Trenton, NJ (Thursday, February 20) – Anticipation for the BELFOR Property Restorations East Coast Indoor Dirt Nationals continued to build Thursday night as 600cc Sprint Cars slung dirt around the CURE Insurance Arena for the first time during a lightning practice session.

Rob Pierce showed sizzling speed throughout the three-hour session to solidify himself as a strong contender for Saturday night’s $5,000 top prize. The New Castle, PA driver rocketed his No. 24 around in 9.370 seconds during Practice 1 for the fastest lap of the day.

Zach Bealer’s sensational 9.742-second lap paced Practice 2, while Danny Buccafusca’s red-hot 10.057-second lap topped the brigade in Practice 3.

Of the 90 drivers entered, 65 hit the speedway for practice at some point. It was a relatively smooth session as Steven Fleetwood was the only car to flip.

Two 600 Micro heavyweights, Brian Carber, of Pipersville, PA, and Alex Bright, of Collegeville, PA, put on a dazzling display of driving in the final round by trading daring slide jobs with each other during the final round.

These practice rounds offered a sneak peek at the high-intensity action expected throughout the East Coast Indoor Dirt Nationals weekend.

Grandstands open at 6 p.m. Friday with racing beginning at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the grandstands will open at 4 p.m., and fans will have the opportunity to meet their favorite driver during an autograph session on the concourse. Racing begins at 6 p.m. with a pair of E-Mains.

Good seats are still available for purchase via Ticketmaster or at the CURE Insurance Arena box office on the day of the event. For additional details on the Indoor Auto Racing Championship and the East Coast Indoor Dirt Nationals, visit www.indoorautoracing.com