The nationally known and recognized World of Outlaws (WoO)  sprint cars will make their first stop of 2006 in the state of Pennsylvania and it all takes place at the Grandview Speedway on Tuesday night, May 16.  The World of Outlaws will invade the Bechtelsville, PA  one-third mile high banked oval at the NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series opener.  Donny Schatz, the current WoO point leader has never won at Grandview Speedway and if PA Posse stars,  Fred Rahmer, Lance Dewease, Mark Smith and Greg Hodnett have anything to do with it, he'll be shut out of victory lane on May 16th.

With $10,000 going to the winner, the locals are expected to be in full force and loaded to take out an outlaw or two.   Since the start of the Thunder on the Hill Racing Series in 1990, seven WoO events were presented at Grandview Speedway and with each visit to the hill, an Outlaw driver pocketed the winners share of the purse.  But in 2006, the story could be different.

Donny Schatz could be the WoO favorite when the caravan of traveling sprint cars trek up the hill on Tuesday night, May 16.  But following Schatz will be Jac Haudenschild who has one WoO win at Grandview.  That victory came in May of 1995.  Other invaders include Joey Saldana, Terry McCarl and youthful and talented Daryn Pittman.  That's just some of the MEAN 15 that will be in the starting line-up on May 16.

The World of Outlaws will qualify through time trials that in turn will create the starting line-up for the qualifying events and eventually the "B" Main.  The nightcap will be the $10,000 to win 35 lap  Thunder on the Hill feature event.

Also part of this blockbuster program will be the fast growing in popularity, ARDC wingless midgets.  Ray Bull will be looking to take his stand on the Grandview Speedway podium, but watch out for the "new kid" in town, Billy Pauch Jr.   That's right, Billy Jr. will be wheeling a wingless midget in search of his first ARDC career win at Grandview.

It's a great night of racing for any open cockpit race fan as the powerful WoO Sprint Cars team-up with the ARDC Midgets on Tuesday night, May 16.

Advance tickets for the May 16 World of Outlaw event are now on sale.  Adult tickets are $30, children 6-11 are $10 and children under the age of 6 will be admitted for free.  To purchase advance tickets, please make your check or money order payable to Grandview Speedway and mail to:  Thunder Series 2006   129 Mill Pond Place   Langhorne, PA   19047.   Please enclose a self addressed and stamped envelop and your tickets will be mailed directly to you.   There are no reserved seats, but advance ticket holders may enter the grandstand at 4:30 PM, one half hour prior to general admission tickets going on sale.  For more information, call 215-860-5631.

Please visit www.thunderonthehillracingseries.com where you'll find additional advance ticket information, a complete Thunder Schedule for 2006, photos, directions to Grandview Speedway and hotel and camp site information.

WORLD OF OUTLAWS TO OPEN 17TH THUNDER SERIES TUESDAY, MAY 16 AT GRANDVIEW

Bechtelsville, PA  is a nice place to live.  Clean air, blue skies and everything else you need for a quality life.  But every now and then, some strange things happen up there on that hill.  Lines of cars and big rigs turn off Route 100 and climb to the top of Passmore Road.  Just around sundown, you'll hear the National Anthem and then the roar begins.   Some say they feel the ground shake.  Others see lightning and I've read in the paper of. . . Thunder on the Hill.  

For those who are new to the area, it’s the long established home of Grandview Speedway, a one-third mile high bank dirt oval that features weekly Saturday night, Late Model and  NASCAR Modified stock car racing.  Grandview Speedway is also home of the NAPA Auto Parts/COMDIAL Telephone Communications Thunder on the Hill Racing Series.  In 1990,  Grandview Speedway owner Bruce Rogers and special events promoter Bob Miller  joined forces to create a mid-week racing series known today as Thunder on the Hill.                    

Although the Thunder Series first started as a 410 sprint special event series, more then seventy events later, Thunder on the Hill has presented it all.   The World of Outlaws, the Pennsylvania Posse 410 Sprints, URC Sprints, ARDC Midgets, SCRA wingless sprints, DIRT Big Block Modifieds and the Rolling Thunder Legends are just a few of the various classes  that have been part of this highly successful mid-week racing series.    

