Get your racers ready. Here's the press release issued on the upcoming season.

Arena Racing USA has finalized plans to return to the Hampton Coliseum this year. Season seven will kick off Friday night, October 17th, with gates opening at 6:30 p.m. and racing at 7:30 p.m.

“We are pleased to welcome back Arena Racing USA for their 2008/2009 season and honored to have all 15 of their races here at the Hampton Coliseum,” said Joe Tsao, Director of the Hampton Coliseum.

The fast-paced indoor sport features local drivers ranging in age from 14 to fifty-something, competing for cash prizes up to $35,000, racing in their own unique half-scale stock cars on a one-tenth mile banked track built to fit inside a hockey rink. At times, as many as 14 cars will entertain fans at speeds of up to 65 miles per hour with lap times of about 8 seconds. 

“Last year was a season of operational re-structuring. This year we want to make it about the fans with plenty of exciting promotions tied into the racing action,” said Murphy. 

He added, “This season we will focus on getting the value to the race fans. We have extended our discounts and have created family four packs that create real value to the people. We all have to do our part in times of an economic slowdown and we just want the Hampton Roads community to know that there is still an affordable form of entertainment around.”

Arena racing is the brainchild of Ricky Dennis, who now works on the corporate side of the sport, along with the investor group comprised of Joe Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing which includes Sprint Cup Drivers Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin, Interstate Batteries’ Chairman Norm Miller and Gary Becker, formerly of Pace Entertainment

 Last year’s top $10,000 championship prize winner, Scott Prillaman in the Navy/Geico number 98 car, will return in an attempt to defend his number title.

The title will not come easily this year as competition will be strong with the return of top contenders #8 Adam Florian in the Army/Action Security car, #02 Jordan Wood in the Structural Mechanical/Affordable Transmissions racing machine and #17 Robbie Davis in the Standard Welding car.