friday night’s preliminary so he enters the sixth running of the race with one objective – win on Saturday night!
“I think it suits my style of driving,” said Pauch of the high-banked black clay bull-ring raceway build inside the CURE Insurance Arena for the event.
“It’s a very technical race track, and I love technical tracks.You have to be searching all the time to find the best line; the fastest groove. And that line can, and probably will, change more than once throughout the night. Heck, it changes a few times just during the A-main on Saturday,” Pauch explained.
“There’s too many high speed tracks now, where you just blast it into the corner and try to slide somebody. And thats okay; I enjoy that kind of racing, too. But the smaller, technical tracks, where you have to search for the best groove and set up people to pass them…that’s what I love and, based on the results in Trenton, I guess I go pretty good on tracks like that.”
Pauch, who competes weekly during the outdoor season in a dirt Modified, would love to be the third driver from that division to win the race. At last year’s event, dirt Modified driver Anthony Perrego from Montgomery, NY made a late charge from deep in the starting field to take the lead in the final laps. By doing so, Perrego became the fifth different winner in the five running of the race!
Perrego, a rookie at the event last year, plans to be the first repeat winner as does 2023 victory Tim Buckwalter of Douglasville, PA and 2020 winner Jon Keller of Salem, NJ who scored his win after beginning Saturday starting last in the E-Main!
This year is Pauch will do battle in Keith Nonnemacher’s K2 Motorsports No. 61. His march to battle will begin on Friday night qualifying races for the 90 drivers entered will narrow the field down to 24 starters in a 25 lap feature event. The top performers from Friday’s action, lock into Saturday’s A-Main.
Saturday’s ‘alphabet soup’ program consist two E, D and C main that advance the top five to the rear of the next letter. Two B-Mains, each transferring the top seven, fill out the 24 car starting field. Saturday’s event also includes a Dash for the Friday’s top ten qualified cars.
One driver, New York’s Scott Kreutter, comes to the event with a guaranteed starting spot. Kreutter, by winning Saturday night’s 600 Micro Sprint A-Main during the Atlantic City Indoor Races, not only locked himself in to the main event, but he will start no further back than in the 11th starting spot.
Good seats remain available through a link to Ticketmaster at indoorautoracing.com or at the arena box office.
Friday’s doors open at 6 PM with racing at 7 PM. A field of 90 wingless 600 Sprints with drivers from six states will compete in qualifying events leading up to a 25-lap feature.
Saturday’s doors open at 4 PM with a special autograph session on the concourse at 5 PM among top competitors. After E through B qualifying main events and a DASH among top performers, the 40 lap main event will be held.
For more information check out the series web-site, indoorautoracing.com or the series Facebook page.
