Staff Report

Dover International Speedway will be the new host site for the World Championship Punkin Chunkin event, officials announced Thursday.

This year marks the 28th year of the event, which will be held Oct. 24-26 on the speedway grounds.

For the seventh consecutive year, Science Channel will be on hand to capture every moment of the event. In what has become a Thanksgiving Week tradition all of the Punkin Chunkin action will world premiere on Science Channel on Nov. 29, from 8-10 p.m.

"We're excited to bring a world renowned event like Punkin Chunkin to Dover International Speedway," said Mike Tatoian, executive vice president and COO of Dover Motorsports Inc. "Their event and incredible fan base, teamed with our infrastructure and experience with hosting large-scale events should make for a terrific event this fall and subsequent years."

Tatoian said the Speedway's central location in the state and easy access off of Route 1 make it an ideal location to host Punkin Chunkin for the first time.

"In addition, we hope that by keeping this distinctly Delaware event in Delaware we will attract a number of new fans from the north, allowing us to make Punkin Chunkin bigger and better than ever," he said.

Organizers of the event, which lost its home near Bridgeville earlier this year, scouted more than 50 locations both within and outside of Delaware before settling on the Speedway for this year's event, citing not only its convenient location but also the available space. Some air cannons can shoot pumpkins nearly one mile, so locating a space that could handle the competition and crowds proved challenging for Punkin Chunkin officials.

For ticket and camping information, call 800-441-7223. For more information on the 28th annual World Championship Punkin Chunkin, visit www.PunkinChunkin.com.