Orange County To Hold 43-Lap Jimmy Horton Tribute Season Opener June 6th; Fans In Drive-In Only

Story By: ORANGE COUNTY FAIR SPEEDWAY – MIDDLETOWN, NY – Saturday, June 6th, 2020, The Orange County Fair Speedway is back on track with their season opener, a 43-lap race, run in honor of one of their most decorated competitors, 64-year old driver, NASCAR Daytona winner, Jimmy Horton, also known as “The Sensational One”.

The Northeast’s toughest will battle it out for a $4,300 to win prize too! Sportsman division also racing. Stream all the action live at home right here on the OCFS website for $24.99.

Though OCFS has lost 10 early season races due to the COVID-19 shut down, it is not uncommon for the track to suffer the loss of several events in the rainy spring months of the early season. Now that the northeast is entering the summer months, prime racing season is upon us and OCFS is fortunate to be opening their gates, albeit in a limited capacity.

Initially, competitors will be welcomed back with just 2 divisions a night. Opening Night will feature the United Rentals Big Block Division in a 43-lap race and a $4,300 to win boosted purse with the Sportsman division supporting.

Competitors will be expected to follow rigorous social distancing protocols and take all measures recommended by the CDC for reducing the spread of COVID-19. For a full breakdown on protocols and measures taken, OCFS has added sections to their “Competitor Info” menu on their website (orangecountyfairspeedway.net). OCFS staff and management is also prepared with PPE and social distancing guidelines and will be enforcing measures on the grounds among themselves, competitors and teams.

At this time, OCFS cannot welcome fans back to their grandstands unfortunately; however the historic speedway boasts a unique feature, a Drive-In Section. With drive-in theaters being given the greenlight to open back up with limited capacity in NYS, OCFS can open theirs to fans when racing resumes at the over 100-year-old speedway. To maintain social distancing, OCFS’s Drive-In capacity will be reduced, making a spot at the races a hot commodity. To best accommodate their customers, OCFS will pre-sell Drive-In parking spots by phone. Fans can call the speedway office at 845-342-2573 from 11am-5pm, and reference a Drive-In seat map, found under the “Fan Info” menu option of the OCFS website, to buy their drive-in spot. Spots are $99 each and includes admission for up to 4 passengers.

Even in the Drive-In social distancing rules must still be maintained as we continue to slow the spread of COVID-19. Usual Drive-in activities like cooking/grilling and children bicycling in between racing action will be prohibited until further notice. Fans will be permitted to bring already prepared food that must stay contained in their vehicle and/or designated parking area.

When the drive-in section inevitably fills up with eager race fans, many will be left without a seat. For those fans and others outside the area or at higher risk of illness, OCFS will be presenting live streaming of the event. A broadcast quality, multi-camera production will be available for fans to stream on the OCFS website for a fee of $24.99 starting at around 6PM on Saturday, June 6th.

Leading up to the event and on June 6th, the D-Day Invasion Anniversary, OCFS will also be collecting donations for Hudson Valley Honor Flight, a charity the speedway has worked with for the last 2 seasons to raise money to send aging US military veterans in our area to DC where they can visit the many memorials in their honor and receive recognition for their service. The speedway will utilize Facebook to collect donations for the charity, where fans will also get to watch an exclusive free preview of the June 6th Live Stream.

Check out OCFS’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OCFSRacing/

June 6th Schedule of Events

3:00 – 5:15 pm Pit Gate opens / All Divisions Handicap Starting Spots
5:15 – 5:45 pm Facebook Drivers Meeting
5:45 – 6:00 pm Sportsman to staging area
6:00 – 6:20 pm Hot Laps Sportsman
6:00 – 6:30 pm Modifieds practice session
6:20 – 6:40 pm Hot Laps Modifieds
6:40 – 6:45 pm Pre-Race Ceremonies / National Anthem
6:45 -7:45 pm Sportsman Heats – 6 Heats, 8 Laps each
7:45 – 8:20 pm Modified Heats – 4 Heats, 8 Laps each
8:20 – 8:40 pm Sportsman Last Chance Qualifier(s) – 8 Laps
8:40 – 8:50 pm Modified Last Chance Qualifier – 8 Laps
8:55 – 9:20 pm Sportsman Feature Event – 20 Laps
SPORTSMAN VICTORY LANE PHOTO. DRIVER REMAINS IN CAR, NO CREW
9:25 – 9:55 pm Modified Feature – 30 Laps
MODIFIED VICTORY LANE PHOTO. DRIVER REMAINS IN CAR, NO CREW