News Director 
Story By: JOHN SNYDER / ORANGE COUNTY FAIR SPEEDWAY – MIDDLETOWN, NY – What began in 1962 as a one-day, end-of-season 100-lap race for Modified stock cars has grown to three full days of nonstop competition with championship races for United Rentals DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds, H.O. Penn Cat Small-Block Modifieds, Arkel Motors Sportsman, NAPA Northeast Parts Group Street Stocks, Short Track Super Series Modifieds, and Pro Stocks.
Each division will compete in a full program of qualifying races and a lucrative feature event.
Headlining the weekend is Sunday’s 61st DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Eastern States 200, the oldest continuously-run post-season championship race for Big-Block dirt track Modifieds.
Thursday, October 20 Campers will be allowed on the fairgrounds beginning at 12 pm until 8:00 pm. At 1:00 PM, Big-Block Modified teams only may enter the pits. Race car inspection will take place on pit road between 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm.
Friday, October 21 activity begins at 1:00 pm with warmups for the afternoon’s competitors. Serious racing then begins with Big-Block Modified time trials, with the fastest six drivers locked into a starting slot for Sunday’s 200, and the remaining cars assigned to one of the qualifying heat races. Following the Modified heats, the top six from time trials plus the winners of the Modified heats will race for the pole—12 laps that will set the first 12 positions in Sunday’s 200. Interspersed between Modified action, the Street Stock heat races will be contested. This will wrap up the first half of Friday’s full day of racing.
Action on the track will resume approximately 7:00 pm with hot laps for the Short Track Super Series (STSS) Modifieds Hard Clay Finale. Following Opening Ceremonies and the STSS heat races and Last Chance Qualifier, the 20-lap Race of Champions invitational race for previous Eastern States 200 winners will command the speedway. The 20-lap Street Stock feature then precedes the 50-lap STSS Hard Clay Finale feature, concluding the full day of on-track action.
Saturday, October 22 track activity begins at 12:00 pm with Sportsman hot laps and group time trials. Small-Block hot laps will ensue, leading to Small-Block Modified time trials that will set the lineups for qualifying heat races, with the top-six in time trials locked into the first six positions in the 100-lap Eastern State Small-Block Modified Championship race. Next on the track are Sportsman and Small-Block Modified heat races and last chance qualifiers. With the fields set, the Sportsman Eastern States 50-lap feature race precedes the 100-lap Small-Block Modified Eastern States Championship race.
Sunday, October 23, the 61st consecutive Eastern States 200 kicks off at 11:30 am with one-hour autograph session featuring the qualified Big-Block Modified drivers. Following a break until 1:00 pm, hot laps for eligible Modifieds for their 15-lap Last Chance Qualifier, will precede timed-hot laps for the Pro Stocks. Next up will be hot laps for the qualified Modifieds, Pro Stock heats and the 15-lap Modified last chance race followed by the 20-lap Pro Stock feature.
With all the preliminary activities completed, the starting lineup for the Eastern States 200 will stage along the homestretch and fans may come onto the track for a special Lineup Photo Op (No Autographs). Following opening ceremonies, it will be time to go racing. . .in the oldest continuously-run, extra-distance championship race for dirt track Modifieds, contested on the historic five-eighths-mile clay-surfaced Orange County Fair Speedway!
Advance tickets for the entire Eastern States Weekend are now on sale from the Orange County Fair Speedway Office. This includes special-priced three-day reserved and general admission combination packages.
Reserved Seating: Top five (5) rows of full-covered and half-covered stands only. Three-day all ages $120.
Advance General Admission: Three-day Adult/Senior $100, Child (under 12) $30.
Reserved Daily Seating (all ages): Fri. $30, Sat. $40, Sun. $50
Party Deck (table of four): Fri. $300, Sat. $320, Sun. $380
General Admission: Adult/Senior Fri. $30, Sat. $35, Sun. $45; Child (under12) each day $10
Drive-In Pricing: Adult/Senior Fri. $110, Sat. $80, Sun.45; Child (under12) Fri. $30, Sat. $20, Sun. $10
Pit Admission: DAILY Fri. $50, Sat. $75, Sun. $75; Three-Day $175; Two-Day (Sat.-Sun.) $150
Camping/Parking/ATV Permits: Reserved Camping (limited space remains) $200; Overnight Parking (fairgrounds) $150, (Upper Lot) $100; Daily Parking Fri. 15, Sat. 10, Sun. $5; ATV Permits $40.
