Allentown, PA –  Almost doesn’t count, and second chances are rare – especially in motorsports. When the Indoor Auto Racing Series returns to the PPL Center in Allentown, PA, on January 3-4 for the 8th Annual Ironton Global Allentown Indoor Races, TQ Midget drivers will have another opportunity to capture the $10,000 Ironton Auto Body Challenge.
Last year, Tanner VanDoren, a young driver from nearby Schnecksville, PA, and Huntersville, NC’s Ryan Flores split the TQ Midget main events held on the 1/10 mile concrete oval.
VanDoren, scored the surprise victory on Friday night, after Flores and longtime rival Andy Jankowiak of Tonawanda, NY, made contact while battling for the lead. Flores returned to form to score his sixth career win inside the PPL Center on Saturday, VanDoren came home a strong third.
While both drivers enjoyed a successful weekend the $10,000 weekend sweep eluded them.
Thanks to renewed support from Ironton Auto Body, with a sweep of Friday and Saturday night’s TQ Midget A-Mains, the possibility of a $10,000 weekend inside the PPL Center returns.
“Last year both Ryan and Tanner felt they had a legitimate shot to complete the sweep and take the big money,”  stated series director Danny Sammons.
“The $10,000 challenge makes both nights equally important and adds a level of intrigue to the event, not to mention the potential for a serious pay day!”
To complete the challenge, Friday’s winner will be offered a guaranteed starting spot in Saturday night’s main event, with one caveat, its the tenth starting spot. As a bonus for agreeing to start tenth, and accepting the challenge Friday’s winner will be given $1,000.
If the Friday winner can race from the tenth starting spot and complete the weekend sweep on Saturday, another $4,000 bonus will be theirs. Combining the $5,000 in bonuses with their winner’s share of the purse will earn them an even $10,000.
“Stan Stanzek and everyone from Ironton Auto Body are huge supporters of the Indoor Series and racing in general,” offered Sammons.
“When we developed this program last year, our goal was to create excitement for both nights while offering a significant financial reward.”
As an added bonus, if the weekend sweep isn’t pulled off, Ironton Auto Body will roll over a portion of the challenge to the Atlantic City Indoor Race.
Ironton Auto Body is a family owned and operated business providing quality auto body repairs from complete collision repair to paintless dent removal based in Coplay, PA. They also offer 24 hour emergency towing and trailer repair.
Tickets for the event are on sale now via Ticketmaster and the PPL Center box office.
In addition to the high-speed TQ Midgets—purpose-built race cars powered by motorcycle engines—two support divisions will also race: Slingshots and Champ Karts. The early entry deadline for competitors is December 1.
Family-Friendly Pricing: Tickets start at just $20 for adults, with general admission for children available for only $5 on the day of the event. Premium front-row seating and reserved seats are also available for an additional fee. Pricing excludes facility and ticketing fees.
Fans can enjoy an exclusive pre-race FanFest on the arena floor, where lower-level reserved ticket holders can walk the track and meet their favorite drivers before Saturday night’s race.
After two nights of racing in Allentown, the Indoor Series stars will head to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, for the NAPA Auto Parts Gambler’s Classic on January 31 and February 1. The series will conclude its season on a clay oval at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ, on February 21 and 22.
For more information about the Indoor Auto Racing Series, including hotel deals at nearby casinos and hotels, direct link to ticket purchases, racer rules, and entry forms, visit IndoorAutoRacing.com.