News Director 
Story By: TED SCHMIDT / MOTORSPORTS EXPO – SYRACUSE, NY – After a long, cold off-season, the day that race fans wait for all winter long is upon us. The first big event of the 2017 race season in New York State is the annual Motorsports Expo 2017 show. The annual rite of spring serves as the first major event of the new racing season in New York State, and the 31st anniversary edition is shaping up to be another must-see event as the racing community comes together to start a new season.
The31st anniversary edition of Motorsports Expo takes place in the Center of Progress Building on the New York State Fairgrounds,. Motorsports Expo 2017 will open to the public on Saturday, March 11th with public hours from 10AM-8PM. On Sunday, March 12th, the show hours are 11AM-4PM. Set-up will take place on March 10th as vendors and participants will be getting everything ready for the official show opening on Saturday morning.
More than 200 race teams are expected to converge on Syracuse for the weekend, proudly displaying their new creations and allowing fans to get a close-up view of their equipment prior to taking to the various area speedways in the weeks following the show. While the emphasis of the show is geared heavily toward short track oval racing both asphalt and dirt track , just about every form of Motorsports is represented at Motorsports Expo 2017.
Many area speedways and sanctioning bodies all speedways and sanctioning bodies will be on hand with booths set up to promote their rapidly approaching racing season. Most will have their 2017 season schedules finalized and will have schedule cards and other pertinent information ready to distribute to both race teams and fans,
A large variety of vendors selling racing related products will also be a part of Motorsports Expo 2017. Show vendors annually bring a wide variety of merchandise to the show with a great variety of products ranging from the latest must-have speed equipment for the race teams to souvenirs and apparel of every type imaginable for the race fans.
Longtime Motorsports Expo Sponsor Ferris Mowers are offering a special deal for the 31st anniversary edition of Motorsports Expo. Race fans are invited to stop in to one of the participating Central New York Ferris dealers and pick up a coupon good for half price admission into Motorsports Expo 2017. With the coupon from your favorite Ferris dealer, fans can enjoy an entire day of Motorsports related entertainment for only $6. A full list of participating dealers can be found at www.gaternews.com. Longtime Motorsports Expo supporters 07 Racing Photos in Endwell, NY and Mitchell’s Speedway Press in Oswego will also be distributing half price tickets.
As has become a tradition at Motorsports Expo, the Spalding Foundation for Injured Drivers will present their annual Charity Auction. The auction features a great assortment of unique, one of a kind items donated by members of the racing community to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The event raises funds for the Spalding Foundation Injured Driver Fund, which provides financial assistance to drivers and other individuals injured in Motorsports related events.
The Maplewood Suites Extended Stay Hotel of Liverpool, NY has been selected as the Official Host Hotel for Motorsports Expo 2017. The Maplewood Suites Extended Stay Hotel is conveniently located at 400 Seventh North St. Liverpool, NY. The location is also quite convenient to the New York State Fairgrounds, the site of Motorsports Expo 2017, with it being an easy 10 minute drive to the Fairgrounds. The Maplewood Suites will be offering a very attractive room rate for those requiring lodging for Motorsports Expo 2017. They are offering rooms at a substantially discounted rate of $99 per night for those attending or participating in Motorsports Expo 2017. This represents a substantial savings from the hotel’s usual rates and is offered exclusively to those fans and participants in town for Motorsports Expo 2017.
In order to obtain the special rate, reservations must be made by calling the hotel’s group sales office directly at 315-451-1511 and mentioning the code “MSEXPO“. The friendly staff there will be happy to assist in booking rooms at the quoted rate for Motorsports Expo 2017. Please note that this code is not valid for online reservations, a telephone call to the group sales office is the only way to obtain this special rate.
Motorsports Expo and Trade Shows is made possible by loyal sponsors Ferris Industries, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Area Auto Racing News, Mitchell’s Speedway Press, Sunoco Race Fuels by Insinger Performance, and Flag 2 Flag Racing Classifieds.
This years event is shaping up to be the biggest ever with the cars and stars from all kinds of racing on hand. Management is encouraged by all the early phone calls to date. For those wishing to take part in Motorsports Expo, the necessary forms are now available online at www.gaternews.com. Forms and information are also available by calling the show office at 315-378-8002 during regular business hours.
