Lebanon Valley’s Saturday Practice Moved To Sunday; ’25 Season’s Almost Here
Story By: PHIL ALLAWAY / LEBANON VALLEY SPEEDWAY – WEST LEBANON, NY – The offseason for local racing in the Albany area is officially over.
As compared to recent years, the offseason is a little shorter this year due to the actual start of the season being moved up by three weeks.
To that end, warmups were originally scheduled for April 5 at Lebanon Valley Speedway. However, the weather forecast for Saturday is pretty terrible. Rain is forecast for most of the day, heavy at times, with a high temperature around 46° in Albany.
In West Lebanon at the track, that might be a couple of degrees lower.
Because of this forecast, track management has already made the decision to postpone Warmups to Sunday. The same schedule that was originally created for Saturday will be used for Sunday.
The pits will open up at 2 p.m. ET and on-track sessions would begin at 3 p.m. ET. Given the amount of rain that is likely to fall Saturday, there will be a good amount of track prep required Sunday morning once the rain stops.
For those who venture out to the track Sunday, temperatures are forecast to be in the lower 50s. The skies will generally be cloudy, but the sun could come out later in the afternoon. If it comes out earlier, it’ll get warmer.
The grandstands will be open on Sunday for any fans who would like to observe. Admission will be free.
In addition, if you are purchasing or picking up 2025 Lebanon Valley Season Passes, you will be able to do so in the newly renovated Clubhouse after 3 p.m. ET. The renovated Clubhouse debuted to the public during the recent 2024 banquets to rave reviews.
If the residual moisture is such that the track cannot have cars on it Sunday, then Tuesday evening will be the second rain date. Since that is a midweek date, the time that the track will be open for practice would be different. If that comes to pass, check the website and the track’s Facebook page for additional information.
For this upcoming season, things will start differently than in past years. Opening night on April 12 will be headlined by the Spring Fling for the Sportsman class. Teams will be racing’’ for $4000 to win. They’ll be joined by the Limited Sportsman, Pro Stock, Street Stock and 4-Cylinder classes.
Week No. 2 on April 19 will see Lebanon Valley Speedway play host to the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series. The race will be $5000 to win and serve as the season opener for the 358 Modified class (Note: Since this is a tour race, only appearance points will be paid for the 358 Modifieds).
Week No. 3 on April 26 will be the official first points night for the 358 Modifieds. The following Saturday, May 3, will be opening night for the Modified class.
During the banquets, the track officially announced that heat races will pay points this season. The winner of each heat race will earn three points towards the championship. Second-place will earn two points, while third will get one. This rule will apply for all classes with heats.
The sole exception to this will be events that are held for appearance points, such as the Super DIRTcar Series races. Every regular that shows up for those events will get the same number of points.
The goal is to put a little more on the line in the heats and allow for more action. With points being on the line, there is a benefit to race harder, especially for those further down in the point standings.
