Do you want something different to do this Saturday night? Do you like the roar of powerful motors and the smell of burning racing fuel? If you answered yes to either of these questions then Doug and Gina Hoffman's Mahoning Valley Speedway is right up your alley. Located near Lehighton, PA, Mahoning Valley Speedway is Pennsylvania's home for the ground pounding modifieds.

While they're considered to be stock cars, the Modifieds are stock in name only. These little rockets are powered by 600 horse power motors yet weigh less than 2,700 pounds. They ride on 15 inch wide slick tires on both the front and back meaning that all that horsepower gets transfered straight to the race track. These cars are so powerful that they have a hard time passing at many race tracks. Not at Mahoning Valley! Mahoning Valley Speedway is a 1/4 mile track with no real straightaways. The cars are always turning left so the action never ends. Cars race side by side all night long. Last Saturday's 35 laps went from green to checker without a caution and the top three cars were never more than a foot apart. Four more times this season, the modifieds will race in special 100 lap events with bigger purses for even more action. The next event in this modified series will take place on Saturday, June 6th.

The modifieds are only part of the great racing programs at Mahoning Valley. My next favorite class is the street stocks. These cars are mainly 1980s vintage Monte Carlos and Camaros specially prepared for racing. Their 25 lap feature races are fast and furious. The racing is often three wide and there is lots of bumping and grinding. There are times when you couldn't fit a sheet of notebook paper between the cars. On any given week, there are many street stocks that could take the checkered flag.

Mahoning Valley also runs late model stock cars, pro-4 late models that are mainly Ford Pintos and dirt modifieds on asphalt. They also have special divisions most nights. The speedway's gates open every Saturday at 4:00 and racing begins promptly at 6:00. Most weeks you'll be headed home by 10:00. I  like to get there early and eat some of the goodies in my wicker picnic basket while the race cars roll through the gates.

One of the great things about Mahoning Valley Speedway is that you can bring your picnic cooler full of food and beverages meaning that an evening at the races will cost you far less than a ballgame or other sporting event. Another family friendly feature is that there is no alcohol allowed. Admission to Mahoning Valley Speedway ranges from $12 for regular shows to $20 for the 100 lap modified races. Students, seniors and active military receive a $2 discount and children 10 and under are always free. Pack your picnic backpacks and head for Mahoning Valley Speedway very soon. You'll be glad you did.