The seventy race Thunder on the Hill Racing Series has paid out in excess of two million dollars to the competitors over the past sixteen years.  The big winners in Thunder History include Billy Pauch, Lance Dewease and Fred Rahmer as Jeff Strunk and Brett Hearn were the big modified Thunder Series winners.  Pauch and Dewease each own ten career Thunder wins as  Fast Freddie Rahmer owns eight wins.  In the Championship department, Billy the kid Pauch owns five Thunder Titles, first winning the crown in 1990.  Pauch came back to win the Thunder title in 1992, 1993, 1995 and again in 2001.          

Lance Dewease is a four time Thunder title winner and the only driver to win the title three consecutive years.  Dewease wore the Thunder crown in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002.   Fred Rahmer has three Thunder championships to his credit, taking top honors in 1997, 2004 and 2005.                       

The modifieds have played a big part in the Thunder on the Hill Racing Series as well.  Jeff Strunk of Bethel, PA won the Modified Thunder Championship in 2004 and again in 2005.  Strunk is also the winningest driver in Thunder on the Hill history with six wins over Brett Hearn a three time winner.  Four drivers each have a pair of modified wins and the list includes Doug Manmiller, Frank Cozze, Timmy McCreadie and Jimmy Horton.

For 2006, the Thunder on the Hill Racing Series is charging full speed ahead with the season opener set for Tuesday, May 16 when the World of Outlaws sprint cars come to the "hill".   A popular added attraction for this event will be the ARDC wingless midgets.   Advance tickets are now on sale for this gate buster event.  Adult admission tickets are $30, children 6-11 $10 and under six will be admitted free.  To purchase advance tickets, please make your check or money order payable to Grandview Speedway.  Please mail your payment to THUNDER SERIES 2006   129 Mill Pond Place  Langhorne, PA   19047.   Please include a self addressed and stamped envelop and your tickets will be mailed to you.  Otherwise, your tickets may be picked up at the Will Call Window on race night.

Advance ticket holders may enter the grandstand on race night at 4:30 PM to select choice seating.  General admission tickets go on sale at 5 PM.   Race time is set for 7:30 PM

The action continues on Tuesday night, June 27 when the Cindy Rowe Pennsylvania Sprint Speed Week Series and ARDC Wingless Midgets duke it out,  Thunder Style on the Hill.  Race time is 7:30 PM.

On Wednesday night, July 19 the Big Block Modified stars of the SUPER DIRT Series will invade the "Hill" for the 9th Annual 100 Lap TRAFFIC JAM.  In last years contest, Tim Fuller took the winner after a late race challenge in the final laps by Steve Paine.  Also on the program will be the 600cc Modifieds.  Race time is set for 7:30 PM and remember. . . When you're at Thunder on the Hill, It All Goes Down at Sun Down!

The fans favorite show returns to Grandview Speedway on Tuesday night, August 22 when the GRANDVIEW THUNDER 5-25's invade the Hill.  This features only program will spotlight the 410 Sprints, 358 NASCAR Modifieds, 600cc Sprints, Rolling Thunder Legends and the 600cc Modifieds.  Race time is 7:30 PM.   NO Time Trials, NO Heats, NO Qualifying. . . Just five awesome features in one night of racing.

On Saturday night, October 14 the Thunder Series will close with the House of Thunder Grandview Thunder 5-25's.  Again, it's features only with the 358 NASCAR Modifieds, URC Sprints, ARDC Wingless Midgets,  Late Models and the Rolling Thunder Legends.  Vintage Race Cars and a Non-Winner's Race for the NASCAR 358 Modifieds and URC will make for an added treat at the Annual Halloween Party.

The Grandview Speedway is a one-third mile high banked clay oval that presents weekly NASCAR Modified and Late Model Stock Car Racing every Saturday night from  April 1 through October 14.  (Please check the schedule for possible changes at:  www.grandviewspeedwaycom) .   The Grandview Speedway is located on Passmore Road off Route 100 in Bechtelsville, PA (19505).  The track phone number is 610-754-7688.