Eastern States 200 At OCFS Reverts To Long-Established Format With Live Pit Stops & Driver Radios
News Director 
Story By: JOHN SNYDER / ORANGE COUNTY FAIR SPEEDWAY – MIDDLETOWN, NY – Set for Sunday, October 23, the 61st Annual Eastern States 200 for DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds will be a straight-through 200-lap race without a halfway fuel stop.
Instead, drivers will have to make a mandatory pit stop at any point after lap 30.
In addition, drivers may use two-way radios in the race. They are also required to use Raceceiver one-way radios to communicate with race control.
This year’s race procedures revert to a format similar to those employed in previous Eastern States races. The use of two-way radios is not allowed in any of the other racing divisions during Eastern States Weekend.
Over the course of the three-day, Friday-Sunday, October 21-23, racing extravaganza seven different racing divisions will see action on the five-eighths-mile clay-surface speedway that has hosted motorsports since 1919.
They include DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds (total base purse $158,900), Small-Block Modifieds ($47,800), Sportsman ($24,125), Street Stocks, ($3,600), Pro Stocks ($8,950), Race of Champions ($20,000), and Short Track Super Series Modifieds “Hard Clay Finale” ($35,315).
When special awards, contingency awards, and lap prize money are added, the total Eastern States Weekend prize money exceeds $300.000!
Each day of Eastern States is jam-packed with racing action:
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—DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds time trials, eight-lap qualifying heats, 12-lap Race for the Pole; NAPA Northeast Parts Group Street Stocks qualifying heats and 20-lap feature; Rapid Tire STSS North Hard Clay Finale 50 complete program; 20-lap Invitational Modified Race of Champions.
Saturday, October 22—Small-Block Modified time trials, 8-lap qualifying races, Last Chance Qualifier(s), 100-lap Eastern States Small-Block Modified feature; Arkel Motors Sportsman group time trials, eight-lap qualifying heat races, Last Chance Qualifer(s), 50-lap Arkel Motors Eastern States Sportsman feature.
Sunday, October 23—Pro Stocks timed hot laps, heat races, 25-lap Pro Stock Eastern States Feature; DIRTcar Big-Block Modifieds 15-lap Last Chance Qualifier(s), 61st Eastern States 200 for Modifieds, the oldest consecutively-run post season championship race for dirt track Modifieds.
Eastern States Practice Day—Saturday, October 15, 6:00-8:00 pm, all divisions, teams may enter pits at 4:00 pm. Pit admission $25.00 per person.
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.
